Method of detecting etching process end point in semiconductor fabricating equipment and detector therefor
First Claim
1. An etching end point detector for detecting an etching end point by using plasma light generated during a plasma process in a chamber of plasma etching equipment, the detector comprising:
- an optical device for diffracting plasma light generated in the chamber according to a spectrum of the light and turning the light into a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths;
a photoelectric transducer including of a plurality of unit converting elements having their own unique addresses for receiving the plurality of optical signals and converting the plurality of optical signals into corresponding electric signals each having an intensity corresponding to an intensity of the corresponding optical signal;
an A/D converter for converting the plurality of electric signals of the photoelectric transducer into light intensity data and simultaneously outputting the light intensity data and the unique addresses of the unit converting elements as digital data; and
a signal processing device for differentiating the light intensity data and unique addresses, performing a light intensity data synthesizing process of accumulatively storing the light intensity data in sequence to the unique addresses by comparing and determining whether each unique address is identical to a value corresponding to a preset wavelength, until the original address is a last address, and providing the accumulatively stored light intensity data in real time to a control system that operates to terminate the etching process of the plasma etching equipment.
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Abstract
An etching end point detector and its related method of use detect a point of time when an etching process ends by using plasma light generated during a plasma process in a chamber of plasma etching equipment. The detector comprises an optical device receiving light generated in a chamber during the etching process and producing from the light a plurality of optical signals having different corresponding wavelengths; signal converting means receiving the plurality of optical signals and converting the plurality of optical signals into corresponding light intensity values indicating an intensity of the corresponding optical signal; and a signal processor accumulating selected ones of the light intensity values corresponding to predetermined wavelengths to produce an EPD value, and in response to the EPD value, determining an end point of the etching process.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An etching end point detector for detecting an etching end point by using plasma light generated during a plasma process in a chamber of plasma etching equipment, the detector comprising:
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an optical device for diffracting plasma light generated in the chamber according to a spectrum of the light and turning the light into a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths;
a photoelectric transducer including of a plurality of unit converting elements having their own unique addresses for receiving the plurality of optical signals and converting the plurality of optical signals into corresponding electric signals each having an intensity corresponding to an intensity of the corresponding optical signal;
an A/D converter for converting the plurality of electric signals of the photoelectric transducer into light intensity data and simultaneously outputting the light intensity data and the unique addresses of the unit converting elements as digital data; and
a signal processing device for differentiating the light intensity data and unique addresses, performing a light intensity data synthesizing process of accumulatively storing the light intensity data in sequence to the unique addresses by comparing and determining whether each unique address is identical to a value corresponding to a preset wavelength, until the original address is a last address, and providing the accumulatively stored light intensity data in real time to a control system that operates to terminate the etching process of the plasma etching equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of detecting an etching end point using plasma light generated in a chamber of plasma etching equipment during a plasma process, the method comprising the steps of:
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setting up a diffraction grating which diffracts the plasma light generated in the chamber according to a spectrum of the light and turning the light into a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths, a charge coupling device, including a plurality of unit converting elements having their own unique addresses, which receives the plurality of optical signals and converts the optical signals into corresponding of electric signals each having a level corresponding to an intensity of the corresponding optical signal, and an A/D converter which converts the plurality of electric signals of the charge coupling device into light intensity data and simultaneously outputs the light intensity data and unique addresses of the unit converting elements as digital data;
differentiating the light intensity data and unique addresses and comparing the unique addresses with values corresponding to the preset wavelengths until the unique address is a final address;
performing a light intensity data synthesizing process of accumulatively storing the light intensity data in sequence to the unique addresses by comparing and determining whether the unique addresses are identical to values corresponding to preset wavelengths; and
enabling a control system of the plasma etching equipment to control termination of the etching process on based on the accumulatively stored light intensity data.
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6. An etching end point detector for detecting an end point of an etching process, the detector comprising:
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an optical device receiving light generated in a chamber during the etching process and producing from the light a plurality of optical signals having different corresponding wavelengths;
signal converting means receiving the plurality of optical signals and converting the plurality of optical signals into corresponding light intensity values indicating an intensity of the corresponding optical signal; and
a signal processor accumulating selected ones of the light intensity values corresponding to predetermined wavelengths to produce an EPD value, and in response to the EPD value, determining an end point of the etching process. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of detecting an end point of an etching process, comprising:
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receiving light generated in a chamber during the etching process and producing from the light a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths;
converting the plurality of optical signals into corresponding light intensity values indicating an intensity of the corresponding optical signal; and
accumulating selected ones of the light intensity values corresponding to predetermined wavelengths to produce an EPD value, and;
in response to the EPD value, determining an end point of the etching process. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification