Endpoint detection method for chamber component refurbishment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023184539-A1
Application number	US-202218076788-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2022
Priority date	Dec 10, 2021
Publication date	Jun 15, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An endpoint detection system for use in detecting an endpoint of a refurbishment process for process chamber components. The refurbishment process involves use of an etchant bath to etch or clean chamber components after their use a reaction chamber in semiconductor processing to remove deposited materials including oxide films or the like. The endpoint detection system is configured to use measurements of reflected electromagnetic radiation from surfaces of the component in an etchant bath, transmitted electromagnetic radiation passing through holes in the chamber component while the component is in the etchant bath, or both to detect process endpoints. The process endpoints can coincide with a desired amount of removal of the deposited materials from surfaces and/or through holes in the chamber component. Upon detection of the endpoints, the chamber component can be removed from the etchant to limit over etching of materials from the chamber component to increase useful life.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of detecting an endpoint of a refurbishment process for process chamber components, comprising:
submerging a process chamber component in a volume of etchant; transmitting electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source through the etchant onto the process chamber component; receiving electromagnetic radiation from the process chamber component; and determining an endpoint of the refurbishment process for the process chamber component based on the received electromagnetic radiation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the received electromagnetic radiation comprises electromagnetic radiation reflected from a surface of the process chamber component.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of the endpoint comprises determining an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from the surface and comparing the intensity with a reflectance intensity threshold associated with the surface free of deposition materials.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the received electromagnetic radiation comprises electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the process chamber component via one or more through holes having inlets on a surface of the process chamber component.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source is non-collimated electromagnetic radiation focused on the inlets of the one or more through holes or is collimated electromagnetic radiation provided to the inlets of the one or more through holes.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining of the endpoint comprises determining an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation transmitted from the one or more through holes and comparing the intensity with a transmission intensity threshold associated with a size of the one or more through holes.

7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising mounting the process chamber component in a jig between the electromagnetic radiation source and an electromagnetic radiation receiving assembly adapted to perform the receiving step, wherein the submerging of the process chamber component comprises at least partially submerging the jig in the etchant.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the jig orients and aligns the process chamber component with the one or more through holes between the electromagnetic radiation source and an inlet of the electromagnetic radiation receiving assembly.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining of the endpoint includes determining when both the reflectance intensity threshold and the transmission intensity threshold are met or exceeded.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises visible waveband electromagnetic radiation.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises electromagnetic radiation outside of a visible waveband.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation traverses entrapped air within the etchant.

13 . A system for refurbishing a process chamber component including process endpoint detection, comprising:
a tank with an interior space configured for receiving a volume of etchant; an electromagnetic radiation source operable to direct electromagnetic radiation through the etchant to a process chamber component positioned within the interior space; an electromagnetic radiation receiver operable to receive electromagnetic radiation from the process chamber component; and a controller adapted to determine an endpoint of a refurbishment process for the process chamber component based on the received electromagnetic radiation.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a non-collimated electromagnetic radiation source to provide the electromagnetic radiation on a surface of the process chamber component in a cone-shaped pattern and wherein the received electromagnetic radiation comprises electromagnetic radiation reflected from the surface.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation receiver includes a spectrometer operable to determine an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from the surface and wherein the controller determines the endpoint by comparing the intensity with a reflectance intensity threshold associated with the surface free of deposition materials.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the received electromagnetic radiation comprises electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the process chamber component via one or more through holes having inlets on a surface of the process chamber component.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a collimated electromagnetic radiation source or a non-collimated electromagnetic radiation source and an optical assembly configured to focus electromagnetic radiation from the non-collimated electromagnetic radiation source onto the inlets of the one or more through holes.

18 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a jig positioned in the interior spaced and supporting the electromagnetic radiation source and the electromagnetic radiation receiver and further configured to support the process chamber component between the electromagnetic radiation source and the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the jig is configured to align the process chamber component with the one or more through holes between the electromagnetic radiation source and an inlet of the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

20 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising a guide tube immersed within the etchant and housing entrapped air, the entrapped air optically coupling the electromagnetic radiation source to the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

21 . A jig for supporting a process chamber component during a refurbishment process, comprising:
a body; an electromagnetic radiation source assembly supported on a first arm extending outward from the body, the electromagnetic radiation source assembly including a housing and an electromagnetic radiation source positioned with the housing; an electromagnetic radiation receiver assembly supported on a second arm extending outward from the body, the electromagnetic radiation receiver assembly including a housing and an electromagnetic radiation receiving element positioned with the housing, wherein the first and second arms align an outlet of the housing of the electromagnetic radiation source assembly with an inlet of the housing of the electromagnetic radiation receiver assembly; and a third arm extending outward from the body that is configured for rigidly supporting the process chamber component between the housings of the electromagnetic radiation source assembly and the electromagnetic radiation receiving assembly such that at least one through hole in the process chamber component is disposed between the outlet of the housing of the electromagnetic radiation source assembly and the inlet of the housing of the electromagnetic radiation receiving assembly.

22 . The jig of claim 21 , wherein the process chamber component comprises a showerhead and the third arm is adapted for coupling with the showerhead and wherein the housings of the electromagnetic radiation source assembly and the electromagnetic radiation receiver assembly are formed of an etchant-resistant material.

23 . The jig of claim 21 , wherein the elec

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Nandwana Dinkar
• Tran Dinh
• D'Ambra Allen
• Powell Gary

Classifications

• C23C16/45536

  Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C16/45553

  characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD · CPC title

• G01B11/0683 Primary

  measurement during deposition or removal of the layer · CPC title

• C23C16/4405 Primary

  Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases · CPC title