The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2018
Filed:
Nov. 20, 2017
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Yukinori Sakiyama, West Linn, OR (US);
Ishtak Karim, Portland, OR (US);
Yaswanth Rangineni, Beaverton, OR (US);
Adrien LaVoie, Newberg, OR (US);
Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Portland, OR (US);
Edward Augustyniak, Tualatin, OR (US);
Douglas Keil, West Linn, OR (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A wafer is positioned on a wafer support apparatus beneath an electrode such that a plasma generation region exists between the wafer and the electrode. Radiofrequency power is supplied to the electrode to generate a plasma within the plasma generation region during multiple sequential plasma processing cycles of a plasma processing operation. At least one electrical sensor connected to the electrode measures a radiofrequency parameter on the electrode during each of the multiple sequential plasma processing cycles. A value of the radiofrequency parameter as measured on the electrode is determined for each of the multiple sequential plasma processing cycles. A determination is made as to whether or not any indicatory trend or change exists in the values of the radiofrequency parameter as measured on the electrode over the multiple sequential plasma processing cycles, where the indicatory trend or change indicates formation of a plasma instability during the plasma processing operation.