Methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers

Abstract

Methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers are provided. In some embodiments, methods may include calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor and applying the first correction factor to a first temperature controller to provide a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor. Embodiments may also include calculating a first calibration factor of a first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor and applying the first calibration factor to the first non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to reaction chambers and methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers.

Description of the Related Art

High-temperature reaction chambers may be used for depositing various material layers onto semiconductor substrates. A semiconductor substrate, such as, for example, a silicon wafer, may be placed on a wafer support inside a reaction chamber. Both the wafer and the support may be heated to a desired set point temperature. In an example wafer treatment process, reactant gases may be passed over a heated wafer, causing the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of a thin layer of the reactant material onto the wafer. Through subsequent depositions, doping, lithography, etch and other processes, these layers are made into integrated circuits.

Various process parameters may be carefully controlled to ensure the high quality of the deposited layers. An example of one such process parameter is the wafer temperature. During CVD, for example, the deposition gases react within particular prescribed temperature ranges for deposition onto the wafer. A change in temperature may result in a change in deposition rate and an undesirable layer thickness. Accordingly, it is important to accurately control the wafer temperature to bring the wafer to the desired temperature before the treatment begins and to maintain desired temperatures throughout the process.

Nominally identical CVD tools utilized for wafer deposition may comprise some variance from tool to tool. For example, the reaction chambers utilized in the CVD processes may each have a characteristic thermal environment which may in turn affect the wafer temperature during a deposition process. The reaction chambers may be fabricated from quartz materials and processes utilized in the fabrication of the quartz may result in variations in the features of the quartz reaction chambers, such as, for example, critical dimensions, materials quality, refractive properties, etc. In addition, the components within and surrounding the reaction chamber may vary in position and optimal function adding additional variance. The variations in the reaction chambers may be undesirable for high volume manufacturing where multiple reaction chambers may perform the same process recipe with the expectation that the process results are essentially the same. For example, for a CVD process, the resulting deposited layers are expected to possess uniform thickness, carrier mobility, refractive indices, stress, etc.

To overcome the problems which may arise due to variation in CVD tools, processes known as “tool-to-tool matching” may be employed. However, existing “tool-to-tool matching” processes may be time consuming, cost prohibitive and may not provide effective methods of thermally calibrating reaction chambers.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in further detail in the detailed description of example embodiments of the disclosure below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In some embodiments, methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers are provided. The methods may comprise: calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor. The methods may also comprise, applying the first correction factor to a first temperature controller to provide a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor, and calculating a first calibration factor of a first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor. Methods may additionally comprise, applying the first calibration factor to the first non-contact type temperature type sensor to provide a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. Methods may also comprise, transferring the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to a second reaction chamber and calculating a second correction factor of a second contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. The methods may also comprise, applying the second correction factor to a second temperature controller to provide a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor.

In additional embodiments, further methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers are provided. The methods may comprise: calculating and applying a first correction factor to a first temperature controller associated with a first reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by a first thermocouple within the first reaction chamber and a temperature sensed by an instrumented wafer within the first reaction chamber. Methods may also comprise, calculating and applying a first calibration factor to a first pyrometer within the first reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by the first thermocouple and a temperature sensed by the first pyrometer. Methods may additionally comprise, transferring the first pyrometer to a second reaction chamber and calculating and applying a second correction factor to a second temperature controller associated with the second reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by a second thermocouple within the second reaction chamber and a temperature sensed by the first pyrometer.

For the purpose of summarizing the invention and advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiments of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming what are regarded as embodiments of the invention, the advantages of embodiments of the disclosure may be more readily ascertained from the description of certain examples of embodiments of the disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an example instrumented wafer comprising an array of thermocouples;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of an example wafer processing tool comprising a reaction chamber;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart that outlines the steps in a method of thermally calibrating a reaction chamber; and

FIG. 4 illustrates thickness uniformity profiles produced by embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual view of any particular material, structure, or device, but are merely idealized representations that are used to describe embodiments of the disclosure.

As used herein, the term “non-contact type temperature sensor” may refer to a temperature sensor that can sense temperature remotely from the article to be sensed.

As used herein, the term “contact type temperature sensor” may refer to a temperature sensor that can sense temperature from direct contact or close proximity to the article to be sensed.

As used herein, the term “reaction chamber” may refer to a vessel, chamber or container in which a thermal process may be conducted.

The present disclosure includes methods that may be used for thermally calibrating reaction chambers. The thermal calibration of reaction chambers may allow for a substantially identical thermal environment to be generated between two or more reaction chambers permitting the use of identical process recipes across multiple reaction chambers with a corresponding uniformity in process results. For example, multiple reaction chambers may be utilized in a cluster type tool or in a high volume manufacturing type environment wherein multiple process tools, comprising multiple reaction chambers, run the same process recipes.

The present disclosure includes thermal calibration methods for “tool-to-tool matching” (TTTM) between two or more reaction chambers. The TTTM procedures disclosed in the current disclosure may comprise the calibration of a non-contact type temperature sensor, such as, in a non-limiting example embodiment, a pyrometer. Such a calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be subsequently transferred to additional reaction chambers for rapid, cost effective thermal calibration of the additional reaction chambers.

Methods known in the art for the thermal calibration of reaction chambers may utilize an instrumented wafer, such as, for example, a thermocouple (TC) instrumented wafer. In more detail and with reference to FIG. 1, an instrumented wafer 100 may comprise a wafer in which an array of calibrated thermocouples has been attached. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the instrumented wafer 100 may comprise calibrated thermocouples 1-18 attached to a wafer, including center thermocouple 110. The thermal calibration of reaction chambers may require the installation of the TC-instrumented wafer into the reaction chambers and subsequently measuring the temperature across the wafer at the positions corresponding to the attached thermocouples. TC-instrumented wafers may be useful as it is possible to screen a wide parameter space (temperature, pressure, carrier gas flow, etc.) within the reaction chamber and minimize the within wafer temperature non-uniformities.

However, the thermal calibration of reaction chambers utilizing a TC-instrumented wafer may be undesirable for a number of reasons. The installation of the instrumented wafer into two or reaction chamber may be costly, both in term of the labor hours required and in the materials costs incurred. The utilization of a instrumented wafer may be invasive, as it introduces a potential source of hardware assembly errors both in the installation of the instrumented wafer but also in the removal of the instrumented wafer and the requirement to disassemble/assemble portions of the wafer process tool. In addition, the installation and subsequent removal of the TC-instrumented wafer may impose a lengthy period of between about 12 to 20 hours for “dry-down time”, i.e., the period of time required for the removal of contaminating moisture from the reaction chamber. Methods are therefore desirable to improve the thermal calibration of reaction chambers for “tool-to-tool matching” purposes. Examples of such desirable methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers are disclosed in further detail below.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a non-limiting example of a wafer processing tool which may comprise, a high temperature chemical vapor deposition chamber. In the wafer processing tool 200 of FIG. 2 a wafer 210 may be supported within a reaction chamber 220 upon a wafer support 230. The wafer support 230 may include a spider 240 supporting a susceptor 250 upon which a wafer 210 may rest. The spider 240 may be mounted to a shaft 260, which may extend downwardly though a tube 270 depending from the reaction chamber 220 lower wall.

The wafer process tool 200 may be equipped with a heating system which may comprise radiant heating elements 280 and 290 which may be used to raise the wafer 210 to a set point temperature. Each of the elongated tube-type heating elements 280 and 290 may comprise a high intensity tungsten filament lamp. Such heating elements 280 and 290 produce radiant heat energy that is transmitted through the walls of the reaction chamber 220 without appreciable absorption. The walls of the reaction chamber 220 may comprise a transparent material, such as, for example, quartz. As is known in the art of semiconductor processing, the power of the various lamps, 280 and 290, can be controlled independently or in grouped zones in response to temperature sensors. Process temperatures may be between about 400° C. and 1200° C.

