A processing method for processing a plate-shaped workpiece having a division line on the front side and a multilayer member containing metal formed on the back side is provided. The processing method includes a holding step of holding the front side of the workpiece on a holding table in the condition where the multilayer member formed on the back side of the workpiece is exposed, a cutting step of cutting the workpiece along the division line by using a cutting blade after performing the holding step, thereby forming a cut groove dividing the multilayer member, and a laser processing step of applying a laser beam to the workpiece along the cut groove after performing the cutting step. The cutting step includes the step of supplying a cutting fluid containing an organic acid and an oxidizing agent to the workpiece.

A continuous lighting lamp irradiates a semiconductor wafer held by a quartz susceptor with light from below to perform preliminary heating, and then irradiation of a flash of light is performed by a flash lamp from above. A light absorption ring is provided so as to be close to a peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer held by the susceptor. The light absorption ring absorbs infrared light and transmits visible light through itself. During preliminary heating, the light absorption ring absorbs light emitted from the continuous lighting lamp to be increased in temperature so that heat radiated from the peripheral portion of the wafer is compensated to cause in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer to be uniform. Meanwhile, the flash of light is transmitted through the light absorption ring, so that the light absorption ring is prevented from being damaged by the irradiation of the flash of light.

Disclosed are a system for fabricating a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The system may include a chamber, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source in the chamber and configured to generate an EUV beam, an optical system on the EUV source and configured to provide the EUV beam to a substrate, a substrate stage in the chamber and configured to receive the substrate, a reticle stage in the chamber and configured to hold a reticle that is configured to project the EUV beam onto the substrate, and a particle collector between the reticle and the optical system and configured to allow for a selective transmission of the EUV beam and to remove a particle.

A thin film transistor array panel includes a substrate, a light blocking film disposed on the substrate, a buffer layer covering the light blocking film, and a channel region disposed on the buffer layer. A source region and a drain region are disposed in the same layer as the channel region. A gate insulating layer is disposed on the channel region, and a gate electrode overlaps the channel region, with the gate insulating layer interposed between the gate electrode and the channel region. A passivation layer is disposed on the gate electrode, the source region, the drain region, and the buffer layer. A source electrode and a drain electrode are disposed on the passivation layer, wherein the channel region, the source region, and the drain region comprise an oxide semiconductor, and wherein a carrier concentration of the source region and the drain region is larger than in the channel region.

Before a start of a treatment of a semiconductor wafer to be treated first in a lot, a dummy wafer is transported into a chamber, and an atmosphere including a helium gas having high thermal conductivity is formed. When the dummy wafer is heated with light irradiation from halogen lamps, heat transfer from the dummy wafer the temperature of which has increased occurs at an upper chamber window and a lower chamber window, with the helium gas as a heating medium. At the time when the semiconductor wafer to be treated first is transported into the chamber, the upper chamber window and the lower chamber window are heated, which makes a temperature history of all the semiconductor wafers in the lot uniform. It is thus possible to omit dummy running.

Performed is a hydrogen anneal of heating a semiconductor wafer on which a thin film containing a dopant and carbon is formed to an anneal temperature in an atmosphere containing hydrogen. Subsequently, a hydrogen atmosphere in a chamber is replaced with an oxygen atmosphere, and the semiconductor wafer is preheated to a preheating temperature in the oxygen atmosphere. Performed then is a flash heating treatment of heating a surface of the semiconductor wafer to a peak temperature for less than one second. The semiconductor wafer is heated in the oxygen atmosphere, thus activation of dopant and binding of carbon in the thin film and oxygen in the atmosphere are promoted, and carbon is exhausted from the thin film to prevent hardening of the thin film. As a result, the thin film containing carbon can be easily peeled from the semiconductor wafer.

A silicon semiconductor wafer is transported into a chamber, and preheating of the semiconductor wafer is started in a nitrogen atmosphere by irradiation with light from halogen lamps. When the temperature of the semiconductor wafer reaches a predetermined switching temperature in the course of the preheating, oxygen gas is supplied into the chamber to change the atmosphere within the chamber from the nitrogen atmosphere to an oxygen atmosphere. Thereafter, a front surface of the semiconductor wafer is heated for an extremely short time period by flash irradiation. Oxidation is suppressed when the temperature of the semiconductor wafer is relatively low below the switching temperature, and is caused after the temperature of the semiconductor wafer becomes relatively high. As a result, a dense, thin oxide film having good properties with fewer defects at an interface with a silicon base layer is formed on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Systems and methods for improving process uniformity in a millisecond anneal system are provided. In some implementations, a process for thermally treating a substrate in a millisecond anneal system can include obtaining data indicative of a temperature profile associated with one or more substrates during processing in a millisecond anneal system. The process can include one or more of (1) changing the pressure inside the processing chamber of the millisecond anneal system; (2) manipulating the irradiation distribution by way of the refracting effect of a water window in the millisecond anneal system; (3) adjusting the angular positioning of the substrate; and/or (4) configuring the shape of the reflectors used in the millisecond anneal system.

Methods and systems for implementing artificial intelligence enabled preparation end-pointing are disclosed. An example method at least includes obtaining an image of a surface of a sample, the sample including a plurality of features, analyzing the image to determine whether an end point has been reached, the end point based on a feature of interest out of the plurality of features observable in the image, and based on the end point not being reached, removing a layer of material from the surface of the sample.

A heat treatment method for a semiconductor wafer includes: heat treatment in a heat treatment furnace of single wafer processing type having a susceptor capable of mounting a semiconductor wafer, the heat treatment being performed on a semiconductor wafer mounted on the susceptor disposed in the heat treatment furnace; and pre-heating to hold the temperature in the heat treatment furnace at a prescribed temperature lower than the temperature of the heat treatment for a prescribed period before the heat treatment, holding the semiconductor wafer separated from the susceptor during the pre-heating. This heat treatment method for a semiconductor wafer makes it possible to reduce the slip of a semiconductor wafer without largely lowering the productivity even in a high-temperature heat treatment.