Method and apparatus for monitoring plasma processing operations

Patent · 16 July 2002

OSTI ID:874579

Stevenson, Joel O'Don ^[1]; Ward, Pamela Peardon Denise ^[2]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Rio Rancho, NM

The invention generally relates to various aspects of a plasma process, and more specifically the monitoring of such plasma processes. One aspect relates in at least some manner to calibrating or initializing a plasma monitoring assembly. This type of calibration may be used to address wavelength shifts, intensity shifts, or both associated with optical emissions data obtained on a plasma process. A calibration light may be directed at a window through which optical emissions data is being obtained to determine the effect, if any, that the inner surface of the window is having on the optical emissions data being obtained therethrough, the operation of the optical emissions data gathering device, or both. Another aspect relates in at least some manner to various types of evaluations which may be undertaken of a plasma process which was run, and more typically one which is currently being run, within the processing chamber. Plasma health evaluations and process identification through optical emissions analysis are included in this aspect. Yet another aspect associated with the present invention relates in at least some manner to the endpoint of a plasma process (e.g., plasma recipe, plasma clean, conditioning wafer operation) or discrete/discernible portion thereof (e.g., a plasma step of a multiple step plasma recipe). A final aspect associated with the present invention relates to how one or more of the above-noted aspects may be implemented into a semiconductor fabrication facility, such as the distribution of wafers to a wafer production system.

• Research Organization: Sandia Corporation
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 6419801
• Application Number: 09/065358
• OSTI ID: 874579
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/204/216/
above-noted
address
analysis
apparatus
aspect
aspects
assembly
associated
calibrating
calibration
chamber
clean
conditioning
currently
data
determine
device
directed
discernible portion
discretediscernible
distribution
effect
emissions
emissions data
endpoint
evaluations
fabrication
facility
final
gathering
health
identification
implemented
included
initializing
inner
intensity
light
manner
method
monitoring
multiple
obtained
operation
operations
optical
plasma
plasma process
portion
process
processes
processing
production
recipe
relates
run
semiconductor
shifts
specifically
step
surface
therethrough
type
types
typically
undertaken
wafer
wafers
wavelength
window