Optics: measuring and testing – By light interference – For dimensional measurement
Reexamination Certificate
2005-05-03
2005-05-03
Toatley, Jr., Gregory J. (Department: 2877)
Optics: measuring and testing
By light interference
For dimensional measurement
C356S491000, C356S492000, C356S496000, C356S499000, C356S503000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06888639
ABSTRACT:
A method and system using spectral interference of light from plasma emissions collected at near grazing incidence to in-situ monitor and control the film thickness of a non-opaque film. Embodiments of this invention are particularly useful to all substrate processing chambers equipped to form an in-situ plasma within the chamber and which are used to deposit or etch non-opaque films. One embodiment of the method of the present invention forms a plasma within a substrate processing chamber to deposit a non-opaque film on a wafer substrate within the chamber. During the plasma deposition process, a plurality of wavelengths of radiation including those reflected from the top and bottom layer of the film being deposited upon a wafer surface are collected through an existing viewport, and conveyed to a spectrometer for measurements via an optical fiber attached near this viewport. These measurements are analyzed to determine the film's thickness. An alternate embodiment of the method of the present invention uses an interference filter to confine the spectral composition of the plasma emissions to an emission at a narrow wavelength interval and a photodiode to detect the intensity of the emission.
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Goebel Andreas
Raoux Sebastien
Sarfaty Moshe
Applied Materials Inc.
Brown Khaled
Toatley , Jr. Gregory J.
Townsend and Townsend and Crew
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