Heated wafer carrier profiling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8958061-B2
Application number	US-201213483491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2012
Priority date	May 31, 2011
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

A method for characterizing a surface comprises rotating a carrier about an axis of rotation where the carrier has a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer with a major surface of the wafer extending generally transverse to the axis of rotation. A surface characterization tool is moved over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier, where a measurement location over the top surface of the carrier is changed while said top surface of the carrier is heated to a predetermined temperature. Characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool are produced and contain information about the heated top surface of the carrier, or when semiconductor wafers are held on the carrier, information about the semiconductor wafer can also be obtained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of characterizing a surface comprising:
rotating a carrier about an axis of rotation, the carrier having a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer with a major surface of the wafer extending generally transverse to the axis of rotation;
moving a surface characterization tool over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier, whereby a measurement location over the top surface of the carrier is changed, while said top surface of the carrier is heated to a predetermined temperature;
producing characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool, the characterization signals containing information about the heated top surface of the carrier;
determining values for position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the carrier based on the characterization signals;
comparing the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the carrier to a reference carrier top surface, wherein the reference carrier top surface is determined by performing the rotating, moving, producing, and determining steps on a randomly selected carrier; and
reviewing the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the carrier based on the characterization signals against predetermined acceptable parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the position-dependent values in a perceptually visible form.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of carriers are characterized, the carrier is a first carrier and the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the carrier is a first carrier top surface position-dependent parameters, further comprising
producing characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool, the characterization signals containing information about the top surface of a second carrier while being heated; and
comparing the first carrier top surface position-dependent parameters to the second carrier top surface position-dependent parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the comparison is displayed in a perceptually visible form.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising producing characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool, the characterization signals containing information about the top surface of a third carrier while being heated; and producing characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool, the characterization signals containing information about the top surface of a fourth carrier while being heated.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of carriers are characterized, the reference carrier top surface is on a randomly selected first carrier, further storing the characterization signals from the reference carrier top surface in a database.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the randomly selected first carrier is obtained from a single production lot or batch of carriers.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the steps of claim 1 on a second carrier; and comparing the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the second carrier to the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the reference carrier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second carrier has undergone a chemical vapor deposition run and a cleaning step to remove residual deposits from the chemical vapor deposition run.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference carrier is a carrier that has not undergone a chemical vapor deposition run.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined temperature ranges from about 200° C. to about 1500° C.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the characterization signals from the top surface of the carrier in a database.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the carrier, onto which at least one semiconductor wafer is being held, to undergo a chemical vapor deposition run, wafer removal, and subsequent cleaning to remove residual deposits from the chemical vapor deposition run on the top surface of the carrier; and repeating the steps of claim 1 on the cleaned top surface of the carrier.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising comparing the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the cleaned carrier to the position-dependent parameters characterizing the top surface of the carrier which did not undergo the chemical vapor deposition run to determine if the top surface of the cleaned carrier is acceptable.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the comparison is displayed in a visually perceptible form.

16. The method of claim 14 which is repeated on the cleaned carrier until the top surface of the carrier is no longer acceptable.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier is holding at least one semiconductor wafer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein when the carrier is holding at least one semiconductor wafer, the surface characterization tools measure a surface property selected from temperature of the semiconductor wafer, bowing of the semiconductor wafer, warping of the semiconductor wafer, and tilting of the semiconductor wafer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the surface characterization tool is selected from a pyrometer, reflectometer, a combined pyrometer/reflectometer, a combined deflectometer/reflectometer/temperature tool, ellipsometer, photoluminescence spectrometer, camera, electroluminescence spectrometer, surface acoustic wave generator, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the pyrometer is a pyrometer which operates at a wavelength of from about 400 nm to about 8 μm.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface characterization tool is selected from a pyrometer, reflectometer, a combined pyrometer/reflectometer, a combined deflectometer/reflectometer/temperature tool, ellipsometer, photoluminescence spectrometer, camera, electroluminescence spectrometer, surface acoustic wave generator, or any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the pyrometer is a pyrometer which operates at a wavelength of from about 400 nm to about 8 μm.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the surface characterization tools measure a surface property selected from temperature, reflectance, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, emissivity, and absence or presence of residual deposits from a chemical vapor deposition run.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:
linking the surface characterization tool to one or more feedback loops, the one or more feedback loops providing signals to adjust the temperature of the carrier.

25. A method of characterizing a surface comprising:
rotating a carrier about an axis of rotation, the carrier having a top surface adapted to hold at least one semiconductor wafer with a major surface of the wafer extending generally transverse to the axis of rotation;
moving a surface characterization tool over a plurality of positions relative to the top surface of the carrier, whereby a measurement location over the top surface of the carrier is changed;
producing characterization signals over the plurality of positions with the surface characterization tool, the characterization signals containing information about the top surface of the carrier;
det

Assignees

• Boguslavskiy Vadim
• Mangum Joshua
• King Matthew
• Marcelo Earl
• Armour Eric A
• Gurary Alexander I
• Quinn William E
• Tas Guray
• Veeco Instr Inc

Inventors

• Boguslavskiy Vadim
• Mangum Joshua
• King Matthew
• Marcelo Earl
• Armour Eric A
• Gurary Alexander I
• Quinn William E
• Tas Guray

Classifications

• H10P72/7621

  characterised by supporting two or more semiconductor substrates · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/7618 Primary

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C16/46

  characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) · CPC title