KR-102962250-B1 - INSPECTION METHOD AND ETCHING SYSTEM

Abstract

[Project] For a substrate after plasma etching, a plurality of inspection items including the dimensions of a pattern on the substrate are inspected with high throughput. [Solution] A method for inspecting a substrate in an etching system equipped with an imaging device, comprising: (A) a process of capturing an image of a substrate after plasma etching with the imaging device to acquire image data; and (B) a process of calculating at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on the substrate after plasma etching, information on defects on the substrate after plasma etching, the thickness of a film on the substrate, and information on the appearance of the substrate based on the image data of the substrate after plasma etching.

Inventors

• 아키모토 다케시

Assignees

• 도쿄엘렉트론가부시키가이샤

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20220620

Priority Date

20210622

Claims (19)

1. A method for inspecting a substrate in an etching system equipped with an imaging device, (A) A process of acquiring image data by capturing the substrate after plasma etching with the imaging device, and (B) A process comprising calculating at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate after plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate after plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate after plasma etching, and information on the appearance of a substrate after plasma etching, based on image data of a substrate after plasma etching. (C) A process of capturing an image of a substrate prior to plasma etching using the above-mentioned imaging device to acquire image data, and (D) A process for calculating at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate before plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate before plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate, and information on the appearance of a substrate, based on image data of a substrate before plasma etching, and The method includes a process for correcting image data of the substrate prior to plasma etching used in the above (D) process, and The above-mentioned correction process is, The measurement result of the cumulative usage time or temperature of the light source of the above-mentioned imaging device, and Based on a conversion table that converts a correction amount from the above-mentioned accumulated usage time or temperature, calculated in advance, Correcting image data of the substrate prior to the above plasma etching, Inspection method.
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3. In Article 1, It includes a process for determining whether substrate inspection is necessary prior to plasma etching, and An inspection method for performing the above (C) process and the above (D) process when it is determined that a substrate inspection prior to plasma etching is necessary.
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5. In Article 1 or Article 3, The above process (D) is an inspection method for further calculating the three-dimensional shape of a pattern on a substrate prior to plasma etching.
6. In Article 1 or Article 3, An inspection method comprising a process for determining the result of plasma etching based on information of the substrate after plasma etching obtained in the above process (B).
7. In Article 1 or Article 3, An inspection method for correcting image data of a substrate after plasma etching used in the above (B) process.
8. In Article 1 or Article 3, The above process (B) is an inspection method for further calculating the three-dimensional shape of a pattern on a substrate after plasma etching.
9. In Article 1 or Article 3, The above (A) process for the inspection substrate, and (E) An inspection method that automatically performs an inspection of the inspection substrate based on image data of the inspection substrate after plasma etching.
10. In Article 9, An inspection method comprising a process for determining the timing of performing the above (A) process and the above (E) process on the above inspection substrate based on at least one of a predetermined frequency, the status of maintenance implementation, and the history of plasma etching on the product substrate.
11. As a method for inspecting a substrate, (a) A process of calculating at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate after plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate after plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate after plasma etching, and information on the appearance of a substrate after plasma etching, based on image data of a substrate after plasma etching acquired in an etching system equipped with an imaging device, and (b) a process of calculating at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate prior to plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate prior to plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate, and information on the appearance of a substrate, based on image data of a substrate prior to plasma etching acquired in the etching system above, and The method includes a process for correcting image data of the substrate prior to plasma etching used in the above (b) process, and The above-mentioned correction process is, The measurement result of the cumulative usage time or temperature of the light source of the above-mentioned imaging device, and Based on a conversion table that converts a correction amount from the above-mentioned accumulated usage time or temperature, calculated in advance, Correcting image data of the substrate prior to the above plasma etching, Inspection method.
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13. In Article 11, It includes a process for determining whether substrate inspection is necessary prior to plasma etching, and An inspection method for performing the above (b) process when it is determined that a substrate inspection prior to plasma etching is necessary.
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15. In Article 11 or Article 13, The above process (b) is an inspection method for further calculating the three-dimensional shape of a pattern on a substrate prior to plasma etching.
16. In Article 11 or Article 13, An inspection method comprising a process for determining the result of plasma etching based on information of the substrate after plasma etching obtained in the above process (a).
17. In Article 11 or Article 13, An inspection method for correcting image data of a substrate after plasma etching used in the above (a) process.
18. In Article 11 or Article 13, The above process (a) is an inspection method for further calculating the three-dimensional shape of a pattern on a substrate after plasma etching.
19. An imaging device that captures a substrate and acquires image data, and An etching apparatus that performs plasma etching on a substrate, and Based on image data of a substrate after plasma etching acquired by the above imaging device, a calculation unit is provided to calculate at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate after plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate after plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate after plasma etching, and information on the appearance of a substrate after plasma etching. The above calculation unit further calculates at least one of the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate before plasma etching, information on defects on a substrate before plasma etching, the thickness of a film on a substrate, and information on the appearance of a substrate, based on image data of a substrate before plasma etching captured by the above imaging device. The apparatus further comprises an image data correction unit for correcting image data of a substrate prior to plasma etching used in the above-mentioned output unit, and The above image data correction unit is, The measurement result of the cumulative usage time or temperature of the light source of the above-mentioned imaging device, and Based on a conversion table that converts a correction amount from the above-mentioned accumulated usage time or temperature, calculated in advance, Correcting image data of the substrate prior to the above plasma etching, Etching system.

