Location-specific tuning of stress to control bow to control overlay in semiconductor processing

A system for correcting wafer overlay on a substrate having a front side working surface and a backside surface after a series of processing step on the front side working surface have occurred, the system comprising:

• a metrology module configured to measure, after the series of processing steps on the front side working surface have occurred, bow of a substrate producing a bow measurement that maps z-height deviations on the substrate relative to one or more reference z-height values:
• a coating module configured to coat a backside surface of a substrate with a radiation-sensitive material after the series of processing steps on the front side working surface have occurred;
• a controller configured to generate an overlay correction pattern that defines adjustments to internal stresses at specific locations on the substrate based on the bow measurement of the substrate after the series of processing steps on the front side working surface have occurred, wherein a first given location on the substrate has a different internal stress adjustment defined as compared to a second given location on the substrate in the overlay correction pattern;
• an imaging module configured to expose the backside surface to a pattern of actinic radiation based on the overlay correction pattern;
• a development module configured to develop the radiation-sensitive material after exposure to the pattern of actinic radiation to result in the radiation-sensitive material forming a relief pattern on the backside surface of the substrate;
• and
• an etching module configured to etch the backside surface of the substrate using the relief pattern as an etch mask thereby reducing overlay error of the substrate after the series of processing steps on the front side working surface have occurred and before a next processing step on the front side working surface occurs.