Methods for treating a substrate by optical projection of a correction pattern based on a detected spatial heat signature of the substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9646898-B2
Application number	US-201414554358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Techniques herein include systems and methods that provide a spatially-controlled or pixel-based projection of light onto a substrate to tune various substrate properties. A given pixel-based image projected on to a substrate surface can be based on a substrate signature. The substrate signature can spatially represent non-uniformities across the surface of the substrate. Such non-uniformities can include energy, heat, critical dimensions, photolithographic exposure dosages, etc. Such pixel-based light projection can be used to tune various properties of substrates, including tuning of critical dimensions, heating uniformity, evaporative cooling, and generation of photo-sensitive agents. Combining such pixel-based light projection with photolithographic patterning processes and/or heating processes improves processing uniformity and decreases defectivity. Embodiments can include using a digital light processing (DLP) chip, grating light valve (GLV), or other grid-based micro projection technology.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of treating a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning a substrate on a substrate holder;
heating the substrate using a heat source located below a top surface of the substrate;
projecting light onto a surface of the substrate via a grid-based light projection system configured to vary amplitude of projected light by location;
varying amplitude of light projected on the surface of the substrate by location based on a substrate signature;
identifying a spatial heat signature of the surface of the substrate using a thermal imaging device;
calculating a temperature-correction image based on the spatial heat signature; and
projecting the temperature-correction image onto the surface of the substrate such that the temperature-correction image decreases an average temperature differential across the surface of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spatial heat signature has spatial temperatures that vary from each other by up to approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius, and wherein projecting the temperature-correction image onto the surface of the substrate causes the spatial temperatures to vary from each other by less than about 0.02 degrees Celsius.

3. A method of treating a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning a substrate on a substrate holder of a semiconductor fabrication tool;
heating the substrate on the substrate holder using a heating mechanism located within the substrate holder; and
spatially adjusting a surface temperature of the substrate by projecting a pixel-based image onto the substrate using a digitally-controlled micro-mirror projection device, wherein the pixel-based image varies light amplitude by individually addressable pixels, the projected pixel-based image being based on a heat signature of the substrate.

4. A method of treating a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning a substrate on a substrate holder;
heating the substrate using a heat source located below a top surface of the substrate;
identifying a spatial heat signature of a surface of the substrate using a spatial temperature sensor;
calculating a temperature-correction image based on the spatial heat signature; and
projecting the temperature-correction image onto the surface of the substrate such that the temperature-correction image decreases an average temperature differential across the surface of the substrate, wherein the temperature-correction image is projected via a grid-based light projection system configured to vary amplitude of projected light by location, the temperature-correction image that is projected resulting in light varying in amplitude by location on the substrate based on the spatial heat signature.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the spatial heat signature has spatial temperatures that vary from each other by up to approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius, and wherein projecting the temperature-correction image onto the surface of the substrate causes the spatial temperatures to vary from each other by less than about 0.02 degrees Celsius.

6. A method of treating a substrate, the method comprising:
positioning a substrate on a substrate holder;
heating the substrate using a heat source located below a top surface of the substrate;
identifying a substrate signature of a surface of the substrate;
calculating a temperature-adjustment image based on the substrate signature;
projecting the temperature-adjustment image onto the surface of the substrate such that the temperature-adjustment image modifies substrate temperatures at point locations across the surface of the substrate based on the substrate signature, the temperature-adjustment image being projected as a pixel-based image having variations in light amplitude by projected location, the temperature-adjustment image being projected using a digitally-controlled projection device configured to vary amplitude of projected light by individually addressable pixels.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein projecting the temperature-adjustment image onto the surface of the substrate as the pixel-based image includes the digitally-controlled projection device projecting the temperature-adjustment image via a progressive scan.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein positioning the substrate on the substrate holder includes positioning the substrate within an etching system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the etching system is a dry etch system with vacuum processing.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein positioning the substrate on the substrate holder includes positioning the substrate within a semiconductor fabrication tool that includes at least one coater-developer module.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Devilliers Anton J
• Fulford Daniel
• Leusink Gerrit J

Classifications

• H10P76/00

  Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P74/23 Primary

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

• G03F7/168 Primary

  Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking · CPC title