Method and system for real-time polishing recipe control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9673113-B2
Application number	US-201414327491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling a polishing process in real-time. First and second characteristics are identified in first and second data sets, respectively, with each data set corresponding to a real-time wafer polishing data. A time delta is computed between the times at which the first and second characteristics occur within their respective data sets, and polishing parameters are then updated in real-time based on the computed time delta.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, within a first data set corresponding to a first series of measurements of a first region on a wafer, a first characteristic occurring at a first time point, wherein the first data set is generated in real time while the first region on the wafer is polished according to a first polishing parameter value;
identifying, within a second data set corresponding to a second series of measurements of a second region on the wafer, a second characteristic occurring at a second time point, wherein the second data set is generated in real time while the second region on the wafer is polished according to a second polishing parameter value;
computing a time delta, wherein the time delta is a difference between the first time point and the second time point; and
determining that the time delta is positive or negative, and, in response:
decreasing the second polishing parameter value based on the time delta to decrease a polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is positive; or
increasing the second polishing parameter value based on the time delta to increase the polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is negative.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the second polishing parameter value comprises:
identifying, using the time delta, a new parameter value from a look-up table; and
assigning the new parameter value to the second polishing parameter value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first region on the wafer is a wafer edge, and wherein the second region on the wafer is a wafer center.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second series of measurements are reflectivity measurements, and the first and second data sets correspond to first and second reflected intensity versus time data sets, respectively.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second characteristics are each local minima in the first and second data sets, respectively, or are each local maxima in the first and second data sets, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing or decreasing the second polishing parameter value comprises increasing or decreasing, respectively, a pressure applied to the wafer by a polishing head.

7. A system comprising:
a memory; and
a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein the processing device is to:
identify, within a first data set stored in the memory and corresponding to a first series of measurements of a first region on a wafer, a first characteristic occurring at a first time point, wherein the first data set is generated in real time while the first region on the wafer is polished according to a first polishing parameter value;
identify, within a second data set stored in the memory and corresponding to a second series of measurements of a second region on the wafer, a second characteristic occurring at a second time point, wherein the second data set is generated in real time while the second region on the wafer is polished according to a second polishing parameter value;
compute a time delta, wherein the time delta is a difference between the first time point and the second time point; and
determine that the time delta is positive or negative, and, in response:
decrease the polishing parameter value based on the time delta to decrease a polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is positive; or
increase the second polishing parameter value based on the time delta to increase the polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is negative.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein to increase or decrease the second polishing parameter value, the processing device is further to:
identify, using the time delta, a new parameter value from a look-up table; and
assign the new parameter value to the second polishing parameter value.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first region on the wafer is a wafer edge, and wherein the second region on the wafer is a wafer center.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second series of measurements are reflectivity measurements, and the first and second data sets correspond to first and second reflected intensity versus time data sets, respectively.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second characteristics are each local minima in the first and second data sets, respectively, or are each local maxima in the first and second data sets, respectively.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:
identifying, within a first data set corresponding to a first series of measurements of a first region on a wafer, a first characteristic occurring at a first time point, wherein the first data set is generated in real time while the first region on the wafer is polished according to a first polishing parameter value;
identifying, within a second data set corresponding to a second series of measurements of a second region on the wafer, a second characteristic occurring at a second time point, wherein the second data set is generated in real time while the second region on the wafer is polished according to a second polishing parameter value;
computing a time delta, wherein the time delta is a difference between the first time point and the second time point; and
determining that the time delta is positive or negative, and, in response:
decreasing the second polishing parameter value based on the time delta to decrease a polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is positive; or
increasing the second polishing parameter value based on the time delta to increase the polishing pressure applied to the second region if the time delta is negative.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein increasing or decreasing the second polishing parameter value comprises:
identifying, using the time delta, a new parameter value from a look-up table; and
assigning the new parameter value to the second polishing parameter value.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the first region on the wafer is a wafer edge, and wherein the second region on the wafer is a wafer center.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Leighton Jamie S
• Pong Yee Sheen

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/0422

  for wet etching · CPC title

• H10P52/402

  of semiconductor materials · CPC title

• H10P74/238 Primary

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title