Method for Measuring Radical Ion Flux Using an Improved Pirani Vacuum Gauge Architecture

A sensor system with catalytic and non-catalytic wires measures radical ion flux in plasma processing chambers, addressing the lack of effective sensors to enhance health checks and process optimization.

JP7713108B2Active Publication Date: 2025-07-24APPLIED MATERIALS INC
View PDF 5 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024534445
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-12-13
Filing Date
2022-11-18
Publication Date
2025-07-24
Estimated Expiration
2042-11-18

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

There is a lack of cost-effective sensors for measuring radical ion flux in plasma processing chambers, hindering health checks and process optimization in plasma processing tools.

Method used

A sensor system utilizing a Wheatstone bridge architecture with catalytic and non-catalytic wires, where the catalytic wire promotes radical ion recombination, causing a temperature change measurable via resistance change, integrated into plasma processing chambers or substrates.

Benefits of technology

Enables cost-effective monitoring of radical ion flux, facilitating health checks and process optimization in plasma processing tools.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007713108000001
    Figure 0007713108000001
  • Figure 0007713108000002
    Figure 0007713108000002
  • Figure 0007713108000003
    Figure 0007713108000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein include a sensor for detecting radical ion flux. In one embodiment, the sensor comprises a first resistor, where the first resistor comprises a length of wire of a first catalytic composition. In one embodiment, a second resistor is electrically coupled to the first resistor, where the second resistor comprises a length of wire of the first catalytic composition. In one embodiment, the second resistor is coated with a non-catalytic material. In one embodiment, the sensor further comprises a third resistor electrically coupled to the second resistor and a fourth resistor electrically coupled to the first resistor and the third resistor.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 549,703, filed on December 13, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for measuring radical ion flux using a Pirani gauge.

Background Art

[0003] Radical ion flux in a plasma processing chamber is responsible for most of the physical changes of the substrate within the plasma processing chamber. However, currently, there is no cost - effective sensor available for detecting radical ion flux in remote plasma tools or in - situ - based plasma processing chambers. Without the ability to measure radical ion flux, it becomes difficult to implement a health check of the plasma source, detect process drift, or implement process optimization.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments disclosed herein include a sensor for detecting radical ion flux. In one embodiment, the sensor includes a first resistor, where the first resistor comprises a wire of a certain length of a first catalyst composition. In one embodiment, a second resistor is electrically coupled to the first resistor, where the second resistor comprises a wire of a certain length of the first catalyst composition. In one embodiment, the second resistor is coated with a non - catalytic material. In one embodiment, the sensor further comprises a third resistor electrically coupled to the second resistor and a fourth resistor electrically coupled to the first resistor and the third resistor.

[0005] Embodiments may further include a plasma processing tool. In one embodiment, the plasma processing tool includes a chamber and a sensor within the chamber. In one embodiment, the sensor includes a first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire, where the second catalyst wire is covered by a non-catalytic material.

[0006] Embodiments may further include a plasma processing tool. In one embodiment, the plasma processing tool includes a remote plasma source and a chamber, where the chamber is fluidly coupled to the remote plasma source. In one embodiment, the tool further includes a support within the chamber for securing a substrate, an exhaust fluidly coupled to the chamber, and a first radical ion sensor within the chamber. In one embodiment, a second radical ion sensor is within the remote plasma source and a third radical ion sensor is within the exhaust. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The systems described herein include methods and apparatuses for measuring radical ion flux using devices based on Pirani gauges. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known aspects are not described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments needlessly. Also, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0009] As described above, currently, there is a lack of a cost-effective sensor for measuring the radical ion flux in a plasma processing chamber. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein include sensors that can be easily integrated into a plasma processing chamber or provided on a substrate that is inserted into the processing chamber. In certain embodiments, the sensor can be an improved Pirani vacuum gauge sensor. For example, the sensor can include a first wire and a second wire. The first wire is exposed, and the second wire is surrounded by an insulating layer. In one embodiment, the first wire and the second wire can be a catalytic material such as platinum or nickel. Since the first wire is exposed, the catalytic material promotes the recombination of radical ions, which leads to a temperature change in the first wire. The temperature change corresponds to an increase in the resistance of the first wire, and the resistance change can be directly measured. Since the second wire is covered by a non-catalytic material, the second wire can serve as a reference. Moreover, it should be understood that the dimensions (e.g., surface area, length, mass) of the second wire are substantially equal to those of the first wire. Therefore, the difference between the temperature of the first wire and the temperature of the second wire can be correlated to the radical ion flux in the chamber.

[0010] In one embodiment, the sensor is provided on a substrate that is inserted into the plasma chamber. For example, multiple sensors can be fabricated on the substrate to provide spatial resolution of the radical ion flux within the plasma chamber. In one embodiment, the sensor can extend over a substrate having a probe architecture. Additionally, the sensor can be provided across different portions of the plasma chamber. For example, the sensor can be placed downstream in the exhaust line of the chamber, in a remote plasma chamber, or adjacent to an outlet (e.g., the process chamber side of the remote plasma chamber / source).

[0011] In one embodiment, the use of a radical ion flux sensor enables several benefits in chamber monitoring. In some embodiments, such a sensor can be used as part of a health check solution for a plasma source (e.g., either remote or in-situ). In other embodiments, such a sensor can be used to assist in process drift detection. Other embodiments may use the sensor to implement process optimization.

[0012] Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of sensor 100 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, sensor 100 comprises a Wheatstone bridge architecture. That is, a set of four resistors 110, 112, 114, and 116 can be electrically coupled to each other in a ring architecture. In one embodiment, the first resistor 110 and the second resistor 112 can be formed by catalytic wires. For example, the catalytic wire can be a material that aids in the recombination of radical ions. For example, in the case of hydrogen and oxygen radical ions, the first catalytic wire can include platinum or nickel. Of course, plasmas with different nuclides can include other types of catalytic wires.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first resistor 110 and the second resistor 112 may be substantially the same as each other. The difference between the first resistor 110 and the second resistor 112 is that the second resistor 112 is covered by the non-catalytic material 115. For example, the second resistor 112 may be coated with a material 115 comprising silicon and oxygen (e.g., SiO2) or aluminum and oxygen (e.g., Al2O3). In one embodiment, the coating 115 is deposited on the second resistor 112 using any suitable deposition process. In a particular embodiment, the coating 115 is provided on the second resistor 112 using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In one embodiment, the ALD coating may cover all wetted parts except the catalytic platinum / nickel resistor component of the first resistor 110. This minimizes the response of the passive components of the second resistor 112 as well as the reference platinum / nickel sensor. To manufacture such a structure, all wetted components may be coated with the ALD process and the film may be etched from the first resistor 110 of catalytic platinum / nickel.

[0014] In one embodiment, the catalytic wire is heated to a certain temperature. The voltage required to do this is monitored using a Wheatstone bridge architecture. The change in voltage correlates to the change in temperature of the catalytic wire induced by radical ion recombination.

[0015] Referring now to FIG. 2, a graph of temperature versus resistance of a catalytic wire according to one embodiment is shown. As shown, there is a linear relationship between temperature and resistance. Thus, a change in resistance can be measured to detect a change in temperature. In the illustrated embodiment, the catalytic material shown in the graph is platinum. However, it should be understood that the relationship between temperature and resistance may also be provided when other catalytic materials such as nickel are used. Platinum has a linear relationship, while nickel may have a non-linear relationship, which may require the application of a calibration curve to such embodiments.

[0016] Next, referring to FIG. 3, a graph of the temperature of the first catalyst wire 110 over time according to one embodiment is shown. Up to about 625 seconds, the plasma is only argon plasma. Therefore, there is no heating due to radical ion recombination. For example, the temperature of the first catalyst wire 110 can be about 100° C. At about 625 seconds, processing gases such as oxygen and hydrogen can be added to the chamber. The processing gases are ionized to form radical ion nuclides. As shown in the first step 321, the temperature of the first catalyst wire 110 increases. The increase in power from 1 kW in the first step 321 to 2 kW in the second step 322 causes an increase in temperature. Further, the increase to 3 kW in the third step 323 causes yet another increase in temperature. Therefore, the change in the temperature of the catalyst wire 110 can be correlated with the change in the radical ion flux. In one embodiment, the catalyst wire 110 is configured to provide a rapid change in temperature. This is made possible by having a wire with a low mass. Therefore, rapid detection of changes in the radical ion flux is possible.

