Plasma treatment apparatus, a method of monitoring a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the same, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including the monitoring method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12170233-B2
Application number	US-202117394471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A plasma treatment apparatus includes a light generator that generates light, a chamber that receives the light generated from the light generator, an optical element provided between the light generator and the chamber, a light detector that detects the light reflected in the chamber, and a controller connected to the light generator and the light detector. The chamber includes an electrostatic chuck provided in a lower portion of the chamber, an edge ring provided around the electrostatic chuck, an outer wall for sealing an inner space of the chamber, and a gas supply that injects a process gas into the chamber. The optical element branches the generated light to irradiate branched light to different regions of the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma treatment apparatus comprising:
a light generator configured to generate light;
a chamber configured to receive the light generated by the light generator;
an optical element disposed between the light generator and the chamber;
a light detector configured to detect reflected light reflected from inside the chamber; and
a controller connected to the light generator and the light detector,
wherein the chamber comprises an electrostatic chuck in a lower portion of the chamber, an edge ring around the electrostatic chuck, an outer wall that seals an inner space of the chamber, and a gas supply configured to inject a process gas into the chamber, and
wherein the optical element is configured to branch the light generated by the light generator into branched light, and irradiate the branched light to different regions of the chamber.

2. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light generated by the light generator has a frequency of about 0.1 THz to about 1 THz.

3. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light generator and the optical element are under the chamber.

4. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optical element comprises a plurality of optical elements, and each of the plurality of optical elements comprises a simple mirror, a dichroic mirror, or a beam splitter.

5. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of optical elements comprises a driver, and the at least one of the plurality of optical elements is movable in a horizontal direction parallel to a bottom surface of the chamber by the driver.

6. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the chamber further comprises a shower head in an upper portion of the chamber, and a power supply electrically connected to the shower head and the electrostatic chuck,
wherein the inner space of the chamber is sealed by the shower head and the outer wall, and the power supply is configured to supply power to the shower head and the electrostatic chuck to generate plasma in the inner space of the chamber.

7. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the shower head includes a metal material or a semiconductor material, and
the light detector is configured to detect the reflected light that is reflected at the shower head inside the chamber.

8. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the electrostatic chuck has a plurality of through-holes having opened top and bottom ends, and
wherein the light generated by the light generator passes through the plurality of through-holes and into the inner space of the chamber.

9. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optical element comprises an optical circulator connected to the light generator and the light detector, a plurality of connectors provided on a bottom surface of the electrostatic chuck, and an optical coupler connected to the optical circulator and the plurality of connectors,
wherein the optical circulator, the plurality of connectors and the optical coupler are connected to each other through optical fibers, and each of the plurality of connectors includes a focusing lens.

10. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light generator and the optical element are provided above the chamber, and
the chamber further comprises a window provided in an upper portion of the chamber, an antenna on a top surface of the window, and a power supply electrically connected to the antenna, and
wherein the window has substantially a same composition along an entire region of the upper portion of the chamber, the light generated by the light generator passes through the window to be irradiated into the inner space of the chamber, and the power supply is configured to supply power to the antenna to generate plasma in the inner space of the chamber.

11. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical element comprises a plurality of optical elements, and each of the plurality of optical elements comprises a simple mirror, a dichroic mirror, or a beam splitter, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of optical elements comprises a driver, and the at least one of the plurality of optical elements is movable in a horizontal direction parallel to a top surface of the chamber by the driver.

12. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the window includes a ceramic material, and the electrostatic chuck includes a metal material or a semiconductor material, and
wherein at least a portion of the light generated by the light generator and irradiated into the chamber is reflected from the electrostatic chuck or a semiconductor substrate disposed on the electrostatic chuck as the reflected light.

13. The plasma treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical element comprises an optical circulator connected to the light generator and the light detector, a plurality of connectors on the top surface of the window, and an optical coupler connected to the optical circulator and the plurality of connectors,
wherein the optical circulator, the plurality of connectors and the optical coupler are connected to each other through optical fibers, and each of the plurality of connectors includes a focusing lens.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Meehyun
• Kim Sung-Yeol
• KIM SungHyup
• Yong Hyung-Jung
• Yoo Hosun

Classifications

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P74/238 Primary

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

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H01J1/00

  Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps (details of electron-optical or ion-optical arrangements H01J3/00) · CPC title

• H01J37/32917

  Plasma diagnostics · CPC title