# US 11,308,182 B2 · Data processing method, data processing apparatus and processing apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,308,182 B2
- Document ID: US11308182B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/996,486
- Filed: 2020-08-18
- Published: 2020-12-03
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-29
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Seiichi Watanabe; Satomi Inoue; Shigeru Nakamoto; Kousuke Fukuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308182B2

## CPC

- G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)}
- H01J 37/32963: {End-point detection}
- H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

The present invention is a data processing apparatus including a data input/output device for receiving data, a storage for storing the data received by the data input/output device, a data processing program storage for storing a data processing program that includes the steps of calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method, a first predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a second predicted value that is a predicted value of the gradient of the smoothed data, and calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the second predicted value is set as input data, a third predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a fourth predicted value that is a predicted value of the gradient of the smoothed data, and a data calculation processing apparatus for performing the data processing under the data processing program.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data processing apparatus connected to a plasma processessing apparatus comprising:
an input/output device to which data regarding a plasma process is inputted;
a first storage configured to store data inputted to the input/output device;
a second storage configured to store a data processing program that includes the steps of:
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the data is set as input data, a first predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a second predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data; and
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the second predicted value calculated as the output data is set as input data, a third predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a fourth predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data;
a calculation processing apparatus which is configured to perform the data processing under the data processing program,
wherein
the plasma processing apparatus comprises a controller configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of the plasma process under the data processing.

### Claim 2

A processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber to be a control object, wherein the processing chamber subjects a sample mounted on a sample stage to a plasma process;
a measuring device configured to obtain data relating to the processing chamber;
a calculation processing device configured to perform data processing under a data processing program that includes the steps of:
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the data relating to the processing chamber is set as input data, a first predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a second predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data; and
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the second predicted value calculated as the output data is set as input data, a third predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a fourth predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data; and
a controller configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of the plasma process under the data processing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the data is light emission data of the plasma process; and
the processing apparatus further comprises a controller which is configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of the plasma process under the data processing.

### Claim 4

A processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber to be a control object, wherein the processing chamber subjects a sample mounted on a sample stage to a plasma process;
a measuring device which is configured to obtain data relating to the processing chamber;
a data calculation processing device configured to perform data processing under a data processing program that uses a responsive double exponential smoothing method in which smoothing parameters are varied in accordance with an error between the data obtained by the measuring device and the predicted value of smoothed data, and that processes data while making a lower limit value of a variable range of the smoothing parameters greater than zero; and
a controller configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of a plasma process under the data processing.

### Claim 5

A processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber in which a sample mounted on a sample stage is subjected to a plasma process;
a measuring device configured to obtain light emission data in the plasma process of the sample;
a data calculation processing device configured to perform data processing under a data processing program that uses a responsive double exponential smoothing method in which smoothing parameters are varied in accordance with an error between the data obtained by the measuring device and the predicted value of smoothed data, and that processes data while making a lower limit value of the variable range of the smoothing parameters greater than zero and
a controller configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of the plasma process under the data processing.

### Claim 6

A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber in which a sample mounted on a sample stage is subjected to the plasma process is connected to a calculation processing device configured to perform a processing of data regarding a plasma process, wherein
the calculation processing device is configured to perform data processing under a data processing program that includes the steps of:
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the data is set as input data, a first predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a second predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data; and
calculating, using a double exponential smoothing method in which the second predicted value calculated as the output data is set as input data, a third predicted value that is a predicted value of smoothed data and a fourth predicted value that is a predicted value of a gradient of the smoothed data as output data; and
a controller is configured to perform a determination of an end point in time of the plasma process under the data processing.