公开(公告)号：US20200043710A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-06

申请号：US16051082

申请日：2018-07-31

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ching Ling Meng ,  Holger Tuitje ,  Qiang Zhao ,  Hanyou Chu ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, and a method for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber are provided. The apparatus includes a continuous wave broadband light source to generate incident light beam, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and direct the reflected light beam to a detector, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to process the reflected light beam to suppress background light, determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on reference light beam and the reflected light beam that are processed to suppress the background light, and control an etch process based on the determined property.

公开(公告)号：US20170140905A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-18

申请号：US15351916

申请日：2016-11-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Mihail Mihaylov ,  Xinkang Tian ,  Ching-Ling Meng ,  Jason Ferns ,  Joel Ng ,  Badru D. Hyatt ,  Zheng Yan ,  Vi Vuong

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  G01J1/42 ,  G01J3/28

Abstract: An advanced optical sensor and method for detection of optical events in a plasma processing system. The method includes detecting at least one light emission signal in a plasma processing chamber. The at least one detected light emission signal including light emissions from an optical event. The method further includes processing the at least one light emission signal and detecting a signature of the optical event from the processed light emission signal.

公开(公告)号：US20250060324A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-20

申请号：US18620332

申请日：2024-03-28

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Francisco Machuca ,  Vi Vuong ,  Andrej Mitrovic ,  Xinkang Tian ,  Holger Tuitje

IPC: G01N23/2206 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N23/201 ,  G01N23/223

Abstract: A method of characterizing a device under test (DUT) includes illuminating the DUT with a broadband optical beam within an optical field of view (FOV), illuminating the DUT with an X-ray beam within an X-ray FOV overlapping the optical FOV, and concurrently acquiring X-ray metrology information, e.g., one or more X-ray images utilizing various modalities, such as absorption, phase contrast difference, darkfield, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and/or fluorescence, from the X-ray FOV and a plurality of optical images of the optical FOV, each of the optical images corresponding to respective selected wavelengths of the broadband optical beam from each of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths, for example including deep ultraviolet, near infrared, or short-wavelength infrared wavelengths. The DUT may be one or more substrates, e.g., stacked, and include electronic devices such as three-dimensional integrated devices.

公开(公告)号：US12165937B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US18075058

申请日：2022-12-05

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yan Chen ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: G01J3/28 ,  G01N21/71 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/84

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of an improved apparatus and system, and associated methods for optically diagnosing a semiconductor manufacturing process. A hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of emissions from the plasma, in a plasma processing system. Acquired hyperspectral images may be used to determine the chemical composition of the plasma and the plasma process endpoint. Alternatively, a hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of a substrate before, during, or after processing, to determine properties of the substrate or layers and features formed on the substrate, including whether a process endpoint has been reached; or before or after processing, for inspecting the substrate condition.

公开(公告)号：US11961721B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US17197947

申请日：2021-03-10

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ching Ling Meng ,  Holger Tuitje ,  Qiang Zhao ,  Hanyou Chu ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G01N21/00

CPC classification number: H01J37/32972 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32963 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L22/26 ,  G01N21/00 ,  H01J37/32458 ,  H01J2237/3345

Abstract: An apparatus for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber includes a continuous wave broadband light source, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed from the continuous wave broadband light source at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and to direct the reflected light beam to a first light detector, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on a reference light beam and the reflected light beam, and control an etch process based on the determined property. The reference light beam is generated by the illumination system by splitting a portion of the incident light beam and directed to a second light detector.

公开(公告)号：US11538723B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-27

申请号：US16880042

申请日：2020-05-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yan Chen ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: G01J3/28 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/71 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/88 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/84

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of an improved apparatus and system, and associated methods for optically diagnosing a semiconductor manufacturing process. A hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of emissions from the plasma, in a plasma processing system. Acquired hyperspectral images may be used to determine the chemical composition of the plasma and the plasma process endpoint. Alternatively, a hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of a substrate before, during, or after processing, to determine properties of the substrate or layers and features formed on the substrate, including whether a process endpoint has been reached; or before or after processing, for inspecting the substrate condition.

