Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Minh Le

Herbert H Sawin

Duane S Boning

Taber H Smith

Kuang Han Chen

Plasma process analysis techniques are provided. The intensity of each of a number, P, of a plurality of radiation wavelengths that are emitted from a plasma process are monitored as the process proceeds. Indications of P-dimensional correlations between the intensities of the P monitored wavelengths are produced as the process proceeds. Then the produced correlation indications are compared with a prespecified correlation indication generated based on historical conditions for the plasma process, to determine the status condition of the process as the process proceeds. With this technique, the use of a priori, expected, specific templates is not required for evaluating radiation emission data during a plasma process. Instead the techniques investigate and discover the multiple complex correlations that form between various radiation emission wavelengths during a plasma process, and do not impose an expectation for a specific correlation or trend between the various wavelengths. The discovered correlations found to exist between the radiation wavelengths are then employed for monitoring a plasma process based on the discovered correlations. The analysis techniques enables evaluation of interactions occurring across the entire spectrum of detected radiation emission wavelengths, and thus can accomplish detection and analysis of changes in a given plasma process due to shifts in the electrical and physical process environment as well as changes in a given process due to procession through stages of the process.

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Minh Le