Treatment and evaluation of a substrate processing chamber

• US 20030052083A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chu, Chong Hwan, Kim, Nam-Hun
• Granted Patent: US 6,783,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/59
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3299 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus has a chamber having a substrate transport to transport a substrate onto a substrate support in the chamber, a gas supply to provide a gas in the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas, and an exhaust to exhaust the gas. A detector is adapted to detect a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from an energized gas in the chamber and generate a first signal in relation to the first intensity and to detect a second intensity of a second wavelength of the radiation emission and generate a second signal in relation to the second intensity. A controller receives the first and second signals from the detector, performs a mathematical operation on the first and second signals to determine a value related to a condition of the chamber, and treats the chamber in relation to the value by providing instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer and gas exhaust.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber comprising a substrate support to support a substrate, a gas supply to provide a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas, and an exhaust to exhaust the gas;

a substrate transport to transport a substrate onto the substrate support in the chamber;

a detector adapted to detect a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from the energized gas in the chamber and generate a first signal in relation to the first intensity and detect a second intensity of a second wavelength of the radiation emission and generate a second signal in relation to the second intensity; and

a controller adapted to (i) receive the first and second signals from the detector, (ii) perform a mathematical operation on the first and second signals to determine a value related to a condition of the chamber, and (iii) treat the chamber in relation to the value by providing instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer and exhaust.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first wavelength is a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species and the second wavelength is a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the value is related to a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity, and wherein the controller is adapted to treat the chamber until the value falls within a range of predetermined values.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the range of predetermined values is from about 2 to about 4.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to treat the chamber by providing instructions to introduce a gas into the chamber, energize the gas, and exhaust the gas.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the gas comprises O₂.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to treat the chamber by providing instructions to (i) transport a first treatment substrate comprising a first material into the chamber, introduce a first gas into the chamber, energize the first gas, and exhaust the first gas, and (ii) transport a second treatment substrate comprising a second material into the chamber, introduce a second gas into the chamber, energize the second gas, and exhaust the second gas.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the first material comprises silicon and the second material comprises photoresist.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the first and second gases comprises etchant gases.

10. A method of treating a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising:

(a) providing an energized gas in the chamber;

(b) detecting a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from the energized gas and generating a first signal in relation to the first intensity;

(c) detecting a second intensity of a second wavelength of the radiation emission and generating a second signal in relation to the second intensity;

(d) performing a mathematical operation on the first and second signals to determine a value related to a condition of the chamber; and

(e) treating the chamber in relation to the value.

11. A method according to claim 10 comprising detecting a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species and detecting a second intensity of a second wavelength of a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species.

12. A method according to claim 10 further comprising comparing the value to a range of predetermined values, and treating the chamber until the value is within the range of predetermined values, wherein the value is related to a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the range of predetermined values is from about 2 to about 4.

14. A method according to claim 10 comprising treating the chamber by introducing gas into the chamber, energizing the gas, and exhausting the gas.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the gas comprises O₂.

16. A method according to claim 10 comprising treating the chamber by (i) transporting a first treatment substrate comprising a first material into the chamber, introducing a first gas into the chamber, energizing the first gas, and exhausting the first gas, and (ii) transporting a second treatment substrate comprising a second material into the chamber, introducing a second gas into the chamber, energizing the second gas, and exhausting the second gas.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the first material comprises silicon and the second material comprises photoresist.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the first and second gases comprises etchant gases.

19. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber comprising a substrate support to support a substrate, a gas supply to provide a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas, and an exhaust to exhaust the gas;

a substrate transport to transport a substrate onto the substrate support in the chamber;

a detector adapted to detect a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from the energized gas in the chamber and generate a first signal in relation to the first intensity and detect a second intensity of a second wavelength of the radiation emission and generate a second signal in relation to the second intensity; and

a controller adapted to (i) determine a chamber condition by receiving the first and second signals from the detector and performing a mathematical operation on the first and second signals to determine a value related to a ratio of the first and second signals, (ii) treat the chamber until the value falls within a range of predetermined values by providing first instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer, and exhaust, and (iii) etch one or more substrates in the chamber by providing second instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer, and exhaust.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the first wavelength is a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species and the second wavelength is a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the range of predetermined values is from about 2 to about 4.

22. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the controller is adapted to treat the chamber by providing instructions to transport one or more treatment substrates into the chamber, introduce gas into the chamber, energize the gas, and exhaust the gas.

23. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the controller is adapted to treat the chamber by providing instructions to (i) transport a first treatment substrate comprising a first material into the chamber, introduce a first gas into the chamber, energize the first gas, and exhaust the first gas, and (ii) transport a second treatment substrate comprising a second material into the chamber, introduce a second gas into the chamber, energize the second gas, and exhaust the second gas.

24. A method of processing a substrate in a chamber, the method comprising:

(a) in a chamber evaluation stage, detecting a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from an energized gas in a chamber and generating a first signal in relation to the first intensity and detecting a second intensity of a second wavelength of the radiation emission and generating a second signal in relation to the second intensity and performing a mathematical operation on the first and second signals to determine a value related to a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity;

(b) in a chamber treatment stage, treating the chamber until the evaluated value is within a range of predetermined values; and

(c) in a substrate etching stage, providing a substrate in the chamber, introducing a gas into the chamber, energizing the gas, and exhausting the gas.

25. A method according to claim 24 comprising detecting a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species, and detecting a second intensity of a second wavelength of a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the range of predetermined values is from about 2 to about 4.

27. A method according to claim 24 comprising treating the chamber by transporting one or more treatment substrates into the chamber, introducing gas into the chamber, energizing the gas, and exhausting the gas.

28. A method according to claim 24 comprising treating the chamber by (i) transporting a first treatment substrate comprising a first material into the chamber, introducing a first gas into the chamber, energizing the first gas, and exhausting the first gas, and (ii) transporting a second treatment substrate comprising a second material into the chamber, introducing a second gas into the chamber, energizing the second gas, and exhausting the second gas.

29. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber comprising a substrate support to support a substrate, a gas supply to provide a gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the gas, and an exhaust to exhaust the gas;

a substrate transport to transport a substrate onto the substrate support in the chamber;

a detector adapted to detect a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species in the chamber and generate a signal in relation to the first intensity and detect a second intensity of a second wavelength of a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species in the chamber and generate a second signal in relation to the second intensity; and

a controller adapted to provide instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer, and exhaust, to;

(i) determine a chamber condition by receiving the first and second signals from the detector and performing a mathematical operation to determine a value related to a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity,

(ii) treat the chamber until the evaluated value falls within a range of predetermined values by providing first instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer, and exhaust, to transport one or more first substrates comprising carbon species or silicon species into the chamber, introduce gas into the chamber, energize the gas, and exhaust the gas, and

(ii) etch one or more second substrates in the chamber by providing second instructions to operate one or more of the substrate transport, substrate support, gas supply, gas energizer, and exhaust.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein the range of predetermined values is from about 2 to about 4.

31. A method of processing a substrate in a chamber, the method comprising:

(a) in a chamber evaluation stage, detecting a first intensity of a first wavelength of a radiation emission from energized carbon containing species in the chamber and generating a first signal in relation to the first intensity and detecting a second intensity of a second wavelength of a radiation emission from energized silicon containing species in the chamber and generating a second signal in relation to the second intensity and performing a mathematical operation to determine a value related to a ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity;

(b) in a chamber treatment stage, treating the chamber until the evaluated value is within a range of predetermined values by providing one or more first substrates comprising carbon containing species or silicon containing species in the chamber, introducing a gas into the chamber, energizing the gas, and exhausting the gas; and

(c) in a substrate etching stage, providing one or more second substrates in the chamber, introducing a gas into the chamber, energizing the gas, and exhausting the gas.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein the range of predetermined ratios is from about 2 to about 4.