Radical detection for process tool diagnostics

Abstract

An apparatus and method for measuring a concentration of radical particles in a gas sample obtained from a location in a semiconductor processing system having a process chamber while a process is occurring in the process chamber includes acquiring radical data corresponding to the measured concentration of radical particles, comparing the acquired radical data to at least one threshold value, and outputting a first control signal when a result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value. The first control signal can be configured to cause a chamber recovery process to occur in the process chamber or to indicate that a chamber recovery process should be performed in the process chamber.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] background I.Technical field Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to semiconductor processes, and more particularly to semiconductor processes using radicals generated by a remote plasma source or other plasma / thermal radical generating source. Even more particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods for conditioning / seasoning or preventative maintenance (PM) for radical-generating plasmas and process chambers when applying radicals for on-wafer processing. [Background technology]

[0002] II. Explanation of Related Technologies Semiconductor processing is typically performed within specialized semiconductor processing systems, which often include a semiconductor process chamber that houses the wafer during processing. The semiconductor processing system also typically includes various hardware (e.g., substrate supports, showerheads, throttle valves, etc.) located within or connected to the semiconductor processing chamber to accomplish the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0003] In various semiconductor manufacturing processes, it may be useful to utilize a remote plasma source, such as an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), transformer coupled plasma (TCP), or other plasma source, to generate activated species, e.g., radicals, ions, etc., to which a substrate is exposed during processing. Remote plasmas may be desirable in some situations because they can provide a relatively high concentration of radicals and a relatively low concentration of ions (or no ions) compared to plasmas generated directly within a semiconductor process chamber (e.g., via an ICP, CCP, or TCP source). Thus, the use of remote plasmas is particularly useful when radicals are desired for processing.

[0004] One problem encountered in radical-based processing is the reduction of radical flux reaching the substrate. This flux can decrease due to transfer losses such as changes in plasma source power and recombination caused by various wetted surfaces and their chemical properties within the semiconductor processing system. If radicals recombine before reaching the substrate, they become unavailable for processing on the substrate. This problem is more pronounced with certain radicals (e.g., hydrogen radicals, oxygen radicals, and nitrogen radicals) than with others. In fact, hydrogen radicals have a very high recombination rate with many materials. Consequently, when processing substrates with remotely generated radicals (e.g., hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen), radicals often recombine within parts of the plasma source chamber (e.g., during chamber setup), on the surface between the plasma source and the semiconductor process chamber, and / or on the inner surface of the semiconductor process chamber, preventing these radicals from acting on the substrate continuously or repeatedly. If the reduction in radical flux is not corrected, this can lead to significant yield decreases and increased ownership costs. For a given process recipe (e.g., consisting of predetermined gas flow rates, pressure, temperature, power, etc.), the radicals impinging on a substrate in a semiconductor process chamber can be affected by radicals generated by the plasma source(s) that are part of the semiconductor processing system, the wetted surface conditions and chemical properties of the internal surfaces of the semiconductor processing system (e.g., the internal surfaces of the semiconductor process chamber, substrate support, showerhead, etc.), the radical transport surface conditions in the semiconductor process chamber setup, etc. Thus, recombination of radicals can occur after the initial setup of the semiconductor processing system (i.e., before a device wafer is processed), after the interior of the semiconductor process chamber (and components installed therein) is cleaned, after the process recipe used in the semiconductor process chamber is changed, etc.

[0005] To reduce radical recombination, a conditioning or seasoning process may be performed based on the wetted materials of the internal surfaces within the semiconductor processing system that the radicals contact. During the conditioning / seasoning process, a series of dummy wafers are processed through the process chamber according to a predetermined conditioning / seasoning recipe. The dummy wafers are typically similar to device wafers used during normal production in the semiconductor process chamber, and similarly, the conditioning recipe is similar to or identical to the actual process recipe used during production in the semiconductor process chamber. The purpose of conditioning / seasoning is to passivate an initial layer of material on the internal surfaces of the semiconductor process chamber and other internal surfaces associated with the semiconductor processing system by applying the conditioning recipe to a series of dummy wafers. If such conditioning is not performed on the chamber, significantly different process conditions will be applied to the first few production wafers, resulting in reduced yield. Typically, the number of dummy wafers to which the process recipe needs to be applied is predetermined or may be determined by performing post-processing inspection of the dummy wafers and / or the interior of the semiconductor process chamber. However, these methods rely on the experience and expertise of the technician, which can vary in undesirable ways depending on the technician developing the conditioning / seasoning procedure, and may fail to take into account new sources of contamination. Summary of the Invention

[0006] overview One embodiment of the present invention can generally be characterized as an apparatus including a controller for use with a radical particle monitor capable of measuring the concentration of radical particles in a gas sample acquired from a location within a semiconductor processing system having a process chamber while a process is being carried out in the process chamber. The controller may be configured to acquire radical data corresponding to the measured concentration of radical particles, compare the acquired radical data with at least one threshold, and output a first control signal when the result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold. The first control signal may be configured to cause a chamber recovery process to be performed in the process chamber, or to indicate that a chamber recovery process should be performed in the process chamber. Another embodiment of the present invention can generally be characterized as a tangible computer-readable medium on which commands causing the controller to perform the above operation, when executed by the processor of the controller described in claim 1, are stored.

[0007] Other embodiments of the present invention can generally be characterized as a method comprising measuring the concentration of radical particles in a gas sample taken from a location within a semiconductor processing system having a process chamber while a process is being carried out in the process chamber, obtaining radical data corresponding to the measured concentration of radical particles, comparing the obtained radical data with at least one threshold, and outputting a first control signal when the result of the comparison indicates that the obtained radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold. The first control signal may be configured to cause a chamber recovery process to be carried out in the process chamber, or to indicate that a chamber recovery process should be carried out in the process chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [Figure 1A-1C] Figures 1A and 1C show a semiconductor processing system with a radical particle monitor implemented in an example embodiment.

[0009] [Figure 2A-2B] Figures 2A and 2B show a semiconductor processing system with a radical particle monitor implemented in a further embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 3A] Figure 3A shows a radical particle monitor according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 3B] Figure 3B schematically illustrates various communication schemes that enable communication between the components of a semiconductor processing system and a radical particle monitor.

