Performance evaluation method for plasma processing apparatus

A performance management system for a plasma processing apparatus comprising a plasma processing unit, the plasma processing unit comprising:

• a plasma processing chamber including an electrode for exciting a plasma;
• a radiofrequency generator for supplying radiofrequency power to the electrode;
• and
• a matching circuit for matching the impedances of the plasma processing chamber and the radiofrequency generator, the matching circuit having an input terminal connected to the radiofrequency generator, an output terminal connected to the electrode, and a connection point provided between the input terminal and the output terminal, the matching circuit being connected to a ground potential portion via the connection point,
• the performance management system comprising:
• a server for storing an AC resistance RA0 in the matching circuit measured from the input terminal side of the matching circuit at a time t0 and an AC resistance RB0 in the matching circuit measured from the output terminal side of the matching circuit at the time t0;
• and
• a customer I/O device linked to the server via a communication line,
• wherein the server receives an AC resistance RA1 at a later time t1 and an AC resistance RB1 at the later time t1 from the customer I/O device, calculates the absolute value |ΔRA| of the difference ΔRA between the AC resistances RA0 and RA1 and the absolute value |ΔRB| of the difference ΔRB between the AC resistances RB0 and RB1, and transmits to the customer I/O device a signal indicating that the plasma processing apparatus maintains a required level of performance when the absolute value |ΔRA| is less than a first upper limit and when |ΔRB| is less than a second upper limit and a signal indicating that that the plasma processing apparatus does not maintain the required level of performance when the absolute value |ΔRA| is not less than the first upper limit or when the absolute value |ΔRB| is not less than the second upper limit.

A performance management system for a plasma processing apparatus comprising a plasma processing unit, the unit comprising:

• a plasma processing chamber including an electrode for exciting a plasma;
• a radiofrequency generator for supplying radiofrequency power to the electrode;
• and
• a matching circuit for matching the impedances of the plasma processing chamber and the radiofrequency generator, the matching circuit having an input terminal connected to the radiofrequency generator, an output terminal connected to the electrode, and a connection point provided between the input terminal and the output terminal, the matching circuit being connected to a ground potential portion via the connection point,
• the performance management system comprising:
• a server for storing an AC resistance RA0 at a time t0 in the matching circuit measured from the input terminal side of the matching circuit, an AC resistance RB0 at the time t0 in the matching circuit measured from the output terminal side of the matching circuit, and service engineer information containing fault levels and names of registered service engineers corresponding to the fault levels;
• an output device of the server, the output device being located at the site of a supplier;
• and
• a customer I/O device linked to the server via a communication line;
• wherein the server receives an AC resistance RA1 and an AC resistance RB1 measured at a later time t1 from the customer I/O device, calculates the absolute value |ΔRA| of the difference ΔRA between the AC resistances RA0 and RA1 and the absolute value |ΔRB| of the difference ΔRB between the AC resistances RB0 and RB1, and, when one of the absolute values |ΔRA| and |ΔRB| falls under any one of the fault levels, outputs the relevant fault level, information on the registered service engineer corresponding to the relevant fault level, and a maintenance command from the output device.

A plasma processing apparatus having a plasma processing unit comprising:

• a plasma processing chamber including an electrode for exciting a plasma;
• a radiofrequency generator for supplying radiofrequency power to the electrode;
• and
• a matching circuit for matching the impedances of the plasma processing chamber and the radiofrequency generator, the matching circuit having an input terminal connected to the radiofrequency generator, an output terminal connected to the electrode, and a connection point provided between the input terminal and the output terminal, the matching circuit being connected to a ground potential portion via the connection point,
• wherein the absolute value |ΔRA| of the difference ΔRA between an AC resistance RA0 at a time t0 and an AC resistance RA1 at a later time t1 in the matching circuit, the AC resistances RA0 and RA1 being measured from the input terminal side of the matching circuit, is maintained at a value less than a first upper limit, and the absolute value |ΔRB| of the difference ΔRB between an AC resistance RB0 at the time t0 and an AC resistance RB1 at the later time t1 in the matching circuit, the AC resistances RB0 and RB1 being measured from the input terminal side of the matching circuit, is maintained at a value less than a second upper limit.