US-12622210-B2 - Metrology integrated with vacuum processing

Abstract

A system includes a vacuum chamber having a wafer chuck therein and side windows slanted relative to the wafer chuck. A wafer stage is positioned below the wafer chuck and configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck vertically. Illumination optics, including an illumination corrector lens, are configured to receive light and direct the light through an illumination vacuum window of the side windows to an optical spot on the wafer. Collection optics, including a collection corrector lens, are configured to receive the light from the optical spot through a collection vacuum window of the side windows and direct the light to a detector. A transfer module is configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics parallel to the illumination vacuum window and the collection vacuum window respectively. The illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are configured to reduce chromatic aberration.

Inventors

• Ivan Maleev
• Basanta Bhaduri
• Holger Tuitje
• Mihail Mihaylov
• Xinkang Tian
• Da Song

Assignees

• TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230929

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A system, comprising: a vacuum chamber comprising a wafer chuck therein and side windows slanted relative to the wafer chuck, the wafer chuck configured to receive a wafer, a wafer stage positioned below and mechanically coupled to the wafer chuck, the wafer stage configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the wafer chuck, wherein the wafer stage is outside the vacuum chamber; a journal bearing that mechanically connects the wafer stage to the wafer chuck and extends through a bottom portion of the vacuum chamber with a vacuum seal; illumination optics configured to receive light from a light source and direct the light through an illumination vacuum window of the side windows to an optical spot on the wafer, the illumination optics comprising an illumination corrector lens; collection optics configured to receive the light from the optical spot through a collection vacuum window of the side windows and direct the light to a detector, the collection optics comprising a collection corrector lens; and a transfer module configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics parallel to the illumination vacuum window and the collection vacuum window respectively, wherein the illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are configured to reduce optical aberrations.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wafer stage is configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck in the vertical direction without moving the wafer in a horizontal direction parallel to the wafer chuck.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination optics and the collection optics are mounted on the transfer module that is configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics simultaneously.
4. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the light source and the detector are mounted on the transfer module that is configured to move the light source, the detector, the illumination optics and the collection optics simultaneously.
5. 5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the light source and the detector are separate from the transfer module and configured to be stationary when the transfer module moves the illumination optics and the collection optics.
6. 6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination optics and the collection optics are outside the vacuum chamber.
7. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are spaced apart from the vacuum chamber.
8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the illumination optics further comprise a polarizer and an optical objective selected from the group consisting of a single aspheric mirror and a pair of off-axis spherical mirrors.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer module is configured to move the optical spot at least between an edge of the wafer and a center of the wafer.
10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a controller configured to adjust a relative position of the optical spot on the wafer by rotating the wafer via the wafer stage, moving the optical spot via the transfer module, or a combination thereof.
11. 11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein: the transfer module comprises a stage on which the illumination optics and the collection optics are mounted, and the stage is configured to move parallel to a longitudinal direction of the side windows.
12. 12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the side windows are substantially perpendicular to an optical path of the light and substantially transparent to the light.
13. 13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector is a spectrometer.
14. 14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector, the illumination optics and the collection optics are configured as an ellipsometer.
15. 15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the ellipsometer is configured as a spectroscopic ellipsometer having rotating polarizers.
16. 16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processing chamber connected to the vacuum chamber and configured to perform a surface treatment on the wafer in vacuum.
17. 17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer module comprises slanted portions positioned on the side windows.
18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are positioned on the slanted portions of the transfer module.
19. 19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein: the wafer stage comprises a rotational stage outside the vacuum chamber, and the journal bearing connects the rotational stage outside the vacuum chamber to the wafer chuck inside the vacuum chamber.
