Integrated equipment set for forming a low K dielectric interconnect on a substrate

Abstract

A method is provided that includes (1) receiving information about a substrate processed within a low K dielectric deposition subsystem from an integrated inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem; (2) determining an etch process to perform within an etch subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem; and (3) directing the etch subsystem to etch at least one low K dielectric layer on the substrate based on the etch process. Other methods, systems, apparatus, data structures and computer program products are provided.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system configured to form a low K dielectric interconnect on a substrate, the system comprising: 
 a low K dielectric deposition subsystem configured to deposit one or more low K dielectric layers on a substrate, the low K dielectric deposition subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate;    an etch subsystem configured to receive the substrate after one or more low K dielectric layers have been deposited on the substrate and to etch the substrate to form one or more etched features in the one or more low K dielectric layers formed on the substrate, the etch subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate; and    a controller coupled to the low K dielectric deposition subsystem and the etch subsystem, the controller having computer program code configured to communicate with each subsystem and to perform the steps of: 
 receiving information about a substrate processed within the low K dielectric deposition subsystem from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem;  
 determining an etch process to perform within the etch subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem; and  
 directing the etch subsystem to etch at least one low K dielectric layer on the substrate based on the etch process.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller further comprises computer program code configured to perform the step of receiving information about the etched substrate from the inspection system of the etch subsystem.  
     
     
         3 . A system configured to form a low K dielectric interconnect on a substrate, the system comprising: 
 a low K dielectric deposition subsystem configured to deposit one or more low K dielectric layers on a substrate, the low K dielectric deposition subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate;    an etch subsystem configured to receive the substrate after one or more low K dielectric layers have been deposited on the substrate and to etch the substrate to form one or more etched features in the one or more low K dielectric layers formed on the substrate, the etch subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate;    a barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem configured to receive the substrate after the substrate has been etched in the etch subsystem and to deposit a barrier layer and a seed layer on the substrate, the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate;    an electroplating subsystem configured to receive the substrate after the seed layer has been deposited on the substrate and to deposit a fill layer on the substrate, the electroplating subsystem having an integrated inspection system configured to inspect the substrate;    a planarization subsystem configured to receive the substrate after the fill layer has been deposited on the substrate and to planarize the substrate; and    a controller coupled to the low K dielectric deposition subsystem, the etch subsystem, the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem, the electroplating subsystem and the planarization subsystem, the controller having computer program code configured to communicate with each subsystem and to perform the steps of: 
 receiving information about a substrate processed within the low K dielectric deposition subsystem from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem;  
 determining an etch process to perform within the etch subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem;  
 directing the etch subsystem to etch at least one low K dielectric layer on the substrate based on the etch process;  
 receiving information about the etched substrate from at least one of the inspection system of the etch subsystem and the inspection system of the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem;  
 determining a deposition process to perform within the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem based at least in part on the information received about the etched substrate;  
 directing the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem to deposit at least one of a barrier layer and a seed layer on the substrate based on the deposition process;  
 receiving information about the substrate following deposition within the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem from the inspection system of the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem;  
 determining an electroplating process to perform within the electroplating subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the barrier/seed layer deposition subsystem;  
 directing the electroplating subsystem to deposit a fill layer on the substrate based on the electroplating process;  
 receiving information about the fill layer deposited on the substrate from the inspection system of the electroplating subsystem;  
 determining a planarization process to perform within the planarization subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the electroplating subsystem; and  
 directing the planarization subsystem to planarize the substrate based on the planarization process.  
   
     
     
         4 . A method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving information about a substrate processed within a low K dielectric deposition subsystem from an integrated inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem;    determining an etch process to perform within an etch subsystem based at least in part on the information received from the inspection system of the low K dielectric deposition subsystem; and    directing the etch subsystem to etch at least one low K dielectric layer on the substrate based on the etch process.