比利时专利BE1023953B1 MONITORS IN VACUUM

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专利摘要:
Monitoring in vacuum A housing (100) for mounting a monitor device (150) in a processing chamber. The housing (100) is shaped so that it can be mounted in the processing chamber. This includes a first opening (110) and a mounting point (140) adapted for mounting a monitor device (140). The first opening (110) and the mounting point (140) are positioned such that when the monitor device (150) is mounted in the housing (100) at the mounting point (140), and when the housing (100) is mounted in the processing chamber , during processing, radiation from the processing chamber can reach the monitor device (150) through the first opening (110) and so that the housing (100) protects the monitor device against soiling or deterioration due to the process. The housing is adapted to be maintained on the inside at a pressure that is significantly different from the pressure in the processing chamber during processing.
公开号:BE1023953B1
申请号:E20175059
申请日:2017-01-31
公开日:2017-09-20
发明作者:Bosscher Wilmert De；De Putte Ivan Van
申请人:Soleras Advanced Coatings Bvba；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

Monitoring in vacuum
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of deposition and treatment systems, for example, plasma treatment. More specifically, the invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring emission (e.g., radiation from a plasma or other source) and its spectral composition when performing a PVD or CVD process in a non-atmospheric pressure course.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When performing a PVD and / or CVD process, desired and undesired gases can pass through various openings in the processing chamber. To maintain stable plasma, specific gases are added to or removed from the processing chamber. In order to accurately control the amount of gases added to and / or removed from the plasma, it is desirable that the plasma composition is known.
In prior art systems, the gas composition of the plasma can, for example, be determined using a mass spectrometer. Such a mass spectrometer can, for example, be a quadrupole, which is a bulky device. Such a device measures the gas composition at a single location.
Another possibility is the use of lambda sensors. The lambda sensors are introduced into the processing chamber and measure the oxygen concentration. For example, 3 to 6 lambda sensors can be installed in a large machining room. Due to the limited number of probes and the shielding of the probes, it is not possible to determine the gas composition over different dimensions.
In yet another prior art system, photo multipliers are used to measure the emission spectrum of the plasma. In these systems, the different excitation lines are analyzed to determine the gas composition. The gas can include, for example, O, O2, N, N2, Ar. Absorption / emission peaks may be present in the measured emission spectrum that are caused by the excited material (eg Si). Systems from the prior art sometimes use a band-pass filter so that only a limited bandwidth of the emission spectrum is measured. The width or intensity of the peaks can be measured to determine the intensity of each of the gases in the composition.
Photo multipliers include an optical fiber and an optical lens mounted on the optical fiber. The plasma or substrate can be monitored by the lens. To prevent the lens from becoming contaminated by the deposition or treatment process, a collimator is positioned in front of the lens. The collimator, e.g., a tube with a high aspect ratio, thus intercepts the deposit or other particles (e.g., coating particles) before they reach the lens. A gas stream, such as an Ar gas stream, can be applied to the collimator to prevent deposition or other particles from entering the collimator.
Summary of the invention
It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a system and method for obtaining information from the emission coming from a processing chamber. This can be, for example, spectral data or more specifically the composition of a plasma in a processing chamber during the execution of a PVD and / or CVD process. Embodiments of the present invention can be used, for example, to monitor sputtering processes or to measure an optical property of a deposited coating. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that they can be used to measure the coating on a substrate and / or to measure radiation in a process (e.g., plasma excitation light).
The above object is achieved by a method and apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a housing for mounting a monitor device in a processing chamber. The housing includes a first opening and a mounting point adapted for mounting a monitor device. The first opening and the mounting point are positioned such that, when the monitor device is mounted in the housing at the mounting point, and when the housing is mounted in the processing chamber, during processing, emission from the processing chamber can reach the monitoring device through the first opening. At the same time, the housing protects the monitor device against soiling or deterioration from the process.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a monitoring device for monitoring the emission of the processing chamber can be positioned in the processing chamber by means of a housing according to embodiments of the present invention. Placing the monitor device in the mounted enclosure protects the monitor device from deposits or other particles that could damage the monitor device (any type of deterioration due to the process in the processing chamber). The only opening through which the particles can reach the monitoring device is the first opening through which the emission (e.g. light) that is monitored by the monitoring device comes. The housing thus reduces the contamination caused by the process (e.g. coating such as sputtering or treatment) of the at least one monitoring device. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the deposition or treatment process is not disrupted by the presence of the housing comprising the monitor device (s). It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a single housing can be used with the first opening on one side and the attachment point on the other. An advantage thereof is that the attachment point and the first opening can easily be aligned.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise closing means, in particular, for example, closing means that are transparent to the emission to be monitored, for closing the first opening, such as, for example, a closing glass. Sealing means can be provided for sealing the closing means in or over the first opening. If the first opening is sealed by means of such sealed transparent closure means, although the housing is mounted in the vacuum environment of the processing chamber, the interior space of the housing should not be kept vacuum. The housing can be adjusted accordingly. For example, the housing can be closed in a sealing manner, or can be mounted on a wall of the processing chamber so that the inside of the housing is sealed from the processing chamber. The inside of the housing can be under the same pressure as the outside of the machining chamber. This has the advantage that standard monitor devices can be mounted in the housing instead of monitor devices specifically adapted for use in vacuum. This reduces the cost and the complexity of the monitoring devices. Further, in this case, lines for sending and / or receiving signals to / from the monitoring devices do not require additional throughput for maintaining vacuum or processing conditions.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise a light guide element mounted in the first opening in the housing, the light guide element being hollow in its longitudinal direction. When a monitor device is mounted in the housing, emission from the processing chamber can reach the monitor device through the light guide element. In embodiments of the present invention, the light guide element can be closed, for example closed in a sealing manner, by a closing means that is transparent to the emission to be monitored, originating from the processing chamber.
The light guide element can be a bolt with a cavity in its longitudinal direction.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that by adding a hollow bolt to the housing, the fouling of the monitoring device by particles from the processing chamber can be reduced even more while at the same time a cavity is present whereby the emission (e.g. plasma light) ) can reach the monitoring device. Of course, by closing the cavity by means of a closing means that is transparent for the emission pollution of the monitoring device to be monitored, it can be returned even further. At the same time the closing means may be less sensitive to removal of contamination. Moreover, the closing means can be simple and not expensive, which justifies replacement after accumulation of a significant amount of soiling.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a bolt can easily be replaced with a new bolt by unscrewing the bolt and screwing in a new one. If the bolt, or sealant, is coated by the deposition or treatment process, it can easily be replaced with a new, clean bolt.
In embodiments of the present invention, the cavity in the bolt may have an increasing diameter which, when mounted, increases from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the monitor device has a wide viewing angle on the emission due to the increasing diameter of the cavity in the bolt. In embodiments of the present invention, depending on the focus, the viewing angle may vary from 0 ° (parallel beam) to 45 ° or more.
In embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the cavity in the bolt may increase in individual steps or in steps with a chamfer. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the cavity in the bolt can be easily fitted. This can, for example, be carried out by means of drilling with different diameters.
In embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring device may comprise a lens. When the monitor device and the bolt are mounted in the housing, the lens focal point can be in the cavity in the bolt and the bolt diameter can start increasing from this focal point.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the smallest diameter of the cavity in the bolt is at the focal point of the lens. This allows a wide viewing angle while at the same time maintaining a small diameter (the diameter at the focal point). The small diameter prevents contamination of the lens by the deposition of other particles. The wide viewing angle improves the monitoring of the emission (eg plasma radiation) over a wider spatial area.
