Plasma process end point determination method and apparatus, and plasma evaluation method and apparatus
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsMasashi Yamage, Hiroyuki Takada, Takeshi Yamauchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma process end point determination method comprises the steps of measuring a physical quantity in a circuit for producing a plasma within a reaction chamber, and determining a plasma process end point on the basis of an inflection point of the measured physical quantity in relation to the passing of time.
Claims32
A plasma process end point determination method, comprising the steps of:
- measuring a physical quantity in a circuit for producing a plasma within a reaction chamber;
- and
- determining a plasma process end point on the basis of an inflection point of the measured physical quantity in relation to the passing of time.
A plasma process end point determination apparatus, comprising:
- physical quantity measurement means for measuring a physical quantity in a circuit for producing a plasma within the reaction chamber;
- and
- plasma process end point determination means for determining a plasma process end point on the basis of an inflection point of the physical quantity measured by the physical quantity measurement means in relation to the passing of time.
A plasma process end point determination method, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a physical quantity in a circuit for generating a plasma within the reaction chamber as a detection signal;
- filtering the detection signal and passing a component of the detection signal, which has a frequency lower than a rotational frequency of a magnetron;
- and
- determining an end point of a plasma process for an object on the basis of a signal variation of the filtered detection signal.
A plasma process end point determination apparatus, comprising:
- detection means for detecting a physical quantity in a circuit for generating a plasma within the reaction chamber as a detection signal;
- filter process means for filtering the detection signal detected by the detection means and passing a portion of the detection signal which has a frequency lower than a rotational frequency of a magnetron;
- and
- plasma end point determination means for determining an end point of a plasma process for an object on the basis of a variation of the detection signal filtered by the filter process means.
A plasma evaluation method, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a physical quantity in a circuit for producing a plasma within a reaction chamber;
- and
- comparing the detected physical quantity with a preset value, thereby evaluating the condition of produced plasma.
A plasma evaluation apparatus, comprising:
- a plasma producing circuit for producing a plasma within the reaction chamber;
- physical quantity measuring means for measuring a physical quantity in the plasma producing circuit;
- and
- evaluation means for evaluating the condition of the produced plasma by comparing the physical quantity measured by the physical quantity measuring means with a preset value.
A plasma evaluation apparatus comprising:
- a plasma producing circuit for generating a plasma within a reaction chamber;
- a matching circuit for establishing matching between the plasma producing circuit and the reaction chamber;
- physical quantity measuring means for measuring a physical quantity in the matching circuit;
- and
- evaluation means for evaluating the condition of the produced plasma by comparing the physical quantity measured by the physical quantity measuring means with a preset value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.