Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices

Abstract

In a method, a structure including two or more materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion is prepared, and the structure is subjected to a cryogenic treatment. In one or more of the foregoing and following embodiments, the structure includes a semiconductor wafer and one or more layers are formed on the semiconductor wafer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
 performing a first manufacturing operation on or over a substrate;   performing a first measurement of a warpage value of the substrate after the first manufacturing operation;   performing a second manufacturing operation on or over the substrate; and   performing a cryogenic treatment operation between the first and second manufacturing operations,   wherein the first measurement is performed before the cryogenic treatment operation is performed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting one or more parameters of the cryogenic treatment operation based on a measured warpage value. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first manufacturing operation includes one or more of a film formation process, an etching process, a planarization process, and a thermal process, and   the second manufacturing operation includes an EUV lithography operation.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first manufacturing operation includes include a thermal operation at a temperature of at least 200° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic treatment includes:
 cooling the structure to a first temperature in a range from −10° C. to −273° C.;   holding the structure at the first temperature for a time duration in a range from 1 min to 60 min; and   heating the structure from the first temperature to a second temperature higher than 0° C.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein during the cryogenic treatment, no other manufacturing operation is performed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first temperature is in a range from −10° C. to −200° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the cooling or the heating comprises chanting a temperature in a stepwise manner. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
 performing a first manufacturing operation on or over a substrate;   performing a first measurement of a warpage value of the substrate after the first manufacturing operation;   performing a second manufacturing operation on or over the substrate; and   performing a cryogenic treatment operation between the first and second manufacturing operations,   wherein the first measurement is performed after the cryogenic treatment operation is performed.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 when a measured warpage value in the first measurement is out of a threshold range, an additional cryogenic treatment operation is performed, and   when the measured warpage value is within the threshold range, the second manufacturing operation is performed without the additional cryogenic treatment operation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting one or more parameters of the additional cryogenic treatment operation based on the measured warpage value. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first manufacturing operation includes one or more of a film formation process, an etching process, a planarization process, and a thermal process, and   the second manufacturing operation includes an EUV lithography operation.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first manufacturing operation includes include a thermal operation at a temperature of at least 200° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cryogenic treatment includes:
 cooling the structure to a first temperature in a range from −10° C. to −273° C.;   holding the structure at the first temperature for a time duration in a range from 1 min to 60 min; and   heating the structure from the first temperature to a second temperature higher than 0° C.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first temperature is in a range from −10° C. to −200° C. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the cooling or the heating comprises chanting a temperature in a stepwise manner. 
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
 performing a first manufacturing operation on or over a substrate;   performing a first measurement of a warpage value of the substrate after the first manufacturing operation;   performing a second manufacturing operation on or over the substrate; and   performing a cryogenic treatment operation between the first and second manufacturing operations,   wherein the first measurement is performed after the second manufacturing operation is performed, and   one or more parameters of the cryogenic treatment operation for a subsequent substrate is adjusted based on the measured warpage value.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cryogenic treatment includes:
 cooling the structure to a first temperature in a range from −10° C. to −273° C.;   holding the structure at the first temperature for a time duration in a range from 1 min to 60 min; and   heating the structure from the first temperature to a second temperature higher than 0° C.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first manufacturing operation includes one or more of a film formation process, an etching process, a planarization process, and a thermal process, and   the second manufacturing operation includes an EUV lithography operation.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first manufacturing operation includes include a thermal operation at a temperature of at least 200° C.