Adjustable achromatic collimator assembly for endpoint detection systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12066639-B2
Application number	US-202318214871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2023
Priority date	Aug 11, 2020
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Implementations disclosed describe a collimator assembly having a collimator housing that includes an interface configured to optically couple to a process chamber that has a target surface, and a port to receive an optical fiber to deliver, to an enclosure formed by the collimator housing, a first (second) plurality of spectral components of light belonging to a first (second) range of wavelengths, and an achromatic lens located, at least partially, within the enclosure formed by the collimator housing, the achromatic lens to direct the first (second) plurality of spectral components of light onto the target surface to illuminate a first (second) region on the target surface, wherein the second region is substantially the same as the first region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collimator assembly comprising:
a collimator housing comprising:
an interface configured to couple to a process chamber; and
a port to receive a first optical fiber, wherein the first optical fiber is to deliver, to an enclosure formed by the collimator housing, a plurality of spectral components of light; and

an achromatic lens located, at least partially, within the enclosure formed by the collimator housing, the achromatic lens to:
direct the plurality of spectral components of light onto a target surface disposed within the process chamber.

2. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spectral components of light comprises:
a first set of spectral components within a 400-700 nm interval of wavelengths, wherein the first set of spectral components is to illuminate a first region of the target surface, and
a second set of spectral components outside the 400-700 nm interval of wavelengths, wherein the first set of spectral components is to illuminate a second region of the target surface, wherein an overlap between the first region and the second region is least 90% of each of the first region and the second region.

3. The collimator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of spectral components of light is at least 300 nm wide.

4. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the port of the collimator housing is further to receive a second optical fiber, wherein the second optical fiber is to:
collect a plurality of reflected, from the target surface, spectral components of light produced by the plurality of spectral components of light directed onto the target surface; and
deliver the plurality of reflected spectral components of light to a light detector.

5. The collimator assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a conduit to provide access of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber to the enclosure formed by the collimator housing.

6. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the achromatic lens is frictionally held within the enclosure formed by the collimator housing.

7. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the achromatic lens is a triplet lens.

8. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spectral components of light directed onto the target surface by the achromatic lens forms a collimated beam.

9. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an optically transparent filler that fills at least a part of the enclosure formed by the collimator housing.

10. The collimator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the collimator housing further comprises a tilt adjustment mechanism to modify alignment of an axis of the collimator housing relative to the process chamber.

11. The collimator assembly of claim 10 , wherein the tilt adjustment mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustment screws, wherein adjustment of each of the plurality of adjustment screws modifies alignment of the axis of the collimator housing.

12. The collimator assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a first support rigidly coupled to the collimator housing, a second support rigidly coupled to the process chamber, and a gap between the first support and the second support, wherein the gap is to accommodate a motion of the first support caused by modified alignment of the axis of the collimator housing.

13. The collimator assembly of claim 12 , further comprising one or more tension springs to stabilize the first support relative to the second support.

14. An endpoint detection system comprising:
a source of light to output a plurality of spectral components of light;
a collimator housing comprising:
an interface configured to couple to a process chamber; and
a port to receive a first optical fiber, wherein the first optical fiber is to deliver, to an enclosure formed by the collimator housing, a plurality of spectral components of light;

an achromatic lens located, at least partially, within the enclosure formed by the collimator housing, the achromatic lens to:
direct the plurality of spectral components of light onto a target surface disposed within the process chamber;

a second optical fiber to:
collect a plurality of reflected, from the target surface, spectral components of light produced by the plurality of spectral components of light directed onto the target surface;

a light detector to receive, via the second optical fiber, the plurality of reflected spectral components of light; and
a processing device, communicatively coupled to the light detector, to determine, using the received plurality of reflected spectral components of light, one or more optical characteristics of the target surface.

15. The endpoint detection system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of spectral components of light comprises:
a first set of spectral components within a 400-700 nm interval of wavelengths, wherein the first set of spectral components is to illuminate a first region of the target surface, and
a second set of spectral components outside the 400-700 nm interval of wavelengths, wherein the first set of spectral components is to illuminate a second region of the target surface, wherein an overlap between the first region and the second region is least 90% of each of the first region and the second region.

16. The endpoint detection system of claim 14 , wherein the achromatic lens is frictionally held within the enclosure formed by the collimator housing.

17. The endpoint detection system of claim 14 , wherein the achromatic lens is a triplet lens.

18. The endpoint detection system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a tilt adjustment mechanism to modify alignment of an axis of the collimator housing relative to the process chamber.

19. The endpoint detection system of claim 18 , wherein the tilt adjustment mechanism comprises:
a plurality of adjustment screws, wherein adjustment of each of the plurality of adjustment screws modifies alignment of the axis of the collimator housing; and
one or more tension springs.

20. A method comprising:
delivering, through a port in a collimator housing, a plurality of spectral components of light to an achromatic lens;
directing, through the achromatic lens, the plurality of spectral components of light onto a target surface disposed withing a process chamber;
collecting, by a second optical fiber, a plurality of reflected, from the target surface, spectral components of light produced by the plurality of spectral components of light directed onto the target surface;
receiving, by a light detector, via the second optical fiber, the plurality of reflected spectral components of light; and
determining, by a processing device communicatively coupled to the light detector, using the received plurality of reflected spectral components of light, one or more optical characteristics of the target surface.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Han Pengyu
• O'Malley John Anthony
• Grimbergen Michael N
• Lian Lei
• Ummethala Upendra
• Kutney Michael

Classifications

• G02B27/005

  for correction of secondary colour or higher-order chromatic aberrations · CPC title

• G02B9/12

  having three components only · CPC title

• G02B7/004

  Manual alignment, e.g. micromanipulators · CPC title

• G02B27/30 Primary

  Collimators · CPC title