The present disclosure relates to etching and deposition systems, and more particularly, to transformer coupled capacitive tuning systems.
The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
During manufacturing of semiconductor devices, etch processes and deposition processes may be performed within a processing chamber. Ionized gas, or plasma, can be introduced into the plasma chamber to etch (or remove) material from a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and to sputter or deposit material onto the substrate. Creating plasma for use in manufacturing or fabrication processes typically begins by introducing process gases into the processing chamber. The substrate is disposed in the processing chamber on a substrate support such as an electrostatic chuck or a pedestal.
The processing chamber may include transformer coupled plasma (TCP) reactor coils. A radio frequency (RF) signal, generated by a power source, is supplied to the TCP reactor coils. A dielectric window, constructed of a material such as ceramic, is incorporated into an upper surface of the processing chamber. The dielectric window allows the RF signal to be transmitted from the TCP reactor coils into the interior of the processing chamber. The RF signal excites gas molecules within the processing chamber to generate plasma.
The TCP reactor coils are driven by a transformer coupled capacitive tuning (TCCT) match network. The TCCT match network receives the RF signal supplied by the power source and enables tuning of power provided to the TCP reactor coils. The TCCT match network may include variable capacitors. Each of the variable capacitors includes a stationary electrode and a movable electrode. Position of the movable electrode relative to the stationary electrode is directly related to a capacitance of the corresponding capacitor. The movable electrodes can be connected to a leadscrew, which can be driven by a rotary motor.
Power supplied to each of the TCP reactor coils is based on positions of the movable electrodes of the capacitors. A ratio of power delivered to the TCP coils is also based on the positions of the movable electrodes of the capacitors. One or more power ratios provided during etching can be different than one or more power ratios provided during deposition.
A system is provided and includes a first linear motor, a first separator support assembly, and a controller. The first linear motor includes a shaft that is linearly driven based on a current supplied to the first linear motor. The first separator support assembly is configured to connect to the shaft of the first linear motor and to a rod of a first capacitor of a match network. The first linear motor is configured to actuate the rod to move a first electrode of the first capacitor relative to a second electrode of the first capacitor to change a capacitance of the first capacitor. The controller is connected to the first linear motor and is configured to adjust power supplied to a first radio frequency reactor coil of a plasma processing chamber by adjusting the current supplied to the first linear motor.
In other features, a system is provided and includes a first cam follower, a first cam, a first rotary motor, a first separator support assembly, and a controller. The first cam includes a slot. The slot has a predetermined path. The first cam follower is disposed at least partially within the slot and follows the predetermined path. The first rotary motor is connected to the first cam and configured to be driven based on a current supplied to the first rotary motor. The first rotary motor is configured to rotate the first cam causing the first cam follower to move along the predetermined path. The first separator support assembly is configured to connect to the first cam follower and a rod of a first capacitor of a match network. Rotation of the cam and movement of the cam follower actuates the rod and moves a first electrode relative to a second electrode of the first capacitor to change a capacitance of the first capacitor. The controller is connected to the first rotary motor and configured to adjust power supplied to a first radio frequency reactor coil of a plasma processing chamber by adjusting the current supplied to the first rotary motor.
In other features, a system is provided and includes a leadscrew, a first rotary motor, a first separator support assembly, a counterbalance assembly and a controller. The leadscrew is connected to a first electrode of a first capacitor of a match network. The first rotary motor is connected to and configured to rotate the leadscrew based on a current supplied to the first rotary motor. The first separator support assembly is configured to connect to the leadscrew and to a shaft of the first rotary motor. The first rotary motor is configured to rotate the leadscrew to move the first electrode relative to a second electrode of the first capacitor to change a capacitance of the first capacitor. The counterbalance assembly is connected to the shaft of the first rotary motor and is configured to counterbalance forces on the leadscrew by the first capacitor. The controller is connected to the first rotary motor and configured to adjust power supplied to a first radio frequency reactor coil of a plasma processing chamber by adjusting the current supplied to the first rotary motor.
