Pulsed plasma monitoring using optical sensor and a signal analyzer forming a mean waveform
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving light emitted by a pulsed plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber;
sampling the received light at a sampling rate higher than a pulse rate of the pulsed plasma, wherein the sampled light has a periodic amplitude waveform and the sampling rate is higher than the period of the amplitude waveform;
accumulating multiple sampled waveforms to form a mean waveform; and
transmitting characteristics of the mean waveform to a chamber control tool.
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Abstract
Monitoring of a pulsed plasma is described using an optical sensor. In one example, the invention includes receiving light emitted by a pulsed plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber, sampling the received light at a sampling rate higher than a pulse rate of the pulsed plasma, wherein the sampled light has a periodic amplitude waveform and the sampling rate is higher than the period of the amplitude waveform, accumulating multiple sampled waveforms to form a mean waveform, and transmitting characteristics of the mean waveform to a chamber control tool.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving light emitted by a pulsed plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber; sampling the received light at a sampling rate higher than a pulse rate of the pulsed plasma, wherein the sampled light has a periodic amplitude waveform and the sampling rate is higher than the period of the amplitude waveform; accumulating multiple sampled waveforms to form a mean waveform; and transmitting characteristics of the mean waveform to a chamber control tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus comprising:
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a photodetector to receive light emitted by a pulsed plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber; a digitizer to sample the received light at a sampling rate higher than a pulse rate of the pulsed plasma, wherein the sampled light has a periodic amplitude waveform and the sampling rate is higher than the period of the amplitude waveform; a signal analyzer to accumulate multiple sampled waveforms to form a mean waveform; and a communications interface to transmit characteristics of the mean waveform to a chamber control tool. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving light emitted by a pulsed plasma in a semiconductor plasma processing chamber; means for sampling the received light at a sampling rate higher than a pulse rate of the pulsed plasma, wherein the sampled light has a periodic amplitude waveform and the sampling rate is higher than the period of the amplitude waveform; means for accumulating multiple sampled waveforms to form a mean waveform; and means for transmitting characteristics of the mean waveform to a chamber control tool. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification