US 12,424,467 B2
Systems and methods for determining a localized fluid velocity on a spinning substrate by tracking movement of a tracer across the spinning substrate
Michael Carcasi, Austin, TX (US); Sean Berglund, Austin, TX (US); Ankur Agarwal, Austin, TX (US); and Steven Gueci, Albany, NY (US)
Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/210,762.
Prior Publication US 2024/0420973 A1, Dec. 19, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/6715 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02057 (2013.01); H01L 21/67253 (2013.01); H01L 21/68764 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling one or more operational parameters of a spin-on process used to dispense a processing liquid onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
dispensing the processing liquid onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate while the semiconductor substrate is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, wherein the processing liquid is dispensed at a predetermined flow rate, and wherein the processing liquid flows in a radial direction across the surface of the semiconductor substrate toward a periphery of the semiconductor substrate at an unknown fluid velocity;
dispensing a tracer within, or onto a surface of, the processing liquid while the processing liquid is dispensed onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the tracer flows along with the processing liquid at the unknown fluid velocity, wherein the tracer is a foaming agent or an immiscible liquid;
tracking movement of the tracer over time as the tracer flows along with the processing liquid at the unknown fluid velocity;
utilizing the tracked movement of the tracer to determine a localized fluid velocity of the processing liquid at one or more radial positions on the semiconductor substrate; and
controlling the one or more operational parameters of the spin-on process based on the localized fluid velocity of the processing liquid at the one or more radial positions.