IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,841,692
Granted Patent B2
US 11,841,692 · App. 17/946,936 · Granted Dec 12, 2023

Variable loop control feature

Inventors: Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy (San Jose, CA); Anton Baryshnikov (Campbell, CA); Brett Berens (San Jose, CA); Mitesh Sanghvi (Sunnyvale, CA); Shuang Liu (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
G05B19/182B33Y50/02G05B2219/49013
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,841,692
App. No.
17/946,936
Granted
Dec 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes identifying a recipe for depositing layers on a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system. The recipe comprises iterations of a set of one or more processes, and wherein each iteration of the iterations is for depositing at least one layer of the layers. The method further includes determining changes to parameters for depositing the at least one layer on the substrate. Each of the changes corresponds to a respective iteration of the iterations and is associated with a relative position of a corresponding layer. The layers are to be deposited on one or more substrates based on the recipe and the changes.

Claims (71)

1. A method comprising:

identifying a recipe for depositing a plurality of layers on a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, wherein the recipe comprises a plurality of iterations of a set of one or more processes, and wherein each iteration of the plurality of iterations is for depositing at least one layer of the plurality of layers;

determining a plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters for depositing the at least one layer on the substrate to cause layer-to-layer thickness uniformity, wherein each of the plurality of changes corresponds to a respective iteration of the plurality of iterations and is associated with a relative position of a corresponding layer of the plurality of layers; and

causing the plurality of layers to be deposited on one or more substrates based on the recipe and the plurality of changes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises a plurality of iteration adjustments that are to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers;

each iteration adjustment of the plurality of iteration adjustments corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

one or more of the plurality of iteration adjustments indicate additive operations.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers comprises one or more of:

each layer of the plurality of layers has same thickness;

each layer of the plurality of layers is uniform; or

each set of adjacent layers of the plurality of layers has same interplanar spacing.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of the plurality of changes comprises:

depositing a first plurality of layers of a first type on a first substrate;

determining first metrology data of the first plurality of layers; and

generating, based on the first metrology data, first changes to adjust corresponding substrate processing parameters to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the first plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of changes is based on the first changes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises one or more multipliers that are to cause an adjustment in thickness of one or more layers of the plurality of layers;

each multiplier of the one or more multipliers corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

the one or more multipliers indicate multiplicative operations.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing, based on the recipe and the plurality of changes, the plurality of layers to be deposited on the one or more substrates.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the set of one or more processes comprises a plurality of substrate processing parameters for depositing the at least one layer on the substrate; and

each of the plurality of changes updates one or more of the plurality of substrate processing parameters of the respective iteration of the set of one or more processes by performing at least one of an additive operation or a multiplicative operation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the plurality of layers is associated with a target layer thickness; and

a first target layer thickness of a first layer of the plurality of layers is different from a second target layer thickness of a second layer of the plurality of layers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the plurality of changes comprises determining one or more sensitivity factors corresponding to one or more substrate processing parameters that correspond to a particular adjustment of thickness.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying a recipe for depositing a plurality of layers on a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, wherein the recipe comprises a plurality of iterations of a set of one or more processes, and wherein each iteration of the plurality of iterations is for depositing at least one layer of the plurality of layers;

determining a plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters for depositing the at least one layer on the substrate to cause layer-to-layer thickness uniformity, wherein each of the plurality of changes corresponds to a respective iteration of the plurality of iterations and is associated with a relative position of a corresponding layer of the plurality of layers; and

causing the plurality of layers to be deposited on one or more substrates based on the recipe and the plurality of changes.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises a plurality of iteration adjustments that are to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers;

each iteration adjustment of the plurality of iteration adjustments corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

one or more of the plurality of iteration adjustments indicate additive operations.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers comprises one or more of:

each layer of the plurality of layers has same thickness;

each layer of the plurality of layers is uniform; or

each set of adjacent layers of the plurality of layers has same interplanar spacing.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the plurality of changes comprises:

depositing a first plurality of layers of a first type on a first substrate;

determining first metrology data of the first plurality of layers; and

generating, based on the first metrology data, first changes to adjust corresponding substrate processing parameters to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the first plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of changes is based on the first changes.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises one or more multipliers that are to cause an adjustment in thickness of one or more layers of the plurality of layers;

each multiplier of the one or more multipliers corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

the one or more multipliers indicate multiplicative operations.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise causing, based on the recipe and the plurality of changes, the plurality of layers to be deposited on the one or more substrates.

16. A system comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors to:

identify a recipe for depositing a plurality of layers on a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, wherein the recipe comprises a plurality of iterations of a set of one or more processes, and wherein each iteration of the plurality of iterations is for depositing at least one layer of the plurality of layers;

determine a plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters for depositing the at least one layer on the substrate to cause layer-to-layer thickness uniformity, wherein each of the plurality of changes corresponds to a respective iteration of the plurality of iterations and is associated with a relative position of a corresponding layer of the plurality of layers; and

cause the plurality of layers to be deposited on one or more substrates based on the recipe and the plurality of changes.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises a plurality of iteration adjustments that are to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers;

each iteration adjustment of the plurality of iteration adjustments corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

one or more of the plurality of iteration adjustments indicate additive operations.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the plurality of layers comprises one or more of:

each layer of the plurality of layers has same thickness;

each layer of the plurality of layers is uniform; or

each set of adjacent layers of the plurality of layers has same interplanar spacing.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein to determine the plurality of changes, the one or more processors are to:

depositing a first plurality of layers of a first type on a first substrate;

determining first metrology data of the first plurality of layers; and

generating, based on the first metrology data, first changes to adjust corresponding substrate processing parameters to cause the layer-to-layer thickness uniformity of the first plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of changes is based on the first changes.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

the plurality of changes to substrate processing parameters comprises one or more multipliers that are to cause an adjustment in thickness of one or more layers of the plurality of layers;

each multiplier of the one or more multipliers corresponds to a corresponding iteration of the plurality of iterations; and

the one or more multipliers indicate multiplicative operations.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2023
From: SHANKARAMURTHY, VENKATANARAYANA; BARYSHNIKOV, ANTON; BERENS, BRETT; SANGHVI, MITESH; LIU, SHUANG
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062445/0398 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17326984 · May 21, 2021
Provisional Application 63030716 · May 27, 2020
Related Publication 20230014145A1 · Jan 19, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,443,175