Method and apparatus for sheet resistance measurement of a wafer during a fabrication process

Claim 2

Apparatus for measuring sheet resistance of a work surface of an inverted integrated circuit wafer during an integrated circuit fabrication process step, comprising: a chamber in which said process step is performed on said work surface; a plurality of lift fingers including probes disposed in said chamber, each probe having a conductive tip for supportively abutting said work surface at a respective preselected location thereon; a constant current source, at least two conductors for connecting said current source between at least two of said tips; a voltmeter, at least two conductors for connecting said voltmeter between at least two of said tips; an electrical configuration defined by the connections among said current source, said voltmeter and said tips; and a readout of said voltmeter for measuring sensed voltage while said process step is being performed, such that the sheet resistance of said work surface may be determined at any time during said process step based on said sensed voltage, said electrical configuration and a predetermined formula.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lift finger is generally elongate and upstanding, each said probe mounted on an end of a respective lift finger for supporting said wafer.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said apparatus comprises an endless peripheral support member disposed laterally around said lift fingers, lower ends of said lift fingers opposite said ends affixed to said peripheral support member, said lift fingers operable to support said wafer above said lift fingers.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said lift fingers are affixed to said peripheral support member, by at least one spring assembly, a plate of said apparatus disposed above said wafer, said spring assembly operable to urge said lift fingers upwardly to press said wafer against said plate by spring tension.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each said lift finger includes an elongate longitudinal bore therethrough, each of said conductors threaded through a respective bore and conductively connected to said end of said lift finger.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said lift fingers and said probes are coated except on said conductive tip with a material inert to said fabrication process step.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first pair of said conductive tips are connected to said voltmeter, a second pair of said conductive tips connected to said current source.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said voltmeter and said current source are connected in parallel between the same two of said tips.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first terminals of said current source and said voltmeter are both connected to two of said tips, second terminals of said current source and said voltmeter connected to another two of said tips.

Claim 11

A reactor for performing a fabrication process step on an integrated circuit wafer, comprising: a sealable chamber having a substantially horizontal support structure thereacross; a sealable entrance into said chamber for introducing an integrated circuit wafer thereinto; a plurality of upstanding elongate lift fingers disposed in said chamber, conductive upper end tips of said lift fingers disposed in a spaced-apart substantially horizontal coplanar relationship for supportively abutting a work surface of said wafer; a lifting mechanism coupled to said lift fingers for lifting a wafer supported thereon from a lower position to an upper position, an upper surface of said wafer abutting said support structure when said wafer is in said upper position; a plurality of conductors electrically coupled to respective ones of said end tips; a voltmeter connected between at least two of said conductors for measuring a voltage across said work surface therebetween; and a constant current source connected between at least two of said conductors for supplying a preselected constant current to said work surface, such that a sheet resistance for said work surface at a selected point in time during said fabrication process step may be derived from said voltage and said current according to a predetermined formula.

Claim 12

A reactor for performing a fabrication process step on an integrated circuit wafer, comprising: a sealable chamber having a substantially horizontal support structure thereacross; a sealable entrance into said chamber for introducing an integrated circuit wafer thereinto; a plurality of upstanding elongate lift fingers disposed in said chamber, conductive upper end tips of said lift fingers disposed in a spaced-apart substantially horizontal coplanar relationship for supportively abutting a work surface of said wafer; a lifting mechanism coupled to said lift fingers for lifting a wafer supported thereon from a lower position to an upper position, an upper surface of said wafer abutting said support structure when said wafer is in said upper position; a plurality of conductors electrically coupled to respective ones of said end tips; a voltmeter connected between at least two of said conductors for measuring a voltage across said work surface therebetween; and a constant current source connected between at least two of said conductors for supplying a preselected constant current to said work surface, such that a sheet resistance for said work surface at a selected point in time during said fabrication process step may be derived from said voltage and said current according to a predetermined formula.

Claim 13

The reactor of claim 10, wherein said sealable chamber includes an endless peripheral support member which is affixed to said lifting mechanism, an upper margin of said peripheral support member being lower than said tips while said wafer is in said lower position; a spring assembly affixed to said lift fingers and said peripheral support member for biasing said lift fingers in an upward direction such that said upper surface of said wafer will be spring-biased against said supporting structure when said wafer is in said upper position.

Claim 14

The reactor of claim 10, and further comprising a vacuum source connected to the interior of said sealable chamber for substantially evacuating said chamber during said fabrication process step.

Claim 15

The reactor of claim 10, wherein each said lift finger has at least one longitudinal bore therethrough, each of said conductors threaded through a respective bore, an end of each of said conductors connected to an upper end of a respective lift finger near a respective tip.

Claim 16

The reactor of claim 10, wherein said lift fingers are coated, except for said conductive tips, with a substance substantially inert to said fabrication process step.

Claim 17

The reactor of claim 10, wherein said voltmeter is connected between a first pair of said conductors, said constant current source connected between a second pair of said conductors.

Claim 18

The reactor of claim 10, wherein said voltmeter and said constant current source are connected in parallel between one selected pair of said conductors.

Claim 19

The reactor of claim 10, wherein a first terminal of said voltmeter and a first terminal of said constant current source are connected in parallel to each of a selected pair of said conductors, a second terminal of said voltmeter and a second terminal of said constant current source connected to each of a second selected pair of said conductors.

Claim 22

The method of claim 18, and further comprising the step of depositing a metallic film on the work surface during said step of monitoring the voltmeter.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19, and further comprising the step of determining a metallic deposition endpoint when the voltage measured by the voltmeter reaches a predetermined value.

Claim 24

The method of claim 18, and further comprising the steps of: electrically connecting the voltmeter between a first pair of the tips; and electrically connecting the current source between a second pair of the tips.

Claim 25

The method of claim 18, and further comprising the steps of: connecting first terminals of both the voltmeter and the current source in parallel to one of the tips; and connecting second terminals of the voltmeter and the current source in parallel to a second one of the tips.

Claim 26

The method of claim 18, and further comprising the steps of: connecting first terminals of both the voltmeter and the current source in parallel to a selected first pair of the tips; and connecting second terminals of the voltmeter and current source in parallel to a selected second pair of the tips different from the first pair.