In yet other features, a system is provided and includes a match network, a first one or more switches, a second one or more switches, and a controller. The match network includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, and a fourth capacitor. The first one or more switches is configured to supply power from a power input circuit to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. The second one or more switches is configured to supply power from the power input circuit to the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor. The controller is configured to: (i) control states of the first one or more switches and the second one or more switches to switch between providing a first ratio of power and a second ratio of power; (ii) provide the first ratio of power to a first radio frequency reactor coil and a second radio frequency reactor coil of a plasma processing chamber by activating the first one or more switches; and (iii) provide the second ratio of power to the first radio frequency reactor coil and the second radio frequency reactor coil by activating the second one or more switches.
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and/or identical elements.
A traditional TCCT match network may include two variable capacitors; one capacitor for each TCP reactor coil of a processing chamber. Each of the capacitors includes stationary electrodes and movable electrodes. The TCP reactor coils may include an inner coil and an outer coil. The inner coil is disposed within an outer coil. A ratio of power supplied to the inner coil relative to power supplied to the outer coil is adjusted by moving the moveable electrodes of the capacitors. The moveable electrodes may be moved via respective leadscrews and rotary motors. This technique for moving the moveable electrodes is too slow for a rapid alternating process (RAP), which includes rapidly switching between etch and deposition processes. The duration of each etch process and each deposition process may be 1 second or less.
An example speed requirement of a RAP is to provide RF power ratio switching of 10-90% in less than 100 milli-seconds (ms). RF power ratio switching of 10-90% includes switching from providing 10% power via a first capacitor and 90% power via a second capacitor to providing 90% power via the first capacitor to 10% power via the second capacitor. The traditional method of moving moveable electrodes via respective leadscrews and rotary motors is not capable of satisfying the stated speed requirement.
Examples are described below that allow for quick movement of movable electrodes of capacitors of a TCCT match network. This allows for fast RF power ratio switching to satisfy RAP speed requirements of, for example, a deep silicon etch (DSiE) process and thus fast transitioning between etch and deposition processes. The disclosed examples provide RF power ratio switching of 10-90% in less than 100 milli-seconds (ms). The quick transitioning allows for chemistries within a processing chamber to be quickly changed for etch and deposition processing, which allows for controlling and providing different uniformity patterns on a wafer. Etch processes are typically “edge fast” meaning etching occurs at a quicker rate near an edge of a substrate than near a center of a substrate. Deposition processes are typically “center fast” meaning material is deposited on a substrate at a quicker rate near a center of the substrate than near an edge of the substrate. The fast RF power ratio switching allows the uniformity patterns of the etch and deposition processes to be better controlled.
The plasma processing chamber 12 includes a ceramic window 20, which is located adjacent the TCP reactor coils 14 and allows efficient transmission of the first RF source signal into the plasma processing chamber 12 for plasma generation purposes. A substrate support 21 such as an electrostatic chuck, a pedestal or other suitable substrate support is disposed at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 12. The substrate support 21 supports a substrate 22. If the substrate support 21 is an electrostatic chuck, the substrate support 21 includes electrically conductive portions 24 and 26, which are electrically isolated from each other. The substrate support 21 is surrounded by an insulator 28 and is capacitively coupled to the substrate 22. By applying a DC voltage across the conductive portions 24, 26, an electrostatic coupling is created between the conductive portions 24, 26 and the substrate 22. This electrostatic coupling attracts the substrate 22 against the substrate support 21.
The plasma processing system 10 further includes a bias RF power source 30, which is connected to a bias (or second) match network 32. The second match network 32 is connected between the bias RF power source 30 and the substrate support 21. The second match network 32 matches an impedance (e.g., 500) of the bias RF power source 30 to an impedance of the substrate support 21 and plasma 34 in the plasma processing chamber 12 as seen by the second matching network 32.
The plasma processing system 10 further includes a voltage control interface (VCI) 40. The VCI 40 may include a pickup device 42, a voltage sensor 44, a controller 13 and circuits between the voltage sensor 44 and the controller 13. The pickup device 42 extends into the substrate support 21. This pickup device 42 is connected via a conductor 48 to the voltage sensor 44 and is used to generate a RF voltage signal.
