Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for end point detection

US5045149A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
16References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 22, 1990
Grant dateSep 3, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/62
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for detecting the endpoint in a plasma etching process is disclosed. The invention uses a positive filter and a negative filter simultaneously to generate a first and a second signal respectively. The first and second signals are combined to form a combined signal. A change in the combined signal is indicative of the endpoint.

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