公开(公告)号：US20230395355A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-07

申请号：US18450652

申请日：2023-08-16

Applicant: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Inventor： Denis Shaw ,  Gideon Van Zyl ,  Kevin Fairbairn

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01J37/32935

Abstract: Plasma processing systems and methods are disclosed. The system may include at least one modulating supply that modulates plasma properties where the modulation of the plasma properties has a repetition period, T. A synchronization module configured to send a synchronization signal with a synchronization-signal-repetition-period that is an integer multiple of T to at least one piece of equipment connected to the plasma processing system. A waveform-communication module communicates characteristics of a characterized waveform to at least one piece of equipment connected to the plasma system to enable synchronization of pieces of equipment connected to the plasma processing system. The characterized waveform may contain information about the modulation of the plasma or information about a desired waveform of a piece of equipment connected to the plasma processing system.

公开(公告)号：US20230297757A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-21

申请号：US18018261

申请日：2021-08-26

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B. V.

Inventor： Syam PARAYIL VENUGOPALAN ,  Mohammad Reza KAMALI ,  MIchael KUBIS

IPC: G06F30/398 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: G06F30/398 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: Systems and methods for simulating a plasma etch process are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a method for simulating a plasma etch process may include predicting a first characteristic of a particle of a plasma in a first scale based on a first plurality of parameters; predicting a second characteristic of the particle in a second scale based on a modification of the first characteristic caused by a second plurality of parameters; and simulating an etch characteristic of a feature based on the first and the second characteristics of the particle. A multi-scale physical etch model or a multi-scale data driven model may be used to simulate the plasma etch process.

公开(公告)号：US20230253195A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-10

申请号：US18302215

申请日：2023-04-18

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Inventor： Wun-Kai TSAI ,  Wen-Che LIANG ,  Chao-Keng LI ,  Zheng-Jie XU ,  Chih-Kuo CHANG ,  Sing-Tsung LI ,  Feng-Kuang WU ,  Hsu-Shui LIU

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G05B19/4065 ,  C23C16/505 ,  H01J37/244

CPC classification number: H01J37/32926 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L22/20 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  G05B19/4065 ,  C23C16/505 ,  H01J37/244 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01J2237/3321

Abstract: A fabrication system for fabricating IC is provided. A processing tool includes at least one electrode and a RF sensor. The electrode is configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from an RF signal generator during first and second semiconductor manufacturing processes. The RF sensor wirelessly detects intensity of the RF signal. A computation device extracts statistical characteristics with a sampling rate based on the detected intensity of the RF signal. A fault detection and classification (FDC) system includes a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether or not the detected intensity of the RF signal exceeds a threshold value or a threshold range according to the extracted statistical characteristics. When the detected intensity of the RF signal exceeds the threshold value or the threshold range, the processor notifies the processing tool to adjust the RF signal or stop tool to check parts damage.

公开(公告)号：US20230245872A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-03

申请号：US18014406

申请日：2021-07-07

Applicant: University of Exeter

Inventor： Gregory Austin Daly ,  Gavin Randal Tabor ,  Jonathan Edward Fieldsend

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G05B19/418

CPC classification number: H01J37/32926 ,  H01J37/3299 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  G05B19/41875 ,  G05B2219/32181

Abstract: Broadly speaking, the present techniques provide a method and system for controlling a wafer production process in real-time using a trained machine learning, ML, model. Advantageously, the ML model uses multiple sensed parameters to determine a state of a plasma used in the wafer production process, and this can be used to adjust at least one control parameter of a plasma reactor used in the wafer production process to reduce process variability.

公开(公告)号：US20230207267A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-29

申请号：US17926574

申请日：2021-05-10

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： John Valcore, JR. ,  Travis Joseph Wong ,  Ying Wu ,  Sandeep Mudunuri ,  Bostjan Pust

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32926

Abstract: Systems and methods for compressing data are described. One of the methods includes receiving a plurality of measurement signals from one or more sensors coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission path of a plasma tool. The RF transmission path is from an output of an RF generator to an electrode of a plasma chamber. The method includes converting the plurality of measurement signals from an analog form to a digital form to sample data and processing the data to reduce an amount of the data. The amount of the data is compressed to output compressed data. The method includes sending the compressed data to a controller for controlling the plasma tool.

