Detecting defects in semiconductor fabricated components

Abstract

A method of determining an operational state of a semiconductor fabrication component uses internal vibrations of the in-situ component to detect defects. The method may include initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of a semiconductor fabrication component while the semiconductor fabrication component is in situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; transforming the first vibration signal into a first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal; determining an operating state of the semiconductor fabrication component based on the first frequency domain representation; and performing a correction action of the semiconductor fabrication component in response to the operating state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to semiconductor processing of semiconductor substrates. Background Art

[0002] During semiconductor manufacturing, some components may have an expected lifespan that can be affected by exposure to adverse environments in the process chamber. For critical components, failure can at most lead to a manufacturing line shutdown and may also cause other component failures. If a component has an expected lifespan of 600 hours and a major failure occurs at 500 hours, the manufacturer will be cautious and start replacing the component at 450 hours, regardless of whether there is a replacement guarantee. While following such a replacement strategy may ensure that the manufacturing line remains operational, a good component may be replaced before it reaches its actual lifespan, thus increasing the operating cost. The present inventors have observed that by using such a replacement strategy, 20% to 30% of the actual service life of the component may remain unused.

[0003] Accordingly, the present inventors provide methods for accurately determining the health of process chamber components to allow for maximum utilization of the actual lifespan of the components, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing costs while avoiding major failures. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Methods for determining the health of semiconductor process chamber components are provided herein.

[0005] In some embodiments, a method for determining the operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component may include: initiating a first test vibration in the internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component while the semiconductor manufacturing component is in-situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; transforming the first vibration signal into a first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal; determining the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component based on the first frequency domain representation; and performing a corrective action on the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

[0006] In some embodiments, a method for determining an operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component may include: detecting a background vibration signal when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in - situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; removing the background vibration signal from the first vibration signal to obtain a first filtered vibration signal; transforming the first filtered vibration signal to obtain a first frequency - domain representation of the first filtered vibration signal; when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in - situ in the semiconductor processing chamber, initiating a second test vibration at an interval after the first test vibration in the internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component; receiving a second vibration signal caused by the second test vibration; removing the background vibration signal from the second vibration signal to obtain a second filtered vibration signal; transforming the second filtered vibration signal to obtain a second frequency - domain representation of the second vibration signal; comparing a first set of peaks of the first frequency - domain representation of the first filtered vibration signal with a second set of peaks of the second frequency - domain representation of the second filtered vibration signal obtained from the semiconductor manufacturing component to determine the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component, wherein the comparison includes comparing peak positions, peak amplitudes, and peak widths of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks; and performing a correction action on the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

[0007] In some embodiments, instructions are stored on a non - transitory computer - readable medium that, when executed, cause performance of a method for determining an operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component, the method may include: initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in - situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; transforming the first vibration signal to obtain a first frequency - domain representation of the first vibration signal; determining the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component based on the first frequency - domain representation; and performing a correction action on the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

[0008] Other and further embodiments are disclosed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention are briefly outlined above and discussed in more detail below and may be understood with reference to illustrative embodiments of the present invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings only illustrate typical embodiments of the present invention and should not be considered to limit the scope of the present invention, as the present invention may admit other equivalent embodiments.

[0010] Figure 1 An isometric view of a semiconductor process chamber component having a defect that affects the useful operating life expectancy of the component, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2An isometric view depicting a defect metrology system for a semiconductor process chamber assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view depicting a defect metrology system in-situ for a semiconductor process chamber assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 A top view depicting a cluster tool in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 A method depicting determining the health status of a semiconductor process chamber assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 A graph depicting vibration data in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view depicting a vibration generator in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 An exemplary process of vibration data obtained from a component under test in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 9 An exemplary waterfall plot that can be used to analyze a component under test in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] For ease of understanding, the same component symbols have been used to denote common identical elements in the figures where possible. The figures are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity purposes. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation. Detailed Description

[0020] The method determines the operating state (health status and life expectancy) of a component using vibration data obtained from an in-situ component of a semiconductor process chamber. An acceleration measuring device attached to the component, along with fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing of the test vibration data, can result in an intelligent method for detecting internal defects of critical components without removing the component or performing destructive testing on the component. The method of the present invention has the advantage of real-time monitoring of the health status of the component, thereby providing a more accurate timeline of failures to prevent premature or late component replacement.

