Microwave Resonator Array for Plasma Diagnosis

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include sensor devices and methods of using the sensor devices. In one embodiment, the sensor device comprises a substrate, a support extending up from the substrate, and a resonator mechanically coupled to the support. In one embodiment, the sensor device further comprises an antenna configured to electromagnetically couple to the resonator, the antenna being connected to a transmission line in the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 395,351, filed on August 5, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of semiconductor processing, and more particularly, to a substrate - based resonator array for determining plasma characteristics in a processing chamber.

Background Art

[0003] Semiconductor manufacturing processes are often carried out in a plasma environment. For example, plasma processing chambers are used to deposit materials on a substrate (such as plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE - CVD), plasma - enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE - ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etc.). Further, plasma processing chambers can be used to remove materials from a substrate in an etching process. Generally, the metrology used to quantify a given process is limited to the final result of the process. That is, metrology is used to determine how much material has been added (such as in a deposition process) or removed (such as in an etching process) after the substrate has been processed (e.g., by an etching process or a deposition process).

[0004] Currently, the plasma itself can be monitored using systems such as optical emission spectroscopy (OES). OES can be used to determine some aspects of the plasma, such as the plasma composition. However, OES is limited in that it cannot account for plasma characteristics such as electron density, plasma (electron) temperature, or spatial differences in such characteristics.

[0005] To determine plasma characteristics, several probe architectures can be used. Microwave probe plasma diagnostics employ a coaxial transmission line design that presents a relatively large probe volume with respect to the discharge perturbed by the probe. Thus, the probe itself may change the measured characteristics, and thus, an accurate measurement of the process state is not obtained. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein include a sensor device and a method of using the sensor device. In one embodiment, the sensor device comprises a substrate, a support extending upward from the substrate, and a resonator mechanically coupled to the support. In one embodiment, the sensor device further comprises an antenna configured to electromagnetically couple with the resonator, and the antenna is connected to a transmission line in the substrate.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method of measuring plasma using the sensor device includes inserting a sensor substrate having a plurality of resonators into a chamber and reducing the pressure in the chamber. In one embodiment, the method further includes measuring a first resonance profile of the plurality of resonators, initiating a plasma process, and measuring a second resonance profile of the plurality of resonators. In one embodiment, the method further includes determining plasma characteristics by comparing the first resonance profile with the second resonance profile.

[0008] In additional embodiments, the sensor device comprises a substrate, a plurality of supports extending upward from the substrate, and a plurality of resonators, with each of the plurality of resonators coupled to a respective one of the plurality of supports. In one embodiment, the sensor device may further comprise a plurality of antennas, with each of the plurality of antennas configured to couple with a respective one of the plurality of resonators, and the plurality of antennas are connected to a single transmission line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 2D

Figure 2E

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

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Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 5C

Figure 5D

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A substrate-based resonator array for determining plasma characteristics in a processing chamber will be described herein. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure 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 of the present disclosure. Further, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the figures are exemplary representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0011] The embodiments disclosed herein include a diagnostic substrate that enables the ability to measure plasma parameters in real time during a plasma process. For example, plasma parameters can include, but are not limited to, electron density and electron temperature. In particular, plasma parameters are measured by detecting changes in the resonance behavior of resonators that are physically located within the plasma (e.g., raised at least the Debye length of the plasma above the surface of the substrate).

[0012] In contrast to existing probe techniques, the embodiments disclosed herein include a smaller perturbation volume brought about by the sensor device. Further, the transmission line length required for measurement is shortened. By shortening the transmission line length, measurement of a wider range of states becomes possible. The simultaneous measurement of the spatial resolution amount provides a single-shot measurement function that does not exist in the conventional probe method where the probe has to be moved to different parts of the plasma discharge to perform spatial measurements.

[0013] Next, referring to FIG. 1, a graph of the resonance behavior of a sensor device according to one embodiment is shown. In vacuum (i.e., where no plasma is generated), the resonance behavior has a narrow peak. After the plasma is initiated, the peak shifts and broadens. The peak shift and peak broadening compared to the vacuum behavior can be used to calculate plasma characteristics. For example, the shift of the peak (i.e., the change in resonance frequency) can correlate with the electron density, and the broadening of the peak can correlate with the electron temperature. The peak shift correlation with the electron density is caused by a change in the local real dielectric constant detected by the resonator. Since the plasma can be characterized as a lossy dielectric medium that reduces the ability of the resonator to store electrical energy, the peak broadening correlates with both the electron density and the electron temperature.

