Patent · US Active

Method and system for monitoring an etch process

US8257546B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
20References
37Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 2003
Grant dateSep 4, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 18, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring an etch process. The etch process may be monitored using measurement information (e.g., critical dimensions (CD), layer thickness, and the like) provided ex-situ with respect to the etch process in combination with in-situ monitoring (e.g., spectroscopy, interferometry, scatterometry, reflectometry, and the like) performed during the etch process. The ex-situ measurement information in combination with the in-situ monitoring may be used to monitor for example, an endpoint of an etch process, an etch depth profile of a feature formed on a substrate, fault detection of an integrated circuit manufacturing process, and the like.

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