Apparatus for measuring local stress of metallic films, using an array of parallel laser beams during RTP

The novel apparatus described here was developed to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior of metallic films on a substrate by acquiring the wafer curvature. It comprises an optical module producing and measuring an array of parallel laser beams, a high resolution scanning stage, a rapid thermal processing (RTP) chamber and several accessorial gas control modules. Unlike most traditional systems which only calculate the average wafer curvature, this system has the capability to measure the curvature locally in 30 ms. Consequently, the real-time development of biaxial stress involved in thin films can be fully captured during any thermal treatments such as temperature cycling or annealing processes. In addition, the multiple parallel laser beam technique cancels electrical, vibrational and other random noise sources that would otherwise make an in situ measurement very difficult. Furthermore, other advanced features such as the in situ acid treatment and active cooling extend the experimental conditions to provide new insights into thin film properties and material behavior.