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: A system and method of identifying a selected process point in a multi-mode pulsing process includes applying a multi-mode pulsing process to a selected wafer in a plasma process chamber, the multi-mode pulsing process including multiple cycles, each one of the cycles including at least one of multiple, different phases. At least one process output variable is collected for a selected at least one of the phases, during multiple cycles for the selected wafer. An envelope and/or a template of the collected at least one process output variable can be used to identify the selected process point. A first trajectory for the collected process output variable of a previous phase can be compared to a second trajectory of the process output variable of the selected phase. A multivariate analysis statistic of the second trajectory can be calculated and used to identify the selected process point.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a semiconductor wafer includes a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing chamber includes an exterior, an interior region with a wafer receiving mechanism and a viewport disposed on a sidewall of the plasma processing chamber providing visual access from the exterior to the wafer received on the wafer receiving mechanism. A camera is mounted to the viewport of the plasma processing chamber on the exterior and coupled to an image processor. The image processor includes pattern recognition logic to match images of emerging pattern captured and transmitted by the camera, to a reference pattern and to generate signal defining an endpoint when a match is detected. A system process controller coupled to the image processor and the plasma processing chamber receives the signal from the image processor and adjusts controls of one or more resources to stop the etching operation.

Abstract: A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.

Abstract: A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.

Abstract: A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.

Abstract: A wafer handling mechanism is operated to place a wafer on a chuck. A chucking force is then applied to the wafer, whereby wafer support features of the chuck transfer a defect pattern onto a surface of the wafer. The surface of the wafer is analyzed by a defect metrology tool to obtain a mapping of the defect pattern transferred onto the surface of the wafer. A center coordinate of the chuck within a coordinate system of the wafer is determined by analyzing the defect pattern as transferred to the surface of the wafer. A spatial offset between the center coordinate of the chuck and the center of the wafer is determined. The spatial offset is used to adjust the wafer handling mechanism so as to enable alignment of the center of the wafer to the center coordinate of the chuck.

Abstract: A wafer viewer system is provided for graphical presentation and analysis of a wafer and a wafer series. More specifically, the wafer viewer system includes a graphical user interface for displaying a wafer, graphically selecting regions of the wafer for analysis, performing analysis on the selected regions of the wafer, and displaying results of the analysis.

Abstract: A wafer viewer system is provided for graphical presentation and analysis of a wafer and a wafer series. More specifically, the wafer viewer system includes a graphical user interface for displaying a wafer, graphically selecting regions of the wafer for analysis, performing analysis on the selected regions of the wafer, and displaying results of the analysis.

Abstract: A wafer handling mechanism is operated to place a wafer on a chuck. A chucking force is then applied to the wafer, whereby wafer support features of the chuck transfer a defect pattern onto a surface of the wafer. The surface of the wafer is analyzed by a defect metrology tool to obtain a mapping of the defect pattern transferred onto the surface of the wafer. A center coordinate of the chuck within a coordinate system of the wafer is determined by analyzing the defect pattern as transferred to the surface of the wafer. A spatial offset between the center coordinate of the chuck and the center of the wafer is determined. The spatial offset is used to adjust the wafer handling mechanism so as to enable alignment of the center of the wafer to the center coordinate of the chuck.

Abstract: A wafer viewer system is provided for graphical presentation and analysis of a wafer and a wafer series. More specifically, the wafer viewer system includes a graphical user interface for displaying a wafer, graphically selecting regions of the wafer for analysis, performing analysis on the selected regions of the wafer, and displaying results of the analysis.

Abstract: A method for providing a process indicator for an etching chamber is provided. A wafer with a blanket etch layer is provided into the etching chamber. A blanket etch is performed on the blanket etch layer. A blanket deposition layer is deposited over the blanket etch layer after performing the blanket etch has been completed. A thickness of the blanket etch layer and a thickness of the blanket deposition layer is measured. The measured thicknesses are used to determine a process indicator.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for controlling analysis of a wafer map is provided. The user interface provides a graphical selection control for selecting a region of the wafer map for statistical analysis. The user interface is configured to generate statistical data for the selected region to complete the statistical analysis. The statistical data is then displayed for the selected region. Re-generation of the statistical data for display is performed upon detecting a change in the selected region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for measuring multiple locations on a wafer for controlling a subsequent semiconductor processing step to achieve greater dimensional uniformity across that wafer. The method and apparatus maps a dimension of a feature at multiple locations to create a dimension map, transforms the dimension map into a processing parameter map, and uses the processing parameter map to tailor the subsequent processing step to that specific wafer. The wafer can also be measured after the processing to compare an actual outcome with the targeted outcome, and the difference can be used to refine the transformation from a dimension map to a processing parameter map for a subsequent wafer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for measuring multiple locations on a wafer for controlling a subsequent semiconductor processing step to achieve greater dimensional uniformity across that wafer. The method and apparatus maps a dimension of a feature at multiple locations to create a dimension map, transforms the dimension map into a processing parameter map, and uses the processing parameter map to tailor the subsequent processing step to that specific wafer. The wafer can also be measured after the processing to compare an actual outcome with the targeted outcome, and the difference can be used to refine the transformation from a dimension map to a processing parameter map for a subsequent wafer.

Abstract: A wafer viewer system is provided for graphical presentation and analysis of a wafer and a wafer series. More specifically, the wafer viewer system includes a graphical user interface for displaying a wafer, graphically selecting regions of the wafer for analysis, performing analysis on the selected regions of the wafer, and displaying results of the analysis.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for controlling analysis of a wafer map is provided. The user interface provides a graphical selection control for selecting a region of the wafer map for statistical analysis. The user interface is configured to generate statistical data for the selected region to complete the statistical analysis. The statistical data is then displayed for the selected region. Re-generation of the statistical data for display is performed upon detecting a change in the selected region.