Description

Inspection Method and Etching System The present disclosure relates to an inspection method and an etching system. Patent document 1 discloses a system comprising a coating development device and an etching device. This system comprises a line width inspection device for inspecting the development line width or the etching line width, a film thickness measurement unit for measuring the thickness of a resist film, and a defect inspection device for inspecting surface defects after development or surface defects after etching. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an etching system according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of an imaging module. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of an imaging module. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an inspection control device and a main control device regarding inspection in an etching system. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of wafer processing including inspection of a wafer performed using an etching system. In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, etc., plasma etching is performed on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer"). The results of this plasma etching process affect subsequent processing on the substrate or the performance of the semiconductor device. Therefore, it is important to inspect the condition of the substrate after plasma etching. As inspection items for the substrate after plasma etching, the dimensions of the pattern on the substrate (line width or hole diameter, etc.) are generally important, but other inspection items, such as film thickness, defects, and appearance, are also important. However, if different devices are provided for each inspection item and inspection is performed, throughput decreases. Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure makes it possible to perform inspection with high throughput for a plurality of inspection items, including the dimensions of a pattern on a substrate, regarding a substrate after plasma etching. Hereinafter, an inspection method and an etching system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are given the same reference numerals to omit redundant descriptions. <Etching System> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an etching system according to the present embodiment. The etching system (1) of FIG. 1 performs plasma etching on a wafer W as a substrate. The etching system (1) is equipped with vacuum transport modules TM1 and TM2, plasma etching modules (hereinafter omitted as etching modules) PM1 to PM12 as etching devices, load lock modules LL1 and LL2, atmospheric transport module AM, and an imaging module IM for inspection. The vacuum transport modules TM1 and TM2 each have a pressure transport chamber (11) and (12) composed of a housing that is approximately polygonal in shape (approximately quadrilateral in the example of the drawing) when viewed from a planar view. The pressure reduction transport chamber (11) has etching modules PM1 to PM6 connected to two opposing sides. On one of the other two opposing sides of the pressure reduction transport chamber (11), load lock modules LL1 and LL2 are connected, and on the other side, a pass (not shown) for connecting to the pressure reduction transport chamber (12) of the vacuum transport module TM2 is connected. The pressure reduction transport chamber (12) has etching modules PM7 to PM12 connected to its two opposing sides. On one of the other two opposing sides of the pressure reduction transport chamber (12), a pass (not shown) is connected to connect with the pressure reduction transport chamber (11) of the vacuum transport module TM1. The vacuum transport chambers (11) and (12) each have vacuum transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2 configured to transport wafer W within an interior maintained in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The vacuum transport mechanisms TR1 and TR2 have transport arms AR1 to AR4 that hold wafer W during transport. The transport arms AR1 to AR4 are composed of pivoting, extending, and lifting materials. The vacuum conveying mechanism TR1 conveys wafer W between the load lock modules LL1, LL2, etching modules PM1~PM6 and passes (not shown) using, for example, conveying conveying arms AR1, AR2. In addition, the vacuum conveying mechanism TR2 conveys wafer W between the etching modules PM7~PM12 and the pass (not shown) using, for example, conveying arms AR3 and AR4. Etching modules PM1 to PM12 each perform plasma etching on wafer W. Additionally, etching modules PM1 to PM12 are each connected to vacuum transport modules TM1 and TM2 through gate valve G1. Load lock modules LL1 and LL2 are configured to connect vacuum transport module TM1 and atmospheric tra