Optical Spectral Sensor Wafer or Robot for Chamber Condition Monitoring

Abstract

[0005] Embodiments disclosed herein include a diagnostics board. In one embodiment, the diagnostics board comprises a substrate, a circuit board on the substrate, and a spectrometer coupled to the circuit board. In one embodiment, the diagnostics board further comprises a processor on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the spectrometer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 715,866, filed April 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a sensor substrate including a spectrometer for measuring a surface within a chamber. [Background technology]

[0003] In a semiconductor manufacturing environment, a chamber is generally used to deposit material on a substrate, etch material on a substrate, or manipulate a material layer on a substrate. During various processing operations, characteristics of the chamber may change. For example, material may be deposited on the interior chamber surfaces. In some cases, the layer may be a seasoning layer on the interior chamber surfaces. The seasoning layer may be partially etched or excess material may be deposited on the seasoning layer. That is, it is difficult to maintain a desired process condition in the chamber. Changes in the interior surfaces of the chamber may result in changes in the processing results of a substrate processed in the chamber. Therefore, it is desirable to monitor changes in the interior surfaces of the chamber.

[0004] Spectrometers and diagnostic boards can be used to monitor the interior surfaces of the chamber. However, spectrometers (e.g., optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensors) are bulky and large instruments mounted on the outside of the chamber. The light path may pass through a window in the chamber. Some diagnostic boards have also been developed in the past by incorporating CMOS or CCD imagers on the board. However, such diagnostic boards do not have the ability to monitor the light spectrum. Therefore, only limited details of the chamber inner surface or volume can be acquired. Summary of the Invention

[0005]

[0005] Embodiments disclosed herein include a diagnostics board. In one embodiment, the diagnostics board comprises a substrate, a circuit board on the substrate, and a spectrometer coupled to the circuit board. In one embodiment, the diagnostics board further comprises a processor on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the spectrometer.

[0006]

[0013] Embodiments disclosed herein further include a method of investigating an interior surface of a processing chamber. In one embodiment, the method includes inserting a diagnostic device into the processing chamber. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device comprises a spectrometer configured to receive light from a light source that reflects from the interior surface of the processing chamber and propagates to the spectrometer, and detecting a spectrum with the spectrometer.

[0007] The embodiments disclosed herein may further comprise a method of controlling a cleaning and / or conditioning process of the chamber. In one embodiment, the method includes initiating a cleaning and / or conditioning process in the chamber. In one embodiment, a diagnostic device is inserted into the chamber. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device is used to determine a material composition and / or thickness of one or more layers on an interior surface of the chamber. In one embodiment, the method further includes terminating the cleaning and / or conditioning process when the material composition and / or thickness of the one or more layers is at a desired value. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diagnostic device that can be inserted into a chamber to detect information regarding the chamber lining, according to one embodiment. [Figure 1B] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device having a substrate, a circuit board, a spectrometer, and a processor, according to one embodiment. [Figure 1C] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device having a circuit board, a spectrometer, a processor, and a light source according to one embodiment. [Figure 1D]1 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device with a lid overlying a component according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device inserted into a chamber to detect an internal surface condition of the chamber, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device on a robotic arm being inserted into a chamber, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device being retracted from within a chamber by a robotic arm, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device with multiple light sources to provide multi-point analysis of an interior chamber surface, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a diagnostic device having a single light source coupled to multiple repeaters by optical waveguides, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a diagnostic device integrated into a robotic arm, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] 1A-1C are plan views of a diagnostic device illustrating various ways in which a spectrometer may be coupled to a processor, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7B] 1A-1C are plan views of a diagnostic device illustrating various ways in which a spectrometer may be coupled to a processor, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7C] 1A-1C are plan views of a diagnostic device illustrating various ways in which a spectrometer may be coupled to a processor, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of a process for detecting a characteristic of an interior surface of a chamber, according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of a process for monitoring a cleaning and / or conditioning process in a processing chamber, according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system that may be used with a processing tool, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The system described herein includes a sensor substrate including a spectrometer for measuring a surface in a chamber. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known aspects are not described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments. Furthermore, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0010] As mentioned above, careful monitoring of the internal surfaces or volumes of semiconductor processing chambers is necessary to maintain tightly controlled process output. However, existing chamber monitoring solutions are limited. An external optical emission spectroscopy (OES) sensor includes an optical path that passes through a window in the chamber. Thus, the location of the chamber being monitored is limited to the optical path that passes through the window. Thus, spatial monitoring within the chamber is not possible. Furthermore, existing diagnostic substrate devices use cameras. Such cameras are limited to optical imaging and therefore are not suitable for detecting layer thickness or layer composition.

