Structure and method to prevent charge damage from e-beam curing process
AssigneeChartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsHuang Liu, Bei Chao Zhang, Wuping Liu, John Leonard Sudijono, Liang Choo Hsia
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Abstract
An example embodiment is a method of curing a film over a semiconductor structure. We provide a semiconductor structure comprised of a substrate and an interconnect structure. We provide a film over the semiconductor structure. We provide an electron source, an anode grid between the electron source and the semiconductor structure. We cure the film by exposing the film to an electron beam from the electron source that passes through the anode grid. We control the electron beam by controlling the bias voltage between the anode grid and the semiconductor structure. Another embodiment is a tool for curing a film.
Claims22
A method of curing a film comprising:
- providing a semiconductor structure which comprises a substrate prepared with a cathode structure, the substrate further includes a film disposed over the substrate;
- providing an electron source and an anode grid;
- curing the film by exposing the film to an electron beam from the electron source, the electron beam passes through the anode grid,
- wherein during curing, a control circuit electrically couples the cathode structure to the anode grid to facilitate the semiconductor structure to act as a cathode;
- and
- monitoring current flow between the anode grid and the cathode by the control circuit,
- wherein the current flow is used to indicate potential charge damage.
A method of curing a film over a substrate comprising:
- providing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate prepared with a cathode structure, the semiconductor further comprises a film over the substrate, wherein the film comprises an organic low K material with a dielectric constant less than 3.0 or a photoresist material;
- providing an electron source and an anode grid between the electron source and the semiconductor structure;
- curing the film by exposing the film to an electron beam from the electron source that passes through the anode grid,
- wherein during curing, a control circuit couples the cathode structure to the anode grid to facilitate the semiconductor structure to act as a cathode;
- and
- measuring current flow between the anode grid and the cathode by the control circuit,
- wherein the current flow is used to indicate potential charge damage, thereby enabling the control circuit to control a depth of the electron beam for curing the film to reduce potential charge damage.
A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising:
- providing a substrate prepared with a cathode structure, the substrate is further prepared with a film over the substrate and the cathode structure;
- placing the substrate in a curing tool with an electron source and an anode grid;
- generating an electron beam from the electron source, wherein the electron beam passes through the anode grid toward the substrate to cure the film,
- wherein during curing, a control circuit electrically couples the cathode structure to the anode grid to facilitate the semiconductor structure to act as a cathode;
- and
- monitoring current flow between the anode grid and the cathode by the control circuit,
- wherein the current flow is used to indicate potential charge damage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.