[0014] To detect plasma characteristics, it is necessary to raise the sensing device above the surface of the underlying substrate. Generally, it is necessary to raise the height of the resonator by at least the device length of the plasma. An exemplary architecture of a sensor device that can be integrated on the substrate is shown in FIG. 2A.

[0015] Next, referring to FIG. 2A, a cross-sectional view of a sensor device 200 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the sensor device 200 may be provided on a substrate 201. The substrate 201 can be any substrate material common in semiconductor manufacturing environments. In certain embodiments, the substrate 201 can be an organic package substrate material, similar to a printed circuit board (PCB) or other substrate materials. In one embodiment, the form factor of the substrate 201 can be a wafer form factor. However, it should be understood that other form factors can also be used. In one embodiment, a ground plane 202 can be provided in the substrate 201.

[0016] In one embodiment, the sensor device 200 may include a support 222. The support 222 extends vertically upward from the surface of the substrate 201. The support 222 also holds the resonator 220. The resonator 220 is electrically insulated from the substrate 201 by the support 222. That is, the support 222 can be an electrically insulating material such as an organic material. In some embodiments, the support 222 can be manufactured from the same material as the substrate 201. In other embodiments, the support 222 can be a high heat-resistant plastic (e.g., Teflon) or a ceramic material. The support 222 can raise the resonator 220 a distance D above the surface of the substrate 201. The distance D can be at least the device length of the plasma being investigated. In certain embodiments, the distance D can be about 25 mm or less. In some embodiments, the distance D can be between about 1 mm and about 25 mm.

[0017] In one embodiment, the length of the resonator 220 (i.e., the distance between the support 222 and the opposite end of the resonator 220) can be selected to provide a desired resonance frequency. For example, a sensor with a shorter length of the resonator 220 is adjusted to have a higher resonance frequency than a sensor with a relatively longer resonator 220. In one embodiment, the length of the resonator 220 can be between about 1 mm and about 40 mm. In one embodiment, the resonator 220 can be a conductive material. For example, the resonator 220 can include a copper wire. The wire of the resonator 220 can have a diameter of about 1 mm or less. In a particular embodiment, the wire diameter of the resonator 220 can be about 0.5 mm or less.

[0018] In one embodiment, the sensor device 200 can further include an antenna 223. The antenna 223 can be configured to wirelessly couple with the resonator 220 to drive resonance in the resonator 220. For example, the antenna 223 can be configured to be inductively coupled with the resonator 220. In one embodiment, the antenna 223 can be embedded within the substrate 201. Embedding the antenna 223 protects the antenna from the processing environment. An opening through the upper ground plane 202 can be provided between the resonator 220 and the antenna 223 to enable wireless coupling. In one embodiment, a signal trace 225 can be coupled to the antenna 223. Further, the antenna 223 can be coupled to the ground plane. For example, a trace 226 can connect the antenna 223 to the ground plane 202. In one embodiment, the antenna 223 can be any antenna architecture. In a particular embodiment, the antenna 223 is a helical antenna.

[0019] Next, referring to FIG. 2B, a plan view of a sensor device 200 according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, resonator 220 is shown as a hairpin resonator 220. That is, resonator 220 comprises a U-shaped resonator with a pair of tines. In one embodiment, the tines can be separated from each other by a width W. The width W can be about 5 mm or less. In a particular embodiment, the width W can be between about 2 mm and about 4 mm. In FIG. 2B, resonator 220 is shown as floating. However, it should be understood that a support can fix the ends of resonator 220 in proximity to antenna 223.

[0020] As shown, antenna 223 is a helical antenna. Antenna 223 is provided below resonator 220. In the illustrated embodiment, antenna 223 is shown as being above substrate 201. However, it should be understood that antenna 223 can also be embedded within substrate 201, similar to the embodiment described above in FIG. 2A.

