Method and apparatus for monitoring plasma processing operations
First Claim
1. A wafer production system, comprising:
- first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through said wafer access associated with said first and second processing chambers, respectively;
first and second means for evaluating plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, during a plasma process conducted on said at least one wafer, wherein said first means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a first current plasma process in said first processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a first stored plasma process previously conducted in said first processing chamber that is stored on a computer-readable storage medium in association with said first stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said first stored plasma process, wherein said second means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a second current plasma process in said second processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a second stored plasma process previously conducted in said second processing chamber that is stored on said computer-readable storage medium in association with said second stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said second stored plasma process, wherein each said plot from said first current plasma process, said first stored plasma process, said second current plasma process, and said second stored plasma process is of raw optical emissions data at a fixed point in time over a fixed wavelength range and with a maximum spacing between adjacent wavelengths throughout said fixed wavelength range being 1 nanometer; and
means for distributing wafers to said first and second processing chambers, said means for distributing being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for evaluating, wherein an output from said first and second means for evaluating has an effect on a distribution sequence used by said means for distributing.
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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/discemible 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.
76 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A wafer production system, comprising:
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first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through said wafer access associated with said first and second processing chambers, respectively;
first and second means for evaluating plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, during a plasma process conducted on said at least one wafer, wherein said first means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a first current plasma process in said first processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a first stored plasma process previously conducted in said first processing chamber that is stored on a computer-readable storage medium in association with said first stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said first stored plasma process, wherein said second means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a second current plasma process in said second processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a second stored plasma process previously conducted in said second processing chamber that is stored on said computer-readable storage medium in association with said second stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said second stored plasma process, wherein each said plot from said first current plasma process, said first stored plasma process, said second current plasma process, and said second stored plasma process is of raw optical emissions data at a fixed point in time over a fixed wavelength range and with a maximum spacing between adjacent wavelengths throughout said fixed wavelength range being 1 nanometer; and
means for distributing wafers to said first and second processing chambers, said means for distributing being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for evaluating, wherein an output from said first and second means for evaluating has an effect on a distribution sequence used by said means for distributing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
each said plot from said first current plasma process, said first stored plasma process, said second current plasma process, and said second stored plasma process includes at least wavelengths from about 250 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers, inclusive, and at least at every 1 nanometer between said 250 nanometer and said 1,000 nanometer wavelengths.
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3. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said first and second means for evaluating comprise first and second means for evaluating a health of plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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4. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said means for distributing comprises means for suspending a distribution of said wafers to said first processing chamber when said first means for evaluating identifies a first condition in said first processing chamber, and a distribution of said wafers to said second processing chamber when said second means for evaluating identifies said first condition in said second processing chamber, said first condition being selected from the group consisting of a dirty chamber condition which is when an interior of the respective said processing chamber has been adversely affected by said plasma processes previously conducted in the respective said processing chamber to the point where it is adversely impacting a performance of the respective said processing chamber to an undesired degree, a known error condition which is when said plasma process has proceeded other than in accordance with at least one predetermined standard plasma process associated with the respective said processing chamber, an unknown condition which is when the respective said means for evaluating identifies a condition which the respective said means for evaluating has not previously encountered in any said plasma process previously conducted in the respective said processing chamber, and any combination of the foregoing.
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5. A system, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated immediately if said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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6. A system, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated if said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, in a plurality of said plasma processes conducted within said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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7. A system, as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:
first and second means for plasma cleaning said first and second processing chambers, respectively, said first and second means for plasma cleaning being operatively interfaced with said first and second means for evaluating, respectively.
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8. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said means for distributing comprising means for diverting wafers from any of said first and second processing chambers based upon said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, identifying at least a potential problem with said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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9. A wafer production system, comprising:
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first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through their respective said wafer access;
first and second means for monitoring a time required for completing a determined plasma process currently being run on a wafer in said first and second processing chambers, respectively; and
a wafer handling system operatively interfaced with each of said first and second processing chambers, said wafer handling system comprising means for controlling a distribution sequence of wafers to said first and second processing chambers for execution of a predetermined plasma process thereon and based upon an output of each of said first and second means for monitoring from at least one predetermined plasma process previously conducted in said first and second processing chambers, said means for controlling being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
said first and second means for monitoring comprise first and second means for evaluating optical emissions of plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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11. A system, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
said first and second means for evaluating optical emissions comprise first and second means for evaluating optical emissions, respectively, which includes at least wavelengths from about 250 nanometers to about 1,000 nanometers, inclusive, at least at every 1 nanometer.