In a housing according to embodiments of the present invention, the first opening can be the attachment point.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the attachment point is integrated in the light guide element. This reduces the complexity of the housing. In embodiments of the present invention, the light guide element and the monitoring device can be integrated in one piece. An advantage thereof is that this ensures good alignment between the monitor device and the light guide element.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise a second opening on the side of the housing opposite the side of the first opening, the second opening being the attachment point.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the housing may have a simple shape. In embodiments of the present invention, it is not necessary to cast the housing into a complex shape. By aligning the first aperture and the second aperture, the radiation entering through the first aperture reaches the monitor device mounted in the corresponding second aperture.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise a protective plate that can be mounted between the first opening and the mounted monitor device and / or mounted before the first opening and the monitor device.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a monitor device is protected against particle contamination from the processing chamber by a protective plate between the monitor device and the first opening in the housing and / or can be mounted before the opening. In the latter case, the gap is between the sheet and the monitor device. This protective plate can, for example, be made of glass or another light-permeable material. It can also be made from a light-impermeable material. In that case, cavities are provided in the protective plate to allow the emission to pass.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention can be an elongated housing that includes a plurality of first openings and mounting points so that emission from the processing chamber can reach a plurality of monitoring devices when mounted on the mounting points of the housing.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that by mounting this type of housing, with a plurality of first openings and mounting points, in a processing chamber, a plurality of monitoring devices can be mounted simultaneously in the processing chamber. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the gas composition can be measured over at least one dimension. With the elongated housing it is possible to measure over the length dimension of the housing. By, for example, placing more than one housing in the processing chamber and placing them in parallel with each other or by making a single housing rotatable about a longitudinal axis, it is also possible to measure in a second dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the housing.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise a gas vent connector. It is an advantage of such embodiments of the present invention that a gas pipe can be connected to the housing via the gas vent connector. This allows the housing to be pressurized with a certain gas (eg argon). By exerting a higher pressure on the inside than on the outside of the housing, fouling of the at least one monitoring device in the housing by particles in the processing chamber (e.g. particles from the sputtering process) can be reduced. By increasing the pressure in the housing, the average free particle route in the housing is reduced.
In a housing according to embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the housing has an opening that can be mounted against an opening in the wall of the processing chamber. This first portion of the housing is sealed from the processing chamber so that when the housing is mounted in the processing chamber with the opening sealed against the opening of the processing chamber, there may be a pressure difference between this first portion of the housing and the processing chamber. The system is then designed so that this pressure difference does not cause gas flow from the inside of the first portion of the housing into the processing chamber.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the pressure in the first portion of the housing is atmospheric (or a pressure that is significantly different from the pressure in the processing chamber) while the pressure in the processing chamber can be low (e.g., a vacuum pressure in the processing room). In embodiments of the present invention, the first portion of the housing may be the complete housing and may have sealing capabilities. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that fibers to the monitor devices can be protected by the first portion of the housing. Because this first part can be connected to an opening in the processing chamber, the fibers can enter directly into the housing through this opening and no expensive feed-through component is required which makes it possible to feed the fibers into the process chamber. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that through the opening in the processing chamber (to which the first portion of the housing is connected) a plurality of fibers can be introduced into the first portion of the housing. Vacuum feed-through components have only a limited number of feed-through fibers and have the disadvantage that it is difficult to add a fiber later. In addition, a pass-through component causes a significant loss in signal intensity, which can be between 10% and 40% of the total signal. As a result, a signal can typically lose about 50% with a double connection (an optical fiber must be connected on both sides of the bushing, with the disadvantage that each connection has a loss) to make the vacuum. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that no feed-through component is required to enter the processing chamber. The fiber can enter directly into the processing chamber through the opening, so that no feed-through component is needed at this location, thereby reducing signal loss. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a direct connection is possible between the monitoring device (e.g., collimator lens) and the processing system (e.g., spectrometer). During operation, the first portion of the housing can be at atmospheric pressure, while vacuum is present in the rest of the processing chamber. The fibers in the first part of the housing are thus protected by the first part of the housing (e.g. against degassing, against direct heat from the processing chamber (e.g. caused by the plasma)). Because the fibers are protected by the first part of the housing, no special shielding (eg a metal shielding) must be provided for the fibers and standard fibers can be used. Additional costs for special shielding are thus prevented thanks to embodiments of the present invention. The diversity of fibers for a total system will thus be smaller when use is made of a housing according to embodiments of the present invention. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that single fibers can be adjusted and replaced without impacting the entire system. It is an advantage that monitoring devices that are not suitable for operating under vacuum conditions or monitoring devices that are not suitable for operating under specific radiation or material and gas fluxes can be positioned in the protected environment of a housing according to embodiments of the present invention.
A housing according to embodiments of the present invention may include a first portion that includes the attachment point for attaching the monitor device and a second portion that includes the first opening. The second part can be attached around or before the first part. The second portion can be shifted in the longitudinal direction and / or rotated relative to the first portion so that, when the housing is mounted in the processing chamber, during processing, the opening in the second portion can be positioned such that emission can reach the monitoring device can be moved away through the first opening or the first opening so that the shielding of the monitoring device is enhanced by the second part.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that, by rotation and / or shifting of the second portion relative to the first portion, emission can reach the monitoring device or shielding can be enhanced. Both the first part and the second part can be cylindrical, which has the advantage that they can easily rotate relative to each other. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that no additional protective plate is required, although it may be present. The second part itself can also serve as a protective plate by moving it to the position in which it protects the monitor devices.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a deposition and / or treatment system comprising a housing according to one of the embodiments of the first aspect, mounted in a processing chamber so that, in operation, the at least a first opening in the housing can reach the emission be oriented so that when a monitor device is mounted in the housing, it has a viewing angle on the emission from within the processing chamber.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that by attaching the housing the at least one monitor device in the housing is correctly mounted in the processing chamber and that the housing can be oriented so that the monitoring device has a viewing angle of the emission from the processing chamber. This can be, for example, a plasma monitor device with a viewing angle on the plasma.
In a deposit and / or treatment system according to embodiments of the present invention, the housing can be mounted such that the first opening can be oriented away from the emission from the processing chamber.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the at least one monitoring device can be protected against damage by depositing the deposit or other particles through the first openings away from the emission (e.g., plasma radiation).
In a deposit and / or treatment system according to embodiments of the present invention, the housing can be mounted in the processing chamber in a translational or rotatable manner.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the emission (e.g., plasma radiation) can be scanned by rotation of the housing. Thus, in embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to measure the emission in a first dimension along the elongated housing and in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension. In addition, in embodiments of the present invention, the housing can be translated or rotated such that the at least one first opening in the housing is directed away from the emission source.
In a deposit and / or treatment system according to embodiments of the present invention, the housing can be mounted such that, in operation, when there is a substrate in the processing chamber, the substrate is located between the emission source and the housing.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the substrate between the emission source (e.g., the plasma) and the housing protects the monitor device against damage from the emission. The emission source can be, for example, a plasma source wherein the radiation from the plasma passes through the substrate and can reach the monitoring device through the substrate.
In an alternative deposition and / or treatment system according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein the housing can be mounted such that, in operation, when a substrate is in the processing chamber, the emission source and the housing are on the same side of the substrate .
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the monitoring device is not affected by direct emission from the emission source (which may, for example, be the plasma or a separate emission source). The measurement may, for example, be intended to evaluate the plasma composition or to evaluate the substrate (which may have a coating on top).
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a measurement system for determining the emission characteristics in a processing chamber. The measuring system comprises: - a housing according to one of the embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the housing can be mounted in the processing chamber, - at least one monitoring device that can be mounted in the housing and adapted for measuring the spectrum of the emission, - a processing system that is adapted to process a measurement signal, e.g. a spectrum, measured by the at least one monitoring device, whereby the physical properties of the emission monitored by the monitoring device are determined.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the physical properties of the emission (e.g., plasma or light source radiation) can be monitored by the monitoring device. In the case of plasma, this can be, for example, the plasma composition by measuring the radiation peaks at specific wavelengths corresponding to energetic shifts of electrons from excitation states in the atomic structure of the resident species in the processing chamber. In the case of a light source, this can be, for example, the spectral interference pattern generated by a * layer on top of the substrate and measured by reflection on or transmission through the substrate.
