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US 2006/0049036 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for real-time control and monitor of deposition processes
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsCheng-Hung Chang, Jhi-Cherng Lu, Joung-Wei Liou, Chu-Yun Fu, Weng Chang, Syung-Ming Jang
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Abstract
A method comprises measuring an RF voltage and ion current at a wafer during a plasma-enhanced deposition process, determining a sputter rate in response to the RF voltage and ion current measurements, detecting an abnormal condition in response to one of the RF voltage and ion current measurements, and sputter rate, and taking a corrective action in response to detecting an abnormal condition.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- measuring an RF voltage and ion current at a wafer during a plasma-enhanced deposition process;
- determining a sputter rate in response to the RF voltage and ion current measurements;
- detecting an abnormal condition in response to one of the RF voltage and ion current measurements, and sputter rate;
- taking a corrective action in response to detecting an abnormal condition.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- means for measuring an RF voltage and ion current at a wafer during a plasma-enhanced deposition process;
- means for determining a sputter rate in response to the RF voltage and ion current measurements;
- means for detecting an abnormal condition in response to one of the RF voltage and ion current measurements, and sputter rate;
- means for taking a corrective action in response to detecting an abnormal condition.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a plurality of RF-powered coils operable to generate an ion plasma in a deposition chamber;
- a V/I probe coupled to a chuck in the deposition chamber holding a wafer, the V/I probe operable to measure an ion current and a RF voltage at the wafer during a plasma-enhanced deposition process;
- and
- a microprocessor coupled to the V/I probe operable to receive the ion current and RF voltage measurements, compute a sputter rate from the ion current and RF voltage measurements, and detecting an abnormal condition during the deposition process in response to one of the sputter rate, ion current measurement, and RF voltage measurement deviating from expected values.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.