Lam Research Corporation

Luc Albarede

Yassine Kabouzi

Rajinder Dhindsa

Alexei Marakhtanov

Jorge Luque

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Ken Lucchesi

Thorsten B Lill

Vijayakumar C Venugopal

Jean-Paul Booth

Seonkyung Lee

Douglas L Keil

Eric A Pape

Seyed Jafar Jafarian-Tehrani

Edward J McInerney

Brian D Choi

Cristian Siladie

Sassan Roham

Jung Kim

Jagadeeshwari Manne

A method for dry processing a substrate in a processing chamber is provided. The substrate is placed in the processing chamber. The substrate is dry processed, wherein the dry processing creates at least one gas byproduct. A concentration of the at least one gas byproduct is measured. The concentration of the at least one gas byproduct is used to determine processing rate of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for determining process rate

An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. A processing chamber is provided. A substrate support is within the processing chamber. A gas inlet provides a process gas into the processing chamber. A gas source provides the process gas to the gas inlet. An exhaust pump pumps gas from the processing chamber. A parameter measurement system comprises a cavity ring down device in fluid communication with the processing chamber, comprising a first cavity ring down mirror on a first side of the cavity ring down device and a second cavity ring down mirror on a second side of the cavity ring down device spaced apart from the first cavity ring down mirror. At least one laser light source is optically coupled to the first cavity ring down mirror. A light detector is optically coupled to either the first cavity ring down mirror or the second cavity ring down mirror.

Apparatus with optical cavity for determining process rate

A substrate processing system includes model generation and setpoint modules. The model generation module receives a first time trace based on an output of an endpoint sensor and obtains a target setpoint. A portion of the first time trace is indicative of an endpoint at which a feature has been created in a first substrate. The target setpoint is generated based on a metrology process and is used to compensate for erosion of a first edge ring. The model generation module generates a conversion model based on the portion and the target setpoint. The setpoint module: based on the output, receives a second time trace that is generated subsequent to generation of the first time trace; and based on the conversion model, converts the second time trace to a predicted erosion compensation setpoint, which is set while processing a second substrate using the first or a second edge ring.

Endpoint sensor based control including adjustment of an edge ring parameter for each substrate processed to maintain etch rate uniformity

A method for processing a substrate in a processing chamber using at least one time trace based prediction model is provided. A substrate is dry processed, where the dry processing creates at least one gas by-product. A concentration of the at least one gas by-product is measured. A time trace of the concentration of the at least one gas by-product is determined. The determined time trace of the concentration is provided as input for the at least one time trace based prediction model to obtain at least one process output. The at least one process output is used to adjust at least one process parameter.

Method and apparatus for determining etch process parameters

A substrate etching system includes an etching control module, a filtering module, and an endpoint module. The etching control module selectively begins plasma etching of a substrate within an etching chamber. The filtering module, during the plasma etching of the substrate: receives a signal including endpoint information; decomposes the signal using empirical mode decomposition (EMD); and generates a filtered signal based on results of the EMD. The endpoint module indicates when an endpoint of the plasma etching of the substrate has been reached based on the filtered signal. The etching control module ends the plasma etching of the substrate in response to the indication that the endpoint of the plasma etching of the substrate has been reached.

Plasma etching systems and methods using empirical mode decomposition

A gas exhaust by-product measurement system is provided. A gas chamber is configured to receive exhaust from the exhaust output. A light source, light detector, and at least one optical element are positioned so that a light beam from the light source is directed to the at least one optical element a plurality of times before reaching the light detector. At least one heater provides heat to the at least one optical element. A plurality of purge gas nozzles are in fluid connection with the optical cavity. A high flow line is in fluid connection between a purge gas source and the plurality of purge gas nozzles. A low flow line is in fluid connection between the purge gas source and the plurality of purge gas nozzles. At least one flow controller manages a plurality of flow rates including a high flow and a low flow.

Gas exhaust by-product measurement system

A system for controlling an impedance of a radio frequency (RF) return path includes a matchbox further including a match circuitry. The system further includes an RF generator coupled to the matchbox to supply an RF supply signal to the matchbox via a first portion of an RF supply path. The RF generator is coupled to the matchbox to receive an RF return signal via a first portion of an RF return path. The system also includes a switch circuit and a plasma reactor coupled to the switch circuit via a second portion of the RF return path. The plasma reactor is coupled to the match circuitry via a second portion of the RF supply path. The system includes a controller coupled to the switch circuit, the controller configured to control the switch circuit based on a tune recipe to change an impedance of the RF return path.

Control of impedance of RF return path

A plasma system includes an RF generator and a matchbox including an impedance matching circuit, which is coupled to the RF generator via an RF cable. The plasma system includes a chuck and a plasma reactor coupled to the matchbox via an RF line. The RF line forms a portion of an RF supply path, which extends between the RF generator through the matchbox, and to the chuck. The plasma system further includes a phase adjusting circuit coupled to the RF supply path between the impedance matching circuit and the chuck. The phase adjusting circuit has an end coupled to the RF supply path and another end that is grounded. The plasma system includes a controller coupled to the phase adjusting circuit. The controller is used for changing a parameter of the phase adjusting circuit to control an impedance of the RF supply path based on a tune recipe.

Control of impedance of RF delivery path

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber. A pedestal and a showerhead are arranged in the processing chamber. A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) fiber has a central portion disposed in the processing chamber, and opposing ends disposed outside the processing chamber. A light source provides input light at one end of the SPR fiber, and a detector receives output light from the other end of the SPR fiber. Surface plasmon waves and evanescent waves constitute the output light, which is processed and analyzed to determine a condition of the processing chamber.

Method and apparatus for real-time monitoring of plasma chamber wall condition

Systems and methods for performing chamber matching are described. One of the methods for performing chamber matching includes executing a first test within a first plasma chamber to measure a variable and executing a second test within a second plasma chamber to measure the variable. The first and second tests are executed based on one recipe. The method further includes determining a first relationship between the variable measured with the first test and power provided during the first test, determining a second relationship between the variable measured with the second test and power provided during the second test, and identifying power adjustment to apply to the second plasma chamber during a subsequent processing operation based on the first and second relationships. The power adjustment causes the second plasma chamber to perform the processing operation in a processing condition determined using the first plasma chamber.

Chamber matching for power control mode

Systems and methods for compensating for harmonics produced during plasma processing in a plasma chamber are described. One of the methods includes retrieving a measurement of a combined waveform. The combined waveform includes a fundamental waveform and a harmonic waveform. The combined waveform defines a voltage proximate to a surface of a chuck, which is coupled to a radio frequency (RF) transmission line. The RF transmission line is coupled to an impedance matching circuit. The impedance matching circuit is coupled to an RF generator. The method further includes extracting the fundamental waveform from the combined waveform, determining a difference between a magnitude of the combined waveform and a magnitude of the fundamental waveform, and controlling the RF generator to compensate for the difference.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Luc Albarede