A contact-type temperature sensor, such as, for example, a thermocouple 292 is shown below the wafer 210, in close proximity thereto, and may be positioned inside the tube 270 that depends from the chamber 220 lower wall. Wafer temperature may also be measured with a non-contact type temperature sensor 294, such as, for example, an optical pyrometer which has a direct line of sight to the wafer 210. A temperature controller 296 may be associated with reaction chamber 220 to control the power to the heating elements 280 and 290 based on a temperature sensed by the thermocouple 292 and the desired set point temperature.

In temperature control systems, a thermocouple may be referred to as a contact-type sensor because it may frequently be placed in contact with the article where the temperature is to be sensed. However, the thermocouple may sometimes be positioned slightly spaced from the article where the temperature is to be sensed. A thermocouple senses temperature by a conductive heat transfer with respect to the article to be measured. A sensor of this type may be referred to as a contact-type sensor, but that term as used herein may include thermocouples that are positioned close to, but not actually contacting the article to be sensed. Furthermore, a “contact-type sensor” may include a temperature sensor that operates by convective or radiative heat transfer even if it may not comprise a thermocouple.

In contrast, an optical pyrometer may be referred to as a non-contact type temperature sensor, since it may be considerably spaced from the article whose temperature is of interest, i.e., the temperature to be sensed by measuring the black-body radiation emitted by the wafer. For purposes of this disclosure, a non-contact type temperature sensor may include not only a pyrometer but also other temperature sensors that can sense the temperature remotely, such as, for example, band-edge thermometry.

The methods of the disclosure may utilize both contact type temperature sensors and non-contact type temperature sensors to thermally calibrate reaction chambers. In some embodiments of the disclosure the chambers may comprise, reaction chambers such as that illustrated as reaction chamber 220 in FIG. 2.

In some embodiments, the methods of the disclosure may be understood with reference to FIG. 3 which comprises a flow chart that outlines the steps in a method 300 of thermally calibrating reaction chambers.

A first process step 310, of method 300, may comprise, calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor. In more detail, the first reaction chamber may comprise a reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the methods of the disclosure may comprise, selecting the first contact type temperature within a first reaction chamber to comprise a thermocouple, such as, for example, thermocouple 292 of FIG. 2. The thermocouple 292 as illustrated in FIG. 2 may be referred to in some embodiments as the “center thermocouple” as the thermocouple 292 is disposed directly below the center position of wafer 210.

In some embodiments, the first contact type temperature sensor, for example, thermocouple 292, may be associated with a first temperature controller 296. The first temperature controller 296 may comprise a circuit that may be configured to control the temperature of the reaction chamber in accordance to a response from the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor. The first temperature controller employs the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor to adjust the power to heating elements 280 and 290, so as to provide a desired temperature to thermocouple 292, or wafer 210. In some embodiments, a desired temperature for thermocouple 292, or wafer 210 may be referred to as the “set point” and the first temperature controller 296 may comprise a PID controller that may be used to control the temperature within the first reaction chamber according to the set point by setting the P (proportionality), I (integral) and D (derivative) terms of the first temperature controller 296. The first temperature controller controls the heating elements 280 and 290 by using the first contact type temperature sensor reading to reduce the temperature gradient between the set point and the measured temperature.

In some embodiments, the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor may be adjusted prior to being sent to the first temperature controller. For example, a “first correction factor” may be employed to apply an offset to the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, a first temperature sensor may be employed in calculating the first correction factor and methods may comprise, selecting the first temperature sensor to comprise an instrumented wafer, such as, for example, a TC-instrumented wafer. As a non-liming example, an instrumented wafer such as instrumented wafer 100 of FIG. 1 may be utilized. In some embodiments, the first temperature sensor (e.g., an instrument wafer) may be disposed within the first reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the wafer 210 comprises the instrumented wafer.