[0011] Thus, embodiments disclosed herein include diagnostic devices capable of providing spectral reflectance analysis of the interior chamber surfaces as well as providing enhanced details of the interior chamber layers. This is implemented by using a diagnostic device that includes one or more integrated spectrometers. The spectrometers can detect the spectrum of light reflected from the interior surfaces of the chamber. Spatial resolution can be obtained by scanning the diagnostic device through the chamber. Other embodiments may include multiple light sources to provide spatial detail without the need to scan a diagnostic substrate. Unlike optical cameras, the use of spectrometers allows detailed information about the interior surface layers (e.g., composition, thickness, etc.) to be obtained.

[0012] In one embodiment, the diagnostic device may include a wafer-like form factor. In such an embodiment, the diagnostic device may be inserted and retracted from the chamber using an existing robotic arm. The diagnostic device may scan the interior surface of the chamber as the diagnostic device is inserted and retracted from the chamber. In another implementation, the diagnostic device may be integrated into the robotic arm itself. In such an embodiment, inserting and retracting the robotic arm may provide information regarding the interior surface composition, thickness, etc. It should be appreciated that the spectral reflectance acquired by the diagnostic device may be used to determine material composition. For example, different material compositions will have different spectral reflectances that may be used for material composition determination. Additionally, the spectral reflectance may be used to measure layer thickness.

[0013] In one embodiment, the light source required for the operation of the spectrometer may be integrated into the diagnostic device. A dedicated light source (or light sources) may be configured to propagate light that reflects off the chamber surfaces and travels to the spectrometer. However, in other embodiments, an external light source may be used to operate the spectrometer. That is, the light source does not need to be directly integrated onto the diagnostic device. For example, the plasma in the chamber may be the light source used by the spectrometer. In alternative embodiments, an external laser / broadband source may be projected into the chamber through an optical fiber or a waveguide.

[0014] In one embodiment, the diagnostic device may be used periodically to monitor the conditions of the chamber. For example, the diagnostic device may be inserted after a predetermined number of substrates have been processed in the chamber. In other embodiments, the diagnostic device may be used to continuously monitor the interior surfaces of the chamber. Such an embodiment may be particularly useful for monitoring chamber conditions during conditioning and / or cleaning processes in the chamber.

[0015] 1A, a perspective view of a diagnostic device 100 is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device 100 may be provided on a substrate 110. The substrate 110 may have a form factor that is similar to that of the wafers to be processed in the chamber. For example, the substrate 110 may have a diameter of about 200 mm or about 300 mm. Although, other diameters may be used for the substrate 110. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate 110 may be about 1 mm. In one embodiment, the substrate 110 may have any suitable material composition. In certain embodiments, the substrate 110 may comprise silicon. That is, the substrate 110 may be a silicon wafer. However, other embodiments may be used. For example, the substrate 110 may comprise glass, ceramic, etc.

[0016] In one embodiment, one or more spectrometers 120 may be disposed on the surface of the substrate 110. In the illustrated embodiment, four spectrometers 120 are shown, one spectrometer 120 in each quadrant of the substrate 110. However, it should be appreciated that any number of spectrometers 120 may be used and any suitable arrangement of the spectrometers 120 may be used.

[0017] In an embodiment, the spectrometer 120 can be any suitable spectrometer architecture. The spectrometer 120 can be a low-profile spectrometer. For example, the thickness of the spectrometer 120 can be about 5 mm or less, or about 1 mm or less. The low profile of the spectrometer 120 allows the diagnostic device 100 to be inserted into or from within a chamber being monitored by an existing robotic handling device (e.g., a robotic arm or blade). In an embodiment, any spectrometer 120 type that can be made as a low-profile device can be used. For example, the spectrometer 120 can include a diffraction and / or grating type spectrometer, a photonic crystal and / or filter type spectrometer, a multispectral imager type spectrometer, or an interferometer-based spectrometer.

[0018] In one embodiment, the spectrometer 120 may be communicatively coupled to the processor 130. The processor 130 may be provided at a general center of the substrate 110. However, it should be appreciated that the processor 130 may be provided at any desired location, as described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 7A-7C. In one embodiment, the process 130 may be communicatively coupled to the spectrometer 120 by any suitable interconnect architecture. In one embodiment, a cable or flex circuit (not shown) is provided between the spectrometer 120 and the processor 130. In other embodiments, the spectrometer 120 may be coupled to the process 130 through a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown).

