Method and system for determining post exposure bake endpoint
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorHarald Herchen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of detecting post exposure bake endpoint during processing of a semiconductor substrate. The method includes providing a radiation source coupled to a post exposure bake station and providing a radiation detector coupled to the post exposure bake station. The method also includes directing a radiation signal generated by the radiation source through an absorption region coupled to the substrate. The method further includes measuring a first detected signal at the radiation detector, measuring a second detected signal at the radiation detector, and comparing the first detected signal and the second detected signal to determine the post exposure bake endpoint.
Claims21
A method of detecting post exposure bake endpoint during processing of a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- providing a radiation source coupled to a post exposure bake station;
- providing a radiation detector coupled to the post exposure bake station;
- directing a radiation signal generated by the radiation source through an absorption region coupled to the substrate;
- measuring a first detected signal at the radiation detector;
- measuring a second detected signal at the radiation detector;
- and
- comparing the first detected signal and the second detected signal to determine the post exposure bake endpoint.
An apparatus for detecting post exposure bake endpoint, the apparatus comprising:
- a source of optical radiation disposed in a post exposure bake chamber;
- an optical path coupling an optical radiation detector to the source of optical radiation, wherein the optical path passes through a region coupled to a substrate support adapted to support a semiconductor substrate;
- and
- a controller coupled to the source of optical radiation and the optical radiation detector, wherein the controller calculates a value associated with an optical absorption coefficient and provides a termination signal in response to the value.
A method for detecting post exposure bake (PEB) endpoint in a PEB station comprising an optical source coupled to the PEB station and an optical detector coupled to the optical source through an optical path, the method comprising:
- exposing a substrate comprising a layer of photoresist to an exposure process;
- directing an optical signal from the tunable optical source toward the substrate;
- directing a reflected optical signal from the substrate to the optical detector;
- measuring an interference pattern produced by the optical signal and the reflected optical signal;
- and
- generating a control signal to indicate the PEB endpoint.
A track photolithography tool, the tool comprising:
- a PEB station;
- a source of optical radiation coupled to the PEB station;
- an optical radiation detector coupled to the source of optical radiation by an optical path, wherein the optical path passes through a region adjacent to a substrate support adapted to support a semiconductor substrate undergoing a PEB process;
- and
- a controller coupled to the source of optical radiation and the optical radiation detector, wherein the controller calculates a value associated with an optical absorption coefficient and provides a termination signal in response to the value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.