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:
Jan. 03, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 10, 2006
Tatehito Usui, Kasumigaura, JP;
Kazuhiro Joo, Kudamatsu, JP;
Takashi Fujii, Kudamatsu, JP;
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A plasma processing apparatus is provided using a method of measuring the thickness of a processed material, by which the actual remaining thickness or etching depth of a processed layer can be correctly measured online. The plasma processing apparatus includes a detectorfor detecting interference light of multiple wavelengths from a surface of a sample during processing, pattern comparing meansfor comparing actual deviation pattern data on the interference light obtained at a given time during processing and a plurality of standard deviation patterns corresponding to two or more thicknesses of the film, and calculating a deviation, the standard deviation patterns corresponding to interference light data of multiple wavelengths obtained, before the processing of the sample, for processing of another sample, deviation comparing meansfor comparing the deviation between the data and a predetermined deviation and outputting data on a thickness of the film of the sample at that time, remaining-thickness time-series data recording meansfor recording, as time series data, the data on the thickness of the film, and an endpoint decision unitfor deciding completion of a predetermined amount of etching by using the data on the thickness of the film.