Patent · US Active

Layer detection for high aspect ratio etch control

US11929291B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 23, 2021
Grant dateMar 12, 2024
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 24, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B43/27
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Controlling an etch process applied to a multi-layered structure, by calculating a spectral derivative of reflectance of an illuminated region of interest of a multi-layered structure during an etch process applied to the multi-layered structure, identifying in the spectral derivative a discontinuity that indicates that an edge of a void formed by the etch process at the region of interest has crossed a layer boundary of the multi-layered structure, determining that the crossed layer boundary corresponds to a preselected layer boundary of the multi-layered structure, and applying a predefined control action to the etch process responsive to determining that the crossed layer boundary corresponds to the preselected layer boundary of the multi-layered structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.