[0012] [Figure 4A-4C] Figures 4A-4C show a subset of radical particle monitors in an embodiment.

[0013] [Figures 5A-5C] Figures 5A-5C show the inlet ports that can be implemented with a radical particle monitor.

[0014] [Figures 5A-5C] Figures 5A-5C show the inlet ports that can be implemented with a radical particle monitor.

[0015] [Figures 6A-6B] Figures 6A and 6B show inlet ports configured to correspond to bias voltage or temperature control.

[0016] [Figure 7A-7C] Figures 7A-7C show an example configuration with an aperture stopper implemented.

[0017] [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram of a subset of radical particle monitors in a further configuration.

[0018] [Figure 9-10] 9 and 10 are flow diagrams of processes that involve monitoring radical particle concentrations according to example embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Detailed Description Examples of embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, unless explicitly stated, the sizes, positions, etc. of components, features, elements, etc., as well as distances between them, are not necessarily drawn to scale and are exaggerated for clarity.

[0020] The terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit any particular exemplary embodiment. Where used herein, singular nouns are intended to include plural nouns unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the terms “equipped with” and / or “equipped with” identify the presence of a described feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but should be understood not to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Where a range of values ​​is given, unless otherwise specified, that range includes any subranges between them, along with both the upper and lower limits of that range. Unless specifically indicated, terms such as “first” and “second” are used solely to distinguish elements from one another. For example, one node may be called the “first node,” and similarly another node may be called the “second node,” and vice versa. Section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0021] Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "about," "approximately," and the like mean that the amount, size, composition, parameter, and other quantities and characteristics do not and need not correspond to exact values, but may be approximated and / or may be larger or smaller, as appropriate, to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement error, and the like, and other factors known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0022] Unless otherwise indicated, spatially relative terms such as "below," "down," "lower," "upper," and "above" may be used herein for ease of description when describing the relationship of an element or feature to other elements or features, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations in addition to those depicted in the figures. For example, an element described as being "below" or "below" another element or feature would be oriented "above" the other element or feature if the object in the figure were inverted. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. When an object is oriented in another way (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at another orientation), the spatially relative descriptors used herein can be interpreted accordingly.

[0023] Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the drawings, and thus, the same or similar numbers may be described with reference to other drawings even if they are not mentioned or described in the corresponding drawing, and elements without a reference number may be described with reference to other drawings.

[0024] It will be understood that many different forms and embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and teachings of this disclosure, and that this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these examples and embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention provide radical sensing capabilities that can quantitatively monitor radical flux within a semiconductor processing system and provide feedback at one or more locations within the semiconductor processing system. This feedback can be used for process tool diagnostics, improving process tool cost of ownership such as ensuring unit-to-unit match, chamber-to-chamber match, initiating seasoning / conditioning recipes in a timely manner (e.g., to prevent process drift outside of a predetermined process window), or initiating preventive maintenance (PM) actions in a timely manner (e.g., when a process chamber part exposed to a radical generating source or radical transport pathway reaches end of life).

[0026] I. Embodiments relating to semiconductor processing systems in general Figures 1A-1C are diagrams of a semiconductor processing system implementing a radical particle monitor according to one embodiment, and Figures 2A-2B are diagrams of a semiconductor processing system implementing a radical particle monitor according to another embodiment.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1A, a semiconductor processing system 101 according to one embodiment can include a radical particle monitor 120 (also referred to herein as a "radical monitor" or "RPM"). The system 101 includes a semiconductor process chamber 110 within which a semiconductor wafer 112 is processed, for example, by an etching and / or deposition process. To facilitate this processing, a radical source 115, such as a remote plasma source (RPS), a capacitively coupled plasma source (CCP), an inductively coupled plasma source (ICP), or a transformer coupled plasma source (TCP), can emit gas into the semiconductor process chamber 110 through a feed channel 105. This feed channel 105 can be straight, curved, or angled like an elbow. Depending on the desired process, the gas can have one of many different compositions of stable particles, radical particles, and ions (e.g., plasma gas). A throttle valve 190 can be selectively opened to pass gas from the semiconductor process chamber 110 through a foreline 192. The gas can then be evacuated from the system 100 or recovered for further use.

[0028] The radical particle monitor (RPM) 120 operates to monitor the presence of radical particles in a gas. As shown schematically in FIG. 3A, the RPM 120 may include a test chamber 130, an ionizer 132, and a mass spectrometer 122. The test chamber 130 may be coupled to a gas flow channel, such as a semiconductor process chamber 110 as shown in FIG. 1A (or a foreline 192, for example, as shown in FIG. 1B or 1C), to admit a subset of gases into the test chamber 130.

[0029] An ionizer 132 located within the test chamber 130 may be configured to ionize radical particles of a subset of the gas to produce radical ions within the test chamber 130. The mass spectrometer 122 may be a residual gas analyzer (RGA) or similar system and may include a mass analyzer 124, a radical monitor controller 126, and a pump 128. The mass analyzer 124 may receive the radical ions from the ionizer 132 and perform mass filtering and ion detection on the radical ions to determine their presence. The radical monitor controller 126 may then receive data representing the measurements from the mass analyzer 124 as known in the art and process the measurements from the mass analyzer 124 to generate corresponding radical data or other data or signals (e.g., representing information such as the type and amount of radical ions in the gas) as described in more detail below. Pump 128 (e.g., a vacuum pump or turbopump) can be operated to draw gas from the mass spectrometer 124 and / or the test chamber 130 and maintain the test chamber 130 at an appropriate pressure (e.g., less than 1 e-2 tor), and the gas is transferred (e.g., via conduit 134) to the foreline 192 or other discharge pipe.

