Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2003-01-07
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S109000, C700S303000, C702S097000, C438S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06505090
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The subject application is related to subject matter disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No.Hei 10-356713 filed in Dec. 15, 1998 in Japan, to which the subject application claims priority under the Paris Convention and which is incorporation by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing technology of electronic devices such as semiconductor device and, more particularly, a manufacturing method of electronic devices, a control system for supporting this manufacturing, a manufacturing system for manufacturing, and a recording medium where programs for realizing the manufacturing method and a recording medium where data used for the manufacturing method are stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacturing method of semiconductor devices, semiconductor substrates, typically silicon wafers, are used and semiconductor elements are integrated and formed on the semiconductor substrates by performing a series of processes of deposition, lithography, etching or the like. According to the demand of higher integration degree of these semiconductor elements to be integrated and formed, respective elements are required to be further miniaturized. Consequently, the designing dimensional tolerance range allowed for manufacturing semiconductor becomes all the more strict.
In respective processes during the manufacturing, the manufacturing is so performed to obtain dimensions within the processing condition range of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment that can be controlled (called “control range” hereinafter). However, in some cases, the manufacturing may become impossible in the following process by the accumulation of processing errors in the previous processes, even when the process errors of respective process or the control range reflects effectively the specification of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment.
As a first conventional example, a processing flow shall be described for a semiconductor device comprising an A-type-film and a B-type-film as interlayer dielectric film film and a contact hole, as shown in FIG.
1
. Here, the “processing flow” means a flow chart wherein a plurality of manufacturing process name and metrology process name are arranged in the manufacturing order of a semiconductor device. And, metrology criteria or the like may be added for each metrology process name, even when processing conditions are added to each manufacturing process. In this processing flow, a step S
41
which is a first deposition process for depositing an A-type-film, a step S
42
which is a first metrology process for measuring the thickness of the A-type-film, a step S
43
which is a second deposition process for depositing a B-type-film, a step S
44
which is a second metrology process for measuring the thickness of the B-type-film, and a step S
45
which is an etching process for forming a contact hole by etching the A-type-film and the B-type-film are performed in this order.
FIG. 2A
shows the cross-section of the semiconductor device after the processing.
In the flow chart shown in
FIG. 1
, the processing condition of the first deposition process consists in depositing the A-type-film (boro-phosphate-silicate-glass (BPSG) film, or the like) of 300 nm in thickness within the control range of +/−10%. Then, in the step S
41
, the first deposition process is performed so as to fulfill this condition and a A-type-film
112
of
FIG. 2A
is deposited on a substrate
101
. Next, in the step S
42
, the thickness is measured by the first metrology process for measuring the result of this deposition. If the measured value is within the control range, the flow advances to the next step S
43
, but if it is out of the control range, the flow can not go ahead to the next step, as the deposition is defective.
The processing condition of the second deposition process consists in depositing the B-type-film (non-doped-silicate-glass (NSG) film, or the like) of 600 nm in thickness within the control range of +/−10%. Then, in the step S
43
, the second deposition process is performed so as to fulfill this condition and a B-type-film
113
of
FIG. 2A
is deposited. Next, in the step S
44
, the thickness is measured by the second metrology process for measuring the result of this deposition. If the measured value is within the control range, the flow advances to the next step S
45
, but if it is out of the control range, the flow can not go ahead to the next step, as the deposition is defective.
At last, the processing condition of the etching process is decided to eliminate completely the A-type-film
112
and the B-type-film
113
as shown in FIG.
2
A. The etching depth is so decided not to leave, even when the etching depth be minimum, any film
112
,
113
of the thickness which can be maximum respectively in the first deposition process and the second deposition process.
In this case, the maximum thickness will be 990 nm, sum of 300 nm, thickness of the A-type-film, and 600 nm, thickness of the B-type-film, increased by 10%. The etching depth is set to 1100 nm not to leave any film of 990 nm in maximum thickness even when the etching depth has decreased by 10% with in the control range. The etching process is performed in the step S
45
to fulfill this condition, and a contact hole
134
of
FIG. 2A
is formed.
In this situation, as shown in
FIG. 2B
, the thickness of the A-type-film
122
and the B-type-film
123
may become minimum, and the etching depth may become maximum within the control range. In this case, the minimum thickness will be 810 nm, sum of 300 nm, thickness of the A-type-film, and 600 nm, thickness of the B-type-film, decreased by 10%, while the etching amount will be 1210 nm, that is 1100 nm increased by 10%. The over-etching amount of the A-type-film
122
and the B-type-film
123
after etching will be 400 nm, converted into the etching depth of the A-type-film and the B-type-film, the over-etching proportion attaining 49%. If over-etched, it is the substrate that will be etched. As the substrate etching rate decreases to about for example 10% of the rate of the A-type-film and the B-type-film, the over-etch depth will be 40 nm.
As a second conventional example, a processing flow of a semiconductor device comprising an interlayer dielectric film formed by planarizing a graduated film and depositing a film thereon will now be described referring to a flow chart shown in FIG.
3
. In this processing flow, a step S
51
which is a first deposition process for depositing a C-type-film, a step S
52
which is a first metrology process for measuring the thickness of the C-type-film, a step S
53
which is a polishing process for polishing the C-type-film, a step S
54
which is a second metrology process for measuring the thickness of the C-type-film, and a step S
55
which is a second deposition process for depositing the C-type-film are performed in this order.
First, the processing condition of the first deposition process consists in depositing the C-type-film (plasma enhanced tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (PE-TEOS) film, or the like) of 1000 nm in thickness within the control range of +/−10%. Then, in the step S
51
, the first deposition process is performed so as to fulfill this condition and a C-type-film
223
of
FIG. 4A
is deposited on a substrate
201
and a protrusion
202
of wiring or the like. Next, in the step S
52
, the thickness is measured by the first metrology process for measuring the result of this deposition. If the measured value is within the control range, the flow advances to the next step S
53
, but if it is out of the control range, the flow can not go ahead to the next step, as the deposition is defective.
The processing condition of the polishing process consists in polishing the remaining film to a thickness of 500 nm within the control range of +/−10%, and the polishing process is performed in the step S
53
to fulfill this condition, leaving a C-
Jarrett Ryan
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Picard Leo
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