Monitoring substrate processing with optical emission and polarized reflected radiation
First Claim
1. A method of etching a substrate in a process zone and monitoring the etching process, the method comprising:
- (a) etching a substrate by placing the substrate in the process zone, providing an energized process gas in the process zone, and exhausting the process gas, whereby the energized gas may generate a radiation emission;
(b) determining completion of a first stage of the etching process by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission, (ii) generating a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the first signal; and
(c) determining completion of a second stage of the etching process by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of a polarized radiation reflected from the substrate being etched, (ii) generating a second signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the second signal.
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Abstract
A substrate is etched in a process zone by placing the substrate in the process zone, providing an energized process gas in the process zone, and exhausting the process gas. A first stage of the etching process is monitored to determine completion of the first stage by detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of a radiation emission generated by the energized gas, generating a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and evaluating the first signal. A second stage of the etching process is monitored to determine completion of the second stage by detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of a polarized radiation reflected from the substrate being etched, generating a second signal in relation to the detected intensities, and evaluating the second signal.
61 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of etching a substrate in a process zone and monitoring the etching process, the method comprising:
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(a) etching a substrate by placing the substrate in the process zone, providing an energized process gas in the process zone, and exhausting the process gas, whereby the energized gas may generate a radiation emission;
(b) determining completion of a first stage of the etching process by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission, (ii) generating a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the first signal; and
(c) determining completion of a second stage of the etching process by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of a polarized radiation reflected from the substrate being etched, (ii) generating a second signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A substrate etching apparatus comprising:
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a chamber comprising a substrate support to receive a substrate, a gas inlet to introduce a process gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the process gas to form an energized gas capable of etching the substrate and generating a radiation emission, and an exhaust to exhaust the process gas;
one or more radiation detectors adapted to (i) detect the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission and generate a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (ii) detect the intensities of one or more wavelengths of polarized radiation reflected from the substrate being etched and generate a second signal in relation to the detected intensities; and
a controller to evaluate the first signal to determine completion of a first stage of the etching process, and to evaluate the second signal to determine completion of a second stage of the etching process. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of etching a substrate in a process zone and monitoring the etching process, the method comprising:
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(a) etching a substrate by (i) placing the substrate in the process zone, the substrate comprising a first layer and a second layer below the first layer, (ii) providing an energized process gas in the process zone, and (iii) exhausting the process gas, whereby the energized gas generates a radiation emission;
(b) determining completion of etching of the first layer by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission, (ii) generating a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the first signal to determine a change in the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission that arises from etching of the second layer; and
(c) monitoring the depth of etching of the second layer by (i) detecting the intensities of one or more wavelengths of polarized radiation reflected from the substrate being etched, wherein the polarized radiation is polarized at one or more of a first polarization angle that is substantially parallel to an orientation of a feature being etched on the substrate and a second polarization angle that is substantially perpendicular to an orientation of a feature being etched on the substrate, (ii) generating a second signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (iii) evaluating the second signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A substrate etching apparatus adapted to etch a substrate comprising a first layer and a second layer below the first layer, the apparatus comprising:
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a chamber comprising a substrate support to receive the substrate, a gas inlet to introduce a process gas into the chamber, a gas energizer to energize the process gas to form an energized gas capable of etching the substrate and generating a radiation emission, and an exhaust to exhaust the process gas;
a radiation polarizer adapted to polarize a radiation at one or more of (i) a first polarization angle that is substantially parallel to an orientation of a feature to be etched on the substrate, and (ii) a second polarization angle that is substantially perpendicular to an orientation of a feature to be etched on the substrate;
one or more radiation detectors adapted to (i) detect the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission and generate a first signal in relation to the detected intensities, and (ii) detect the intensities of one or more wavelengths of the polarized radiation reflected from a surface of the substrate being etched and generate a second signal in relation to the detected intensities; and
a controller adapted to (i) evaluate the first signal to determine a change in the intensities of the one or more wavelengths of the radiation emission that arise during etching of the second layer, thereby determining completion of the first layer, and (ii) evaluate the second signal to monitor the depth of etching of the second layer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification