Methods for processing substrates in process systems having shared resources

US8496756B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• James P. Cruse · Santa Cruz, US
• Dermot Cantwell · Sunnyvale, US
• Ming Xu · Nanjing, CN
• Charles Hardy · San Marcos, US
• Benjamin Schwarz · Strohberg, DE
• Kenneth S. Collins · San Jose, US
• Andrew Nguyen · San Jose, US
• Zhifeng Sui · Fremont, US
• Evans Lee · Milpitas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 29, 2010
• Grant date: Jul 30, 2013
• Expiry date: Jan 20, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J37/32899
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods for processing substrates in twin chamber processing systems having first and second process chambers and shared processing resources are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method may include flowing a process gas from a shared gas panel to a processing volume of the first process chamber and to a processing volume of the second process chamber; forming a first plasma in the first processing volume to process the first substrate and a second plasma to process the second substrate; monitoring the first processing volume and the second processing volume to determine if a process endpoint is reached in either volume; and either terminating the first and second plasma simultaneously when a first endpoint is reached; or terminating the first plasma when a first endpoint is reached in the first processing volume while continuing to provide the second plasma in the second processing volume until a second endpoint is reached.