Method and device for detecting the end point of plasma process

Details Method and device for detecting the end point of plasma process Method and device for detecting the end point of plasma process

1996-09-18

1998-04-14

Breneman, R. Bruce

Semiconductor device manufacturing: process

With measuring or testing

Optical characteristic sensed

438 9, 216 60, 20429803, 20429832, 156345, 118723R, H01L 2100, C23C 1600

Patent

active

057390517

ABSTRACT:
Method and device for detecting the end point of a plasma process, the method and device being capable of making it unnecessary to set a threshold every process or every processed object and also capable of correctly detecting the end point of the plasma process even if process conditions are changed. The method and device can be therefore used for more purposes. According to the end point detecting method realized by the end point detecting device, the emission spectrum of an active species having a specific wavelength and caused when a semiconductor wafer W is processed with plasma P is detected by a photodetector and the end point of the plasma process is detected on the basis of light strength changes of the emission spectrum. More specifically, an average value m and dispersed ones .sigma..sup.2 of light strengths I are calculated for a predetermined time period T.sub.1 at the initial process stage by a first arithmetical unit and the differences of light strengths I relative to the average value m are calculated after the lapse of the predetermined time period T.sub.1 by a second arithmetical unit. These differences are compared with the dispersed values .sigma..sup.2 by a comparator and the time at which values thus obtained exceed a predetermined reference value is decided to be the end point of the plasma process.

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