WO2015066384A1 - Substrate processing system with particle scan and method of operation thereof - Google Patents

Substrate processing system with particle scan and method of operation thereof Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2015066384A1
WO2015066384A1 PCT/US2014/063262 US2014063262W WO2015066384A1 WO 2015066384 A1 WO2015066384 A1 WO 2015066384A1 US 2014063262 W US2014063262 W US 2014063262W WO 2015066384 A1 WO2015066384 A1 WO 2015066384A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
particle
substrate
location
module
spectrometer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/063262
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Vinayak Vishwanath HASSAN
Majeed A. Foad
Roman Naidis
Original Assignee
Applied Materials, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Applied Materials, Inc. filed Critical Applied Materials, Inc.
Publication of WO2015066384A1 publication Critical patent/WO2015066384A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
    • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
    • G01N21/95—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
    • G01N21/9501—Semiconductor wafers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
    • H01L21/67288—Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
    • H01L22/10—Measuring as part of the manufacturing process
    • H01L22/12—Measuring as part of the manufacturing process for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to a substrate processing system, and more particularly to a substrate processing system with particle scan.
  • the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a postexposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake, and measurement/inspection of the imaged features.
  • PEB postexposure bake
  • These procedures are used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g., an IC.
  • Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion- implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemical-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure will have to be repeated for each new layer.
  • an array of devices will be present on the substrate. These devices are then separated from one another by a technique, such as dicing or sawing, where the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc.
  • the manufacturing yield of the integrated circuits can be impacted by imperfections or debris on the order of 40 to 50 nm in size. In order to maintain the yield of the integrated circuits something must be done to identify and avoid the imperfections or debris detected in the substrate surface.
  • the constantly shrinking geometry of the semiconductor technology just exacerbates the problem as smaller particles can impact the yield derived from the substrate.
  • An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of manufacture of an substrate processing system including: providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate; positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
  • An embodiment of the present invention provides an substrate processing system including: a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate; a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; a particle detection module for detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; an imaging module, coupled to the particle detection module, for forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; a spectrometer module, coupled to the imaging module, for determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and an identification module, coupled to the spectrometer module, for identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
  • FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system with particle scan in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system in a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is an example of the substrate.
  • FIG. 4 is an example of imaging one of the particles.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the particle detection module.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the imaging module.
  • FIG. 7 is an example of the spectrometer module and the identification module.
  • FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of manufacture of a substrate processing system in a further embodiment of the present invention.
  • horizontal is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the processed surface of the substrate, regardless of its orientation.
  • vertical refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms, such as “above”, “below”, “bottom”, “top”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “upper”, “over”, and “under”, are defined with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in the figures.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can scan a substrate 120, such as a semiconductor wafer, disk drive platter, or similar flat surface entity, to detect and locate particles 124 or other irregularities on the substrate surface 126.
  • the substrate 120 can have different shapes, such as round, square, rectangular, or other geometric shapes.
  • the particles 124 can be identified and a particle type 138 can be determined.
  • the particle type 138 is an indicator and predictor of the particle source 139.
  • the particle source 139 can described where one of the particles 124 originated in terms of material, process, contamination, or a combination thereof.
  • the particle type 138 can be determined based on the size, shape, location, and composition of the particles 124.
  • particles 124 can be from physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, etching, ablating, deposition, photolithographic processes, or a combination thereof.
  • the particle type 138 can be determined by comparing the information about the properties of the particles 124 to a particle database (not shown) to determine the particle type 138.
  • the particle type 138 can indicate the particle source 139 as PVD source, CVD source, substrate residue, etching residue, process residue, external contamination, or a combination thereof.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can include a particle detection module 102, an imaging module 104, a spectrometer module 106, an identification module 108, and a transportation module 110 for positioning the substrate 120.
  • the substrate processing system 100 is configured to detect small particles on semiconductor wafers, disk drive platters, or other flat surfaces in an ambient atmosphere environment.
  • the particle detection module 102 can determine the locations of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126 using an ultraviolet light source.
  • the imaging module 104 can form images of each of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can identify the chemical composition of each of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126.
  • the identification module 108 can form identification markings 118 on the substrate surface 126 adjacent to each of the particles 124.
  • the particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate 120 to determine the position of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126.
  • the substrate 120 can include a substrate pattern 128.
  • the particle detection module 102 can form a particle location map 112 identifying each of the particles 124 and the particle location 140.
  • the particle location 140 is an indicator for the position of one of the particles 124 on the substrate 120.
  • the particle location map 112 is an assembly of the particle location 140 for each of the particles 124.
  • the particles 124 can have the particle identifier 134 to identify each of the particles 124 and a particle size 136.
  • the particle detection module 102 can use interferometry to detect each of the particles 124.
  • the particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 in a variety of ways. For example, the particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 in a raster scan. Each time one of the particles 124 is detected, the particle detection module 102 can add an entry to the particle location map 112 indicating the presence of one of the particles 124 at the current location during the raster scan.
  • the imaging module 104 can receive the particle location map 112 from the particle detection module 102 and form a particle image 114 for each of the particles 124.
  • the particle image 114 can be a composite image 144 including multiple individual images combined to form the particle image 114.
  • the imaging module 104 can use backscatter interferometry to form interference images 142 of each of the particles 124 at different focal lengths to form an image sequence 132 that can be combined to form the particle image 114 of each of the particles 124.
  • the interference images 142 are interferometric representations of one of the particles 124.
  • the particle image 114 can be a three-dimensional image, a two-dimensional image, an interferometric interference image, a composite image, or a combination thereof.
  • the imaging module 104 can form multiple overlapping horizontal images that can be combined to form a stitched image 130 to form the three- dimensional image covering a larger example of the particles 124.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can receive the particle location map 112 and analyze each of the particles 124 to determine a particle composition 116 indicating the chemical composition.
  • the particle composition 116 is a description of the material forming the particles 124.
  • the particle composition 116 can be silicon residue, dust, etchant material, dopant, or a similar material description.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can determine the chemical composition of each of the particles 124 using a Raman spectrometer, a photoluminescence spectrometer, a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometers, or a combination thereof.
  • the identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 on the substrate 120 adjacent to the particles 124 to facilitate later analysis of the particles 124.
  • the identification module 108 can use a laser to etch the substrate surface 126 near the particle location 140 in the particle location map 112.
  • the identification markings 118 can include the particle identifier 134 from the particle location map 112, a text string, a numerical identifier, time and date information, or a combination thereof.
  • the transportation module 110 can be used to secure the substrate 120 to the transportation module 110 that can move the substrate 120 between the different modules of the substrate processing system 100.
  • the transportation module 110 can include a substrate stage 122, such as a fine vertical control stage, that can move the substrate 120 vertically to support the imaging module 104.
