Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A process for device fabrication comprising: placing a substrate in a reaction chamber which is adapted for plasma generation, the substrate having a layer of silicon dioxide on at least a portion of one surface thereof, and a photoresist mask over the silicon dioxide layer wherein at least a portion of the silicon dioxide layer is exposed through the mask; introducing a fluorocarbon-containing gas in the reaction chamber; generating a plasma in the reaction chamber to remove the silicon dioxide exposed through the mask from the substrate; monitoring the optical emission of the plasma and measuring the luminous intensity associated with at least one species in the plasma; calculating a value from the measured luminous intensity; comparing the calculated value to a range of calibration values, wherein the range of calibration values is associated with either an etch rate of the photoresist mask or an etch rate of the silicon dioxide layer; and controlling the process based upon the comparison.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A process for device fabrication comprising: placing a substrate in a reaction chamber which is adapted for plasma generation, the substrate having a layer of silicon dioxide on at least a portion of one surface thereof, and a photoresist mask over the silicon dioxide layer wherein at least a portion of the silicon dioxide layer is exposed through the mask; introducing a fluorocarbon-containing gas in the reaction chamber; generating a plasma in the reaction chamber to remove the silicon dioxide exposed through the mask from the substrate; monitoring the optical emission of the plasma and measuring the luminous intensity associated with at least one species in the plasma; calculating a value from the measured luminous intensity; comparing the calculated value to a range of calibration values, wherein the range of calibration values is associated with either an etch rate of the photoresist mask or an etch rate of the silicon dioxide layer; and controlling the process based upon the comparison.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the process is controlled by adjusting a process parameter if the calculated value is not within the range of calibration values.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
88 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the luminous intensity of a first species and the luminous intensity of a second species in the plasma are monitored as a function of time, wherein the luminous intensity of the first species is associated with the interaction between the photoresist and the plasma and the luminous intensity of the second species is associated with plasma intensity, wherein the calculated value is the ratio of the luminous intensity associated with the first species to the luminous intensity associated with the second species.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the first species is C 2 and the second species is selected from the groups consisting of SiF, Si, and F.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the first species is C 2 monitored at 515 nm and the second species is SiF monitored at 440 nm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the range of calibration ratios associated with the etch rate are determined from a calibration curve that associates a particular ratio with a particular photoresist etch rate for a given set of process conditions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 6 further comprising adjusting the process conditions if the calculated ratio is not within the range of calibration ratios associated with the etch rate of the particular photoresist.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the luminous intensity of the species in the plasma is monitored over time and wherein the calculated value is the ratio of the luminous intensity associated with the species at a time t 1 to the luminous intensity associated with the species at a time t 2 , wherein both times t 1 and t 2 occur during the etch process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the etch rate is a contact hole etch rate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 9 wherein the species is selected from the groups consisting of C 2 and SiF.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the range of calibration ratios is determined from a calibration curve that associates a particular ratio with a particular contact hole etch rate for a given set of process conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process of claim 11 further comprising adjusting the process conditions if the calculated ratio is not within the range of calibration ratios determined from the calibration curve that associates the particular ratio with the particular etch rate for the given set of process conditions.