Detection and feed forward of exposed area to improve plasma etching
OwnerMichael Smaylinginventor
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Abstract
A method is provided for processing and etching a substrate with a patterned photoresist layer on its surface. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including illuminating a substrate with ultraviolet light, emitting a fluorescent light from the photoresist layer, measuring the intensity of the emitted fluorescent light and determining the open area percentage value for the patterned substrate. In another aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including providing the substrate, measuring the open area percentage value for the substrate, transmitting the open area percentage value to a processor, selecting an etch process for the substrate, transferring the substrate to a processing chamber, and etching the substrate.
Claims23
A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
- introducing a substrate having a surface comprising a patterned photoresist layer;
- illuminating the substrate with an ultraviolet light;
- emitting a fluorescent light from the photoresist layer;
- measuring the intensity of the emitted fluorescent light;
- and
- determining an open area percentage value for the substrate from the intensity of the emitted fluorescent light.
A method of etching a substrate, comprising:
- providing a first substrate having a surface comprising a patterned photoresist layer;
- measuring an open area percentage value for the first substrate;
- transmitting the open area percentage value to a processor;
- selecting an etch process for the open area percentage value from a database coupled to the processor containing a plurality of etch processes
- transferring the first substrate to a first processing chamber;
- and
- etching the first substrate with the selected etch process.
A method for etching a substrate, comprising:
- introducing a first substrate having a surface comprising a patterned photoresist layer;
- illuminating the first substrate with an ultraviolet light;
- emitting a fluorescent light from the photoresist layer;
- measuring the intensity of the emitted fluorescent light
- determining an open area percentage value for the first substrate from the intensity of the emitted fluorescent light;
- transmitting the open area percentage value to a processor;
- selecting an etch process for the open area percentage value from a database coupled to the processor containing a plurality of etch processes;
- and
- etching the first substrate with the selected etch process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.