  • the transportation module 110 can include positioning and registration components to identify and register the position of the substrate 120.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can provide valuable surface analysis for semiconductor wafers and magnetic media disk devices. This surface analysis can be used in pre -manufacturing receiving for quality control or in failure mode analysis to determine what particles might have contributed to a failure of the magnetic media disk.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can include a single platform having multiple analysis modules including the particle detection module 102 of FIG. 1, the imaging module 104 of FIG. 1, the spectrometer module 106 of FIG. 1, and the identification module 108 of FIG. 1
  • the substrate 120 can be moved from station to station during processing and a new reference position of the substrate 120 is established for each of the stations.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can include light sources, reflective elements, beam splitters, objectives, cameras, detectors, photomultiplier tubes, or a combination thereof.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can include a light source 202 that can be used for particle detection and imaging.
  • the light source 202 is an illumination mechanism for generating narrow band light.
  • the light source 202 can be implemented in various ways.
  • the light source 202 can be an ultraviolet (UV) source such as a light emitting diode (LED) array, an ultraviolet laser, or a combination thereof.
  • the ultraviolet laser can have a wavelength of 266 nm.
  • a higher performance model can have a UV laser, with a diffuser (not shown) attached to an objective to correct for the speckle pattern on the substrate 120.
  • the light source 202 can generate infra-red (IR) light, visible light, or ultraviolet light (UV).
  • IR infra-red
  • UV ultraviolet light
  • the light source 202 can generate ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 266 nanometers (nm).
  • the light source 202 can include a diffuser (not shown) to diffuse the light.
  • the light source 202 can include a monochromator (not shown) to selectively filter the wavelength of the light from the light source 202.
  • the light source 202 is a LED based array
  • a monochromator (not shown) can be used as a narrow band filter to ensure that the center wavelength is 266 nm with a minimal bandwidth.
  • the light source 202 operating at lower power levels, such as a few milliwatts (mW), is sufficient to detect particles of about 40 nm.
  • the light source 202 can be a deep UV continuous wave (CW) laser at 266 nm wavelength can be used to detect smaller particles. In this arrangement the objectives needs to be equipped with correction optics.
  • a diffuser can be used to minimize the formation of speckles on the substrate.
  • the LED based array can have a power range from 1 to 10 mW.
  • the high power UV laser can have a power rating of 230 mW.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can operate in ambient atmospheric conditions and does not need a vacuum chamber for operation.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can be a table top system to be operated in atmospheric conditions in a Class I clean room.
  • the light source 202 having the ultraviolet light wavelength of 266 nm increases functionality and flexibility of the system.
  • the wavelength is safe for atmospheric exposure and is not heavily absorbed by oxygen allowing operation in an ambient atmosphere environment.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can be configured in a variety of ways to use interferometric principles for particle detection and three-dimensional (3D) imaging.
  • the light from the light source 202 can pass through an optical assembly of mirrors, beam splitters, filters, and objectives before and after reaching the substrate 120.
  • the light from the light source 202 can enter a beam splitter 206 which can split the beam of light into two portions, one for the particle detection module 102 and the other for the imaging module 104.
  • the light source 202 can provide light for both modules.
  • the light for the particle detection module 102 can be reflected off of an ultraviolet mirror 208 and pass through a source optical assembly 210 between the light source 202 and the substrate 120.
  • the source optical assembly 210 can include mirrors, filters, objectives, and other optical components.
  • the source optical assembly 210 can condition the light from the light source 202 before reaching the substrate 120. For example, the source optical assembly 210 can position and mask the light from the light source 202 to produce a predefined beam size and shape.
  • the light from the source optical assembly 210 can be directed into a source objective 214 using additional ultraviolet mirrors.
  • the source objective 214 is an optical element having lenses for focusing and directing the light from the light source 202 onto the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
  • the light from the source objective 214 can reflect from the substrate surface 126 while the light is scanned across the substrate 120.
  • a reflection 236 from the substrate surface 126 can be received by a receiver objective 216.
  • the receiver objective 216 is an optical element having lenses for receiving and focusing the light from the substrate surface 126.
  • the particle detection module 102 can have a dual objective configuration with the source objective 214 for focusing the light coming from the light source 202 onto the substrate surface 126 and the receiver objective 216 for receiving the reflected light from the substrate surface 126.
  • the particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 by guiding the beam from the source objective 214 over the entire surface of the substrate 120.
  • the particle detection module 102 can scan a 300 mm semiconductor wafer in approximately 10 minutes.
  • the receiver objective 216 of the particle detection module 102 can have a field of view of 100 x 100 microns.
  • the reflection 236 will indicate a response 218 different from the reflection 236 from the substrate surface 126 alone.
  • the response 218 is a change in the reflection 236 caused by the presence of the particles 124.
  • the response 218 can be collected by the receiver objective 216 and directed through a receiver optical assembly 212.
  • the receiver optical assembly 212 can include mirrors, filters, objectives, and other optical components.
  • the source optical assembly 210 can condition and focus the light from the reflection 236 before directing the light to a photomultiplier tube 220 (PMT) and a camera 222, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, both optimized for 266 nm UV light.
  • PMT photomultiplier tube 220
  • a camera 222 such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera
  • the photomultiplier tube 220 is a detector for measuring light.
  • the camera 222 can be used to record the light coming from the substrate surface 126 and the particles 128.
  • the light received by the photomultiplier tube 220 can be used to detect one of the particles 124.
  • the particle location 140 can be determined by the location of the light from the light source 202 in the scanning process.
  • the source objective 214 and the receiver objective 216 are positioned at an oblique 70° from the substrate surface 126 to achieve a higher scattering cross section.
  • the combination of the oblique illumination and oversampling increases the resolution to enable detection of the particles 124 smaller than 40 nm.
  • the position of the substrate 120 can be established by position detection mechanisms (not shown) including optical detection of fiducial marks on the substrate 120, a notch detection system for positioning the wafer notch (not shown) by a wafer handling robot, or by fixing a substrate frame on which the substrate 120 is mounted. Reliably determining the position of the wafer is essential to the identification of particle location 140.
  • the particle detection module 102 can include the photomultiplier tube 220 for detecting the intensity of the reflected light. Before every particle scan, a baseline calibration can be performed to determine a reference intensity profile 230 and the index of refraction of the film and its thickness.
  • the reference intensity profile 230 is a baseline measurement of the optical properties of the surface of the substrate 120 without the presence of the particles 124.
  • the UV light from the light source 202 is incident on one of the particles 124 on the substrate during the scanning process, the light is scattered in all directions. This results in an intensity change 232 in the reflected light as measured by the photomultiplier tube 220.
  • the intensity change 232 can be distinct from the reference intensity profile 230 determined during the baseline calibration in the reference region.
  • the particle location 140 can then be added to the particle location map 112.
  • the scanning process can continue until the substrate 120 has been completely scanned and all of the particles 124 have been identified and registered in the particle location map 112 of FIG. 1.
  • the particle location map 112 can be passed to the imaging module 104 for imaging the particles 124.
  • the imaging module 104 such as an interferometric based 3D imaging system, can be configured with an imaging objective 224 to form the particle image 114 of FIG. 1 of each of the particles 124 identified in the particle location map 112.
  • the imaging objective 224 can be configured with various magnification powers, such as 5x, 20x, lOOx and 150x.
  • the imaging objective 224 can be oriented perpendicular to the substrate 120 in a backscattered geometry.
  • the particle image 114 can be a three-dimensional image, a two-dimensional image, an interferometric interference image, or a combination thereof.
  • the imaging objective 224 can direct the light to the camera 222, such as a charge- coupled device, configured to capture the interference images 142 of FIG. 1 at different values of focal lengths 226 on the substrate 120 to form the image sequence 132 of FIG. 1.
  • the focal lengths 226 are the distances at which the image plane is in focus.
  • the image sequence 132 can be used to form the particle image 114.
  • the image sequence 132 can be stitched together using an image stitching algorithm to create a 3D map of one of the particles 124 and the substrate 120 in the field of view.
  • the surface roughness of the substrate 120 and a substrate bow 234 can be determined.
  • the substrate bow 234 is a measurement of the deformation of the substrate 120.
  • Multiple feedback photodiodes can be placed at carefully selected locations in the beam path to pick off scattered light, and make sure that the overall beam alignment is maintained while switching between the particle detection, the 3D mapping, and the spectroscopic measurement mode.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can determine the composition of one of the particles 124 using a spectrometer.