[0019] The processor 130 may include a die suitable for processing the spectra acquired by the spectrometer 120. The processor 130 may also include functionality for controlling and / or processing data from the spectrometer 120. For example, the processor 130 may instruct the spectrometer 120 when to collect data. In embodiments with a light source (not shown in FIG. 1A), the processor 130 may also control the light source. The processor 130 may include a memory or use an external memory to store data. In other embodiments, the processor 130 may include a wireless communication interface to transmit data (either raw spectral data or processed data) to an external device.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, the spectrometer 120 is oriented in an upward position. That is, the spectrometer 120 is oriented to observe light reflecting off the top surface of the chamber. However, it should be appreciated that other orientations (or combinations of different orientations) can be used to detect surface conditions of various surfaces or volumes within the chamber. For example, the spectrometer 120 can be oriented to look down (e.g., to look at a pedestal on which the diagnostic device 200 rests) or to look outward from the edge of the diagnostic device (e.g., to look at a sidewall of the chamber).

[0021] 1B, a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device 100 is shown according to an additional embodiment. As shown, the diagnostic device 100 includes a substrate 112. In one embodiment, a PCB 112 may be provided on the substrate 112. The PCB 112 may couple the spectrometer 120 to the processor 130. For example, electrical connections on the PCB 112 may electrically and communicatively couple the processor 130 to the spectrometer 120. Although shown as a single PCB 112, it should be appreciated that the spectrometer 120 and the processor 130 may have separate PCBs 112. For example, each spectrometer 120 may have a dedicated PCB 112, and the processor 130 may have a dedicated PCB 112. In such an embodiment, the spectrometer 120 may be coupled to the processor 130 by a cable or the like, as described in more detail below.

[0022] 1C, a cross-sectional view of diagnostic device 100 is shown according to an additional embodiment. Diagnostic device 100 in FIG. 1C may be substantially similar to diagnostic device 100 in FIG. 1B, except for the addition of light source 122. In one embodiment, light source 122 may be any suitable light source architecture. In a particular embodiment, light source 122 is a light emitting diode (LED), although in other embodiments light sources with different spectra may be included.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, each spectrometer 120 is adjacent to a different light source 122. In such embodiments, each spectrometer 120 has a dedicated light source 122. However, in other embodiments, a single light source 122 may be optically coupled to multiple spectrometers 120. Such embodiments are described in more detail below. In yet other embodiments, multiple light sources 122 may be coupled to a single spectrometer 120. In such embodiments, a spatial analysis of the interior chamber surface may be determined without having to scan the diagnostic device 100 through the chamber. Such embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0024] In Figure 1C, the light source 122 is integrated with the diagnostic device 100. However, it should be appreciated that embodiments without the light source 122 (e.g., as shown in Figure 1B) may also be used. Such embodiments may use an external light source (e.g., a plasma in a chamber) as the light source to operate one or more spectrometers.

[0025] 1D, a cross-sectional view of diagnostic device 100 is shown, according to an additional embodiment. As shown, diagnostic device 100 may include a cover 117. Cover 117 may be used to protect components underlying diagnostic device 100 from the plasma environment. In one embodiment, an opening 118 may be provided through cover 117 to allow reflected light (e.g., from the plasma itself, from an external light source, or from a light source internal to the diagnostic device) to reach spectrometer 120.

[0026] 2, a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing chamber 280 is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the chamber 280 can include a chamber body 281. The chamber body 281 can include an enclosure for processing semiconductor substrates (e.g., wafers), or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber body 281 is shown as a substantially monolithic chamber. However, it should be appreciated that the plasma processing chamber 280 can include separate components to create the chamber body 281. For example, a lid can be provided as a separate component from the sidewalls of the chamber body 281. In one embodiment, the chamber body 281 can include a slit valve door 282, or the like. A substrate (e.g., a processing substrate or a diagnostic device 200) can be inserted into the chamber body 281 when the slit valve door 282 is opened.

