# US 5,928,532 A · Method of detecting end point of plasma processing and apparatus for the same

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- Number: US 5,928,532 A
- Document ID: US5928532A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/962,736
- Filed: 1997-11-03
- Granted: 1999-07-27
- Earliest claimed: 1996-11-11
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu; Susumu Saito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5928532A

## CPC

- H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge}
- G01N 21/68: using high frequency electric fields
- H01J 37/32954: {Electron temperature measurement}
- H01J 37/32963: {End-point detection}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- 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)

## Abstract

When processing using a plasma is performed for an object to be processed, a photodetecting unit sequentially detects emission of two active species having specific wavelengths in a designated period during the processing. On the basis of the emission detection information of the two active species, two approximate expressions of linear functions are obtained in the relationship between the emission intensity and time. The ratio of the two approximate expressions of linear functions and the derivative of the ratio are obtained to form a graph in which the ratio is plotted on the abscissa, the derivative of the ratio is plotted on the ordinate, and the intersection between the average value of the ratio and the average value of the derivative of the ratio is the origin. The ratio and the derivative of the ratio are obtained by using the emission detection information of the two active species during the processing after the designated period. The end point of the plasma processing is determined when the position of the ratio and the derivative of the ratio thus obtained deviates from a predetermined region in the graph.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of detecting an end point of plasma processing, comprising the steps of:
detecting, when processing using a plasma is performed for an object to be processed, emission intensities respectively having specific wavelengths of first and second active species in a designated period and after the designated period during the plasma processing, and outputting emission detection information;
obtaining an approximate expression A of the first active species and an approximate expression B of the second active species in a relationship between the emission intensity and time on the basis of the emission detection information;
obtaining an affine approximate expression A' of the first active species by using the approximate expression A of the first active species and the approximate expression B of the second active species;
obtaining a ratio (A/A') of the approximate expression A of the first active species to the affine approximate expression A' of the first active species and a derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio;
obtaining average values and variances of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period;
setting a predetermined region from a predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and a predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from information of the variances in a graph in which the ratio (A/A') is plotted on an abscissa, the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is plotted on an ordinate, and an intersection between the average value of the ratio (A/A') and the average value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period is an origin; and
obtaining the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio by using the emission detection information of the first and second active species during the processing after the designated period, and determining an end point of the plasma processing when a position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio thus obtained deviates from the predetermined region in the graph.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is set by a root-sum-square value r.sub.1 of the predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and the predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from the variance information in the designated period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein a maximum value of differences between the ratio (A/A') and the average value of the ratio is used as the predetermined value of the ratio calculated from the variance information, and a maximum value of differences between the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio and the average value of the derivative of the ratio is used as the predetermined value of the derivative of the ratio.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the end point of the plasma processing comprises the steps of comparing the root-sum-square value r.sub.1 of the predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and the predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from the variance information in the designated period with a distance r.sub.2 from the position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the graph to the origin, and determining the end point of the plasma processing when the distance r.sub.2 exceeds the dispersion root-sum-square value r.sub.1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the end point of the plasma processing comprises the steps of calculating a root-sum-square value r.sub.1 of the predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and the predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from the variance information in the designated period, and determining the end point of the plasma processing when both values of an abscissa component and an ordinate component of coordinates in the graph exceed the root-sum-square value r.sub.1 of the predetermined values.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of setting another predetermined region from the predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and the predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio by using a point, at which the position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the graph again intersects the abscissa of the graph, as the origin, obtaining the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio by using the emission detection information of the first and second active species during the processing after the designated period, and determining another end point of the plasma processing when the position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio thus obtained deviates from the predetermined region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the approximate expression A of the first active species and the approximate expression B of the second active species is the step of obtaining an approximate expression of linear function A of the first active species and an approximate expression of linear function B of the second active species,
the step of obtaining the affine approximate expression A' of the first active species is the step of obtaining an affine approximate expression of linear function A' of the first active species by using the approximate expression of linear function A of the first active species and the approximate expression of linear function B of the second active species, and
the step of obtaining the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is the step of obtaining a ratio (A/A') of the approximate expression of linear function A of the first active species to the affine approximate expression of linear function A' of the first active species and a derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio.

