Process characterization and correction using optical wall process sensor (OWPS)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469686-B2
Application number	US-202217696791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2022
Priority date	Mar 16, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a processing device, first sensor data indicating a state of a wall corresponding to a first processing chamber. The first sensor data includes optical spectral data. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, a first value based on the first sensor data. The first value corresponds to a first amount of a product disposed along a surface of the wall at a first time. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, a first update to a first process operation associated with the first processing chamber based on the first value. The method further includes performing, by the processing device, one or more of (i) preparing a notification indicating the first update for presentation on a graphical user interface (GUI), or (ii) causing performance of the first process operation in accordance with the first update.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a processing device, first sensor data indicating a state of a wall corresponding to a first processing chamber, the first sensor data comprising optical spectral data associated at least with light reflected off of a surface of a product disposed along a surface of the wall, a distal surface of a window in the wall, and a film on the distal surface of the window; determining, by the processing device, a first value based on the first sensor data, the first value corresponding to a first amount of the product disposed along the surface of the wall at a first time; determining, by the processing device, a first update to a first process operation associated with the first processing chamber based on the first value; and performing, by the processing device, one or more of (i) preparing a notification indicating the first update for presentation on a graphical user interface (GUI) or (ii) causing performance of the first process operation in accordance with the first update.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor data is received from an optical wall process sensor (OWPS), the method further comprising:
determining, by the processing device, an update to at least one of a sensor gain value or a sensor offset value corresponding to the OWPS based on the first value.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first value corresponds to the first amount of the product disposed along the surface at the first time, the method further comprising:
determining, by the processing device, a second value based on the first sensor data, wherein the second value corresponds to a second amount of the product disposed along the surface of the wall at a second time; and determining, by the processing device, a process rate associated with the first process operation using the first value and the second value, wherein the first update is determined further using the process rate.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first update corresponds to at least one of a duration of the first process operation or an endpoint condition of the first process operation.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the process rate or the endpoint condition is associated with at least one of a cleaning rate, an etch rate, or a deposition rate corresponding to the first processing chamber.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first value indicates a thickness of the product disposed along the surface of the wall.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processing device, second sensor data indicating a second state of a second wall corresponding to a second processing chamber, wherein the second sensor data comprises second optical spectral data; and determining, by the processing device, a second value based on the second sensor data, wherein the second value corresponds to a second amount of the product disposed along a second surface of the second wall at a second time, wherein the first update is determined further using the second value.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
causing, by the processing device, a performance of a calibration of one or more sensors associated with the first processing chamber based on a comparison between the first value and the second value.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing, by the processing device, a data normalization using the first sensor data to determine the first value, wherein the first value comprises a normalized dimensionless value.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using, by the processing device, the first sensor data as input to a machine learning (ML) model; and receiving, by the processing device, one or more outputs of the ML model, the one or more outputs indicating the first update.

11 . A system comprising:
a first processing chamber comprising a first wall with an inner surface positioned within the first processing chamber; an optical sensor coupled to the processing chamber, the optical sensor configured to acquire spectral data associated with the inner surface; a memory; and a processing device coupled to the memory, the processing device to:
receive first sensor data indicating a state of the first wall of the first processing chamber, the first sensor data comprising optical spectral data associated at least with light reflected off of a surface of a product disposed along the inner surface of the wall, a distal surface of a window in the wall, and a film on the distal surface of the window;
determine a first value based on the first sensor data, the first value corresponding to a first amount of the product disposed along the inner surface of the first wall at a first time;
determine a first update to a first process operation associated with the first processing chamber based on the first value; and
perform one or more of (i) prepare a notification indicating the first update for presentation on a graphical user interface (GUI) or (ii) cause performance of the first process operation in accordance with the first update.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first sensor data is received from an optical wall process sensor (OWPS), and wherein the processing device is further to:
determine an update to at least one of a sensor gain value or a sensor offset value corresponding to the OWPS based on the first value.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first value corresponds to the first amount of the product disposed along the surface at the first time, and wherein the processing device is further to:
determine a second value based on the first sensor data, wherein the second value corresponds to a second amount of the product disposed along the surface of the wall at a second time; and determine a process rate associated with the first process operation using the first value and the second value, wherein the first update is determined further using the process rate.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first value indicates a thickness of the product disposed along the surface of the wall.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing device is further to:
receive second sensor data indicating a second state of a second wall corresponding to a second processing chamber, wherein the second sensor data comprises second optical spectral data; and determine a second value based on the second sensor data, wherein the second value corresponds to a second amount of the product disposed along a second surface of the second wall, wherein the first update is determined further using the second value.

16 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to:
receive first sensor data indicating a state of a wall corresponding to a first processing chamber, the first sensor data comprising optical spectral data associated at least with light reflected off of a surface of a product disposed along a surface of the wall, a distal surface of a window in the wall, and a film on the distal surface of the window; determine a first value based on the first sensor data, the first value corresponding to a first amount of the product disposed along the surface of the wall at a first time; determine a first update to a first process operation associated with the first processing chamber based on the first value; and perform one or more of (i) prepare a notification indicating the first update for presentation on a graphical user interface (GUI) or (ii) cause performance o

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Au Jeffrey Yat Shan
• Maher Joshua Thomas
• Chakarian Varoujan
• Bhatia Sidharth
• Tae Patrick
• Zhu Zhaozhao
• Erickson Blake W

Classifications

• H01J37/32926 Primary

  Software, data control or modelling · CPC title

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title

• H01J37/32972 Primary

  Spectral analysis · CPC title

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0454

  surrounding a central transfer chamber · CPC title