[0027] In one embodiment, chamber 280 may be any chamber suitable for processing semiconductor substrates or other substrates useful in a semiconductor manufacturing context. For example, chamber 280 may be a plasma chamber, such as a plasma deposition or plasma etch chamber. In other embodiments, chamber 280 may be a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, a thermal processing chamber (e.g., a rapid thermal processing (RTP) chamber), or any other processing chamber used in a semiconductor processing environment. In one embodiment, chamber 280 may be one chamber in a cluster tool. That is, multiple chambers 280 may be coupled to one another through a central chamber.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, the diagnostic device 200 is provided on lift pins 284. The lift pins 284 may be in a position to receive the diagnostic device 200 from a robotic arm (not shown in FIG. 2). The lift pins 284 may support the diagnostic device 200 and lower the diagnostic device 200 onto a surface of the pedestal 283.

[0029] In one embodiment, the diagnostic device 200 may be similar to any of the diagnostic devices described in detail herein. For example, the diagnostic device 200 may include a substrate 210. The substrate 210 may have a form factor similar to a silicon wafer (e.g., 200 mm or 300 mm diameter). In one embodiment, a PCB 212 may be provided on the substrate 210. The PCB 212 may include circuitry for electrically and communicatively coupling the spectrometer 220 and the light source 222 to the processor 230. Although shown as having the light source 222, it should be appreciated that the light source 222 may be omitted in favor of an external light source (e.g., plasma).

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, each light source 222 is optically coupled to one of the spectrometers 220. As used herein, optically coupled may refer to an optical path 225 that starts at a first component and ends at a second component. For example, the optical path 225 starts at the light source 222, reflects off the interior surface of the chamber body 281, and ends at the spectrometer 220. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the condition of the interior surface of the chamber body 281 (e.g., material composition of a layer on the interior surface of the chamber body 281, thickness of one or more layers on the interior surface of the chamber body 281, etc.) may be determined at multiple individual locations. The number of individual locations may be equal to the number of spectrometers 220 provided on the diagnostic device 200. That is, the spectrometers 220 detect spectra from the light sources 222. The spectra may be analyzed to determine material composition, thickness, etc. of the layer on the interior surface of the chamber body 281.

[0031] It should be appreciated that while chamber conditions at multiple discrete locations are possible, scanning a diagnostic device through the chamber body 281 can provide a spatial analysis of the interior surface of the chamber body 281. An example of such an embodiment is shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0032] 3A, a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing chamber 380 is shown, according to one embodiment. The chamber 380 may be substantially similar to the chamber 280 described in detail above. For example, the chamber 380 may include a chamber body 381 with a slit valve door 382. It may also include a pedestal 383 and lift pins 384. As shown in FIG. 3A, the slit valve door 382 is open and the robot arm 370 supports the diagnostic device 300 above the pedestal 383.

[0033] In an embodiment, the diagnostic device 300 may be similar to any of the diagnostic devices described herein. In a particular embodiment, the diagnostic device 300 includes a substrate 310. The substrate 310 may have a wafer form factor. In an embodiment, a PCB 312 is provided on the substrate 310. The processor 330, the plurality of spectrometers 320, and the plurality of light sources 322 may be provided on the PCB 312. In an embodiment, the light source 322 is optically coupled to the spectrometer 320. For example, an optical path 325 may start at one of the light sources 322, reflect off the chamber body 381, and terminate at one of the spectrometers 320.

[0034] 3B, a cross-sectional view of the chamber 380 during scanning of the diagnostic device 300 is shown, according to one embodiment. As indicated by the arrow, the robot arm 370 retracts the diagnostic device 300 from within the chamber body 381. During the lateral displacement of the diagnostic device 300, the processor 330 initiates the light source 322 and the spectrometer 320. Thus, a spatial analysis of the top surface (e.g., lid) of the chamber body 381 may be obtained by the diagnostic device 300. In one embodiment, the spatial analysis may provide a material composition of one or more layers on the interior surface of the chamber body 381 and / or a thickness of one or more layers on the interior surface of the chamber body 381.

[0035] Although shown in an upward direction, it should be appreciated that a downward direction (e.g., to monitor the pedestal 383) or an outward direction (e.g., to monitor the sidewalls of the chamber body 381) may also be used. Additionally, in other embodiments, a combination of upward, downward, and / or outward directions may be used to monitor multiple interior surfaces of the chamber 380.

[0036] In the embodiment described above with respect to Figures 3A and 3B, scanning of the diagnostic device 300 (by moving the substrate within the chamber 380) is described. However, it should be appreciated that embodiments may provide spatial analysis of the interior of the chamber without requiring movement of the diagnostic device. An example of such an embodiment is provided in Figure 4.

[0037] 4, a cross-sectional view of a diagnostic device 400 within a chamber body 481 is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the chamber body 481 may be similar to any of the chamber bodies described in more detail above. In certain embodiments, a layer 485 may be deposited on an interior surface of the chamber body 481. The layer 485 may be a conditioning layer or may be the result of deposition of by-products of a processing operation (e.g., etch by-products, redeposition, etc.). Although shown as a single layer 485, it should be appreciated that multiple layers of different materials may also be included as part of the layer 485.

[0038] In one embodiment, diagnostic device 400 may be supported by a pedestal or lift pins (not shown). In other embodiments, diagnostic device 400 may remain supported by a robotic arm. In one embodiment, diagnostic device 400 may include a substrate 410. Substrate 410 may have a wafer form factor. In one embodiment, spectrometer 420 is shown on substrate 410. Although shown as directly on substrate 410, in other embodiments, spectrometer 420 may be on a PCB or the like.

[0039] In one embodiment, multiple light sources 422 A~Fmay be provided on the substrate 410 (or optionally on the PCB). In one embodiment, the light sources 422 may each be optically coupled to a single spectrometer 420. For example, a light path 425 begins at each of the light sources 422, reflects off a different location on the layer 485, and terminates at the spectrometer 420. Thus, multiple locations across the layer 485 may be analyzed without having to move the diagnostic device 400 laterally. Each of the light sources 422 may include a lens 426 to focus the light such that the light path 425 terminates at the spectrometer 420. In the illustrated embodiment, six light sources 422 are shown. However, it should be appreciated that any number of light sources 422 (e.g., two or more light sources 422) may be used to provide a spatial analysis of the layer 485.

[0040] Similar to the embodiments described above, the spectrometer 420 may be provided in different orientations to monitor different surfaces of the chamber body 481. For example, a combination of upward, downward, and outward spectrometer 420 orientations may be used to determine surface properties of the lid, sidewalls, and / or pedestal of the chamber body 481.

[0041] 5, a plan view of a diagnostic device 500 is shown according to an additional embodiment. As shown, the diagnostic device 500 includes a substrate 510. The substrate 510 may have a wafer form factor, similar to the embodiments described in more detail above. In the illustrated embodiment, for simplicity, only a light source 522 and a set of repeaters 529 are shown. However, the diagnostic device 500 may also include a spectrometer and a processor, similar to the embodiments described above.

[0042] In one embodiment, a single light source 522 may be used to provide light to multiple repeaters 529. For example, three repeaters 529 A~C5. Each of the repeaters 529 may be coupled to a different spectrometer. In other embodiments, multiple repeaters 529 may be coupled to a single spectrometer. In one embodiment, the repeaters 529 are optically coupled to the light source 522 by optical waveguides 527. The repeaters 529 may include lenses or the like for optically coupling with the spectrometers. Three repeaters 529 A~C 5, it should be appreciated that the light source 522 may feed any number of repeaters 529.

[0043] 6, a plan view of a diagnostic device 670 is shown, according to yet another embodiment. Instead of being integrated on a stand-alone board, the diagnostic device 670 is integrated with a robotic arm 671. For example, one or more spectrometers 620 may be provided on the robotic arm 671. Additional embodiments may include the presence of one or more light sources 622. However, in some embodiments, an external light source may also be used.

[0044] Integrating the diagnostic device 670 with the robot arm 671 is beneficial because a dedicated substrate is not required to analyze the interior surfaces of the chamber. Instead, the robot arm 671 can be displaced within the chamber without supporting a substrate. As with the embodiments described above, the spectrometer 620 can be in an upward, downward, or outward facing orientation.

[0045] 7A-7C, a series of plan views illustrating an architecture for communicatively coupling a spectrometer 720 to a processor 730 are shown, according to one embodiment.

[0046] 7A, a plan view of a diagnostic device 700 is shown, according to one embodiment. The diagnostic device 700 may include a substrate 710. A plurality of spectrometers 720 A~C may be communicatively coupled to the processor 730 in a star-like network. A~Cmay be coupled to the processor 730 by a cable 733. The cable 733 may be a single cable 733 that connects to each of the components.