In a measurement system according to embodiments of the present invention, the processing system can be adapted to process the measurement signals, taking into account the changes in measurement signal caused by the presence of an intermediate substrate.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention to take into account the influence of the intermediate substrate on the measurement signals (e.g., measured spectrum) when determining the physical properties of the emission (e.g., plasma radiation).
In a measuring system according to embodiments of the present invention, the processing system can be adapted to control the position of the housing in the processing chamber.
It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the measurement system can scan the emission by controlling the position of the housing in the processing chamber. The measuring system can therefore measure and process the emission spectrum at a certain location, after which the processing system can change the position of the housing to monitor another part of the radiation.
Specific and preferred aspects of the invention are included in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims can be combined with features of the independent claims and with features of other dependent claims as needed and not merely as explicitly stated in the claims.
These and other aspects of the invention are clearly explained and explained with reference to the embodiment (s) described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a housing comprising a first sealed portion according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a housing comprising a first sealed portion and a light guide element according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a housing comprising a protective cap according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a 3D representation of a housing according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a 3D representation of a housing comprising a gas vent connector according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the cross-section of a housing comprising a light guide element, the light guide element comprising the attachment point, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows the cross section of a housing as in FIG. 6, wherein the housing additionally comprises a shielding portion around the first portion, provided with an opening through which processing light can enter the housing, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows the cross section of a housing as in FIG. 6, wherein the housing additionally comprises a shielding portion that does not completely surround the first portion, provided with an opening through which protective light can enter the housing, a glass being present in the opening of the shielding portion, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows the cross section of a housing as in FIG. 7, wherein the housing additionally comprises a light guide element mounted in the opening of the shielding portion, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 10 schematically shows a plasma deposition and / or treatment system comprising a housing according to embodiments of the present invention, positioned on the opposite side of the substrate relative to the position of the targets. FIG. 11 schematically shows a plasma deposition and / or treatment system comprising a housing according to embodiments of the present invention, positioned on the same side of the substrate with respect to the position of the targets. FIG. 12 shows a measurement system according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a hollow bolt for overcoming light when used in a housing according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 14 shows a measurement system in which the fibers from monitoring devices leave the processing chamber with the aid of a feed-through component, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 15 shows a measurement system in which a first portion of the housing has an opening that is sealed against an opening in the processing chamber, according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 16 shows a measuring system as in FIG. Wherein the housing further comprises a second portion comprising a vent connector, according to embodiments of the present invention.
The drawings are only schematic and are not limitative. In the drawings, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and not drawn to scale.
All reference marks in the claims may not be interpreted as limiting the objective.
In the various drawings, the same reference characters refer to the same or analogous elements.
Detailed description of illustrative embodiments
The present invention is described with respect to specific embodiments and with reference to certain drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto but exclusively to the claims. The described drawings are only schematic and not restrictive. In the drawings, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and not drawn to scale. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions for putting the invention into practice.
The terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims are used to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, whether temporary, spatial, in arrangement or in any other way. It should be understood that the terms thus used are interchangeable under appropriate conditions and that the embodiments of the invention described herein may operate in sequences other than those described or illustrated herein.
Moreover, the terms above, below and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms thus used are interchangeable under appropriate conditions and that the embodiments of the invention described herein may operate in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.
It should be mentioned that the term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being limited to the meaning given below; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It should therefore be interpreted as specifying for the presence of the listed properties, integers, steps or components referred to, but closes the presence or addition of one or more other properties, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof, not off. The meaning of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should therefore not be limited to devices consisting solely of components A and B. It means that with regard to the present invention the only relevant components of the device are A and B . "
Reference throughout this specification to "one particular embodiment" or "one embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or feature described with respect to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The terms "in one particular embodiment" or "in one embodiment" at various places throughout this specification thus do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but can. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, or features may be combined in any suitable manner, as is apparent to anyone skilled in the art of this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.
Similarly, it should be understood that in the description of characterizing embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for streamlining the disclosure to aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the method of revelation cannot be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than explicitly stated in each claim. As the following claims state, the inventive aspects lie in less than all of the features of a single embodiment disclosed above. Thus, the claims that follow the detailed description are hereby explicitly included in this detailed description, wherein each claim stands on its own as a separate embodiment of the present invention.
Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but no other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are within the scope of the invention and constitute different embodiments, as is apparent to those skilled in the art. . For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.
Various specific details are included in the description provided herein. It should be understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques were not shown in detail in order not to compromise the clarity of this description.
Where in embodiments of the present invention reference is made to a monitoring device, reference is made to a device or part of a device that allows the taking of emission samples in a processing chamber. In embodiments of the present invention, this device or part of the device is protected by a housing. The emission can be, for example, radiation, such as, for example, light radiation or radiation from a plasma. The monitoring device may comprise a light source (e.g. a laser), as well as a detector. In that case, the light source emits radiation through the processing chamber (e.g., through a substrate or reflecting on a substrate) and the detector captures the transmitted or reflected radiation. The monitoring device can be a plasma monitoring device that takes samples of plasma emission, and allows a plasma analyzer to capture such samples to perform an optical analysis of a plasma, e.g. to monitor the composition of the plasma determine. The plasma analyzer may have one or more input ports for receiving samples representative of the composition of the plasma at the location where the sample is taken by the plasma monitor device. The monitoring device may comprise a light source and a detector. The detector samples can be collected by a spectral analyzer which can, for example, perform an optical analysis of a substrate, a coating or a combination of both; e.g., to determine a layer property of the substrate or a film deposited on the substrate. The analyzer may have one or more input ports for receiving samples representative of the substrate or film at the location where the sample was taken by the monitoring device. Such a monitoring device may, for example, be a lens for capturing the radiation emitted by the plasma or the light source or a lens in combination with a collimator. The lens may, for example, have a diameter between 3 and 25 mm, for example 6 mm. In embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring device may comprise a laser and a corresponding detector, for example for thickness or presence detection. The monitoring device may, for example, also be a Hall probe for detecting electrical or magnetic properties. The monitoring device may, for example, also be a spectrometer or an electronic probe or an electromagnetic radiation sensor or a part of one of these (more specifically the part protected by the housing).
In yet another prior art system, specific spectral radiation can be introduced into the system and a detection system monitors whether absorption or excitation occurs at specific wavelengths. This configuration can enable the definition of specific properties of the species located between the radiation source and detection monitor.
Where in embodiments of the present invention reference is made to the first opening, reference is made to the opening through which emission from the processing chamber can reach the monitoring apparatus. This opening can be located in a first part of the housing and / or in a second part of the housing.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a housing 100 for mounting at least one monitor device 150 in a processing chamber. The housing 100 is or comprises an elongate element, for example an extrusion profile or more than one extrusion profile if the housing comprises more than one part, with any suitable cross-sectional shape, for example, but not limited to, a square or rectangular cross-section.
In embodiments of the present invention, the length of the housing is between 0.5 and 5 m, for example between 1 and 4 m. The size of the cross-section of the housing 100 can be, for example, between 30 x 30 mm and 150 x 150 mm. The thickness of the material of the housing can be, for example, between 1 and 10 mm. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the housing 100 is inflexible to deformation, for example due to torsional force.
The housing 100 is shaped so that it can be mounted in a process or vacuum chamber.
The housing is shaped such that at least one, or possibly a plurality of, monitoring devices can be mounted in the housing in the longitudinal direction of the housing (direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1). When equipped with one monitoring device, the emission spectrum can be measured at one location; when the housing 100 is equipped with a plurality of monitoring devices, the emission can be measured along one dimension. In embodiments of the present invention, between 2 and 60, preferably between 5 and 25, for example, 15 monitor devices can be mounted in a single housing 100. Mounting points 140 or elements can be mounted on (L-profile 140 in FIG. 1) or in (aperture 140 in FIG. 3) the housing 100, to enable mounting of monitor devices 150 on or in the housing 100. In embodiments of the present invention, the distance between the mounting points for mounting the monitor devices is between 5 and 100 cm, preferably between 10 and 50 cm, for example approximately 30 cm. In embodiments of the present invention, a mounting point 140 may be an opening in the housing into which the monitoring device 150 may be mounted, e.g., by screws. In that case, the wall of the housing 100 is preferably thick enough so that threads can be drawn into the cavity forming the attachment point 140. The thickness of the housing 100 can be, for example, about millimeters. In embodiments of the present invention, the housing 100 is made of rigid material, for example, metal, such as aluminum. It is an advantage of aluminum housings that they have a limited weight and high mechanical strength.
In embodiments of the present invention, the housing 100 may have a first portion 102. The first portion 102 has an opening 1510 that can be sealed against an opening 1420 in a processing chamber. Other openings 110 in the first portion 102 are sealed such that an atmospheric pressure may be present on the outside of the processing chamber and on the inside of the first portion 102 of the housing 100 while at the same time a vacuum is present in the processing chamber. The pressure difference between the inside of the first portion 102 of the housing 100 and the inside of the processing chamber does not result in a gas flow between them. In embodiments of the present invention, the first portion 102 of the housing corresponds to the entire housing 100. The openings 110 may, for example, be sealed with a glass 115 so that light can still enter the housing 100 through the opening 110. It glass 115 can, for example, be secured with an o-ring 117 that can be fitted in the cavity 110. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a characterizing embodiment of a housing according to the present invention comprising sealed first portion 102 of the housing 100. In this case, the first portion 102 the entire housing. In the example, a monitoring device 150 is mounted on the attachment point 140, which in this case is an L-profile, mounted on an inner wall of the first sealed portion 102. A longitudinal cross-section of such a housing is shown in FIG. 15. One end 1520 of the housing is closed, and the other end 1510 of the housing is mounted against an opening in the wall of the processing chamber. FIG. 2 shows the cross section of a housing 100 according to alternative embodiments of the present invention. The housing includes a first sealed portion 102, and a further portion 1610 adjacent to the first sealed portion. The further portion 1610 need not be a sealed portion, but it may. The first sealed portion 102 includes an opening 110 sealed with a glass 115 and an o-ring. In the illustrated example, a monitor device 150 is mounted on the attachment point 140, which in this case is an L-profile, mounted on an inner wall of the first sealed portion 102. FIG. 2 also shows a first opening 110a in the further portion 1610, in which light guide element 160 is mounted. In this example, the light guide element 160 is a perforated bolt. The first openings 110a, 110, and the monitor device are positioned and aligned so that radiation from the processing chamber can reach the monitor device through the first openings 110.
In embodiments of the present invention, lenses and / or collimators can be mounted in the housing such as the monitor devices 150. Thus, the lens is located on the inside of the housing 100, and with an optical fiber 190, collected light can be conducted from the processing chamber 1010 (see FIG. 10) to an input port of an optical analyzer, e.g., a plasma analyzer, e.g., a spectrometer. The optical fiber can be connected to the monitor device 150 by, for example, an SMA connector 195 (see, for example, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).
In specific embodiments of the present invention, the housing has a rectangular (or square) cross section. An example thereof is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this characterizing embodiment, at least a first aperture 110 is provided on one side of the housing and the at least one mounting point 140 (hereinafter referred to as a second aperture) for mounting the at least one monitor device 150 is on the opposite side of the housing 100. The first openings 110 and second openings 140 are facing each other. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the first opening 110 and the second opening 140 can be easily aligned, e.g. through both cavities simultaneously through opposite sides of the housing.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 100 may include a protective cap 120 that can be mounted on or against the housing 100 on the side of the mounting points 140. This protective cap 120 protects the rear of the one or more monitor devices 150 emerging from the housing 100 stitches and the attached optical fibers 190 against coating or exposure during the deposition or treatment process. In the characterizing embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the protective cap 120 has a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section. The size of the cross-section of the housing 100 in this exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be in the range between 20 x 20 mm and 200 x 200 mm, and can be, for example, about 50 x 50 mm. The thickness of the material of the housing can for instance be between 1 and 10 mm, for example approximately 4 mm. In embodiments of the present invention, the housing 100 (possibly including the protective cap 120) may comprise, for example, a profile or a plurality of profiles made by extrusion.
In embodiments of the present invention, a protective plate 185 may be mounted between the first opening 110 and the monitor device 150. In embodiments of the present invention, the protective plate is made of transparent material, such as, for example, glass. The sheet can be moved when it is dirty so that a clean portion of the protective plate is brought before the lens. An example of a protective plate 185 is also shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In this characterizing embodiment, it is a protective glass plate that can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the housing 100. The protective plate can be mounted against the housing using an L-profile 180. FIG. 3 also shows a light guide element in the form of a bolt 160 according to embodiments of the present invention. A tube can also be used instead of a bolt, but the bolt is advantageous in that it is easy to install and replace. The bolt 160 (or generally the light guide element) is mounted in the first opening 110 in the housing 100. This can be done, for example, by screwing the bolt into the first opening 110, for example with the aid of a bolt key or double-hex key. The bolt 160 has a cavity 170 through the bolt, in the longitudinal direction thereof. The bolt 160 is therefore a hollow bolt. The collimator lens 150 is mounted in the second aperture 140. Both the lens 150 and the bolt 160 are mounted relative to each other such that radiation from the processing chamber entering the housing 100 falls through the cavity 170 in the bolt 160 onto the lens 150 . In embodiments of the present invention, the focal point of the lens 150 may be located somewhere in the cavity 170, for example, in the center of the smallest portion of the cavity 170 of the bolt 160. From the focal point further toward the outside of the housing 100 on the side of the first opening 110 can increase the diameter of the cavity 170 in the bolt 160. The increase in diameter of the cavity 170 can be continuous or stepwise. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the diameter of the cavity 170 in the bolt 160 increases stepwise. The number of steps can vary from 1 to 20 steps, for example from 2 to 5 steps, and can for example be 3 steps. The diameter of the cavity 170 and the location of the focal point of the lens 150 determine the area that can be viewed by the lens 150. In embodiments of the present invention, the space between the mounting points 140 for the monitor devices 150 is selected based on the area that is viewed by one monitor device so that the total viewing area is maximized.
In embodiments of the present invention, the housing can also be sealed by closing the cavities in the light guide elements 160 (e.g., bolts) by means of a glass seal.
In embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 13, a plurality of cavities 171,172,173 are drilled into the bolt 160, the cavities having end points as end points located on opposite sides of the bolt, the opposite sides referred to herein being the opposite sides along the longitudinal direction of the bolt. The cavities are drilled such that when the bolt is mounted in the housing, the cavities intersect at the focal point of the corresponding lens 150 mounted in the housing 100. The advantage of such a configuration is that it is difficult for coating material to reach the lens, while at the same time radiation from different angles can easily reach the lens through the multitude of cavities. FIG. 3 shows an optical fiber 190 connected to the collimator lens 150. This optical fiber 190 is curved and is guided to the end of the housing 100, where it leaves the housing 100 to be guided to an input port of the plasma analyzer. With a plurality of monitor devices 150, e.g., lenses, a plurality of fibers 190 can be guided to the end of the housing 100.
Therefore, it is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the fibers are protected by the protective cap 120. Moreover, they are held together by the protective cap 120, which is advantageous because in this way they cannot disrupt the deposition or treatment process. FIG. 4 shows a cut-away 3D representation of the characterizing housing which is also illustrated in FIG. 3. The protective cap 120 is not fully drawn (the side parts are missing, only the rear is shown) to also show the collimator lens 150 and the optical fiber 190. The optical fiber 190 bends to one end of the housing. In front of the collimator lens 150 is a protective plate, for example a protective glass 185, which can be slid in front of the lenses. By shifting the protective plate, e.g., protective glass 185, a clean portion of the protective plate, e.g., glass, is slid for each of the lenses. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the protective plate, e.g., protective glass 185, is mounted by means of an L-profile 180. FIG. 4 also shows the perforated bolt 160 disposed in front of the lens 150 according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a 3D representation of the same housing as in FIG. 3 and in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows one of the two ends of the housing 10O. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing 100 includes a gas vent connector 510 mounted on one end of the housing. The housing 100 can be pressurized by this gas vent connector, for example under Argon pressure. This pressure is a slight overpressure compared to the pressure in the processing chamber and can be controlled by means of a mass flow control unit. The pressure is thereby distributed over the at least a first opening 110 or over the at least one bolt 160 when a bolt is fitted in the first opening 110. Due to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the housing 100, the gas is released from the housing 100 blown or evacuated through the at least a first opening 110 or through the at least one cavity 170 in the at least one light guide element, e.g. bolt 160. This outgoing current prevents sputter material from entering the housing 100. The optimum pressure difference between the inside and outside of the housing 100 is a trade-off between, on the one hand, preventing material (e.g., from the coating process) from entering the housing 100 and, on the other hand, preventing the added gas from depositing or depositing. treatment process.
In embodiments of the present invention, the first opening 110 may be the attachment point. An example thereof is illustrated in FIG. 6. In this embodiment of the present invention, the light guide element 160 and the monitor device 150 are integrated in one piece. Thus, emission can reach the monitor device 150 through the light guide element 160 in the first opening 110 and the housing 100 protects the monitor device from soiling or deterioration due to the process through the light guide element 160. The housing of FIG. 6 comprises a first portion 102 which, in this embodiment of the present invention, is a profile whose cross-section is closed. The profile can, for example, be an extrusion profile. It can be, for example, circular or substantially circular in cross-section. The at least one opening 110 is present in the first section 102 of the profile, which in this case is also the attachment point 140. More openings may be spread along the longitudinal direction. A light guide element 160 may be provided in these openings which, in this embodiment, is integrated in one piece together with the monitor device 150. This light guide element has a cavity 170 through which light (e.g. from the plasma) can be led to a monitoring device. The monitoring device can be, for example, the optical fiber 190 in combination with a lens. A glass 115 can be mounted in the light guide element 160. This glass can be a lens for focusing the incoming light into the optical fiber 190. This glass or this lens can be attached by means of o-rings, glue or on any another suitable manner such that leakage through the cavity 170 is prevented. The optical fiber can be connected to the monitor device 150 by means of, for example, an SMA connector 195.
By mounting the monitor devices 150 in the openings 110, the inner space of the first portion 102 can be sealed off from the inside of the processing chamber. In this way, the inner space of the first portion 102 can be maintained at a pressure different from, for example, higher than, the pressure in the surrounding processing chamber. In operation, an atmospheric pressure can be maintained in this first portion 102. A vacuum may be present on the outside of the first portion 102 (in the processing chamber). FIG. 7 shows the cross-section of a similar housing as the housing in FIG. 6. The housing in FIG. 7 additionally includes a second portion 1610, also described as shielding portion 1610. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shielding portion 1610 is a profile that can be mounted around the first portion 102. The shielding portion 1610 can move, e.g. the longitudinal direction with respect to the first part 102 and / or can be rotated with respect to the first part 102. The shifting and / or rotation can be carried out with one or more actuators (e.g. by means of a motor). By positioning the shielding portion 1610 relative to the first portion 102, a first opening 110a in the shielding portion can be positioned in line with the cavity 170 so that radiation from the processing chamber can reach the monitor apparatus 150 or the first opening 110a can be moved away so that the cavity 170 is shielded by the shielding portion 1610 depending on the requirements. The shielding portion 1610 has the same function as the protective plate 185 in FIG. 4. In embodiments of the present invention, the shielding portion 1610 may have a circular or substantially circular cross-section, in other embodiments it may have flat side walls, e.g., may be rectangular or square in cross-section. When the shielding portion encloses a volume, a vent connector may be provided on the shielding portion 1610 through which the encapsulated volume can be pressurized to prevent particles from entering the volume.
In the characterizing embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the shielding portion 1610 is illustrated as containing only a portion of the shielding portion of FIG. 7. It can effectively consist of only one such portion, or it can be a substantially completely closed (except for one or more openings 110a) envelope shielding portion. In this embodiment, a transparent object such as a glass 115a is positioned in the first opening 110a of the shielding portion 1610, which protects the monitor device from contamination.
In the characterizing embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, a light guide element 160a is provided in the first opening 110a of the shielding portion 1610 to protect the monitor device from contamination. Instead of being arranged before the first portion 102, in this example, the second portion (the shielding portion) 1610 is disposed around the first portion 102. This has constructional advantages. For example, it is not only possible to make a first portion 102 and a second portion 1610 that can slide relative to each other, but it is also possible to make a first portion 102 and a second portion 1610 so that the second portion 1610 can rotate around the first part 102 or vice versa.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a deposition and / or treatment system 1000 comprising a housing 100 in a processing chamber 1010. The housing is mounted in the processing chamber. For example, the ends of the housing 100 can be mounted against opposite walls in the processing chamber. The housing 100 can be sealed so that different pressures can be applied to the inside of this housing compared to the pressure in the processing chamber. For example, a higher pressure, e.g., atmospheric pressure, may be applied to the inside of the housing 100, while a lower pressure, e.g., vacuum, may be applied to the processing chamber.
The deposition and / or treatment system may, for example, be a plasma deposition and / or treatment system (e.g., a sputtering arrangement). The housing 100 can be mounted in the processing chamber in parallel with a target 1020. This is in the longitudinal direction of the processing chamber 1010 (examples thereof are illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11). FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show a plasma deposition and / or treatment system 1000. The plasma deposition and / or treatment system comprises a housing 100 according to embodiments of the present invention mounted in a processing chamber 1010. In the processing chamber 1010, targets 1020 are arranged. . The figures are schematic drawings of an operational plasma deposition and / or treatment system. A substrate 1030 moves through the processing chamber 1010 during a coating or treatment process.
The housing 100 may, for example, be mounted in the chamber on the side opposite the sputtering targets relative to the substrate moving through the chamber (e.g., a glass substrate). The housing 100 can be oriented such that the lenses 150 look through the substrate at the radiation (e.g., plasma, this is illustrated in FIG. 10).
The housing 100 can alternatively also be mounted on the same side of the substrate 1030 as the sputtering targets. In that case, the housing 100 is oriented such that, during sputtering, the sputtering direction is away from the monitor device. An illustration thereof is shown in FIG. 11. The monitoring device 150 is located inside the housing 100 and can monitor the radiation (e.g., plasma) through a first opening in the housing. Depending on the exact positioning of the monitor device, the spot defined by the aperture 110 and the attachment point 140 may have an angle along the length of the housing that varies from perpendicular to the main deposition direction to parallel to the main deposition direction. It is an advantage of some embodiments of the present invention that the sputtering direction is away from the monitor device 150 because it can reduce the soiling of the monitor device. In embodiments of the present invention where the monitoring device 150 is on the same side of the substrate 1030, the monitoring device can directly observe the radiation or can observe the radiation upon reflection of the radiation against the substrate. The reflective arrangement may be advantageous in terms of damage to the monitor device by the active process (e.g., sputtering). The reflective arrangement may, however, require compensation of the measured signal for the changes to the signal caused by the reflection itself. FIG. 11 also shows an embodiment where a first housing 100a is mounted on one side of the substrate and a second housing 100b is mounted on the opposite side of the substrate. A light source may be provided in the first housing 100a, while a detector may be provided in the second housing 100b. The light from the light source passes through the substrate before reaching the detector. Therefore, changes in the substrate that cause a variation in the spectrum of the light emitted by the light source and transmitted through the substrate can be detected by the detector in the second housing.
In embodiments of the present invention, the first housing 100a and the second housing 100b may both be located on the same side of the substrate. This may, for example, be useful for measuring the spectral change in the light generated by a light source and reflected on a substrate or coating. The at least one light source is located in a first housing and the at least one detector is located in the second housing. Such an arrangement may, for example, be advantageous in a configuration in which a flexible substrate (e.g., plastic film) is wound on a drum and receives a coating or treatment. Although the substrate is on the drum, it is not physically possible to position two housings on opposite sides of the substrate.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a first housing 100a may contain one or more light sources, and a second and third housing may be present on opposite sides of the hot substrate. This can be introduced for simultaneous measurement of the transmission and reflection of a sample that passes at a specific position. Instead of a light source and detector, any other monitor device or combination of monitor devices can be integrated into the housings.
In embodiments of the present invention, a housing 100 may be present on both sides of the substrate 1030. In that case, measured signals on one side may be used to compensate measured signals on the other side. Deterioration of the monitor devices and the influence of the intermediate substrate can be compensated.
The housing 100 can be mounted such that it can be oriented in different directions in different. The first aperture 110 may, for example, be oriented towards the radiation for performing a measurement of the radiation, and may be oriented away from the radiation for protection of the monitoring device 150. The housing 100 may be moved in a translatable or rotatable manner mounted, the axis of rotation being in the longitudinal direction of the housing. By rotation, the radiation (e.g. the plasma composition) can be monitored over two dimensions; the first dimension along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100, the second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension. By arranging the housing 100 in a rotational manner, the first opening (s) 110 can be rotated away when no contamination is expected. For example, in the case of sputtering, when a substrate is present between the plasma monitor device (s) 150 and the sputtering target. This prevents material sputtering on the monitor device (s) 150, which reduces contamination of the monitor device (s) 150 (e.g., lenses). An example thereof is illustrated in FIG. 10. The housing 100 is mounted on the back of the substrate 1030 so that the monitor devices 150 see the radiation (e.g., plasma) through the substrate 1030. By rotating the housing 100, the radiation can be monitored over a wider area than would be the case are with a fixed housing. During radiation monitoring, the monitor device 150 is protected by the housing 100, by the bolt 160 and by the substrate 1030. In the characterizing embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, the housing 100 can rotate away when no substrate 1030 is present to protect the monitor device 150 from contamination by the sputtering process.
In embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of housings 100 can be mounted in parallel with each other. This allows determination of the radiation (e.g., plasma composition) in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the housing.
The at least one optical fiber 190 connected to the monitor device 150 is curved and guided to one end of the housing 100. There can be a multitude of fibers. A flange may be used to connect them to an optical fiber outside the processing chamber (e.g., a KF 40 flange). The flange can have optical connectors on both sides to which a fiber can be connected. From one side of the other, this can be a direct feed-through 1410. Multiplication is also possible. Therefore, a light guide element, e.g., a prism, mirror, or moving / rotating fiber, can be used to transfer the signal from one fiber to another fiber. By changing the position of the light guide element (e.g. prism, mirror or moving fiber) relative to the solid fibers, a different connection between fibers can be made. The number of spectrometers can be reduced by multiplication to the detriment of the measuring time. For example, with 16x1 multiplication, 16 input channels are multiplied on one output channel. The measurement time is thereby increased by a factor of 16; however, the number of spectrometers required is reduced by a factor of 16. For slowly varying systems, multiplication can be allowed and has the advantage that fewer spectrometers are needed. Each of the different input channels is, for example, connected to a lens that monitors the radiation (e.g., plasma) at a different location.
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a measurement system 1200 for determining the composition of the radiation (e.g., the plasma) in a processing chamber. The measuring system comprises a housing 100 that can be mounted in the processing chamber. The housing 100 can be sealed in a sealing manner where it is present in the processing chamber, so that different pressures can exist inside and outside the housing 100; such as, for example, atmospheric pressure in the housing 100 and vacuum pressure in the processing chamber outside the housing 100. The measuring system 1200 furthermore comprises at least one monitoring device 150 which can be mounted in the housing 100. The measuring system furthermore comprises a processing system 1210 adapted for processing the measuring signals. (e.g., measured spectrum) whereby physical properties of the radiation (e.g., plasma) monitored by the monitoring device 150 are determined (see, for example, the measurement system illustrated in FIG. 12).
The monitoring device 150 may, for example, monitor an optical signal, for example the spectrum of the optical signal between 350 nm and 1000 nm.
The physical properties may be the gas composition (e.g., the partial pressure) of the various gases present in the processing chamber. In embodiments of the present invention, the processing system is configured to obtain the partial pressures of all gases in the processing chamber at different locations in the processing chamber.
In embodiments of the present invention, the processing system 1210 is configured to check if a different composition or leakage is present in the processing chamber 1010. This can be done based on the changes in partial pressure of the gases in the processing chamber.
By monitoring and time stamping the variations of the partial pressure obtained by the processing system 1210, a log of these variations can be followed. In embodiments of the present invention, these variations can be followed by different positions in the processing chamber 1010. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the quality of the deposited layer can be compared to the composition of the gas in the processing chamber during sputtering .
In embodiments of the present invention where the radiation (e.g., plasma) is viewed through the glass substrate, the measured spectrum is not the spectrum of the radiation po itself, but the spectrum of the radiation affected by the partially sputtered glass substrate.
In embodiments of the present invention, the analysis of the measurement signals (e.g., measured spectrum) is performed by the processing system 1210 taking into account the fact that a substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) is present, e.g., between the measuring device and the radiation. To determine the composition of the radiation (e.g., plasma) based on the measurement signals (e.g., measured spectrum), an analysis is required of the measurement signals that neutralize the influence of the substrate. This influence can even change during sputtering by the sputtered coating on the substrate 1030. One possibility is to determine the ratio between predetermined peaks in the spectrum. In embodiments of the present invention, the processing system is configured to perform an analysis of the ratio of peaks. When the ratio between predetermined peaks changes (e.g., the ratio between oxygen and argon peaks), this may be due to a change in gas composition. A large reduction in the strength of certain spectral peaks or a general intensity can indicate fouling of the lens.
In embodiments of the present invention, the processing system is configured to take into account the influence of the substrate 1030 (e.g., glass substrate) at each wavelength of the spectrum when evaluating the measured spectrum. The influence of the substrate can be determined in advance (eg by calibration measurements).
In embodiments of the present invention, the angle at which the housing 100 is rotated can be controlled by the processing system 1210. The processing system 1210 can therefore change the rotation angle, after a measurement, and do so until the radiation is scanned through the housing over the area that can be scanned by the housing.
In embodiments of the present invention, the processing system is adapted to control various parameters of the process to adjust the conditions depending on the measurements. This can be, for example, the gas supply of the different gases based on the measured gas composition or the magnetic field strength of a microwave system based on the reflection or transmission measurement of the coated / treated substrate. It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that the closed loop control of a process parameter (e.g., the gas composition, magnetic field strength, pumping capacity, plasma power) is possible. FIGs. 14, 15 and 16 show measurement systems according to embodiments of the present invention.
In the characterizing embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 14, the fibers from the monitor devices 150 leave the processing chamber with the aid of a feed-through component 1410. These fibers are connected to a spectrometer and processing system 1210. The feed-through component 1410 closes the hole 1420 in the wall of the processing chamber so that a vacuum can be created in the processing chamber. processing chamber while the outside of the processing chamber is at atmospheric pressure. The housing 100 may be, for example, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 3, with a first opening 140 for mounting a monitor device 150 and a second opening 110 in line therewith for mounting a light guide element 160. In this example, a gas vent connector 510 is mounted in the housing 100.
In the characterizing embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 15, a first end 1510 of the housing 100 is open. This end is arranged against the opening 1420 in the wall of the processing chamber, and sealed from the inside of the processing chamber. The second end 1520 of the housing is closed. The other openings in the housing 110 are sealed such that a vacuum can be created in the processing chamber while the outside of the processing chamber as well as the inside of the housing 100 is at atmospheric pressure. The housing 100 may, for example, be a housing as illustrated in FIG. 1. The connection of the housing 100 to the opening 1420 can be realized by any known means of the prior art; such as hoses, bellows, pipes or the like or a combination thereof, both rigid and flexible.
In the characterizing embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in FIG. 16, a first end 1510 of a first portion 102 of the housing 100 is open. This end is mounted against the opening 1420 in the wall of the processing chamber and sealed from the inside of the processing chamber. The second end 1520 of the first portion 102 of the housing is closed. The other openings in the first portion 102 of the housing 110 are sealed such that a vacuum can be created in the processing chamber while the outside of the processing chamber as well as the inside of the first portion 102 of the housing 100 is at atmospheric pressure. The housing 100 may, for example, be a housing as illustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. 7. The housing 100 further comprises a second portion 1610, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a vent connector 510 according to embodiments of the present invention. Particles can be prevented from entering the second portion 1610 by applying overpressure to this second portion 1610 through the vent connector 510. Fouling of elements (e.g., glass elements, lenses) in the first portion 102 and in the second portion 1610 is therefore prevented.

