Method and system for determining a performance of plasma etch equipment

• US 20030119215A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Petrucci, Joseph Louis Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/027,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119215A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A method of determining a performance of plasma etch equipment is provided. The method comprises extracting data that depend on the performance of plasma etch equipment, during etching of the wafer, for example by calculating an etch rate and by calculating a non-uniformity of a film being etched. After that, the extracted data are compared to predetermined data, and on the basis of a result of comparing the extracted data with predetermined data the performance of the plasma etch equipment is determined. Further, a system for determining a performance of plasma etch equipment is provided.

Claims

1. A method of determining a performance of plasma etch equipment, comprising the steps of

etching a semiconductor wafer using the plasma etch equipment,

extracting data that depend on the performance of plasma etch equipment, during etching of the semiconductor wafer,

comparing the extracted data with predetermined data, and

deciding whether the performance of the plasma etch equipment is acceptable, on the basis of a result of comparing the extracted data with predetermined data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of extracting data comprises calculating an etch rate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of extracting data comprises calculating a non-uniformity of an etched surface.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the etch rate is calculated from interferometric endpoint (IEP) signals.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the etch rate is calculated from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the non-uniformity is calculated from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the etch rate ER in nm/min is calculated according to the formula

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the etch rate ER in nm/min is calculated according to the formula

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined data comprise of stored historical data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined data comprise of statistical process control (SPC) data.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the non-uniformity U is calculated according to the formula

12. A method of determining a performance of plasma etch equipment, comprising the steps of

providing a substrate having a film to be etched,

etching the film using the plasma etch equipment,

calculating an etch rate of the film during etching of the film,

calculating a non-uniformity of the film during etching of the film,

comparing the calculated data with predetermined data, and

deciding whether the performance of the plasma etch equipment is acceptable, on the basis of a result of comparing the calculated data with predetermined data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the etch rate is calculated from interferometric endpoint (IEP) signals.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the etch rate is calculated from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the non-uniformity is calculated from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals.

16. A system for determining a performance of plasma etch equipment, comprising

means for extracting data that depend on the performance of plasma etch equipment, during an etch operation,

means for comparing the extracted data with predetermined data, and

means for deciding whether the performance of the plasma etch equipment is acceptable, on the basis of a result of comparing the extracted data with predetermined data.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the means for extracting data comprise means for calculating an etch rate.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the means for extracting data comprise means for calculating a non-uniformity of an etched surface.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein means for calculating the etch rate from interferometric end-point (IEP) signals are provided.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein means for calculating the etch rate from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals are provided.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein means for calculating the non-uniformity from optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals are provided.

22. A system for determining a performance of plasma etch equipment, comprising

means for calculating an etch rate during an etch operation,

means for calculating a non-uniformity of a film being etched during the etch operation,

means for comparing the calculated data with predetermined data, and

means for deciding whether the performance of the plasma etch equipment is acceptable, on the basis of a result of comparing the calculated data with predetermined data.