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US 11,686,683 B2Granted
System and method for detecting contamination of thin-films
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChung-Liang Cheng
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Abstract
A thin-film deposition system deposits a thin-film on a wafer. A radiation source irradiates the wafer with excitation light. An emissions sensor detects an emission spectrum from the wafer responsive to the excitation light. A machine learning based analysis model analyzes the spectrum and detects contamination of the thin-film based on the spectrum.
Claims20
A thin-film deposition method, comprising:
- depositing a thin-film on a wafer in a thin-film deposition chamber;
- extending an emissions sensor into the thin-film deposition chamber after depositing the thin-film;
- irradiating the thin-film with excitation light;
- sensing, with the emissions sensor, an emission spectrum from the thin-film responsive to the excitation light;
- and
- detecting contamination of the thin-film by analyzing the emission spectrum with an analysis model of a control system.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a thin-film deposition chamber configured to deposit a thin-film on a wafer;
- a tube including:
- a radiation source configured to irradiate the thin-film with excitation light;
- an emissions sensor configured to detect an emission spectrum from the wafer responsive to the excitation light, wherein the tube is configured to extend partially into the thin-film deposition chamber such that the radiation source is external to the thin-film deposition chamber and the emissions sensor is within the thin-film deposition chamber;
- and
- a control system coupled to the radiation source and the emissions sensor and configured to detect contamination of the thin-film by analyzing the emission spectrum and to stop thin-film deposition processes in the thin-film deposition chamber responsive to detecting contamination of the thin-film.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- training, with a machine learning process utilizing data from a plurality of spectrums detected under a plurality of contamination and non-contamination conditions, an analysis model to detect contamination of thin-films;
- depositing a thin-film on a wafer in a thin-film deposition chamber;
- irradiating, with a radiation source external to the thin-film deposition chamber, the wafer with excitation light;
- detecting, with an emissions sensor positioned within the thin-film deposition chamber, an emission spectrum from the wafer responsive to the excitation light;
- and
- detecting whether or not the thin-film is contaminated by analyzing the emission spectrum with the analysis model.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.