Methods for assessing alignments of substrates within deposition apparatuses; and methods for assessing thicknesses of deposited layers within deposition apparatuses
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsEric Blomiley, Nirmal Ramaswamy, Ross Dando, Joel Drewes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention includes deposition apparatuses having reflectors with rugged reflective surfaces configured to disperse light reflected therefrom, and/or having dispersers between lamps and a substrate. The invention also includes optical methods for utilization within a deposition apparatus for assessing the alignment of a substrate within the apparatus and/or for assessing the thickness of a layer of material deposited within the apparatus.
Claims45
1-23. (canceled)
A method of assessing alignment of semiconductor wafer substrate within a deposition apparatus, comprising:
- providing a deposition apparatus having a substrate susceptor for receiving a semiconductor wafer substrate, having one or more laser emitters configured to reflect laser light from the substrate, and having one or more photodetectors configured to detect the reflected laser light;
- providing a semiconductor wafer substrate received by the susceptor;
- emitting light from at least one of the laser emitters toward the substrate such that at least some of the light reflects from the substrate to at least one of the photodetectors;
- detecting the emitted light with said at least one of the photodetectors;
- and
- utilizing information about the detected light to assess alignment of the substrate.
A method of assessing the thickness of a deposited layer within a deposition apparatus, comprising:
- providing a deposition apparatus having a substrate susceptor for receiving a semiconductor wafer substrate, having one or more laser emitters configured to reflect laser light from the substrate, and having one or more photodetectors configured to detect the reflected laser light;
- providing a semiconductor wafer substrate received by the susceptor;
- depositing a layer onto the substrate;
- emitting light from at least one of the laser emitters toward the substrate such that at least some of the light reflects from the substrate to at least one of the photodetectors;
- detecting the emitted light with said at least one of the photodetectors;
- and
- utilizing information about the detected light to assess the thickness of the deposited layer on the substrate.
A method of assessing the thickness of a deposited layer within a deposition apparatus, comprising:
- providing a deposition apparatus having a substrate susceptor for receiving a semiconductor wafer substrate;
- providing a semiconductor wafer substrate received by the susceptor, the substrate covering a first portion of the susceptor and leaving a second portion of the susceptor not covered;
- depositing a material onto the substrate and over the second portion of the susceptor;
- and
- optically determining a thickness of the material over the second portion of the susceptor.
A method of assessing the thickness of a deposited layer within a deposition apparatus, comprising:
- providing a deposition apparatus having a substrate susceptor for receiving a semiconductor wafer substrate, having one or more emitters configured to emit light toward a surface of the susceptor, and having one or more detectors configured to detect the emitted light;
- providing a semiconductor wafer substrate received by the susceptor, the substrate covering a portion of the susceptor and leaving a surface of the susceptor not covered;
- depositing a material onto the substrate and over the surface of the susceptor;
- emitting light from at least one of the emitters toward the susceptor surface such that at least some of the light passes onto or through the material over the susceptor surface and then proceeds to at least one of the detectors;
- detecting the emitted light with said at least one of the photodetectors;
- and
- utilizing information about the detected light to assess the thickness of the deposited material over the susceptor surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.