Patent · US Expired

Situ rate and depth monitor for silicon etching

US4367044A · kind A · utility

57Cited by
7References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 31, 1980
Grant dateJan 4, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/0675
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An in situ thickness change monitor for determining thickness change in opaque product material, such as silicon, in chamber apparatus, such as reactive ion etching apparatus, operative to produce such thickness change. Reference material having thickness change properties, such as etch-rate, correlatable to the product material thickness change properties is deposited upon a substrate having an index of refraction such as to form a monitor exhibiting an optical discontinuity. With the monitor positioned within the chamber with the product material, light directed thereto acts to provide reflected beams producing light having an intensity variation due to interference indicative of the thickness of the reference material. Changes in the thickness of the reference material are correlated to changes in thickness of the product material.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.