Method and apparatus for controlling etch processes during fabrication of semiconductor devices

1. A method of controlling etch processes during fabrication of semiconductor devices in a semiconductor substrate processing system, comprising:

providing a substrate having a patterned mask comprising resist features having a first profile and first critical dimensions;

measuring the first profile and the first critical dimensions by a first optical technique;

trimming the patterned mask with an etching technique having one or more processing parameters;

etching an underlying layer on the substrate using the trimmed patterned mask as an etch mask to form features in the underlying layer having a second profile and second critical dimensions;

measuring the second profile and the second critical dimensions by a second optical technique;

comparing the first profile and the first critical dimensions with the second profile and the second critical dimensions; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the etching technique.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting one or more parameters of the etching technique further comprises:

providing the substrate having a trimmed patterned mask comprising resist features having the second profile and second critical dimensions; and

trimming the patterned mask with another etching technique having one or more adjusted processing parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first optical technique comprises using a non-destructive optical measuring tool having at least one measuring instrument.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting one or more parameters of the etching technique providing a second substrate having a patterned mask comprising resist features having a first profile and first critical dimensions; and

trimming the patterned mask of the second substrate with another etching technique having one or more adjusted processing parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring the first profile and the first critical dimensions comprises measuring parameters selected from a group consisting of a width of the feature, a sidewall angle width of the feature, a width of a foot of the feature, a thickness of said mask, non-linearity of an etch rate during trimming the feature, and a thickness of the layer beneath the mask.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring the first profile and the first critical dimensions comprises measuring the width of the feature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing parameters comprise processing time.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising modifying said process time using iterations based on measurements of one or more prior processed substrates.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a N-parameter critical dimension control graph from the measurement the first profile and the first critical dimensions and the measurement the second profile and the second critical dimensions.

10. An apparatus for controlling etch processes during fabrication of semiconductor devices in a semiconductor substrate processing system, cormprising:

a measuring tool for measuring a profile of a feature of a patterned mask and a feature etched in a layer beneath said mask;

a processor configured to:

measuring a first profile and first critical dimensions of a patterned mask comprising resist features having the first profile and the first critical dimensions by a first optical technique;

trimming the patterned mask with an etching technique having one or more processing parameters;

etching an underlying layer on the substrate using the trimmed patterned mask as an etch mask to form features in the underlying layer having a second profile and second critical dimensions;

measuring the second profile and the second critical dimensions by a second optical technique;

comparing the first profile and the first critical dimensions with the second profile and the second critical dimensions; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the etching technique;

an etch reactor performing the trimming of the patterned mask; and

an etch reactor performing the etching of said underlying layer using the trimmed patterned mask as an etch mask.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the measuring tool is a non-destructive optical measuring tool having at least one measuring instrument.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the measuring the first profile and the first critical dimensions, and the second profile and the second critical dimensions are selected from a group consisting of a width of the feature, a sidewall angle width of the feature, a width of a foot of the feature, a thickness of said mask, non-linearity of an etch rate during trimming the feature, and a thickness of the layer beneath the mask.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor adjusts one or more parameters of the etching technique based on the results of measurements performed by the measuring tool.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor adjusts one or more parameters of the etching technique based on measurements performed on one or more prior processed substrates.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor adjusts one or more parameters of the etching technique using a method comprising:

providing a second substrate having a patterned mask comprising resist features having a first profile and first critical dimensions; and

trimming the patterned mask of the second substrate with another etching technique having one or more adjusted processing parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein processes of trimming the patterned mask and etching the layer beneath said mask are performed in one etch reactor.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a reactor for stripping the patterned mask.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising at least one substrate robot for transferring substrates within the apparatus.