[0021] Currently, parts and components fail prematurely without any signal to give semiconductor manufacturers reaction time. The lack of accurate health status causes manufacturers to replace components prematurely to avoid major failures. However, replacing components before they are damaged wastes the manufacturers' funds and increases production costs. By providing real-time monitoring capabilities throughout the life of critical components, an accurate assessment of component health can be established by comparing metrology data during the component's life to determine when a component should be replaced, rather than triggering preventive maintenance replacements based on time and production run counts. In the method of the present invention, at least one accelerometer is attached to a component while the component is in situ in a semiconductor process chamber. Vibration pulses are generated within the component by a shock hammer and / or by a vibration generator attached to the component.

[0022] Vibration signal data is collected by the accelerometer and transmitted to a vibration analyzer via wired and / or wireless communication. The vibration analyzer performs an FFT on the raw vibration data from the accelerometer. Subsequently, the vibration analyzer compares the peaks in the frequency spectrum between a vibration data sample from a clean new component and a vibration data sample from an aged dirty component. The comparison data can then be used to provide a notification of the remaining life expectancy of the in situ component. The overall process is a fast, effective, and non-destructive process for determining the internal health status of in situ components. In some embodiments, the comparison data can be used in the controller of a semiconductor manufacturing line to adjust parameters or stop / adjust the production line in the event of a significant component failure.

[0023] In view 100, the lamp assembly 102 serves as an exemplary process chamber component that can be monitored using the method of the present invention and is not intended to be limited to lamp assemblies. In the example, the lamp assembly 102 is shown out of situ to illustrate the attachment of the accelerometer 204 and the vibration generator 202. The lamp assembly 102 has a lamp recess 104 formed in one surface of the lamp assembly 102. When the lamp assembly 102 is exposed to chemical vapors in the processing environment of the process chamber, defects such as deformation 106 of the lamp recess 104 or oxidation 108 of the surface 110 and / or the interior 112 may occur due to the reaction of the processing environment. For example, the method of the present invention can determine internal oxygen growth with a thickness of about 1.0 mm or less. To facilitate the detection of such surface and / or internal defects, in some embodiments, a plurality of accelerometers 204 are symmetrically attached to the surface 208 of the lamp assembly 102, as Figure 2 shown in view 200. In some embodiments, wax can be used to attach the accelerometers. The material used for the attachment of the accelerometers has a negligible effect on the accelerometers' receipt of any test vibration pulses propagating through the component being tested. In some embodiments, the vibration generator 202 is also attached to the surface 208 to generate vibration pulses within the lamp assembly 102, which are then received by the accelerometers 204.

[0024] In some embodiments, the vibration generator 202 may use a plunger 702 having an impact surface, as Figure 7 shown in view 700. The plunger 702 may be pulled away from the assembly, and the assembly will be impacted by the solenoid 708 such that the spring 706 is compressed. When power to the solenoid 708 is removed, the spring force is released, causing the plunger 702 to impact the assembly having the impact surface 704 and then retract, sending a single vibration pulse to the assembly using a single impact. Those skilled in the art will understand that other types of vibration generators utilizing various internal mechanisms may be used, and Figure 7 the example shown is not intended to be restrictive. The vibration analyzer 206 may communicate with the accelerometer 204 and / or the vibration generator 202 in a wired or wireless manner. The vibration generator 202 causes a single vibration pulse 210 to travel through the lamp assembly 102 to the accelerometer 204. In some embodiments, the accelerometer 204 may be placed near the normal failure location rather than symmetrically around the assembly, thereby enabling enhanced data collection at the failure point. In some embodiments, 2 to 6 accelerometers may be used. In some embodiments, 3 to 4 accelerometers may be used. In some embodiments, the vibration generator 202 may be commanded to generate multiple vibration pulses. The vibration analyzer 206 receives vibration data from the accelerometer 204, and in some embodiments, the data for multiple vibration pulses may be averaged before performing FFT processing in order to generate a one-sided frequency chart for comparison with the chart of a defect-free assembly.

