Method of Inspecting Particles on Semiconductor Devices

The present invention relates to a method of inspecting particles that is desirable for fine pattern processing of semiconductor devices such as very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI) and the like.

In recent years, the extent of fineness in pattern processing of such semiconductor devices as VLSI, etc. has been consistently increasing. As the degree of the fineness progresses, the existence of particles such as very small dust particles has affected the yield rates of semiconductor devices.

According to the conventional method, the existence of particles has been examined by irradiating a laser light on a wafer surface and by detecting diffuse light beams which are scattered by particles attached to the wafer surface.

FIG. 6 illustrates how a conventional laser particle inspection apparatus works. A substrate to be inspected 30 is placed on a stage 31. An incident laser light beam 33 from a laser light source 32 is scattered by a particle 34 situated on the substrate to be inspected 30 to throw a diffuse light beam 35. This diffuse light beam 35 is inspected by a light detector 36. The stage 31 is driven into motion by a motor 37. The driving system, the laser source 32 and a light detector 36 are controlled by a controller 38 and the data outputted from the inspection apparatus are processed by a computer 39.

The locations of particles are accurately detected by synchronizing signals for the wafer rotation with signals from the light detector 36. However, it is difficult for the foregoing conventional set-up to detect particles of less than 0.1 .mu.m in dimension because the intensity of the diffuse light beams is too weak to detect.

Liquid (e.g. water) drops are condensed on the wafer surface and diffuse light patterns scattered by the liquid drops are detected to find the distribution and dimensions of the particles attached to the wafer surface.

According to this method, a measurement of the distribution and dimensions of particles including ones of less than 0.1 .mu.m in dimension can be performed due to the increased intensity of the diffuse lights. As a result, the yield rate of semiconductor devices is much improved.

FIGS. 1 to 3 are cross-sectional illustrations for explaining a method of inspecting particles in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a laser particle inspection apparatus which utilizes a method of inspecting particles in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a detailed illustration of an inspection chamber which is included in the inspection apparatus of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an illustration to describe the conventional method of particle inspection.

A particle inspection method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained in the following with the help of drawings:

FIGS. 1 to 3 are cross-sectional illustrations for explaining a method of inspecting particles in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, item 1 is a silicon substrate and item 2 is a particle attached to the silicon substrate. A water drop 3 was formed around the particle 2 by cooling the silicon substrate 1 down to temperatures ranging from -5.degree. C. to +5.degree. C. of the water condensation temperature. As shown in FIG. 3, a laser light beam 5 from a laser light source 4 was irradiated on the silicon substrate 1 and a diffuse light pattern 6 scattered by the water drop 3 was detected by a light detector 7. When the particle size was less than 0.1 .mu.m, it was difficult for the light detector used in the conventional method to detect light for the reason that the diffuse light intensity was too weak. In contrast, according to the method of the present invention, the image of the particle 2 was magnified by the water drop 3 and the diffuse light pattern 6 was reflected with very high efficiency for detection by the light detector 7.

FIG. 4 shows a laser particle inspection apparatus which is in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and composed of a loader 10, an unloader 11 and an inspection chamber 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the inspection chamber consists of an air conditioner 21 to maintain the chamber humidity at a high degree of humidity, a stage 22 to hold a substrate and a cooler 23 to lower the temperature of the stage to a certain degree of temperature. The humidity of the inspection chamber is kept at a higher level (around 70%) than that of the ambient (around 50%). Water drops are formed around particles on the substrate which has been cooled down to near the moisture condensation temperature by the cooler 23. The stage 22 is linked with a motor 24. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a laser light source 25 and a light detector 26 are installed in the inspection chamber, the motor 24, the laser light source 25 and the light detector 26 are controlled by the controller 27 and data processing, data displaying and the like are performed by a computer 28. Laser light beams irradiated from the laser light source 25 hit the substrate to be inspected 29 and the irregular reflection light patterns reflected therefrom are detected by the light detector 26.

The same effects can be obtained by drops made from any other vapors such as alcohol, for example, instead of water vapor. Besides, the inspection chamber need not necessarily be a closed vessel so long as the ambient temperature and humidity of the inspection apparatus are kept constant.

Although particles were detected by means of laser diffuse light beams in the foregoing example, a distribution of particles can be easily seen by diffuse light patterns resulting from slantingly irradiated light beams provided water drops are sufficiently grown.

In addition, the way the water drops are formed differs by the surface conditions, whether water repellent or hydrophobic. Therefore, this method can also be used to detect differences of surface conditions.

Further, by combining the particle inspection method utilizing diffuse light beams from the particles not surrounded by water drops and the inspection method of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a combined distribution of large size (0.1 .mu.m and up in diameter) particles and small size (less than 0.1 .mu.m in diameter) particles can be obtained accurately. In this case, the present invention's exemplary method of water drops condensed around particles can be applied either before or after the other method of using no water drops.

All in all, the present invention makes it possible to have more intensified diffuse laser light patterns from particles attached to a surface of a substrate to be inspected with water drops formed around the particles than from particles with no water drops surrounding them. As a result, particles of less than 0.1 .mu.m in dimension are readily detected.