IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,870,935
Granted Patent B2
US 9,870,935 · App. 14/839,656 · Granted Jan 16, 2018

Monitoring system for deposition and method of operation thereof

Inventors: Edward W. Budiarto (Fremont, CA); Majeed A. Foad (Sunnyvale, CA); Ralf Hofmann (Soquel, CA); Thomas Nowak (Cupertino, CA); Todd Egan (Fremont, CA); Mehdi Vaez-Iravani (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01L21/67253H01L21/02631H01L21/0332H01L21/0337H01L21/2855H01L22/12H01L22/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,870,935
App. No.
14/839,656
Granted
Jan 16, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A monitoring and deposition control system and method of operation thereof including: a deposition chamber for depositing a material layer on a substrate; a sensor array for monitoring deposition of the material layer for changes in a layer thickness of the material layer during deposition; and a processing unit for adjusting deposition parameters based on the changes in the layer thickness during deposition.

Claims (28)

1. A method of operation for a monitoring and deposition control system comprising:

depositing a multilayer stack comprising alternating layers of molybdenum and silicon on a substrate;

monitoring deposition of each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer for changes in a layer thickness of each silicon layer and each molybdenum layer during deposition; and

adjusting deposition parameters based on the changes in the layer thickness of each silicon layer and each molybdenum layer during deposition, wherein each silicon layer and each molybdenum layer has a layer thickness having an error of 0.1 angstroms or less.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an error in a layer;

generating an alert based on the error in the layer; and

discarding the substrate and the layer based on the alert.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring deposition of each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer includes:

generating a light output aimed at a layer;

collecting the light output as reflected light off of the layer; and

determining a spectrum of the reflected light for determining properties of the layer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring deposition of each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer includes:

generating a light output aimed at a layer;

collecting the light output as reflected light off of the layer;

determining a spectrum of the reflected light; and

normalizing the spectrum of the reflected light to a wavelength average of the spectrum of the reflected light.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising calibrating against a reference sample having a known spectral response before depositing each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein monitoring deposition of each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer includes:

generating a light output aimed at a layer and a reference fiber;

collecting the light output from the reference fiber and as reflected light off of the layer;

determining a spectrum of the reflected light and a spectrum of the light output from the reference fiber; and

normalizing the spectrum of the reflected light to the spectrum of the light output from the reference fiber and to a wavelength average of the spectrum of the reflected light.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

providing a chuck for positioning the substrate;

wherein monitoring deposition of each molybdenum layer and each silicon layer includes:

determining if the substrate and a layer are tilted relative to a horizontal position; and

adjusting the tilt of the substrate and the layer using a mechanism in the chuck.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2015
From: BUDIARTO, EDWARD W.; FOAD, MAJEED A.; HOFMANN, RALF; NOWAK, THOMAS; EGAN, TODD; VAEZ-IRAVANI, MEHDI
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 036452/0744 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62094270 · Dec 19, 2014
Related Publication 20160181134A1 · Jun 23, 2016