[0025] In Figure 3 view 300, the lamp assembly 102 is placed in situ inside the process chamber 310 in an orientation opposite to the orientation shown in Figure 2 view 200. For this example and not intended to be limited to this example, the lamp assembly 102 is placed in an annealing chamber that has a base 304 with substrate lift pins 308 that raise the substrate 306 to allow heating of both sides of the substrate 306. When the lamp assembly 102 is mounted in the top clearance 302 in the process chamber 310, the lamp assembly 102 will experience in-situ background vibrations 312 caused by the process chamber 310 and the external environment of the process chamber. To account for the in-situ background vibrations 312, readings will be obtained from the accelerometer 204 by the vibration analyzer 206 without initiating any vibration pulses from the vibration generator 202. Subsequently, during the vibration test, for example when the system controller of the vibration analyzer 206 or the vibration generator 202 commands a vibration pulse, the in-situ background vibration data will be subtracted from the obtained vibration data.

[0026] In some embodiments, the vibration analyzer 206 may communicate with the system controller 314, which is connected to the process chamber 310. The system controller 314 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 316, a memory 318, and support circuitry 320. The CPU 316 can be any form of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial device. The support circuitry 320 is coupled to the CPU 316 in a conventional manner and can include a cache, a clock circuit, an input / output subsystem, a power supply, and the like. Software routines such as the methods described herein can be stored in the memory 318 and, when executed by the CPU 316, transform the CPU 316 into a dedicated computer (system controller 314). Software routines can also be stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) located remotely.

[0027] The communication between the vibration analyzer 206 and the system controller 314 enables the system controller 314 to receive from the vibration analyzer 206 health condition or operating state data and / or status notifications regarding the lamp assembly 102. The vibration analyzer 206 can determine a "pass" or "fail" status or a number of operating hours and the like before replacement to be sent to the system controller 314. The system controller 314 can stop the process in the process chamber 310 based on the status or remaining operating hours and the like. The system controller 314 can also use the remaining operating hours to vary the chamber process, such as using a different recipe or profile based on information from the vibration analyzer 206, to extend the life of the lamp assembly 102.

[0028] The example of the lamp assembly 102 can be further extended by being placed in situ in a process chamber, such as but not limited to the process chamber 414E that is part of the integrated tool 400 described below Figure 4 In such an environment, background vibrations can become significant (substantially more significant than in a stand-alone process chamber). In some embodiments, the vibration analyzer 206 can take a number of background vibration readings via the accelerometer 204 over a given amount of time or process interval and average the background vibrations. In some embodiments, the vibration analyzer 206 can take background vibration readings at specific points in the process flow used by the integrated tool 400. Subsequently, vibration test pulses initiated by the vibration analyzer 206 can be initiated at the same (multiple) specific points in the process flow to allow for more accurate removal of background vibrations.

[0029] An advantage of using the integrated tool 400 is that there is no vacuum break between chambers, so there is no need to degas and pre-clean the substrate before processing or deposition in the chamber. The integrated tool 400 includes a vacuum-sealed processing platform 401, a factory interface 404, and a system controller 402. The processing platform 401 includes a plurality of process chambers such as 414A, 413B, 414C, 414D, 414E, and 414F, which are operatively coupled to a vacuum substrate transfer chamber (transfer chambers 403A, 403B) during operation. Through one or more load lock chambers (such as Figure 4 the two load lock chambers 406A and 406B shown in

[0030] In some embodiments, the factory interface 404 includes at least one docking station 407 and at least one factory interface robot 438 to facilitate the transfer of semiconductor substrates. The docking station 407 is configured to accommodate one or more front opening unified pods (FOUPs). Figure 4 The embodiment in

[0031] shows four FOUPs, such as 405A, 405B, 405C, and 405D. The factory interface robot 438 is configured to transfer substrates from the factory interface 404 to the processing platform 401 through load lock chambers such as 406A and 406B. Each of the load lock chambers 406A and 406B has a first port coupled to the factory interface 404 and a second port coupled to the transfer chamber 403A.

[0032] In some embodiments, processing chambers 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E, and 414F are coupled to transfer chambers 403A, 403B. For example, processing chambers 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E, and 414F may include annealing chambers, pre-cleaning chambers, ALD process chambers, PVD process chambers, remote plasma chambers, CVD chambers, or the like. In some embodiments, one or more service chambers (such as those shown as 416A and 416B) may be coupled to transfer chamber 403A as appropriate. Service chambers 416A and 416B may be configured to perform other substrate processes, such as degassing and argon treatment and the like.