  • a spectrometer 228 can illuminate one of the particles 124 with a laser and measure the resulting light to determine the particle composition 116 of FIG. 1.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be implemented in a variety of ways.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be a Raman spectrometer utilizing a laser having a wavelength of 532 nm.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be a Photoluminescence spectrometer utilizing an ultraviolet laser having a wavelength of 532 nm.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) utilizing an infra-red light source having a wavelength of between 2.5 micrometers and 25 micrometers.
  • FTIR Fourier transform infra-red
  • the spectrometer laser can be a separate device from the light source 202 of the particle detection module.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can include a separate set of optical components designed for a 532 nm green diode laser with a maximum power of 20mW.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can include a detector for analyzing the resulting light from the spectrometer 228.
  • the detector can be a low temperature Peltier cooled device to enable better signal to noise ratio.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can include a spectrometer objective 242 for focusing the light from the spectrometer 228 on to the substrate 120.
  • the transportation module 110 can move the substrate 120 between the various modules of the substrate processing system 100.
  • the substrate 120 can remain stationary on the substrate stage 122 and the each of the modules can move to make the appropriate measurements.
  • the stationary configuration provides increased versatility by allowing the addition of additional functional modules.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can include the identification module 108.
  • the identification module 108 can create identification markings 118 of FIG. 1 around the region of interest associated with each of the particles 124.
  • the identification markings 118 can be information identifying one of the particles 124.
  • the identification module 108 can use a marking laser 238, such as a pulsed fiber laser.
  • the marking laser 238 can be a 337 nm Nitrogen laser having the capability to produce 300 microjoules ( ⁇ ) per pulse at a frequency of 10 Hz.
  • the marking laser 238 can be aligned to the objective in the backscattered geometry.
  • Laser marking a region of interest is beneficial when further analysis such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis or cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) needs to be done. These markings are clearly visible in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) chamber, making this a valuable addition to the particle detection system.
  • EDX Energy Dispersive X-ray
  • TEM transmission electron microscopy
  • the identification module 108 can include a beam blocker 240.
  • the beam blocker 240 can block the light from the marking laser 238.
  • identification markings 118 it has been discovered that forming the identification markings 118 around the region of interest associated with the particles 124 increases functionality and utility.
  • the identification markings 118 are clearly visible during examination and can identify defects for further analysis.
  • the substrate processing system of the present invention can analyze the surface of the substrate in order to detect particles, adhered to the surface of the substrate, in a size range of less than or equal to 40 nm.
  • the dual objectives provide an oblique 70° illumination of the surface of the substrate to achieve a higher scattering cross section of the substrate surface.
  • the substrate processing system 100 can provide valuable surface analysis for magnetic media disk devices. This surface analysis can be used in pre-manufacturing receiving for quality control or in failure mode analysis to determine what particles might have contributed to a failure of the magnetic media disk.
  • the substrate 120 can include a patterned substrate having the substrate pattern 128 formed on the substrate surface 126.
  • the substrate 120 can include the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126.
  • incident light 304 can be directed at one of the particles 124 during the scanning process.
  • the change in a reflected light 306 can indicate the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 of one of the particles 124.
  • FIG. 4 therein is shown an example of imaging one of the particles 124.
  • the imaging module 104 of FIG. 1 can form the particle image 114 of FIG. 1 by combining the interference images 142 from different focal planes 402 of one of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126.
  • Each of the interference images 142 of the image sequence 132 can be stitched together using an image stitching algorithm to form the particle image 114.
  • the particle detection module 102 can include optical elements, the source objective 214, and the receiver objective 216 for receiving the reflected light from the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
  • the light from the light source 202 of FIG. 2 can be channeled through a series of optical elements and into the source objective 214.
  • the source objective 214 can be positioned at an oblique angle of 70 degrees to the substrate surface 126.
  • the light can shine onto one of the particles 124 of FIG. 1 and the substrate surface 126 and reflect into the receiver objective 216.
  • the light from the receiver objective 216 can be channeled through additional optical elements and directed into the photomultiplier tube 220 of FIG. 2.
  • the angle of the light coming through the source objective 214 can be configured to maximize the dispersion of the transmitted UV light upon detecting a particle.
  • UV mirrors and optical elements can be used to redirect the UV light from vertical through the source objective.
  • the receiver objective 216 can be positioned to detect the reflected UV light from the substrate surface 126 for detecting the particles 124.
  • Another of the UV mirror can be used to redirect the received UV light back to the vertical for further analysis. It is understood that the presence of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126 will alter the path of the UV light from the light source 202 and thus detect the particles 124.
  • the position of the receiver objective 216 can be variable to refine the analysis of the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 and the particle size 136 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 6 therein is shown a schematic diagram of the imaging module 104 of FIG. 1.
  • the imaging module 104 can form the particle image 114 by varying the focal lengths 226 between the imaging objective 224 and the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1 and capturing the interference images 142 at different values of the focal lengths 226.
  • the focal lengths 226 can be varied by vertically positioning the imaging objective 224 or the substrate 120.
  • the substrate 120 can be vertically positioned using the substrate stage 122 where the substrate 120 is mounted.
  • the image sequence 132 is the set of the interference images 142 captured by the imaging module 104.
  • the particle image 114 can be formed by stitching together the image sequence 132.
  • the image sequence can also include both vertical images at difference foci and horizontal images around the particles 124.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can determine the particle composition 116 of FIG. 1.
  • the identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 of FIG. 1 adjacent to the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 on the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
  • the spectrometer module 106 can be implemented in a variety of ways.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be a Raman spectrometer utilizing a laser having a wavelength of 532 nm.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be Photoluminescence spectrometers utilizing an ultraviolet laser having a wavelength of 532 nm.
  • the spectrometer 228 can be a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) utilizing an infrared light source having a wavelength of between 2.5 micrometers and 25 micrometers.
  • FTIR Fourier transform infra-red
  • the spectrometer module 106 can determine the particle composition 116 of each of the particles 124 of FIG. 1 in a variety of ways. For example, the spectrometer module 106 can match the spectrographic response of one of the particles 124 against a database (not shown) to determine the particle composition 116.
  • identifying the particle composition 116 increases the flexibility and performance of the system. Identifying the particle composition 116 simplifies the determination of the source of the particle contamination on the substrate 120.
  • the identification module 108 can determine the particle type 138 based on the particle location 140, the particle image 114, and the particle composition 116. For example, the spectrometer module 106 can compare the particle characteristics of each of the particles 124 to a database (not shown) and select the best match for the particle type 138 of FIG. 1. [0089]
  • the identification module 108 can include the beam breaker 240. The beam breaker 240 can block the laser from the marking module 702 from reaching the substrate 120.
  • the identification module 108 exhibits improved quality and capability by identifying the particle type 138 based on the particle location 140, the particle image 114 of FIG. 1, the particle size 136 of FIG. 1, and the particle composition 116. With additional information to characterize the particle type 138, the identification module 108 accurately identifies the particle type 138 of each of the particles 124.
  • the identification module 108 can include a marking module 702.
  • the identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 around the region of interest associated with each of the particles 124.
  • the identification markings 118 can include the particle identifier 134 of FIG. 1, the particle type 138, the particle location 140, the particle size 136, the particle composition 116, or a combination thereof.
  • identification markings 118 having the particle identifier 134, the particle type 138, the particle location 140, the particle size 136, the particle composition 116, or a combination thereof increases the flexibility and usefulness of the system. Providing significant information directly on the surface of the substrate 120 simplifies the analysis of the defects and particles 124 on the substrate 120.
  • the method 800 includes providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate in a block 802; positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface in a block 804; detecting a particle having a particle location based on the response of the reflection in a block 806; forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images having varying focal lengths for the particle location in the particle location map in a block 808; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location in a block 810; and identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition in a block 812.

