Wafer fabrication monitoring/control system and method

摘要

A wafer fabrication monitoring/control system and method is disclosed. The invention utilizes Multiple Internal Reflection Infrared Detection (MIR-IR) to provide a highly sensitive (sub-10 nm, in-situ, ex-situ) on-wafer monitoring and characterization apparatus and method. The disclosed system and method has many practical applications to the development of advanced microfabrication technologies for sub-32 nm node CMOS semiconductor devices and provides support for formulation design, photolithographic patterning, etching/ashing of photoresists, plasma reactive ion etching (RIE) for trench/via patterning of low k dielectric, bottom anti-reflective coatings (BARCs), etch stop layers, and minimization/removal of plasma-etch polymers, development/confirmation of wet cleaning formulations and effectiveness for post CMP and post-etch cleaning.

主权项

1. A method of characterizing a patterned wafer, comprising:
receiving a wafer having undergone a semiconductor fabrication patterning process, the wafer comprising a waveguide;performing multiple-internal reflection (MIR)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy by irradiating a first angled surface of the wafer using an IR source to achieve internal reflection within the waveguide of the wafer and detecting IR transmission/absorption in the waveguide from radiation exiting a second angled surface of the wafer using an IR detector;
processing a signal received by the IR detector in a computer system to provide an absorbance spectra; and analyzing the absorbance spectra to provide a characterization of material on the wafer having undergone the semiconductor fabrication process.