IP Library Granted Patent US 10,177,018
Granted Patent B2
US 10,177,018 · App. 15/674,180 · Granted Jan 8, 2019

Process kit erosion and service life prediction

Inventors: Kang-Lie Chiang (San Jose, CA); Greg A. Blackburn (Santa Clara, CA); Pallavi Zhang (San Jose, CA); Michael D. Armacost (San Jose, CA); Nitin Khurana (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/67253G01R19/16576G01R21/06H01L21/67069H01L21/67242H01L21/67276
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,177,018
App. No.
15/674,180
Granted
Jan 8, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, system, and computer program product for monitoring a service life of a chamber component. In one example, the method includes receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber. The processor compares the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component. The processor determines whether the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values. If the processor determines that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, the processor takes remedial measures for the service life of the chamber component.

Claims (68)

1. A method of monitoring a service life of a chamber component, comprising:

receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber, each sensor monitoring a respective power measurement, wherein the one or more power measurements comprise:

a first power measurement directed to direct current (DC) voltage from a first sensor;

a second power measurement directed to an inner source current from a second sensor; and

a third power measurement directed to an outer source current from a third sensor;

comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component, wherein each power measurements has a respective threshold value;

determining whether the one or more power measurements exceed the one or more threshold values; and

responsive to determining that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component, wherein each power measurement has a respective threshold value, comprises:

comparing the first power measurement directed to DC voltage to a first threshold value;

comparing the second power measurement directed to inner source current to a second threshold value; and

comparing the third power measurement directed to outer source current to a third threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times;

determining whether the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times; and

determining whether the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether one of the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times, the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times, or the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

5. The method of claim 1 , responsive to determining that the power measurement exceeds the threshold value, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component, comprises:

communicating with a controller coupled to the semiconductor processing chamber, the controller configured to adjust processing parameters of the semiconductor processing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , responsive to determining that the power measurement exceeds the threshold value, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component, comprises:

stopping substrate processing.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a semiconductor processing chamber having one or more sensors, each sensor in communication with the processor; and

a memory storing program code, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation for monitoring a service life of a chamber component, the operation comprising:

receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber, each sensor monitoring a respective power measurement, wherein the one or more power measurements comprise:

a first power measurement directed to direct current (DC) voltage from a first sensor;

a second power measurement directed to an inner source current from a second sensor; and

a third power measurement directed to an outer source current from a third sensor;

comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component,

wherein each power measurements has a respective threshold value;

determining whether the one or more power measurements exceed the one or more threshold values; and

responsive to determining that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component, wherein each power measurement has a respective threshold value, comprises:

comparing the first power measurement directed to DC voltage to a first threshold value;

comparing the second power measurement directed to inner source current to a second threshold value; and

comparing the third power measurement directed to outer source current to a third threshold value.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times;

determining whether the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times; and

determining whether the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether one of the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times, the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times, or the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein responsive to determining that the power measurement exceeds the threshold value, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component, comprises:

communicating with a controller coupled to the semiconductor processing chamber, the controller configured to adjust processing parameters of the semiconductor processing chamber.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein responsive to determining that the power measurement exceeds the threshold value, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component, comprises:

stopping substrate processing.

13. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of monitoring a service life of a chamber component, the method comprising:

receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber, each sensor monitoring a respective power measurement, wherein the one or more power measurements comprise:

a first power measurement directed to direct current (DC) voltage from a first sensor;

a second power measurement directed to an inner source current from a second sensor; and

a third power measurement directed to an outer source current from a third sensor;

comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component, wherein each power measurements has a respective threshold value;

determining whether the one or more power measurements exceed the one or more threshold values; and

responsive to determining that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component.

14. The computer readable storage medium claim 13 , wherein comparing the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component, wherein each power measurement has a respective threshold value, comprises:

comparing the first power measurement directed to DC voltage to a first threshold value;

comparing the second power measurement directed to inner source current to a second threshold value; and

comparing the third power measurement directed to outer source current to a third threshold value.

15. The computer readable storage medium claim 14 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times;

determining whether the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times; and

determining whether the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

16. The computer readable storage medium claim 14 , wherein determining whether the power measurement exceeds the one or more threshold values, comprises:

determining whether one of the first power measurement exceeds the first threshold value a first number of times, the second power measurement exceeds the second threshold value a second number of times, or the third power measurement exceeds the third threshold value a third number of times.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein responsive to determining that the power measurement exceeds the threshold value, issuing a notice of a state of the chamber component, comprises:

communicating with a controller coupled to the semiconductor processing chamber, the controller configured to adjust processing parameters of the semiconductor processing chamber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2017
From: CHIANG, KANG-LIE; BLACKBURN, GREG A.; ZHANG, PALLAVI; ARMACOST, MICHAEL D.; KHURANA, NITIN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 043286/0496 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62373643 · Aug 11, 2016
Related Publication 20180047599A1 · Feb 15, 2018