公开(公告)号：US09548189B2

公开(公告)日：2017-01-17

申请号：US14694356

申请日：2015-04-23

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Luc Albarede ,  Yassine Kabouzi ,  Jorge Luque ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32963 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32972 ,  H01J37/32981 ,  H01J37/3299 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: A substrate etching system includes an etching control module, a filtering module, and an endpoint module. The etching control module selectively begins plasma etching of a substrate within an etching chamber. The filtering module, during the plasma etching of the substrate: receives a signal including endpoint information; decomposes the signal using empirical mode decomposition (EMD); and generates a filtered signal based on results of the EMD. The endpoint module indicates when an endpoint of the plasma etching of the substrate has been reached based on the filtered signal. The etching control module ends the plasma etching of the substrate in response to the indication that the endpoint of the plasma etching of the substrate has been reached.

Abstract translation: 衬底蚀刻系统包括蚀刻控制模块，过滤模块和端点模块。 蚀刻控制模块选择性地开始蚀刻室内的衬底的等离子体蚀刻。 过滤模块在衬底的等离子体蚀刻期间：接收包括端点信息的信号; 使用经验模式分解（EMD）分解信号; 并根据EMD的结果生成滤波信号。 端点模块基于滤波信号指示何时已经到达基板的等离子体蚀刻的端点。 响应于已经达到衬底的等离子体蚀刻的终点的指示，蚀刻控制模块结束衬底的等离子体蚀刻。

公开(公告)号：US20160370795A1

公开(公告)日：2016-12-22

申请号：US14860009

申请日：2015-09-21

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Marcus Musselman ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III

IPC: G05B19/418 ,  G01K19/00

CPC classification number: G05B19/418 ,  G01K3/06 ,  G01K15/005 ,  G05B2219/2602 ,  G05B2219/45031

Abstract: A system including a controller, an interface, and a calibration controller. The controller is configured to (i) select a set of fields, and (ii) based on the set of fields, supply control effort to first actuators in zones of a chamber. The interface is configured to receive feedback signals from sensors. The feedback signals are indicative of fields respectively of the zones. The controller is configured to adjust an amount of control effort supplied to the actuators based on the fields. The calibration controller is configured to, based on the fields, generate calibration values for each of the sensors. The calibration values for each of the sensors are indicative of field contributions corresponding respectively to the actuators.

Abstract translation: 包括控制器，接口和校准控制器的系统。 控制器被配置为（i）选择一组场，以及（ii）基于所述一组场，向室中的区域中的第一致动器供应控制努力。 该接口被配置为接收来自传感器的反馈信号。 反馈信号分别指示区域的场。 控制器被配置为基于场来调整提供给致动器的控制力的量。 校准控制器被配置为基于这些场产生每个传感器的校准值。 每个传感器的校准值表示分别对应于致动器的场贡献。

公开(公告)号：US20150206775A1

公开(公告)日：2015-07-23

申请号：US14676711

申请日：2015-04-01

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Eric A. Hudson ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Rajinder Dhindsa

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32009 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32192 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32458 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/31138 ,  H01L21/32136 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: Methods for etching a substrate in a plasma processing chamber having at least a primary plasma generating region and a secondary plasma generating region separated from said primary plasma generating region by a semi-barrier structure. The method includes generating a primary plasma from a primary feed gas in the primary plasma generating region. The method also includes generating a secondary plasma from a secondary feed gas in the secondary plasma generating region to enable at least some species from the secondary plasma to migrate into the primary plasma generating region. The method additionally includes etching the substrate with the primary plasma after the primary plasma has been augmented with migrated species from the secondary plasma.