[0021] Next, referring to FIG. 2C, a perspective view of a support 222 for holding resonator 220 according to an embodiment is shown. As shown, support 222 can comprise a pair of recesses 233. Recesses 233 are configured to hold the tines of resonator 220. As shown, recesses 233 are coupled to each other to form a U-shaped holder for the resonator. That is, recesses 233 can be sized and shaped to conform to the shape of resonator 220. For example, recesses 233 can be spaced from each other by about 5 mm or less. In a particular embodiment, recesses 233 can be spaced from each other between about 2 mm and about 4 mm. In one embodiment, support 222 can have a height that is between about 1 mm and about 25 mm.

[0022] In one embodiment, the support 222 can be an insulating material. In some embodiments, the support 222 can be the same material as the substrate 201. In other embodiments, the support 222 is a high heat-resistant plastic such as Teflon. In yet another embodiment, the support 222 is a ceramic material. In one embodiment, the resonator 220 is disposed in the recess 233, and the resonator 220 is fixed in the recess 233 by an adhesive material. For example, epoxy or the like can fix the resonator in the recess 233.

[0023] Next, referring to FIG. 2D, a plan view of the antenna 223 according to one embodiment is shown. As shown, the antenna 223 can be a helical antenna. Although four rings are shown in the helical antenna 223, it should be understood that the helical antenna 223 can include any number of rings. In one embodiment, the first end of the helical antenna 223 is coupled to the signal trace 225, and the second end of the antenna 223 is coupled to a trace 226 coupled to one of the ground planes. The antenna 223 can be a conductive material such as copper. Although a planar antenna 223 is shown, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to such a configuration. For example, in some embodiments, a non-planar antenna (e.g., a coil) can also be used.

[0024] Next, referring to FIG. 2E, a plan view of a sensor device 200 according to one embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of sensors are arranged radially around the outer periphery of a substrate 201. For example, the substrate 201 may have a wafer form factor as shown in FIG. 2E. In one embodiment, each of the resonators 220 may have a closed end proximate to the outer periphery of the substrate 201 and a tine extending toward the center of the substrate 201. In the illustrated embodiment, for simplicity, the support for holding the resonator 220 is omitted. However, it should be understood that each resonator 220 is fixed by a support (similar to the support shown in FIG. 2C for example). An antenna 223 may be inductively coupled to each of the resonators 220. For example, the antenna 223 may be located within the tine toward the closed end of the resonator 220. In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna 223 is shown as being above the substrate 201. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the antenna 223 may be embedded within the substrate 201. Embedding the antenna 223 within the substrate 201 may protect the antenna 223 from the processing environment. Although shown without electrical connections in the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that the antenna 223 may be coupled to a signal line and a ground plane.

[0025] In one embodiment, the resonator 220 may have any suitable form factor for detecting plasma characteristics. For example, the resonator 220 may have a length L. The length L may be between about 1 mm and about 40 mm. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the length L may be shorter than 1 mm or longer than 40 mm. In one embodiment, the tines of the resonator 220 may be separated by a width W. In one embodiment, the width W may be less than about 5 mm. For example, the width W may be between about 2 mm and about 4 mm. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the width W may also be wider than 5 mm or narrower than 2 mm. The geometry of the resonator 220 may be used to set a desired resonance frequency in the resonator 220. The resonance frequency may be higher than the frequency of the plasma being measured. For example, the resonance frequency may be set to be about 1 GHz or higher.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, resonator 220 is shown as being a hairpin resonator. That is, the resonator has a pair of tines coupled to each other at one end so as to form a U-shaped resonator 220. However, it should be understood that resonator 220 is not limited to a hairpin-shaped resonator 220. That is, resonator 220 can be any suitable RF resonator. The support for holding resonator 220 can be modified to adapt to the structure of resonator 220.

[0027] Next, referring to FIG. 3A, a plan view of a sensor device 300 according to one embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of resonators 320 are provided on the surface of substrate 301. In the illustrated embodiment, the antennas and supports are omitted so as not to obscure the figure. However, it should be understood that each resonator 320 can be coupled to an individual antenna and supported by a support. As shown, resonators 320 can be provided in a grid pattern across the surface of substrate 301. The use of a plurality of resonators 320 enables spatial mapping of plasma characteristics within the chamber. In particular, when sensor device 300 is inserted into the chamber in a known orientation, sensor device 300 enables accurate mapping of plasma characteristics within the chamber. The resolution of the plasma mapping can be increased by providing more resonators 320. For example, the number of resonators 320 can be 10 or more resonators 320. In some embodiments, there can be 100 or more resonators 320 in sensor device 300.

