Method monitoring chamber drift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10636686-B2
Application number	US-201815906332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method for monitoring drift in a plasma processing chamber for semiconductor processing is provided. A plurality of cycles is provided, wherein each cycle comprises depositing a deposition layer over a chuck in the plasma processing chamber, plasma etching the deposition layer, and measuring a time for plasma etching the deposition layer to etch through the deposition layer. The measured time for plasma etching is used to determine plasma processing chamber drift.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring drift in a plasma processing chamber for semiconductor processing, comprising:
a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises:
depositing a deposition layer over a chuck in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the depositing the deposition layer is performed without a wafer and wherein the depositing the deposition layer deposits the deposition layer directly on a surface of the chuck;
plasma etching the deposition layer; and
measuring a time for plasma etching the deposition layer to etch through the deposition layer;

using the graph to determine chamber condition;
using the graph to determine if the plasma processing chamber needs repair; and
using the measured time for plasma etching to determine plasma processing chamber drift, wherein the using the measured time for plasma etching comprises:
generating a graph of time for plasma etching with respect to each cycle of the plurality of cycles and wherein the using the measured time for plasma etching to determine plasma processing chamber drift; and
using the measured time for plasma etching to determine when to clean the plasma processing chamber, wherein at least one production wafer is processed between each cycle of the plurality of cycles.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the measuring the time for plasma etching the deposition layer uses at least one of optical emission spectroscopy or laser interferometry.

3. The method, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the using the measured time for plasma etching comprises comparing the measured time for plasma etching to a baseline time determines if the measured time for plasma etching is outside of a threshold distance from the baseline time.

4. The method, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plasma etching the deposition layer, comprises:
flowing an etchant gas comprising a halogen containing component into the plasma processing chamber; and
forming the etchant gas into a plasma in the plasma processing chamber.

5. The method, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising conditioning the plasma processing chamber when a drift beyond a threshold is determined.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Abel Joseph
• Kumar Purushottam
• Lavoie Adrien

Classifications

• H10P74/20

  characterised by the properties tested or measured, e.g. structural or electrical properties · CPC title

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H01J37/3299

  Feedback systems · CPC title