Method of determining plasma abnormality, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and substrate processing apparatus

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• supplying a plasma-converted gas into a process chamber in which a substrate is processed, via a plurality of gas supply holes formed in a vertical direction on a wall surface of a buffer structure forming a buffer chamber configured to generate a plasma;
• processing the substrate by supplying the plasma-converted gas to the substrate;
• imaging the plurality of gas supply holes by using an imaging device disposed in the process chamber;
• detecting a plasma emission intensity based on an image of the imaged gas supply holes;
• and
• determining at least one of whether abnormal plasma discharge has occurred and whether plasma flickering has occurred based on the detected plasma emission intensity.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• supplying a plasma-converted gas into a process chamber in which a substrate is processed, via a gas supply hole formed on a wall surface of a buffer structure forming a buffer chamber configured to generate a plasma;
• processing the substrate by supplying the plasma-converted gas to the substrate;
• imaging the gas supply hole by using an imaging device disposed in the process chamber;
• detecting a plasma emission intensity based on an image of the imaged gas supply hole;
• and
• determining at least one of whether abnormal plasma discharge has occurred and whether plasma flickering has occurred based on the detected plasma emission intensity,
• wherein, when it is determined that the abnormal plasma discharge and the plasma flickering have not occurred in the act of determining at least one of whether the abnormal plasma discharge has occurred and whether the plasma flickering has occurred, the substrate is loaded into the process chamber and the act of processing the substrate is performed.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a process chamber in which at least one substrate is processed;
• a buffer chamber configured to generate a plasma;
• a gas supply system configured to supply a gas into the buffer chamber;
• a buffer structure forming the buffer chamber and including a plurality of gas supply holes that are formed in a vertical direction in the buffer structure and configured to supply a plasma-converted gas, which is supplied and plasma-converted in the buffer chamber, into the process chamber;
• an imaging device disposed in the process chamber and being configured to image the plurality of gas supply holes;
• and
• a controller configured to detect a plasma emission intensity based on an image of the plurality of gas supply holes imaged by the imaging device and determine at least one of whether abnormal plasma discharge has occurred and whether plasma flickering has occurred based on the detected plasma emission intensity.