公开(公告)号：US11664206B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-30

申请号：US15901970

申请日：2018-02-22

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Wun-Kai Tsai ,  Wen-Che Liang ,  Chao-Keng Li ,  Zheng-Jie Xu ,  Chih-Kuo Chang ,  Sing-Tsung Li ,  Feng-Kuang Wu ,  Hsu-Shui Liu

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G05B19/4065 ,  C23C16/505

CPC classification number: H01J37/32926 ,  C23C16/505 ,  G05B19/4065 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L22/20 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01J2237/3321

Abstract: A fabrication system for fabricating an IC is provided which includes a processing tool, a computation device and a FDC system. The processing tool includes an electrode and an RF sensor to execute a semiconductor manufacturing process to fabricate the IC. The RF sensor wirelessly detects the intensity of the RF signal. The computation device extracts statistical characteristics based on the detection of the intensity of the RF signal. The FDC system determines whether or not the intensity of the RF signal meets a threshold value or a threshold range according to the extracted statistical characteristics. When the detected intensity of the RF signal exceeds the threshold value or the threshold range, the FDC system notifies the processing tool to adjust the RF signal or stop tool to check parts damage.

公开(公告)号：US20230162950A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-25

申请号：US17532915

申请日：2021-11-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rajinder Dhindsa ,  Kenneth S. Collins ,  Michael R. Rice ,  James D. Carducci

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/32 ,  H01L27/11551

Abstract: A plasma treatment chamber comprises one or more sidewalls. A support surface within the one or more sidewalls holds a workpiece. A first gas injector along the one or more sidewalls injects a first gas flow in a first direction generally parallel to and across a surface of the workpiece. A first pump port along the one or more sidewalls generally opposite of the first gas injector pumps out the first gas flow. A second gas injector along the one or more sidewalls injects a second gas flow in a second direction generally parallel to and across the surface of the workpiece. A second pump port along the one or more sidewalls generally opposite of the second gas injector pumps out the second gas flow. Conductance control rings modulate conductance of the pump ports and are located proximate to plasma screens at a top of the pump ports.

公开(公告)号：US20190252163A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-15

申请号：US16392525

申请日：2019-04-23

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Richard Alan Gottscho

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01J37/32926 ,  H01J37/32853 ,  H01J37/32935 ,  H01J37/32972 ,  H01J37/3299 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/67253

Abstract: A system for use in processing a substrate is provided. One system includes a chamber having an interior region that is exposed to plasma when processing a substrate. The internal region includes surfaces of parts of the chamber. A controller is interfaced with the chamber and includes a detector to enable control of a scope. The scope is configured for insertion into the chamber to inspect the interior region of the chamber without breaking a vacuum of the chamber. The detector includes an optical processor for identifying a characteristic of material present on a surface being inspected via the scope. A tool model processor is configured to receive information regarding the identified characteristic of the material present on the surface and interface with a tool model for the chamber to identify an adjustment to a parameter of a process to be performed using the chamber. The adjustment is configured to compensate for an anticipated drift in the process based on the identified characteristic of the material present on the surface and data from the tool model.

公开(公告)号：US20180327906A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-15

申请号：US16021888

申请日：2018-06-28

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Hitoshi KATO ,  Shigehiro MIURA ,  Hiroyuki KIKUCHI ,  Katsuyoshi AIKAWA

IPC: C23C16/52 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/458

CPC classification number: C23C16/52 ,  C23C16/4409 ,  C23C16/45542 ,  C23C16/45544 ,  C23C16/45551 ,  C23C16/4584 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/68764 ,  H01L21/68771 ,  H01L21/68792

Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes a rotary table having a loading area at a first surface side thereof and revolving a substrate loaded on the loading area, a rotation mechanism rotating the loading area such that the substrate rotates around its axis, a processing gas supply mechanism supplying a processing gas to a processing gas supply area so that a thin film is formed on the substrate which repeatedly passes through the processing gas supply area the revolution of the substrate, and a control part configured to perform a calculation of a rotation speed of the substrate based on a parameter including a rotation speed of the rotary table to allow an orientation of the substrate to be changed whenever the substrate is positioned in the processing gas supply area, and to output a control signal for rotating the substrate at a calculated rotation speed.

公开(公告)号：US20180233393A1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-16

申请号：US15433943

申请日：2017-02-15

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Chin-Yi Liu ,  Daniel Lai ,  Rajitha Vemuri ,  Padma Gopalakrishnan

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01L21/6833 ,  H01J37/32697 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01J37/32926 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/67253

Abstract: An insulator-type substrate is positioned on a support surface of a substrate support structure in exposure to a plasma. An initial clamping voltage is applied to an electrode within the substrate support structure to rapidly accumulate electrical charge on the support surface to hold the substrate. A backside cooling gas is flowed to a region between the substrate and the support surface, and a leak rate of the backside cooling gas is monitored. A steady clamping voltage is applied to the electrode, and the steady clamping voltage is adjusted in a step-wise manner to maintain the monitored leak rate of the backside cooling gas at just less than a maximum allowable leak rate. Or, a pulsed clamping voltage is applied to the electrode, and the pulsed clamping voltage is adjusted to maintain the monitored leak rate of the backside cooling gas at just less than the maximum allowable leak rate.