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US 2014/0210506 A1Published application
In-Situ Charging Neutralization
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsLin-Jung Wu, Jyh-Shiou Hsu, Chi-Ming Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some embodiments relate to a method for semiconductor processing. In this method, a semiconductor wafer is provided. A surface region of the semiconductor wafer is probed to determine whether excess charge is present on the surface region. Based on whether excess charge is present, selectively inducing a corona discharge to reduce the excess charge. Other techniques are also provided.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- probing a surface region of the semiconductor wafer to determine whether a charge condition is present on the surface region;
- and
- based on whether the charge condition is present, selectively inducing a corona discharge to alter the charge condition.
1 more element
A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
- a chuck to retain a semiconductor wafer;
- a voltage probe to measure a surface voltage at a surface region of the wafer while retained by the chuck;
- and
- a corona gun to selectively induce corona discharge to alter the surface voltage for the surface region, wherein the selectivity of the corona discharge inducement is based on whether the measured voltage for the surface region has a predetermined relationship with a voltage threshold.
1 more element
A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
- a chuck to retain a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having a surface that terminates at a circumferential wafer edge;
- a voltage probe to steppedly measure a plurality of surface voltages at a respective plurality of surface regions of the surface while the semiconductor wafer is retained by the chuck;
- a controller to evaluate the plurality of measured surface voltages to determine whether a non-uniform charge distribution is present on the surface;
- and
- a corona gun to selectively induce corona discharge for at least one of the plurality of surface regions to change the non-uniform charge distribution for the surface to a uniform charge distribution for the surface.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.