Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
  • G01B7/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
  • G01B7/02—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques for measuring length, width or thickness
  • G01B7/06—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques for measuring length, width or thickness for measuring thickness
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P74/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices
  • H10P74/23—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes
  • H10P74/238—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement

Definitions

• semiconductor fabrication includes several stages during which an underlying substrate is subjected to the formation and removal of various layers.
• the continuous demand for smaller feature sizes and tighter surface planarity in conjunction with the constant quest to increase wafer throughput requires implementing a process state monitoring and endpoint detection method capable of discontinuing the processing of a target layer once a target thickness has been achieved.
• ECS eddy current sensors
• FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of the principle upon which an eddy current sensor operates.
• An alternating current flows through coil 108 defined in close proximity to the conducting object 102.
• the electromagnetic field of the coil 108 induces eddy currents 104 in conducting object 102.
• the magnitude and the phase of the eddy currents 104 in turn affect the loading on the coil 108, causing the impedance of the coil 108 to be impacted by the eddy currents 104. This impact is measured and calibrated in terms of proximity of conducting object 102 and/or thickness of the object 102 if the thickness of the object 102 is significantly less than the field penetration depth.
• a wafer earner In a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) operation, a wafer earner includes an isolated built-in eddy current sensor for measuring the thickness of the thin film layer being processed during the CMP operation.
• the wafer earner includes a carrier film designed to support the wafer. During the planarization operation, the rotating carrier, the built in eddy current sensor, and wafer are pressed against the polishing pad, planarizing the surface of the wafer.
• the plot 200 shown in Figure 2 depicts the eddy current sensor signals generated in a center and edge of a wafer.
• a graph 114 shows the changes in eddy current voltage versus time during the planarization operation.
• changes in eddy current voltage is sensed by an isolated eddy current sensor defined in the center of the wafer while a graph 116 shows the changes in eddy current voltage during the planarization operation sensed by another isolated eddy current sensor defined in the edge of the wafer.
• the eddy current sensor signals undulate sinusoidally, with each signal undulation following a frequency of the carrier rotation.
• a shown in Figure 2 however, despite both signals undulating sinusoidally, the signal amplitude in the edge graph 116 is shown to be considerably higher than the amplitude in the center graph 114.
• the probed thin film layer allows the electromagnetic field to penetrate the thin film layer so as to reach conductive objects located in the sensing vicinity.
• the configuration of the external objects is asymmetric with regard to the trajectory of the rotating sensor.
• rotational proximity variation results in sinusoidal variation in the signal amplitude attributed to rotation of the wafer carrier and thus the eddy current sensors in a non-uniform external media.
• the variation in the sinusoidal signal amplitude is caused by the sensitivity of the eddy current sensors to a wide spectrum of parameters. For instance, among many other parameters, it has been established that eddy current sensors are sensitive to variation in carrier film thickness, standoff, temperature, and pressure. Additionally, the magnitude and phase of the eddy current generated in the probed thin film layer is sensitive to the properties of the thin film layer (e.g., thickness, resistivity, topography, etc.) as well as thin film layer/sensor proximity.
• the properties of the thin film layer e.g., thickness, resistivity, topography, etc.
• the "standoff" parameter i.e., the distance between the layer to be polished and the eddy current sensor surfaces
• a substantial variation in the standoff is created when the carrier film thickness varies (e.g., between +/- a few mils).
• the standoff further varies as a result of changes in the thickness of the carrier film due to compression of the carrier film being applied to the polishing pad with different degrees of pressure.
• the thickness of the carrier film and thus the standoff furthermore changes once the leading edge of the rotating wafer digs into the moving polishing pad at the point of contact.
• the pressure applied at the point of contact causes the carrier film to be compressed, varying the standoff, and thus the amplitude of the eddy current signal amplitude.
• Another variable parameter affecting the eddy current signal amplitude is having non-uniform temperature gradiance across the wafer surface. For instance, the temperature of the wafer leading edge increases as the wafer leading edge comes into contact with the moving polishing pad. Then, the temperature of the wafer trailing edge increases as the wafer trailing edge comes into contact with the polishing pad, increasing the temperature of the wafer trailing edge.
• the sensitivity of the eddy current sensor to variation in temperature directly influencing the eddy current sinusoidal signal amplitude. Again, making it extremely difficult to calibrate for temperature variances impacting the thickness measurement of the eddy current sensors.