Operation of the voltage sensor 44 may be monitored, manually controlled, and/or controlled via the controller 13. The controller 13 may display output voltages of the channels of the voltage sensor 44 on a display 50. Although shown separate from the controller 13, the display 50 may be included in the controller 13. A system operator may provide input signals indicating (i) whether to switch between the channels, (ii) which one or more of the channels to activate, and/or (ii) which one or more of the channels to deactivate.
In operation, a gas capable of ionization flows into the plasma processing chamber 12 through the gas inlet 56 and exits the plasma processing chamber 12 through the gas outlet 58. The first RF signal is generated by the RF power source 16 and is delivered to the TCP reactor coil 14. The first RF signal radiates from the TCP reactor coil 14 through the window 20 and into the plasma processing chamber 12. This causes the gas within the plasma processing chamber 12 to ionize and form the plasma 34. The plasma 34 produces a sheath 60 along walls of the plasma processing chamber 12. The plasma 34 includes electrons and positively charged ions. The electrons, being much lighter than the positively charged ions, tend to migrate more readily, generating DC bias voltages and DC sheath potentials at inner surfaces of the plasma processing chamber 12. An average DC bias voltage and a DC sheath potential at the substrate 22 affects the energy with which the positively charged ions strike the substrate 22. This energy affects processing characteristics such as rates at which etching or deposition occurs.
The controller 13 may adjust the bias RF signal generated by the RF power source 30 to change the amount of DC bias and/or a DC sheath potential at the substrate 22. The controller 13 may compare outputs of the channels of the voltage sensor 44 and/or a representative value derived based on the outputs of the channels to one or more set point values. The set point values may be predetermined and stored in a memory 62 of the controller 13. The bias RF signal may be adjusted based on differences between (i) the outputs of the voltage sensor 44 and/or the representative value and (ii) the one more set point values. The bias RF signal passes through the second match network 32. An output provided by the second match network 32 (referred to as a matched signal) is then passed to the substrate support 21. The bias RF signal is passed to the substrate 22 through the insulator 28.
The TCCT coil input circuits 110 include the variable capacitors 18, which when adjusted adjust power supplied from the TCCT coil input circuits 110 to the inner coil and the outer coil, respectively. This adjusts a RF power ratio between the inner coil and the outer coil. The capacitance adjustment system 19 is connected to the variable capacitors 18.
The inner coil input circuit 154 may include a second inductor L2 and a fourth capacitor C4. The inductor L2 and capacitor C4 are connected in series between the inductor L1 and the inner coil 166. The outer coil input circuit 156 may include a fifth capacitor C5. The capacitor C5 is connected at a first end to the inductor L1 and at a second end to the outer coil 168. The capacitors C4 and C5 are variable capacitors, which are adjusted by the capacitance adjustment system 19.
The inner coil output circuit 158 may include the reference terminal 120, which is connected to an output of the inner coil 166. The outer coil output circuit 160 may include a sixth capacitor C6, which is connected at a first end to the outer coil 168 and at a second end to the reference terminal 120.
Examples of devices and components that may be included in the capacitance adjustment system 19 and examples of the variable capacitors C4 and C5 are shown in
The capacitive adjustment system 19 may include sensors 170 (e.g., potentiometers, encoders, etc.) for detecting positions of one or more shafts and/or rods of motors and capacitors (e.g., capacitors C4, C5). The sensors 170 may be included in the motors, on the motors, and/or connected directly and/or indirectly to the shafts and/or rods. The controller 46 of
The separator support assemblies 204, 206, as shown, include stand-off members 220, 222, which are cylindrically-shaped. The stand-off members 220, 222 may include pairs of end rings 224, 226 that are connected to each other via connecting members 230, 232 providing holes through which flexible couplings 236, 238 can be seen. The stand-off members 220, 222 may be formed of insulative material and provide separation between the linear motor 202 and the capacitors 208, 210. This prevents high-voltages and/or current received by the capacitors 208, 210 from being received by and/or interfering with operation of the linear motor 202.
