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:
Sep. 02, 1986
Filed:
May. 22, 1985
Yoshifumi Ogawa, Kudamatsu, JP;
Masaharu Nishiumi, Kudamatsu, JP;
Yoshie Tanaka, Kudamatsu, JP;
Sadayuki Okudaira, Oume, JP;
Shigeru Nishimatsu, Kokubunji, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring etching. The monitor method comprises the steps of regulating a gas pressure inside a treating chamber, in which a sample is being etched by a dry etching process, to a pressure at which a emission line spectrum can be clarified, converting the gas whose pressure is regulated to plasma, and monitoring the etching state of the sample from the change of the intensity of the emission line spectrum with time. The monitor apparatus comprises exhaust means for discharging a gas from a treating chamber in which a sample is being etched by a dry etching process, plasma means for introducing the gas discharged from the treating chamber and converting it plasma, pressure regulation means for regulating the pressure of the gas at the plasma means to a pressure at which a emission line spectrum can be clarified, and spectrum detection means for detecting the emission line spectrum of the plasma at the plasma means, and detecting the change of the intensity of the detected emission line spectrum with time.