In-situ real-time plasma chamber condition monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10854433-B2
Application number	US-201916355138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Methods for in-situ and real-time chamber condition monitoring is provided. For example, in one embodiment, for each wafer in a chamber, a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals in the chamber is monitored in-situ. The frequency and wavelength of the free radicals are associated with at least one selected chemical. The associated free radicals are compared to an index. The index includes a target range for each chemical in the at least one selected chemical.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
monitoring, in-situ, for each wafer in a chamber, a frequency and wavelength of free radicals in the chamber;
associating the frequency and wavelength of the free radicals with at least one selected chemical; and
comparing the associated free radicals to an index wherein the index includes a target range for each chemical in the at least one selected chemical.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
changing an in-situ chamber condition recipe in response to the comparison when the associated free radicals are not within the target range.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing the chamber in one of:
a preventative maintenance cycle when the associated free radicals fall below the target range; and
placing the chamber in a production cycle when the associated free radicals are within the target range.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
plotting each comparison.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an alert when at least one of:
the associated free radicals are within the target range;
the associated free radicals are below the target range; and
the associated free radicals are above the target range.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring occurs during one of:
a wafer production cycle; and
a chamber cleaning cycle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chamber cleaning cycle comprises:
a chamber seasoning cycle; and
a chamber qualification cycle.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
seasoning wafers until hydroxide levels within the chamber are at a steady state; and
performing a qualification cycle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring and the comparison includes at least one of:
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with a hydroxide in the chamber and comparing associated hydroxide free radicals to an index for hydroxide; and
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with fluorine in the chamber and comparing associated fluorine free radicals to an index for fluorine.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring and the comparison includes at least one of:
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with a hydroxide in the chamber and comparing associated hydroxide free radicals to an index for hydroxide;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with fluorine in the chamber and comparing associated fluorine free radicals to an index for fluorine;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with hydrogen in the chamber and comparing associated hydrogen free radicals to an index for hydrogen;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with chlorine in the chamber and comparing associated chlorine free radicals to an index for chlorine;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with oxygen in the chamber and comparing associated oxygen free radicals to an index for oxygen;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with argon in the chamber and comparing associated argon free radicals to an index for argon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with xenon in the chamber and comparing associated xenon free radicals to an index for xenon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with silicon in the chamber and comparing associated silicon free radicals to an index for silicon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with silicon nitride and comparing associated silicon nitride free radicals to an index for silicon nitride; and
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with carbon in the chamber and comparing associated carbon free radicals to an index for carbon.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
inserting a plurality of wafers into the plasma chamber.

12. A method for in-situ and real-time chamber condition monitoring, comprising:
inserting at least one wafer into a plasma chamber;
injecting a gas into a plasma chamber wherein the gas comprises a source of free radicals;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals in the gas;
associating the frequency and wavelength of the free radicals with at least one selected chemical; and
comparing the associated free radicals to an index wherein the index includes a target range for each chemical in the at least one selected chemical.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
changing an in-situ chamber condition (“ICC”) recipe in response to the comparison.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the monitoring and the comparison includes at least one of:
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with a hydroxide in the chamber and comparing associated hydroxide free radicals to an index for hydroxide; and
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with fluorine in the chamber and comparing associated fluorine free radicals to an index for fluorine.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing an alert when at least one of:
the associated free radicals are within the target range;
the associated free radicals are below the target range; and
the associated free radicals are above the target range.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the monitoring and the comparison includes at least one of:
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with a hydroxide in the chamber and comparing associated hydroxide free radicals to an index for hydroxide;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with fluorine in the chamber and comparing associated fluorine free radicals to an index for fluorine;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with hydrogen in the chamber and comparing associated hydrogen free radicals to an index for hydrogen;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with chlorine in the chamber and comparing associated chlorine free radicals to an index for chlorine;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with oxygen in the chamber and comparing associated oxygen free radicals to an index for oxygen;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with argon in the chamber and comparing associated argon free radicals to an index for argon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with xenon in the chamber and comparing associated xenon free radicals to an index for xenon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with silicon in the chamber and comparing associated silicon free radicals to an index for silicon;
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with silicon nitride and comparing associated silicon nitride free radicals to an index for silicon nitride; and
monitoring a frequency and wavelength of the free radicals associated with carbon in the chamber and comparing associated carbon free radicals to an index for carbon.

17. A method, comprising:
monitoring, in-situ, for each wafer in a chamber, a frequency and wavelength of free radicals of gases in the chamber;
associating the frequency and wavelength of the free radicals with a chemical; and
comparing the associated free radicals to an index wherein the index includes a target ran

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Hsieh Tzu-Yen
• Kurakula Sidda Reddy

Classifications

• H10P74/238

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0421 Primary

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H05H1/0006

  Investigating plasma, e.g. measuring the degree of ionisation or the electron temperature · CPC title