SBIR Phase I: Diode-Laser Sensors for Real-Time Control of Semiconductor Processing

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在支持开发用于监测和控制下一代半导体蚀刻工具的实时原位传感器。该传感器是基于超灵敏的二极管激光吸收技术的重要的本地蚀刻产品（HF，DF，CO）的测量。这种新型的传感器系统将以高灵敏度、准确度、速度和特异性原位测量原生蚀刻产物的浓度，从而消除了对辅助蚀刻停止器的需要。这些辅助蚀刻停止层目前用于控制蚀刻过程，增加层电容，从而降低生产中的器件的操作速度。这种传感器系统对下一代蚀刻工具及其工艺能力具有直接的商业影响。该传感器系统提供的实时控制可能会成为行业标准，并成为半导体蚀刻工具市场的关键子组件。应用到其他基于等离子体的工艺工具是该技术的自然延伸，以及扩展到其他应用领域，包括工业过程控制，车辆发动机测试，以及大气和环境监测。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I project proposes to support the development of a real-time, insitu sensor for the monitoring and control of next-generation semiconductor etch tools. The sensor is based on ultrasensitive diode-laser absorption techniques for measurements of important native etch products (HF, DF, CO). This novel sensor system will measure concentrations of native etch products insitu with high sensitivity, accuracy, speed and specificity, eliminating the need for auxiliary etch stoplayers. These auxiliary etch stop layers, which are currently used for control of the etch process, increaselayer capacitance, and hence reduce operating speed of the devices in production.This sensor system has direct commercial impact on the next-generation etch tools and theirprocess capabilities. The real-time control afforded by this sensor system will likely become an industrystandard and become a critical subcomponent of the semiconductor etch tool market. Application toother plasma-based process tools is a natural extension of this technology, as well as extension to otherapplication areas including industrial process control, vehicle engine testing, and atmospheric andenvironmental monitoring.