Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – With measuring or testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-10-23
Niebling, John F. (Department: 2812)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
With measuring or testing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306669
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for monitoring the shape of the processed surfaces of semiconductor devices, and an equipment with a monitor for manufacturing such semiconductor devices.
In a process equipment for changing the shape of a processed surface, using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), etc., the condition of a processed surface, for example, the thickness of a thin film formed on the surface, is measured after the shape changing process.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram showing the structure of a measuring apparatus as the background art of the present invention.
As is shown in
FIG. 1
, a light source
101
emits incoherent light. The emitted light strikes upon a measurement point of the processed surface of a wafer
100
via a half mirror
102
and a lens
103
. Then, the light reflects therefrom and enters a spectroscope
104
via the lens
103
and the half mirror
102
. The spectroscope
104
divides the reflected light and emits light beams of different wavelengths to the pixels of a linear image sensor (one-dimensional CCD)
105
. The linear image sensor
105
outputs, to a data processor
106
, data on the intensities of the light beams of the pixels, i.e. the intensity of a light beam of each wavelength. The data processor
106
calculates the thickness of the wafer at the measurement point from the light intensity of each pixel. Thus, the thickness of the thin film formed on the processed surface can be measured.
However, when silicon dioxide is deposited on the to-be-processed surface of a wafer, which has a step, using, for example, a plasma-assisted CVD (P-CVD) tool, the resultant silicon dioxide film on the wafer has an uneven thickness. This is because a microscopic loading effect has occurred. This kind of thickness unevenness cannot be detected from the measurement of the thickness of only one portion of the wafer. Accordingly, even when the thickness of the measurement point is detected, it is difficult to feed the measurement result, as useful process control information, back to the actual process. The same can be said of any other film forming methods, as well as the P-CVD method.
A similar disadvantage to the above may also occur when the to-be-processed surface is etched or polished. For example, in reactive ion etching (RIE), trenching may occur, where a formed trench does not have a uniform depth. In CMP, dishing may occur, where the polished surface of the wafer is not uniformly flat.
Moreover, if in the case of a damascene process using CMP, a convex portion has an uneven surface, so-called “metal residue” occurs where a metal wiring material remains on a lower surface of the convex portion, thereby short-circuiting adjacent wires. To detect the “metal residue”, inspection must be performed using an expensive low-throughput defect-inspecting device, or by the operator looking through an optical microscope. It is impossible during the inspection to subject the wafer to the next process, and hence a longer time and a greater manufacturing cost are required for the entire process.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the main object of the invention to provide a process monitoring method and a manufacturing equipment capable of detecting shape variations of a processed surface.
To attain the object, there is provided an equipment for manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising: a processing tool for processing a to-be-processed surface of a semiconductor workpiece to a target shape; a monitor for three-dimensionally monitoring a shape of a processed surface of the semiconductor workpiece while the semiconductor workpiece is set in the processing tool; and a controller for controlling the processing tool in a feedback manner on the basis of the shape of the processed surface monitored by the monitor.
Since the equipment constructed as above three-dimensionally monitors the shape of a processed surface of a semiconductor workpiece, it can detect shape variations of the processed surface (such as microscopic loading, trenching, dishing, etc.). Further, since the semiconductor workpiece is monitored while it is set in the processing tool, the shape variations of the processed surface can be detected in a real time manner.
Moreover, since the processing tool is controlled in a feedback manner on the basis of the shape of the processed surface, an abnormality in the shape of the processed surface due to the process conditions can be eliminated in a real time manner. Accordingly, the yield of semiconductor products can be increased without reducing their throughput.
In addition, since the shape variations of the processed surface are three-dimensionally monitored, “metal residue”, for example, can be detected in a damascene process.
Therefore, it is not necessary to perform inspection using an expensive low-throughput defect-inspecting device or by the operator looking through an optical microscope. The result is that the time and cost required for the process can be reduced.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
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Okumura Katsuya
Yano Hiroyuki
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushki Kaisha Toshiba
Niebling John F.
Stevenson Andre′ C.
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