[0033] System controller 402 controls the operation of tool 400 using direct control of process chambers 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E, and 414F, or alternatively by controlling a computer (or controller) associated with process chambers 414A, 414B, 414C, 414D, 414E, and 414F and tool 400. In operation, system controller 402 implements data collection and feedback from the respective chambers and systems to optimize the performance of tool 400. System controller 402 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 430, a memory 434, and support circuitry 432. CPU 430 can be any form of general-purpose computer processor useful for industrial equipment. Support circuitry 432 is coupled to CPU 430 in a conventional manner and can include a cache, a clock circuit, an input / output subsystem, a power supply, and the like. Software routines, such as the methods described herein, can be stored in memory 434 and, when executed by CPU 430, transform CPU 430 into a dedicated computer (system controller) 402. Software routines can also be stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) located remotely with respect to tool 400.

[0034] Figure 5 Method 500 for determining the operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component according to some embodiments is depicted. In optional block 502, in some embodiments, particularly where the process chamber is exposed to a high level of background vibration noise, background vibration data of the background noise is collected using one or more accelerometers associated with an in-situ component (the component under test) before or after performing a vibration test on the in-situ component. In block 504, a vibration pulse is generated within the in-situ component. In some embodiments, the vibration pulse can be initiated by a vibration generator attached to the in-situ component. The vibration pulse can also be initiated automatically at various time intervals or after a given number of substrates have been processed and the like. The vibration pulse can also be initiated automatically when the predicted lifetime of the in-situ component has been predicted based on performance data and / or maintenance data to determine the operating state of the in-situ component.

[0035] At block 506, vibration data from vibration impulses traveling through the internal structure of the in-situ component is received via at least one accelerometer attached to the in-situ component. In some embodiments, the accelerometer can be a 9-axis accelerometer or the like. In some embodiments, multiple accelerometers can be symmetrically placed around the in-situ component or placed near locations where significant defects may form. In some embodiments, a vibration analyzer can be used to receive the vibration data from the accelerometer. The vibration data received from the accelerometer can be used to generate a chart such as Figure 6 chart 600A as shown. Chart 600A depicts the variation of the amplitude of the vibration data over time. In optional block 508, in some embodiments where background vibration data is obtained, the background vibration data is removed from the vibration data obtained from the accelerometer after initiating the test vibration impulse to more accurately represent the actual test vibration data.

[0036] In optional block 510, in some embodiments, the in-situ component can be tested multiple times by sending vibration impulses multiple times and receiving data from the accelerometer. In optional block 512, the vibration data received during each test can be averaged with other test data to produce a more accurate set of vibration data for analysis. At block 514, the vibration data is transformed using an FFT process to produce a two-sided frequency domain representation of the vibration data. At block 516, the two-sided frequency domain representation of the vibration data is converted to a one-sided frequency domain representation. Figure 6 The processing of the vibration data is indicated by arrow 602 in to produce chart 600B of the vibration data in the one-sided frequency domain for analysis. The operating (health) state of the in-situ component can be determined using the position (frequency) 604 of the peaks, the amplitude 606 of the peaks, and / or the width 608 of the peaks (frequency spread of the peaks).

[0037] At block 518, the chart generated from the vibration data after testing is compared with a chart of reference vibration data. In some embodiments, the reference vibration data may come from testing the in-situ component when it is first installed without any component processing time (e.g., a known good component without any defects, etc.). The reference vibration data can also be generated based on non-in-situ data extrapolated to a known process chamber environment (the influence of the process chamber on the vibration data of the non-in-situ test component is previously known, etc.). At block 520, the health condition or operating state of the in-situ component is determined based on the comparison data between the reference chart data and the test chart data of the in-situ component. For example, a peak position shift, a peak width change, and / or a peak amplitude change can be indicated between the charts, such that based on historical data or predictive data, specific defects can be indicated and / or the severity of specific defects can also be indicated. Using the comparison data, health condition or operating state data can be obtained not only for the defect type but also for (e.g.) the number of operating hours or the number of substrates before the in-situ component fails.

[0038] In block 522, status notifications and / or operation status reports and the like may be provided. In some embodiments, information may be provided to an operator, such as but not limited to a display associated with the process chamber and / or an audible signal or alarm that warns the operator and the like. In some embodiments, the status notification may include a corrective action. For example, in some embodiments, the operation status information may be transmitted to a system controller and the like such that the system controller can react accordingly by implementing a corrective action. In optional block 524, the process of the process chamber in which the in-situ component is installed may be changed using a notification status (such as pass, fail, etc.) and / or an operation status (95% of the life has been used, 5% of the remaining life, etc.). For example, the system controller may stop the process based on a "fail" status or when the remaining life is less than 1% and the like. In some embodiments, the system controller may change the process when the component is a heating unit to further extend the life of the in-situ component, and the temperature level may be increased more slowly, thereby achieving a longer life expectancy (and still meeting the process requirements, but the throughput may be reduced due to the slower temperature rise, etc.).

[0039] Method 500 may be used for in-situ components made of metal, ceramic, and / or quartz and the like. For example, since new ceramics have a higher density, ceramics have a higher frequency peak. Over time, the ceramics may have a lower density, resulting in a peak at a lower frequency compared to new ceramics (peak position shift). Quartz including defects such as inclusions and other flaws will also have a different FFT graph compared to a defect-free quartz component. Metals showing oxidation and / or shape changes will also show a different FFT graph compared to defect-free metals.

[0040] Figure 8 An exemplary process depicting the raw vibration data 806 obtained from a component under test according to some embodiments is shown. The X-axis 802 of the raw vibration data graph 800A is the time domain, and the Y-axis 804 is the g-force amplitude. The raw vibration data is obtained by an accelerometer in response to a vibration pulse initiated on the component under test, and the raw vibration data is then transmitted to a vibration analyzer. The raw vibration data is processed to convert the time domain to the frequency domain via a discrete Fourier transform (FFT) (for example, by using Equation 1 below):

[0041]

[0042] Then the frequency domain data is converted from a two-sided data set to a one-sided data set, and then the amplitude is converted to decibels, such as by Equation 2 below:

[0043]

[0044] The data is plotted in the frequency domain graph 800B, where the X-axis 808 is the frequency and the Y-axis 810 is the decibel. Subsequently, the peaks can be analyzed and compared spectroscopically with the samples. The analysis can be based on reference data (such as known good specimens of the components in the test, etc.). Figure 8 of the specific peak 812 shown in the zoomed view. For example, the test data 820 can be compared with the good clean component data 814 at a given point in order to compare the first width 818 of the good clean component data 814 with the second width 816 of the test data of the specific peak 812. In some embodiments, as Figure 9 shown, according to some embodiments, a waterfall plot 900 can be used to analyze the components in the test. The X-axis 902 represents the frequency, the Y-axis 904 represents the time, and the Z-axis 906 represents the g-force amplitude on a logarithmic scale. The waterfall plot 900 can be monitored in real time for changes in peak parameters (such as the change in peak position offset over time, the change in peak width over time, etc.), and these peak parameters can then be used to notify and / or change the current process based on the health / operating state of the component represented by the waterfall plot 900.

[0045] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention can be implemented as hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of the above. Embodiments can also be implemented as instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media that can be read and executed by one or more processors. A computer-readable medium can include any mechanism that stores or transmits information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing platform or a "virtual machine" running on one or more computing platforms). For example, a computer-readable medium can include any suitable form of volatile or non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium can include non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0046] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the present invention can be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining an operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component, the method comprising: initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in-situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; transforming the first vibration signal into a first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal; determining the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component based on the first frequency domain representation; and performing a corrective action on the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: receiving at least one vibration signal using a plurality of accelerometers symmetrically spaced around a surface of the semiconductor manufacturing component.

3. The method according to claim 2, the method further comprising: averaging the vibration signals obtained by each of the plurality of accelerometers before transforming the vibration signals into a frequency domain representation.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: automatically initiating the first test vibration based on a time interval or based on the number of substrates processed in the semiconductor processing chamber.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: detecting a background vibration signal before initiating the first test vibration; and removing the background vibration signal from the first vibration signal before transforming the first vibration signal into the first frequency domain representation.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: providing a notification of the operating state to a controller of the semiconductor processing chamber as the corrective action; and automatically determining by the controller whether to continue processing substrates or stop processing substrates.

7. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: initiating a second test vibration in the internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component at an interval after the first test vibration; receiving a second vibration signal caused by the second test vibration; transforming the second vibration signal into a second frequency domain representation of the second vibration signal; comparing a first set of peaks of the first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal with a second set of peaks of the second frequency domain representation of the second vibration signal; and determining the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component based on the comparison of the first set of peaks with the second set of peaks.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the interval is based on a length of time, or wherein the interval is based on the number of substrates processed by the semiconductor processing chamber.

9. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: comparing peak positions, peak amplitudes, and peak widths of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks to at least partially determine the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component.

10. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: converting the first frequency domain representation from a bilateral representation to a unilateral representation of the first vibration signal; and Convert the second frequency domain representation from a bilateral representation to a unilateral representation of the second vibration signal before comparing the first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal with the second frequency domain representation of the second vibration signal.

11. A method for determining an operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component, the method comprising: Detecting a background vibration signal when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in-situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; Initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component; Receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; Removing the background vibration signal from the first vibration signal to obtain a first filtered vibration signal; Transforming the first filtered vibration signal to obtain a first frequency domain representation of the first filtered vibration signal; When the semiconductor manufacturing component is in-situ in the semiconductor processing chamber, initiating a second test vibration at an interval after the first test vibration in the internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component; Receiving a second vibration signal caused by the second test vibration; Removing the background vibration signal from the second vibration signal to obtain a second filtered vibration signal; Transforming the second filtered vibration signal to obtain a second frequency domain representation of the second vibration signal; Comparing a first set of peaks of the first frequency domain representation of the first filtered vibration signal with a second set of peaks of the second frequency domain representation of the second filtered vibration signal obtained from the semiconductor manufacturing component to determine the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component, wherein the comparison includes: comparing the peak positions, peak amplitudes, and peak widths of the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks; and Performing a correction action on the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interval is based on a time length, or wherein the interval is based on the number of substrates processed by the semiconductor processing chamber.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising: Receiving vibration signals using a plurality of accelerometers symmetrically spaced around a surface of the semiconductor manufacturing component.

14. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising: Averaging the vibration signals obtained by each of the plurality of accelerometers before transforming the vibration signals into a frequency domain representation.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first test vibration and the second test vibration occur simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising: Automatically initiating the first test vibration or the second test vibration based on a time interval or based on the number of substrates processed in the semiconductor processing chamber.

17. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising: Converting the first frequency domain representation from a bilateral representation to a unilateral representation of the first vibration signal; and Converting the second frequency domain representation from a bilateral representation to a unilateral representation of the second vibration signal before comparing the first frequency domain representation of the first vibration signal with the second frequency domain representation of the second vibration signal.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method further comprises: providing a notification of the operating state to a controller of the semiconductor processing chamber; and as the corrective action, automatically determining, by the controller, whether to continue processing the substrate or to stop processing the substrate.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method for determining an operating state of a semiconductor manufacturing component to be performed, the method comprising: initiating a first test vibration in an internal structure of the semiconductor manufacturing component when the semiconductor manufacturing component is in-situ in a semiconductor processing chamber; receiving a first vibration signal caused by the first test vibration; transforming the first vibration signal into a first frequency-domain representation of the first vibration signal; determining the operating state of the semiconductor manufacturing component based on the first frequency-domain representation; and performing a corrective action of the semiconductor manufacturing component in response to the operating state.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the method non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises at least one of a, b, c, d, or e: (a) determining the operating state using a peak position, a peak amplitude, and a peak width of a peak in the first frequency-domain representation; or (b) detecting a background vibration signal before initiating the first test vibration; removing the background vibration signal from the first vibration signal before transforming the first vibration signal into the first frequency-domain representation; or (c) converting the first frequency-domain representation from a bilateral representation to a unilateral representation of the first vibration signal; or (d) providing a notification of the operating state to a controller of the semiconductor processing chamber; and (e) as the corrective action, automatically determining, by the controller, whether to continue processing the substrate or to stop processing the substrate.

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