US 2021/0242054 A1 · WAFER TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN AN ION IMPLANTATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to ion implantation, and more particularly, to systems and processes for measuring the temperature of a wafer within an ion implantation system. An exemplary ion implantation system may include a robotic arm, one or more load lock chambers, a pre-implantation station, an ion implanter, a post-implantation station, and a controller. The pre-implantation station is configured to heat or cool a wafer prior to the wafer being implanted with ions by the ion implanter. The post-implantation station is configured to heat or cool a wafer after the wafer is implanted with ions by the ion implanter. The pre-implantation station and/or post-implantation station are further configured to measure a current temperature of a wafer. The controller is configured to control the various components and processes described above, and to determine a current temperature of a wafer based on information received from the pre-implantation station and/or post-implantation station.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for controlling wafer temperature in an ion implantation system having an ion implanter and a processing station, the method comprising:

implanting a wafer with ions from an ion beam while maintaining the wafer at a first predetermined temperature within a processing chamber of the ion implanter;
heating or cooling the wafer at the processing station;
after heating or cooling the wafer, at the processing station:
directing a laser beam from a laser source to a predefined location on the wafer;
detecting, using a monochromator, fluorescent light emitted by the wafer in response to absorbing laser energy of the laser beam;
determining an intensity profile of the detected fluorescent light;
and
determining a current temperature of the wafer based on one or more characteristics determined from the intensity profile;
and
in accordance with the determined current temperature of the wafer satisfying a predetermined condition:
forgoing continuing to heat or cool the wafer at the processing station;
and
removing the wafer from the processing station.

10 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a controller of an ion implantation system, cause the controller to:

control an ion implanter of the ion implantation system to implant ions into a wafer while maintaining the wafer at a first predetermined temperature within a processing chamber of the ion implanter;
control a processing station of the ion implantation system to heat or cool the wafer at the processing station;
after heating or cooling the wafer:
control a laser source to direct a laser beam to a predefined location on the wafer;
obtain, from a monochromator, data representing detected fluorescent light emitted by the wafer in response to absorbing laser energy of the laser beam;
determine an intensity profile of the detected fluorescent light based on the data representing the detected fluorescent light;
and
determine a current temperature of the wafer based on one or more characteristics determined from the intensity profile;
and
in accordance with the determined current temperature of the wafer satisfying a predetermined condition:
control the processing station to forgo continuing to heat or cool the wafer at the processing station;
and
control the robotic arm to remove the wafer from the processing station.

10 more elements

An ion implantation system, comprising:

an ion implanter;
a processing station;
and
a controller,
wherein the controller comprises memory and one or more processors, and
wherein the memory stores one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
control an ion implanter of the ion implantation system to implant ions into a wafer while maintaining the wafer at a first predetermined temperature within a processing chamber of the ion implanter;
control the processing station of the ion implantation system to heat or cool the wafer at the processing station;
after heating or cooling the wafer:
control a laser source to direct a laser beam to a predefined location on the wafer;
obtain, from a monochromator, data representing detected fluorescent light emitted by the wafer in response to absorbing laser energy of the laser beam;
determine an intensity profile of the detected fluorescent light based on the data representing the detected fluorescent light;
and
determine a current temperature of the wafer based on one or more characteristics determined from the intensity profile;
and
in accordance with the determined current temperature of the wafer satisfying a predetermined condition:
control the processing station to forgo continuing to heat or cool the wafer at the processing station;
and
control the robotic arm to remove the wafer from the processing station.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wafer temperature measurement in an ion implantation system

Life of this patent

Wafer temperature measurement in an ion implantation system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20