[0017] Next, referring to FIGS. 4A - 4C, a series of plan views depicting various architectures utilizing a radical ion flux sensor according to different embodiments are shown. In one embodiment, the sensor is provided on a substrate. The substrate can be a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate. In other embodiments, the substrate can be glass, or any other type of substrate common to semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0018] Next, referring to FIG. 4A, a plan view of a sensor device 450 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the sensor device 450 includes a plurality of radical ion flux sensors 400 A ~400 E dispersed on the surface of a substrate 451. For example, the sensors 400 A ~400 D can each be in different quadrants of the substrate 451, and the sensors 400 Ecan be at the center of the substrate 451. Accordingly, radical ion flux readings can be provided for a plurality of different locations within the chamber.

[0019] In one embodiment, the electrical circuit configuration for the sensor 400 A ~400 E can be fabricated as part of the substrate 451. In other embodiments, the sensor 400 A ~400 E can be an individual sensor mounted to the substrate 451. In some embodiments, data from the sensor 400 A ~400 E can be stored in memory fabricated on or attached to the substrate 451. Alternatively, the connection from the substrate to a device external to the processing chamber can be made through a vacuum feedthrough or through a thin tape layer passing over the O-ring of the chamber.

[0020] In one embodiment, each sensor 400 A ~400 E can include an exposed first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire coated with a non-catalytic material. That is, each sensor can include a wire for detecting radical ion flux and a wire that serves as a temperature reference. In such embodiments, the first catalyst wire and the second catalyst wire have a one-to-one ratio. In other embodiments, each sensor 400 A ~400 E can include a first catalyst wire, and each sensor 400 A ~400 E may not include a second coated catalyst wire. That is, the first catalyst wire and the second coated wire may not have a one-to-one ratio in some embodiments.

[0021] Next, referring to FIG. 4B, a plan view of a sensor device 450 according to an additional embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of sensors 400 are arranged across the surface of a substrate 451. Such embodiments may be referred to as a contour sensor 400 layout. In the illustrated embodiment, 49 sensors 400 are used. However, it should be understood that any number of sensors 400 may be used to provide a desired level of resolution.

[0022] In one embodiment, each of the sensors 400 may include an exposed first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire covered with a coating. Such embodiments may be referred to as a 1-to-1 architecture. In other embodiments, each sensor 400 may include an exposed first catalyst wire, and fewer than all of the sensors 400 may have a reference wire (in other words, a coated catalyst wire). In such embodiments, the first catalyst wire may have a many-to-1 ratio with the coated second catalyst wire.

[0023] Similar to the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 4A, an electronic circuit may be mounted on the substrate 451 for operating to store data from the sensors 400. In other embodiments, wires may pass through a vacuum feedthrough or across an O-ring. The sensors 400 may be individual structures attached to the substrate 451. In other embodiments, the sensors 400 may be integrated as part of the substrate 451.

[0024] Next, referring to FIG. 4C, a plan view of a sensor device 450 according to an additional embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of sensors 400 are arranged in a row across the surface of a substrate 451. Such embodiments may be referred to as a line scan layout. In the illustrated embodiment, 11 sensors 400 are used. However, it should be understood that any number of sensors 400 may be used to provide a desired level of resolution.

[0025] In one embodiment, each of the sensors 400 may include an exposed first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire covered with a coating. Such embodiments may be referred to as a 1-to-1 architecture. In other embodiments, each sensor 400 may include an exposed first catalyst wire, and fewer than all of the sensors 400 may have a reference wire (in other words, a coated catalyst wire). In such embodiments, the first catalyst wire may have a many-to-1 ratio with the coated second catalyst wire.

