# US 7,407,821 B2 · Substrate processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,407,821 B2 - Document ID: US7407821B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/874,245 - Filed: 2004-06-24 - Published: 2005-01-13 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2003-06-27 - Assignees: Ebara Corporation - Inventors: Xinming Wang; Daisuke Takagi; Akihiko Tashiro; Akira Fukunaga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7407821B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/037: {the barrier, adhesion or liner layers being on top of a main fill metal} - C23C 18/1608: {from pretreatment step, i.e. selective pre-treatment} - C23C 18/1675: {Process conditions} - C23C 18/1879: {Use of metal, e.g. activation, sensitisation with noble metals} - H10P 14/46: using a liquid - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes} - H10W 20/044: {for electroless plating} - H10W 20/0526: {by thermal treatment thereof} - C23C 18/1692: {Heat-treatment} - H10W 46/507: {Located in dummy chips or in reference chips} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract There is provided a substrate processing method and apparatus which can measure and monitor thickness and/or properties of a film formed on a substrate as needed, and quickly correct a deviation in process conditions, and which can therefore stably provide a product of constant quality. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate having a metal and an insulating material exposed on its surface in such a manner that a film thickness of the metal, with an exposed surface of the metal as a reference plane, is selectively or preferentially changed, including measuring a change in the film thickness and/or a film property of the metal during and/or immediately after processing, and monitoring processing and adjusting processing conditions based on results of this measurement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: on a substrate having a metal portion and an insulating material portion, with metal of said metal portion and insulating material of said insulating material portion exposed at a surface of said substrate, selectively forming a coating film on an exposed surface of said metal portion; defining on said substrate a measurement area and a target area; preparing beforehand a calibration curve showing a relationship between a film property of coating film in said measurement area and a film property of this coating film in said target area; determining a film property of the selectively formed coating film in said measurement area during and/or immediately after selectively forming said coating film; and converting the film property as determined to a film property of the selectively formed coating film in said target area by using said calibration curve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the film property of the coating film represented by said calibration curve, and the film property of the selectively formed coating film, comprise at least one of film composition, density, refractive index, surface roughness, reflectance and interface width. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the film property of the selectively formed coating film in said measurement area comprises using an optical sensor, with said measurement area being sufficiently larger than a spot size of an optical beam emitted from said optical sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein said optical sensor is an optical sensor that utilizes spectroreflectometry, ellipsometry or spectroscopic ellipsometry. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein said optical sensor is an optical sensor that utilizes X-ray reflectance, grazing-incidence fluorescent X-rays or a plurality of laser interferometers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein defining on said substrate a measurement area comprises providing a dummy pattern on said substrate, with said dummy pattern serving as said measurement area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: based on the film property resulting from converting the film property as determined, adjusting processing conditions for a next substrate to be processed. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: on a substrate having a metal portion and an insulating material portion, with metal of said metal portion and insulating material of said insulating material portion exposed at a surface of said substrate, selectively forming a coating film on an exposed surface of said metal portion; defining on said substrate a measurement area and a target area; preparing beforehand a calibration curve showing a relationship between a film thickness of coating film in said measurement area and a film thickness of this coating film in said target area; measuring a film thickness of the selectively formed coating film in said measurement area during and/or immediately after selectively forming said coating film; and converting the film thickness as measured to a film thickness of the selectively formed coating film in said target area by using said calibration curve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein measuring the film thickness of the selectively formed coating film in said measurement area comprises using an optical sensor, with said measurement area being sufficiently larger than a spot size of an optical beam emitted from said optical sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said optical sensor is an optical sensor that utilizes spectrorefletometry, ellipsometry or spectroscopic ellipsometry. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said optical sensor is an optical sensor that utilizes X-ray reflectance, grazing-incidence fluorescent X-rays or a plurality of laser interferometers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein defining on said substrate a measurement area comprises providing a dummy pattern, on said substrate, with said dummy patter serving as said measurement area. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: based on the film thickness resulting from converting the film thickness as measured, adjusting processing conditions for a next substrate to be processed.