The flexible couplings 236, 238 allow for axial and/or radial misalignment of the shaft 212 relative to the rods 216, 218. The flexible couplings 236, 238 may be formed of an insulative material. Although flexible couplings 236, 238 are described, fixed couplings, which do not allow for axial and/or radial misalignment of the shaft 212 and the rods 216, 218 may be used. The flexible couplings 236, 238 include respective inner couplings 240, 242, outer couplings 244, 246, coupling fasteners 248, 250 (e.g., screws), and center fasteners 252, 254 (e.g., screws). The inner couplings 240, 242 are connected to the shaft 212 of the linear motor 202 via corresponding ones of the coupling fasteners 248, 250 (or inner coupling fasteners). The outer couplings 244, 246 are connected to the rods 216, 218 of the capacitors 208, 210 via other ones of the coupling fasteners 248, 250 (or outer coupling fasteners). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the inner couplings 240, 242 are screwed into at least a portion of the outer couplings 244, 246. In an embodiment, the center fasteners 252, 254 connect the outer couplings 244, 246 to the inner couplings 240, 242 and prevent the outer couplings 244, 246 from moving relative to the inner couplings 244, 242.
The outer couplings 244, 246 (e.g., the outer coupling 246 as shown) may include an intermediary member 260 and an outer member 262. The outer member 262 is connected to the rod 218. The intermediary member 260 connects the inner coupling 242 to the outer member 262. The fastener 250 connects the intermediary member 260 and the outer member 262 to the rod 218.
The capacitors 208, 210 include terminals 211 (an input terminal and an output terminal). The input terminals receive RF power from, for example, inductors L1, L2 of
In one embodiment, the capacitors 208, 210 are variable vacuum capacitors (e.g., a variable vacuum capacitor is shown in
The embodiment of
As shown, the linear motor 202 displaces the rods in opposite directions relative to the capacitors. For example, as one rod is being pulled out of one of the capacitors, the other rod is being pushed into the other capacitor. This is different than the embodiments of
In the embodiment shown, the counterbalance assembly 308 may include a spring 310 and spring retainers 312, 314. The spring 310 is a compression spring and is held between the spring retainers 312, 314. A fastener 316 (e.g., a screw) connects the counterbalance assembly 308 to the linear motor 302. In the example shown, the fastener 316 is a screw that is inserted through the end most one of the spring retainers (e.g., spring retainer 314) and is screwed into an end of a shaft 320 of the linear motor 302 to hold the spring 310 and spring retainers 312, 314 to the linear motor 302.
The counterbalance assembly 308 counterbalances a predetermined amount of the forces of the capacitor 306 on a rod 330 of the capacitor 306. In one embodiment, the counterbalance assembly 308 counterbalances 90% of the forces of the capacitor 306 on the rod 330. In this manner, the rod 330 is biased to be pulled into the capacitor 306. This maintains some tension on the rod 330 and prevents the rod 330 from floating, which maintains accuracy in setting position of the rod 330 and thus capacitance of the capacitor 306.
The cam follower 358 is connected to the cam follower support bracket 365 via one of the fasteners 368. The cam follower 358 may include a bearing (not shown), a roller 372, and/or a rod 374. The bearing may be located within the roller and allow the roller to roll freely on the rod 374. The rod 374 may have a threaded end for attaching to the cam follower support bracket 365. The rod 374 is connected to the cam follower support bracket 365. During operation the rotary motor 352 rotates the cam 356, which causes the roller 372 to move within a slot 376 of the cam 356. This causes the cam follower 358 to move relative to the cam 356 and cause the inner coupling 366 to move in a linear direction, which actuates a rod 380 of the capacitor 362.
The support bracket 354 includes one or more stops (a single stop 382 is shown), which limit movement of the cam 356 and thus the cam follower 358, the inner coupling 366 and the rod 380. As an example, the one or more stops may be pins, as shown by the stop 382. The stops may be of various types. The cam 356 is shaped and includes a tab 384. The cam 356 may be rotated to a point where the cam 356 and the tab 384 come in contact with the stops.
The stop 382 may be positioned at various positions on the support bracket 354 depending on when the cam is to be prevented from rotating. The stop 382 may be located to prevent the cam follower 358 from coming in contact with an end of the slot 376. Although a single tab 384 is shown, multiple tabs may be included as part of the cam 356.
