US-12628609-B2 - In-chamber metrology of substrates for process characterization and improvement

US12628609B2US 12628609 B2US12628609 B2US 12628609B2US-12628609-B2

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a processing device, first data generated by a first sensor of a substrate processing system. The first data is generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substrate held by a robot arm of a transfer chamber in the substrate processing system. The method further includes processing the first data to obtain second data. The second data includes a first indication of performance of the substrate processing system. The method further includes causing, in view of the second data, performance of a corrective actions associated with the substrate processing system.

Inventors

Tapashree Roy
Todd Egan
Viswanath BAVIGADDA
Nitin Gupta

Assignees

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220825

Claims (20)

1 . A method, comprising: receiving, by a processing device, first data generated by a first sensor of a substrate processing system, the first data having been generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substrate held by a robot arm of a transfer chamber in the substrate processing system while the substrate is being moved by the robot arm; processing the first data to obtain second data, wherein the second data comprises a first indication of performance of the substrate processing system; receiving third data from the first sensor, wherein the first data is associated with a first portion of the substrate and the third data is associated with a second portion of the substrate; processing the third data to obtain fourth data, wherein the fourth data comprises a second indication of performance of the substrate processing system; and causing, in view of the second data and the fourth data, performance of a corrective action associated with the substrate processing system.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises spectral data, and wherein the second data comprises an indication of a thickness of the substrate.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data comprises an indication of conditions under which the substrate had been processed by the substrate processing system.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor receives the electromagnetic radiation from the substrate while the robot arm is transferring the substrate from a first region of the substrate processing system to a second region of the substrate processing system.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating a profile of the substrate in view of the third data and the fourth data.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a signal from an object detection apparatus, the signal indicating presence of the substrate at a first location of the substrate processing system; and triggering an operation of the first sensor responsive to receiving the signal from the object detection apparatus, wherein triggering an operation of the first sensor comprises causing the first sensor to detect electromagnetic radiation from the substrate at a target time, the target time being based on (i) a time at which the object detection apparatus indicated presence of the substrate at the first location and (ii) a speed at which the substrate is being transferred by the robot arm.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving fifth data generated by one or more additional sensors of the substrate processing system, wherein the first sensor and the one or more additional sensors form an array of sensors, the fifth data having been generated responsive to the one or more additional sensors receiving electromagnetic radiation from one or more regions of the substrate different from a region of the substrate from which the first sensor received electromagnetic radiation; and processing the fifth data to obtain sixth data, wherein the sixth data comprises a third indication of performance of the substrate processing system.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving fifth data generated by a second sensor of the substrate processing system; and processing the fifth data to obtain sixth data, wherein the sixth data comprises a third indication of performance of the substrate processing system, and wherein the first sensor is to receive electromagnetic radiation of a first range of wavelengths, and wherein the second sensor is to receive electromagnetic radiation of a second range of wavelengths.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sixth data comprises temperature data of the substrate, and wherein the first sensor is configured to receive radiation reflected from the substrate.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a plurality of sensor data associated with a first plurality of substrates after the first plurality of substrates have been processed by an etch process or a deposition process; receiving a plurality of data indicative of processing conditions of the first plurality of substrates; and training a machine learning model by providing the plurality of sensor data to the machine learning model as training input and providing the plurality of data indicative of processing conditions to the machine learning model as target output.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the first data to obtain second data comprises providing the first data to a trained machine learning model, wherein the trained machine learning model is configured to receive sensor data as input and generate an indication of processing conditions of the substrate as output.
12 . A substrate processing system, comprising: a process chamber; a transfer chamber coupled to the process chamber; a robot arm of the transfer chamber configured to transfer a substrate between the process chamber and the transfer chamber; a first sensor having a first field of view, wherein at least a portion of the first field of view includes at least a portion of the substrate as the substrate is transferred to or from the process chamber by the robot arm, wherein the first sensor is to receive electromagnetic radiation that has interacted with the substrate; a pyrometer; and a processing device to process data, the data generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation, to determine at least one of (i) one or more indications of performance of the substrate processing system or (ii) one or more properties of the substrate.
13 . The substrate processing system of claim 12 , further comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the first sensor comprises an electromagnetic probe, and wherein the electromagnetic probe is disposed to receive electromagnetic radiation generated by the source that has interacted with the substrate.
