Automatic film deposition control method and system
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
InventorArmando Iturralde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A film deposition control system and method in which a deposition rate monitor and an ellipsometer are used to control the thickness of a thin film being deposited on a wafer. The ellipsometer is also used to detect the refractive index of the thin film being deposited, and the detected refractive index value is used to control the ratio of the reactive gases being injected into the processing chamber.
Claims13
An apparatus for controlling a thickness of a thin film being deposited by a thin film deposition process on a wafer located in a thin film processing chamber, the apparatus comprising:
- a deposition rate monitor having a sensor mounted with respect to the thin film processing chamber and producing during the deposition process a deposition rate feedback signal correlated to a rate of deposition of the thin film being deposited on the wafer;
- an ellipsometer mounted with respect to the thin film processing chamber for producing during the deposition process a film thickness feedback signal as a function of measured optical characteristics of the thin film being deposited on the wafer;
- and
- a thickness controller connected to the deposition rate monitor and the ellipsometer, the thickness controller providing a film thickness control signal for controlling the thin film deposition process as a function of the deposition rate feedback signal, the film thickness feedback signal and a film thickness setpoint signal.
An apparatus for controlling a thickness of a thin film being deposited by a thin film deposition process on a wafer located in a thin film processing chamber, the apparatus comprising:
- an interferometer mounted with respect to the thin film processing chamber for monitoring the wafer and producing during the deposition process a deposition rate feedback signal correlated to a rate of deposition of the thin film being deposited on the wafer;
- an ellipsometer mounted with respect to the thin film processing chamber for producing during the deposition process a film thickness feedback signal as a function of measured optical characteristics of the thin film being deposited on the wafer;
- and
- a thickness controller connected to the deposition rate monitor and the ellipsometer, the thickness controller providing a film thickness control signal for controlling the thin film deposition process as a function of the deposition rate feedback signal, the film thickness feedback signal and a film thickness setpoint signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.