In some embodiments, calculating the first correction factor of the first contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first temperature sensor further comprises, comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor to a temperature by the first temperature sensor and calculating the first correction factor based on the comparison. In more detail and with reference to FIG. 2, a first reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290. Once the temperature within the first reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point a temperature measurement sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor, e.g., thermocouple 292, may be compared to temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor, e.g., the instrumented wafer 210. The first correction factor may be calculated based on a comparison of the two temperature measurements and in some embodiments, the first correction factor may comprise the temperature difference between a temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor and a temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor. For example, in some embodiments, the first correction factor may be calculated as the difference between a temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor, e.g., from the center thermocouple 110 of the instrumented wafer 100, and a temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor, e.g., from the “center” thermocouple 292.

In some embodiments, calculating the first correction factor of the first contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first temperature sensor may be repeated one or more times. For example, the reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a second set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the first reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the second set point the first correction factor may be calculated for the second set point by comparing the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor, e.g., thermocouple 292 and the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor, e.g., the instrumented wafer 210. Therefore, the first correction may be calculated for multiple set point temperatures within the first reaction chamber.

In some embodiments comparing the temperature measurement sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the first temperature sensor is performed simultaneously. For example, the first reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the first reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor, e.g., the thermocouple 292 and the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor, e.g., the instrumented wafer 210 are compared simultaneously, i.e., the comparison of the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor may be performed at the same period in time.

In some embodiments, calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor may further comprise disposing the first temperature sensor and the first contact type sensor in direct contact with one another. In other embodiments, the first temperature sensor and the first contact type sensor may be disposed proximate to one another.

In some embodiments, the first reaction chamber may further comprise, one or more additional contact type temperature sensors. For example, the reaction chamber 220 of FIG. 2 may include one more additional thermocouples (not shown) disposed at various positions under and proximate to the susceptor 250. The additional thermocouples may be calibrated utilizing the first temperature sensor, e.g., the instrumented wafer, thereby controlling the thermal uniformity across the wafer 210.

A second process step 320, of method 300, may comprise applying the first correction factor to a first temperature controller to provide a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor. In more detail, the first correction factor as calculated in first process step 310 may be applied to the first temperature controller as an offset to the first contact type temperature sensor, thereby providing a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, once the first correction factor is applied to the first temperature controller the temperature sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor may be substantially equal at a desired set point temperature.

A third process step 330, of method 300, may comprise, calculating a first calibration factor of a first non-contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact-type temperature sensor. In more detail, the first reaction chamber may comprise a reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the methods of the disclosure may comprise, selecting the first non-contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber to comprise a pyrometer, such as, for example, pyrometer 294 of FIG. 2. In some embodiments of the disclosure the pyrometer 294 detects the light at a wavelength of approximately 3.3 μm in order to avoid collecting the radiation emitted from the heating elements 280 and 290 and also to bypass the absorption by the quartz chamber 220, thereby enabling the pyrometer 294 to collect the black-body radiation from the wafer 210 without substantial interference from noise or optical loss.

In some embodiments, the temperature sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor may be adjusted, i.e., calibrated to provide a more accurate temperature measurement of a wafer 210 within reaction chamber 220. For example, a “first calibration factor” may be employed to apply an offset to the temperature sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor may be employed in calculating the first calibration factor.

In some embodiments, calculating the first calibration factor of the first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor further comprises, comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor to a temperature sensed by the first calibrated contact type sensor and calculating the first calibration factor based on the comparison.

In more detail and with reference to FIG. 2, a first reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290. Once the temperature within the first reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point a temperature measurement sensed by the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated thermocouple 292, may be compared to temperature sensed by the first non-contact temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294. The first calibration factor may be calculated based on a comparison of the two temperature measurements.