[0030] Generally, the test chamber 130 may be adapted to capture an optimal sample of the gas while minimizing reaction of radical particles entering the test chamber 130. Additionally, the ionizer 132 may be configured to directly maximize ionization of radical particles entering the test chamber 130. Furthermore, the mass spectrometer 122 may operate at one or more low energy states to ionize and measure radical particles without interference from non-radical particles. The RPM 120 may further be configured to provide multiple modes of operation to detect and measure the presence of different radical particles as well as non-radical particles, for example, by operating at different energy states. It will be appreciated that different radical particles may be ionized at different energy states. For example, the ionizer 132 may ionize N radicals at 24 eV, while fluorine radicals require a different energy state of 21 eV for ionization. Thus, if it is desired to measure the amount of multiple different radicals in a gas, a sample may be captured in the test chamber 130 and subsequently ionized at different energy levels by the ionizer 132. For example, ionizer 132 may be set to ionize N radicals in a first sample at 24 eV, and then modify the ionizer energy level to measure H radicals at 16 eV. This process may then be repeated multiple additional times in rapid succession to measure the abundance of different radical particles (e.g., N, O, OH, F, H, Cl, NHx, CHx, NXOy, etc.). Thus, ionizer 132 may operate at multiple low energy states, each corresponding to a different radical particle, to enable RPM 120 to make reliable measurements of radical particles in the gas.

[0031] 1B and 1C, the systems shown therein may incorporate some or all of the features of system 101 described above, except that they may provide a radical particle monitor in a different configuration. For example, FIG. 1B shows system 102 in which RPM 120 is coupled to the wall of foreline 192 above throttle valve 190, while FIG. 1C shows system 103 in which RPM 120 is coupled to the wall of foreline 192 below throttle valve 190.

[0032] 2A and 2B, systems 201 and 202 may incorporate some or all of the features of system 101 described above, except that systems 201 and 202 provide a radical particle source 116, such as a capacitively coupled plasma source (CCP), an inductively coupled plasma source (ICP), or a transformer coupled plasma source (TCP), instead of (or in addition to) radical source 115. Radical particle source 116 may occupy a volume above semiconductor process chamber 110 or may be housed in a separate chamber adjacent to semiconductor process chamber 110. This configuration may eliminate supply channel 105. Accordingly, RPM 120 may be coupled to a wall of foreline 192 above throttle valve 190 as shown in FIG. 2A, or may be coupled to foreline 192 below throttle valve 190 as shown in FIG. 2B. Alternatively, but not shown, RPM 120 may be coupled to a wall of semiconductor process chamber 110.

[0033] For a given gas transported through any of systems 101-103, 201, or 202, the gas sampled by the RPM120 may differ depending on where the sample is collected. The concentration of radical particles in the sampled gas (i.e., the amount of radical particles in the sampled gas) tends to decrease as a function of the distance of the RPM120 from the radical source 115 or 116. Furthermore, the concentrations of background gas and other particles may change after interaction with the wafer 112 and the inner surfaces confining the gas (e.g., semiconductor process chamber 110, throttle valve 190, foreline 192, etc.). For these reasons, the RPM120 may be calibrated based on the sampling location, and / or the measurements of radical particles and other particles provided by the RPM120 may be calculated based on the sampling location.

[0034] Although not shown in Figures 1A-1C or 2A-2B, each of the semiconductor processing systems 101-103 and 201-202 may further include one or more vacuum pumps, mass flow controllers, heating systems, cooling systems, etc. (collectively referred to herein as “auxiliary systems”) to control or influence pressure, temperature, gas composition, etc., within the processing chamber, as is known in the art. Similarly, the semiconductor processing systems described above may include one or more auxiliary sensors (e.g., one or more temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc., as is known in the art, or any combination thereof) configured to detect or monitor at least one condition (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.) within the processing chamber.

[0035] Furthermore, although not shown in Figures 1A-1C or 2A-2B, the semiconductor processing system described above may include a system controller that is communicatively connected to the RPM 120 and, if necessary, communicatively connected to the radical source 115 or 116, the throttle valve 190, any of the auxiliary systems described above, any of the auxiliary sensors, or any combination thereof, in order to control the semiconductor processing system and control or facilitate its operation.

[0036] 3B, the system controller 300 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., via one or more wired or wireless, serial or parallel communication links, such as USB, RS-232, Ethernet, Firewire, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, SERCOS, MARCO, EtherCAT, etc., or any combination thereof) to one or more of the above-described components of the semiconductor processing system (e.g., the RPM 120, the radical source 115 or 116, the throttle valve 190, any of the auxiliary systems described above, any of the auxiliary sensors, etc.), such that such components are operable in response to one or more control signals generated and output by the system controller 300.

[0037] Generally, the system controller 300 (and similarly the radical monitor controller 126) includes one or more processors capable of generating the above-described control signals upon execution of instructions. The processor may be implemented as a programmable processor capable of executing instructions (e.g., one or more general-purpose computer processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), field programmable object arrays (FPOAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) including digital, analog, and mixed analog / digital circuitry, or any suitable form of circuitry, or any combination thereof). Execution of the instructions may occur on a single processor, distributed across multiple processors, in parallel across multiple processors within a device or across a network of devices, or the like, or any combination thereof.

[0038] In one embodiment, the system controller 300 (and similarly the radical monitor controller 126) includes tangible media, such as computer memory, accessible by a processor (e.g., via one or more wired or wireless communication links). As used herein, computer memory (or more simply, "memory") includes magnetic media (e.g., magnetic tape, hard disk drives, etc.), optical disks, volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, SONOS memory, etc.), etc., and may be locally accessible, remotely accessible (e.g., over a network), or any combination thereof. Generally, instructions may be stored as computer software (e.g., executable code, files, instructions, etc., library files, etc.). Such computer software may be written in, for example, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Tel, Perl, Scheme, Ruby, assembly language, hardware description languages ​​(e.g., VHDL, VERILOG, etc.), etc., and may be readily produced by one of ordinary skill in the art from the description provided herein. Computer software is typically stored in one or more data structures that are transmitted via computer memory.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3B , the semiconductor processing system described above may include a user interface 302 communicatively coupled to the system controller 300 (e.g., via one or more wired or wireless, serial or parallel communication links, such as USB, RS-232, Ethernet, Firewire, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, SERCOS, MARCO, EtherCAT, etc., or any combination thereof). The user interface 302 may include one or more output devices, one or more input devices, or any combination thereof. Generally, an output device is any device capable of providing or communicating information through a human-perceivable stimulus (e.g., visual, auditory, tactile, etc.). Examples of output devices include a monitor, printer, speaker, haptic actuator, etc. Generally, an input device is any device that allows, for example, a user of the semiconductor processing system to provide instructions, commands, parameters, information, etc. to operate (or facilitate operation of) the semiconductor processing system. Examples of input devices include a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a camera, and the like.

