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:
Jul. 29, 2003
Filed:
May. 02, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Hsin Chu, TW;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/1302 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/1302 ;
Abstract
A method for detecting end-point in a plasma etching process by monitoring plasma impedance changes on a time scale is disclosed. In the method, a plasma etching process is first conducted in a process chamber, while changes in a parameter of plasma impedance in the chamber occurring during the etching process is recorded in a curve on a time scale. An end-point of the plasma etching process is then defined for the etching of a specific material layer at a point where the direction of a slope of the curve changes.