US 12,332,042 B2
In-situ wafer thickness and gap monitoring using through beam laser sensor
Goon Heng Wong, Pleasanton, CA (US); Xuefeng Hua, Foster City, CA (US); Anthony Paul Van Selow, Santa Clara, CA (US); Daniel Torres, San Jose, CA (US); and Jack Chen, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/913,902
Filed by LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 24, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/023852
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 23, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/195190, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/001,145, filed on Mar. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0210163 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. G01B 11/06 (2006.01); C23C 14/54 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); G01B 11/14 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 11/0683 (2013.01) [C23C 14/547 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); G01B 11/0625 (2013.01); G01B 11/14 (2013.01)] 41 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling processing of a substrate arranged in a processing chamber, the system comprising:
an emitter configured to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber arranged above the substrate;
a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generate a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the transmitted signal,
wherein either i) the emitter and the receiver are arranged on opposite sidewalls of the processing chamber and the received portion of the transmitted signal passes through the gap to be received by the receiver, or ii) the emitter and the receiver are arranged on a same sidewall of the processing chamber and a non-received portion of the transmitted signal passes through the gap and the received portion of the transmitted signal is reflected off of at least one of the substrate and the component and back toward the receiver to be received by the receiver; and
a system controller configured to receive the measurement signal and selectively adjust a parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between values of the measurement signal and at least one of (i) a thickness of the substrate, (ii) a width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber, and (iii) an amount to adjust the parameter of the processing chamber.