[0040] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3B as needed, the semiconductor processing system includes a communications module 304 communicatively coupled to the system controller 300 (e.g., via one or more wired or wireless, serial or parallel communications links, such as USB, RS-232, Ethernet, Firewire, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, SERCOS, MARCO, EtherCAT, etc., or any combination thereof). The communications module 304 may transmit data, receive data, or a combination thereof. Thus, the communications module 304 may include circuitry, antennas, connectors, etc., or any combination thereof, for transmitting and / or receiving data via a wired or wireless link to another device or network (e.g., network 306). In one example, the communications module 304 may be a connector that operates in conjunction with software or firmware within the system controller 300 to function as a serial port (e.g., RS232), a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc., or any combination thereof. In another example, the communications module 304 may be a Universal Interface Driver Application Specific Integrated Circuit (UIDA) that supports multiple different host interface protocols, such as RS-232C, IBM 46XX, keyboard wedge interface, etc., or any combination thereof. The communications module 122 may include one or more modules, circuits, antennas, connectors, etc., as known in the art, that support other known communications modes, such as USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, infrared (e.g., IrDa), RFID communications, etc., or any combination thereof. It will be appreciated that rather than being a separate component from the system controller 300, the communications module 304 may be incorporated as part of the system controller 300 in any known or suitable manner.

[0041] The network 306 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., via one or more wired or wireless, serial or parallel communication links, such as USB, RS-232, Ethernet, Firewire, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, SERCOS, MARCO, EtherCAT, etc., or any combination thereof) to one or more systems (e.g., remote system 308 shown in FIG. 3B ) remote from the semiconductor processing system. In one embodiment, the remote system 308 may be a device such as a computer (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc.), a computing system (e.g., a cloud computing platform), another controller or communication module (e.g., associated with another semiconductor processing system), etc., or any combination thereof. It should be understood that the remote system 308 may include or be coupled to a user interface including one or more output devices, one or more input devices, or any combination thereof, such as those illustratively described above with respect to the user interface 302. The remote system 308 may be a device owned or operated by a user of the semiconductor processing system, by the manufacturer of the semiconductor processing system or its components (e.g., RPM 120, radical source 115 or 116, etc.), by a technician who performs maintenance on the semiconductor processing system, or the like, or by any combination thereof.

[0042] Via the communications module 304 and the network 306, the system controller 300 may communicate various data with the remote system 308. Examples of data that may be output to the remote system 126 in this manner include the radical data described above or any other data generated by the radical source 115 or 116, any of the auxiliary systems, any of the auxiliary sensors, etc., or any combination thereof. The data output by the remote system 308 may be input to the system controller 300 (e.g., via the network 306 and the communications module 304) and may represent instructions, commands, parameters, information, etc. for operating the semiconductor processing system or for affecting or facilitating the operation of the semiconductor processing system.

[0043] According to the embodiments described above, radical monitor controller 126 and system controller 300 are physically separate components that are communicatively coupled to each other by one or more wired or wireless, serial or parallel communication links, such as USB, RS-232, Ethernet, Firewire, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, SERCOS, MARCO, EtherCAT, etc., or any combination thereof. In another embodiment, the functionality provided by radical monitor 126 may be provided by system controller 300. In this alternative embodiment, system controller 300 may be communicatively coupled to an output of mass analyzer 124 (e.g., to receive data representing measurements from mass analyzer 124, as known in the art).

[0044] II. Embodiments relating to radical particle monitoring FIG. 4A shows a portion of the RPM 120 in greater detail. Here, the test chamber 130 is shown in gaseous communication with the gas flow channel through an aperture 140. Reference numeral 400 denotes a wall of the gas flow channel (i.e., either the semiconductor process chamber 110 or the foreline 192, as variously shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, 2A, and 2B). The aperture 140 may be sized to allow an acceptable number of radical particles to pass through without reacting, while maintaining a low gas pressure within the test chamber to facilitate particle detection. For example, if the mass analyzer 124 is configured as an RGA, the test chamber 130 may need to maintain a pressure below 1e-2 Torr, while the supply channel maintains a pressure in the range of 0.01-10 Torr. In such applications, the aperture 140 may have a diameter of less than 1 millimeter, and in one example, a diameter of approximately 35 μm. Aperture 140 configured as described herein may allow a suitable amount of radical particles to pass toward test chamber 130 for detection by mass spectrometer 122 without excessive loss. This result may be expressed as the ratio of radical to non-radical particles present in the gas in test chamber 130 compared to the ratio present in the gas in the gas flow channel. For example, aperture 140 may allow radical and non-radical particles to pass toward test chamber 130 at a ratio greater than 0.1% of the ratio of radical to non-radical particles present in the gas in the gas flow channel. In further embodiments, the ratio of radical to non-radical particles present in test chamber 130 may be 1% or more higher than the ratio of radical to non-radical particles present in the gas flow channel to which test chamber 130 is connected, such as semiconductor process chamber 110 or foreline 192 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, 2A, and 2B.

[0045] It is believed that as radical particles are transported through the gas flow channel, radicals near the wall 400 of the gas flow channel frequently collide with the surface of the wall 400, resulting in a high recombination rate and loss of radical particles. Therefore, the concentration of radical particles near the wall 400 may be relatively low and may not represent the actual number of radical particles transported from the radical source 115 or 116. For this reason, sampling radical particles near the wall 400 of the gas flow channel using apertures on the wall 400 as described below may not provide optimal efficiency of radical sampling.

