Thickness measurement system and method
地域：
Hsinchu
摘要
A system includes a factory interface, a deposition tool, and at least one measuring device. The factory interface is configured to carry a wafer. The deposition tool is coupled to the factory interface and configured to process the wafer transferred from the factory interface. The at least one measuring device is equipped in the factory interface, the deposition tool, or the combination thereof. The at least one measuring device is configured to perform real-time measurements of a thickness of a material on the wafer that is carried in the factory interface or the deposition tool.
說明書
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/733,604, filed Sep. 19, 2018, which is herein incorporated by reference.
A measurement or test of a conventional deposition process is performed after the following processes are done. The status of the deposition process is able to be known after the measurement or the test is done. Thus, an off-line measurement is performed to know the status of the deposition process.
Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
權利要求
What is claimed is:1. A system, comprising:a factory interface configured to carry a wafer; a deposition tool coupled to the factory interface and configured to process the wafer transferred from the factory interface; and a plurality of measuring devices equipped in the factory interface and the deposition tool, wherein the plurality of measuring devices are configured to perform real-time measurements of a thickness of a material on the wafer that is carried in the factory interface and the deposition tool, the deposition tool comprises a buffer chamber comprising a robot having at least one robot blade, and at least one of the plurality of measuring devices is positioned beneath and equipped at the at least one robot blade. 2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of measuring devices is further configured to generate data associated with a weight change of the wafer indicating the thickness of the material on the wafer. 3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the data is for determining whether the material has a required thickness on the wafer after being processed by the deposition tool. 4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deposition tool comprises:at least one load lock chamber coupling the buffer chamber to the factory interface, wherein the plurality of measuring devices are equipped in the buffer chamber, and the at least one load lock chamber. 5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer chamber is coupled to the factory interface through at least one load lock chamber, and the at least one robot blade is configured to handle and transfer the wafer to and from various positions,wherein each one of the plurality of measuring devices comprises a thickness measuring device, and the thickness measuring device is equipped at the at least one robot blade. 6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the deposition tool further comprises:a plurality of process chambers coupled to the buffer chamber, wherein a first process chamber of the plurality of process chambers is configured to receive the wafer transferred from the buffer chamber and configured to deposit the material on the wafer. 7. The system of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of measuring devices further comprises:a processor coupled to a data collection control unit and configured to receive data associated with a weight change that indicates the thickness of the material on the wafer. 8. A system, comprising:a factory interface; a plurality of load lock chambers coupled to the factory interface and configured to load and transfer wafers from the factory interface; a buffer chamber coupled to the factory interface through the plurality of load lock chambers, the buffer chamber configured to receive the wafers from the plurality of load lock chambers, and the buffer chamber comprising a robot having a robot blade; a plurality of process chambers disposed around and coupled to the buffer chamber, the plurality of process chambers configured to process the wafers from the buffer chamber; and a plurality of measuring devices equipped in the factory interface and at least one of the plurality of load lock chambers, and positioned beneath and equipped at the robot blade of the robot in the buffer chamber, to perform real-time measurements of thicknesses of materials on the wafers carried therein. 9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the robot blade is configured to handle and transfer a first wafer of the wafers to and from various positions,wherein at least one of the plurality of measuring devices comprises a weight measuring device, and the weight measuring device is equipped at the robot blade. 10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:a processor coupled to the plurality of measuring devices, the processor configured to generate an activation signal when receiving data associated with a weight change, from at least one of the plurality of measuring devices, for determining whether a material on the first wafer of the wafers has a required thickness after being processed by the plurality of process chambers. 11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:a processor coupled to the plurality of measuring devices, the processor configured to identify a status of a deposition process performed by the plurality of process chambers according to a weight change measured by the weight measuring device. 12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:a processor coupled to the plurality of measuring devices, the processor configured to generate an activation signal when receiving a data associated with a weight change, from each of the plurality of measuring devices, wherein the weight change indicates a thickness of a material on a first wafer of the wafers after being deposited by a first process chamber of the plurality of process chambers. 13. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of measuring devices is further configured to calculate a thickness of a material on a first wafer of the wafers according to a weight change measured by the at least one measuring device. 14. A system, comprising:a factory interface; a plurality of weight measuring devices that are separated from each other; a plurality of load lock chambers, wherein at least one of the plurality of weight measuring devices is equipped in the plurality of load lock chambers; and a buffer chamber coupled between the factory interface and the plurality of load lock chambers, and comprising a robot having a robot blade, wherein one of the plurality of weight measuring devices is equipped in the buffer chamber, and one of the plurality of weight measuring devices is positioned beneath and equipped at the robot blade, wherein a wafer is configured to be transferred from the factory interface through one of the plurality of load lock chambers to the buffer chamber, and wherein real-time measurements are performed to calculate a thickness of a material on the wafer in the one of the plurality of load lock chambers and in the buffer chamber, by the plurality of weight measuring devices. 15. The system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of weight measuring devices is equipped in the factory interface, and the factory interface is configured to carry the wafer. 16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:a plurality of process chambers coupled to the buffer chamber, wherein a first process chamber of the plurality of process chambers is configured to receive the wafer transferred from the buffer chamber and configured to deposit the material on the wafer; and a processor coupled to the plurality of weight measuring devices, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the thickness of the material on the wafer according to the real-time measurements before and after the wafer is deposited. 17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify a status of a deposition process on the wafer according to data measured by the real-time measurements. 18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of weight measuring devices are further configured to perform the real-time measurements before the wafer is deposited in the plurality of load lock chambers and the buffer chamber, and to generate data associated with a weight change that indicates the thickness of the material on the wafer. 19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an activation signal when receiving the data associated with the weight change, from the plurality of weight measuring devices, for determining whether the material on the wafer has a required thickness after being processed by the first process chamber. 20. The system of claim 14 ,wherein the robot blade is configured to handle and transfer the wafer to and from various positions.
意見反饋