公开(公告)号：US12261030B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-25

申请号：US18605526

申请日：2024-03-14

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

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：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：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.

公开(公告)号：US09059038B2

公开(公告)日：2015-06-16

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 ,  H01J37/32

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：US09970818B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-15

申请号：US14530164

申请日：2014-10-31

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Junwei Bao ,  Ching-Ling Meng ,  Holger Tuitje ,  Mihail Mihaylov ,  Yan Chen ,  Zheng Yan ,  Haixing Zou ,  Hanyou Chu

IPC: G01J3/30 ,  G01J3/443 ,  G01N21/31 ,  G01N21/68

CPC classification number: G01J3/443 ,  G01N21/31 ,  G01N21/68 ,  G01N2201/10

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, computer method, system, and apparatus for measuring two-dimensional distributions of optical emissions from a plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber. The acquired two-dimensional distributions of plasma optical emissions can be used to infer the two-dimensional distributions of concentrations of certain chemical species of interest that are present in the plasma, and thus provide a useful tool for process development and also for new and improved processing tool development. The disclosed technique is computationally simple and inexpensive, and involves the use of an expansion of the assumed optical intensity distribution into a sum of basis functions that allow for circumferential variation of optical intensity. An example of suitable basis functions are Zernike polynomials.

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：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。