JP2663955B2 - Semiconductor manufacturing in-line particle detection device and semiconductor manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-line particle detecting apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for measuring particles (fine particles) in an atmosphere which greatly affects the yield in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the manufacture of semiconductors, defective semiconductor devices have been drastically reduced due to improvements in clean room performance and dust-free performance for workers. On the other hand, dust generated from the manufacturing equipment and the material itself causes a defect in accordance with the miniaturization of the pattern size, and has been highlighted as a major problem.

In the control of fine particles in semiconductor manufacturing, dust from manufacturing equipment and materials has had a great influence on manufacturing yield in recent years. For this reason, it is necessary to reduce dust generation from the manufacturing apparatus and the material. For this purpose, it is necessary to first find a place where dust is generated, and for that purpose, an in-line real-time inspection is required.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are two methods for monitoring the amount of dust generated in a manufacturing apparatus. The first is a method in which a bare silicon wafer is flown into a target manufacturing apparatus, and particles adhering to the surface are observed with a mirror-surface wafer inspection apparatus to check the amount of dust generation. This is a method for inspecting the above pattern.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional method for monitoring the amount of generated dust, the first method enables evaluation of the production apparatus alone, but is not suitable for evaluating the amount of generated dust including the manufacturing process. It is. In the second method, it is possible to evaluate dust generation including a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing process. However, this method also has a problem that real-time measurement cannot be performed and that the detection sensitivity decreases as the manufacturing process proceeds.

Therefore, it is not possible at present to evaluate dust generation including the manufacturing apparatus and the manufacturing process in-line, in real time, and at the point of use. The present invention is a semiconductor device that can evaluate dust generation in-line, in real time, at the point of use, and with high sensitivity .
To try to achieve an in-line particle detection apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing instrumentation <br/> location for granulation.

[0007]

[0008]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-line particle detecting apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which is arranged so that a laser beam can be irradiated in parallel to a surface of a wafer transferred by a transfer system of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A laser light source and a lens system, and a light receiving element array disposed on a side of the laser beam emitted from the laser light source and the lens system and having a length equal to or longer than the diameter of the wafer. And Further, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, a transfer system for transferring a wafer, a laser light source and a lens system arranged so as to be able to irradiate a laser beam parallel to the surface of the wafer transferred by the transfer system,
And a light receiving element array disposed at a side of the laser light source and the laser beam emitted from the lens system and having a length equal to or longer than a diameter of the wafer.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention. According to the present invention, the laser beam 11 is irradiated on the wafer 10 in parallel to the surface of the wafer 10 as shown in FIG. In the case where there is no particle, or when it is on the mirror surface of the wafer as shown in FIG.
The laser beam is reflected at 12 and becomes scattered light. The presence of particles can be detected by receiving the scattered light with the light receiving element. As a result, unlike the conventional wafer surface inspection apparatus, only the scattered light from the particles can be detected without being affected by the reflected light from the wafer 10 at all, and highly sensitive detection can be performed.

Conventionally, it has been necessary to rotate the wafer and a mechanism for scanning the beam from the light source in order to detect the entire surface of the wafer. However, in the present invention, the transfer of the manufacturing apparatus indicated by an arrow A in FIG. Laser beam using system 11
And scattered light from the particles 12 is detected by the light receiving element array, so that a beam skinning mechanism or the like is not required, and the inspection apparatus can be significantly reduced in size. As a result, it can be mounted in the loader or unloader section of the manufacturing apparatus or in the reaction chamber, so that in-line, real-time, measurement at the point of use is possible.

[0011]

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an inline particle detecting apparatus for semiconductor production according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a wafer, 14 denotes a laser light source, 15 denotes a lens unit for producing a sheet beam, and the laser light source 14 and the lens unit 15 move in the direction of transport of the wafer 10 transported in the direction of arrow A. The laser beam 11 is arranged so as to be irradiated at right angles to the surface of the wafer 10 and parallel thereto. As the laser light source 14, for example, a semiconductor laser having a wavelength of 830 nm is used.

On both sides of the laser beam 11, light receiving element arrays 16, 16 'are arranged. For this light receiving element array, a photodiode array or the like is used, and its length L
Can cover the diameter of the wafer 10. The light receiving element arrays 16, 16 'and the laser light source 14 are connected to a control unit 17 including a counter.

A method for detecting semiconductor in-line particles using the above-configured apparatus will be described. In FIG. 2, while the wafer 10 is moving in the direction of arrow A by the transfer system, the laser beam is
11 is irradiated on the surface of the wafer 10 in parallel. At this time, if particles exist on the wafer surface, the laser beam 11 is scattered by the particles. The scattered light is received by the light receiving element arrays 16, 16 ', and the particle detection signal is sent to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 counts this signal with a counter and evaluates the cleanness.

As described above, according to the method of this embodiment, the wafer
It can be measured in a short time while 10 is moved by the transport system. In addition, since the measuring unit is composed of only a laser light source and a light receiving element array, it is possible to reduce the size of the inspection device, to attach it to the loader or unloader unit of the manufacturing device, or to perform measurement in the reaction chamber. 3) In-line, real-time,
Measurement at the point of use becomes possible.

In the above embodiment, a gas laser can be used as a light source and a laser beam can be irradiated through an optical fiber, and the wavelength or output of the light source can be changed. The light receiving element array 16 of the light receiving section is shown in FIG.
By forming an optical system so that the light emitted from the semiconductor laser 25 is formed into a sheet-like beam by the lens 26 as shown in FIG. Capture efficiency can also be improved. Also, as shown in FIG. 1D, by forming the laser beam into a sheet and inserting the wafer into the beam, it is possible to prevent a decrease in sensitivity (detection) due to the flatness of the thickness of the wafer.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated on a wafer being transported in parallel to the wafer surface, and scattered light reflected from the laser beam to particles is detected by a light receiving element array. Accordingly, high-sensitivity measurement can be performed because the measurement is not affected by the reflected light from the wafer surface. Further, since the device can be miniaturized, it can be installed in each device in the manufacturing process, and in-line, real-time, and use-point measurement can be performed. As a result, it is possible to perform semiconductor product management and device management and pursue a dust source, which could not be conventionally performed, thereby contributing to an improvement in yield.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a semiconductor inline particle detection device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of an embodiment of a semiconductor inline particle detection device according to the present invention during a manufacturing process.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the optical system in the inline particle detection device for semiconductor of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Wafer 11 Laser beam 12 Particle 13 Pattern 14 Laser light source 15 Lens system 16, 16 'Photodetector array 17 Control unit

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A laser beam (1) parallel to a surface of a wafer (10) carried by a carrying system of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
1) a laser light source (14) and a lens system (15) arranged so as to be able to irradiate, and a laser beam (11) emitted from the laser light source (14) and the lens system (15); And a light-receiving element array (16, 16 ') having a length equal to or longer than the diameter of the wafer (10). 2. A transfer system for transferring a wafer (10), and a laser light source (14) arranged so as to be able to irradiate a laser beam (11) in parallel to the surface of the wafer (10) transferred by the transfer system. And a lens system (15) and a laser beam (11) emitted from the laser light source (14) and the lens system (15), and have a length equal to or greater than the diameter of the wafer (10). Light receiving element array (1
6, 16 ').