Heater Resistance Monitoring for Plasma Etch Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plasma etching processes for semiconductor wafers face challenges in accurately determining temperature abnormalities, which can lead to inefficiencies and damage during the processing.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing method that measures voltage and current changes in components of the processing apparatus, uses conversion tables to calculate resistance and temperature, and determines abnormality based on these measurements to stop the process when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If temperature monitoring is performed during plasma etching, then substrate temperature control is improved, but measurement precision of temperature abnormalities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heater as an intermediary component to indirectly measure substrate temperature. Instead of directly measuring substrate temperature which has low precision, the system measures the heater's resistance (which correlates with temperature) and uses this as an intermediary indicator to detect temperature abnormalities during plasma etching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct thermal measurement methods with electrical measurement methods. By measuring the electrical resistance of the heater element and correlating it with temperature through conversion tables, the system achieves more precise temperature abnormality detection compared to direct thermal sensing methods.
2Reliability
If voltage and current measurements are performed continuously, then temperature abnormality detection is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of voltage and current measurements during the plasma etching process to maintain reliable temperature abnormality detection. By continuously measuring these electrical parameters and comparing them against conversion tables, the system ensures uninterrupted temperature monitoring throughout the entire processing cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing electrical power supply infrastructure to perform temperature monitoring without requiring separate measurement devices. The voltage and current measurements are obtained from the normal operating power supply, allowing the system to monitor temperature abnormalities using already-available electrical signals rather than additional energy-intensive sensing systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively detects temperature abnormalities and prevents further processing when issues are detected, ensuring consistent and reliable substrate processing.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a change in a voltage applied to a component provided in a substrate processing apparatus and a current flowing through the component; obtaining a temperature of the component from a change in a resistance calculated based on the voltage and the current
Data Source
AI summary
In substrate processing method, a change in a voltage, which is applied to a component provided in a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate, is measured and a current flowing through the component is measured. A temperature of the component is obtained from a change in a resistance calculated based on the voltage and the current with reference to a conversion table in which a plurality of resistances is correlated with a plurality of temperatures. A determination of whether or not abnormality has occurred in a temperature of the substrate is made based on the change in the voltage, and processing of the substrate is stopped when it is determined that the abnormality has occurred.