Correlation of RF impedance with Ar plasma parameters in semiconductor etch equipment using inductively coupled plasma

The correlation of RF impedance with Ar plasma parameters was analyzed in semiconductor etch equipment using inductively coupled plasma. Since the impedance measured by a VI probe installed behind the RF bias matcher had information for plasma and structural parts of chamber simultaneously, the impedance was corrected by excluding transmission line and peripheral parts of the bias substrate. The corrected impedance was compared with plasma parameters, such as plasma density and electron temperature. The coefficient of determination between the corrected plasma resistance and the theoretical formula of the resistance for bulk plasma was over 0.9 unlike the resistance measured by the VI probe. It is expected that the corrected RF impedance can assist in monitoring the status of plasma and maintaining the quality of the etch process in semiconductor mass production lines.

Automated summary

The study analyzed the correlation of RF impedance with Ar plasma parameters in semiconductor etch equipment, finding that the corrected plasma resistance had a coefficient of determination over 0.9 with the theoretical formula for bulk plasma resistance. This suggests that the corrected RF impedance can help monitor plasma status and maintain etch process quality in semiconductor mass production lines.