Abstract

A system and method of manufacture of a substrate processing system includes: a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate; a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; a particle detection module for detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; an imaging module, coupled to the particle detection module, for forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; a spectrometer module, coupled to the imaging module, for determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and an identification module, coupled to the spectrometer module, for identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH PARTICLE SCAN AND METHOD OF
OPERATION THEREOF
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application serial number 61/897,818 filed October 30, 2013, and the subject matter thereof is incorporated herein by reference thereto.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a substrate processing system, and more particularly to a substrate processing system with particle scan.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The explosive growth of the personal electronics market has pushed semiconductor technology from 200 mm wafers to 300 mm semiconductor wafers. The corresponding reduction in cost of those products continues to spur the demand for personal electronic devices, such as smart phones, disk drives, digital cameras, tablet computers, global positioning systems, personal gaming systems, flat panel televisions, and personal audio devices.
[0004] The fabrication of the integrated circuits at the heart of these devices are centered around a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a pattern (e.g., in a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation- sensitive material (resist) by the changes of either optical properties or surface physical properties of the resist.
[0005] After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a postexposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake, and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. These procedures are used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g., an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion- implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemical-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure will have to be repeated for each new layer.
[0006] Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate. These devices are then separated from one another by a technique, such as dicing or sawing, where the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. The manufacturing yield of the integrated circuits can be impacted by imperfections or debris on the order of 40 to 50 nm in size. In order to maintain the yield of the integrated circuits something must be done to identify and avoid the imperfections or debris detected in the substrate surface. The constantly shrinking geometry of the semiconductor technology just exacerbates the problem as smaller particles can impact the yield derived from the substrate.
[0007] Thus, a need still remains for a substrate processing system with particle scan. In view of the explosive growth in demand for personal electronic devices, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
[0008] Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
[0009] An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of manufacture of an substrate processing system including: providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate; positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition. [0010] An embodiment of the present invention provides an substrate processing system including: a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate; a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; a particle detection module for detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; an imaging module, coupled to the particle detection module, for forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; a spectrometer module, coupled to the imaging module, for determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and an identification module, coupled to the spectrometer module, for identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
[0011] Certain embodiments of the invention have other steps or elements in addition to or in place of those mentioned above. The steps or element will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description when taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system with particle scan in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system in a second embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an example of the substrate.
[0015] FIG. 4 is an example of imaging one of the particles.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the particle detection module.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the imaging module.
[0018] FIG. 7 is an example of the spectrometer module and the identification module.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of manufacture of a substrate processing system in a further embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments would be evident based on the present disclosure, and that system, process, or mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0021] In the following description, numerous specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In order to avoid obscuring the present invention, some well-known circuits, system configurations, and process steps are not disclosed in detail.
[0022] The drawings showing embodiments of the system are semi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the drawing FIGs. Similarly, although the views in the drawings for ease of description generally show similar orientations, this depiction in the FIGs. is arbitrary for the most part. Generally, the invention can be operated in any orientation.
[0023] For expository purposes, the term "horizontal" as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the processed surface of the substrate, regardless of its orientation. The term "vertical" refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms, such as "above", "below", "bottom", "top", "side" (as in "sidewall"), "higher", "lower", "upper", "over", and "under", are defined with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in the figures.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is shown a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system 100 with particle scan in an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing system 100 can scan a substrate 120, such as a semiconductor wafer, disk drive platter, or similar flat surface entity, to detect and locate particles 124 or other irregularities on the substrate surface 126. The substrate 120 can have different shapes, such as round, square, rectangular, or other geometric shapes.
[0025] The particles 124 can be identified and a particle type 138 can be determined. The particle type 138 is an indicator and predictor of the particle source 139. The particle source 139 can described where one of the particles 124 originated in terms of material, process, contamination, or a combination thereof.
[0026] The particle type 138 can be determined based on the size, shape, location, and composition of the particles 124. For example, particles 124 can be from physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, etching, ablating, deposition, photolithographic processes, or a combination thereof. [0027] The particle type 138 can be determined by comparing the information about the properties of the particles 124 to a particle database (not shown) to determine the particle type 138. For example, the particle type 138 can indicate the particle source 139 as PVD source, CVD source, substrate residue, etching residue, process residue, external contamination, or a combination thereof.
[0028] The substrate processing system 100 can include a particle detection module 102, an imaging module 104, a spectrometer module 106, an identification module 108, and a transportation module 110 for positioning the substrate 120. The substrate processing system 100 is configured to detect small particles on semiconductor wafers, disk drive platters, or other flat surfaces in an ambient atmosphere environment.
[0029] The particle detection module 102 can determine the locations of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126 using an ultraviolet light source. The imaging module 104 can form images of each of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126. The spectrometer module 106 can identify the chemical composition of each of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126. The identification module 108 can form identification markings 118 on the substrate surface 126 adjacent to each of the particles 124.
[0030] The particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate 120 to determine the position of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126. The substrate 120 can include a substrate pattern 128. The particle detection module 102 can form a particle location map 112 identifying each of the particles 124 and the particle location 140. The particle location 140 is an indicator for the position of one of the particles 124 on the substrate 120. The particle location map 112 is an assembly of the particle location 140 for each of the particles 124. The particles 124 can have the particle identifier 134 to identify each of the particles 124 and a particle size 136. The particle detection module 102 can use interferometry to detect each of the particles 124.
[0031] The particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 in a variety of ways. For example, the particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 in a raster scan. Each time one of the particles 124 is detected, the particle detection module 102 can add an entry to the particle location map 112 indicating the presence of one of the particles 124 at the current location during the raster scan.
[0032] The imaging module 104 can receive the particle location map 112 from the particle detection module 102 and form a particle image 114 for each of the particles 124. The particle image 114 can be a composite image 144 including multiple individual images combined to form the particle image 114.
