Plasma processing method

Claim 1

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron temperature of said plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron temperature of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said electron temperature of said plasma and said first parameter; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in said memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausting said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit while monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of said control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said generated plasma is excited by electron cyclotron resonance.

Claim 2

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron temperature of said plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron temperature of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said electron temperature of said plasma and said first parameter; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in said memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausting said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit while monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of said control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said generated plasma is excited by electron cyclotron resonance.

Claim 9

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron temperature of said selected plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron temperature of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said electron temperature of said plasma and said first parameter; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in said memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausted said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit while monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of said control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having first said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said plasma is excited by a high-frequency electric field generated between parallel plate electrodes within said process chamber.

Claim 10

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron temperature of said selected plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron temperature of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said electron temperature of said plasma and said first parameter; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in said memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausted said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit while monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of said control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having first said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said plasma is excited by a high-frequency electric field generated between parallel plate electrodes within said process chamber.

Claim 16

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron density of said plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron density of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron density of said plasma; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in a memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausting said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit by monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said generated plasma is excited by electron cyclotron resonance.

Claim 17

A method of generating plasma for processing a substrate therewith in a process chamber, comprising the steps of: selecting a plasma to be generated in said process chamber and raw gas for generating said plasma selected; selecting a first parameter upon which a generation of said plasma depends, an electron density of said plasma being alterable by changing said first parameter; generating control data as a function of intensities of spectra of light emitted from said plasma having first and second wavelengths, and establishing, as a first datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron density of said plasma; establishing, as a second datum, a relationship between said control data and said electron density of said plasma; establishing, as a third datum, a relationship between said control data and said first parameter of said first datum, and storing said third datum in a memory of a control unit; storing a selected value of said control data in a memory of said control unit; loading said substrate into said process chamber; establishing a vacuum atmospheric condition within said process chamber; introducing said raw gas into said process chamber while exhausting said process chamber; generating plasma by forming said raw gas into generated plasma; guiding light emitted from said generated plasma into first and second spectroscopes; detecting intensities of spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first and second wavelengths via said first and second spectroscopes; calculating a present value of said control data from detected spectral intensities of light emitted from said generated plasma by means of said control unit; adjusting said first parameter via said control unit by monitoring said present value of said control data such that said present value becomes closer to said selected value of control data over time; and processing said substrate with said generated plasma, wherein each of said spectra of said light emitted from said generated plasma having said first or second wavelengths represents a first atom or molecule which neither substantially nor chemically acts on said substrate when said substrate is being processed, wherein said control data represents a ratio of an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said first wavelength to an intensity of light emitted from said generated plasma having said second wavelength, and wherein said generated plasma is excited by electron cyclotron resonance.