[0028] In FIG. 3A, each of the resonators 320 has a substantially uniform size and shape. However, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to such a configuration. For example, FIG. 3B gives a view of a sensor device 300 having resonators 320 with non-uniform shapes and sizes.

[0029] Next, referring to FIG. 3B, a plurality of resonators 320 A ~320 nis provided on the substrate 301. As shown in the figure, the resonator 320 A has a tine having a first length, and the resonator 320 n has a tine having a second length shorter than the first length. The resonator 320 A and the resonator 320 n The resonator 320 between them may also have tines of non-uniform length. Although all of the resonators 320 are shown as having tines of different lengths, it should be understood that some of the resonators 320 may have tines of the same length. For example, a first set of the resonators 320 may have tines having a first length, and a second set of the resonators 320 may have tines having a second length.

[0030] By using a plurality of resonators 320 of different sizes, it becomes possible to adjust to different frequency ranges. That is, a single sensor device 300 may be capable of detecting a plurality of different resonance frequencies. This makes it possible to expand the measurable range of plasma parameters. For example, relatively long tines are tuned to lower frequencies than relatively short tines. By including both short and long tines, multiple frequencies can be used to determine plasma characteristics.

[0031] Next, referring to FIG. 3C, a cross-sectional view of the sensor device 300 according to an additional embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of supports 322 A ~322 n are shown. Each of the supports 322 may have a different height H. The change in the height H can give the resonator 320 a different standoff height. By giving different heights H, it becomes possible to detect plasma characteristics at different Z heights within the discharge. Therefore, in addition to the X-Y spatial information about the plasma, different Z-axis spatial information can also be detected.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the support 322 A has a first height, and the support 322 nhas a second height lower than the first height. Support 322 A and support 322 n The support 322 between and can also have a non-uniform height. Although all of the supports 322 are shown as having different heights, it should be understood that some of the supports 322 can have the same height. For example, a first set of supports 322 can have a first height, and a second set of supports 322 can have a second height. In one embodiment, the height H can be between about 1 mm and about 25 mm. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, lower or higher heights H can also be used.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of a sensor device 400 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the sensor device 400 includes a substrate 401. A ground plane 402 can be embedded in the substrate 401. In one embodiment, a support 422 can be attached to the substrate 401 by a connector 441. The connector 441 can be a removable connector. That is, the support 422 can be easily attached and / or easily removed from the substrate 401. In addition to the mechanical coupling, the connector 441 can also provide an electrical coupling between the support 422 and a transmission line 425 in the substrate 401. For example, the connector 441 can include an MMCX connector or the like.

[0034] In one embodiment, an antenna 423 can be provided on the support 422. In contrast to the embodiments described above, the antenna 423 is above the substrate 401. By providing the antenna 423 on the support 422, it becomes possible to control the distance between the resonator 420 and the antenna 423 independently of the height of the support 422. Therefore, a high degree of coupling (e.g., inductive coupling) between the antenna 423 and the resonator 420 can be achieved. In one embodiment, the antenna 423 is electrically coupled to the transmission line 425 through a conductive trace in the support 422 and through the connector 441. Although the connection of the transmission line 425 is shown, it should be understood that a connection from the antenna to the ground plane through the support 422 and the connector 441 is also provided.

[0035] The use of a removable connector provides several benefits. One benefit is that the damaged resonator 420 can be removed and replaced without having to disassemble the entire sensor device 400. Further, since the resonator 420 can be replaced, different form factor resonators can be swapped in to detect different resonant frequencies. Additionally, different height supports 422 can be used to measure plasma characteristics at different Z heights within the plasma. In one embodiment, the sensor device may include circuitry for driving resonance and sensing within the resonator. Examples of circuit block diagrams for wireless and wired embodiments are disclosed in FIGS. 5A - 5D.

[0036] Next, referring to FIG. 5A, a circuit for a wireless sensor device 500 according to one embodiment is shown. As illustrated, a switch block 561 may be coupled to a plurality of resonators (not shown). The switch block 561 may be coupled to a high - pass filter 562, which is coupled to a circulator 563. A synthesizer 564 is coupled to the circulator, and a controller 565 is coupled to the synthesizer 564. The controller 565 may also be coupled to the switch 561. A power source 566 (e.g., a battery) may be coupled to the controller 565. In one embodiment, a diode 567 is coupled to the circulator 563, and an analog - to - digital converter (ADC) 568 is coupled to the diode 567. A transmitter 569 (e.g., a wireless transceiver) is coupled to the ADC 568.

[0037] Next, referring to FIG. 5B, a circuit for a wired sensor device 500 according to one embodiment is shown. Similar to the wireless sensor device 500 of FIG. 5A, the wired sensor device 500 may include a switch 561, a high - pass filter 562, a circulator 563, a synthesizer 564, and a controller 565. A power signal and a communication signal may be provided to the controller 565 via a wired connection. The wired sensor device 500 may also include a diode 567 and an ADC 568.

[0038] Next, referring to FIG. 5C, a circuit for a wired sensor device 500 according to an additional embodiment is shown. The wired sensor device 500 may have some circuits offloaded from the substrate. For example, the controller 565, the synthesizer 564, and the ADC 568 may be offloaded from the wired sensor device 500. Thus, the wired sensor device 500 may include a switch 561, a high-pass filter 562, a circulator 563, and a diode 567.

[0039] Next, referring to FIG. 5D, a circuit for a wired sensor device 500 according to yet another additional embodiment is shown. In the wired sensor device 500 of FIG. 5D, the switch is also omitted from the device 500. Such an embodiment may rely on each of the resonators having different resonance frequencies. Thus, since all the resonators have different frequencies, they can be measured simultaneously. Thus, the remaining circuits on the sensor device 500 may include a high-pass filter 562, a circulator 563, and a diode 567.

[0040] Next, referring to FIG. 6, a process flow diagram of a process 680 for measuring plasma parameters of a plasma according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the process 680 may start with a step 681 that includes inserting a sensor substrate having a plurality of resonators into the chamber. The sensor substrate may be substantially similar to any of the sensor devices described in more detail above. For example, the resonator may be a hairpin resonator raised above the substrate by a support. The hairpin resonator may be driven into resonance by an antenna. The resonator may have a substantially uniform structure in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the resonators may have different geometries and / or be disposed at different Z heights above the sensor substrate.

[0041] In some embodiments, the orientation of the sensor substrate in the chamber may also be known. Thus, an accurate spatial resolution of the plasma parameters within the chamber can be obtained. This enables improved monitoring of a single chamber and / or chamber matching between different chambers.

[0042] In one embodiment, process 680 may continue with step 682 which includes reducing the pressure in the chamber. In one embodiment, the pressure may be reduced to a pressure below about 10 Torr, below about 1 Torr, or below about 100 mTorr. The pressure may be selected to substantially match the pressure at which the plasma is applied.

[0043] In one embodiment, process 680 may continue with step 683 which includes measuring a first resonance profile of a plurality of resonators. In one embodiment, the first resonance profile may be used as a reference point against which subsequent resonance profiles are compared. Since there is no plasma in step 682, the first resonance profile may be considered a vacuum profile.

[0044] In one embodiment, process 680 may continue with step 684 which includes initiating a plasma process in the chamber. The plasma process may include a flow of one or more source gases and applying plasma from the one or more source gases. In one embodiment, the height of the resonator above the surface of the sensor substrate may be higher than the device length of the plasma formed during step 684.

[0045] In one embodiment, process 680 may continue with step 685 which includes measuring a second resonance profile of a plurality of resonators. The second resonance profile generally differs from the first resonance profile. For example, for individual resonators, the resonance frequency shifts and the peak width increases.

[0046] In one embodiment, process 680 may continue with step 686, which includes determining plasma characteristics by comparing a first resonance profile with a second resonance profile. For example, to determine electron density, a frequency shift of a given resonator between the first resonance profile and the second resonance profile may be used. To determine electron temperature, broadening of the resonance peak may be used.

[0047] When the absolute position of the sensor substrate is known, the resonance profile may be used to provide an accurate mapping of the plasma process within the chamber. Further, chamber matching between different chambers can also be performed. In some embodiments, the plasma parameter information may be used as an input to an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm and / or a machine learning (MI) algorithm that is used to control the process in the chamber.