[0046] The aperture 140 is located at the end of the conical sampler 150, which extends the sample point from the radical source 115 or 116 closer to the center of the gas flow channel. This allows for a smaller number of surface collisions. Such sampling locations may result in much higher radical concentrations than sampling locations at the wall 400 of the gas flow channel. Furthermore, the ionizer 132 may be positioned close to the sampler 150 (e.g., within 4 inches, or within 0.5 inches in the illustrated example) to increase detection sensitivity by capturing a large portion of the line-of-sight cone of radicals that propagate into the test chamber 130 after passing through the aperture 140. The conical shape of the sampler 150 also minimizes collisions with radical particles that have passed through the aperture 140 by widening the particle path at the entrance to the test chamber 130. Alternatively, the sampler 150 may form a protrusion defining one of several different shapes, such as a hemisphere, a cylinder, a prism, or an oval or ellipse. In such an alternative, the protrusion may extend into the gas flow channel, with the aperture 140 located at the end or another face of the protrusion and surrounding the volume of the test chamber 130. Alternatively, the sampler 150 may be partially or completely recessed from the wall of the gas flow channel. A recessed sampler 150 may be advantageous in applications where proximity to the gas flow channel is limited, i.e., applications where components of the RPM 120 (e.g., the ionizer 132 and / or the mass spectrometer 122) must be located some distance from the gas flow channel. The recessed sampler 150 may provide additional benefits, such as reducing interference with gas flow through the gas flow channel and allowing the aperture 142 to be located closer to the ionizer 132 to increase the amount of ionized radical particles in the test chamber 130.

[0047] The sampler 150 may be made of glass, quartz, sapphire, SiO2, Al2O3, or any of the following: H, N, O, OH, NH x , C.H. xAlternatively, the sampler 150 may have non-metallic surfaces that include other materials that have a low recombination rate (relative to metallic surfaces) with the set of radical particles being measured, such as radical particles of F, Cl, NF, etc. Alternatively, the sampler 150 may be made of aluminum or stainless steel or aluminum nitride or aluminum oxide, or other materials that have a low recombination rate (relative to metallic surfaces) with the set of radical particles being measured, such as radical particles of F, Cl, NF, etc. x , and CF x The metal surface may also contain other materials that have a low recombination rate (relative to non-metallic surfaces) with the set of radical particles being measured, such as radical particles of the type described above.

[0048] These features, along with the high vacuum (e.g., 1e-5 Torr) within the test chamber 130, allow for a long mean free path for particles within the test chamber 130. This allows a large proportion of radical particles passing through the aperture 140 to reach the ionizer 132 before colliding with the wall or other particles, increasing the probability of radical ionization. Combining some or all of these features, including extending the aperture 140 into the gas flow channel, providing clearance for free radicals via the cylindrical sampler 150, and positioning the ionizer 132 close to the aperture 140, allows the ionizer 132 to generate more radical ions from radical particles, thereby providing a mass analyzer 124 with increased sensitivity for radical detection.

[0049] 4B and 4C show a portion of RPM 120 in more detail. This embodiment may include some or all of the features of RPM 120 described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-4A, except that the interface between the gas flow channel and test chamber 130 is configured as follows: FIG. 4B shows a configuration in which test chamber 130 and gas flow channel share a common wall 400, and aperture 141 is located in common wall 400 without protruding into the gas flow channel. Aperture 141 may be a prefabricated surface (e.g., a stainless steel gasket) with an orifice installed (e.g., welded) into a larger opening in the common wall. Alternatively, aperture 141 may be a simple orifice through common wall 400.

[0050] FIG. 4C illustrates a further sampling configuration, in which a sampling tube 160 is implemented in place of the sampler shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. This configuration may be advantageous when part or all of the RPM 120 must be located further away from the gas flow channel being sampled. The sampling tube 160 may extend partially into the gas flow of the gas flow channel as shown, or may extend a distance within a conduit 165 before opening into the test chamber 130. To facilitate transport of radical particles along the interior volume of the sampling tube 160, the sampling tube 160 may include (or be coated with) a material that has a low reactivity or recombination rate with the radical particle(s) being measured. For example, the sampling tube 160 may have an inner surface made of quartz or sapphire, which have a low recombination rate with N and H radical particles. Alternatively, the sampling tube 160 may have surfaces made of aluminum, stainless steel, glass, or similar materials, with different surfaces being optimal for minimizing reactivity with a given set of radical particles.

[0051] 5A-5C show prefabricated inlet ports 401-403 that can be implemented with a radical particle monitor such as the RPM 120. Ports 401-403 can be positioned between a gas flow channel and a test chamber to control the flow of a subset of gases in the gas flow channel toward the test chamber, as in the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-4C. Port 401 includes a cylindrical plug 450 with an aperture 440 through its center. Aperture 440 may be sized and configured as the other apertures described above and, as shown, may include one or more recesses on one or both sides of plug 450. These recesses may allow for increased flow of radical particles without reaction. Port 402 includes a sampler 450 that defines a disk shape and has a conical shape toward its center, with aperture 441 located at the end of the cone. Sampler 441 can be configured similarly to the other samplers described above. Port 403 includes a sampling tube 460 that passes through the port (e.g., a cylindrical plug similar to port 401) and terminates in aperture 442. Sampling tube 460 may include some or all of the features of sampling tube 160 described above with reference to FIG. 4C. Each of ports 401-403 may include any material suitable for gas transfer and vacuum applications, such as stainless steel, and may have one or more surfaces that include a material with low recombination rate and reactivity with the radical particles of interest described above.

[0052] 6A-6B show inlet ports 501, 502 configured with corresponding bias voltage and temperature control features, respectively. In FIG. 6A, inlet port 501 includes a sampler 551 that is electrically conductive and coupled to a bias voltage. The bias voltage causes sampler 551 to carry a charge that repels certain ions, thereby inhibiting them from passing through aperture 541 and potentially reducing ion interference in adjacent test chambers. The bias voltage can be positive or negative depending on the ions of interest. For example, a positive bias voltage will repel nitrogen ions (N ), which would interfere with the measurement of nitrogen radical particles.+ ) which would interfere with the measurement of fluorine radical particles. - ) can repel negative ions such as

[0053] 6B, the inlet port 502 includes a sampler 552 having one or more internal conduits adapted to cool (or heat) the sampler 552 to a target temperature by passing water or other liquid through the sampler 552. During operation of the RPM 120, radical recombination on the surface of the sampler 552 can impart heat to the sampler 552, raising its temperature and increasing the rate of subsequent radical particle recombination. Introducing a coolant into the sampler 552 can reduce the rate of radical particle recombination by maintaining the sampler 552 at a lower temperature. In further embodiments, the samplers may combine the features of bias voltage and temperature control of the samplers 551, 552.

