Workpiece breakage prevention method and apparatus
AssigneeMattson Technology, Inc.
InventorsDavid Malcolm Camm, Joseph Cibere, Greg Stuart, Steve McCoy
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece are disclosed. An illustrative method includes measuring deformation of a workpiece during heat-treating thereof, and taking an action in relation to the heat-treating of the workpiece, in response to the measuring of the deformation of the workpiece. The workpiece may include a semiconductor wafer. Taking an action may include applying a deformation correction to a temperature or reflectivity measurement of the wafer during thermal processing, or may include modifying the heat-treating of the wafer, for example.
Claims47
A method comprising:
- a) measuring deformation of a semiconductor workpiece during heat-treating thereof, wherein the semiconductor workpiece comprises a semiconductor wafer, wherein the heat-treating comprises heating the semiconductor wafer, and wherein measuring the deformation comprises measuring a curvature of the semiconductor wafer during the heating of the semiconductor wafer;
- b) obtaining a temperature measurement of the semiconductor wafer during the heat-treating thereof by detecting electromagnetic radiation from the semiconductor wafer, wherein the temperature measurement is affected by a deformation error resulting from magnification of the electromagnetic radiation caused by the curvature of the semiconductor wafer;
- and
- c) taking an action in relation to the heating of the semiconductor wafer, in response to the measuring of the deformation of the semiconductor wafer, wherein taking the action comprises compensating for the deformation error resulting from the magnification by applying a deformation correction to the temperature measurement of the semiconductor wafer during the heating.
An apparatus comprising:
- a) means for measuring deformation of a semiconductor workpiece during heat-treating thereof, wherein the semiconductor workpiece comprises a semiconductor wafer, wherein the heat-treating comprises heating the semiconductor wafer, and wherein the means for measuring the deformation comprises means for measuring a curvature of the semiconductor wafer during the heating of the semiconductor wafer;
- b) means for obtaining, during the heat-treating of the semiconductor wafer, a temperature measurement of the semiconductor wafer that is affected by a deformation error, the means for obtaining comprising means for detecting, from the semiconductor wafer, electromagnetic radiation that is affected by magnification caused by the curvature of the semiconductor wafer, the deformation error of the temperature measurement resulting from the magnification;
- and
- c) means for taking an action in relation to the heating of the semiconductor wafer, in response to the measuring of the deformation of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the means for taking the action comprises means for compensating for the deformation error resulting from the magnification by applying a deformation correction to the temperature measurement of the semiconductor wafer during the heating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.