Localized stress modulation for overlay and epe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016005662-A1
Application number	US-201514736020-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide apparatus and methods for localized stress modulation for overlay and edge placement error (EPE) using electron or ion implantation. In one embodiment, a process for correcting overlay error on a substrate generally includes performing a measurement process in a metrology tool on a substrate to obtain a substrate distortion or an overlay error map, determining doping parameters to correct overlay error or substrate distortion based on the overlay error map, and providing a doping recipe to a doping apparatus based on the doping parameters determined to correct substrate distortion or overlay error. Embodiments may also provide performing a doping treatment process on the substrate using the determined doping repair recipe, for example, by comparing the overlay error map or substrate distortion with a database library stored in a computing system.

First claim

1 . A method for correcting overlay error on a substrate comprising:
performing a measurement process in a metrology tool on a substrate to obtain a substrate distortion map or an overlay error map; determining doping parameters to correct overlay error or substrate distortion based on the substrate distortion map or the overlay error map; and providing a doping recipe to a doping apparatus based on the doping parameters determined to correct substrate distortion or overlay error.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a doping treatment process on the substrate using the determined doping repair recipe.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the doping recipe by comparing the overlay error map or substrate distortion map with a database library stored in a computing system.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the database library includes a correlation of a stress change in a film layer to the doping parameters.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the doping parameters comprise at least one of a doping energy selection, an electron or ion selection, an ion species selection, or a doping concentration selection.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the doping is performed using at least one of a plasma beam, an electron beam, a ribbon beam, or a particle beam.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the doping treatment process on the substrate further comprises:
altering a film stress locally or globally in a film layer disposed on the substrate.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the doping treatment process on the substrate further comprises:
correcting the determined overlay error or substrate distortion.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
coating a photoresist layer on the substrate and performing a lithographic exposure process after the doping treatment process.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining doping parameters for treating the substrate in a computing system further comprises:
determining discrete locations of the substrate to be treated.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the doping repair recipe is determined in response to one or more of film stress, substrate curvature, in plane distortion or pattern shift detected on the substrate.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate distortion measured on the substrate is determined by measuring a film stress of a film layer disposed on the substrate.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a computing system is incorporated in the metrology tool or in the doping apparatus.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the computing system is in data communication with the metrology tool or the doping apparatus.

15 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the doping treatment process is performed using ions of the same type as ions present in the substrate.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metrology tool comprises a localized stress vector mapping tool.

17 . A method for correcting overlay error on a substrate comprising:
performing at least one lithographic deposition or etching process on a film layer of the substrate; determining a substrate distortion map, overlay error map, or edge placement error (EPE) introduced by the at least one lithographic deposition or etching process using a stress vector mapping tool; and implanting at least one of electrons or ions into selected discrete locations of the film layer to correct a substrate distortion, an overlay error, or the EPE.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a film stress is altered to correct the substrate distortion prior to a lithography process to reduce overlay errors.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the implanting is performed using at least one of a plasma beam, an electron beam, a ribbon beam, or a particle beam.

20 . A method for correcting overlay error on a substrate comprising:
measuring a film stress, a substrate curvature, an in-plane distortion, or a pattern shift of a film layer disposed on a substrate; determining an overlay error map or substrate distortion map based on the measured film stress on the film layer; determining a doping repair recipe based on the measured film stress on the substrate; and doping the film layer using the determined doping repair recipe to locally change the film stress of the film layer.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Yieh Ellie Y
• Dai Huixiong
• Nemani Srinivas D
• Godet Ludovic
• Bencher Christopher Dennis

Classifications

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P74/203 Primary

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H01L22/12 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic