Method and apparatus for monitoring plasma processing operations
First Claim
1. A plasma monitoring system for a plasma process performed in a processing chamber, wherein said plasma process comprises a first plasma step, and wherein a first endpoint of said first plasma step is when a first predetermined result has been achieved, said system comprising:
- a computer-readable storage medium comprising;
a first output associated with at least a portion of one of said first plasma steps, said first output being data representative of optical emissions from said processing chamber during execution of one of said first plasma steps within said processing chamber, wherein said optical emissions are within a first wavelength range extending from about 250 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for identifying when said first endpoint has occurred for a current said first plasma step, wherein said means for identifying comprises a first technique comprising;
means for receiving data representative of optical emissions of said plasma in said processing chamber at least within said first wavelength range, at least a plurality of different constant during said current said first plasma step, and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for comparing said optical emissions at each of said plurality of different times with said first output; and
means for determining when said optical emissions from at least one of said plurality of different times is within a predetermined amount of said first output at which time said first endpoint for said current said first plasma step is deemed to have been reached.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention generally relates to various aspects of a plasma process, and more specifically the monitoring of such plasma processes. One aspect relates in at least some manner to calibrating or initializing a plasma monitoring assembly. Another aspect relates in at least some manner to various types of evaluations which may be undertaken of a plasma process which was run, and more typically one which is currently being run, within the processing chamber. Yet another aspect associated with the present invention relates in at least some manner to the endpoint of a plasma process (e.g., plasma recipe, plasma clean, conditioning wafer operation) or discrete/discernible portion thereof (e.g., a plasma step of a multiple step plasma recipe). A final aspect associated with the present invention relates to how one or more of the above-noted aspects may be implemented into a semiconductor fabrication facility, such as the distribution of wafers to a wafer production system.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A plasma monitoring system for a plasma process performed in a processing chamber, wherein said plasma process comprises a first plasma step, and wherein a first endpoint of said first plasma step is when a first predetermined result has been achieved, said system comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium comprising;
a first output associated with at least a portion of one of said first plasma steps, said first output being data representative of optical emissions from said processing chamber during execution of one of said first plasma steps within said processing chamber, wherein said optical emissions are within a first wavelength range extending from about 250 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for identifying when said first endpoint has occurred for a current said first plasma step, wherein said means for identifying comprises a first technique comprising;
means for receiving data representative of optical emissions of said plasma in said processing chamber at least within said first wavelength range, at least a plurality of different constant during said current said first plasma step, and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for comparing said optical emissions at each of said plurality of different times with said first output; and
means for determining when said optical emissions from at least one of said plurality of different times is within a predetermined amount of said first output at which time said first endpoint for said current said first plasma step is deemed to have been reached. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for running a plasma process in a processing chamber, wherein said plasma process comprises a first plasma step, wherein a first endpoint of said first plasma step is when a first predetermined result of said first plasma step has been achieved, said system comprising:
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a processing chamber;
a first gas inlet and a first gas outlet fluidly interconnected with said processing chamber;
a plasma generator in said plasma chamber, wherein said first plasma step may be run in said processing chamber after activation of said plasma generator; and
a computer-readable storage medium comprising;
a first output associated with at least a portion of one of said first plasma steps, said first output being data representative of optical emissions from said processing chamber during execution of one of said first plasma steps within said processing chamber, wherein said optical emissions are within a first wavelength range extending from about 250 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for identifying when said first endpoint has occurred for a current said first plasma step, wherein said means for identifying comprises a first technique comprising;
means for receiving data representative of optical emissions of said plasma in said processing chamber at least within said first wavelength range, at least a plurality of different constant during said current said first plasma step and at least at every 1 nanometer within said first wavelength range;
means for comparing said optical emissions at each of said plurality of different times with said first output; and
means for determining when said optical emissions from at least one of said plurality of different times is within a predetermined amount of said first output at which time said first endpoint for said current said first plasma step is deemed to have been reached.
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Specification