[0033] In an illustrative example, the imaging module 104 can use backscatter interferometry to form interference images 142 of each of the particles 124 at different focal lengths to form an image sequence 132 that can be combined to form the particle image 114 of each of the particles 124. The interference images 142 are interferometric representations of one of the particles 124.
[0034] The particle image 114 can be a three-dimensional image, a two-dimensional image, an interferometric interference image, a composite image, or a combination thereof. In another illustrative example, the imaging module 104 can form multiple overlapping horizontal images that can be combined to form a stitched image 130 to form the three- dimensional image covering a larger example of the particles 124.
[0035] The spectrometer module 106 can receive the particle location map 112 and analyze each of the particles 124 to determine a particle composition 116 indicating the chemical composition. The particle composition 116 is a description of the material forming the particles 124. For example, the particle composition 116 can be silicon residue, dust, etchant material, dopant, or a similar material description. The spectrometer module 106 can determine the chemical composition of each of the particles 124 using a Raman spectrometer, a photoluminescence spectrometer, a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometers, or a combination thereof.
[0036] The identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 on the substrate 120 adjacent to the particles 124 to facilitate later analysis of the particles 124. For example, the identification module 108 can use a laser to etch the substrate surface 126 near the particle location 140 in the particle location map 112. The identification markings 118 can include the particle identifier 134 from the particle location map 112, a text string, a numerical identifier, time and date information, or a combination thereof.
[0037] The transportation module 110 can be used to secure the substrate 120 to the transportation module 110 that can move the substrate 120 between the different modules of the substrate processing system 100. In an illustrative example, the transportation module 110 can include a substrate stage 122, such as a fine vertical control stage, that can move the substrate 120 vertically to support the imaging module 104. The transportation module 110 can include positioning and registration components to identify and register the position of the substrate 120. [0038] It has been discovered that the substrate processing system 100 can provide valuable surface analysis for semiconductor wafers and magnetic media disk devices. This surface analysis can be used in pre -manufacturing receiving for quality control or in failure mode analysis to determine what particles might have contributed to a failure of the magnetic media disk.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 2, therein is shown a functional block diagram of a substrate processing system 100 in a second embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing system 100 can include a single platform having multiple analysis modules including the particle detection module 102 of FIG. 1, the imaging module 104 of FIG. 1, the spectrometer module 106 of FIG. 1, and the identification module 108 of FIG. 1
[0040] The substrate 120 can be moved from station to station during processing and a new reference position of the substrate 120 is established for each of the stations. The substrate processing system 100 can include light sources, reflective elements, beam splitters, objectives, cameras, detectors, photomultiplier tubes, or a combination thereof.
[0041] The substrate processing system 100 can include a light source 202 that can be used for particle detection and imaging. The light source 202 is an illumination mechanism for generating narrow band light.
[0042] The light source 202 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the light source 202 can be an ultraviolet (UV) source such as a light emitting diode (LED) array, an ultraviolet laser, or a combination thereof. In another example, the ultraviolet laser can have a wavelength of 266 nm. In yet another example, a higher performance model can have a UV laser, with a diffuser (not shown) attached to an objective to correct for the speckle pattern on the substrate 120.
[0043] The light source 202 can generate infra-red (IR) light, visible light, or ultraviolet light (UV). For example, the light source 202 can generate ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 266 nanometers (nm). The light source 202 can include a diffuser (not shown) to diffuse the light. The light source 202 can include a monochromator (not shown) to selectively filter the wavelength of the light from the light source 202.
[0044] In an illustrative example, where the light source 202 is a LED based array, then a monochromator (not shown) can be used as a narrow band filter to ensure that the center wavelength is 266 nm with a minimal bandwidth. The light source 202 operating at lower power levels, such as a few milliwatts (mW), is sufficient to detect particles of about 40 nm. For higher performance capability and improved resolution, the light source 202 can be a deep UV continuous wave (CW) laser at 266 nm wavelength can be used to detect smaller particles. In this arrangement the objectives needs to be equipped with correction optics. A diffuser can be used to minimize the formation of speckles on the substrate. The LED based array can have a power range from 1 to 10 mW. The high power UV laser can have a power rating of 230 mW.
[0045] The substrate processing system 100 can operate in ambient atmospheric conditions and does not need a vacuum chamber for operation. For example, the substrate processing system 100 can be a table top system to be operated in atmospheric conditions in a Class I clean room.
[0046] It has been discovered that using the light source 202 having the ultraviolet light wavelength of 266 nm increases functionality and flexibility of the system. The wavelength is safe for atmospheric exposure and is not heavily absorbed by oxygen allowing operation in an ambient atmosphere environment.
[0047] The substrate processing system 100 can be configured in a variety of ways to use interferometric principles for particle detection and three-dimensional (3D) imaging. For example, the light from the light source 202 can pass through an optical assembly of mirrors, beam splitters, filters, and objectives before and after reaching the substrate 120.
[0048] The light from the light source 202 can enter a beam splitter 206 which can split the beam of light into two portions, one for the particle detection module 102 and the other for the imaging module 104. The light source 202 can provide light for both modules.
[0049] The light for the particle detection module 102 can be reflected off of an ultraviolet mirror 208 and pass through a source optical assembly 210 between the light source 202 and the substrate 120. The source optical assembly 210 can include mirrors, filters, objectives, and other optical components. The source optical assembly 210 can condition the light from the light source 202 before reaching the substrate 120. For example, the source optical assembly 210 can position and mask the light from the light source 202 to produce a predefined beam size and shape.
[0050] The light from the source optical assembly 210 can be directed into a source objective 214 using additional ultraviolet mirrors. The source objective 214 is an optical element having lenses for focusing and directing the light from the light source 202 onto the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
[0051] The light from the source objective 214 can reflect from the substrate surface 126 while the light is scanned across the substrate 120. A reflection 236 from the substrate surface 126 can be received by a receiver objective 216. The receiver objective 216 is an optical element having lenses for receiving and focusing the light from the substrate surface 126.
[0052] The particle detection module 102 can have a dual objective configuration with the source objective 214 for focusing the light coming from the light source 202 onto the substrate surface 126 and the receiver objective 216 for receiving the reflected light from the substrate surface 126. The particle detection module 102 can scan the substrate surface 126 by guiding the beam from the source objective 214 over the entire surface of the substrate 120. For example, the particle detection module 102 can scan a 300 mm semiconductor wafer in approximately 10 minutes. The receiver objective 216 of the particle detection module 102 can have a field of view of 100 x 100 microns.
[0053] If one of the particles 124 of FIG. 1 is illuminated by the light from the source objective 214, then the reflection 236 will indicate a response 218 different from the reflection 236 from the substrate surface 126 alone. The response 218 is a change in the reflection 236 caused by the presence of the particles 124. The response 218 can be collected by the receiver objective 216 and directed through a receiver optical assembly 212. The receiver optical assembly 212 can include mirrors, filters, objectives, and other optical components. The source optical assembly 210 can condition and focus the light from the reflection 236 before directing the light to a photomultiplier tube 220 (PMT) and a camera 222, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, both optimized for 266 nm UV light.
[0054] The photomultiplier tube 220 is a detector for measuring light. The camera 222 can be used to record the light coming from the substrate surface 126 and the particles 128. The light received by the photomultiplier tube 220 can be used to detect one of the particles 124. The particle location 140 can be determined by the location of the light from the light source 202 in the scanning process.
[0055] It has been discovered that using the dual objective configuration improves particle detection performance on a blanket and a patterned substrate. The source objective 214 and the receiver objective 216 are positioned at an oblique 70° from the substrate surface 126 to achieve a higher scattering cross section. The combination of the oblique illumination and oversampling increases the resolution to enable detection of the particles 124 smaller than 40 nm.
[0056] The position of the substrate 120 can be established by position detection mechanisms (not shown) including optical detection of fiducial marks on the substrate 120, a notch detection system for positioning the wafer notch (not shown) by a wafer handling robot, or by fixing a substrate frame on which the substrate 120 is mounted. Reliably determining the position of the wafer is essential to the identification of particle location 140.
[0057] The particle detection module 102 can include the photomultiplier tube 220 for detecting the intensity of the reflected light. Before every particle scan, a baseline calibration can be performed to determine a reference intensity profile 230 and the index of refraction of the film and its thickness. The reference intensity profile 230 is a baseline measurement of the optical properties of the surface of the substrate 120 without the presence of the particles 124.
[0058] When the UV light from the light source 202 is incident on one of the particles 124 on the substrate during the scanning process, the light is scattered in all directions. This results in an intensity change 232 in the reflected light as measured by the photomultiplier tube 220. The intensity change 232 can be distinct from the reference intensity profile 230 determined during the baseline calibration in the reference region. The particle location 140 can then be added to the particle location map 112.
[0059] The scanning process can continue until the substrate 120 has been completely scanned and all of the particles 124 have been identified and registered in the particle location map 112 of FIG. 1. The particle location map 112 can be passed to the imaging module 104 for imaging the particles 124.
[0060] The imaging module 104, such as an interferometric based 3D imaging system, can be configured with an imaging objective 224 to form the particle image 114 of FIG. 1 of each of the particles 124 identified in the particle location map 112. The imaging objective 224 can be configured with various magnification powers, such as 5x, 20x, lOOx and 150x. The imaging objective 224 can be oriented perpendicular to the substrate 120 in a backscattered geometry. The particle image 114 can be a three-dimensional image, a two-dimensional image, an interferometric interference image, or a combination thereof.
[0061] The imaging objective 224 can direct the light to the camera 222, such as a charge- coupled device, configured to capture the interference images 142 of FIG. 1 at different values of focal lengths 226 on the substrate 120 to form the image sequence 132 of FIG. 1. The focal lengths 226 are the distances at which the image plane is in focus. The image sequence 132 can be used to form the particle image 114.
[0062] For example, the image sequence 132 can be stitched together using an image stitching algorithm to create a 3D map of one of the particles 124 and the substrate 120 in the field of view. In addition, the surface roughness of the substrate 120 and a substrate bow 234 can be determined. The substrate bow 234 is a measurement of the deformation of the substrate 120.
[0063] It has been discovered that forming the particle image 114 by combining the interference images 142 for different values of the focal lengths 226 increases performance and accuracy of particle detection. Forming the particle image 114 with three-dimensional information allows more accurate characterization of the particles 124.
[0064] Multiple feedback photodiodes can be placed at carefully selected locations in the beam path to pick off scattered light, and make sure that the overall beam alignment is maintained while switching between the particle detection, the 3D mapping, and the spectroscopic measurement mode.
[0065] The spectrometer module 106 can determine the composition of one of the particles 124 using a spectrometer. A spectrometer 228 can illuminate one of the particles 124 with a laser and measure the resulting light to determine the particle composition 116 of FIG. 1.
[0066] The spectrometer 228 can be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the spectrometer 228 can be a Raman spectrometer utilizing a laser having a wavelength of 532 nm. In another example, the spectrometer 228 can be a Photoluminescence spectrometer utilizing an ultraviolet laser having a wavelength of 532 nm. In yet another example, the spectrometer 228 can be a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) utilizing an infra-red light source having a wavelength of between 2.5 micrometers and 25 micrometers.
[0067] The spectrometer laser can be a separate device from the light source 202 of the particle detection module. In an illustrative example, the spectrometer module 106 can include a separate set of optical components designed for a 532 nm green diode laser with a maximum power of 20mW. The spectrometer module 106 can include a detector for analyzing the resulting light from the spectrometer 228. For example, the detector can be a low temperature Peltier cooled device to enable better signal to noise ratio. The spectrometer module 106 can include a spectrometer objective 242 for focusing the light from the spectrometer 228 on to the substrate 120.
[0068] In an illustrative example, the transportation module 110 can move the substrate 120 between the various modules of the substrate processing system 100. In another example, the substrate 120 can remain stationary on the substrate stage 122 and the each of the modules can move to make the appropriate measurements. The stationary configuration provides increased versatility by allowing the addition of additional functional modules. [0069] The substrate processing system 100 can include the identification module 108. The identification module 108 can create identification markings 118 of FIG. 1 around the region of interest associated with each of the particles 124. The identification markings 118 can be information identifying one of the particles 124. The identification module 108 can use a marking laser 238, such as a pulsed fiber laser. For example, the marking laser 238 can be a 337 nm Nitrogen laser having the capability to produce 300 microjoules (μΧ) per pulse at a frequency of 10 Hz. The marking laser 238 can be aligned to the objective in the backscattered geometry. Laser marking a region of interest is beneficial when further analysis such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis or cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) needs to be done. These markings are clearly visible in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) chamber, making this a valuable addition to the particle detection system.
[0070] The identification module 108 can include a beam blocker 240. The beam blocker 240 can block the light from the marking laser 238.
[0071] It has been discovered that forming the identification markings 118 around the region of interest associated with the particles 124 increases functionality and utility. The identification markings 118 are clearly visible during examination and can identify defects for further analysis.
[0072] It has been discovered that the substrate processing system of the present invention can analyze the surface of the substrate in order to detect particles, adhered to the surface of the substrate, in a size range of less than or equal to 40 nm. The dual objectives provide an oblique 70° illumination of the surface of the substrate to achieve a higher scattering cross section of the substrate surface.
[0073] It has been unexpectedly determined that the substrate processing system 100 can provide valuable surface analysis for magnetic media disk devices. This surface analysis can be used in pre-manufacturing receiving for quality control or in failure mode analysis to determine what particles might have contributed to a failure of the magnetic media disk.
[0074] Referring now to FIG. 3, therein is shown an example of the substrate 120. The substrate 120 can include a patterned substrate having the substrate pattern 128 formed on the substrate surface 126. The substrate 120 can include the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126. [0075] In an illustrative example, incident light 304 can be directed at one of the particles 124 during the scanning process. The change in a reflected light 306 can indicate the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 of one of the particles 124.
[0076] Referring now to FIG. 4, therein is shown an example of imaging one of the particles 124. The imaging module 104 of FIG. 1 can form the particle image 114 of FIG. 1 by combining the interference images 142 from different focal planes 402 of one of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126. Each of the interference images 142 of the image sequence 132 can be stitched together using an image stitching algorithm to form the particle image 114.
[0077] Referring now to FIG. 5, therein is shown a schematic diagram of the particle detection module 102 of FIG. 1. The particle detection module 102 can include optical elements, the source objective 214, and the receiver objective 216 for receiving the reflected light from the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
[0078] The light from the light source 202 of FIG. 2 can be channeled through a series of optical elements and into the source objective 214. The source objective 214 can be positioned at an oblique angle of 70 degrees to the substrate surface 126. The light can shine onto one of the particles 124 of FIG. 1 and the substrate surface 126 and reflect into the receiver objective 216. The light from the receiver objective 216 can be channeled through additional optical elements and directed into the photomultiplier tube 220 of FIG. 2.
[0079] It has been discovered that positioning the source objective 214 and the receiver objective 216 at an oblique angle of 70 degrees to the substrate surface 126 increases operational performance and allows the detection of smaller particles. The angle of the light coming through the source objective 214 can be configured to maximize the dispersion of the transmitted UV light upon detecting a particle.
[0080] It is understood that a series of UV mirrors and optical elements can be used to redirect the UV light from vertical through the source objective. The receiver objective 216 can be positioned to detect the reflected UV light from the substrate surface 126 for detecting the particles 124.
