IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,633,505
Granted Patent B2
US 12,633,505 · App. 18/222,029 · Granted May 19, 2026

Analysis device, analysis method, and analysis program

Inventors: Miyako Hada (Kyoto, JP); Motonobu Takahashi (Kyoto, JP); Masakazu Minami (Kyoto, JP); Yuhei Sakaguchi (Kyoto, JP); Toru Shimizu (Kyoto, JP); Tetsuo Fujii (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.
H01J37/32981H01J37/32926H10P72/0421H10P72/0604H01J2237/2445H01J2237/3341
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,633,505
App. No.
18/222,029
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention is aimed to perform precise monitoring of the processed amount by which a workpiece is processed, and includes a measurement unit that measures a concentration or a partial pressure of a reaction product generated while the workpiece is being processed, and an operation unit that calculates the processed amount of the workpiece using an output value of the measurement unit. The measurement unit includes: a laser light source that irradiates target gas containing the reaction product with a laser beam; a photodetector that detects a laser beam having passed through the target gas; and a signal processing unit that calculates the concentration or the partial pressure of the reaction product based on a detection signal of the photodetector. The operation unit includes a time integration unit.

Claims (37)

1 . An analysis device comprising:

a signal processing device that measures a concentration, a partial pressure, or a value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of a reaction product generated while a workpiece is being processed in workpiece processing;

a first processor configured to calculate a processed amount by which the workpiece is processed, using an output value of the signal processing device; and

a memory configured to store relationship data indicating a relationship between a time integral of integrating an output value of the signal processing device with respect to time, and a processed amount by which the workpiece is processed in the workpiece processing, wherein

the signal processing device includes

a laser light source that irradiates target gas containing the reaction product with a laser beam,

a photodetector that detects the laser beam having passed through the target gas, and

a second processor configured to calculate the concentration, the partial pressure, or the value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of the reaction product based on a detection signal of the photodetector, and

the first processor is configured to

calculate a time integral by integrating the output value of the signal processing device with respect to time,

calculate the processed amount by which the workpiece has been processed, from the time integral obtained by the first processor, and the stored relationship data, and

calculate variability in the processed amount across a plane of the workpiece, based on a temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

2 . The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured to determine that a speed at which the workpiece is processed has changed, based on a temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

3 . The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein

the signal processing device further includes multi-reflection mirrors,

the laser light source causes a laser beam to become incident between the multi-reflection mirrors, and

the photodetector detects light coming out from between the multi-reflection mirrors.

4 . The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured to determine uniformity of the processed amount of the workpiece based on a temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

5 . The analysis device according to claim 4 , wherein the first processor is further configured to determine the uniformity of the processed amount of the workpiece based on a gradient of the temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

6 . The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing device has a zero calibration function for performing zero calibration, with no workpiece being processed.

7 . The analysis device according to claim 1 , wherein

the workpiece processing is etching, and

the processed amount of the workpiece is an etching depth.

8 . A method of creating relationship data for the analysis device according to claim 1 , the method, being performed by the second processor, comprising:

processing the workpiece in the workpiece processing;

calculating the time integral by integrating the output value of the signal processing device with respect to time;

calculating the processed amount, from a weight of the workpiece having been processed; and

generating the relationship data from the time integral thus calculated and the processed amount thus calculated.

9 . An analysis method using a signal processing device that measures a concentration, a partial pressure, or a value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of a reaction product generated while a workpiece is being processed in workpiece processing, the signal processing device including a laser light source that irradiates target gas containing the reaction product with a laser beam, a photodetector that detects the laser beam having passed through the target gas, and a processor configured to calculate the concentration, the partial pressure, or the value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of the reaction product based on a detection signal of the photodetector, the analysis method comprising:

calculating a time integral by integrating an output value of the signal processing device with respect to time;

calculating a processed amount of the workpiece using relationship data indicating a relationship between the time integral of integrating the output value of the signal processing device with respect to time, and the processed amount of the workpiece; and

calculating variability in the processed amount across a plane of the workpiece, based on a temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

10 . A computer-readable medium including an analysis program that is used in an analysis device including a signal processing device for measuring a concentration, a partial pressure, or a value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of a reaction product generated while a workpiece is being processed in workpiece processing, and that calculates a processed amount by which the workpiece is processed using an output value of the signal processing device, wherein the signal processing device includes a laser light source that irradiates target gas containing the reaction product with a laser beam, a photodetector that detects a laser beam having passed through the target gas, and a processor configured to calculate the concentration, the partial pressure, or the value related to the concentration or the partial pressure of the reaction product based on a detection signal of the photodetector, wherein the analysis program causes the processor to

calculate a time integral obtained by integrating the output value of the signal processing device with respect to time;

store therein relationship data indicating a relationship between the time integral of integrating the output value of the signal processing device with respect to time, and a processed amount by which the workpiece is processed;

calculate a processed amount by which the workpiece has been processed, from the time integral obtained by the processor, and the relationship data; and

calculate variability in the processed amount across a plane of the workpiece, based on a temporal change in the output value of the signal processing device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2023
From: HADA, MIYAKO; TAKAHASHI, MOTONOBU; MINAMI, MASAKAZU; SAKAGUCHI, YUHEI; SHIMIZU, TORU; FUJII, TETSUO
To: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064259/0825 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-115468 · Jul 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240030013A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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