Semiconductor fabricating apparatus and method and apparatus for determining state of semiconductor fabricating process

• US 20040040658A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tsuyoshi, Yoshigai, Motohiko, Usui, Tatehito, Yamamoto, Hideyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/230,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20040040658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching

Abstract

In a semiconductor device fabrication apparatus for performing an etching process for a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on a surface thereof and disposed in a chamber, by using plasma generated in the chamber, a change in light of multi-wavelength from the surface of the semiconductor wafer is measured during a predetermined period of the etching process, and a state of the etching process is judged from the displayed change amount of light of multi-wavelength.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device fabrication apparatus for performing an etching process for a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on a surface thereof and disposed in a chamber, by using plasma generated in the chamber, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit for displaying a change in light of multi-wavelength, the light coming from the surface of the semiconductor wafer during a predetermined period of the etching process; and

a unit of judging a state of the etching process in accordance with a displayed change amount of light of multi-wavelength.

2. A semiconductor device fabrication apparatus for performing an etching process for a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on a surface thereof and disposed in a-chamber, by using plasma generated in the chamber, the apparatus comprising:

a measuring unit for measuring light from a surface of the semiconductor wafer during a predetermined period during the etching process;

a display unit for displaying data of a change in light measured by said measuring unit during the predetermined period;

a calculation unit for calculating a state of the etching process by using the displayed data; and

a controller for controlling the etching process in accordance with a calculation result of said calculation unit.

3. A semiconductor device fabricating apparatus comprising:

a measuring instrument for detecting interference of light from a surface of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on the surface thereof and being processed by generated plasma;

a display unit for displaying a change in interference of the light during a predetermined period of the plasma process; and

a judgement unit for judging a speed of the plasma process in accordance with a change with time of a wavelength of the light having a change in interference equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

4. A method of judging a process state of a semiconductor device, comprising:

a step of measuring interference of light from a surface of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on the surface thereof and being processed by generated plasma; and

a step of determining a thickness of one of the plurality of films of the semiconductor wafer in accordance with a change with time of a wavelength of the light having a change in the measured light interference equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

5. A method of judging a process state of a semiconductor device, comprising:

a step of measuring a change in interference of light from a surface of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of films formed on the surface thereof and being processed by generated plasma; and

a step of superposing data of interference of light detected from a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and determining a thickness of one of the plurality of films of the semiconductor wafer in accordance with a change with time of a wavelength of the light having a change in light interference obtained from the superposed data equal to or larger than a predetermined value.