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12. A system, as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:
first and second means for evaluating a health of plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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13. A system, as claimed in claim 12, wherein:
said wafer handling system further comprises means for diverting wafers from any of said first and second processing chambers based upon said first and second means for evaluating, respectively identifying at least a potential problem with said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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14. A system, as claimed in claim 12, wherein:
said wafer handling system further comprises means for suspending a distribution of said wafers to said first processing chamber when said first means for evaluating identifies a first condition in said first processing chamber, and a distribution of said wafers to said second processing chamber when said second means for evaluating identifies said first condition in said second processing chamber, said first condition being selected from the group consisting of a dirty chamber condition which is when an interior of the respective said processing chamber has been adversely affected by previous executions of plasma processes in the respective said processing chamber to the point where it is adversely impacting a performance of the respective said processing chamber to an undesired degree, a known error condition which is when said plasma process has proceeded other than in accordance with at least one predetermined standard plasma process associated with the respective said processing chamber, an known condition which is when the respective said means for evaluating identifies a condition which the respective said means for evaluating has not previously encountered in any prior execution of plasma processes in the respective said processing chamber, and any combination of the foregoing.
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15. A system, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated when said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, first identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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16. A system, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated when said first and second means for evaluating identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, in a plurality of said plasma processes conducted within said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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17. A system, as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:
first and second means for plasma cleaning said first and second processing chamber, respectively, said first and second means for plasma cleaning being operatively interfaced with said first and second means for evaluating, respectively.
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18. A system, as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
said means for controlling a distribution sequence is biased in relation to distributing wafers first to which of said first and second processing chambers has a smaller magnitude of said time as determined by said first and second means for monitoring, respectively.
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19. A wafer production system, comprising:
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first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through their respective said wafer access;
first and second means for monitoring a time for completing a plasma process run on a wafer in said first and second processing chambers, respectively;
first and second means for evaluating a health of plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively; and
a wafer handling system operatively interfaced with each of said first and second processing chambers, said wafer handling system comprising means for controlling a distribution sequence for wafers to said first and second processing chambers based upon each of said first and second means for monitoring and each of said first and second means for evaluating, said means for controlling being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for monitoring and each of said first and second means for evaluating, wherein said wafer handling system further comprises means for diverting wafers from any of said first and second processing chambers based upon said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, identifying at least a potential problem with said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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20. A wafer production system, comprising:
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first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through their respective said wafer access;
first and second means for monitoring a time for completing a plasma process run on a wafer in said first and second processing chambers, respectively;
first and second means for evaluating a health of plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively; and
a wafer handling system operatively interfaced with each of said first and second processing chambers, said wafer handling system comprising means for controlling a distribution sequence for wafers to said first and second processing chambers based upon each of said first and second means for monitoring and each of said first and second means for evaluating, said means for controlling being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for monitoring and each of said first and second means for evaluating, wherein said wafer handling system further comprises means for suspending a distribution of said wafers to said first chamber when said first means for evaluating identifies a first condition in said first processing chamber, and a distribution of said wafers to said second processing chamber when said second means for evaluating identifies said first condition in said second processing chamber, said first condition being selected from the group consisting of a dirty chamber condition which is when an interior of the respective said processing chamber has been adversely affected by previous executions of plasma processes in the respective said processing chamber to the point where it is adversely impacting a performance of the respective said processing chamber to an undesired degree, a known error condition which is when said plasma process has proceeded other than in accordance with at least one predetermined standard plasma process associated with the respective said processing chamber, an unknown condition which is when the respective said means for evaluating identifies a condition which the respective said means for evaluating has not previously encountered in any prior execution of plasma processes in the respective said processing chamber, and any combination of the foregoing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated when said first and second means for evaluating, respectively, first identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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22. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:
said means for suspending distribution of wafers to any of said first and second processing chambers is activated when said first and second means for evaluating identifies said first condition in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, in a plurality of said plasma processes conducted within said first and second processing chambers, respectively.
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23. A system, as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:
first and second means for plasma cleaning said first and second processing chambers, respectively, said first and second means for plasma cleaning being operatively interfaced with said first and second means for evaluating, respectively.
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24. A wafer production system, comprising:
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first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through their respective said wafer access;
first and second means for monitoring a time for completing a plasma process run on a wafer in said first and second processing chambers, respectively; and
a wafer handling system operatively interfaced with each of said first and second processing chambers, said wafer handling system comprising means for controlling a distribution sequence for wafers to said first and second processing chambers based upon each of said first and second means for monitoring, said means for controlling being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for monitoring, and said means for controlling a distribution sequence being biased in relation to distributing wafers first to which of said first and second processing chambers has a smaller magnitude of said time as determined by said first and second means for monitoring, respectively.
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Specification