[0048] FIG. 7 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in an exemplary form of a computer system 700 within which a set of instructions for causing a machine to execute any one or more of the methodologies described herein can be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or the Internet. The machine can operate as a server 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 machine can be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, web appliance, server, network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions for executing any one or more of the methodologies described herein.

[0049] The exemplary computer system 700 includes a processor 702, a main memory 704 (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as read only memory (ROM), flash memory, synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)), a static memory 706 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), MRAM, etc.), and a secondary memory 718 (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus 730.

[0050] Processor 702 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit, etc. More specifically, processor 702 can be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processor 702 can also be one or more dedicated processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a network processor, etc. Processor 702 is configured to execute processing logic 726 for performing the processes described herein.

[0051] Computer system 700 may further include a network interface device 708. Computer system 700 may also include a video display unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode display (LED), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 714 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 716 (e.g., a speaker).

[0052] Secondary memory 718 may include a machine-accessible storage medium (or more specifically a computer-readable storage medium) 732 in which one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 722) for implementing any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein are stored. Software 722 may also reside completely or at least partially in main memory 704 and / or in processor 702 during its execution by computer system 700, and main memory 704 and processor 702 also constitute machine-readable storage media. Software 722 may further be transmitted or received over network 720 via network interface device 708.

[0053] In an illustrative embodiment, the machine-accessible storage medium 732 is shown as a single medium, but the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated cache and server) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for machine execution and causing a machine to execute any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should thus be taken to include, without limitation, solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the machine-accessible storage medium stores instructions that cause a data processing system to execute a method of measuring plasma parameters in a plasma chamber using a diagnostic substrate having a resonator.

[0055] In this way, a method for measuring plasma parameters has been disclosed.

Claims

1. A substrate, A support extending upward from the substrate, A resonator mechanically coupled to the support, An antenna configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the resonator, wherein the antenna is connected to a transmission line in the substrate, and the antenna, Comprising, The antenna is below the resonator, a sensor device.

2. The resonator is a hairpin resonator comprising a pair of tines, the sensor device according to claim 1.

3. The resonance frequency of the resonator is about 1 GHz or higher, the sensor device according to claim 2.

4. The distance between the resonator and the substrate is longer than the device length of the plasma, the sensor device according to claim 1.

5. The antenna is embedded in the substrate, the sensor device according to claim 1.

6. The antenna is above the substrate and coupled to the support, the sensor device according to claim 1.

7. The antenna is a helical antenna, the sensor device according to claim 1.

8. The resonator is an RF resonator, the sensor device according to claim 1.

9. The support is removably attached to the substrate, the sensor device according to claim 1.

10. The sensor device is configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device, the sensor device according to claim 1.

11. A method for measuring plasma, Inserting the sensor device according to claim 1 into a chamber, wherein the sensor device includes a plurality of resonators, inserting the sensor device into the chamber, Reducing the pressure in the chamber, Measuring a first resonance profile of the plurality of resonators, Starting a plasma process, Measuring a second resonance profile of the plurality of resonators, Determining plasma characteristics by comparing the first resonance profile with the second resonance profile Including, a method.

12. The plasma characteristic is electron density, the method according to claim 11.

13. The plasma characteristic is electron temperature, the method according to claim 11.

14. The plasma process includes a desired pulse frequency, pressure, gas composition, power, and RF frequency, the method according to claim 11.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plasma characteristics are used for chamber matching between a plurality of chambers.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plasma characteristics are stored as data points for use in a machine learning algorithm or an artificial intelligence algorithm.

17. A substrate, A plurality of supports extending upward from the substrate, A plurality of resonators, each of the plurality of resonators being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of supports, A plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas being configured to couple to a respective one of the plurality of resonators, the plurality of antennas being connected to a single transmission line, Comprising: A sensor device, wherein the plurality of antennas are below the plurality of resonators.

18. The sensor device according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of supports have non-uniform heights.

19. The sensor device according to claim 17, wherein each resonator of the plurality of resonators comprises a pair of tines, the pair of tines having a non-uniform length or a non-uniform width.

20. A circuit for communicably coupling the single transmission line to an external device using a wireless connection or a wired connection Further comprising, the circuit comprising: Passive RF circuit elements and / or active RF circuit elements The sensor device according to claim 17.

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