[0047] 7B, a plan view of a diagnostic device 700 is shown, according to one embodiment. Instead of a single cable 733, a set of three cables 733 is provided. Two first cables 7331 connect the three spectrometers 720. A~C 730 and a second cable 7332 connects one of the spectrometers 720 B is directly connected to the processor 730. Two other spectrometers 720 A and 720 C A central spectrometer 720 acts as a hub in the mesh network. B 7. The processor 730 may be coupled to the processor 730 via a hub 740. Although examples of star and mesh networks are shown, it should be appreciated that in different embodiments, any network configuration (e.g., ring, line, tree, bus, etc.) may be used.

[0048] 7C, a plan view of a diagnostic device 700 is shown, according to one embodiment. As shown, the spectrometer 720 can be connected to the processor 730 in a daisy chain architecture with connectors 733 between each of the components. Again, here 720 A , 720 B , and 720 C is 720 C The 100 and 1100 buses can be equivalent to each other, except only that the bus to the 100 and 1100 buses needs to be terminated.

[0049] 8, a process flow diagram of a process 890 for analyzing an interior surface of a chamber is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the process 890 begins with operation 891, which includes inserting a diagnostic device into the processing chamber. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device includes one or more spectrometers. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device may be substantially similar to any of the diagnostic devices described in more detail above. For example, the diagnostic device may be integrated onto a substrate having a wafer form factor or integrated onto a robotic arm.

[0050] In one embodiment, process 890 may continue with operation 892, which includes detecting a spectrum with a spectrometer. In some embodiments, detecting the spectrum may occur while the diagnostic device is moved laterally through the chamber. In other embodiments, the spectrum may be detected when the diagnostic device is stationary. The spectrum(s) detected by the one or more spectrometers may be used (e.g., by a processor) to determine material composition, material thickness, etc. of one or more layers on the interior surface of the chamber.

[0051] 9, a process flow diagram of a process 960 is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the process 960 may begin with operation 961, which includes initiating a cleaning and / or conditioning process in the chamber. The cleaning process may be implemented periodically to remove one or more layers of built-up material on the interior surfaces of the chamber. The conditioning process may be used to add or refine layers on the exposed surfaces of the chamber.

[0052] In one embodiment, process 960 continues with operation 962, which includes inserting a diagnostic device into the chamber. In one embodiment, the diagnostic device can be similar to any of the diagnostic devices described in more detail herein. For example, the diagnostic device can be integrated on a substrate having a wafer form factor or integrated as part of a robotic arm.

[0053] In one embodiment, process 960 may continue with operation 963, which includes using a diagnostic device to determine the material composition and / or thickness of one or more layers on the interior surface of the chamber. For example, process 963 may include displacing the diagnostic device laterally through the chamber. In other embodiments, measurements may be provided while the diagnostic device is stationary.

[0054] In one embodiment, process 960 may continue with operation 964, which includes terminating the cleaning and / or conditioning process when the material composition and / or thickness of one or more layers is at a desired value. The desired value may correspond to the chamber being deemed adequately clean to resume processing of wafers. In other embodiments, the desired value may correspond to the chamber having achieved a desired conditioning or seasoning to begin processing wafers.

[0055] Referring now to FIG. 10, a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 1000 of a processing tool is shown, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the computer system 1000 is coupled to the processing tool and controls processing in the processing tool. The computer system 1000 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The computer system 1000 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 1000 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by the machine. Further, although only a single machine is illustrated for computer system 1000, the term "machine" is also intended to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or together execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein.

[0056] The computer system 1000 may include a computer program product, or software 1022, having a non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that may be used to program the computer system 1000 (or other electronic devices) to perform a process according to an embodiment. A machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium includes a machine (e.g., computer) readable storage medium (e.g., read-only memory ("ROM"), random access memory ("RAM"), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), a machine (e.g., computer) readable transmission medium (electrical, optical, acoustic or other form of propagated signal (e.g., infrared signal, digital signal, etc.)), etc.

[0057] In one embodiment, computer system 1000 includes a system processor 1002, a main memory 1004 (e.g., read only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 1006 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory 1018 (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus 1030.

[0058] The system processor 1002 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microsystem processor, a central processing unit, etc. More specifically, the system processor may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microsystem processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microsystem processor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microsystem processor, a system processor implementing other instruction sets, or a system processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. The system processor 1002 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal system processor (DSP), a network system processor, etc. The system processor 1002 is configured to execute processing logic 1026 for performing the operations described herein.

[0059] The computer system 1000 may further include a system network interface device 1008 for communicating with other devices or machines. The computer system 1000 may also include a video display unit 1010 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode display (LED), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 1012 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1014 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generating device 1016 (e.g., a speaker).

