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:
Apr. 08, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 05, 2003
Percy Heger, Dresden, DE;
Tobias Hoerning, Nossen, DE;
Ralf Otto, Kesselsdorf, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A method is provided for determining the end point during cleaning etching of processing chambers by means of plasma etching, which is used for carrying out coating or etching processes during the manufacture of semiconductor components. The invention provides a method for effectively and reliably determining the end point during cleaning etching of processing chambers. The end point is determined by monitoring the DC bias voltage on the plasma generator which is used for the plasma cleaning etching in the processing chamber in an evaluation unit. The plasma cleaning etching process is terminated by stopping the supply of the process gases in the gas supply unit and by switching off the plasma generator upon reaching a predetermined DC bias voltage value which corresponds to completion of the cleaning etching process.