[0026] Similar to the embodiment described with respect to FIG. 4A, an electronic circuit may be mounted on the substrate 451 for operating to store data from the sensors 400. In other embodiments, the wires may pass through a vacuum feedthrough or across an O-ring. The sensor 400 may be an individual structure attached to the substrate 451. In other embodiments, the sensor 400 may be integrated as part of the substrate 451.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 5, a perspective view of a portion of a plasma chamber 560 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, a substrate 561 is supported in the chamber 560. For example, the substrate 561 may be a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer. An edge ring 563 may surround the outer periphery of the substrate 561. A chamber wall 564 may surround the outer periphery of the edge ring 563.

[0028] In one embodiment, the probe 562 can be attached to the edge ring 563 and can extend over the surface of the substrate 561. A catalyst wire 510 can be provided at the end of the probe 562 on the substrate 561. The catalyst wire 510 can be a platinum wire or a nickel wire in some embodiments. In one embodiment, the probe 562 can further include a second catalyst wire (not shown) coated with a non-catalytic layer such as SiO2 or Al2O3. The coated second catalyst wire may alternatively be provided on a different probe (not shown in FIG. 5). Although shown as extending over the surface of the substrate 561, it should be understood that the probe 562 may not extend over the surface of the substrate 561 during processing because this can cause shadowing and add the possibility of metal contamination. Instead, the probe 562 can be placed on the edge ring 563. Additionally, it should be understood that there may be a plurality of sensors around the edge ring 563.

[0029] In one embodiment, the probe 562 can be coupled to an external computing system that stores data and controls the sensors. One or more wires at the end of the probe attached to the edge ring 563 can pass through a vacuum feedthrough in the chamber wall 564 or over an O-ring (not shown) between the chamber lid (not shown) and the chamber wall 564.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, for simplicity, a single probe 562 is shown. However, it should be understood that any number of probes 562 may be used to provide the desired spatial resolution of the radical ion flux. In yet another embodiment, the probe 562 may be scanned over the surface of the substrate 561 to provide a spatial chart of the radical ion flux for a given plasma process. For example, the probe 562 may be a telescoping probe and may be capable of scanning back and forth across the substrate 561 in a pattern such as that of a windshield wiper. Additionally, the probe 562 may scan linearly across the substrate 561 and / or the chamber 560.

[0031] Next, referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, cross-sectional views of plasma processing tools according to various embodiments are shown. The plasma processing tool 660 may be used to implement one or more plasma processes on a substrate 661 held in a chamber 664.

[0032] Next, referring to FIG. 6A, a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing tool 660 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the plasma processing tool 660 includes a chamber 664 with a lid 665. A processing gas may flow into the chamber 664 (e.g., through the lid 665), and a plasma may be struck within the chamber 664 between the lid 665 and the substrate 661. In one embodiment, the substrate 661 may be a wafer, such as a silicon wafer or any semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate 661 may be supported by a pedestal 671. The pedestal 671 may be a temperature-controlled component that secures the substrate 661 (e.g., using a vacuum chucking process, an electrostatic chucking process, etc.).

[0033] In one embodiment, the chamber 664 may be held at a vacuum pressure (e.g., below atmospheric pressure) with the aid of an exhaust system 666. The exhaust system 666 may include one or more pumps (not shown) configured to reduce the pressure inside the chamber 664.

[0034] In one embodiment, a plurality of sensors 600 may be provided within the plasma processing tool 660. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A, a first sensor 600 A is provided above the surface of the substrate 661. The sensor 600 A may include a first catalytic wire and a second catalytic wire covered with a non-catalytic coating. In one embodiment, the sensor 600 A may be one of a plurality of sensors provided on the substrate 661. For example, the sensor 600 may be provided on each quadrant of the substrate 661 (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A), or the sensor 600 may be provided as a contour map architecture (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B), or the sensor 600 may be provided in a line pattern (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4C). In other embodiments, the sensor 600 A may be provided above the substrate 661. For example, a probe (not shown) may extend over the upper surface of the substrate 661, and the sensor 600 A may be at the end of the probe. However, it should be understood that the sensor 600 A only needs to be above the substrate holder during setup and / or health check and may be removed from above the substrate 661 during processing of the substrate 661.

[0035] In one embodiment, a second sensor 600 B may be provided along the exhaust line 666. The second sensor 600 B may include a first catalytic wire and a second catalytic wire coated with a non-catalytic coating. For example, the second sensor 600 B may include a sensor architecture similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the radical ion flux may be measured at a location downstream of the chamber 664.