[0060] The secondary memory 1018 may include a machine-accessible storage medium 1032 (or more specifically, a computer-readable storage medium) having stored thereon one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 1022) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 1022 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 1004 and / or within the system processor 1002 during execution of the software 1022 by the computer system 1000, with the main memory 1004 and the system processor 1002 also constituting machine-readable storage media. The software 1022 may further be transmitted or received over the network 1020 via the system network interface device 1008. In one embodiment, the network interface device 1008 may operate using RF, optical, acoustic, or inductive coupling.

[0061] While the machine-accessible storage medium 1032 is shown to be a single medium in the exemplary embodiment, the term "machine-readable storage medium" shall be interpreted to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., centralized or distributed databases and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable storage medium" shall also be interpreted to include any medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a machine, causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies. The term "machine-readable storage medium" shall therefore be interpreted to include, but not limited to, solid-state memories and optical and magnetic media.

[0062] In the foregoing specification, certain exemplary embodiments have been described. It will be apparent that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. The specification and drawings are therefore to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

1. A substrate; a circuit board on the substrate; a spectrometer coupled to the circuit board; a processor on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the spectrometer; A diagnostic board comprising:

2. The diagnostic board of claim 1 , wherein the spectrometer is oriented to face up, down, or sideways away from the board.

3. The diagnostic board of claim 1 , wherein the board has a semiconductor wafer form factor, the diameter of the board is 200 mm or 300 mm, and the thickness of the board is 1 mm.

4. light source The diagnostic board of claim 1 further comprising:

5. The diagnostic board of claim 4 , wherein the light source is configured to emit light, the emitted light being reflected to the spectrometer.

6. and a plurality of light sources, each of the plurality of light sources configured to be optically coupled to the spectrometer, the plurality of light sources configured to reflect light from different areas within the chamber. The diagnostic board of claim 4.

7. The diagnostic board of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of light sources and a plurality of spectrometers, the plurality of spectrometers being coupled in a daisy chain configuration, a mesh configuration, or a star configuration.

8. The diagnostic board of claim 4 , wherein the light source is coupled to an optical waveguide, the optical waveguide configured to provide emitted light to two or more spectrometers on the board.

9. A plurality of spectrometers on the circuit board The diagnostic board of claim 1 further comprising:

10. The diagnostic board of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of spectrometers has a dedicated light source or the plurality of spectrometers share a common light source.

11. The diagnostic board of claim 1 , wherein the spectrometer is a diffraction and / or grating type spectrometer, a photonic crystal and / or filter type spectrometer, a spectral imager type spectrometer, or an interferometer-based spectrometer.

12. 1. A method for investigating an interior surface of a processing chamber, comprising: Inserting a diagnostic device into the processing chamber, the diagnostic device comprising: a spectrometer configured to receive light from a light source that reflects off an interior surface of the process chamber and propagates to the spectrometer; inserting a diagnostic device; detecting a spectrum with said spectrometer; A method comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein investigating an interior surface of the processing chamber comprises determining a material deposited on the interior surface and / or determining a thickness of one or more layers of material deposited on the interior surface.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the spectrum is detected at multiple time points as the diagnostic device is displaced through the process chamber.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the diagnostic device is a diagnostic board or the diagnostic device is a robotic arm configured to transport a wafer.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the spectrum is detected while the diagnostic device is stationary.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein multiple light sources on the diagnostic device are optically coupled to the spectrometer to provide a multi-point analysis of the interior surface without moving the diagnostic device.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the light source is part of the diagnostic device or the light source does not originate from the diagnostic device.

19. 1. A method for controlling a chamber cleaning and / or conditioning process, comprising: initiating a cleaning and / or conditioning process in the chamber; inserting a diagnostic device into the chamber; using the diagnostic device to determine a material composition and / or thickness of one or more layers on an interior surface of the chamber; terminating the cleaning and / or conditioning process when the material composition and / or thickness of the one or more layers is at a desired value. A method comprising:

20. The diagnostic device comprises: A substrate; a circuit board on the substrate; a light source coupled to the circuit board; a spectrometer coupled to the circuit board and oriented away from the substrate, the light source configured to emit light that reflects off a surface and is directed toward the spectrometer; a processor coupled to the circuit board, the processor controlling the light source and the spectrometer; 20. The method of claim 19 comprising:

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