Inspection system of semiconductor wafer and method of driving the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023123710-A1
Application number	US-202117501318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A semiconductor wafer inspection system includes a wafer chuck disposed inside a chamber and on which a wafer is disposed, a light source configured to emit light for inspecting a pattern on the wafer to the wafer, an inspection controller configured to control the driving of the light source, a cooling gas gun disposed adjacent to the light source and configured to spray a cooling gas on a surface of the wafer, and a cooling controller configured to supply cooling air to the wafer chuck before light is emitted to the wafer and supply the cooling gas to the cooling gas gun.

First claim

1 . A semiconductor wafer inspection system comprising:
a wafer chuck disposed inside a chamber and on which a wafer is disposed; a light source configured to emit light to the wafer so as to inspect a pattern on the wafer; an inspection controller configured to control driving of the light source; a cooling gas gun disposed adjacent to the light source and configured to spray a cooling gas on a surface of the wafer; and a cooling controller comprising:
a first cooler configured to generate and supply cooling air to the wafer chuck before light is emitted to the wafer;
a second cooler configured to generate and supply the cooling gas to the cooling gas gun; and
a driving controller configured to control driving of the first cooler based on a temperature of the wafer chuck and control driving of the second cooler based on a point in time at which light is emitted to the wafer.

2 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a the temperature of the wafer chuck, generate a temperature value, and transmit the temperature value to the cooling controller.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the driving controller drives the first cooler to cool the wafer chuck to a preset temperature.

5 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 4 , wherein the cooling controller confirms the temperature value of the wafer chuck in real time and maintains the temperature of the wafer chuck at the preset temperature until the inspection of the pattern on the wafer ends.

6 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 3 , wherein the cooling gas gun sprays the cooling gas locally on the surface of the wafer to be irradiated with light before the light is emitted to the wafer.

7 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 6 , wherein the light source emits light to the surface of the wafer so as to inspect the pattern after the cooling gas is sprayed on the surface of the wafer.

8 . A semiconductor wafer inspection system comprising:
a wafer chuck disposed inside a chamber and on which a wafer is disposed; a light source configured to emit light to the wafer so as to inspect a pattern on the wafer; an inspection controller configured to control driving of the light source; a cooling gas gun disposed adjacent to the light source and configured to spray a cooling gas on a surface of the wafer; and a cooling controller comprising: a first cooler configured to generate and supply cooling air to an inside of the chamber; a second cooler configured to generate and supply the cooling gas to the cooling gas gun before light is emitted to the wafer; and a driving controller configured to control driving of the first cooler based on an inner temperature of the chamber and control driving of the second cooler based on a point in time at which light is emitted to the wafer.

9 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 8 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure the inner temperature of the chamber, generate a temperature value, and transmit the temperature value to the cooling controller.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 9 , wherein the driving controller drives the first cooler to cool the inside of the chamber to a preset temperature.

12 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 11 , wherein the cooling controller confirms the temperature value of the inside of the chamber in real time and maintains the inner temperature of the chamber at the preset temperature until the inspection of the pattern on the wafer ends.

13 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 10 , wherein the cooling gas gun sprays the cooling gas locally on the surface of the wafer to be irradiated with light before the light is emitted to the wafer.

14 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 13 , wherein the light source emits light to the surface of the wafer so as to inspect the pattern after the cooling gas is sprayed on the surface of the wafer.

15 . A semiconductor wafer inspection system comprising:
a wafer chuck disposed inside a chamber and on which a wafer is disposed; a light source configured to emit light to the wafer so as to inspect a pattern on the wafer; an inspection controller configured to control driving of the light source; a cooling gas gun disposed adjacent to the light source and configured to spray a cooling gas on a surface of the wafer; a cooling controller configured to supply cooling air to the wafer chuck and an inside of the chamber and supply a cooling gas to the cooling gas gun before light is emitted to the wafer; a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the wafer chuck, generate a first temperature value, and transmit the first temperature value to the cooling controller; and a second temperature sensor configured to measure an inner temperature of the chamber, generate a second temperature value, and transmit the second temperature value to the cooling controller.

16 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling controller comprises:
a first cooler configured to generate the cooling air to be supplied to the wafer chuck; a second cooler configured to generate the cooling air to be supplied to the inside of the chamber; a third cooler configured to generate the cooling gas to be supplied to the cooling gas gun; and a driving controller configured to control driving of the first cooler based on the first temperature value, control driving of the second cooler based on the second temperature value, and control driving of the third cooler based on a point in time at which light is emitted to the wafer.

17 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 16 , wherein the driving controller drives the first cooler to cool the wafer chuck to a preset temperature and drives the second cooler to cool the inside of the chamber to the preset temperature.

18 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 17 , wherein the driving controller drives the first cooler at full power until the temperature of the wafer chuck reaches a target temperature, which is higher than the preset temperature by a predetermined temperature, and drives the first cooler at normal power when the temperature of the wafer chuck reaches the target temperature.

19 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 17 , wherein the driving controller drives the second cooler at full power until the inner temperature of the chamber reaches a target temperature, which is higher than the preset temperature by a predetermined temperature, and drives the second cooler at normal power when the inner temperature of the chamber reaches the target temperature.

20 . The semiconductor wafer inspection system of claim 16 , wherein the cooling gas gun sprays the cooling gas locally on the surface of the wafer to be irradiated with the light before the light is emitted to the wafer.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Doyoung
• Ahn Jeongho
• Lee Dongryul
• Ihm Dongchul
• Jun Chungsam

Classifications

• H10P74/203

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

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• G01N21/956

  Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects {(contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)} · CPC title