# US 6,721,046 B1 · Monitoring of concentration of nitrogen in nitrided gate oxides, and gate oxide interfaces > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,721,046 B1 - Document ID: US6721046B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/903,885 - Filed: 2001-07-12 - Granted: 2004-04-13 - Earliest claimed: 2001-07-12 - Assignees: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. - Inventors: Arvind Halliyal; Bhanwar Singh; Ramkumar Subramanian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6721046B1 ## CPC - H10D 64/0134: {with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the insulator and before the formation of the conductor} - G01N 21/55: Specular reflectivity - G01N 21/8422: {Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method} - H10D 64/01344: {in a nitrogen-containing ambient, e.g. N2O oxidation} - H10D 64/693: {the insulator comprising nitrogen, e.g. nitrides, oxynitrides or nitrogen-doped materials} - H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement} - G01N 21/4788: {Diffraction (for sizing particles G01N15/0205)} - G01N 2021/4126: {Index of thin films} - G01N 2021/4735: {Solid samples, e.g. paper, glass} - G01N 2021/8416: {and process controlling, not otherwise provided for} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A system for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation is provided. The system includes one or more light sources, each light source directing light to one or more nitrided gate oxide layers being deposited and/or formed on a wafer. Light reflected from the nitrided gate oxide layers is collected by a measuring system, which processes the collected light. The collected light is indicative of the nitrogen concentration of the respective nitrided gate oxide layers on the wafer. The measuring system provides nitrogen concentration related data to a processor that determines the nitrogen concentration of the respective nitrided gate oxide layers on the wafer. The system also includes one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers where a nitride gate oxide former corresponds to a respective portion of the wafer and provides for nitrided gate oxide layer formation thereon. The processor selectively controls the nitrided gate oxide layer formers to regulate nitrided gate oxide layer formation on the respective nitrided gate oxide layer formations on the wafer, and particularly to control, in situ, the amount of nitrogen incorporated into the gate oxide layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation, comprising: defining a wafer as a plurality of portions; establishing one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formations to be formed; directing light onto at least one of the nitrided gate oxide layer formations; collecting light reflected from at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; analyzing the reflected light to determine nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; and controlling one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers to regulate gate oxide formation of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the reflected light further comprises: employing a scatterometry system to process the reflected light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: collecting light passing through the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; and analyzing the passed through light to determine the nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the passed through light further comprises: using a scatterometry system to process the passed through light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: using a processor to control the at least one nitrided gate oxide former based at least partially on data received from the scatterometry system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: using a processor to control the at least one nitrided gate oxide former based at least partially on data received from the scatterometry system. ### Claim 7 A method for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation, comprising: partitioning a wafer into a plurality of grid blocks; using one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers to form one or more nitrided gate oxide layers on the wafer, each nitrided gate oxide former functionally corresponding to a respective grid block; determining nitrogen concentration of the one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formations on one or more portions of the wafer, each portion corresponding to a respective grid block; and using a processor to coordinate control of the nitrided gate oxide layer formers, respectively, in accordance with determined nitrided gate oxide nitrogen concentration of the respective portions of the wafer. ### Claim 8 A method for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation, comprising: defining a wafer as a plurality of portions; establishing one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formations to be formed; directing light onto at least one of the nitrided gate oxide layer formations; collecting light reflected from at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; analyzing the reflected light to determine nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; controlling one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers to regulate gate oxide formation of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; collecting light passing through the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; and analyzing the passed through light to determine the nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the reflected light further comprises: employing a scatterometry system to process the reflected light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the passed through light further comprises: using a scatterometry system to process the passed through light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: using a processor to control the at least one nitrided gate oxide former based at least partially on data received from the collected light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: using a processor to control the at least one nitrided gate oxide former based at least partially on data received from the scatterometry system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the nitrided gate oxide layer has a thickness of less than ten nanometers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the nitrided gate oxide layer has a thickness of less than three nanometers. ### Claim 15 A method for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation, comprising: defining a wafer as a plurality of portions; establishing one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formations to be formed; directing light onto at least one of the nitrided gate oxide layer formations; collecting light reflected from at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; analyzing the reflected light to determine nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation using a scatterometry system; controlling one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers to regulate gate oxide formation of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; and using a processor to control the at least one nitrided gate oxide former based at least partially on data received from the scatterometry system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein analyzing the reflected light further comprises: employing a scatterometry system to direct light onto at least one of the nitrided gate oxide layer formations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: collecting light passing through the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation; and analyzing the passed through light to determine the nitrogen concentration of the at least one nitrided gate oxide layer formation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the nitrided gate oxide layer has a thickness of less than three nanometers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the nitrided gate oxide layer has a thickness of less than ten nanometers.