[0036] Next, referring to FIG. 6B, a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing tool 660 according to an additional embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the plasma processing tool 660 includes a chamber 664 with a lid 665. In one embodiment, a remote plasma source 672 is coupled to the chamber 664. Plasma 673 can be generated at the remote plasma source 672 and flow through a pipe 674 to the lid 665. The plasma 673 can disperse through the lid 665 (which can be a baffle in some embodiments) into the chamber 664.

[0037] In one embodiment, the substrate 661 can be supported by a pedestal 671. The pedestal 671 can be a temperature-controlled component that secures the substrate 661 (using, for example, a vacuum chucking process, an electrostatic chucking process, etc.). In one embodiment, the substrate 661 can be a wafer, such as a silicon wafer or any semiconductor substrate.

[0038] In one embodiment, the chamber 664 can be maintained at a vacuum pressure (e.g., below atmospheric pressure) with the assistance of an evacuation system 666. The evacuation system 666 can include one or more pumps (not shown) configured to reduce the pressure inside the chamber 664.

[0039] In one embodiment, a plurality of sensors 600 are provided within the plasma processing tool 660. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6B, the first sensor 600 A is provided above the surface of the substrate 661. The sensor 600 A can include a first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire covered with a non-catalytic coating. In one embodiment, the sensor 600 Acan be one of many sensors provided on substrate 661. For example, sensor 600 can be provided on each quadrant of substrate 661 (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A), or sensor 600 can be provided as a contour map architecture (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B), or sensor 600 can be provided in a line pattern (similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4C). In other embodiments, sensor 600 A can be provided above substrate 661. For example, a probe (not shown) can extend over the upper surface of substrate 661, and sensor 600 A can be at the end of the probe.

[0040] In one embodiment, a second sensor 600 B can be provided along exhaust line 666. The second sensor 600 B can include a first catalyst wire and a second catalyst wire coated with a non-catalytic coating. For example, the second sensor 600 B can include a sensor architecture similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the radical ion flux can be measured at a location downstream of chamber 664.

[0041] In one embodiment, a third sensor 600 C can be provided between remote plasma source 672 and lid 665. For example, the third sensor 600 C can be provided along pipe 674. In other embodiments, the third sensor 600 C can be provided within remote plasma source 672. The inclusion of the third sensor 600 C enables the radical ion flux to be read upstream and downstream of chamber 664.

[0042] Next, referring to FIG. 7, a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 700 of a processing tool according to one embodiment is illustrated. In one embodiment, the computer system 700 is coupled to the processing tool and controls the processing in the processing tool. The computer system 700 can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or the Internet. The computer system 700 can operate within the capabilities of a server or client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 700 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 (sequential or otherwise) instructions that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, although only a single machine is illustrated for the computer system 700, the term "machine" should also be construed to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set of (one or more) instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein.

[0043] The computer system 700 may include a computer program product or software 722 having a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, which may be used to program the computer system 700 (or other electronic device) to perform the processes according to the embodiments. The machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, the machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium includes machine (e.g., computer) readable storage media (e.g., read only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), machine (e.g., computer) readable transmission media (electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., infrared signals, digital signals, etc.)), and the like.

[0044] In one embodiment, the computer system 700 includes a system 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), etc.), and a secondary memory 718 (e.g., a data storage device) that communicate with each other via a bus 730.

[0045] The system processor 702 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a micro-system processor, a central processing unit, etc. More specifically, the system processor can be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) micro-system processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) micro-system processor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) micro-system processor, a system processor implementing other instruction sets, or a system processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. The system 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 system processor (DSP), a network system processor, etc. The system processor 702 is configured to execute processing logic 726 for performing the operations described herein.

[0046] The computer system 700 may further include a system network interface device 708 for communicating with other devices or machines. The 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).

