Method of reducing process plasma damage using optical spectroscopy

• US 6,972,840 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Ryan Tadashi, McGrath, Peter Gerard, Gu, Shiqun
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Fetsum
• Application Number:
  US10/680,503
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 257/80, 257/98, 257/48, 356/336, 356/337, 356/342
• US Class Current: 356/337
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32972 Spectral analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1734 Means bringing articles into association with web

Abstract

Optical emission spectra from a test wafer during a plasma process are measured using a spectrometer. The plasma charging voltage retained by (detected by) the test wafer is measured after the process step is completed. The emission spectra are correlated with the plasma charging voltage to identify the species contributing to the plasma charging voltage. The optical emission spectra are monitored in real time to optimize the plasma process to prevent plasma charging damage. The optical emission spectra are also monitored to control the plasma process drift.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring plasma process parameters to avoid plasma damage, the apparatus comprising:

a plasma chamber;

a spectrometer for determining optical emissions from the plasma chamber wherein the spectrometer includes a multiple slit diffraction grating that enables light produced by plasma of the chamber to be split into various spectral components and that are directed onto various associated portions of a sensor array which generates electrical signals that correspond to an optical emission spectrum for the plasma in the chamber; and

a processor configured to correlate the optical emission spectrum with plasma charging values on the wafer.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the plasma chamber has a viewport for collecting optical emissions.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein comprising an optical fiber guiding optical emissions from the plasma chamber to the spectrometer.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the plasma process parameters in response to a comparison between the measured optical emissions and data correlating optical emissions with plasma charging.

4. The apparatus recited in clam 1 wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the plasma process parameters in response to a comparison between the measured optical emissions and data correlating optical emissions with plasma charging.

6. An apparatus for monitoring plasma process parameters to avoid plasma damage, the apparatus comprising:

a plasma chamber;

a spectrometer for determining optical emissions from the plasma chamber wherein the spectrometer includes a rotatable single slit diffraction grating that when rotated enables different spectra frequencies of light produced by plasma of the chamber to be directed onto various associated portions of a sensor array which generates electrical signals that correspond to an optical emission spectrum for the plasma in the chamber; and

a processor configured to correlate the optical emission spectrum with plasma charging values on the wafer.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 wherein the plasma chamber has a viewport for collecting optical emissions.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 6 further comprising an optical fiber guiding optical emissions from the plasma chamber to the spectrometer.