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:
Oct. 07, 2014
Filed:
Jun. 29, 2009
Masaru Nonomura, Fukuoka, JP;
Masaru Nonomura, Fukuoka, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An object is to provide a plasma processing device capable of properly monitoring a state of plasma discharge and detecting a precursor to abnormal discharge, and a method of monitoring the state of discharge in the plasma processing device. In analysis processing for monitoring executed by detecting, by a signal analyzing portion, a signal of a potential change induced in a discharge detection sensorin response to a change in plasma discharge of the inside of a processing chamber and recorded in a signal recorder, based on a counter value Nobtained by detecting a signal of abnormal discharge (first arc discharge) generated between an electrode portion and an object to be processed by a first detectorand a counter value Nobtained by detecting a signal of micro-arc discharge (second arc discharge) generated by deposition of a foreign substance in the processing chamber by a second detector, an abnormal discharge determining portioncalculates a difference (N−N) and compares the difference (N−N) with a threshold value afor determination and determines whether there is a possibility of generation of abnormal discharge in the processing chamber.