Semiconductor fabricating apparatus

• US 20040214435A1
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Yuasa, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge

Abstract

A resonant frequency sensor is disposed in a plasma-processing chamber included in a semiconductor fabricating apparatus. A change in the resonant frequency caused by etching, sputtering or deposition is sensed in order to detect the timing of performing the maintenance of the processing chamber. If data representing the relationship between an amount of etching or deposition occurring at a predetermined position in the processing chamber and occurrence of an abnormality is produced in advance, an optimal maintenance timing can be determined.

Claims

1. A semiconductor fabricating apparatus having a resonant frequency sensor disposed in a processing chamber, wherein a change in the resonant frequency of said resonant frequency sensor is detected in order to determine the maintenance timing.

2. A semiconductor fabricating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resonant frequency sensor is fabricated as a micro machine.

3. A semiconductor fabricating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the relationship between an amount of etching or deposition and chamber condition at a predetermined position in said processing chamber is stored in a database;

the change in the resonant frequency is compared with associated data recorded in said database in order to determine the maintenance timing.