US2005225308A1PendingUtilityA1

Real-time monitoring of particles in semiconductor vacuum environment

37
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 31, 2004Filed: Mar 31, 2004Published: Oct 13, 2005
Est. expiryMar 31, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kevin J. Orvek
Y10T436/107497G01N 15/0656Y10T436/108331G03F 7/70908
37
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Claims

Abstract

An apparatus includes semiconductor processing equipment. A particle detecting integrated circuit is positioned in a vacuum environment, the particle detecting integrated circuit containing a device having a pair of conductive lines exposed to the vacuum environment. The pair of conductive lines is spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to diameters of particles of interest. A computer system is linked to the particle detecting integrated circuit to detect a change in an electrical property of the conductive lines when a particle becomes lodged between or on the lines.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum chamber containing a particle detecting integrated circuit, the particle detecting integrated circuit including a device having a pair of exposed conductive lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a computer system linked to the particle detecting integrated circuit.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the particle detecting integrated circuit includes a remote-controlled movable cover protecting the device.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the particle detecting integrated circuit includes a plurality of devices.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of devices include a uniform pitch representing a single particle size between pairs.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of devices include a plurality of pitches representing a range of particle sizes between pairs.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the computer system detects a change in current when a metallic particle shorts the pair of exposed conductive lines.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the computer system detects a change in capacitance when a non-metallic particles lodges on or between the pair of exposed conductive lines.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a mask stage in a vacuum chamber of semiconductor processing equipment;    a particle detecting integrated circuit embedded in the mask stage, the particle detecting integrated circuit containing a device having a pair of conductive lines exposed to a local vacuum environment, the pair of lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a computer system linked to the particle detecting integrated circuit.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the pair of conductive lines have an applied voltage.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the computer system detects a change in current when a metallic particle shorts the pair of conductive lines.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the computer system detects a change in capacitance when a non-metallic particle lodges on or between the pair of conductive lines of the particle detecting integrated circuit.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of claim  1 Q wherein the computer system is semiconductor component circuitry.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of claim  1 Q wherein the computer system is off-chip circuitry.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the particle detecting integrated circuit comprises a plurality of devices.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein each of the plurality of devices includes pairs of conductive lines having a uniform pitch representing a single particle size.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein each of the plurality of devices includes pairs of conductive lines having a non-uniform pitch representing a range of particle sizes.  
   
   
       19 . A method comprising: 
 exposing a particle detecting integrated circuit to residual gases and particles within a vacuum environment, the particle detecting integrated circuit containing a device having a pair of conductive lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest;    applying a voltage to the pair of conductive lines; and    detecting a change in an electrical property of the conductive lines resulting from a particle landing on or between the pair of conductive lines.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein detecting comprises a change in current between the pair of conductive lines.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein detecting comprises a change in a capacitance between the pair of conductive lines.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising exposing a plurality of devices to the residual gases and particles within the vacuum environment, each one of the devices having a pair of conductive lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the critical pitch corresponds to a range of particles of interest.  
   
   
       24 . A chip fabrication method comprising: 
 a photolithography process including a real-time particle detection process, the real-time particle detection process comprising: 
 exposing a particle detecting integrated circuit embedded in a stage to residual gases and particles within a vacuum environment, the particle detecting integrated circuit containing a device having a pair of conductive lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest;  
 applying a voltage to the pair of conductive lines;  
 detecting a change in an electrical property of the conductive lines resulting from a particle landing on or between the pair of conductive lines;  
   an etching process;    a stripping process;    a diffusion process;    an ion implantation process;    a deposition process; and    a chemical mechanical planarization process.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein detecting a change comprises a change in current between the pair of conductive lines.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein detecting a change comprises a change in a capacitance between the pair of conductive lines.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein exposing further comprises exposing a plurality of devices to the residual gases and particles within the vacuum environment, each of the devices containing a pair of conductive lines spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to particles of interest.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 applying a voltage to the conductive lines of the plurality of devices; and    detecting changes in electrical properties of the pairs of conductive lines resulting from particles landing on or between the pairs of conductive lines.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein critical pitches of the conductive lines of the devices correspond to a range of particles of interest.

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