Semiconductor fabricating apparatus with function of determining etching processing state

• US 20060077397A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kazuhiro Jyouo, Motohiko Yoshigai, Tatehito Usui, Tetsuo Ono
• Inventors: Yoshigai, Motohiko, Usui, Tatehito, Ono, Tetsuo, Jyouo, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,259,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/504
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A semiconductor fabricating apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer, which is placed in a chamber and which has a multiple-layer film composed of a first film formed on a surface thereof and a second film formed on the first film, using plasma generated in the chamber. The semiconductor fabricating apparatus includes a light detector that detects a change in an amount of light with a plurality of wavelengths obtained from the surface of the wafer for a predetermined time during which the second film is etched, and a detection unit that detects a thickness of the first film based on a specific waveform obtained from an output of the detector.

Claims

1. A semiconductor fabricating apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer, placed in a chamber and having a multiple-layer film composed of a first film formed on a surface thereof and a second film formed on the first film, using plasma generated in the chamber, said semiconductor fabricating apparatus comprising:

a light detector that detects a change in an amount of light with a plurality of wavelengths obtained from a surface of the wafer for a predetermined time during which the second film is etched; and

a detection unit that detects a thickness of the first film based on a specific waveform obtained from an output of said detector.

2. The semiconductor fabricating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said light detector detects, for the plurality of wavelengths, a change in an amount of interference light from the surface of the wafer with respect to time, said detection unit detects a characteristic change in an output of said light detector.

3. A semiconductor fabricating apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer, placed in a chamber and having a multiple-layer film composed of an oxide film formed on a surface thereof and a film formed on the oxide film, using plasma generated in the chamber, said semiconductor fabricating apparatus comprising:

a light detector that detects an amount of light with a plurality of wavelengths obtained from a surface of the wafer for a predetermined time during which the film formed on the oxide film is etched; and

a detection unit that detects a thickness of the oxide film based on a specific waveform obtained from an output of said detector.

4. The semiconductor fabricating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when said light detector detects, for the plurality of wavelengths, a change in an amount of interference light from the surface of the wafer with respect to time, said detection unit detects a characteristic change in an output of said light detector.