Method for performing real time arcing detection

• US 20040031699A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Shoji, Sergio Fukuda
• Application Number:
  US10/224,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031699A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/791.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0206 Extinguishing, preventing or controlling unwanted discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks

Abstract

A method of detecting arcing in a semiconductor substrate processing system. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a signal, identifying an indicia of arcing in the signal, and performing an action in response to the indicia of arcing when the indicia of arcing is identified.

Claims

1. A method of detecting arcing in a semiconductor substrate processing system, comprising:

monitoring a signal;

identifying an indicia of arcing in the signal; and

performing, when the indicia of arcing is identified, an action in response to the indicia of arcing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is at least one of generating a message indicating that arcing has been detected and adjusting one or more parameters applied to a process chamber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a forward radio frequency (RF) power.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises determining whether the forward RF power decreases by at least a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined value is approximately 200 Watts.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 100 milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined value is approximately 200 Watts and the predetermined period of time is approximately 100 milliseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate processing system is a plasma enhanced semiconductor etching system.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the message includes at least one of the forward RF power at the time the message is generated, the predetermined value and a recipe step during which arcing has been detected.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the forward RF power is determined a predetermined delay time period after applying RF power to a process chamber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined delay time period is approximately 6 seconds.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising repeating the determining step a number of times.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined value is approximately 60 Watts and the predetermined period of time is approximately 25 milliseconds.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of times is 3.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is an electrostatic chuck current.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the identifying step comprises determining whether the electrostatic chuck current increases by at least a predetermined value for a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined value is approximately 20 micro amps.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately 25 milliseconds.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined value is approximately 20 micro amps and the predetermined time period is approximately 25 milliseconds.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrostatic chuck current is determined a predetermined delay time period after the electrostatic chuck current reaches a set point value.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the message includes at least one of the electrostatic chuck current at the time the message is generated, the predetermined value, and a recipe step during which arcing has been detected.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a ramp down voltage prior to applying a dechucking voltage, the ramp down voltage being configured to provide a gradual transition from the chucking voltage to the dechucking voltage.

23. A method of operating an electrostatic chuck, comprising:

applying a chucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck;

applying a dechucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and

applying a ramp down voltage prior to applying the dechucking voltage, the ramp down voltage being configured to provide a gradual transition from the chucking voltage to the dechucking voltage so as to reduce arcing during dechucking.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the ramp down voltage is one of sinusoidal, saw tooth and stepped.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the ramp down voltage is updated every 100 milliseconds so as to provide the gradual transition from the chucking voltage to the dechucking voltage.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the ramp down voltage is applied for at least 2 seconds.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the semiconductor substrate processing system is a plasma enhanced semiconductor etching system.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the electrostatic chuck is one of a unipolar electrostatic chuck and a bipolar electrostatic chuck.

29. A computer readable medium containing a program that, when executed by a computer, causes a semiconductor substrate processing system to perform a method comprising:

monitoring a signal;

identifying an indicia of arcing in the signal; and

performing, when the indicia of arcing is identified, an action in response to the indicia of arcing.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the action is at least one of generating a message indicating that arcing has been detected and adjusting one or more parameters applied to a process chamber.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the signal is a forward radio frequency (RF) power.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the identifying step comprises determining whether the forward RF power decreases by at least a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the forward RF power is determined a predetermined delay time period after applying RF power to a process chamber.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the predetermined delay time period is approximately 6 seconds.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the signal is an electrostatic chuck current.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the identifying step comprises determining whether the electrostatic chuck current increases by at least a predetermined value for a predetermined time period.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the electrostatic chuck current is determined a predetermined delay time period after the electrostatic chuck current reaches a set point value.

38. A computer readable medium containing a program that, when executed by a computer, causes a semiconductor substrate processing system to perform a method comprising:

applying a chucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck;

applying a dechucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and

applying a ramp down voltage prior to applying the dechucking voltage, the ramp down voltage being configured to provide a gradual transition from the chucking voltage to the dechucking voltage so as to reduce arcing during dechucking.