Plasma probe systems
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorGuy T. Blalock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma probe system includes a plasma probe, at least one meter, and a diagnostic apparatus. The probe may include a substrate having substantially the same properties as those of a substrate to be processed, a bottom electrode layer located over the substrate and electrically isolated therefrom, a dielectric layer positioned over the bottom electrode layer including apertures through which one or more electrodes of the bottom electrode layer are exposed, and at least one upper electrode layer that is electrically isolated from the bottom electrode layer by way of the dielectric layer. Electrodes of the bottom and upper electrode layers communicate with meters which may provide real-time data representative of one or more properties of a region of a plasma to which the electrodes are exposed.
Claims19
A plasma probe system, comprising:
- a plasma probe including:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- and
- a plurality of probe elements positioned on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of probe elements being positioned so as to represent at least one feature on a fabrication substrate to undergo substantially the same processing as that to be monitored by the plasma probe;
- a plurality of meters configured to electrically communicate with corresponding probe elements of the plurality of probe elements;
- and
- diagnostic apparatus configured to electrically communicate with each meter of the plurality of meters to measure at least one characteristic of a plasma at locations of each probe element of the plurality of probe elements.
A plasma probe system, comprising:
- a plasma probe including at least one probe element comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first electrode over the substrate;
- a dielectric structure over at least a portion of the first electrode;
- and
- a second electrode over the dielectric structure;
- at least one meter configured to communicate electrically with the at least one probe element;
- and
- diagnostic apparatus configured to electrically communicate with the at least one meter to measure at least one characteristic of a plasma at the location of the at least one probe element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.