IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,467,856
Granted Patent B2
US 12,467,856 · App. 18/039,316 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Gas analysis device and gas analysis method

Inventors: Yuhei Sakaguchi (Kyoto, JP); Masakazu Minami (Kyoto, JP); Kyoji Shibuya (Kyoto, JP); Motonobu Takahashi (Kyoto, JP)
Assignees: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.; HORIBA, LTD.
G01N21/3504G01N21/0332G01N21/39G01N2201/127
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,467,856
App. No.
18/039,316
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention is a gas analysis device that measures a concentration or partial pressure of a halide contained in a material gas used in semiconductor manufacturing process or a by-product gas generated in semiconductor manufacturing process with good accuracy, the device being for analyzing a concentration or partial pressure of a halide contained in a material gas used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a by-product gas generated in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the device including a gas cell into which the material gas or the by-product gas is introduced, a laser light source that irradiates the gas cell with laser light whose wavelength is modulated, a light detector that detects the laser light transmitted through the gas cell, and a signal processing unit that calculates the concentration or partial pressure of the halide by using a light absorption signal obtained from an output signal of the light detector.

Claims (49)

1 . A gas analysis device for analyzing a concentration or partial pressure of a halide contained in a material gas used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a by-product gas generated in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the gas analysis device comprising:

a gas cell into which the material gas or the by-product gas is introduced;

a laser light source that irradiates the gas cell with laser light whose wavelength is modulated;

a light detector that detects the laser light transmitted through the gas cell;

a heating mechanism that heats the gas cell; and

a signal processing unit that calculates the concentration or partial pressure of the halide by using a light absorption signal of the halide obtained from an output signal of the light detector,

wherein

the gas cell is provided with a pair of reflection mirrors inside to multiply reflect the laser light,

the gas cell is decompressed to 10 Torr or less, and

the laser light source modulates the wavelength of the laser light in a predetermined wavelength modulation range, and,

wherein the predetermined wavelength modulation range includes a feature part including a peak and a rising part or a falling part of the light absorption signal of the halide, but does not include a feature part including a peak and a rising portion or a falling portion of a light absorption signal of an interference component, and

wherein the halide is SiF 4 or CF 4 .

2 . A gas analysis device for analyzing a concentration or partial pressure of a halide contained in a material gas used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a by-product gas generated in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the gas analysis device comprising:

a gas cell into which the material gas or the by-product gas is introduced;

a heating mechanism that heats the gas cell;

a laser light source that irradiates the gas cell with laser light whose wavelength is modulated;

a light detector that detects the laser light transmitted through the gas cell; and

a signal processing unit that calculates the concentration or partial pressure of the halide by using a light absorption signal of the halide obtained from an output signal of the light detector,

wherein

the gas cell is provided with a pair of reflection mirrors inside to multiply reflect the laser light,

the gas cell is decompressed to 10 Torr or less, and

the laser light source modulates the wavelength of the laser light in a predetermined wavelength modulation range including a feature part of the light absorption signal of the halide,

wherein the predetermined wavelength modulation range includes a feature part including a peak and a rising part or a falling part of the light absorption signal of the halide, but does not include a feature part including a peak and a rising portion or a falling portion of a light absorption signal of an interference component,

wherein

the halide is SiF 4 and CF 4 , and

the laser light source includes:

a first laser light source set to have a wavenumber width of the wavelength modulation range of 1030.5 cm −1 to 1031.5 cm −1 ; and

a second laser light source set so have a wavenumber width of the wavelength modulation range of 1281.5 cm −1 to 1284.5 cm −1 .

3 . The gas analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit corrects an influence of an interference component on the light absorption signal of the halide with spectral analysis to calculate the concentration or partial pressure of the halide.

4 . The gas analysis device according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating mechanism that heats the gas cell.

5 . The gas analysis device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor that measures a pressure of the material gas or the by-product gas.

6 . The gas analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas cell is provided in a chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is performed or a piping connected to the chamber.

7 . The gas analysis device according to claim 6 , wherein

the piping is provided with a vacuum pump that evacuates the chamber, and

the gas cell is provided closer to the chamber than the vacuum pump is.

8 . The gas analysis device according to claim 7 , wherein

the piping is provided with a pressure control valve that controls a pressure in the chamber, the pressure control valve being provided closer to the chamber than the vacuum pump is, and

an inlet port of the piping is connected to and in communication with an upstream side of the pressure control valve, and an outlet port of the piping is connected to and in communication with a downstream side of the pressure control valve.

9 . The gas analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas cell is formed of a chamber in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is performed.

10 . A gas analysis method for analyzing a concentration or partial pressure of a halide contained in a material gas used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a by-product gas generated in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the gas analysis method comprising:

introducing the material gas or the by-product gas into a gas cell;

heating the gas cell by using a heating mechanism;

irradiating the gas cell with laser light whose wavelength is modulated;

detecting the laser light transmitted through the gas cell; and

calculating the concentration or partial pressure of the halide by using a light absorption signal of the halide obtained from an output signal of a light detector,

wherein the gas cell is provided with a pair of reflection mirrors inside to multiply reflect the laser light, and wherein the gas cell is decompressed to 10 Torr or less, and the wavelength of the laser light is modulated in a predetermined wavelength modulation range,

wherein the predetermined wavelength modulation range includes a feature part including a peak and a rising part or a falling part of the light absorption signal of the halide, but does not include a feature part including a peak and a rising portion or a falling portion of a light absorption signal of an interference component,

wherein SiF 4 is provided as the halide and the wavelength modulation range is set to have a wavenumber width including a part or all of 1030.5 cm −1 to 1031.5 cm −1 , or CF 4 is provided as the halide and the wavelength modulation range is set to have a wavenumber width including a part or all of 1281.5 cm −1 to 1284.5 cm −1 .

11 . The gas analysis device according to claim 3 , wherein the interference component are at least one of Cl 2 , SF 6 , C 4 F 8 , CHF 3 , CH 2 F 2 , NF 3 , HF, SiCl 4 , SiCl 2 , CO, O 2 , N 2 , or FCN.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2023
From: SAKAGUCHI, YUHEI; MINAMI, MASAKAZU; SHIBUYA, KYOJI; TAKAHASHI, MOTONOBU
To: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.; HORIBA, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063792/0102 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-199826 · Dec 1, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230417660A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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