[0054] 7A-7C show exemplary configurations implementing aperture stoppers. It may be advantageous to protect the RPM 120 by sealing the aperture between the gas flow channel and the test chamber when the RPM 120 is not operating, particularly if the gas pressure or temperature in the gas flow channel increases significantly. Various mechanical means can be used to selectively seal the aperture. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, a mechanical restrictor 670 may be positioned between the sampler 651 and the test chamber. When actuated, the restrictor 670 forms a seal between the sampler 651 and the test chamber, thereby preventing particles from passing through the sampler and entering the test chamber. In FIG. 7B, an automatic stopper 680 may be located in a recessed chamber in the gas flow channel opposite the sampler 652. When actuated, the stopper 680 moves laterally to seal around the aperture 642, thereby sealing the gas flow channel from the test chamber opposite the sampler 652. 7C shows an automatic stopper 680 located within or adjacent to the test chamber. Upon actuation, the stopper 681 moves toward the aperture 643 until it creates a seal with the sampler 653, thereby sealing the gas flow channel from the test chamber.

[0055] FIG. 8 illustrates a portion of an RPM in a further embodiment. The RPM illustrated in FIG. 8 may include some or all of the applicable features of the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-7C , including a test chamber 130 coupled to the gas flow and a sampler 750 directing a subset of the gas from the gas flow channel to the test chamber 130 through an aperture 740. In contrast to the above embodiments, an ionizer 732 is positioned near the sampler 750 and configured to ionize radical particles within a volume defined by the sampler 750 to generate a radical ion beam 790. To that end, the ionizer 732 may include an electron source 733 and a shield 734. The shield 734, shown in cross section, may surround two or more sides of the electron source 733 and may include a slit or orifice between the electron source 733 and the sampler 750 to direct the electron beam entering the volume of the sampler 750 from the electron source 733 to a region near the aperture 740.

[0056] The electron beam serves to ionize radical particles within the volume of the sampler 750 to produce an ion beam 790, which is directed through another opening in the shield 734 toward the RPM's mass analyzer 124. In this configuration, the conical shape of the sampler 750 may function as the electrostatic element of the ionizer 732. The shield 734 may also surround another side of the electron source 733 to deflect electrons from the ion beam 790. The ion beam 790 extends toward the mass analyzer 124 and is focused by an electrostatic lens 770 into the entrance of the mass analyzer 124. The mass analyzer 124 receives the radical ions of the ion beam 790 and may perform mass filtering and ion detection on the radical ions to determine their presence. A controller (not shown, but provided as described above with respect to the radical monitor controller 126 of FIG. 3A) may be communicatively coupled to the mass analyzer 124 (e.g., to receive data representing measurements from the mass analyzer 124, as known in the art).

[0057] III. Embodiments relating to semiconductor processing system control based on radical monitoring In one embodiment, radical data obtained by monitoring radical particle concentration (e.g., using RPM 120 according to any of the above-described embodiments) is further processed (e.g., by radical monitor controller 126 or system controller 300 (each collectively referred to as a “controller”)) to predict the efficiency of radical transport into process chamber 110. For example, the controller may compare the amount of radicals measured by mass analyzer 124 (e.g., as represented by any generated radical data) against a threshold or target value, respectively. In this case, the controller can generate radical transport efficiency data representing the predicted radical transport efficiency by calculating the ratio of the radical data corresponding to the measurement obtained by mass analyzer 124 to the data representing the threshold or target value. The radical transport efficiency data can be stored in memory in radical monitor controller 126 and / or system controller 300. In one embodiment, the radical transport efficiency data can be sent to system controller 300, where the radical transport efficiency data can be processed as feedback when controlling or adjusting parameters for processing wafer 112 in process chamber 110.

[0058] In other embodiments, radical data obtained by monitoring radical particle concentrations (e.g., using RPM 120 according to any of the embodiments described above) is further processed (e.g., by radical monitor controller 126 or system controller 300 (each collectively referred to as a "controller")) to predict whether a conditioning or seasoning process or other process needs to be performed on the semiconductor processing system. For example, with reference to Figure 9, a process 900 includes the initial steps of enabling a process monitoring algorithm 900 within the controller (902) and establishing, obtaining, or providing access to a set of radical concentration thresholds (904).

[0059] The set of radical concentration thresholds includes at least one control threshold (e.g., an upper control threshold C U and the lower control threshold C L ), at least one failure threshold (e.g., upper failure threshold C FU and the lower failure threshold C FL ), or any combination thereof. Generally, however, a set of radical concentration thresholds includes at least one upper threshold (e.g., an upper control threshold C U and upper failure threshold C FU one or both of the above) and one lower threshold (e.g., lower control threshold C L and the lower failure threshold C FL The upper limit control threshold C U and upper failure threshold C FU When is used, the upper control threshold C U is typically the upper fault threshold C FU Similarly, the lower control threshold C L and the lower failure threshold C LU When is used, the lower control threshold C L is typically the lower fault threshold C LU These thresholds may be stored as threshold data in a memory associated with or accessible through the controller.