公开(公告)号：US20140024143A1

公开(公告)日：2014-01-23

申请号：US13945759

申请日：2013-07-18

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shifang LI ,  Junwei Bao ,  Hanyou Chu ,  Wen Jin ,  Ching-Ling Meng ,  Weiwen Xu ,  Ping Wang ,  Holger Tuitje ,  Mihail Mihaylov ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: H01L21/66

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  H01J37/32972 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: Disclosed is an in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) system and associated method for controlling plasma etching processes during the forming of stepped structures in semiconductor manufacturing. The in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) can be optionally configured for coupling to a surface-wave plasma source (SWP), for example a radial line slotted antenna (RLSA) plasma source. A method is described to correlate the lateral recess of the steps and the etched thickness of a photoresist layer for use with the in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) during control of plasma etching processes in the forming of stepped structures.

Abstract translation: 公开了一种在半导体制造中形成阶梯式结构期间控制等离子体蚀刻工艺的原位光学监视器（ISOM）系统及其相关方法。 可以可选地，原位光学监视器（ISOM）被配置为耦合到表面波等离子体源（SWP），例如径向线槽天线（RLSA）等离子体源。 描述了一种方法，以便在形成阶梯式结构的等离子体蚀刻过程的控制期间，使步骤的侧向凹陷和光致抗蚀剂层的蚀刻厚度与原位光学监视器（ISOM）一起使用。

公开(公告)号：US20250157801A1

公开(公告)日：2025-05-15

申请号：US18505810

申请日：2023-11-09

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Francisco Machuca ,  Joel Ng ,  Mihail Mihaylov ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: An optical emission spectroscopy (OES) detection device includes an optical collector configured to be optically coupled to a plasma in a plasma processing apparatus, an adjustable wavelength filter optically coupled to the optical collector, and a photodetector optically coupled to the adjustable wavelength filter. The optical collector receives an optical signal from the plasma. The adjustable wavelength filter is configured to automatically adjust a passband of the adjustable wavelength filter to include a selected wavelength in response to receiving a wavelength selection signal, and allow a filtered portion of the optical signal to pass through while excluding a remaining portion of the optical signal. The filtered portion includes the selected wavelength. The photodetector is configured to generate an OES measurement in response to detecting the filtered portion of the optical signal with a response time that is less than one millisecond.

公开(公告)号：US11692874B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-04

申请号：US17335814

申请日：2021-06-01

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yan Chen ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: G01J3/02 ,  G01J3/18 ,  G01J3/28

CPC classification number: G01J3/0297 ,  G01J3/0208 ,  G01J3/18 ,  G01J3/2803

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wavelength calibration of a spectrometer. The method can include receiving a calibration light signal having first spectral components of different first wavelengths; separating and projecting the first spectral components onto pixels of a detector of the spectrometer; establishing a relation between the first wavelengths and pixel numbers of first pixels on which the first spectral components are projected; calculating first residual errors between the first wavelengths and estimated wavelengths that are associated by the relation to the pixel numbers of the first pixels; receiving an optical signal having a second spectral component of a second wavelength; projecting the optical signal onto a second pixel; and calibrating the second wavelength based on a second residual error calculated based on one of the first residual errors that corresponds to a pair of the first pixels between which the second pixel is located.

公开(公告)号：US10978278B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-13

申请号：US16051082

申请日：2018-07-31

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ching Ling Meng ,  Holger Tuitje ,  Qiang Zhao ,  Hanyou Chu ,  Xinkang Tian

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: An apparatus, a system, and a method for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber are provided. The apparatus includes a continuous wave broadband light source to generate incident light beam, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and direct the reflected light beam to a detector, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to process the reflected light beam to suppress background light, determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on reference light beam and the reflected light beam that are processed to suppress the background light, and control an etch process based on the determined property.