• the present invention fills these needs by determining a thickness of a wafer layer in real time or an endpoint of a wafer layer by averaging anti-phase sinusoidal signals generated by a plurality of complimentary sensors defined substantially equally along a radius of a wafer carrier configured to hold the wafer to be processed. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, or a method. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
• an apparatus for detecting a thickness of a conductive layer of a wafer configured to be engaged by a wafer carrier includes a plurality of sensors configured to detect a signal produced by a magnetic field generated by a magnetic field enhancing source.
• the plurality of sensors are defined along a circle defined within the wafer carrier such that each sensor of the plurality of sensors is out of phase with an adjacent sensor by a predetermined angle.
• the average of signals generated by the plurality of sensors is configured to create a combination signal.
• the sinus clear signal precisely correlates to the thickness of the metal film being removed, providing a reliable process state monitoring and end point detection approach for use in semiconductor fabrication process, such as a CMP process.
• Another advantage is that the rotationally non-disturbed combination signal is recorded in real time due to usage of algorithmic averaging procedures.
• the algorithmic averaging procedure advantageously real time monitoring metrology.
• Yet another advantage is that by using uniformly distributed sensors defined along a particular circle, periodic motion related (e.g., undulating) signal component is automatically and completely suppressed without requiring any additional adjustments and irrespective of complexity ( i.e., signals having a simple sinusoidal or other shapes in more complicated cases).
• the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any type of CMP system (e.g., linear CMP system, rotary table CMP system, orbital CMP system, etc.). Still another advantage is that the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any device implementing cyclical periodic system motion to modulate the conditions in sensing space that cause signal undulation . [0019] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
• Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of the principle upon which an eddy current sensor operates.
• Figure 2 shows graphs of the signal of two isolated eddy current sensors defined by the center and edge of the wafer.
• Figure 3B is a simplified schematic top view diagram of wafer earner and the pair of complementary eddy current sensors shown in Figure 3A, in accordance with e embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 3C is a simplified schematic top view diagram of another pair of exemplary eddy current sensors, in accordance with e embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 3D is a simplified schematic top view diagram of an exemplary wafer carrier including three sets of complimentary ECS sensors built therein, in accordance with e embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4 depicts graphs of sinusoidal signals generated by an exemplary pair of complimentary eddy current sensors, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5A depicts graphs of sinusoidal signals generated by an exemplary pair of complimentary eddy current sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5B depicts graphs of sinusoidal signals generated by the exemplary pair of complimentary eddy current sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5C depicts graphs of sinusoidal signals generated by the exemplary pair of complimentary eddy current sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6A is a simplified schematic top view diagram of a three-sensor complementary eddy current sensors for measuring thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6B is a simplified schematic top view diagram of a four-sensor complementary eddy current sensors for measuring thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6C is a simplified schematic top view diagram of a five-sensor complementary eddy current sensors for measuring thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6D is a simplified schematic top view diagram of a six-sensoi complementary eddy current sensors for measuring thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention
• Figure 6E is a simplified schematic top view diagram of a seven-sensor complementary eddy current sensors for measu ⁇ ng thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6F is a simplified schematic top view diagram of an eight-sensor complementary eddy current sensors for measuring thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention
• Figure 6G is a simplified schematic top view diagram lllustidting the implementation of multi-sets of complementary sensors to measure the thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 6H is a simplified schematic top view diagram illustrating the implementation of multi-sets of complementary sensors to measure the thickness of a target layer, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention
• Figure 7 is a flowchart diagram depicting operations performed to determine the thickness of a metal film using a plurality of complimentary sensors, in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 8 is a flow chart diagram illustrating method operations performed in detecting etch endpoint through implementing a plurality of complementary sensors, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention
• inventions for accurately determining an endpoint or a thickness ot a wafer layer are provided.
• a plurality of sinusoidal signals geneiated by a plurality of complimentary sensors is averaged generating a sinus-suppressed signal configured to substantially correlate with the thickness of the wafer layer being processed
• the signals generated by a set of complimentary sensors defined along a circle of a wafer earner are averaged generating a sinus-suppressed signal significantly correlating with the thickness of the wafer layer being processed or being removed
• the term "complimentary sensors” refers to a set of two or more sensors substantially uniformly distnaded along a circle of the wafer carrier such that the sinusoidal component in the average of generated sinus signals is substantially suppressed so as to precisely correlate with thickness of a wafer layer being processed.
