# US 11,908,754 B2 · Method and system for controlling profile of critical dimension > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,754 B2 - Document ID: US11908754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/191,905 - Filed: 2021-03-04 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-04 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Jun Shimada; Chen-Fon Chang; Chih-Teng Liao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908754B2 ## CPC - H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes} - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - H10P 50/268: {of silicon-containing layers} - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask} - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An etching apparatus is provided to be able to rotate or tilt a substrate holder on which a to-be-processed substrate is placed. According to a profile of a pre-process critical dimension of the substrate, the etching apparatus may rotate or tilt the substrate holder during an etching process in order to achieve a desired profile of a post-process critical dimension of the substrate that is related to the pre-process critical dimension. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a profile of a critical dimension of a substrate, comprising: forming a plurality of first features having a pre-process critical dimension on the substrate; analyzing a profile of the pre-process critical dimension for the substrate; and performing an etching process on the substrate to form a plurality of second features on the substrate, wherein the second features correspond to the first features and have a post-process critical dimension that is related to the pre-process critical dimension; wherein the substrate is rotated during the etching process when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a first condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a peripheral portion of the substrate is smaller than that measured at a central portion of the substrate on average; wherein a rotational speed at which the substrate is rotated is positively correlated to a difference between an average value of the pre-process critical dimension measured at the peripheral portion of the substrate and an average value of the pre-process critical dimension measured at the central portion of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is tilted during the etching process when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a second condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate is tilted in such a way that the specific portion of the substrate is lifted when the analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the second condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate holder is smaller when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: analyzing a piece of apparatus data that indicates non-uniformity of the etching apparatus where the etching process is performed; wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus is not uniform in terms of etching rates and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a second condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein, when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus has a specific region with a higher etching rate than other regions, and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the second condition, the substrate is rotated, during the etching process, in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate is slower when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus. ### Claim 8 A method for controlling a profile of a critical dimension of a substrate, comprising: forming a plurality of first features having a pre-process critical dimension on the substrate; analyzing a profile of the pre-process critical dimension for the substrate; and performing an etching process on the substrate to form a plurality of second features on the substrate, wherein the second features correspond to the first features and have a post-process critical dimension that is related to the pre-process critical dimension; wherein the substrate is tilted during the etching process when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a first condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate is tilted in such a way that the specific portion of the substrate is lifted when the analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the first condition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate holder is smaller when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate is rotated during the etching process when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a second condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a peripheral portion of the substrate is smaller than that measured at a central portion of the substrate on average. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: analyzing a piece of apparatus data that indicates non-uniformity of the etching apparatus where the etching process is performed; wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus is not uniform in terms of etching rates and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a second condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus has a specific region with a higher etching rate than other regions, and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the second condition, the substrate is rotated, during the etching process, in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate is slower when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus. ### Claim 15 A method for controlling a profile of a critical dimension of a substrate, comprising: forming a plurality of first features having a pre-process critical dimension on the substrate; analyzing a profile of the pre-process critical dimension for the substrate; analyzing a piece of apparatus data that indicates non-uniformity of the etching apparatus where the etching process is performed; and performing an etching process on the substrate to form a plurality of second features on the substrate, wherein the second features correspond to the first features and have a post-process critical dimension that is related to the pre-process critical dimension; wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus is not uniform in terms of etching rates and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a first condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein, when the piece of apparatus data indicates that the etching apparatus has a specific region with a higher etching rate than other regions, and when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the first condition, the substrate is rotated, during the etching process, in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate is slower when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate is tilted during the etching process when analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals a second condition that the pre-process critical dimension measured at a specific portion of the substrate that corresponds to a specific angular range of the substrate is greater than that measured at the remaining portions of the substrate on average. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the substrate is tilted in such a way that the specific portion of the substrate is lifted when the analysis of the profile of the pre-process critical dimension reveals the second condition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated at a varying rotational speed during the etching process. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the etching process is performed in an etching apparatus, and the tilting of the substrate creates a specific region of the etching apparatus that has a higher etching rate for the substrate than other regions of the etching apparatus; and wherein the substrate is rotated in such a way that a rotational speed of the substrate holder is smaller when the specific portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus than when the remaining portion of the substrate passes by the specific region of the etching apparatus.