The slot 376 may have any predetermined pattern, which provides a predetermined path for the cam follower 358 to follow. The pattern of the slot 376 is set to maintain or vary a rate of change of capacitance of the capacitor 362. The slot 376 may have a continuous curvature or may have one or more linear sections. Also, the angular rate of curvature along the slot 376 may vary.
In one embodiment, motion of the cam 356 is controlled to prevent the cam 356 and the tab 384 from contacting the stops. The stops may correspond to movement limits of the rod 380 or may assure that the rod 380 moves within a portion of an overall possible range of movement of the rod 380 relative to the capacitor 362 (or housing of the capacitor 362). For example, the stops may be positioned to limit the rod 380 to movement within a predetermined amount (e.g., 50%) of the overall possible range of movement of the rod 380. This prevents the rod 380 from bottoming out, which minimizes degradation to the capacitor 362.
As an example, the cam 356 may be connected to a shaft 392 of the rotary motor 352 and/or a shaft of the gearbox 361 via a clamp 394 and/or a key 396 (the key 396 is shown in
The capacitor system 350 may further include a counterbalance assembly 398, as shown in
During operation the rotary motor 402 rotates the shaft 414, which rotates the intermediary shaft 412 and the flexible couplings 416, 420. This causes the leadscrew 418 to rotate, which moves a first electrode within the capacitor 406 relative to a second electrode within the capacitor 406. Example electrodes of a capacitor are shown in
Typically, additional force is needed to rotate the leadscrew 418 due to the increased pitch. However, the counterbalance assembly 408 provides at least some of the increased force needed to rotate the leadscrew 418. The counterbalance assembly 408 provides the increased amount of force and may be configured to counterbalance a predetermined amount (e.g., 90%) of forces exerted on the leadscrew 418 by the capacitor 406. This allows the leadscrew 418 to be rotated with minimal effort while biasing the leadscrew 418. The biased force on the leadscrew 418 causes the leadscrew 418 to rotate without applied force by the rotary motor 402, such that the first electrode moves towards the second electrode.
In another embodiment, the counterbalance assembly 408 is replaced with a second separator support assembly and a second capacitor. The second separator support assembly is connected to the shaft on the opposite side of the rotary motor 402 as the first separator support assembly 404. The second capacitor counterbalances the first capacitor 406. The second separator support assembly may be configured similarly to the first separator support assembly 404. This configuration is similarly to the configuration of
The electrodes 502 and 503 are positioned in a housing 501. The electrode 503 is attached to the housing 501, such that a position of the electrode 503 remains fixed with respect to the housing 501. The electrode 502 is attached to the housing 501, such that the position of the electrode 502 can move with respect to the housing 501.
An end of a hollow shaft 504 is attached to the, electrode 502. A first member 509 is attached to an end of the shaft 504 opposite the end attached to the electrode 502. A second member (or rod) 505 is attached to (and as shown is screwed) into the first member 509. The second member 505 is attached to a head 508 which is, in turn, attached to the housing 501, such that the head 508 and second member 505 are held in place with respect to the housing 501 along a longitudinal axis 510 of the vacuum variable capacitor 500.
As shown, the electrode 502 may be moved relative to the electrode 503 by rotating the head 508 and/or the second member 505 relative to the first member 509 causing the first member 509 to translate along the longitudinal axis 510. This moves a shaft 504 connected at a first end to the first member 509, which moves the electrode 502 relative to the electrode 503. The shaft 504 is connected at a second end to the first member 509. This threaded configuration may be used in the embodiment of
A bellows 506 surrounds a shaft 504. A bearing 507 enables the shaft 504 to rotate relative to the bellows 506 and the housing 501. The housing 501, bearing 507, bellows 506 and mounting plate 502b form a sealed enclosure, held at a vacuum pressure, within which the capacitor plates 502a and 503a are positioned. The bellows 506 expands and contracts as necessary to allow movement of the threaded member 509, bearing 507, shaft 504 and electrode 502 along the longitudinal axis 510.