• the sinusoidal component of the noise is eliminated by averaging the alternative phase signals generated by the plurality of complementary sensors.
• the term "noise,” as used herein, refers to any factor affecting the generated signals (e.g., undulating disturbance, etc.).
• the suppression sinus signal can be implemented to determine the sensor signal with significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio
• the plurality of sensors is eddy current sensors (ECS) sensors.
• FIG. 3A is a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary wafer earner 118 including a pair of complementary sensors 128a and 128b measunng a thickness of a layer of a wafer 122, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• the complementary sensors 128a and 128b are ECS sensors
• the wafer earner 118 is mounted on a carrier spindle 133 using a gimbal 134.
• the gimbal 134 positioned above the wafer earner 118 is implemented to align the wafer earner 118 and the wafer 122 to the moving polishing pad 130 dunng the polishing operations.
• the wafer 122 is applied to the polishing pad 130 such that initially, a leading edge 122a of the wafer 122 digs into the polishing pad 130. Thereafter, the center of the wafer 122c and a trailing edge 122b come into contact with the polishing pad 130. [0046] In another embodiment, the leading edge 122a digging into the polishing pad
• the ECS signal detected by the ECS sensors 128a and 128b at the wafer leading edge 122a and trailing edge 122b, respectively, are implemented to suppress the ECS signal undulations.
• FIG. 3B depicting a simplified schematic top view of the wafer carrier 118 of Figure 3A being applied to the polishing pad 130, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• the ECS sensor 128a is defined on a radius R of a hypothetical circle 123a defined within the wafer 122
• the complimentary ECS sensor 128b is defined on a radius -R of the hypothetical circle 123a.
• variation in signal undulation amplitude can be eliminated (i.e., eliminating any sinusoidal component of the noise) beneficially using one of the functions of sinus.
• the resulting suppressed sinus signal substantially correlates with the true thickness of the target layer.
• the two ECS sensors 128a and 128b being defined 180 degrees out of phase to one another, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. That is, the signal from one sensor 128a is offset by the signal from the other sensor 128b. As can be seen, the ECS sensor 128a creates an angle ⁇ with reference to an angle 0 degree 131 while the ECS sensor 128b creates an angle 180+ ⁇ with reference to the angle 0 degree 131. As further shown, the ECS sensor 128a is defined at the radius R as opposed to the ECS sensor 128b that is defined at the radius -R. [0049] In accordance with one embodiment, suppressing the variation in sinusoidal amplitude in the embodiment of Figure 3C can further be understood as shown in Table 1 below. In one embodiment, assuming that SO is the true signal magnitude sinusoidally modulated by the carrier rotation. As a result, the true signal magnitude S is configured to oscillate as:
• a first set of complimentary ECS sensors 128a and 128a' are defined at radii Rl and -Rl, respectively.
• a second set of complimentary ECS sensors 128b and 128b' are defined at radii R2 and -R2 while a third set of complimentary ECS sensors 128c and 128c' are defined at radii R3 and -R3.
• the sinus component of the sinusoidal signals of each pair of complimentary ECS sensors is synchronously recorded and averaged, generating a combination sinus suppressed sinusoidal signal that significantly correlates with the thickness of the wafer layer.
• the electromagnetic field produced by each pair of sensors will suppress each other.
• the average of each complementary pair of ECS sensors 128a and 128a', 128b and 128b', and 128c and 128c' are substantially equivalent to zero.
• the radius R3 is shown to be greater than radius R2 that in turn is greater than the radius Rl.
• the embodiments of the present invention eliminate such variance in gradience by averaging the sinus component of the sinusoidal signals recorded synchronously using the complimentary ECS sensors.
• a graph 134a plots an eddy current sensor output in volts (i.e., the y-axis 112) versus the time (i.e., the x-axis 1 10) as generated by the ECS sensor 128a'.
• a graph 134a' plots an eddy current sensor output in volts versus the time, as generated by the ECS sensor 128a.
• a graph 134" represents the average of the sinus components of the sinusoidal ESC sensor signals 128a and 128b.
• the sinus component of the sinusoidal ECS signals of the ECS sensor defined on angle ⁇ on a circle having a radius R and the ECS signal of the ECS sensor defined on angle 180+ ⁇ on a radius -R the sinus component of the noise affecting the sinusoidal signals is substantially eliminated.
• the thickness of the metal layer being processed substantially correlates with the amplitude of the sinus suppressed combination signal.
