Plasma processing apparatus and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177449-A1
Application number	US-201514973592-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plasma apparatus of processing a wafer disposed in a processing chamber using plasma includes one window, another window, a light receiving unit, a light source, and an optical branching unit which is disposed between the light source and the other window, branches light emitted by the light source to an optical path toward the processing chamber and an optical path in other direction, and reflects light in the processing chamber from the other window, and a detection unit which detects the light having been emitted from the plasma and received by the light receiving unit using one branched light and other branched and reflected light. The apparatus processes the wafer according to a condition for the processing which is adjusted based on a result of the detection.

First claim

1 . A plasma apparatus of processing a wafer disposed in a processing chamber disposed in a vacuum chamber using plasma formed in the processing chamber, comprising:
one window which is disposed on a side wall on one side of the vacuum chamber surrounding the processing chamber and through which light emitted from the plasma passes; another window which is disposed on another side opposite to the one window sandwiching the processing chamber and through which external light from outside of the processing chamber passes; a light receiving unit which is disposed outside of the one window and receives and detects light through the one window; a light source of the external light disposed outside of the other window; an optical branching unit which is disposed between the light source and the other window, branches light emitted by the light source to an optical path toward the processing chamber and an optical path in another direction from each other, and reflects light in the processing chamber from the other window in yet another direction; and a detection unit which has a configuration capable of selectively transmitting each of the light having passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected in the other direction by the optical branching unit, and uses the light to detect the light having been emitted from the plasma and received by the light receiving unit, wherein the apparatus processes the wafer according to a condition for processing which is adjusted based on a result of the detection.

2 . The plasma apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection unit has a function of using a detected result of each of amounts of the light having passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected by the optical branching unit to detect a state of a surface of an inner wall in the processing chamber.

3 . The plasma apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection unit has a function of using a result of detecting each of amounts of the light passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected by the optical branching unit, and amounts of light having been emitted from plasma having been formed using rare gas having been introduced into the processing chamber, and been introduced into the branching unit through the one window, and the light having been introduced into the optical branching unit through the other window, to detect a distribution of an intensity or density of the plasma formed in the processing chamber, or a state of a surface of an inner wall of the processing chamber on the one or the other side.

4 . The plasma apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the detection unit adjusts formation of the plasma using the detected state of the surface of the inner wall in the processing chamber, and data on the light having been emitted from the plasma and detected in the processing, and using a database representing a correlation between a condition of the plasma and dimensions after the wafer processing.

5 . The plasma apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the detection unit adjusts formation of the plasma using the detected state of the surface of the inner wall in the processing chamber, and data on the light having been emitted from the plasma and detected in the processing, and using a database representing a correlation between a condition of the plasma and dimensions after the wafer processing.

6 . An method of operating a plasma apparatus of processing a wafer disposed in a processing chamber disposed in a vacuum chamber using plasma formed in the processing chamber,
wherein the plasma apparatus comprises: one window which is disposed on a side wall on one side of the vacuum chamber surrounding the processing chamber and through which light emitted from the plasma passes; another window which is disposed on another side opposite to the one window sandwiching the processing chamber and through which external from light outside of the processing chamber passes; a light receiving unit which is disposed outside of the one window and receives and detects light through the one window; a light source of the external light disposed outside of the other window, and an optical branching unit which is disposed between the light source and the other window, branches light emitted by the light source to an optical path toward the processing chamber and an optical path in another direction from each other, and reflects light in the processing chamber from the other window in yet another direction; and a detection unit which has a configuration capable of selectively transmitting each of the light having passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected in the other direction by the optical branching unit, and uses the light to detect the light having been emitted from the plasma and received by the light receiving unit, wherein the apparatus processes the wafer according to a condition for the processing which is adjusted based on a result of the detection.

7 . The method of operating the plasma apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the method adjusts the processing condition based on data representing a state of the surface of the inner wall in the processing chamber detected by the detection unit using data representing the amounts of the light having passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected by the optical branching unit.

8 . The method of operating the plasma apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the detection unit uses a result of detecting each of amounts of the light passed from the optical branching unit through the processing chamber and been received by the light receiving unit, and the light branched in the other direction and the light reflected by the optical branching unit, and amounts of light having been emitted from plasma having been formed using rare gas having been introduced into the processing chamber, and been introduced into the branching unit through the one window, and the light having been introduced into the optical branching unit through the other window, to detect a distribution of an intensity or density of the plasma formed in the processing chamber, or a state of a surface of an inner wall of the processing chamber on the one or the other side, and adjusts the processing condition based on data representing a distribution of an intensity or density of the plasma or the state of the surface of the inner wall.

9 . The method of operating the plasma apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the detection unit adjusts formation of the plasma using the detected state of the surface of the inner wall in the processing chamber, and data on the light having been emitted from the plasma and detected in the processing, and using a database representing a correlation between a condition of the plasma and dimensions after the wafer processing.

10 . The method of operating the plasma apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the detection unit adjusts formation of the plasma using the detected state of the surface of the inner wall in the processing chamber, and data on the light havi

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Ohmori Takeshi
• Satou Daisuke
• Usui Tatehito
• Inoue Satomi
• Maeda Kenji

Classifications

• H01J37/32917 Primary

  Plasma diagnostics · CPC title

• H01J37/3299

  Feedback systems · CPC title

• H05H1/46

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32926

  Software, data control or modelling · CPC title

• H01J37/32972

  Spectral analysis · CPC title