The inner coil input circuits 606, 610 are connected between the first switch 602 and an inner coil (or inductor) L2. The outer coil input circuits 608, 612 are connected between second switch 604 and an outer coil (or inductor) L3. The inner coil L2 is connected between the inner coil input circuits 606, 610 and an inner coil output circuit 614. The inner coil L3 is connected between the outer coil input circuits 608, 612 and an outer coil output circuit 616.
In operation, the switches 602, 604 receive control signals from a controller 618 or the controller 46 of
The coil input circuits 606, 608, 610, 612 may respectively include variable capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7, which have respective capacitances. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be adjusted between processes and/or during a changeover between recipes. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be held at constant values during the processes and/or implementation of the recipes. As an example, the capacitances of capacitors C6, C7 are different than the capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5 to provide different power ratios. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be adjusted by the capacitance adjustment system 19 or the controller 46 of
The inner coil output circuit 614 includes an inductor L4 that is connected in series between the inner coil L2 and ground 120. The outer coil output circuit 616 includes a capacitor C8 that is connected in series between the outer coil L3 and the ground 120.
The inner coil input circuit 706 is connected between the first switch 702 and an inner coil (or inductor) L2. The outer coil input circuits 708 is connected between second switch 704 and an outer coil (or inductor) L3. The inner coil input circuit 710 is connected between the third switch 710 and the inner coil L2. The outer coil input circuits 712 is connected between the fourth switch 712 and the outer coil L3. The inner coil L2 is connected between the inner coil input circuits 706, 710 and an inner coil output circuit 714. The inner coil L3 is connected between the outer coil input circuits 708, 712 and an outer coil output circuit 716.
In operation, the switches 702, 703, 704, 705 receive control signals from a controller 718 or the controller 46 of
The coil input circuits 706, 708, 710, 712 may respectively include variable capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7, which have respective capacitances. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be adjusted between processes and/or during a changeover between recipes. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be held at constant values during the processes and/or implementation of the recipes. As an example, the capacitances of capacitors C6, C7 are different than the capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5 to provide different power ratios. The capacitances of the capacitors C4, C5, C6, C7 may be adjusted by the capacitance adjustment system 19 or the controller 46 of
The inner coil output circuit 714 includes an inductor L4 that is connected in series between the inner coil L2 and ground 120. The outer coil output circuit 716 includes a capacitor C8 that is connected in series between the outer coil L3 and the ground 120.
The embodiments of
The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Further, although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and/or combined with features of any of the other embodiments, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.
Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for example, between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including “connected,” “engaged,” “coupled,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and “disposed.” Unless explicitly described as being “direct,” when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the above disclosure, that relationship can be a direct relationship where no other intervening elements are present between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship where one or more intervening elements are present (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”
In some implementations, a controller is part of a system, which may be part of the above-described examples. Such systems can comprise semiconductor processing equipment, including a processing tool or tools, chamber or chambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and/or specific processing components (a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of a semiconductor wafer or substrate. The electronics may be referred to as the “controller,” which may control various components or subparts of the system or systems. The controller, depending on the processing requirements and/or the type of system, may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and/or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, positional and operation settings, wafer transfers into and out of a tool and other transfer tools and/or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.
Broadly speaking, the controller may be defined as electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and/or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and/or one or more microprocessors, or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), defining operational parameters for carrying out a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters may, in some embodiments, be part of a recipe defined by process engineers to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and/or dies of a wafer.
The controller, in some implementations, may be a part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or a part of a fab host computer system, which can allow for remote access of the wafer processing. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor current progress of fabrication operations, examine a history of past fabrication operations, examine trends or performance metrics from a plurality of fabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, to set processing steps to follow a current processing, or to start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g. a server) can provide process recipes to a system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables entry or programming of parameters and/or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data, which specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus as described above, the controller may be distributed, such as by comprising one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and working towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to control a process on the chamber.
Without limitation, example systems may include a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing systems that may be associated or used in the fabrication and/or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.
As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performed by the tool, the controller might communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used in material transport that bring containers of wafers to and from tool locations and/or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/373,024, filed on Aug. 10, 2016. The entire disclosure of the application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62373024 | Aug 2016 | US |