[0060] One or more processes may then be performed in the process chamber 110 (906), and the concentration of radical particles may be monitored (908) during processing (e.g., as described above). Generally, examples of processes that may be performed in step 906 include deposition processes, etching processes, etc., or any combination thereof. The radical data generated by the controller in step 908 may then be compared (e.g., in the controller) to threshold data to determine the current gas sample C against one or more of the radical concentration thresholds described above. i The relationship between the radical concentrations in

[0061] In one example embodiment, as indicated by dashed arrow 901, the radical data generated in step 908 is compared (e.g., in a controller) to threshold data to determine the radical concentration C in the current gas sample. i is the lower failure threshold C FL or the upper fault threshold C FU It is determined whether the radical concentration C in the current gas sample is greater than 910. i is the lower failure threshold C FL or the upper fault threshold C FU If the concentration of radicals in the current gas sample, C, is greater than 0, the controller outputs a stop signal (912). In one embodiment, the stop signal is represented as a signal output to various components of the semiconductor processing system that will cause those components to modify their operation to stop the process initiated in 906. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal that generates and transmits a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that the process initiated in 906 needs to be stopped. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal that generates and transmits a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that preventive maintenance needs to be performed on one or more components of the semiconductor processing system, that one or more components of the semiconductor processing system need to be repaired or replaced, the like, or any combination thereof. i is the lower failure threshold C FL and the upper fault threshold C FU If not, the controller compares the radical data with the threshold data and determines the radical concentration C in the current gas sample. i is the upper control threshold C U In another example embodiment, as indicated by dashed arrow 903, the radical data generated in step 908 is compared (e.g., in a controller) to threshold data and a determination is made in step 914 (i.e., whether the radical concentration C in the current gas sample is greater thani is the upper control threshold C U (It is determined whether the value exceeds the threshold.)

[0062] In step 914, the concentration C i is the upper control threshold C U If it is determined that the temperature is above the threshold, the controller outputs a stop signal (916). In one embodiment, the stop signal is represented as a signal that is output to various components of the semiconductor processing system, causing those components to modify their operation to stop the process that was initiated in 906. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal that generates and transmits a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that the process that was initiated in 906 needs to be stopped. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal may indicate that some parameter of the process that was initiated in 906 needs to be adjusted (e.g., radical transport needs to be reduced, or an upper control threshold C UThe stop signal may be represented as a signal to generate and transmit (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) a message indicating that a process (e.g., a process parameter) needs to be modified. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal may be represented as a control signal output to one or more components of the semiconductor processing system to adjust some parameter of the process started in 906. For example, the stop signal may be represented as a control signal output to the radical source 115 or 116 to adjust the operation of the radical source 115 or 116 to reduce radical production, or to adjust one or more other plasma parameters, such as power, flow, pressure, temperature, etc., or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal may be represented as a signal to initiate a chamber recovery process (e.g., including one or more cleaning processes, one or more conditioning / seasoning processes, one or more chamber passivation processes, etc., or any combination thereof). Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal may be represented as a signal to generate and transmit (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) a message indicating that a chamber recovery process needs to be performed.

[0063] The radical concentration C in the current gas sample i is the upper control threshold C U If not, the controller compares the radical data with the threshold data to determine the radical concentration C in the current gas sample. i is the lower control threshold C L It is determined whether the radical concentration C in the current gas sample is below 918. i is the lower control threshold C LIf the value of the stop signal is below 906, the controller outputs a stop signal (920). In one embodiment, the stop signal is represented as a signal output to various components of the semiconductor processing system that causes those components to modify their operation to stop the process initiated in 906. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a control signal output to one or more components of the semiconductor processing system to adjust some parameter of the process initiated in 906. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal to initiate a chamber recovery process (e.g., including one or more cleaning processes, one or more conditioning / seasoning processes, one or more chamber passivation processes, etc., or a combination thereof). Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal to generate and transmit a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that a chamber recovery process should be performed. The process initiated in 906 may be adjusted at 920 in the same or different manner as the process initiated in 906 may be adjusted at 916. Similarly, the chamber recovery process initiated or indicated at 920 may be the same as or different from the chamber recovery process initiated or indicated at 916 .

[0064] The radical concentration C in the current gas sample i is the lower control threshold C L If it is not below , processing continues at step 906 .

[0065] As mentioned above, the chamber recovery process can include one or more conditioning / seasoning processes. Referring to FIG. 10, a conditioning or seasoning process according to one embodiment, such as process 1000, is cycled for a limit number of cycles N. max We can start by setting the cycle limit number N maxrepresents the maximum number of conditioning / seasoning cycles that must occur before preventive maintenance should be performed on one or more components of a semiconductor processing system. max may be stored in a memory associated with or accessible through the controller. At 1004, the current cycle number N is incremented by one. The current cycle number N may be a value stored in a memory associated with or accessible through the controller. It should be understood that if a conditioning / seasoning cycle has not been initiated (e.g., since the last time preventive maintenance was performed, or otherwise), N will initially be zero, and step 1004 will increment the value of the current cycle number from zero to one. A known or suitable conditioning / seasoning process cycle is then initiated (1006). In one embodiment, the conditioning / seasoning process may be performed as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 01454591, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0066] After the Nth cycle of the conditioning / seasoning process has been performed, processing may be performed as described above with respect to step 906 of FIG. 9, and the radical particle concentration may be monitored (1008) (e.g., as described above with respect to step 908 of FIG. 9). The radical data generated in step 1008 may be compared (e.g., in a controller) to threshold data to determine the radical concentration C in the current gas sample. i is the lower control threshold C L and upper control threshold C U It is determined whether the radical concentration C in the current gas sample is between i is the lower control threshold C L and upper control threshold C U If the time is between 1006 and 1012, the process started after 1006 is allowed to continue (1012).

[0067] At 1010, the radical concentration C in the current gas sample i is the lower control threshold C L and upper control threshold C U If it is determined that the current cycle number N is not between the cycle limit number N max It is determined whether the current cycle number N is equal to the cycle limit number N (1014). max If it is determined that it is not equal to, the process returns to step 1004 .

