Semiconductor process equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025293061-A1
Application number	US-202419001069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 24, 2024
Priority date	Mar 18, 2024
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Semiconductor process equipment includes a wafer support with a wafer including a plurality of support areas, and a processor receiving measurement data obtained from measurement areas defined on the wafer on which a semiconductor process has been performed based on current control data, calculate representative data for each measurement area from the measurement data, calculate error data by calculating a difference between the representative data and predetermined target data, determine, in response to the error data falling within a predetermined range, the current control data as final control data, and, in response to the error data being out of the predetermined range, generate correction data based on a response matrix defining a relationship between the correction data and the error data and adjust the current control data with the correction data to generate a modified control data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Semiconductor process equipment comprising:
a wafer support with a wafer seated thereon and including a plurality of support areas; and a processor configured to: receive measurement data obtained from a plurality of measurement areas defined on the wafer on which a semiconductor process has been performed based on current control data for each of the plurality of support areas controlling the semiconductor process; calculate representative data for each of the plurality of measurement areas from the measurement data; calculate error data by calculating a difference between the representative data and predetermined target data; determine, in response to the error data falling within a predetermined range, the current control data as final control data; and in response to the error data being out of the predetermined range, generate correction data for each of the plurality of support areas based on a response matrix defining a relationship between the correction data correcting the current control data for each of the plurality of support areas and the error data of the plurality of measurement areas and adjust the current control data with the correction data to generate a modified control data.

2 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1 ,
wherein the representative data is an average of measurement data obtained from a plurality of measurement points of each of the plurality of respective measurement areas.

3 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1 ,
wherein the correction data includes a change amount of the current control data for each of the plurality of support areas.

4 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1 ,
wherein rows of the response matrix correspond to response vectors for the correction data.

5 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 4 ,
wherein the response vectors define a relationship between reference correction data and response data for each of the plurality of measurement areas, wherein the reference correction data corresponds to an amount of change relative to reference control data which is applied to the plurality of support areas, wherein the response data is obtained by calculating a difference between correction measurement data and reference measurement data, wherein the reference measurement data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of measurement areas obtained by applying the reference control data to the plurality of support areas, and wherein the correction measurement data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of measurement areas obtained by applying the reference correction data to one of the plurality of support areas.

6 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 4 ,
wherein the number of the rows of the response matrix is equal to the number of the plurality of measurement areas, and wherein the number of columns of the response matrix is equal to the number of the plurality of support areas.

7 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of measurement areas correspond to the plurality of support areas.

8 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 7 ,
wherein each of the plurality of measurement areas includes a plurality of sub-areas.

9 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 8 ,
wherein at least one sub-area among the plurality of sub-areas has a different shape.

10 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 8 ,
wherein one sub-area of the plurality of sub-areas is disposed to be surrounded by remaining sub-areas thereof.

11 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 8 ,
wherein rows of the response matrix correspond to response vectors for the correction data, wherein the response vectors define a relationship between reference correction data and response data for each of the plurality of sub-areas, wherein the reference correction data corresponds to an amount of change relative to reference control data which is applied to the plurality of support areas, wherein the response data is obtained by calculating a difference between correction measurement data and reference measurement data, wherein the reference measurement data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of sub-areas obtained by applying the reference control data to the plurality of support areas, and wherein the correction measurement data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of sub-areas obtained by applying the reference correction data to one of the plurality of support areas.

12 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 11 ,
wherein the number of the rows of the response matrix is equal to the number of the plurality of sub-areas, and wherein the number of columns of the response matrix is equal to the number of the plurality of support areas.

13 . Semiconductor process equipment comprising:
a wafer support with a wafer seated thereon and including a plurality of support areas; and a processor configured to: receive measurement data obtained from a plurality of measurement areas defined on the wafer on which a semiconductor process has been performed based on current control data for each of the plurality of support areas controlling the semiconductor process; calculate representative data for each of the plurality of measurement areas from the measurement data by calculating a weighted average of the measurement data obtained from each of the plurality of measurement areas; calculate error data by calculating a difference between the representative data and predetermined target data; determine, in response to the error data falling within a predetermined range, the current control data as final control data; and in response to the error data being out of the predetermined range, generate correction data for each of the plurality of support areas based on a response matrix defining a relationship between the correction data correcting the current control data for each of the plurality of support areas and the error data of the plurality of measurement areas and adjust the current control data with the correction data to generate a modified control data.

14 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 13 ,
wherein the correction data includes a change amount of the current control data for each of the plurality of support areas.

15 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 13 ,
wherein rows of the response matrix correspond to response vectors for the correction data, wherein the response vectors define a relationship between reference correction data and response data for each of the plurality of measurement areas, wherein the reference correction data corresponds to an amount of change relative to reference control data which is applied to the plurality of support areas, wherein the applying of the reference correction data includes adding of the reference correction data to the reference control data of the one of the plurality of support areas, wherein the response data is obtained by calculating a difference between correction measurement data and reference measurement data, wherein the reference measurement data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of measurement areas obtained by applying the reference control data to the plurality of support areas, and wherein the correction data corresponds to measurement data of the plurality of measurement areas obtained by applying the reference correction data to one of the plurality of support areas.

16 . The semiconductor process equipment of claim 15 ,
wherein

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jonghwa
• Kim Yunha
• Yeh Sangsu
• Lee Minsu
• Lee Yunkyun
• Jung Jiae
• Cho Kwanghyun
• Cho Hansung

Classifications

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• G05B19/41875

  characterised by quality surveillance of production · CPC title

• G05B2219/45031

  Manufacturing semiconductor wafers · CPC title

• H01L21/67253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title