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:
Dec. 27, 2011
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2008
Tatehito Usui, Kasumigaura, JP;
Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Hikari, JP;
Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Satoru Muto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Kenetsu Yokogawa, Tsurugashima, JP;
Tatehito Usui, Kasumigaura, JP;
Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Hikari, JP;
Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Satoru Muto, Kudamatsu, JP;
Kenetsu Yokogawa, Tsurugashima, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus for measuring the etching quantity of the material being processed and detecting the end point of etching using optical interference on the surface of a sample being processed, so as to simultaneously realize long life and ensure sufficient light to be received via a light transmitting unit, to enable long term stable operation and to improve the processing accuracy via accurate etching quantity detection. In a plasma processing apparatus for processing a sample being processed by generating plasma between a shower plate and a lower electrode, a detector for detecting light from a surface of the sample being processed via the shower plate includes a light transmitting unit composed of a light guide into which light is entered and a spectroscope for analyzing the light obtained by the light transmitting unit, wherein the end surface of the light transmitting unit through which light is entered is arranged at a distance of five times or greater of the mean free path of gas molecules within the vacuum reactor from the end surface of the shower plate facing the plasma.