In some embodiments, calculating the first calibration factor of the first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor may be repeated one or more time, thereby generating a calibration curve or function across a range of temperatures. For example, the reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a second set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the first reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the second set point the first calibration factor may be calculated for the second set point by comparing the temperature sensed by the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated thermocouple 292, and the temperature sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294. Therefore, the first calibration may be calculated for multiple set point temperatures within the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, calculating the first calibration factor of the first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor may further comprise, removing the first temperature sensor from within the first reaction chamber, and providing a semiconductor wafer within the first reaction chamber, wherein the temperature sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294, is sensed from a surface of the semiconductor wafer. In more detail and with reference to FIG. 2, a first temperature sensor may be removed from the first reaction chamber 220 and replaced with a semiconductor wafer 210. The first non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294, may be positioned above the semiconductor wafer 210 with line of sight of a surface of the semiconductor wafer 210, such that the first non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., the pyrometer 294, may sense the temperature at the surface of the semiconductor wafer 210. Further embodiments of the disclosure may comprise selecting the semiconductor wafer to comprise a crystalline semiconductor wafer with similar absorption properties as the first temperature sensor (e.g., a TC-instrumented wafer), such as, in a non-limiting example, a p-type doped silicon wafer.

A forth process step 340, of method 300, may comprise applying the first calibration factor to the first non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. In more detail, the first calibration factor as calculated in third process step 330 may be applied to the first non-contact type temperature sensor as an offset to the first non-contact type temperature sensor, thereby providing a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, once the first calibration factor is applied to the first non-contact temperature type sensor the temperature sensed by the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be substantially equal at a desired set point temperature.

A fifth process step 350, of method 300, may comprise transferring the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to a second reaction chamber. In more detail, the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be removed from the first reaction chamber and transferred to a second reaction chamber. The first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be utilized in the thermal calibration of the second reaction chamber, wherein the thermal calibration of the second reaction chamber may be performed without the need for an instrumented wafer. In some embodiments, the second reaction may comprise the reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

A sixth process step 360, of method 300, may comprise calculating a second correction factor of a second contact type temperature sensor within a second reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. In more detail, the second reaction chamber may comprise a reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the methods of the disclosure may comprise, selecting the second contact type temperature within a second reaction chamber to comprise a thermocouple, such as, for example, thermocouple 292 of FIG. 2. The thermocouple 292 as illustrated in FIG. 2 may be again referred to in some embodiments as the “center thermocouple” as the thermocouple 292 is disposed at the center position of wafer 210.

In some embodiments, the second contact type temperature sensor, for example, thermocouple 292, may be associated with a second temperature controller 296. The second temperature controller 296 may comprise a circuit that may be configured to control the temperature of the reaction chamber in accordance to a response from the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor. The second temperature controller employs the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor to adjust the power to heating elements 280 and 290, so as to provide a desired temperature to wafer 210. In some embodiments, the second temperature controller 296 may comprise a PID controller that may be used to control the temperature within the second reaction chamber according to the set point by setting the P, I and D terms of the second temperature controller. The second temperature controller controls the heating elements by using the second contact type temperature sensor reading to reduce the temperature gradient between the set point and the measured temperature.

In some embodiments, the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor may be adjusted prior to being sent to the second temperature controller. For example, a “second correction factor” may be employed to apply an offset to the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be employed in calculating the second correction factor and methods may comprise, selecting the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to comprise a calibrated pyrometer.

In some embodiments, calculating the second correction factor of the second contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor further comprises, comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor to a temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor and calculating the second correction factor for the second contact type temperature sensor based on the comparison. In more detail and with reference to FIG. 2, a second reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290. Once the temperature within the second reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point a temperature measurement sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor, e.g., thermocouple 292, may be compared to temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated pyrometer 294. The second correction factor may be calculated based on a comparison of the two temperature measurements and in some embodiments, the second correction factor may comprise the temperature difference between a temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor and a temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. For example, in some embodiments, the second correction factor may be calculated as the difference between a temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., from the calibrated pyrometer 294, and a temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor, e.g., from the “center” thermocouple 292.