权利要求:
Claims (15)
[1]
Conclusions
A housing (100) for mounting a monitor device (150) in a processing chamber, the housing comprising a first opening (110) and a mounting point (140) adapted for mounting a monitoring device (150), the first opening (110) and the mounting point (140) are positioned so that, when the monitoring device (150) is mounted in the housing (100) at the mounting point (140), and when the housing (100) is mounted in the processing chamber during processing, emission from the processing chamber can reach the monitoring device (150) through the first opening (110) and so that the housing (100) protects the monitoring device from contamination or deterioration caused by the process, the housing (100) being adapted to, during processing, to maintain a pressure on its inside that is significantly different from the pressure in the processing chamber.
[2]
The housing (100) of claim 1, comprising a light guide element (160) mounted in the first opening (110) in the housing (100), the light guide element (160) being hollow in its longitudinal direction and when a monitor device ( 150) is mounted in the housing, emission from the processing chamber the monitoring device can reach through the light guide element.
[3]
The housing (100) of claim 2, wherein the light guide element is a bolt (160) with a cavity (170) in its longitudinal direction.
[4]
The housing (100) of any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the first opening (110) is the attachment point (140).
[5]
The housing (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, the housing comprising a second opening (140) on the housing side opposite the first opening (110) side with the second opening (140) attachment point (140).
[6]
Housing (100) according to any of the preceding claims, the housing (100) comprising a protective plate (185) that can be mounted between the first opening (110) and the mounted monitor device (150) or which can be mounted before the first opening (110) and the monitor device (150).
[7]
The housing (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (100) is an elongated housing comprising a plurality of first openings (110) and attachment points (140) so that emission from the processing chamber can accommodate a plurality of monitor devices (150) when mounted on the mounting points (140) of the housing (100).
[8]
The housing (100) according to any of the preceding claims, the housing comprising a vent connector (510).
[9]
Housing (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least a first portion (102) of the housing has an opening (1510) that can be arranged against an opening in the wall of the processing chamber and wherein said first portion ( 102) of the housing (100) is sealed from the processing chamber so that when the housing (100) is mounted in the processing chamber with the opening (1510) sealed against the opening of the processing chamber, a pressure difference may be present between this first portion ( 102) of the housing and the processing chamber and so that this pressure difference does not result in a gas flow from the inside of the first portion (102) of the housing into the processing chamber.
[10]
The housing (100) of any preceding claim, the housing comprising a first portion (102) that includes the mounting point (140) for mounting the monitor device (150) and a second portion (1610) that includes the first aperture ( 110a), wherein the second portion (1610) can be mounted around or before the first portion (102) and wherein the second portion can be shifted in the longitudinal direction and / or rotated relative to the first portion such that when the housing (100) is mounted in the processing chamber, during processing, the opening (110a) in the second portion (1610) can be positioned such that emission can reach the monitoring device (150) through the first opening (110a) or the first opening (110a) ) can be moved away so that the shielding of the monitor device (150) is improved by the second portion (610).
[11]
A deposit and / or treatment system (1000) comprising a housing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, mounted in a processing chamber (1010) so that, in operation, the at least one first opening (110) can be inserted into the housing oriented towards the emission so that when a monitor device (150) is mounted in the housing, it has a viewing angle of the emission from within the processing chamber.
[12]
A deposit and / or treatment system (1000) according to claim 11, wherein the housing (100) is arranged in the processing chamber in a translatable or rotatably movable manner.
[13]
A deposit and / or treatment system (1000) according to any of claims 11 or 12, wherein the housing (100) is mounted such that, in operation, when a substrate (1030) is present in the processing chamber (1010), the substrate (1030) is located between the emission source and the housing (100), or the emission source and the housing (100) are on the same side of the substrate (1030).
[14]
A measuring system (1200) for determining emission characteristics in a processing chamber (1010), the measuring system comprising: - a housing (100) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, wherein the housing can be placed in the processing chamber (1010) - at least one monitoring device (150) that can be mounted in the housing (100) and is adapted to measure the emission spectrum, - a processing system (1210) adapted to process a measurement signal measured by the at least one monitoring device (150), whereby physical properties of the emission monitored by the monitoring device (150) are determined.
[15]
The measurement system (1200) according to claim 14, wherein the processing system (1210) is adapted to control the position of the housing in the processing chamber (1010).

