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AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsWilliam Jones, Michael Grapperhaus, Andrej Mitrovic
Estimating the term…
Ultrasonic transducers and tomographic techniques determine the temperature of a semiconductor substrate holder at all points on the substrate holder, thereby allowing comprehensive real-time control of the temperature of the substrate holder during a process, such as a semiconductor wafer etching process. An apparatus for measuring temperatures of respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) on which a process (e.g., an etching process) is carried out, and for controlling the temperatures of the respective portions in response to the measured temperatures, includes: an arrangement of at least one ultrasonic transducer arranged and configured to transmit ultrasonic energy through the substrate holder, and a data processor configured to calculate, during the process, the temperatures of the respective portions of the substrate holder based on respective propagation time delays of the ultrasonic energy through the respective portions.
An apparatus for measuring temperatures of respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate on which a process is carried out, the apparatus comprising:
The apparatus of claim 37, wherein:
The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the data processor is further configured to use tomographic techniques to construct a temperature map of the substrate holder based collectively on the calculated temperatures of the respective portions of the substrate holder.
The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the substrate holder comprises an electrostatic chuck.
A method of measuring temperatures of respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate on which a process is carried out, the method comprising:
The method of claim 38, wherein the calculating step includes:
The method of claim 38, further comprising using tomographic techniques to construct a temperature map of the substrate holder based collectively on the calculated temperatures of the respective portions of the substrate holder.
The method of claim 38, wherein the substrate holder comprises an electrostatic chuck.
An apparatus for measuring temperatures of respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate on which a process is carried out, and for controlling the temperatures of the respective portions in response to the measured temperatures, the apparatus comprising:
The apparatus of claim 39, wherein:
The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the data processor is further configured to use tomographic techniques to construct a temperature map of the substrate holder based collectively on the calculated temperatures of the respective portions of the substrate holder.
A method of measuring temperatures of respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate on which a process is carried out, and for controlling the temperatures of the respective portions in response to the measured temperatures, the method comprising:
The method of claim 40, wherein the temperature calculating step includes:
The method of claim 40, further comprising using tomographic techniques to construct a temperature map of the substrate holder based collectively on the calculated temperatures of the respective portions of the substrate holder.
A method of measuring respective portions of a substrate holder that supports a substrate on which a process is carried out to ensure that respective elements within the substrate holder are operating correctly, the method comprising:
The method of claim 41, wherein the substrate holder comprises an electrostatic chuck.
19-36. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.