US 12,142,464 B2
In situ real-time sensing and compensation of non-uniformities in substrate processing systems
Changyou Jing, Livermore, CA (US); Benny Wu, Fremont, CA (US); Oleksandr Mikhnenko, San Diego, CA (US); and Slobodan Mitrovic, Union City, CA (US)
Assigned to LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/628,282
Filed by LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 21, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/042843
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 19, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/016223, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/878,548, filed on Jul. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0277928 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); C23C 16/458 (2006.01); C23C 16/48 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/683 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32724 (2013.01) [C23C 16/4586 (2013.01); H01J 37/32926 (2013.01); H01J 37/32935 (2013.01); H01L 21/67248 (2013.01); C23C 16/481 (2013.01); H01J 37/321 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01); H01J 37/32706 (2013.01); H01L 21/67069 (2013.01); H01L 21/6831 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing system comprising:
a substrate support configured to support a semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber;
a matrix heater arranged in the substrate support, the matrix heater including a plurality of heater elements arranged in a matrix and configured to control a temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing;
a gas source configured to supply a process gas to the processing chamber;
an RF generator configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber to generate plasma in the processing chamber;
a power source configured to supply power to the plurality of heater elements of the matrix heater; and
a controller configured to, while supplying a predetermined power to the plurality of heater elements of the matrix heater:
supply the process gas and the RF power to generate the plasma;
determine first resistances of the plurality of heater elements;
vary one parameter selected from a group consisting of a chemistry of the process gas, a flow rate of the process gas, and the RF power to continue generating the plasma while keeping the other parameters from the group fixed;
determine second resistances of the plurality of heater elements in response to varying the one parameter; and
determine uniformity of the plasma based on the first and second resistances of the plurality of heater elements.