Method and apparatus for monitoring plasma processing operations
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring a plasma process comprising the steps of:
- loading a quantity of product into a processing chamber;
conducting a plasma process on said product in said processing chamber, said processing chamber comprising a window;
obtaining data on said plasma process through said window, wherein said obtaining step is executed at least a plurality of times during said conducting step;
monitoring a condition of said window other than through said obtaining step; and
evaluating said conducting step using both said obtaining step and said monitoring step.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention generally relates to various aspects of a plasma process, and more specifically the monitoring of such plasma processes. One aspect relates in at least some manner to calibrating or initializing a plasma monitoring assembly. This type of calibration may be used to address wavelength shifts, intensity shifts, or both associated with optical emissions data obtained on a plasma process. A calibration light may be directed at a window through which optical emissions data is being obtained to determine the effect, if any, that the inner surface of the window is having on the optical emissions data being obtained therethrough, the operation of the optical emissions data gathering device, or both. Another aspect relates in at least some manner to various types of evaluations which may be undertaken of a plasma process which was run, and more typically one which is currently being run, within the processing chamber. Plasma health evaluations and process identification through optical emissions analysis are included in this aspect. Yet another aspect associated with the present invention relates in at least some manner to the endpoint of a plasma process (e.g., plasma recipe, plasma clean, conditioning wafer operation) or discrete/discernible portion thereof (e.g., a plasma step of a multiple step plasma recipe). A final aspect associated with the present invention relates to how one or more of the above-noted aspects may be implemented into a semiconductor fabrication facility, such as the distribution of wafers to a wafer production system.
36 Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a plasma process comprising the steps of:
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loading a quantity of product into a processing chamber; conducting a plasma process on said product in said processing chamber, said processing chamber comprising a window; obtaining data on said plasma process through said window, wherein said obtaining step is executed at least a plurality of times during said conducting step; monitoring a condition of said window other than through said obtaining step; and evaluating said conducting step using both said obtaining step and said monitoring step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for monitoring a plasma process comprising the steps of:
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loading a quantity of product into a processing chamber; conducting a plasma process on said product in said processing chamber, wherein said processing chamber comprises a window and wherein said window comprises an inner surface which is exposed to said conducting step and an outer surface which is isolated from said conducting step; obtaining data on said plasma process through said window, wherein said obtaining step is executed at least a plurality of times during said conducting step; monitoring said window, comprising the steps of; directing a calibration light toward said window from a location which is exterior of said processing chamber; reflecting a first portion of said calibration light from said inner surface of said window; and comparing said calibration light from said directing step with said first portion of said calibration light from said reflecting step; and evaluating said conducting step using both said obtaining step and said monitoring step. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification