Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including: a plurality of gas supply nozzles which are provided on a wall surface of a processing container and supply process gas toward the inside of the processing container in a radial direction; N microwave introducing modules of which the number disposed in a circumferential direction of a ceiling plate of the processing container so as to introduce microwaves for generating plasma into the processing container, in which N?2; and M sensors provided on the wall surface of the processing container so as to monitor at least any one of electron density Ne and electron temperature Te of the plasma generated in the processing container, in which M equals to N or a multiple of N.

A sensing device for measuring a plasma process parameter in a plasma chamber for processing workpieces may include a substrate with one or more sensor embedded in the substrate. The substrate can have a surface made of substantially the same material as workpieces that are plasma processed in the plasma chamber. Each sensor can include a collector portion made of substantially the same material as the substrate surface. The collector portion includes a surface that is level with the surface of the substrate. The collector portion is the top surface of the substrate. Sensor electronics are embedded into the substrate and coupled to the collector portion. When the substrate surface is exposed to a plasma one or more signals resulting from the plasma can be measured with the sensor(s).

Methods for thermally calibrating reaction chambers are provided. In some embodiments, methods may include calculating a first correction factor of a first contact type temperature sensor within a first reaction chamber utilizing a first temperature sensor and applying the first correction factor to a first temperature controller to provide a first calibrated contact type temperature sensor. Embodiments may also include calculating a first calibration factor of a first non-contact type temperature sensor within the first reaction chamber utilizing the first calibrated contact type temperature sensor and applying the first calibration factor to the first non-contact type temperature sensor to provide a first calibrated non-contact type temperature sensor.

A method of characterizing a plasma in a plasma processing chamber that includes: sustaining a plasma generated from a process gas in a plasma processing chamber; flowing a probe gas through the plasma processing chamber; obtaining spatially-resolved OES signals at a wavelength of an optical emission line of the probe gas within the plasma processing chamber, signal intensities of the spatially-resolved OES signals being correlated to a plasma parameter of the plasma, the plasma parameter having a spatial distribution within the plasma processing chamber; and based on the spatially-resolved OES signals, constructing a 3D map of OES signals by data fitting of the spatially-resolved OES signals with a computation model; and converting the 3D map of OES signals into a 3D map of the plasma parameter, the 3D map of the plasma parameter including information about the spatial distribution.

An apparatus for diagnostics of neutral radicals in plasma, the apparatus comprising: a portable probe configured to be attached to and extend into a plasma chamber to obtain information from plasma contained in the plasma chamber, the probe comprising a metallic rod configured to be biased with an alternating current voltage applied to the probe to obtain current measurements; a transparent dielectric sleeve having a large bandgap configured to allow light transmission to obtain optical emission spectra from the plasma; and an insulated thermocouple junction provided in the metallic rod, the thermocouple junction configured to measure equilibrium temperature of the probe.

A method of etching exposed silicon on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with a hydrogen-containing precursor. The combination react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove an exposed silicon portion faster than a second exposed portion. The silicon selectivity results from the presence of an ion suppressor positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region. The methods may be used to selectively remove silicon faster than silicon oxide, silicon nitride and a variety of metal-containing materials. The methods may be used to remove small etch amounts in a controlled manner and may result in an extremely smooth silicon surface.

A plasma generation device for generating a plasma comprises a support having a first side and an opposing second side. The support is comprised of a ceramic matrix and a split-ring conductor is embedded in the ceramic matrix. A hermetically sealed via extends from the split-ring conductor to the second side of the support and connects to an electrical supply. A ground plane is formed on the second side of the support. A plasma is generated proximate to the first side of the support, and the support seals to a wall of the chamber such that the first side is exposed to the one or more gases inside the chamber and the second side is isolated from the plasma and the one or more gases inside of the chamber.

In one embodiment, systems and methods include using a Langmuir probe to measure a plasma. The Langmuir probe comprises a housing, wherein the housing comprises an outer diameter and an inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter defines an internal cavity. The Langmuir probe further comprises a plurality of bodies, wherein the plurality of bodies is disposed at least partially within the inner cavity, wherein each of the plurality of bodies comprise a set of internal cavities. The Langmuir probe further comprises a plurality of double Langmuir probes disposed each set of the internal cavities.

To diagnose plasma in a plasma space, a plurality of floating probes are installed at a plurality of points, respectively, in a plasma space. An electron density ratio at each of the points is calculated by measuring a first probe current of each of the floating probes, the probe current including a DC component. A point ion density and a point electron temperature at each of the points are calculated by measuring a second probe current of each of the floating probes before the electron density ratio is calculated, the second probe current excluding the DC component.

A system, a method, and a program for predicting a processing shape formed by a plasma process, including databases for apparatus condition, incident ion, incident radical, actual measurement, material property and surface reaction, as well as a trajectory calculation unit, and a surface shape calculation unit. The trajectory calculation unit calculates the trajectories of the respective ions incident on the surface of the substrate based on information and data obtained from the databases and from measurement data from an on-wafer monitoring sensor. Based on the calculation result by the trajectory calculation unit, the surface shape calculation unit calculates the change of the shape by referring to the data stored in the material property and surface reaction DB.