14 . The substrate processing system of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation that has interacted with the substrate comprises electromagnetic radiation reflected from a surface of the substrate.
15 . The substrate processing system of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation that has interacted with the substrate comprises electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the substrate.
16 . The substrate processing system of claim 12 , wherein the first sensor is to receive infrared radiation emitted by the substrate.
17 . The substrate processing system of claim 12 , further comprising one or more additional sensors, the first sensor and the one or more additional sensors comprising an array of sensors, a second sensor of the array of sensors having a second field of view, wherein the second field of view includes a second portion of the substrate, different from the at least a portion of the substrate included in the first field of view.
18 . The substrate processing system of claim 12 , wherein the processing device is to process data comprising: first data associated with electromagnetic radiation received by the first sensor from a first region of the substrate at a first time; and second data associated with electromagnetic radiation received by the first sensor from a second region of the substrate at a second time, wherein the first region is different from the second region.
19 . The substrate processing system of claim 12 , wherein the first sensor is to receive electromagnetic radiation reflected from the substrate and the pyrometer is to receive electromagnetic radiation emitted from the substrate.
20 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising: receiving first data generated by a first sensor of a substrate processing system, the first data having been generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substrate held by a robot arm of a transfer chamber in the substrate processing system while the substrate is being moved by the robot arm; processing the first data to obtain second data, wherein the second data comprises first one or more property values of the substrate; receiving third data from the first sensor, wherein the first data is associated with a first portion of the substrate and the third data is associated with a second portion of the substrate; processing the third data to obtain fourth data, wherein the fourth data comprises second one or more property values of the substrate; and causing, in view of the second data, performance of a corrective action associated with the substrate processing system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to process control and process learning for substrate processing system. Embodiments of the present disclosure further relate to a metrology system that is capable of generating metrology measurements of substrates as those substrates are held by a robot arm (e.g., of a transfer chamber). BACKGROUND Chambers are used in many types of processing systems. Examples of chambers include etch chambers, deposition chambers, anneal chambers, and the like. Typically, a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, is placed on a substrate support within the chamber and conditions in the chamber are set and maintained to process the substrate. Detailed understanding of processing conditions, the effect of conditions on a substrate, and evolutions of these parameters over time enables tight control of product properties. Measuring one or more properties of a substrate (e.g., performing metrology operations) may inform decisions or actions associated with updating or maintaining processing conditions of substrates. SUMMARY The following is a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the disclosure, nor delineate any scope of the particular implementations of the disclosure or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. A method includes receiving, by a processing device, first data generated by a first sensor of a substrate processing system. The first data is generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substrate held by a robot arm of a transfer chamber in the substrate processing system. The method further includes processing the first data to obtain second data. The second data includes a first indication of performance of the substrate processing system. The method further includes causing, in view of the second data, performance of a corrective actions associated with the substrate processing system. A substrate processing system includes a process chamber, a transfer chamber, a robot arm of the transfer chamber, a sensor, and a processing device. The transfer chamber is coupled to the process chamber. The robot arm is configured to transfer a substrate between the process chamber and the transfer chamber. The sensor has a field of view. At least a portion of the field of view includes at least a portion of the substrate as the substrate is transferred to or from the process chamber by the robot arm. The sensor is to receive electromagnetic radiation that has interacted with the substrate. The processing device is to process data. The data is generated responsive to the sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation. The processing device is to determine at least one of (i) one or more indications of performance of the substrate processing system or (ii) one or more properties of the substrate. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium stores instruction. The instructions, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations. The operations include receiving first data generated by a first sensor of a substrate processing system. The first data is generated responsive to the first sensor receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substrate held by a robot arm of a transfer chamber of the substrate processing system. The operations further include processing the first data to obtain second data. The second data includes first one or more property values of the substrate. The operations further include causing, in view of the second data, performance of a corrective action associated with the substrate processing system. Numerous other features are provided in accordance with these and other aspects of the disclosure. Other features and aspects of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of an example processing system, according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is a simplified side view of substrate processing system including an electromagnetic radiation probe, according to some embodiments. FIG. 3A is a schematic representation of a metrology system including an array of probes, according to some embodiments. FIG. 3B is a schematic bottom view of a blade of a substrate proc