In some embodiments, calculating the second correction factor of the second contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the first non-contact type temperature sensor may be repeated one or more time. For example, the second reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a second set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the second reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the second set point the second correction factor may be calculated for the second set point by comparing the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor, e.g., thermocouple 292, and the temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated pyrometer 294. Therefore, the second correction factor may be calculated for multiple set point temperatures within the second reaction chamber.

In some embodiments comparing the temperature measurement sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor is performed simultaneously. For example, the second reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the second reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor, e.g., thermocouple 292 and the temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated pyrometer 294 are compared simultaneously, i.e., the comparison of the temperature sensed by the second contact type temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be performed at the same period in time.

A seventh process step 370, of method 300, may comprise applying the second correction factor to a second temperature controller to provide a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor. In more detail, the second correction factor as calculated in sixth process step 360 may be applied to the second temperature controller as an offset to the second contact type temperature sensor, thereby providing a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, once the second correction factor is applied to the second temperature controller, the temperature sensed by the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be substantially equal for a desired set point temperature.

Table 1 below shows the first correction factor calculated utilizing an instrumented wafer and the second correction factor calculated utilizing a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor for multiple set point temperatures.

TABLE 1
Set Point
Temper-	First Reaction Chamber	Second Reaction Chamber
ature	(First Correction	(Second Correction	Delta
(° C.)	Factor (° C.))	Factor (° C.))	(° C.)
550	12	17	5
600	12	14.5	2.5
700	12	15	3
850	13	14.5	1.5
950	12	12.5	0.5

As can be seen from TABLE 1 the “Delta” is the difference between the first correction factor and the second correction factor and the “Delta” may be considered as a measure of the attainment of reaction chamber calibration employing the methods disclosed herein. As illustrated, in some example embodiments of the disclosure, the difference between the first correction factor and the second correction factor is less than 5° C. In some example embodiments of the disclosure, the difference between the first correction factor and the second correction factor is less than 2° C. In some example embodiments of the disclosure, the difference between the first correction factor and the second correction factor is less than 1° C.

In some embodiments, the second reaction chamber may further comprise one or more additional contact type temperature sensors. For example, the reaction chamber 220 of FIG. 2 may include one or more additional thermocouples (not shown) disposed at various positions under and proximate to the susceptor 250. The additional thermocouples may be calibrated utilizing a deposition process thereby avoiding the need of an instrumented wafer for wafer uniformity tuning and full “tool to tool matching.”

In some embodiments of the disclosure, the deposition of a film, such as, for example, polycrystalline silicon may be utilized to determine the characteristics of the thermal calibration methods described within. As a non-limiting example embodiment, a polysilicon layer may be deposited in the reaction rate-limited regime using, for example, silane (SiH₄). This technique may allow for the comparison of the wafer temperature between tools, by comparing the growth rates and thickness patterns between tools utilizing the same process recipe. Also, since the relative thickness changes are known, it may be utilized to determine the proper temperature offsets to obtain uniform deposition on a non-rotated wafer.

