IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTICLE SOURCE IN LSI MANUFACTURING PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Today, defect sources of LSI device mainly lie in the process equipmen ts. The particles generating in these equipments are introduced onto t he wafer, and form the defects resulting in functional failures of LSI device. Thus, reducing these particles is acquired for increasing pro duction yield and higher productivity, and it is important to identify the particle source in the equipment. In this study, we discussed new two methods to identify this source in the equipment used in the prod uction line. The important point of identifying is to estimate the par ticle generation with short time and high accuracy, and to minimize lo ng time stop of the equipment requiring disassembly. First, we illustr ated ''particle distribution analysis method.'' In this method, we sho wed the procedure to express the particle distribution mathematically. We applied this method to our etching equipment, and could identify t he particle source without stopping this etching equipment. Secondly, we illustrated the method to ''in-situ particle monitoring method,'' a nd applied this method to our AP-CVD equipment. As a result, it was cl ear the main particle source of this equipment and the procedure for d ecreasing these particles. By using this method, we could estimate the particle generation at real time in process without stopping this equ ipment. Thus, both methods shown in this study could estimate the part icle generation and identify the particle source with short time and h igh accuracy. Furthermore, they do not require long time stop of the p rocess equipment and interrupting the production line. Therefore, thes e methods are concluded to be very useful and effective in LSI manufac turing process.