Method of determining end of cleaning of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

• US 5,169,407 A
• Filed: 12/07/1990
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mase, Yasukazu, Abe, Masahiro, Hirata, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ojan, Ourmazd S.
• Application Number:
  US07/623,367
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 156/626, 156/643, 156/644, 134/1, 29/25.01, 204/298.31, 204/298.32, 204/298.34, 204/298.38
• US Class Current: 29/25.01
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67011 Apparatus for manufacture or treatment processes H01L21/30, H01L21/46; for production or after-treatment of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material C30B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

In a method for determining an end of cleaning of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the invention, when the interior of a semiconductor substrate process chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is cleaned by dry etching using plasma discharge, a constant current or voltage is supplied from a high-frequency power source to discharge electrodes during plasma discharge, an impedance between the electrodes or a temperature in the process chamber is monitored, a time point at which the impedance or temperature is abruptly changed is detected, and this time point of detection is determined to be an end of cleaning.

Claims

1. A device for determining an end of cleaning of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a semiconductor substrate process chamber comprising:

means for cleaning an interior of the chamber using plasma discharge etching;

means for monitoring a temperature in the chamber; and

means for detecting a transition in a rate of change of the monitored temperature to determine the end of the cleaning.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means determines the end of cleaning after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the occurrence of the transition in the temperature change rate, said predetermined period of time resulting in overetching in the chamber.