[0047] The secondary memory 718 may include a machine-accessible storage medium 732 (or more specifically, a computer-readable storage medium) in which one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 722) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein are stored. The software 722 may also reside, in whole or at least in part, within the main memory 704 and / or within the system processor 702 during execution thereof by the computer system 700, and the main memory 704 and the system processor 702 also constitute machine-readable storage media. The software 722 may further be transmitted or received over the network 720 via the system network interface device 708. In one embodiment, the network interface device 708 may operate using RF coupling, optical coupling, acoustic coupling, or inductive coupling.

[0048] Although the machine-accessible storage medium 732 is shown in the exemplary embodiments as a single medium, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be interpreted to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should also be interpreted to include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a machine and that causes a machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should therefore be interpreted to include, without limitation, solid-state memories, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0049] In the foregoing specification, specific and exemplary embodiments have been described. It will be apparent that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the following claims. The specification and drawings are, therefore, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

Claims

Claim 1: A first resistor comprising a first catalyst wire extending along a first direction, the first catalyst wire having an exposed first surface of a first catalyst composition; A second resistor comprising a second catalyst wire extending along a second direction different from the first direction, the second catalyst wire having a second surface coated with a non-catalytic material; A third resistor; A fourth resistor; Comprising: The first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are connected to each other in a link configuration; A sensor for detecting a radical ion flux in a plasma processing chamber. Claim 2: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are connected to each other in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. Claim 3: The sensor according to claim 2, wherein a change in voltage across the Wheatstone bridge correlates with a temperature change of the first resistor induced by radical ion recombination. Claim 4: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first catalyst composition comprises platinum. Claim 5: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first catalyst composition comprises nickel. Claim 6: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the non-catalytic material comprises silicon and oxygen. Claim 7: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the non-catalytic material comprises aluminum and oxygen. Claim 8: Further comprising a substrate, The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are integrated on the substrate that can be inserted into the plasma processing chamber. Claim 9: Further comprising a probe, The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are provided at an end of the probe in the plasma processing chamber. Claim 10: The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are resistors or thermocouples. Claim 11: A plasma processing chamber, A sensor for detecting a radical ion flux in the plasma processing chamber, the sensor comprising: A first resistor comprising a first catalyst wire extending along a first direction, the first catalyst wire having an exposed first catalyst surface; A second resistor comprising a second catalytic wire extending along a second direction different from the first direction, the second catalytic wire having a second surface covered by a non-catalytic material, A third resistor, A fourth resistor, Comprising, A sensor in which the first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are connected to each other in a link configuration A plasma processing tool comprising.

12. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the sensor is on a probe extending on a support for holding a substrate.

13. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the sensor is in an exhaust line coupled between the plasma processing chamber and a vacuum pump.

14. A remote plasma source, further comprising a remote plasma source in which the sensor is disposed within the remote plasma source, the plasma processing tool according to claim 11.

15. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the first catalytic surface and the second surface comprise platinum.

16. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the first catalytic surface and the second surface comprise nickel.

17. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the non-catalytic material comprises silicon and oxygen.

18. The plasma processing tool according to claim 11, wherein the non-catalytic material comprises aluminum and oxygen.

19. A remote plasma source, A plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing chamber being fluidly coupled to the remote plasma source, A support in the plasma processing chamber for fixing a substrate, Exhaust fluidly coupled to the plasma processing chamber, A first radical ion sensor in the plasma processing chamber, A second radical ion sensor in the remote plasma source, A third radical ion sensor in the exhaust Comprising, One or more of the first radical ion sensor, the second radical ion sensor, or the third radical ion sensor is A first resistor comprising a first catalytic wire extending along a first direction, A second resistor comprising a second catalytic wire extending along a second direction different from the first direction, the second catalytic wire being covered by a non-catalytic material, A third resistor, A fourth resistor, Comprising, The plasma processing tool in which the first resistor, the second resistor, the third resistor, and the fourth resistor are connected to each other in a link configuration. Plasma processing tool.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Analyzing device

    JP2011086564A

  • Radical measurement apparatus and radical measurement pipe

    JP2012094399A

  • Method for forming a catalytic bead sensor

    US20030180445A1

  • Method And Apparatus For Monitoring Plasma Conditions In An Etching Plasma Processing Facility

    US20080134757A1

  • Chemical sensor utilizing a chemically sensitive electrode in combination with thin diamond layers

    US5656827A