Inspection method, substrate processing method including the same, and substrate processing device using the substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449375-B2
Application number	US-202318220985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2023
Priority date	Aug 29, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

An inspection method includes extracting a first similarity by comparing first data of a first optical signal with reference data of a reference optical signal, generating a first normal distribution of the first similarity, extracting a second similarity by comparing second data of a second optical signal with the reference data of the reference optical signal, generating a second normal distribution of the second similarity, and comparing the first normal distribution with the second normal distribution. The extracting of the first similarity includes deriving the first data of the first optical signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing method comprising:
causing an analysis device to extract a first similarity by comparing first data of a first optical signal with reference data of a reference optical signal;
causing the analysis device to generate a first normal distribution of the first similarity;
causing the analysis device to extract a second similarity by comparing second data of a second optical signal with the reference data;
causing the analysis device to generate a second normal distribution of the second similarity;
causing the analysis device to compare the first normal distribution with the second normal distribution,
wherein the causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity by comparing the first data of the first optical signal with the reference data of the reference optical signal comprises causing the analysis device to derive the first data of the first optical signal, and
wherein the causing the analysis device to derive the first data of the first optical signal comprises:
causing the analysis device to receive spectrum data of the first optical signal collected in a chamber by using optical emission spectrometry;
causing the analysis device to select data of a first section and data of a second section, which have a first section size, from the spectrum data;
causing the analysis device to scale each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section to a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1;
causing the analysis device to convert the scaled data by using a fitting function f(x)=Ae −ω|x n | +c>, where n is a rational number greater than or equal to 1, and less than or equal to 5;
causing the analysis device to determine a peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section by using the fitting function;
if the peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section is less than a reference point, causing the analysis device to convert the peak probability into 0; and
if the peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section is equal to or greater than the reference point, causing the analysis device to convert the peak probability into 1, and

wherein the analysis device derives the reference data and the second data using a method that is the same as that of the first data;

causing the analysis device to determine whether outside gas inflow occurred in the chamber based on the comparing the first normal distribution with the second normal distribution; and
causing the analysis device to control, based on a result of the determining whether the outside gas inflow occurred in the chamber, a plasma source to process a substrate in the chamber using plasma.

2. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the causing the analysis device to derive the first data further comprises causing the analysis device to determine a stable time section of the spectrum data, and
wherein the first section and the second section are from the stable time section.

3. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity further comprises:
causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity in a first time; and
causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity in a second time,
wherein the causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity in the first time comprises causing the analysis device to compare the first data in the first time with the reference data in a third time,
wherein the causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity in the second time further comprises causing the analysis device to compare the first data in the second time with the reference data in a fourth time, and
wherein the causing the analysis device to generate the first normal distribution of the first similarity further comprises causing the analysis device to generate distributions of the first similarity in the first time and the first similarity in the second time.

4. The substrate processing method of claim 3 , wherein the causing the analysis device to derive the first data further comprises causing the analysis device to determine a stable time section of the spectrum data, and
wherein the first time and the second time are from the stable time section.

5. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the spectrum data is in a visible light wavelength region.

6. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the first optical signal is a first comparison group,
wherein the second optical signal is a second comparison group,
wherein the reference optical signal is a control group, and
wherein the substrate processing method further comprises causing the analysis device to compare optical signals of the first comparison group and the second comparison group to the control group.

7. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the analysis device derives the reference data and the second data by selecting data of a plurality of sections having the first section size.

8. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the causing the analysis device to determine the peak probability further comprises causing the analysis device to represent the peak probability as a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1.

9. The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the causing the analysis device to extract the first similarity further comprises causing the analysis device to compare data of the first data with data of the reference data in identical wavelength sections.

10. A substrate processing method comprising:
causing an analysis device to perform an inspection method for identifying a condition in a chamber; wherein the inspection method comprises:
causing the analysis device to receive spectrum data of a first optical signal collected in the chamber by using optical emission spectrometry;
causing the analysis device to select data of a first section and data of a second section, which have a first section size, from the spectrum data;
causing the analysis device to scale each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section to a value greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1;
causing the analysis device to convert the scaled data by using a fitting function f(x)=Ae −ω|x n | +c, where n is a rational number greater than or equal to 1, and less than or equal to 5;
causing the analysis device to determine a peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section by using the fitting function;
if the peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section is less than a reference point, causing the analysis device to convert the peak probability into 0;
if the peak probability of each of the data of the first section and the data of the second section is equal to or greater than the reference point, causing the analysis device to covert the peak probability into 1;
causing the analysis device to derive first data of the first optical signal; and
causing the analysis device to extract a first similarity by comparing the first data with reference data of a reference optical signal
wherein the analysis device derives the reference data and the first data using a same method;

causing the analysis device to identify whether the condition in the chamber is a normal state by causing the analysis device to determine whether outside gas inflow occurred in the chamber based on the extracted first similarity; and
causing the analysis

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Myunggeun
• Kim Sarah
• Kim Changyul
• Kim Younghoon
• Park Jaeyong
• Cho Sungil
• Cho Taeil

Classifications

• G01N2201/1248

  Validating from signal shape, slope, peak · CPC title

• G01J2003/4435

  Measuring ratio of two lines, e.g. internal standard · CPC title

• G01J3/0275

  making use of sensor-related data, e.g. for identification of sensor parts or optical elements · CPC title

• G01N21/94 Primary

  Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01J3/443 Primary

  Emission spectrometry · CPC title