[0081] Another of the UV mirror can be used to redirect the received UV light back to the vertical for further analysis. It is understood that the presence of the particles 124 on the substrate surface 126 will alter the path of the UV light from the light source 202 and thus detect the particles 124. The position of the receiver objective 216 can be variable to refine the analysis of the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 and the particle size 136 of FIG. 1. [0082] Referring now to FIG. 6, therein is shown a schematic diagram of the imaging module 104 of FIG. 1. The imaging module 104 can form the particle image 114 by varying the focal lengths 226 between the imaging objective 224 and the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1 and capturing the interference images 142 at different values of the focal lengths 226. The focal lengths 226 can be varied by vertically positioning the imaging objective 224 or the substrate 120. The substrate 120 can be vertically positioned using the substrate stage 122 where the substrate 120 is mounted.
[0083] The image sequence 132 is the set of the interference images 142 captured by the imaging module 104. The particle image 114 can be formed by stitching together the image sequence 132. The image sequence can also include both vertical images at difference foci and horizontal images around the particles 124.
[0084] Referring now to FIG. 7, therein is shown an example of the spectrometer module 106 and the identification module 108. The spectrometer module 106 can determine the particle composition 116 of FIG. 1. The identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 of FIG. 1 adjacent to the particle location 140 of FIG. 1 on the substrate surface 126 of FIG. 1.
[0085] The spectrometer module 106 can be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the spectrometer 228 can be a Raman spectrometer utilizing a laser having a wavelength of 532 nm. In another example, the spectrometer 228 can be Photoluminescence spectrometers utilizing an ultraviolet laser having a wavelength of 532 nm. In yet another example, the spectrometer 228 can be a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) utilizing an infrared light source having a wavelength of between 2.5 micrometers and 25 micrometers.
[0086] The spectrometer module 106 can determine the particle composition 116 of each of the particles 124 of FIG. 1 in a variety of ways. For example, the spectrometer module 106 can match the spectrographic response of one of the particles 124 against a database (not shown) to determine the particle composition 116.
[0087] It has been discovered that identifying the particle composition 116 increases the flexibility and performance of the system. Identifying the particle composition 116 simplifies the determination of the source of the particle contamination on the substrate 120.
[0088] The identification module 108 can determine the particle type 138 based on the particle location 140, the particle image 114, and the particle composition 116. For example, the spectrometer module 106 can compare the particle characteristics of each of the particles 124 to a database (not shown) and select the best match for the particle type 138 of FIG. 1. [0089] The identification module 108 can include the beam breaker 240. The beam breaker 240 can block the laser from the marking module 702 from reaching the substrate 120.
[0090] It has been discovered that the identification module 108 exhibits improved quality and capability by identifying the particle type 138 based on the particle location 140, the particle image 114 of FIG. 1, the particle size 136 of FIG. 1, and the particle composition 116. With additional information to characterize the particle type 138, the identification module 108 accurately identifies the particle type 138 of each of the particles 124.
[0091] The identification module 108 can include a marking module 702. The identification module 108 can form the identification markings 118 around the region of interest associated with each of the particles 124. The identification markings 118 can include the particle identifier 134 of FIG. 1, the particle type 138, the particle location 140, the particle size 136, the particle composition 116, or a combination thereof.
[0092] It has been discovered that forming the identification markings 118 having the particle identifier 134, the particle type 138, the particle location 140, the particle size 136, the particle composition 116, or a combination thereof increases the flexibility and usefulness of the system. Providing significant information directly on the surface of the substrate 120 simplifies the analysis of the defects and particles 124 on the substrate 120.
[0093] Referring now to FIG. 8, therein is shown a flow chart of a method 800 of manufacture of a substrate processing system in a further embodiment of the present invention. The method 800 includes providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate in a block 802; positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface in a block 804; detecting a particle having a particle location based on the response of the reflection in a block 806; forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images having varying focal lengths for the particle location in the particle location map in a block 808; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location in a block 810; and identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition in a block 812.
[0094] The resulting method, process, apparatus, device, product, and/or system is straightforward, cost-effective, uncomplicated, highly versatile, accurate, sensitive, and effective, and can be implemented by adapting known components for ready, efficient, and economical manufacturing, application, and utilization. [0095] Another important aspect of the present invention is that it valuably supports and services the historical trend of reducing costs, simplifying systems, and increasing performance.
[0096] These and other valuable aspects of the present invention consequently further the state of the technology to at least the next level.
[0097] While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific best mode, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the aforegoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the included claims. All matters hitherto fore set forth herein or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative and non- limiting sense.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A method of manufacture of a substrate processing system comprising:
providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate;
positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source is a laser having a wavelength of 266 nanometers (nm).
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining the particle composition includes determining the particle composition using a Raman spectrometer, a photo luminescence spectrometer, or a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising forming an identification marking on the substrate adjacent to the particle location for identifying the particle.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein forming the particle image includes setting focal lengths between the particle and an imaging objective by adjusting a substrate stage holding the substrate.
6. A method of manufacture of a substrate processing system comprising:
providing a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate;
positioning a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface; detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection; calculating a particle location map having the particle location for the particle;
forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths at the particle location of the particle location map; determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location for forming a particle; and
identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the light source is a laser having a wavelength of 266 nanometers (nm).
8. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein determining the particle composition includes determining the particle composition using a Raman spectrometer, a photoluminescence spectrometer, or a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising forming an identification marking on the substrate adjacent to the particle location for identifying the particle.
10. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein forming the particle image includes setting focal lengths between the particle and an imaging objective by adjusting a substrate stage holding the substrate.
11. A substrate processing system comprising:
a light source for illuminating a substrate surface of a substrate;
a receiver objective to receive a reflection from the substrate surface;
a particle detection module for detecting a particle having a particle location based on a response of the reflection;
an imaging module, coupled to the particle detection module, for forming a particle image by combining a plurality of interference images at varying focal lengths for the particle location in a particle location map;
a spectrometer module, coupled to the imaging module, for determining a particle composition of the particle at the particle location; and
an identification module, coupled to the spectrometer module, for identifying a particle type for determining a particle source, the particle type based on the particle location, the particle image, and the particle composition.
12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the light source is a laser having a wavelength of 266 nanometers (nm).
13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the particle composition is determined using a Raman spectrometer, a photoluminescence spectrometer, or a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer.
14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the identification module is for forming an identification marking on the substrate adjacent to the particle location for identifying the particle.
15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the particle image is formed by setting focal lengths between the particle and an imaging objective by adjusting a substrate stage holding the substrate.
PCT/US2014/063262 2013-10-30 2014-10-30 Substrate processing system with particle scan and method of operation thereof WO2015066384A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201361897818P 2013-10-30 2013-10-30
US61/897,818 2013-10-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2015066384A1 true WO2015066384A1 (en) 2015-05-07

