Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and method with optical monitoring of state of processing chamber

US5536359A · kind A · utility

56Cited by
3References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 20, 1994
Grant dateJul 16, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 20, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/022
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and its method, measures the amount or chemical composition of reaction products adhering to or deposited on the inside of a processing chamber of the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, without exposing the chamber to the air. External light, such as infrared light, is introduced from a light introducing unit into the processing chamber. A light receiving unit provided outside the processing chamber receives light reflected from a specified location inside the processing chamber or light reflected from an arbitrary location inside the chamber. The received light is then subjected to spectrometry or photometry to judge how badly the chamber is contaminated and to judge the state of the process being carried out.

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