### Claim 8

A method of detecting an end point of plasma processing, comprising the steps of:
sequentially detecting, when processing using a plasma is performed for an object to be processed, emission intensities at specific wavelengths of emission from first and second active species in a designated period and after the designated period during the plasma processing by using photodetecting means, and outputting emission detection information;
obtaining an approximate expression A of the first active species and an approximate expression B of the second active species in a relationship between the emission intensity and time on the basis of the emission detection information in the designated period;
obtaining an affine approximate expression A' of the first active species by using the approximate expression A of the first active species and the approximate expression B of the second active species;
obtaining a ratio (A/A') of the approximate expression A of the first active species to the affine approximate expression A' of the first active species and a derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio;
obtaining average values and variances of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period;
preparing a graph in which the ratio (A/A') is plotted on an abscissa, the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is plotted on an ordinate, and an intersection between the average value of the ratio (A/A') and the average value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period is an origin, and determining an end point of the plasma processing when a position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio obtained by using the emission detection information of the first and second active species during the processing after the designated period in the graph deviates from the origin and again comes close to the abscissa.

### Claim 9

A method of detecting an end point of plasma processing, comprising the steps of:
detecting, while processing using a plasma is performed for an object to be processed, emission intensities respectively at specific wavelengths of first and second active species generated by the plasma in a designated period and after the designated period during the processing, and outputting emission detection information;
obtaining an approximate expression A of the first active species and an approximate expression B of the second active species, each of which approximates a change in the emission intensity with passing of time and represents a straight line or a curve, on the basis of the emission detection information;
obtaining an affine approximate expression A' of the first active species by substituting an elapsed time of the approximate expression B of the second active species into an elapsed time of the approximate expression A of the first active species;
obtaining a ratio (A/A') of the approximate expression A of the first active species to the affine approximate expression A' of the first active species and a derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio;
obtaining average values and variances of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period;
preparing a graph in which the ratio (A/A') is plotted on one axis of orthogonal coordinates, the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is plotted on the other axis of the orthogonal coordinates, and an intersection between the average value of the ratio (A/A') and the average value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period is an origin, and setting a predetermined region in the graph from a predetermined value of the ratio
(A/A') and a predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from information of the variances; and
obtaining the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio by using the emission detection information of the first and second active species during the processing after the designated period, and determining an end point of the plasma processing when a position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio thus obtained deviates from the predetermined region in the graph.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method according to claim 9, wherein active species which respectively decrease and increase emission intensities at the end point of the plasma processing after the designated period are used as the first and second active species, respectively.

### Claim 11

An apparatus for detecting an end point of plasma processing, comprising:
photodetecting means for detecting, when processing using a plasma is performed for an object to be processed, changes with time in emission intensities at specific wavelengths of first and second active species generated by the plasma, and outputting emission detection information;
arithmetic means for obtaining an approximate expression A of the first active species and an approximate expression B of the second active species in a relationship between the emission intensity and time on the basis of the emission detection information in the designated period, obtaining an affine approximate expression A' of the first active species by using the approximate expression A of the first active species and the approximate expression B of the second active species, obtaining a ratio (A/A') of the approximate expression A of the first active species to the affine approximate expression A' of the first active species and a derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio, and obtaining average values and variances of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio in the designated period;
graph forming means for forming a graph in which the ratio (A/A') is plotted on an abscissa, the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is plotted on an ordinate, and an intersection between the average value of the ratio (A/A') and the average value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio is an origin; and
determining means for setting a predetermined region from a predetermined value of the ratio (A/A') and a predetermined value of the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio calculated from information of the variances, obtaining the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio by using the emission detection information of the first and second active species during the processing after the designated period, and determining an end point of the plasma processing when a position of the ratio (A/A') and the derivative (d(A/A')/dt) of the ratio thus obtained deviates from the predetermined region in the graph.