HEAT-FLUX MEASURING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND HEAT-FLUX MEASURING MEMBER

• US 20150185092A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: KOSHIMIZU, Chishio, MATSUDO, Tatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/583 Interferences, i.e. fringe variation with temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/20 across a radiating surface, combined with ascertainment of the heat transmission coefficient materials therefor G01K17/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32724 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32917 Plasma diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/0043 by using infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/24 Generating plasma nuclear fusion reactors G21B1/00; gas-filled discharge reactors H01J37/32

Abstract

In a heat-flux measuring method for measuring an ion flux of plasma generated in a substrate processing chamber using a heat flux, a heat-flux measuring member is exposed to the plasma and irradiatated with a low coherent light. The heat-flux measuring member has a three-layered structure in which a first length and a second length of optical paths of the low-coherent light in the first layer and the third layer are measured using optical interference of reflected lights from the heat-flux measuring member. Current temperatures of the first layer and the third layer are obtained based on the measured first length, the measured second length, and data representing thermal-optical path length relationship. A heat flux flowing through the heat-flux measuring member is calculated based on the obtained temperatures, and a thickness and a thermal conductivity of the second layer.

Claims

1. A heat-flux measuring method for measuring an ion flux of plasma generated in a substrate processing chamber using a heat flux, the method comprising:

exposing a heat-flux measuring member having a structure in which a first layer, a second layer and a third layer are stacked in a thickness direction sequentially to the plasma, the second layer being made of a material different from a material of each of the first layer and the third layer;

irradiating a low coherent light to the heat-flux measuring member in the thickness direction of the structure;

measuring a first length of a first optical path in which the low-coherent light reciprocates in the first layer along the thickness direction, and a second length of a second optical path in which the low-coherent light reciprocates in the third layer along the thickness direction, using optical interference of reflected lights of the irradiated low-coherent light reflected from the heat-flux measuring member;

providing data representing relationships between temperatures of the first layer and a lengths of an optical path in the first layer and between temperatures of the third layer and lengths of an optical path in the third layer;

obtaining current temperatures of the first layer and the third layer based on the first length, the second length and the data; and

calculating the heat flux flowing through the heat-flux measuring member based on the obtained temperatures, and a thickness and a thermal conductivity of the second layer.

2. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 1, wherein a difference between the first length and the second length is larger than a coherence length of the low-coherent light from a light source.

3. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of each of the first layer and the third layer is smaller than that of the second layer.

4. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 1, wherein a thermal conductivity of the material of each of the first layer and the third layer is larger than that of the material of the second layer.

5. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 1,

wherein a basic low-coherent light output from a light source is split into a first low-coherent light and a second low-coherent light, the first low-coherent light being the low-coherent light, and

wherein the measuring of the first length and the second length includes measuring the first length and the second length, based on an interference light of the reflected lights and another reflected light reflected from a reference mirror when the second low-coherent light is irradiated onto the reference mirror while the reference mirror is moved in a direction parallel to an incident direction of the second low-coherent light, and further based on a moving distance of the reference mirror.

6. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 5,

wherein the second layer is made of the material that does not transmit the low-coherent light therethrough,

wherein the first low-coherent light is split into a third low-coherent light and a fourth low-coherent light, and

wherein the measuring of the first length and the second length includes irradiating to the first layer the third low-coherent light and irradiating to the third layer the fourth low-coherent light.

7. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the first length and the second length includes measuring the first length and the second length by performing a Fourier transform on a spectrum of the reflected lights.

8. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 7,

wherein the second layer of the heat-flux measuring member is made of the material that does not transmit the low-coherent light therethrough,

wherein the low-coherent light output from a light source is split into a first low-coherent light and a second low-coherent light, and

wherein the measuring of the first length and the second length includes irradiating to the first layer the first low-coherent light and irradiating to the third layer the second low-coherent light.

9. The heat-flux measuring method of claim 7,

wherein a hole portion is provided in the second layer, and

wherein the measuring of the first length and the second length includes irradiating to the heat-flux measuring member the low-coherent light so that the low-coherent light passes through the hole portion.

