Real-time control of photoresist development process

Arthur Tay; Weng-Khuen Ho; Choon-Meng Kiew; Ying Zhou; Jay H. Lee

doi:10.1117/12.599630

17 May 2005 Real-time control of photoresist development process

Arthur Tay, Weng-Khuen Ho, Choon-Meng Kiew, Ying Zhou, Jay H. Lee

Proceedings Volume 5755, Data Analysis and Modeling for Process Control II; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599630
Event: Microlithography 2005, 2005, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Critical dimension (CD) or linewidth is one the most critical variable in the lithography process with the most direct impact on the device speed and performance of integrated circuit. The resist development step is one of the critical step in the lithography process that can have an impact on the CD uniformity. The development rate can have an impact on the CD uniformity from wafer-to-wafer and within-wafer. Non-uniformity in the time to reach endpoint is the result of non-uniformity in film thickness, exposure dosage and resist chemical compound. This can in turn lead to non-uniformity in the linewidth. Conventional approach to control this process include monitoring the end-point of the develop process and adjust the development time or concentration from wafer-to-wafer or run-to-run. This paper presents an innovative approach to control the photoresist development rate in real-time by monitoring the photoresist thickness. Our approach uses a spectrometer positioned above a bakeplate to monitor the development rate. The absorption coefficient can be extracted from the spectrometers data using standard optimization algorithms. With these in-situ measurements, the temperature profile of the bakeplate is controlled in real time by manipulating the heater power distribution using conventional proportional-integral (PI) control algorithm. We have experimentally obtained a repeatable improvement in the time to reach end-point for the develop process from wafer-to-wafer. Nonuniformity of less than 5% in the time to reach endpoint has been achieved.

Citation Download Citation

Arthur Tay, Weng-Khuen Ho, Choon-Meng Kiew, Ying Zhou, and Jay H. Lee "Real-time control of photoresist development process", Proc. SPIE 5755, Data Analysis and Modeling for Process Control II, (17 May 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599630

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KEYWORDS

Photoresist developing

Photoresist materials

Semiconducting wafers

Process control

Spectroscopy

Critical dimension metrology

Photoresist processing

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