SBIR Phase II: Whole Wafer Thermal Imaging for Real-Time Process Monitoring and Control

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将开发一种实时的全晶圆传感器，用于先进半导体和薄膜制造工艺的过程监控和故障检测。未来半导体和光电器件的生产将严重依赖于过程传感和控制的持续进步。在当今的制造业中，由于层性质对工艺条件的高度敏感性，以及无法在整个工艺序列中充分控制工艺条件，工艺产量和生产率受到限制。目前的技术主要依赖于使用间接传感器信号的开环控制；这是一种代价高昂的做法，导致大量报废和设备停机，以进行预防性维护。为了通过改进闭环控制来解决这个问题，该项目将开发一种具有先进热成像和晶圆映射算法的高性能成像辐射计。第二阶段包括硬件、软件和应用程序开发，以解决用于监视毯和图案基板的传感器技术的重要组件。该传感器将通过基于模型的热辐射图像分析，提供近视频速率、空间分辨率的整片温度和薄膜特性测量。将对快速热处理工具进行内部测试，并对MOCVD反应器进行现场测试。潜在的商业应用预计在优化和控制许多先进的半导体制造工艺，如快速热加工（RTP），分子束外延（MBE）和金属有机化学气相沉积（MOCVD）。改进的整片传感器有可能显著增加RTP执行的工艺步骤数量，从而增加RTP作为通用工艺方法的数量。原位晶圆状态传感器的商业效益包括减少废料，减少设备预防性维护，提高工艺效率，改善设备的均匀性和性能。

0078444LatvakoskiThis Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a real-time, whole wafer sensor for process monitoring and fault detection in advanced semiconductor and thin film fabrication processes. The production of future semiconductor and optoelectronic devices will depend critically on continued advances in process sensing and control. In present-day manufacturing, process yield and productivity are limited by the high sensitivity of layer properties to process conditions, and by an inability to control process conditions adequately throughout the process sequence. Current technology relies primarily on open-loop control using indirect sensor signals; a costly practice resulting in significant scrap and equipment downtime for preventative maintenance. To address this problem through improved closed loop control, this project will develop a high performance imaging radiometer with advanced thermographic and wafer mapping algorithms. Phase II includes hardware, software, and applications development that addresses important components of the sensor technology for monitoring blanket and patterned substrates. The sensor will provide near video-rate, spatially resolved whole wafer measurements of temperature and film properties from a model-based analysis of thermal radiance images. In-house testing on a rapid thermal processing tool and field testing on a MOCVD reactor will be performed.Potential commercial applications are anticipated in optimization and control of many advanced semiconductor fabrication processes such as rapid thermal processing (RTP), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Improved whole wafer sensors have potential for significant increase in the number of process steps performed by RTP and thus increase the RTP as a generic process method. The commercial benefits of an in-situ wafer state sensor include reduced scrap, reduced equipment preventative maintenance, improved process efficiency, and improved device uniformity and performance.