Processing condition inspection and optimization method of damage recovery process, damage recovering system and storage medium

A processing condition optimization method of a damage recovery process for reforming a film containing OH group generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process, comprising:

• preparing a substrate having a resist film containing OH group;
• measuring an initial film thickness of the resist film;
• performing a damage recovery process on the resist film by using a processing gas containing a silylation agent after measuring the initial film thickness, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is increased after performing the damage recovery process;
• measuring a film thickness of the resist after the damage recovery process;
• calculating a film thickness difference of the resist before and after the damage recovery process;
• and
• adjusting a processing condition of the damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent such that the film thickness difference of the resist film before and after the damage recovery process has a value corresponding to an optimal processing condition based on previously obtained data for a relationship between the thickness difference and the processing condition of damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent,
• wherein said adjusting includes adjusting the processing condition such that an amount of increased film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process is within a tolerance range.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a damage recovering system including a damage recovering apparatus for reforming a film having OH groups generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process and a film thickness measurement device for measuring a film thickness of a predetermined film, wherein the program, when executed, controls the damage recovering system to perform a processing condition inspection method of a damage recovery process, the method including:

• preparing a substrate having a resist film containing an OH group;
• measuring an initial film thickness of the resist film;
• performing a damage recovery process on the resist film by using a processing gas containing a silylation agent after measuring the initial film thickness, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is increased after performing the damage recovery process;
• measuring a film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process;
• calculating a film thickness difference of the resist film before and after the damage recovery process;
• and
• determining, based on the film thickness difference, whether a processing condition of the damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent is appropriate or inappropriate for reforming the film containing OH group generated by damages from the etching or ashing process,
• wherein said determining includes determining whether an amount of increased film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process is within a tolerance range.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a damage recovering system including a damage recovering apparatus for reforming a film having OH groups generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process and a film thickness measurement device for measuring a film thickness of a predetermined film, wherein the program, when executed, controls the damage recovering system to perform a processing condition inspection method of a damage recovery process, the method including:

• preparing a substrate having a resist film containing OH group;
• measuring an initial film thickness of the resist film;
• performing a damage recovery process on the resist film by using a processing gas containing a silylation agent after measuring the initial film thickness, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is increased after performing the damage recovery process;
• measuring a film thickness of the resist after the damage recovery process;
• calculating a film thickness difference of the resist before and after the damage recovery process;
• and
• adjusting a processing condition of the damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent such that the film thickness difference of the resist film before and after the damage recovery process has a value corresponding to an optimal processing condition based on previously obtained data for a relationship between the thickness difference and the processing condition of damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent,
• wherein said adjusting includes adjusting the processing condition such that an amount of increased film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process is within a tolerance range.

A silylation method of a damage recovery process for reforming a film having OH group generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process, comprising:

• (a) determining a silylation process optimization condition using a processing gas containing a silylation agent, said determining the silylation process optimization condition including:
• (a-1) preparing a substrate having a resist film containing OH group;
• (a-2) measuring an initial film thickness of the resist film;
• (a-3) performing a damage recovery process on the resist film by using a processing gas containing a silylation agent after measuring the initial film thickness, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is increased after performing the damage recovery process;
• (a-4) measuring a film thickness of the resist after the damage recovery process;
• (a-5) calculating a film thickness difference of the resist before and after the damage recovery process;
• and
• (a-6) adjusting a processing condition of the damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent such that the film thickness difference of the resist film before and after the damage recovery process has a value corresponding to an optimal processing condition based on previously obtained data for a relationship between the thickness difference and the processing condition of damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent,
• (b) transferring a substrate having a low-k interlayer dielectric film having OH group generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process into a processing vessel,
• (c) setting the processing vessel to the silyation process optimization condition, and
• (d) performing a silylation processing on the low-k dielectric film,
• wherein said adjusting includes adjusting the processing condition such that an amount of increased film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process is within a tolerance range.

A damage recovery method of reforming a low-k interlayer dielectric film having OH group, comprising:

• (a) performing an etching or an ashing process on a low-k interlayer dielectric film, wherein the etched or ashed dielectric film has OH group due to damages generated by the etching or ashing process,
• (b) determining silylation process optimization conditions using a processing gas containing a silylation agent, the determining silylation process optimization conditions including:
• (b-1) preparing a substrate having a resist film containing OH group;
• (b-2) measuring an initial film thickness of the resist film;
• (b-3) performing a damage recovery process on the resist film by using a processing gas containing a silylation agent after measuring the initial film thickness, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is increased after performing the damage recovery process;
• (b-4) measuring a film thickness of the resist after the damage recovery process,
• (b-5) calculating a film thickness difference of the resist before and after the damage recovery process, and
• (b-6) adjusting a processing condition of the damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent such that the film thickness difference of the resist film before and after the damage recovery process has a value corresponding to an optimal processing condition based on previously obtained data for a relationship between the thickness difference and the processing condition of damage recovery process performed by using the processing gas containing the silylation agent,
• (c) transferring a substrate having a low-k interlayer dielectric film having OH group generated by damages from an etching or an ashing process into a processing vessel,
• (d) setting the processing vessel to the silyation process optimization condition, and
• (e) performing a silylation processing on the low-k dielectric film,
• wherein said adjusting includes adjusting the processing condition such that an amount of increased film thickness of the resist film after the damage recovery process is within a tolerance range.