Abstract translation: 用于蚀刻具有至少一个初级等离子体产生区域的等离子体处理室中的衬底和通过半屏障结构从所述初级等离子体产生区域分离的次级等离子体产生区域的方法。 该方法包括从主要等离子体产生区域中的主进料气体产生主要等离子体。 该方法还包括从次级等离子体产生区域中的二次进料气体产生二次等离子体，以使至少一些来自第二等离子体的物质迁移到初级等离子体产生区域。 该方法另外包括在初级等离子体已经用来自二次等离子体的迁移物质增强之后用初级等离子体蚀刻基板。

公开(公告)号：US08721908B2

公开(公告)日：2014-05-13

申请号：US14047560

申请日：2013-10-07

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Alan M. Schoepp ,  Gregory Sexton ,  William S. Kennedy

IPC: B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C03C25/68 ,  C23F1/00

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/02087 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/6838

Abstract: A bevel etcher incorporating a vacuum chuck used for cleaning the bevel edge and for reducing the bending curvature of a semiconductor substrate. The bevel etcher includes a vacuum chuck and a plasma generation unit which energizes process gas into a plasma state. The vacuum chuck includes a chuck body and a support ring. The top surface of the chuck body and inner periphery of the support ring form a vacuum region enclosed by the bottom surface of a substrate mounted on the support ring. A vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum region during operation. The vacuum chuck is operative to hold the substrate in place by the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The pressure difference also generates a bending force to reduce the bending curvature of the substrate.

Abstract translation: 包括用于清洁斜边缘并用于减小半导体衬底的弯曲曲率的真空吸盘的斜面蚀刻机。 斜面蚀刻机包括真空吸盘和等离子体产生单元，其将处理气体激发成等离子体状态。 真空吸盘包括卡盘主体和支撑环。 卡盘体的上表面和支撑环的内周形成由安装在支撑环上的基板的底面包围的真空区域。 真空泵在运行期间抽空真空区域。 真空吸盘可操作以通过衬底的顶表面和底表面之间的压力差将衬底保持在适当的位置。 压差也产生弯曲力以减小基板的弯曲曲率。

公开(公告)号：US20130276821A1

公开(公告)日：2013-10-24

申请号：US13933515

申请日：2013-07-02

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Greg Sexton ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Alan Schoepp

IPC: H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/02087 ,  B08B7/0035 ,  H01J37/32009 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32706 ,  Y10S134/902

Abstract: A plasma etch processing chamber configured to clean a bevel edge of a substrate is provided. The chamber includes a bottom edge electrode and a top edge electrode defined over the bottom edge electrode. The top edge electrode and the bottom edge electrode are configured to generate a cleaning plasma to clean the bevel edge of the substrate. The chamber includes a gas feed defined through a top surface of the processing chamber. The gas feed introduces a processing gas for striking the cleaning plasma at a location in the processing chamber that is between an axis of the substrate and the top edge electrode. A pump out port is defined through the top surface of the chamber and the pump out port located along a center axis of the substrate. A method for cleaning a bevel edge of a substrate is also provided.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种构造成清洁衬底的斜边缘的等离子体蚀刻处理室。 该室包括底边缘电极和限定在底部边缘电极上的顶部边缘电极。 顶边电极和底边电极被配置为产生清洁等离子体以清洁基板的斜边缘。 该室包括通过处理室的顶表面限定的气体进料。 气体进料引入处理气体，用于在位于基板的轴线和顶部边缘电极之间的处理室中的位置处冲击清洁等离子体。 泵出口通过腔室的顶表面和沿衬底的中心轴线定位的泵出口来限定。 还提供了一种用于清洁基板的斜边缘的方法。

公开(公告)号：US11056322B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-06

申请号：US15667978

申请日：2017-08-03

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Yassine Kabouzi ,  Luc Albarede ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Jorge Luque ,  Seonkyung Lee ,  Thorsten Lill

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L49/02

Abstract: A method for dry processing a substrate in a processing chamber is provided. The substrate is placed in the processing chamber. The substrate is dry processed, wherein the dry processing creates at least one gas byproduct. A concentration of the at least one gas byproduct is measured. The concentration of the at least one gas byproduct is used to determine processing rate of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20200243307A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-30