As a non-limiting example of experimental results that may be achieved employing the methods described herein, FIG. 4 illustrates the thickness uniformity profiles obtained from an ASM Intrepid™ XP epitaxy deposition tool for two semiconductor wafers both comprising a layer of polysilicon deposited utilizing the same process recipe. The polysilicon layers were grown on boron-doped silicon wafers comprising, a 1 kÅ silicon oxide layer, using a reduced-pressure (10 Torr), high temperature (650° C.) non-selective SiH₄ based polysilicon deposition process. With continued reference to FIG. 4, 3D-thickness uniformity profile 410 and plan view thickness uniformity 420 are measured from a polysilicon layer deposited in a first reaction chamber wherein the thermal calibration was performed utilizing an instrumented wafer, e.g., a TC-instrumented wafer. 3D-thickness uniformity profile 430 and plan view thickness uniformity 440 are measured from a polysilicon layer deposited in a second reaction chamber wherein the thermal calibration was performed utilizing a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. A comparison of the thickness uniformity profiles for the two polysilicon layers deposited in the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber clearly shows thickness uniformity matching between the two reaction chambers. For example, the thickness uniformity profile 410 of the first reaction chamber demonstrates a mean thickness value of 1069.37 Angstroms, whereas the thickness uniformity profile 430 of the second reaction chamber demonstrates a mean thickness value of 1117.39 Angstroms. The difference in mean thickness between the two polysilicon layer deposited in the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber is 48 Angstroms, which corresponds to a temperature offset between the first reaction and the second reaction of 1.8° C., the temperature offset being determined knowing the growth rate for the process recipe is (at these growth conditions) 27 Angstroms/° C./s.

Therefore, embodiments of the disclosure for thermally calibrating reaction chambers may further comprise forming, e.g., depositing, a first film in the first reaction and forming, e.g., depositing, a second film in the second reaction chamber utilizing the same process recipe. Methods may further comprise calculating the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber by the measuring the difference between the mean thickness of the first film and the mean thickness of the second film and knowing the film growth rate for the given process recipe. In some embodiments, the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber may be less than approximately 5° C. In some embodiments, the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber may be less than approximately 3° C. In some embodiments, the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber may be less than approximately 2° C.

The embodiments of the method of the disclosure may comprise a further calibration process step. In some embodiments, methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers may further comprise, calculating a second calibration factor of a second non-contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor and applying the second calibration factor to the second non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a second calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor. In more detail, the second reaction chamber may comprise a reaction chamber 220 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the methods of the disclosure may comprise, selecting the second non-contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber to comprise a pyrometer, such as, for example, pyrometer 294 of FIG. 2. In some embodiments of the disclosure the pyrometer 294 operates at a wavelength of approximately 3.3 μm in order to avoid the radiation emitted from the heating elements 280 and 290, and to bypass the absorption by the quartz chamber 220, thereby enabling the pyrometer 294 to collect the radiation from the wafer 210.

In some embodiments, the temperature sensed by the second non-contact type temperature sensor may be adjusted, i.e., calibrated to provide a more accurate temperature measurement of a wafer 210 within reaction chamber 220. For example, a “second calibration factor” may be employed to apply an offset to the temperature sensed by the second non-contact type temperature sensor. In some embodiments, a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor may be employed in calculating the second calibration factor.

In some embodiments, calculating the second calibration factor of the second non-contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor further comprises, comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the second non-contact type temperature sensor to a temperature sensed by the second calibrated contact type sensor and calculating the second calibration factor based on the comparison. In more detail and with reference to FIG. 2, a second reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a first set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290. Once the temperature within the second reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the first set point a temperature measurement sensed by the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated thermocouple 292, may be compared to temperature sensed by the second non-contact temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294. The second calibration factor may be calculated based on a comparison of the two temperature measurements.

In some embodiments, calculating the second calibration factor of the second non-contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor may be repeated one or more time. For example, the second reaction chamber 220 may be heated to a second set point utilizing heating elements 280 and 290 and once the temperature in the second reaction chamber 220 has stabilized at the second set point the second calibration factor may be calculated for the second set point by comparing the temperature sensed by the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor, e.g., calibrated thermocouple 292 and the temperature sensed by the second non-contact type temperature sensor, e.g., pyrometer 294. Therefore, the second calibration may be calculated for multiple set point temperatures within the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, calculating the second calibration factor of the second non-contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor may further comprise removing the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor from the second reaction chamber. In yet further embodiments of the disclosure, the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may be removed from the second reaction chamber and transferred to a third reaction chamber. The first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor may subsequently be utilized to thermally calibrate the third reaction chamber without the need for a TC-instrumented wafer.

