Patent · US Active

Passive capacitively-coupled electrostatic (CCE) probe method for detecting plasma instabilities in a plasma processing chamber

US9153421B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
52References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateMay 11, 2012
Grant dateOct 6, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 15, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32935
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for detecting plasma instability within a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing is provided. The method includes collecting a set of process data, the process data including a set of induced current signals flowing through a measuring capacitor. The method further includes converting the set of induced current signals into a set of analog voltage signals and converting the set of analog voltage signals into a set of digital signals. The method also includes analyzing the set of digital signals to detect high frequency perturbations, the high frequency perturbations indicating the plasma instability.

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