10. A substrate processing system comprising:

a substrate processing chamber in which a plasma process is performed on a substrate accommodated therein;

a heat-flux measuring member having a structure in which a first layer, a second layer and a third layer are stacked in a thickness direction sequentially, the second layer being made of a material different from a material of each of the first layer and the third layer, the heat-flux measuring member being disposed such that at least one of surfaces of the first layer and the third layer is exposed to plasma generated in the substrate processing chamber; and

a heat-flux measuring device configured to measure an ion flux of the plasma generated in the substrate processing chamber using a heat flux,

wherein the heat-flux measuring device includes;

an optical system configured to irradiate to the heat-flux measuring member a low-coherent light in the thickness direction of the structure and receive reflected lights of the low-coherent light reflected from the heat-flux measuring member when the low-coherent light is irradiated to the heat-flux measuring member; and

an analysis unit configured to calculate the heat flux flowing through the heat-flux measuring member using optical interference of the reflected lights, and

wherein the analysis unit measures a first length of a first optical path in which the low-coherent light reciprocates in the first layer along the thickness direction, and a second length of a second optical path in which the low-coherent light reciprocates in the third layer along the thickness direction, obtains current temperatures of the first layer and the third layer based on the first length, the second length and data representing relationships between temperatures of the first layer and a lengths of an optical path in the first layer and between temperatures of the third layer and lengths of an optical path in the third layer, and calculates the heat flux flowing through the heat-flux measuring member based on the obtained temperatures, and a thickness and a thermal conductivity of the second layer.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein a difference between the first length and the second length is larger than a coherence length of the low-coherent light from the optical system.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein a thickness of each of the first layer and the third layer of the heat-flux measuring member is smaller than that of the second layer.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein a thermal conductivity of each of the first layer and the third layer is larger than that of the second layer.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 10,

wherein the optical system allows a basic low-coherent light to split into a first low-coherent light and a second low-coherent light, the first low-coherent light being the low-coherent light, and obtains an interference light of the reflected lights and another reflected light reflected from a reference mirror when the second low-coherent light is irradiated onto the reference mirror while the reference mirror is moved in a direction parallel to an incident direction of the second low-coherent light, and

wherein the analysis unit measures the first length and the second length based on the obtained interference light and a moving distance of the reference mirror.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 14,

wherein the second layer is made of the material that does not transmit the low-coherent light therethrough, and

wherein the optical system allows the first low-coherent light to split into a third low-coherent light and a forth low-coherent light, and irradiates to the first layer the third low-coherent light and irradiates to the third layer the forth low-coherent light.

16. The substrate processing system of claim 10,

wherein the analysis unit measures the first length and the second length by performing a Fourier transform on a spectrum of the reflected lights.

17. The substrate processing system of claim 16,

wherein the second layer of the heat-flux measuring member is made of the material that does not transmit the low-coherent light therethrough, and

wherein the optical system allows the low-coherent light to split into a first low-coherent light and a second low-coherent light, and irradiates to the first layer the first low-coherent light and irradiates to the third layer the second low-coherent light.

18. The substrate processing system of claim 16,

wherein a hole portion is provided in the second layer, and

wherein the optical system irradiates to the heat-flux measuring member the low-coherent light so that the low-coherent light passes through the hole portion.

19. A heat-flux measuring member to be disposed in a substrate processing apparatus for generating plasma, the heat-flux measuring member comprising:

a first layer that is low-coherent light transmittable;

a second layer stacked on the first layer; and

a third layer that is stacked on the second layer and low-coherent light transmittable,

wherein the second layer is made of a material different from a material of each of the first layer and the third layer.

20. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein a hole portion is provided in the second layer along a thickness direction in which the layers are stacked to penetrate through the second layer so that a low-coherent light passes through the hole portion.

21. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein the second layer is made of the material that does not allow a low-coherent light to pass therethrough.

22. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein the second layer is made of the material that is low-coherent light transmittable.

23. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein the first layer and the third layer are made of silicon.

24. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein when a low-coherent light is irradiated to the heat-flux measuring member, a difference between a first length of a first optical path of the low-coherent light in the first layer and a second length of a second optical path of the low-coherent light in the third layer is larger than a coherence length of the low-coherent light.

25. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein a thickness of each of the first layer and the third layer is smaller than that of the second layer.

26. The heat-flux measuring member of claim 19, wherein a thermal conductivity of the material of each of the first layer and the third layer is larger than that of the material of the second layer.