• the signal intensity is linearly related to the distance of the respective sensors 128a and 128a' from the wafer layer being processed. A change in the intensity of each signal caused by movement of the wafer layer toward the sensor 128a is offset by a substantially opposite change in the intensity resulting from moving the wafer layer from the sensor 128a'.
• signals generated by each sensor contains a sinusoidal component illustrated in the graphs 134a and 134a', which as can be appreciated are substantially equivalent but out of phase.
• the combo graph 134a is a graph in which the sinus component of the noise has been eliminated.
• the combo sinus suppressed signal can be implemented as a measure of the true thickness of the target layer (i.e., the metal film), as the sinusoidal ECS signal correlates with the thickness of the metal film.
• the ECS sensors implemented are ECS sensors commonly available such as GP-A series analog displacement sensors available from SUNX limited.
• FIG. 5A is an exploded, simplified, diagram of graphs 136a and 136a' of a pair of complementary ECS sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• the graph 136a represents the ECS signal from a sensor located at a radius R while the graph 136a' represents the ECS signal from a sensor located 180 degrees out of phase with respect to the first sensor, defined on the radius -R.
• the graphs 136a and 136a' represents variation in signal amplitude for the graphs 136a and 136a'.
• the variation in signal amplitude can be eliminated substantially by simply averaging the sinus components of the two signal graphs 136a and 136a', generating a sinus suppressed graph 136a".
• both graphs 136a and 136a' are sinusoidal with varied amplitudes, with the two graphs 136a and 136a' being generated by ECS signals defined at substantially 180 degrees out of phase angles.
• the combo graph 136a" is shown to be a sinus suppressed signal graph in which undulations caused by the noise have been eliminated.
• the combo graph signal 136a" can be implemented to determine a true thickness of the metal film being removed.
• FIG. 6A shows a carrier head 118 including a set of three complementary sensors 128a, 128b, and 128c, with sensors 128a-c being defined 120 degrees out of phase with each other.
• sensors 128a-c being defined 120 degrees out of phase with each other.
• Table 2 below provides further explanation as to suppression of sensor signals generated by exemplary triplet-sensor complimentary sensors, allowing synchronous measuring of the sensor signals and averaging of the sinus components of the sensor signals.
• Figure 6B shows a carrier head 118 including a set of complementary sensors consisting of four sensors 128a, 128b, 128c, and 128d with sensors 128a-d being defined along a circle having a radius R at 90 degrees out of phase with each other, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• this configuration can be configured to be two pairs of sensors located diametrically opposite to one another.
• Figure 6C depicts the wafer carrier 118 including five complementary sensors 128a-128e defined along a circle being 72° out of phase from each other, in accordance with still another embodiment.
• Figure 6D shows six complementary sensors 128a-128f being defined 60° out of phase from each other, in accordance with another embodiment.
• multi sets of complementary sensors can be implemented so as to create a sinus suppressed combination signal wherein the sinus component of the noise has been eliminated, providing sensor signals that substantially correlate with the metal film thickness.
• the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented to suppress signals generated by any suitable type of sensor (e.g., infrared, capacitance, sonic, etc.).
• the infrared sensors may be implemented to measure the temperature of the polishing belt over time. It must be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that as silicon substrate is transparent to the infrared signal, the infrared signal can detect the temperature of the thin film (i.e., target layer) of the wafer being processed by the surface of the polishing pad. In one embodiment, the wafer temperature is monitored to observe temperature variation during the CMP process. In one implementation, the temperature of the wafer and the temperature of the polishing pad begin to decrease at the endpoint.
• FIG. 7 is a flowchart diagram 700 depicting operations performed to determine the thickness of a metal film using a plurality of complimentary sensors, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• the method begins in operation 702 in which a plurality of complimentary sensors is provided.
• the plurality of sensors are ECS sensors.
• the plurality of complementary sensors is defined within a wafer carrier configured to hold a wafer to be processed.
• the wafer to be processed includes a metal film.
• a combination signal is created using signals generated by the plurality of sensors.
• a thickness of the metal film defined on the wafer surface is then determined using the combination signal.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measurement Of Length, Angles, Or The Like Using Electric Or Magnetic Means (AREA)
• Mechanical Treatment Of Semiconductor (AREA)
• Testing Or Measuring Of Semiconductors Or The Like (AREA)
• Length Measuring Devices With Unspecified Measuring Means (AREA)

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