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. 16, 1999
Filed:
May. 28, 1997
Ko-Wen Chiu, Taipei, TW;
Wen-Sheng Chien, Kaohsiung, TW;
United Microelectronics Corp., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A metal etching system has an etching chamber defined by quartz walls. Coils provided around the quartz walls of the etching chamber are used to apply a high frequency electrical field to at least a portion of the etching chamber. Containment walls are provided around the coils. An endpoint detection system is provided for the etching system which includes an optical fiber which extends through the containment wall and the coils, with an end of the optical fiber disposed in fixed relationship to the quartz walls of the etching chamber. A fixture mounts the optical fiber in the containment wall. An air-tight seal, such as an O-ring compressed around the optical fiber and compressed against the containment wall, is provided to limit air flow along the optical fiber to the surface of the etching chamber walls. The O-ring or similar air-tight seal prevents air from flowing from outside of the containment wall to the surface of the etching chamber wall which would otherwise locally cool the etching chamber walls and cause material to deposit onto the chamber walls.