Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a change in an intensity of light emission from plasma formed inside a processing chamber; and a unit configured to adjust conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber using an output from the detector, wherein the detector detects a signal of the intensity of light emission at plural time instants before an arbitrary time instant during processing, and wherein the adjusting unit removes the component of a temporal change of a long cycle of the intensity of light emission from this detected signal and detects the component of a short temporal change of the intensity of light emission, and adjusts the conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber based on the short temporal change of the detected intensity of light emission.

Abstract: A plasma processing method of processing layer structure previously formed on an upper surface of a wafer disposed in a processing chamber within a vacuum container and having a layer to be processed and an undercoating layer disposed under the layer by plasma in the processing chamber, includes a step of calculating an etching amount of the layer to be processed at time during processing of any wafer by using result of comparing real pattern data with detection pattern data obtained by combining two patterns of intensity having as parameter wavelength of interference light obtained by processing the layer structure containing three or more undercoating layers having different thickness and the layer to be processed in advance of the processing of the any wafer and a real pattern of intensity having as parameter the wavelength of the interference light obtained during processing of the layer structure on the any wafer.

Abstract: A plasma processing device performing etching processing to a sample disposed in a processing chamber disposed in a vacuum vessel by using plasma formed in the processing chamber includes a light detector, a component detector, and a determination unit. The light detector detects light intensity of a plurality of wavelengths from the inside of the processing chamber at a plurality of times during the sample processing. The component detector detects, by using a result of a principal component analysis of time-series data, a highly correlated component between the time-series data of a plurality of the wavelengths at a certain time in a plurality of the times obtained from output of the light detector. The determination unit determines an amount or an end point of the etching processing based on a change in light intensity of at least one of a plurality of the wavelengths detected by using the time-series data from which the highly correlated component is removed.

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes forming plasma in a processing chamber; and performing etching to a film to be processed of a film structure that has previously been disposed on an upper surface of a wafer that includes a plurality of film layers. The film structure includes: a lower film including at least one film layer and a groove structure; and an upper film including at least one film layer that covers an inside and an upper end of the groove structure. The plasma processing method includes: removing the upper film by etching until an upper end of the groove structure of the lower film is exposed; performing etching to a film layer of the upper film inside the groove structure; and determining an end point by using a value of thickness of the film layer inside the groove structure of the lower film upon completion of the removing.

Abstract: A plasma processing method of processing layer structure previously formed on an upper surface of a wafer disposed in a processing chamber within a vacuum container and having a layer to be processed and an undercoating layer disposed under the layer by plasma in the processing chamber, includes a step of calculating an etching amount of the layer to be processed at time during processing of any wafer by using result of comparing real pattern data with detection pattern data obtained by combining two patterns of intensity having as parameter wavelength of interference light obtained by processing the layer structure containing three or more undercoating layers having different thickness and the layer to be processed in advance of the processing of the any wafer and areal pattern of intensity having as parameter the wavelength of the interference light obtained during processing of the layer structure on the any wafer.

