Abstract: A system includes a vacuum chamber having a wafer chuck therein and side windows slanted relative to the wafer chuck. A wafer stage is positioned below the wafer chuck and configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck vertically. Illumination optics, including an illumination corrector lens, are configured to receive light and direct the light through an illumination vacuum window of the side windows to an optical spot on the wafer. Collection optics, including a collection corrector lens, are configured to receive the light from the optical spot through a collection vacuum window of the side windows and direct the light to a detector. A transfer module is configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics parallel to the illumination vacuum window and the collection vacuum window respectively. The illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are configured to reduce chromatic aberration.

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.

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.

Abstract: A method of film thickness measurement includes illuminating a top layer of a sample in a first region with a broadband illumination beam. The sample includes a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor structures formed between the substrate and the top layer. A first reflectivity spectrum of the sample is obtained in the first region. A first thickness of the top layer in the first region is determined by applying a top-layer model to the first reflectivity spectrum. The top-layer model is substantially unaffected by the plurality of semiconductor structures.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a high volume manufacturing system for processing and measuring workpieces in a semiconductor processing sequence without leaving the system's controlled environment (e.g., sub-atmospheric pressure). The systems process chambers are connected to each other via transfer chambers used to move the workpieces, in the controlled environment, between the process chambers. The transfer chambers include a measurement region with dedicated workpiece support chucks capable of translating and/or rotating the workpiece during the measurement.

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.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a high volume manufacturing system for processing and measuring workpieces in a semiconductor processing sequence without leaving the system's controlled environment (e.g., sub-atmospheric pressure). The systems process chambers are connected to each other via transfer chambers used to move the workpieces, in the controlled environment, between the process chambers. Further, the pass-through chambers may be disposed between the transfer chambers or between the transfer chamber and the process chamber. The pass-through chambers may include a measurement region to measure workpiece attributes when the workpiece is moved through or placed in the pass-through chamber. The transfer chambers may also have separate measurement regions within their internal space to measure other attributes of the workpiece.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and apparatus for optical emission measurement. The apparatus includes a collection system for collecting a plasma optical emission spectra through an optical window disposed at a wall of a plasma processing chamber. The optical system includes a mirror configured to scan a plurality of non-coincident rays across the plasma processing chamber; and a telecentric coupler for collecting an optical signal from a plasma and directing the optical signal to a spectrometer for measuring the plasma optical emission spectra.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber. The apparatus includes a continuous wave broadband light source; an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam having a fixed polarization direction, the incident light beam from the broadband light source being modulated by a shutter; 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 value from the processed light, and control an etch process based on the determined property value.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for measuring semiconductor substrate temperature using a differential acoustic time of flight measurement technique. The measurement is based on measuring the time of flight of acoustic (ultrasonic) waves across the substrate, and calculating a substrate temperature from the measured time of flight and the known temperature dependence of the speed of sound for the substrate material. The differential acoustic time of flight method eliminates most sources of interference and error, for example due to varying coupling between an ultrasonic transducer and the substrate. To further increase the accuracy of the differential acoustic time of flight measurement, a correlation waveform processing algorithm is utilized to obtain a differential acoustic time of flight measurement from two measured ultrasonic waveforms. To facilitate signal recognition and processing, a symmetric Lamb mode may be used as mode of excitation of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and apparatus for optical emission measurement. The apparatus includes a collection system for collecting a plasma optical emission spectra through an optical window disposed at a wall of a plasma processing chamber. The optical system includes a mirror configured to scan a plurality of non-coincident rays across the plasma processing chamber; and a telecentric coupler for collecting an optical signal from a plasma and directing the optical signal to a spectrometer for measuring the plasma optical emission spectra.

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: 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.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for measuring semiconductor substrate temperature using a differential acoustic time of flight measurement technique. The measurement is based on measuring the time of flight of acoustic (ultrasonic) waves across the substrate, and calculating a substrate temperature from the measured time of flight and the known temperature dependence of the speed of sound for the substrate material. The differential acoustic time of flight method eliminates most sources of interference and error, for example due to varying coupling between an ultrasonic transducer and the substrate. To further increase the accuracy of the differential acoustic time of flight measurement, a correlation waveform processing algorithm is utilized to obtain a differential acoustic time of flight measurement from two measured ultrasonic waveforms. To facilitate signal recognition and processing, a symmetric Lamb mode may be used as mode of excitation of the substrate.

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: A zoned order sorting filter for a spectrometer in a semiconductor metrology system is disclosed with reduced light dispersion at the zone joints. The order sorting filter comprises optically-transparent layers deposited underneath, or on top of thin-film filter stacks of the order sorting filter zones, wherein the thicknesses of the optically-transparent layers are adjusted such that the total optical lengths traversed by light at a zone joint are substantially equal in zones adjacent the zone joint. A method for wavelength to detector array pixel location calibration of spectrometers is also disclosed, capable of accurately representing the highly localized nonlinearities of the calibration curve in the vicinity of zone joints of an order sorting filter.