ASM stepper alignment through thick epitaxial silicon films

Iain Black

doi:10.1117/12.346892

28 April 1999 ASM stepper alignment through thick epitaxial silicon films

Iain Black

Proceedings Volume 3741, Lithography for Semiconductor Manufacturing; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.346892
Event: Microelectronic Manufacturing Technologies, 1999, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

High voltage bipolar and BiCMOS processes often use thick epitaxially grown layers of silicon. These films 12-24 micrometers thick offer a considerable challenge to the alignment of subsequent process layers due to the 'wash out' and image distortion, caused to any underlying pattern, which render automatic alignment mark recognition difficult it not impossible. Historically using projection aligner technology these immediately post Epi layers have been manually aligned with future automatic alignment target defined at the first opportunity post Epi. This is not possible using ASM steppers, as these depend upon marks etched into the silicon, before first processing, to create marks, to which all subsequent layers are registered. To allow the stepper to run wafers with these Epi films a new approach was required.

Citation Download Citation

Iain Black "ASM stepper alignment through thick epitaxial silicon films", Proc. SPIE 3741, Lithography for Semiconductor Manufacturing, (28 April 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.346892

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