IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,672,514
Granted Patent B2
US 12,672,514 · App. 18/747,417 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Integrated substrate measurement system

Inventors: Patricia Schulze (Giddings, TX); Gregory John Freeman (Austin, TX); Michael Kutney (Santa Clara, CA); Arunkumar Ramachandraiah (Bengaluru, IN); Chih Chung Chou (San Jose, CA); Zhaozhao Zhu (Milpitas, CA); Ozkan Celik (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H10P72/53G01B11/24H10P72/72H10P72/7606G01B2210/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,672,514
App. No.
18/747,417
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical measurement device comprises a substrate holder to secure a substrate, a plurality of actuators to move the substrate holder relative to a plurality of axes, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of a first plurality of target positions on the substrate, and a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of a second plurality of target positions on the substrate. The optical measurement device further comprises a plate, wherein the substrate holder, the plurality of actuators, the first sensor and the second sensor are each mounted to the plate, and wherein the plate provides vibration isolation from a factory interface to which the optical measurement device mounts. The optical measurement device further comprises a processing device that executes instructions to control the plurality of actuators and process the first measurements or images and the second measurements.

Claims (33)

1 . A system comprising:

a transfer chamber comprising a first robot arm;

a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber;

a load lock connected to the transfer chamber;

a factory interface connected to the load lock, the factory interface comprising a second robot arm; and

an optical measurement device, wherein the first robot arm or the second robot arm is to move a substrate to the optical measurement device, and wherein the optical measurement device comprises:

a substrate holder to secure the substrate;

a plurality of actuators to move the substrate holder relative to a plurality of axes;

a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of a first plurality of target positions on the substrate;

a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of a second plurality of target positions on the substrate;

a plate, wherein the substrate holder, the plurality of actuators, the first sensor and the second sensor are each mounted to the plate, and wherein the plate provides vibration isolation from the factory interface; and

a processing device that executes instructions to control the plurality of actuators and process the one or more first measurements or images and the one or more second measurements.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to:

cause a first actuator of the plurality of actuators to rotate the substrate holder about a first axis for measurement of a target position of the second plurality of target positions, wherein the rotation causes an offset between a field of view of the second sensor and the target position on the substrate due to the substrate not being centered on the substrate holder;

cause a second actuator of the plurality of actuators to move the substrate holder linearly along a second axis to correct the offset; and

determine a profile across a surface of the substrate based on the one or more second measurements of the second plurality of target positions.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processing device is further to:

determine one or more coordinate transformations between a center of the substrate holder that corresponds to the first axis about which the substrate holder rotates and a center of the substrate; and

apply the one or more coordinate transformations during a rotation of the substrate holder about the first axis to correct an offset between the center of the substrate holder and the center of the substrate.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is an integrated component of the optical measurement device that executes software and that is connected to the plurality of actuators.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the software comprises real-time control software configured to send control signals to motion drivers of the plurality of actuators through a network.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to determine an edge of the substrate secured on the substrate holder based on the one or more first measurements or images.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of actuators are configured to move the substrate holder according to an r-theta motion.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an integrated reference target having a fixed position on the substrate holder and a known property.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing device is configured to determine a relationship between a first coordinate system of the first sensor or camera and a second coordinate system of the second sensor based on a first position of the substrate holder at which spectral reflections are captured by the first sensor or camera and a second position of the substrate holder at which spectral reflections are captured by the second sensor.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing device is configured to calibrate the optical measurement device based on a difference between a measured property of the integrated reference target as measured by the second sensor and the known property of the integrated reference target.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second measurements comprise measurements of at least one of critical dimensions (CDs), CD-bias, particle count, optical constant, or film thickness, and wherein the second sensor comprises a reflectometry sensor.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement device is configured to process up to about 100 substrates per hour.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to generate a map of the substrate based on at least one of the one or more first measurements or the one or more second measurements.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement device has a first outer dimension of about 14-20 inches, a second outer dimension of about 20-28 inches, and a third outer dimension of about 22-28 inches.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement device is mounted to the factory interface.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement device is mounted to the transfer chamber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2024
From: SCHULZE, PATRICIA; FREEMAN, GREGORY JOHN; KUTNEY, MICHAEL; RAMACHANDRAIAH, ARUNKUMAR; CHOU, CHIN CHUNG; ZHU, ZHAOZHAO; CELIK, OZKAN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067790/0016 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17584322 · Jan 25, 2022
Related Publication 20240339347A1 · Oct 10, 2024
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