• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2019

Optical emission spectroscopy is used to identify chemical species and monitor the changes of process results during the plasma process. However, plasma process monitoring or fault detection by using emission signal variation monitoring is vulnerable to background signal fluctuations. IR heaters are used in semiconductor manufacturing chambers where high temperature uniformity and fast response are required. During the process, the IR lamp output fluctuates to maintain a stable process temperature. This IR signal fluctuation reacts as a background signal fluctuation to the spectrometer. In this research, we evaluate the effect of infrared background signal fluctuation on plasma process monitoring and improve the plasma process monitoring accuracy by using simple infrared background signal subtraction method. The effect of infrared background signal fluctuation on plasma process monitoring was evaluated on $SiO_2$ PECVD process. Comparing the $SiO_2$ film thickness and the measured emission line intensity from the by-product molecules, the effect of infrared background signal on plasma process monitoring and the necessity of background signal subtraction method were confirmed.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2013

Advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology requires methods to maximize tool efficiency and improve product quality by reducing process variability. Real-time plasma process monitoring and diagnosis have become crucial for fault detection and classification (FDC) and advanced process control (APC). Additional sensors may increase the accuracy of detection of process anomalies, and optical monitoring methods are non-invasive. In this paper, we propose the use of a chromatic data acquisition system for real-time in-situ plasma process monitoring called the Plasma Eyes Chromatic System (PECS). The proposed system was initially tested in a six-inch research tool, and it was then further evaluated for its potential to detect process anomalies in an eight-inch production tool for etching blanket oxide films. Chromatic representation of the PECS output shows a clear correlation with small changes in process parameters, such as RF power, pressure, and gas flow. We also present how the PECS may be adapted as an in-situ plasma arc detector. The proposed system can provide useful indications of a faulty process in a timely and non-invasive manner for successful run-to-run (R2R) control and FDC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.523-523
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• 2012

As the wafer geometric requirements continuously complicated and minutes in tens of nanometers, the expectation of real-time add-on sensors for in-situ plasma process monitoring is rapidly increasing. Various industry applications, utilizing plasma impedance monitor (PIM) and optical emission spectroscopy (OES), on etch end point detection, etch chemistry investigation, health monitoring, fault detection and classification, and advanced process control are good examples. However, process monitoring in semiconductor manufacturing industry requires non-invasiveness. The hypothesis behind the optical monitoring of plasma induced ion current is for the monitoring of plasma induced charging damage in non-invasive optical way. In plasma dielectric via etching, the bombardment of reactive ions on exposed conductor patterns may induce electrical current. Induced electrical charge can further flow down to device level, and accumulated charges in the consecutive plasma processes during back-end metallization can create plasma induced charging damage to shift the threshold voltage of device. As a preliminary research for the hypothesis, we performed two phases experiment to measure the plasma induced current in etch environmental condition. We fabricated electrical test circuits to convert induced current to flickering frequency of LED output, and the flickering frequency was measured by high speed optical plasma monitoring system (OPMS) in 10 kHz. Current-frequency calibration was done in offline by applying stepwise current increase while LED flickering was measured. Once the performance of the test circuits was evaluated, a metal pad for collecting ion bombardment during plasma etch condition was placed inside etch chamber, and the LED output frequency was measured in real-time. It was successful to acquire high speed optical emission data acquisition in 10 kHz. Offline measurement with the test circuitry was satisfactory, and we are continuously investigating the potential of real-time in-situ plasma induce current measurement via OPMS.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

To enter next process control, numerous approaches, including run-to-run (R2R) process control and fault detection and classification (FDC) have been suggested in semiconductor manufacturing industry as a facilitation of advanced process control. This paper introduces a novel type of optical plasma process monitoring system, called plasma eyes chromatic system (PECSTM) and presents its potential for the purpose of fault detection. Qualitatively comparison of optically acquired signal levels vs. process parameter modifications are successfully demonstrated, and we expect that PECSTM signal can be a useful indication of onset of process change in real-time for advanced process control (APC).

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.187-190
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• 2005

High aspect ratio via-hole etching process has emerged as one of the most crucial means to increase component density for ULSI devices. Because of charge accumulation in via-hole, this sophisticated and important process still hold several problems, such as etching stop and loading effects during fabrication of integrated circuits. Indeed, the concern actually depends on accumulated charge. For monitoring accumulated charge during plasma etching process, charge-up monitoring sensor was fabricated and tested under some plasma conditions. This paper presents a neural network-based technique for analyzing and modeling several electrical performance of plasma charge-up monitoring sensor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.303-306
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• 2005

High aspect ration via-hole etching process has emerged as one of the most crucial means to increase component density for ULSI devices. Because of charge accumulation in via hole, this sophisticated and important process still hold several problems, such as etching stop, loading effects during fabrication of integrated circuits. Indeed, the concern actually depends on accumulated charge. For monitoring accumulated charge during plasma etching process, charge-up monitoring sensor was fabricated and tested under some plasma conditions. This paper presents a neural network-based technique for analyzing and modeling several electrical performance of plasma charge-up monitoring sensor.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.75-78
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• 2017

We reports improved monitoring performance of Self plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (SP-OES) by augmenting a by-pass tube to a conventional straight (or single) tube type self plasma reactor. SP-OES has been used as a tool for the monitoring of plasma chemistry indirectly in plasma process system. The benefits of SP-OES are low cost and easy installation, but some semiconductor industries who adopted commercialized SP-OES product experiencing less sensitivity and slow sensor response. OH out-gas chemistry monitoring was performed to have a direct comparison of a conventional single type tube and a by-pass type tube, and fluid dynamic simulation on the improved hardware design was also followed. It is observed faster pumping out of OH from the chamber in the by-pass type SP-OES.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.320-320
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• 2013

Film thickness monitoring with plasma impedance monitoring (PIM) is demonstrated for small area $SiO_2$ RF plasma etching processes in this work. The chamber conditions were monitored by the impedance signal variation from the I-V monitoring system. Moreover, modified principal component analysis (mPCA) was applied to estimate the $SiO_2$ film thickness. For verification, the PIM was compared with optical emission spectroscopy (OES) signals which are widely used in the semiconductor industry. The results indicated that film thickness can be estimated by 1st principal component (PC) and 2nd PC. Film thickness monitoring of small area $SiO_2$ etching was successfully demonstrated with RF plasma harmonic impedance monitoring and mPCA. We believe that this technique can be potentially applied to plasma etching processes as a sensitive process monitoring tool.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.75-81
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• 2017

Recently in the welding field, the establishment of unmanned and automated systems are rapidly developing. Accurate interpretation of the welding phenomenon is applied a number of monitoring systems. In this paper, butt welding (6t) type I using Plasma-MIG welding was carried out. And we evaluated characteristics of the Al-5083 aluminium alloy in Plasma-MIG hybrid welding. Process variables including the plasma current, MIG voltage, wire feeding rate and the welding speed were used. Butt welding was conducted 1 pass. Argon gas was used as the protective gas that results from the experiment were able to achieve full penetration. In addition to monitoring the welding process occurring during MIG welding current, welding votage and Plasma current, voltage were collected in real time, the photodiode and CCD cameras observing the phenomenon that the welding is in progress were measured using a quantity of light.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.230-235
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• 1997

During laser welding, a laser induced matal vapour and plasuma is formed. The plasma shows strong fluctuation combined with acoustic sound emission. On-line monitoring of the process is possible by measuring and analysing the plasma and acoustic sound emission. This paper introduce the method of on line process monitoring in the laser beam welding and analysis being monitoring signal. The results show the complementary information on the process.