Abstract: A processing apparatus and a processing method for a semiconductor wafer, which allow stable end point detection, are provided. In the plasma processing apparatus or method in which a processing-target film layer of a film structure including a plurality of film layers formed in advance on a surface of a wafer mounted on a sample stage deployed within a processing chamber inside a vacuum vessel, by using plasma formed with the processing chamber, intensities of lights of a plurality of wavelengths are detected using data composed of results of reception of lights during a plurality of different time-intervals by an optical receiver which receives lights of the plurality of wavelengths from an inside of the processing chamber while processing is going.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus of processing a wafer disposed in a processing chamber using plasma includes one window, another window, a light receiving unit, a light source, and an optical branching unit which is disposed between the light source and the other window, branches light emitted by the light source to an optical path toward the processing chamber and an optical path in other direction, and reflects light in the processing chamber from the other window, and a detection unit which detects the light having been emitted from the plasma and received by the light receiving unit using one branched light and other branched and reflected light. The apparatus processes the wafer according to a condition for the processing which is adjusted based on a result of the detection.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus which compares a plurality of patterns detected using an interference light intensity pattern using a wavelength from at least one preset film of the plurality of film layers as a parameter and an intensity pattern using a wavelength of light from the other film as a parameter and an light intensity pattern from inside the processing chamber which is detected during processing of the film to be processed; and compares a film thickness corresponding to one of the plurality of patterns having a minimum difference obtained by the comparison and a target film thickness; and determines that the thickness of the film to be processed reaches the target film thickness.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma forming part, a putting stage on which a wafer is put, a bias power supply which supplies high-frequency power to the putting stage and a detection part which detects amounts of positive and negative currents flowing between the bias power supply and the putting stage and a ratio of the positive and negative current amounts, and the plasma processing apparatus adjusts formation of the plasma or the plasma processing condition of the wafer in accordance with the ratio.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus which compares a plurality of patterns detected using an interference light intensity pattern using a wavelength from at least one preset film of the plurality of film layers as a parameter and an intensity pattern using a wavelength of light from the other film as a parameter and an light intensity pattern from inside the processing chamber which is detected during processing of the film to be processed; and compares a film thickness corresponding to one of the plurality of patterns having a minimum difference obtained by the comparison and a target film thickness; and determines that the thickness of the film to be processed reaches the target film thickness.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a change in an intensity of light emission from plasma formed inside a processing chamber; and a unit configured to adjust conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber using an output from the detector, wherein the detector detects a signal of the intensity of light emission at plural time instants before an arbitrary time instant during processing, and wherein the adjusting unit removes the component of a temporal change of a long cycle of the intensity of light emission from this detected signal and detects the component of a short temporal change of the intensity of light emission, and adjusts the conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber based on the short temporal change of the detected intensity of light emission.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method and apparatus for processing a film to be processed contained in a film structure preliminarily formed on an upper surface of a wafer mounted in a processing chamber, by using plasma, a residual film thickness at an arbitrary time is calculated using a result of comparing detective differential waveform pattern data with actual differential waveform pattern data. The detective differential waveform pattern data is produced by using two basic differential waveform pattern data which respectively use, as parameters, residual thicknesses of the films to be processed in film structures having underlying films with different thicknesses and the wavelengths of the interference light. The detective waveform pattern data being preliminarily prepared prior to processing of the wafer. Determination is made as to whether or not an object of the processing has been reached by using the residual film thickness.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a detector for detecting interference light of multiple wavelengths from a surface of a sample during processing, a pattern comparator for comparing actual deviation pattern data on the interference light obtained at a given time during processing and a plurality of standard deviation patterns corresponding to two or more thicknesses of the film, and calculating a deviation, the standard deviation patterns corresponding to interference light data of multiple wavelengths obtained, before the processing of the sample, for processing of another sample, a deviation comparator for comparing the deviation between the data and a predetermined deviation and outputting data on a thickness of the film of the sample at that time, a recorder for recording, as time series data, the data on the thickness of the film, and an endpoint decision unit.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber in which plasma processing is performed; a gas feeding unit which supplied process gas into the processing chamber; a radio-frequency power source which supplies radio-frequency power that turns the process gas fed into the processing chamber to plasma; and a light detector which detects the light emitted from the plasma generated in the process chamber. The light detector includes a detecting unit which detects, during respective preset exposure times, the light emitted from the plasma that is generated due to pulse-modulated radio-frequency power, and a control unit which performs control such that the amount of the light emitted from the plasma during each of the preset exposure times becomes constant.

Abstract: In processing a magnetic film composed for example of Fe, Co or Ni formed on a substrate and a nonvolatile metal containing the same in a vacuum reactor using a plasma generating gas for generating plasma and a gas containing C and O, a power applied to an antenna for generating plasma is time-modulated, wherein the feeding of gas containing C and O to the vacuum reactor is synchronized with the time-modulated antenna power so that the supply of gas containing C and O to the vacuum reactor is suppressed when the antenna power is high and the gas containing C and O is fed to the vacuum reactor when the antenna power is low.

Abstract: In processing a magnetic film composed for example of Fe, Co or Ni formed on a substrate and a nonvolatile metal containing the same in a vacuum reactor using a plasma generating gas for generating plasma and a gas containing C and O, a power applied to an antenna for generating plasma is time-modulated, wherein the feeding of gas containing C and O to the vacuum reactor is synchronized with the time-modulated antenna power so that the supply of gas containing C and O to the vacuum reactor is suppressed when the antenna power is high and the gas containing C and O is fed to the vacuum reactor when the antenna power is low.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for suppressing interference phenomenon on the surface of a sample that deteriorates the detection accuracy upon detecting the time variation of plasma conditions such as plasma space distribution or the processing status of the sample. For example, light scattering element for diffusing and transmitting incident light and a convex lens are arranged on a front stage of an optical fiber light receiving unit connected to a photodetector disposed on an opposite side from the sample for observing the emission of plasma. This serves to prevent the changes in light quantity accompanying the interference effect caused by the changes in thin film thickness on the surface of the sample from reaching the photodetector. An arrangement is also provided to prevent the light scattering element from being directly exposed to the plasma to prevent alteration of the light scattering element.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a detector for detecting interference light of multiple wavelengths from a surface of a sample during processing, a pattern comparator for comparing actual deviation pattern data on the interference light obtained at a given time during processing and a plurality of standard deviation patterns corresponding to two or more thicknesses of the film, and calculating a deviation, the standard deviation patterns corresponding to interference light data of multiple wavelengths obtained, before the processing of the sample, for processing of another sample, a deviation comparator for comparing the deviation between the data and a predetermined deviation and outputting data on a thickness of the film of the sample at that time, a recorder for recording, as time series data, the data on the thickness of the film, and an endpoint decision unit.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided using a method of measuring the thickness of a processed material, by which the actual remaining thickness or etching depth of a processed layer can be correctly measured online.

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus for measuring the etching quantity of the material being processed and detecting the end point of etching using optical interference on the surface of a sample being processed, so as to simultaneously realize long life and ensure sufficient light to be received via a light transmitting unit, to enable long term stable operation and to improve the processing accuracy via accurate etching quantity detection.