CN-121985785-A - System for automatic and integrated inspection of wafers during laser annealing

Abstract

A laser annealing machine configured to apply laser annealing to a workpiece may be configured to provide automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection of a wafer during laser annealing. Providing automated and integrated pre-anneal, in-situ, and post-anneal inspections may include acquiring visual data associated with a workpiece via at least one visual sensing device, wherein the visual data includes one or more of pre-anneal, in-situ, and post-anneal visual data, processing the acquired visual data, and determining one or more adjustments to a laser anneal applied via a laser annealing machine based on processing of the acquired visual data.

Inventors

• WU XIQUAN
• Toby David Ruhr
• Martin David Bell
• John Trepler
• CARL J. JOHNSON
• Elgin E. Eisler

Assignees

• 贰陆特拉华股份有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20241031

Claims (20)

1. 1. A system for enabling and utilizing automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection of wafers during laser annealing, comprising: a laser annealing machine configured to apply laser annealing to a workpiece, wherein the laser annealing machine comprises: One or more manipulating members for manipulating the workpiece; one or more annealing components configured for applying laser annealing to the workpiece, and An integrated vision inspection system comprising one or more vision sensing devices configured to acquire vision data associated with a workpiece and/or with applying laser annealing to the workpiece; wherein applying the laser anneal to each of the workpieces includes applying a scanning beam to a surface of the workpiece based on the scanning pattern, and The one or more processing circuits are configured to provide an automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection, wherein providing the automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection comprises: acquiring visual data associated with the workpiece via at least one of the visual sensing devices, wherein the visual data includes one or more of pre-annealing visual data, in-situ visual data, and post-annealing visual data, and Processing the acquired visual data, and One or more adjustments to the laser anneal applied via the laser annealing machine are determined based on processing the acquired visual data.
2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine information related to the workpiece and/or to applying laser annealing to the workpiece while processing the acquired visual data.
3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to evaluate attributes and/or parameters associated with the acquired visual data when determining the information.
4. 4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the attributes and/or parameters associated with the acquired visual data comprise transparency and/or contrast of a particular region in the acquired visual data.
5. 5. The system of claim 2, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to evaluate an attribute and/or parameter associated with a workpiece in determining the information.
6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the attribute and/or parameter associated with the workpiece comprises a resistance of at least one region in at least one workpiece.
7. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the attribute and/or parameter associated with the workpiece comprises a chemical composition of at least one region in at least one workpiece.
8. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine at least one of the one or more adjustments based on a correlation between one or more features of the acquired visual data and one or more attributes of the workpiece.
9. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more characteristics of the acquired visual data include at least one of size, contrast, and granularity.
10. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine one or more characteristics of the acquired visual data for one or more annealed spots in the acquired visual data.
11. 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more properties of the workpiece comprise chemical properties and/or resistivity properties.
12. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine a correlation between one or more features of the acquired visual data and one or more attributes of the workpiece based on one or more correlation tables.
13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more of the processing circuits are configured to update at least one correlation in one or more correlation tables based on one or both of processing of the acquired visual data and determination of one or more adjustments.
14. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the vision sensing devices comprises an on-axis camera configured to acquire vision data of a portion of a workpiece during processing of the workpiece.
15. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the vision sensing devices comprises a primary camera configured to acquire vision data for an entire workpiece during processing of the workpiece.
16. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the vision sensing devices comprises a top inspection camera configured to acquire visual data of a top surface of a workpiece during one or both of removal and return of the workpiece.
17. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vision sensing devices comprise a bottom inspection camera configured to acquire visual data of the bottom surface of the workpiece during one or both of removal and return of the workpiece.
18. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser annealing machine comprises one or more of the processing circuits.
19. 19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processing device separate from the laser annealing machine, wherein the processing device comprises one or more of the processing circuits.
20. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing device is configured to communicate with the laser annealing machine, wherein communicating comprises one or both of receiving the acquired visual data from the laser annealing machine, and transmitting information to the laser annealing machine related to processing of the acquired visual data and/or to at least one of one or more adjustments.

Description

System for automatic and integrated inspection of wafers during laser annealing Technical Field Aspects of the present disclosure relate to solutions related to device fabrication (e.g., semiconductor wafers). More particularly, certain implementations of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for enabling and utilizing automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection of wafers during laser annealing. Background Limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional solutions, if any, will become apparent to one of skill in the art through comparison of systems with some aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. Disclosure of Invention A system and method for automated and integrated pre-anneal inspection, in-situ inspection, and post-anneal inspection of wafers during laser annealing is provided. A system for enabling and utilizing automated and integrated pre-anneal, in-situ, and post-anneal inspection of a wafer during laser annealing includes a laser annealing machine configured to apply a laser anneal to a workpiece, wherein the laser annealing machine includes one or more manipulation members for manipulating the workpiece, one or more annealing members configured to apply a laser anneal to the workpiece, and an integrated vision inspection system including one or more vision sensing devices configured to acquire vision data associated with the workpiece and/or with applying a laser anneal to the workpiece, wherein applying a laser anneal to each workpiece includes applying a scanning beam to a surface of the workpiece based on a scanning pattern, and one or more processing circuits configured to provide automated and integrated pre-anneal, in-situ, and post-anneal inspections, wherein providing automated and integrated pre-anneal, in-situ, and post-anneal inspections includes acquiring vision data associated with the workpiece via at least one of the vision sensing devices, wherein the vision data includes one or more of pre-anneal vision data, in-situ vision data, and post-anneal vision data, and one or more of the vision data acquired via the laser processing, and adjusting the vision processing parameters applied via the machine. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine information related to the workpiece and/or to applying laser annealing to the workpiece while processing the acquired visual data. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to evaluate attributes and/or parameters associated with the acquired visual data when determining the information. The attributes and/or parameters associated with the acquired visual data include transparency and/or contrast of a particular region in the acquired visual data. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to evaluate attributes and/or parameters associated with the workpiece in determining the information. The attributes and/or parameters associated with the workpieces include the resistance of at least one region in at least one workpiece. The attributes and/or parameters associated with the workpieces include chemical composition of at least one region in at least one workpiece. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine at least one of the one or more adjustments based on a correlation between one or more features of the acquired visual data and one or more attributes of the workpiece. The one or more characteristics of the acquired visual data include at least one of size, contrast, and granularity. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine one or more characteristics of the acquired visual data for one or more annealed spots in the acquired visual data. The one or more properties of the workpiece include chemical properties and/or resistivity properties. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to determine a correlation between one or more features of the acquired visual data and one or more attributes of the workpiece based on one or more correlation tables. One or more of the processing circuits are configured to update at least one correlation in one or more correlation tables based on one or both of processing of the acquired visual data and determination of one or more adjustments. One or more of the vision sensing devices include an on-axis camera configured to acquire vision data of a portion of a workpiece during processing of the workpiece. One or more of the vision sensing devices include a primary camera configured to acquire vision data for an entire workpiece during processing of the workpiece. One or more of the vision sensing devices include a top inspection camera configured to acquire vision data of a top surface of a workpiece during one or both of removal and return of the workpiece. The one or more vision sensing devices include a bottom inspection camera configured