Integrated full wavelength spectrometer for wafer processing

Details Integrated full wavelength spectrometer for wafer processing Integrated full wavelength spectrometer for wafer processing

2000-03-30

2003-02-25

Hilten, John S. (Department: 2857)

Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing

Measurement system in a specific environment

Chemical analysis

C702S031000, C315S111210

Reexamination Certificate

active

06526355

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the processing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of spectrometers in semiconductor processing devices.
In the manufacturing processes, which use a plasma in a plasma chamber, monitoring the process within the plasma chamber is desirable.
To facilitate discussion,
FIG. 1
is a schematic illustration of a prior art plasma processing device
10
and spectrometer
12
. The plasma processing device
10
may comprise a plasma processing chamber
14
and a device computer
16
. The spectrometer
12
may be controlled by a spectrometer computer
17
. The spectrometer computer
17
may be linked to the device computer
16
by a serial connection
18
, such as an RS-232 connection, which may have a communications speed of 9600 bytes per second. The plasma processing chamber
14
may support a power source
19
. The spectrometer
12
may comprise a diffraction grating
22
and a one dimensional charge coupled device (CCD) array
23
. The array may have between 1,000-3,000 elements.
Since the spectrometer
12
is controlled by a spectrometer computer
17
that is linked to the device computer
16
by a serial connection
18
, it may be difficult to get large amounts of data provided by the 1000-3000 elements of the CCD array at a scan rate on the order of 200 scans per seconds to the device computer
16
in real time so that the device computer
16
can analyze the data and control the process in the plasma process chamber
14
. Therefore, in the prior art, the data from the spectrometer may be reduced by the spectrometer computer
17
. The reduced data may then be transmitted to the device computer
16
. In addition, the spectrometer computer
17
may need to be programmed individually from the device computer
16
increasing the set up time. For example, to reduce data size, the spectrometer computer
17
may be programmed to only transfer data regarding a narrow spectrum. The device computer
16
would also need to be programmed to accommodate data from the narrow spectrum. To program the spectrometer computer
17
, the spectrometer computer
17
may require its own input and output hardware, such as a display and keyboard, which increases the cost and footprint of the overall hardware. In addition, the transfer of data between the spectrometer computer
17
and the device computer
16
may take CPU time of the device computer
16
.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a plasma processing device with a spectrometer that is able to receive and process large amounts of data from the spectrometer in real time, to allow real time control of the plasma processing device as a result of the large amounts of data from the spectrometer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates, in one embodiment, to a plasma processing device, comprising: a plasma processing chamber; a computer connected to the plasma processing device, comprising: a first CPU; a CPU bus connected to the first CPU; and a first input board connected to the CPU bus; and a spectrometer connected to the input board.
These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures.


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U.S. patent application No. 09/539,313, filed Mar. 30, 2000, entitled: “Plug and Play Sensor Integration for a Process Module”.

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