Apparatus for monitoring intentional or unavoidable layer depositions and method

US6784445B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• raunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foederung der Angewandten Forschung E.V. · DE
• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Jürgen Ziegler · Heuchelheim, DE
• Reinhold Waller · Neunkirchen, DE
• Lothar Pfitzner · Erlangen, DE
• Claus Schneider · Burgsinn, DE
• Heiner Ryssel · Spardorf, DE
• Volker Tegeder · Osterburken, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 28, 2001
• Grant date: Aug 31, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 23, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L22/26
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The apparatus allows monitoring layer depositions in a process chamber. The apparatus has a light source, a sensor element, and at least one light detector. The sensor element is suitably configured in order to influence the intensity of the light beam measured by the detector by the thickness of the layer growing on the sensor element. The novel monitoring method for measuring the transmitted light intensity utilizes the apparatus. The sensor element has a continuous opening through which the intensity of the light is observed as a function of the opening grown over by the thickness of the growing layer.