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:
Sep. 24, 1998
John C Moran, Saratoga, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process. The method comprises sampling a byproduct of a semiconductor fabrication process, isolating the sample from the process, exciting the sample to produce radiation and analyzing the radiation. A small evacuated analysis chamber is added to a process chamber to sample byproducts of a reaction taking place in the main chamber. Energy supplied by an excitation source excites the byproducts in the analysis chamber to produce radiation. Preferably the byproducts are ionized by a RF energy to produce a discharge in the analysis chamber. Radiation from the discharge, in the form of IR, UV or visible light, is analyzed by a conventional optical techniques such as OES. The method and apparatus enable optical endpoint detection for normally non-ionized gaseous interactions.