Method and apparatus for in-situ monitoring of plasma etch and deposition processes using a pulsed broadband light source
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsAndrew Perry, Randall Mundt
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Abstract
An interferometric method and apparatus for in-situ monitoring of a thin film thickness and of etch and deposition rates using a pulsed flash lamp providing a high instantaneous power pulse and having a wide spectral width. The optical path between the flash lamp and a spectrograph used for detecting light reflected from a wafer is substantially transmissive to the ultraviolet range of the spectrum making available to the software algorithms operable to calculate film thickness and etch and deposition rates desirable wavelengths.
Claims31
A process monitor for determining process parameters during a plasma etch process of a water, the process monitor comprising:
- a flash lamp emitting a broad-band optical radiation;
- a spectrograph responsive to optical radiation reflected from the wafer;
- and
- a data processing element for processing a first signal from the spectrograph, the first signal representative of emitted optical radiation reflected from the wafer, and determining a process parameter.
A process monitor for determining process parameters during a plasma deposition process of a wafer, the process monitor comprising:
- a flash lamp emitting a broad-band optical radiation;
- a spectrograph responsive to optical radiation reflected from the wafer;
- and
- a data processing element for processing a first signal from the spectrograph, the first signal representative of emitted optical radiation reflected from the wafer, and determining a process parameter.
A method of monitoring a process and for determining process parameters during a plasma process of a wafer, the method comprising:
- providing a flash lamp emitting a broad-band optical radiation;
- providing a spectrograph responsive to optical radiation reflected from the wafer;
- and
- providing a data processing element for processing a first signal from the spectrograph, the first signal representative of emitted optical radiation reflected from the wafer, and determining a process parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.