[0068] In 1014, the current cycle number N is the cycle limit number N maxIf the value of the condition / seasoning cycle initiated at 1006 is equal to 0, the controller outputs a stop signal (1016). In one embodiment, the stop signal is represented as a signal output to various components of the semiconductor processing system that causes those components to modify their operation to stop the conditioning / seasoning process cycle initiated at 1006. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal that generates and transmits a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that the conditioning / seasoning process cycle initiated at 1006 should be stopped. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a signal that generates and transmits a message (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) indicating that some parameter of the conditioning / seasoning cycle initiated at 1006 needs to be adjusted. Additionally or alternatively, the stop signal is represented as a control signal that is output to one or more components of the semiconductor processing system to modify some parameter of the conditioning / seasoning cycle initiated at 1006. Additionally or alternatively, the shutdown signal may be represented as a signal that generates and transmits (e.g., via the user interface 302 or the remote system 308) a message indicating that preventive maintenance needs to be performed on one or more components of the semiconductor processing system, a message indicating that one or more components of the semiconductor processing system needs to be repaired or replaced, or the like, or any combination thereof.

[0069] IV. Conclusion The foregoing is a description of embodiments and examples of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. While several specific embodiments and examples have been described with reference to the drawings, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that many modifications to the disclosed embodiments and examples, as well as other embodiments, are possible without significantly departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. For example, while the radical detection functionality has been described above as supporting quantitative monitoring and analysis of radicals present in a semiconductor system, it will be understood that the radical detection functionality described herein may support qualitative analysis, and that the radical data generated as described above may be combined with data obtained from any of the auxiliary systems, auxiliary sensors, or from observations obtained when inspecting wafers (e.g., device wafers, dummy wafers), or any combination thereof. In another example, while RPM 120 is described above as including mass spectrometer 122 (and related components), it will be understood that RPM 120 may alternatively or additionally include other suitable spectrometers (e.g., an optical emission spectrometer, a laser absorption spectrometer (LAS), an optical absorption spectrometer (OAS), a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrometer, a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a tunable filter spectrometer, etc.) In another example, while radical monitor controller 126 is described above as being configured to generate radical data representing information such as the type and amount of radical ions in the gas, it will be understood that radical monitor controller 126 may alternatively or additionally be configured to generate radical data representing information such as the concentration of radical particles in the gas, the partial pressure of radicals in the gas, the ratio of radical particles to other (non-radical) particles in the gas, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0070] Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, those skilled in the art will understand that the subject matter of any sentence, paragraph, example, or embodiment may be combined with some or all of the subject matter of any other sentence, paragraph, example, or embodiment, except where such combinations would be mutually exclusive. The scope of the present invention should therefore be determined by the following claims and any equivalents of such claims to be included therein.

Claims

1. 1. A controller for use with a radical particle monitor capable of measuring a concentration of radical particles in a gas sample obtained from a location in a semiconductor processing system having a process chamber while a process is occurring in the process chamber, comprising: obtaining radical data corresponding to a measured concentration of radical particles; comparing the acquired radical data to at least one threshold; outputting a first control signal configured to cause a chamber recovery process to be performed in the process chamber or to indicate that a chamber recovery process needs to be performed in the process chamber when a result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value; a controller configured to Device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the radical particle monitor.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the radical particle monitor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a mass spectrometer, an optical emission spectrometer, a laser absorption spectrometer (LAS), an optical absorption spectrometer (OAS), a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrometer, a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and a tunable filter spectrometer.

4. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radical data represents at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of radical particles, a concentration of radical particles, a type of radical particles, a partial pressure of radical particles, and a ratio of radical particles to non-radical particles.

5. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value when the acquired radical data indicates that the measured concentration is higher than an upper threshold concentration.

6. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value when the acquired radical data indicates that the measured concentration is lower than a lower threshold concentration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber recovery process comprises a chamber cleaning process.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber recovery process comprises a chamber seasoning process.

9. The controller A cycle limit N indicating the maximum number of chamber seasoning processes that must be performed before preventive maintenance should be performed on one or more components of the semiconductor processing system. max Get The current cycle number N, which indicates the number of chamber seasoning processes that have been performed since the last preventive maintenance operation, is set to the cycle limit number N. max Determine whether it is equal to When the result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data does not have the predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value and the current cycle number N is equal to or greater than the cycle limit number N max When it is determined that the first control signal is not equal to further configured as follows:

9. The apparatus of claim 8.

10. The controller determines whether the current cycle number N is equal to the cycle limit number N max 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further configured to output a stop signal configured to indicate that a preventive maintenance action needs to be taken when the value of the threshold is determined to be equal to .

11. The controller at least one processor; a memory accessible to said at least one processor, said memory storing instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, cause said controller to perform the operations recited in claim 1; The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

12. 10. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a controller of claim 1, cause said controller to perform the operations of claim 1.

13. measuring a concentration of radical particles in a gas sample obtained from a location within a semiconductor processing system having a process chamber while a process is occurring in the process chamber; acquiring radical data corresponding to the measured concentration of radical particles; comparing the acquired radical data to at least one threshold; outputting a first control signal configured to cause a chamber recovery process to be performed in the process chamber or to indicate that a chamber recovery process needs to be performed in the process chamber when a result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value; method.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the radical data represents the type of radical particles in the measured concentration and the amount of radical particles in the measured concentration.

15. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship to the at least one threshold value when the acquired radical data indicates that the measured concentration is higher than an upper threshold concentration.

16. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the acquired radical data has a predetermined relationship to the at least one threshold value when the acquired radical data indicates that the measured concentration is lower than a lower threshold concentration.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the chamber recovery process comprises a chamber cleaning process or a chamber passivation process.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the chamber recovery process comprises a chamber seasoning process.

19. moreover, A cycle limit N indicating the maximum number of chamber seasoning processes that must be performed before preventive maintenance should be performed on one or more components of the semiconductor processing system. max Get The current cycle number N, which indicates the number of chamber seasoning processes that have been performed since the last preventive maintenance operation, is set to the cycle limit number N. max Determine whether it is equal to When the result of the comparison indicates that the acquired radical data does not have the predetermined relationship with the at least one threshold value and the current cycle number N is equal to or greater than the cycle limit number N max and outputting the first control signal when it is determined that the first control signal is not equal to the first control signal.

20. The method of claim 18.

20. Furthermore, the current cycle number N is equal to the cycle limit number N max 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising outputting a stop signal configured to indicate that a preventive maintenance action needs to be taken when the value of the threshold is determined to be equal to .

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