	US 11,988,970 B2
	Method for detecting defect in semiconductor fabrication process
Yuan-Ku Lan, Hefei (CN)
Assigned to Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc., Hefei (CN)
Filed by CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Hefei (CN)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/386,487.
Application 17/386,487 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2021/079600, filed on Mar. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 202010162151.2 (CN), filed on Mar. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0356870 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01)

CPC G03F 7/7065 (2013.01)

3 Claims

1. A method for detecting a defect in a semiconductor fabrication process, comprising:

forming photoresist on a substrate;

forming a fluorescent agent in the photoresist before the photoresist is subjected to exposing; and

detecting the defect of the photoresist after being subjected to developing by utilizing the fluorescent agent;

wherein forming the fluorescent agent in the photoresist comprises: injecting the fluorescent agent into the photoresist using an ion implantation;

wherein a structure of the fluorescent agent comprises any one or a combination of C═C—C═C—C═C— or —N═C—C═N—C═C—;

wherein the fluorescent agent is any one or any combination of a toluylene based fluorescent agent, a coumarin based fluorescent agent, a pyrazoline based fluorescent agent, a benzoxazole based fluorescent agent and a dicarboximide based fluorescent agent;

wherein a concentration of the fluorescent agent in the photoresist is larger than 0% and smaller than 1%;

wherein a pH value of the photoresist formed with the fluorescent agent is larger than 0 and smaller than 6;

wherein injection energy of the fluorescent agent is smaller than 10 KeV;

wherein detecting the defect of the photoresist after being subjected to the developing by utilizing the fluorescent agent comprises: irradiating an etching region and a reserved region through a detection light source, then obtaining a fluorescent intensity from the etching region and the reserved region by an optical detector, wherein whether there is any defect in the photoresist after the developing is determined according to the fluorescent intensity or a distribution of the fluorescent intensity;

wherein the defect comprises any one or a combination of a photoresist residue defect and a photoresist deterioration defect;

wherein injecting the fluorescent agent into the photoresist using the ion implantation further comprises: baking the photoresist to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the photoresist; and

wherein injecting the fluorescent agent into the photoresist using the ion implantation further comprises injecting the fluorescent agent before a crosslinking reaction of the photoresist.