IP Library Granted Patent US 9,695,512
Granted Patent B2
US 9,695,512 · App. 14/614,574 · Granted Jul 4, 2017

Semiconductor manufacturing system and semiconductor manufacturing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,695,512
App. No.
14/614,574
Granted
Jul 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing system includes a film forming apparatus configured to form a film on a surface of a wafer. The system further includes a gas supply module configured to supply at least a type of source gas for the film into the film forming apparatus. The system further includes a measurement module configured to measure a discharge amount of an exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus. The system further includes a controller configured to calculate a value corresponding to a surface area of the wafer based on the discharge amount of the exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus, and to control a supply amount of the source gas to the film forming apparatus based on the value corresponding to the surface area of the wafer.

Claims (23)

1. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:

a film forming apparatus configured to form a film on a surface of a wafer;

a gas supply module configured to supply at least a type of source gas for the film into the film forming apparatus;

a measurement module configured to measure a discharge amount of an exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus; and

a controller configured to calculate a surface area or a relative surface area of the wafer based on the discharge amount of the exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus, and to control a supply amount of the source gas to the film forming apparatus based on the surface area or the relative surface area of the wafer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas supply module supplies, as the source gas, a first source gas to be adsorbed on the surface of the wafer, and a second source gas to react with the first source gas to form the film.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls supply amounts of the first and second source gases based on the surface area or the relative surface area of the wafer.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the measurement module measures, as the discharge amount of the exhaust gas, a discharge amount of the first source gas, a discharge amount of the second source gas, or a discharge amount of a gas generated by the reaction.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the film forming apparatus alternately executes adsorption processes for adsorbing the first source gas onto the surface of the wafer and reaction processes for allowing the second source gas to react with the first source gas, to form the film.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the film forming apparatus forms the film by forming a layer included in the film during a first period and forming each layer included in the film during each second period that follow the first period and is shorter than the first period.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller calculates the surface area or the relative surface area of the wafer based on the discharge amount of the exhaust gas measured during the first period.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein

the gas supply module supplies, as the source gas, a first source gas to be absorbed on the surface of the wafer, and a second source gas to react with the first source has to form the film, and

the controller calculates, based on the surface area or the relative surface area of the wafer, a minimum supply amount of the first source gas and a minimum supply amount of the second source gas to be used to form each layer during each second period, and controls the supply amounts of the first and second source gases during each second period based on the minimum supply amounts of the first and second source gases, respectively.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller determines a flow rate and supply time of the first supply gas based on the minimum supply amount of the first supply gas, determines a flow rate and supply time of the second supply gas based on the minimum supply amount of the second supply gas, and controls the supply amounts of the first and second source gases during each second period based on the flow rate and the supply time of the first source gas and the flow rate and the supply time of the second source gas, respectively.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement module measures the discharge amount of the exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus during the supply of the source gas to the film forming apparatus.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement module is a spectral photometer or a mass spectrometer.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the supply amount of the source gas to the film forming apparatus based on a number of wafers in the film forming apparatus.

13. A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising:

a film forming apparatus configured to form a film on a surface of a wafer;

a gas supply module configured to supply at least a type of source gas for the film into the film forming apparatus;

a measurement module configured to measure a physical amount that relates to an exhaust gas from the film forming apparatus and increases with an increase of a surface area of the wafer, the measurement module measuring the physical amount based on light from the exhaust gas; and

a controller configured to control a supply amount of the source gas to the film forming apparatus based on the physical amount measured by the measurement module.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K. PANGEA
Reel/Frame 055659/0471 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: K.K. PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0401 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2017
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043052/0218 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2015
From: MATSUO, KAZUHIRO; AISO, FUMIKI
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 034894/0666 →