The embodiments of the disclosure may also include reactor systems, such reactor systems being utilized in the thermal calibration of one or more reaction chambers. Such reactor systems might comprise a cluster tool or multiple batch reactors comprising multiple reaction chambers. For example, in more detail, a reactor system may comprise, a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber, wherein the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber are similar to that described in FIG. 2 for reaction chamber 220. The first reaction chamber may comprise, a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor associated with a first temperature controller, and the second reaction chamber may comprise, a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor associated with a second temperature controller, in addition, the second reaction chamber may also comprise, a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor.

In some embodiments of the disclosure the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber may comprises a quartz material and in further embodiments the first reaction chamber is essentially the same as the second reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor comprises a first calibrated thermocouple and the second calibrated contact type temperature sensor comprises a second calibrated thermocouple. In addition, in some embodiments, the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor comprises a first calibrated optical pyrometer.

In some embodiments, the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber is less than approximately 2° C. In addition, in some embodiments the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber further comprises at least one radiant heating lamp configured for heating at least one substrate disposed with the first reaction chamber of the second reaction chamber.

The example embodiments of the disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are merely examples of the embodiments of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosure, in addition to those shown and described herein, such as alternative useful combination of the elements described, may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for thermally calibrating a reaction chamber comprising: calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor;applying the first correction factor to a first temperature controller to provide a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor;calculating a first calibration factor of a first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor;applying the first calibration factor to the first non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor;transferring the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to a second reaction chamber;calculating a second correction factor of a second contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor; andapplying the second correction factor to a second temperature controller to provide a second calibrated contact type temperature sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the first correction factor of the first contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first temperature sensor further comprises: comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the first temperature sensor; andcalculating the first correction factor based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the first temperature sensor is performed simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, selecting the first temperature sensor to comprise an instrumented wafer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, selecting the first contact type temperature sensor and second contact type temperature sensor to comprise a thermocouple.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, selecting the first temperature controller and second temperature controller to comprise a PID controller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, selecting the first non-contact type temperature sensor and second non-contact type temperature sensor to comprise a pyrometer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the first calibration factor of the first non-contact type temperature sensor comprises: comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first non-contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the first calibrated contact type sensor; andcalculating the first calibration factor based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the second correction factor of the second contact type temperature sensor further comprises: comparing a temperature measurement sensed by the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to a temperature measurement sensed by the second contact type sensor; andcalculating the second correction factor based on the comparison.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber is less than 2° C.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating a second calibration factor of a second non-contact type temperature sensor within the second reaction chamber utilizing the second contact type temperature sensor; andapplying the second calibration factor to the second non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a second calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, transferring the first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor to a third reaction chamber.

13. A method for thermally calibrating a reaction chamber comprising: calculating and applying a first correction factor to a first temperature controller associated with a first reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by a first thermocouple within the first reaction chamber and a temperature sensed by an instrumented wafer within the first reaction chamber;calculating and applying a first calibration factor to a first pyrometer within the first reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by the first thermocouple and a temperature sensed by the first pyrometer;transferring the first pyrometer to a second reaction chamber; andcalculating and applying a second correction factor to a second temperature controller associated with the second reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by a second thermocouple within the second reaction chamber and a temperature sensed by the first pyrometer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, calculating and applying the second calibration factor to a second pyrometer within the second reaction chamber by comparing a temperature sensed by the second thermocouple and a temperature sensed by the second pyrometer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein comparing the temperature sensed by the first thermocouple within the first reaction to the temperature sensed by the instrumented wafer within the first reaction chamber is performed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the temperature offset between the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber is less than approximately 2° C.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber comprise a quartz material.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising, transferring the first pyrometer to a third reaction chamber.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the difference between the first correction factor and the second correction factor is less than 3° C.