# US 12,730,085 B2 · Apparatus and method for plasma measurement

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- Number: US 12,730,085 B2
- Document ID: US12730085B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/443,479
- Filed: 2024-02-16
- Published: 2025-08-21
- Granted: 2026-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2024-02-16
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Sergey Voronin; Carl Smith; Nicholas Smieszek; Qi Wang; Akiteru Ko; James Grootegoed; Norman Jacobson; Ronald Nasman; Cheryl Alix
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12730085B2

## CPC

- G01N 27/22: by investigating capacitance
- H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge}
- H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring}
- H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes}
- H01J 37/3211: {Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils}
- H01J 2237/24564: Measurements of electric or magnetic variables, e.g. voltage, current, frequency
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- 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

An apparatus for plasma measurement includes an electrode within a remote capacitive sensor, a capacitor within the remote capacitive sensor, and a capillary array disposed within a top surface of the remote capacitive sensor. The capacitor is coupled with the electrode. The capillary array is configured to allow charged particles to pass through the capillary array and charge the capacitor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for plasma measurement, the apparatus comprising:
an electrode within a remote capacitive sensor;
a capacitor within the remote capacitive sensor, the capacitor coupled with the electrode; and
a capillary array disposed within a top surface of the remote capacitive sensor, the capillary array being configured to allow charged particles from a plasma to pass through the capillary array and charge the capacitor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote capacitive sensor comprises a metal box, the metal box containing the electrode and the capacitor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote capacitive sensor further comprises a semiconductor wafer and a multi-layer stack over the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein capillaries of the capillary array extend into the multi-layer stack to expose portions of a first conductive layer of the multi-layer stack.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the capacitor comprises the first conductive layer of the multi-layer stack, a second conductive layer of the multi-layer stack, and a dielectric layer of the multi-layer stack, the dielectric layer being between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote capacitive sensor is free of batteries and transistors.

### Claim 7

An apparatus for plasma measurement, the apparatus comprising:
a first conductive layer over a substrate;
a first dielectric layer over the first conductive layer;
a second conductive layer over the first dielectric layer;
a mask layer over the second conductive layer;
a first hole through the mask layer, the second conductive layer, and the first dielectric layer, the first hole exposing a first portion of the first conductive layer;
a first readout hole through the mask layer, the second conductive layer, and the first dielectric layer, the first readout hole exposing a second portion of the first conductive layer, the second portion having a greater surface area than the first portion; and
a second readout hole through the mask layer, the second readout hole exposing a third portion of the second conductive layer, the third portion having a greater surface area than the first portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a removable shield covering the first readout hole and the second readout hole.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer comprise a metal, titanium nitride, or doped silicon.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises an oxide, silicon nitride, or aluminum oxide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mask layer comprises amorphous carbon.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first hole is part of an array of holes extending through the mask layer, the second conductive layer, and the first dielectric layer to expose the first conductive layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a third conductive layer between the first conductive layer and the substrate; and a second dielectric layer between the third conductive layer and the first conductive layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a second hole through the mask layer, the second conductive layer, the first dielectric layer, the first conductive layer, and the second dielectric layer, the second hole exposing a fourth portion of the third conductive layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a third readout hole through the mask layer, the second conductive layer, the first dielectric layer, the first conductive layer, and the second dielectric layer, the third readout hole exposing a fifth portion of the third conductive layer, the fifth portion having a greater surface area than the fourth portion.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a voltmeter couplable to the second portion of the first conductive layer, the voltmeter having an input impedance, a product of the input impedance with a capacitance between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer being greater than 50 seconds.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon wafer.

### Claim 18

A method for plasma measurement, the method comprising a test cycle, the test cycle comprising:
setting an initial voltage on a capacitor of a remote capacitive sensor;
loading the remote capacitive sensor into a process chamber;
performing a plasma process in the process chamber while the remote capacitive sensor is in the process chamber;
removing the remote capacitive sensor from the process chamber; and
reading out a voltage of the capacitor from the remote capacitive sensor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein reading out the voltage of the capacitor comprises coupling a first contact pad and a second contact pad of the remote capacitive sensor with a voltmeter, the voltmeter having an input impedance, a product of the input impedance with a capacitance of the capacitor being greater than 50 seconds.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
testing the voltage of the capacitor to determine if relative ion transport is improved;
performing another test cycle with a plasma process parameter adjusted using the voltage of the capacitor; and
repeating the steps of testing the voltage of the capacitor and performing additional test cycles until relative ion transport reaches a desired level.