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同族专利:

公开号 | 公开日

EP3200218A1|2017-08-02|

BE1023953A1|2017-09-19|

引用文献:

公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题

US7833381B2|2005-08-18|2010-11-16|David Johnson|Optical emission interferometry for PECVD using a gas injection hole|

US20080099437A1|2006-10-30|2008-05-01|Richard Lewington|Plasma reactor for processing a transparent workpiece with backside process endpoint detection|

US20080110569A1|2006-11-09|2008-05-15|Go Miya|Plasma etching apparatus and plasma etching method|

DE102010027224A1|2010-07-15|2012-01-19|Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH|Electrode for generating a plasma, plasma chamber with this electrode and method for in situ analysis or in-situ processing of a layer or the plasma|

GB201212540D0|2012-07-13|2012-08-29|Uab Electrum Balticum|Vacuum treatment process monitoring and control|CN108711546B|2018-04-28|2019-07-23|武汉华星光电技术有限公司|Lower electrode and dry etcher|

法律状态:
2018-01-10| FG| Patent granted|Effective date: 20170920 |

2020-08-21| PD| Change of ownership|Owner name: SOLERAS ADVANCED COATINGS BV; BE Free format text: DETAILS ASSIGNMENT: CHANGE OF OWNER(S), CESSION; FORMER OWNER NAME: SOLERAS ADVANCED COATINGS BVBA Effective date: 20200512 |

优先权:

申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

EP16153544.8A|EP3200218A1|2016-01-31|2016-01-31|Monitoring device in a vacuum environment|

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