20. 20 . A method of wafer characterization, the method comprising: directing light through illumination optics and an illumination vacuum window of a vacuum chamber to an optical spot on a wafer placed on a wafer chuck in the vacuum chamber, the illumination optics comprising an illumination corrector lens, the illumination vacuum window being slanted relative to the wafer chuck; detecting the light from the optical spot through collection optics and a collection vacuum window of the vacuum chamber, the collection optics comprising a collection corrector lens, the collection vacuum window being slanted relative to the wafer chuck; and adjusting a relative position of the optical spot on the wafer by rotating the wafer via a wafer stage, moving the optical spot via a transfer module, or a combination thereof, wherein the illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are configured to reduce chromatic aberration, the wafer stage is positioned below and mechanically coupled to the wafer chuck and configured to rotate the wafer chuck, and the transfer module is configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics parallel to the illumination vacuum window and the collection vacuum window respectively, wherein the wafer stage, the illumination optics and the collection optics are outside the vacuum chamber, wherein the wafer stage and the wafer chuck are mechanically connected via a journal bearing that extends through a bottom portion of the vacuum chamber with a vacuum seal.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor processing and more specifically to wafer characterization and a system configured to perform wafer metrology. BACKGROUND In the manufacture of a semiconductor device (especially on the microscopic scale), various fabrication processes are executed such as film-forming depositions, etch mask creation, patterning, material etching and removal, and doping treatments. These processes are performed repeatedly to form desired semiconductor device elements on a substrate and are typically performed in a vacuum environment. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a method of wafer characterization and a system configured to characterize a wafer. According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a system is provided. The system includes a vacuum chamber having a wafer chuck therein and side windows slanted relative to the wafer chuck. The wafer chuck is configured to receive a wafer. The system also includes a wafer stage positioned below and mechanically coupled to the wafer chuck. The wafer stage is configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the wafer chuck. The system further includes illumination optics configured to receive light from a light source and direct the light through an illumination vacuum window of the side windows to an optical spot on the wafer. The illumination optics include an illumination corrector lens. The system further includes collection optics configured to receive the light from the optical spot through a collection vacuum window of the side windows and direct the light to a detector. The collection optics include a collection corrector lens. The system further includes a transfer module configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics parallel to the illumination vacuum window and the collection vacuum window respectively. The illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are configured to reduce optical aberration. In some embodiments, the wafer stage is outside the vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, the system further includes a journal bearing that mechanically connects the wafer stage to the wafer chuck and extends through a bottom portion of the vacuum chamber with a vacuum seal. In some embodiments, the wafer stage is inside the vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, the wafer stage is configured to rotate the wafer chuck and move the wafer chuck in the vertical direction without moving the wafer in a horizontal direction parallel to the wafer chuck. In some embodiments, the illumination optics and the collection optics are mounted on the transfer module that is configured to move the illumination optics and the collection optics simultaneously. In some embodiments, the light source and the detector are mounted on the transfer module that is configured to move the light source, the detector, the illumination optics and the collection optics simultaneously. In some embodiments, the light source and the detector are separate from the transfer module and configured to be stationary when the transfer module moves the illumination optics and the collection optics. In some embodiments, the illumination optics and the collection optics are outside the vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, the illumination corrector lens and the collection corrector lens are spaced apart from the vacuum chamber. In some embodiments, the illumination optics further include a polarizer and an optical objective selected from the group consisting of a single aspheric mirror and a pair of off-axis spherical mirrors. In some embodiments, the transfer module is configured to move the optical spot at least between an edge of the wafer and a center of the wafer. In some embodiments, the system further includes a controller configured to adjust a relative position of the optical spot on the wafer by rotating the wafer via the wafer stage, moving the optical spot via the transfer module, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the transfer module includes a stage on which the illumination optics and the collection optics are mounted, and the stage is configured to move parallel to a longitudinal direction of the side windows. In some embodiments, the side windows are substantially perpendicular to an optical path of the light and substantially transparent to the light. In some embodiments, the detector may be a spectrometer. In some embodiments, the detector, the illumination optics and the collection optics are configured as an ellipsometer. In some embodiments, the ellipsometer is configured as a spectroscopic ellipsometer having rotating polarizers. In some embodiments, the system further includes a processing chamber connected to the vacuum chamber and configured to perform a surface treatment on the wafer in vacuum. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a method of wafer characterization is provided. The method in