Control method for processing of a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569956-B2
Application number	US-202217672857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2022
Priority date	Feb 22, 2021
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A method of accurately detecting an end point of substrate polishing using an acoustic sensor is disclosed.
The method includes: detecting an acoustic event occurring with polishing of a substrate and outputting the acoustic event as acoustic signals; generating power spectra from the acoustic signals, each of the power spectra indicating a spectrum of a sound-pressure level; generating a power spectrum map indicating a temporal change in power spectrum by arranging the power spectra in a time-series order; and detecting a polishing end point of the substrate based on a change in the sound-pressure level in the power spectrum map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control method for processing of a substrate by a substrate processing apparatus configured to polish the substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad, comprising:
performing, on a dummy substrate having a same layer structure as the substrate, a first polishing to determine a monitoring frequency band; after the first polishing, performing a second polishing on the substrate; detecting an acoustic event occurring during the second polishing and outputting the acoustic event as acoustic signals; during the second polishing, generating power spectra from the acoustic signals, each of the power spectra indicating a spectrum of a sound-pressure level; during the second polishing, generating a power spectrum map indicating a temporal change in power spectrum by arranging the power spectra in a time-series order, wherein the power spectrum map, having a horizontal axis representing a time and a vertical axis representing a frequency, is configured to represent the sound-pressure level color-coded or constituted by a distribution of black and white density; and during the second polishing, detecting a polishing end point of the substrate upon detecting at least one of the following conditions:
a first condition in which a rate of a change in the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map within a predetermined time exceeds a first threshold;
a second condition in which an area corresponding to the change in the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band on the power spectrum map exceeds a second threshold; or
a third condition in which, when the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map increases and subsequently decreases, the rate of the change in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map falls below a third threshold.

2 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the power spectrum corresponding to a part of the power spectra is generated using only a part of the acoustic signals detected within an analysis window up to a time of generating the power spectrum.

3 . The control method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing head forming pressure chambers configured to press the substrate, and a pressure controller configured to perform pressure feedback control to individually control pressures in the pressure chambers, wherein detecting the polishing end point of the substrate further comprises:
detecting times when changes in power spectrum maps occur, the power spectrum maps being generated by acoustic sensors provided in the polishing pad; and
determining a physical area where a surface of the substrate is exposed based on a difference between the times, and
wherein the pressure controller reduces pressure in pressure chamber corresponding to the physical area where the surface of the substrate is exposed.

4 . The control method according to claim 1 , wherein an acoustic sensor configured to detect the acoustic event is disposed in a recess formed in a polishing table supporting the polishing pad.

5 . The control method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the power spectrum corresponding to the part of the power spectra is generated by
storing, using a memory, the acoustic signals for a time period corresponding to the analysis window;
performing an FFT processing to generate the power spectrum; and
storing, using the memory, the generated power spectrum, and
wherein the power spectrum map is updated using data of the power spectrum stored in the memory.

6 . A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, comprising:
preparing a substrate; forming an opening pattern in a surface of the substrate; forming a film on the surface of the substrate; polishing a dummy substrate that has a same layer structure as the substrate to determine a monitoring frequency band; and polishing the surface of the substrate by pressing the surface of the substrate against a polishing pad, polishing the surface of the substrate including:
detecting an acoustic event occurring while polishing the substrate and outputting the acoustic event as acoustic signals;
generating power spectra from the acoustic signals, each of the power spectra indicating a spectrum of a sound-pressure level;
generating a power spectrum map indicating a temporal change in power spectrum by arranging the power spectra in a time-series order, wherein the power spectrum map, having a horizontal axis representing a time and a vertical axis representing a frequency, is configured to represent the sound-pressure level color-coded or constituted by a distribution of black and white density; and
detecting a polishing end point of the substrate upon detecting at least one of the following conditions:
a first condition in which a rate of a change in the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map within a predetermined time exceeds a first threshold;
a second condition in which an area corresponding to the change in the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band on the power spectrum map exceeds a second threshold; or
a third condition in which, when the sound-pressure level only in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map increases and subsequently decreases, the rate of the change in the monitoring frequency band in the power spectrum map falls below a third threshold.

7 . The manufacturing method according to claim 6 , further comprising setting the monitoring frequency band according to a material constituting the layer structure of the substrate.

8 . The manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of generating the power spectra comprises generating the power spectra using only the acoustic signals in a latest predetermined time.

9 . The control method according to claim 5 , wherein the polishing end point of the substrate is detected at least after elapse of the time period corresponding to the analysis window from a start of the second polishing.

10 . The control method according to claim 9 , wherein the analysis window is 10 seconds.

Assignees

• Kioxia Corp

Inventors

• Miki Tsutomu
• Suzuki Yuta
• Takahashi Taro
• Watanabe Katsuhide

Classifications

• B24B49/003

  involving acoustic means · CPC title

• B24B37/042 Primary

  operating processes therefor · CPC title

• B24B37/013 Primary

  Devices or means for detecting lapping completion · CPC title