Family

ID=53005147

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2014/063262 WO2015066384A1 (en) 2013-10-30 2014-10-30 Substrate processing system with particle scan and method of operation thereof

Country Status (2)

Country Link
TW (1) TW201516396A (en)
WO (1) WO2015066384A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109923653A (en) * 2016-11-07 2019-06-21 应用材料公司 The method and apparatus of nano particle of the detection and analysis from semiconductor chamber component

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5076692A (en) * 1990-05-31 1991-12-31 Tencor Instruments Particle detection on a patterned or bare wafer surface
US6256093B1 (en) * 1998-06-25 2001-07-03 Applied Materials, Inc. On-the-fly automatic defect classification for substrates using signal attributes
US20020196433A1 (en) * 2001-06-25 2002-12-26 Steve Biellak System and methods for inspection of transparent mask substrates
US6597446B2 (en) * 2001-03-22 2003-07-22 Sentec Corporation Holographic scatterometer for detection and analysis of wafer surface deposits
US6693708B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2004-02-17 Applied Materials, Inc. Method and apparatus for substrate surface inspection using spectral profiling techniques

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5076692A (en) * 1990-05-31 1991-12-31 Tencor Instruments Particle detection on a patterned or bare wafer surface
US6256093B1 (en) * 1998-06-25 2001-07-03 Applied Materials, Inc. On-the-fly automatic defect classification for substrates using signal attributes
US6693708B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2004-02-17 Applied Materials, Inc. Method and apparatus for substrate surface inspection using spectral profiling techniques
US6597446B2 (en) * 2001-03-22 2003-07-22 Sentec Corporation Holographic scatterometer for detection and analysis of wafer surface deposits
US20020196433A1 (en) * 2001-06-25 2002-12-26 Steve Biellak System and methods for inspection of transparent mask substrates

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109923653A (en) * 2016-11-07 2019-06-21 应用材料公司 The method and apparatus of nano particle of the detection and analysis from semiconductor chamber component

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TW201516396A (en) 2015-05-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN106030292B (en) Apparatus and method for combined bright field, dark field and photothermal inspection
CN110313059B (en) Method and system for measuring thick film and high aspect ratio structures
US8975582B2 (en) Method and apparatus for reviewing defects
JP3697279B2 (en) Thin film thickness measuring device
JP5060684B2 (en) System and method for inspecting semiconductor wafers
US8203705B2 (en) Inspection apparatus and inspection method
US11138722B2 (en) Differential imaging for single-path optical wafer inspection
WO2011152261A1 (en) Defect inspection method and device therefor
TWI820278B (en) Thickness measuring device
US9719943B2 (en) Wafer edge inspection with trajectory following edge profile
TW202204848A (en) High sensitivity image-based reflectometry
US20090202138A1 (en) Inspection apparatus
TW202204849A (en) High sensitivity image-based reflectometry
TWI735548B (en) Detection device and detection method
TWI808288B (en) Thickness Measuring Device
WO2021024319A1 (en) Defect inspection device and defect inspection method
WO2015066384A1 (en) Substrate processing system with particle scan and method of operation thereof
CN114144662B (en) Imaging of combined transmitted and reflected light of internal cracks in semiconductor devices
US20210270750A1 (en) Measurement apparatus and method
KR101360251B1 (en) Reviewing apparatus of wafer defect and Method thereof
CN112986191A (en) Semiconductor detection device and detection method
US11417010B2 (en) Image based metrology of surface deformations
TW202405584A (en) Extra tall target metrology

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 14858162

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 14858162

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1