申请号：US16845723

申请日：2020-04-10

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Ryan Bise ,  Rajinder Dhindsa ,  Alexei Marakhtanov ,  Lumin Li ,  Sang Ki Nam ,  Jim Rogers ,  Eric Hudson ,  Gerardo Delgadino ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Mike Kellogg ,  Anthony de la Llera ,  Darrell Ehrlich

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A plasma processing system includes a plasma chamber having a substrate support, and a multi-zone gas injection upper electrode disposed opposite the substrate support. An inner plasma region is defined between the upper electrode and the substrate support. The multi-zone gas injection upper electrode has a plurality of concentric gas injection zones. A confinement structure, which surrounds the inner plasma region, has an upper horizontal wall that interfaces with the outer electrode of the upper electrode. The confinement structure has a lower horizontal wall that interfaces with the substrate support, and includes a perforated confinement ring and a vertical wall that extends from the upper horizontal wall to the lower horizontal wall. The lower surface of the upper horizontal wall, an inner surface of the vertical wall, and an upper surface of the lower horizontal wall define a boundary of an outer plasma region, which surrounds the inner plasma region.

公开(公告)号：US10572697B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-25

申请号：US15946940

申请日：2018-04-06

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Ye Feng ,  Marcus Musselman ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Mehmet Derya Tetiker ,  Saravanapriyan Sriraman ,  Yan Zhang ,  Julien Mailfert

IPC: G06F17/50 ,  G06F30/367 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/78 ,  G03F1/86 ,  G03F1/80

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods of optimizing a process simulation model that predicts a result of a semiconductor device fabrication operation to process parameter values characterizing the semiconductor device fabrication operation are disclosed. The methods involve generating cost values using a computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation and a metrology result produced, at least in part, by performing the semiconductor device fabrication operation in a reaction chamber operating under a set of fixed process parameter values. The determination of the parameters of the process simulation model may employ pre-process profiles, via optimization of the resultant post-process profiles of the parameters against profile metrology results. Cost values for, e.g., optical scatterometry, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy may be used to guide optimization.

公开(公告)号：US10534257B2

公开(公告)日：2020-01-14

申请号：US15583610

申请日：2017-05-01

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Mehmet Derya Tetiker ,  Saravanapriyan Sriraman ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III ,  Richard Wise

IPC: G03F1/70 ,  G03F1/36 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/027

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of generating a proximity-corrected design layout for photoresist to be used in an etch operation. The methods may include identifying a feature in an initial design layout, and estimating one or more quantities characteristic of an in-feature plasma flux (IFPF) within the feature during the etch operation. The methods may further include estimating a quantity characteristic of an edge placement error (EPE) of the feature by comparing the one or more quantities characteristic of the IFPF to those in a look-up table (LUT, and/or through application of a multivariate model trained on the LUT, e.g., constructed through machine learning methods (MLM)) which associates values of the quantity characteristic of EPE with values of the one or more quantities characteristics of the IFPF. Thereafter, the initial design layout may be modified based on at the determined quantity characteristic of EPE.

公开(公告)号：US20190244870A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-08

申请号：US16386234

申请日：2019-04-16

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Ye Feng ,  Prashanth Kumar ,  Andrew D. Bailey, III

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

CPC classification number: H01L22/26 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01J37/32963 ,  H01J37/32972 ,  H01L21/67259 ,  H01L22/00 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/24

Abstract: Methods and systems for using a time-series of spectra to identify endpoint of an etch process. One method includes accessing a virtual carpet that is generated from a time-series of spectra for an etch process. A polynomial with coefficients represents the virtual carpet. The method includes processing a fabrication etch process on a fabrication wafer and generating a carpet defined from a time-series of spectra while processing the fabrication etch process. While the processing the fabrication etch process and generating the carpet, comparing portions of the carpet and the virtual carpet to identify an endpoint metric of the fabrication etch process.