Transmission corrected plasma emission using in-situ optical reflectometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12442765-B2
Application number	US-202418767516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2024
Priority date	Sep 15, 2021
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

Implementations disclosed describe a system including a light source, an optical sensor, and a processing device. The light source directs, during a first time, a probe light into a processing chamber through a window. The light source ceases, during a second time, directing the probe light into the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the first time, a first intensity of a first light. The first light includes a portion of the probe light reflected from the window and a light transmitted from an environment of the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the second time, a second intensity of a second light. The second light includes the light transmitted from the environment of the processing chamber through the window. The processing device determines, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission coefficient of the window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an optical sensor to:
detect a first intensity of a first beam of light, the first beam of light comprising (i) a portion, reflected from a window, of a probe light directed to the window, and (ii) a light transmitted through the window; and
detect a second intensity of a second beam of light, the second beam of light comprising the light transmitted through the window; and
a processing device communicatively coupled to the optical sensor, the processing device to:
determine, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission characteristic of the window.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine the transmission characteristic of the window, the processing device is to determine a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further to determine, using the second intensity and the transmission characteristic of the window, an intensity of light incident on a side of the window that is opposite to a side reflecting the probe light.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein one side of the window is exposed to an environment of a processing chamber, and wherein the processing device is further to:
determine a change of the transmission characteristic, caused by the environment of the processing chamber, from a reference transmission characteristic of the window.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the environment of the processing chamber comprises a plasma.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a collimator to direct, to the window, a light incident from the environment of the processing chamber.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source to generate the probe light.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a light-coupling device to:
deliver the probe light from the light source to the window, and
deliver, from the window to the optical sensor, the first beam of light.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe light is directed to the window at an angle that makes less than 10 degrees with a normal direction to a surface of the window.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein an intensity of the probe light is calibrated to a predetermined reference intensity value.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe light comprises a broadband light.

12. A system comprising:
a processing chamber comprising:
a body comprising a window; and
an optical sensor to:
detect a first intensity of a first optical signal, the first optical signal comprising (i) a portion, reflected from the window, of a probe optical signal directed to the window, and (ii) an optical signal transmitted from an environment of the processing chamber through the window, wherein the portion of the probe optical signal reflected from the window and the optical signal transmitted from an environment of the processing chamber through the window follow a common optical path; and
detect a second intensity of a second optical signal, the second optical signal comprising the optical signal transmitted from the environment of the processing chamber through the window; and

a processing device communicatively coupled to the optical sensor, the processing device to:
determine, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission characteristic of the window.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a light source to:
direct, during a first time, a probe optical signal to the window; and
cease, during a second time, directing the probe optical signal to the window, wherein the first intensity of the first optical signal is detected during the first time and the second intensity of the second optical signal is detected during the second time.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing device is further to determine, using the second intensity and the transmission characteristic of the window, an intensity of optical signal incident on the window from the environment of the processing chamber.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein an intensity of the probe optical signal is calibrated to a predetermined reference intensity value.

16. A method comprising:
detecting a first intensity of a first beam of light, the first beam of light comprising (i) a portion, reflected from a window, of a probe light directed to the window, and (ii) a light transmitted through the window;
detecting a second intensity of a second beam of light, the second beam of light comprising the light transmitted through the window; and
determining, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission characteristic of the window.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first intensity of the first beam of light is detected during a first time, and wherein the second intensity of the second beam of light is detected during a second time, the method further comprising:
directing, during the first time, the probe light to the window; and
ceasing to direct, during the second time, the probe light to the window.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the transmission characteristic of the window comprises determining a difference between the first intensity and the second intensity.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining, using the second intensity and the transmission characteristic of the window, an intensity of light incident on a side of the window that is opposite to a side reflecting the probe light.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first intensity and the second intensity are detected for each of a plurality of wavelengths, and wherein the transmission characteristic of the window is determined for each of the plurality of wavelengths.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Tae Patrick
• Zhu Zhaozhao
• Erickson Blake W
• Zhang Chunlei

Classifications

• G01N2021/558

  Measuring reflectivity and transmission · CPC title

• G01N21/55 Primary

  Specular reflectivity · CPC title

• G01N21/59 Primary

  Transmissivity (G01N21/25 takes precedence) · CPC title