A substrate processing module includes a process chamber configured to perform a treatment process on a substrate; a transfer chamber provided on a first side of the process chamber, the substrate being transferred between the process chamber and the transfer chamber; an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system provided on a second side of the process chamber and configured to monitor the process chamber; and a reference light source disposed in the transfer chamber and configured to emit a reference light to calibrate the OES system.

The invention provides a system and method for measuring a characteristic of a plasma or a plasma chamber, wherein the plasma chamber has a viewport or a surface which is permeable to electromagnetic radiation such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the plasma in the plasma chamber passes through the viewport, the method comprising providing the antenna of a Radio Emission Spectroscopy, RES, plasma bulk system externally to the plasma chamber to absorb at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation that has passed through the viewport and configured to measure signals in the near-field E- and B-field regions; measuring a first value based on the signal induced in the antenna wherein the signal is obtained from a plurality of powered RF electrodes configured to be independently modulated with one or more power sources; and calculating a second value indicative of a change of magnitude of the characteristic based on a change of magnitude of the first value, wherein the characteristic is plasma power and/or plasma pressure.

Provided is a method for monitoring a plasma-related process in a plasma tool. The method includes measuring data associated with the plasma-related process using a plurality of sensors while executing the plasma-related process on a wafer. Respective data measured by each sensor of the plurality of sensors are input into a respective individual estimation method to output a respective individual wafer state of the wafer, which results in a plurality of individual wafer states. The respective individual estimation method is configured to estimate the respective individual wafer state using at least the respective data. The plurality of individual wafer states is input into an integrated estimation method to output an integrated wafer state of the wafer. The integrated estimation method is configured to estimate the integrated wafer state using at least the plurality of individual wafer states.

A plasma observation system includes a plasma processing apparatus which includes a processing container in which a substrate is processed with plasma, and a plurality of observation windows each capable of observing an emission state of the plasma in the processing container; and a measuring device including a light receiver configured to receive a plurality of light beams intersecting in the processing container through a plurality of observation windows, and a controller configured to specify an observation point of the plasma and determine a state of the plasma at the observation point based on the plurality of light beams received by the light receiver.

A cleaning method includes: supplying a cleaning gas in a processing container while continuously increasing a pressure in the processing container in a stepwise manner at a plurality of time points, thereby executing a cleaning of the processing container by removing a film deposited in the processing container; and detecting an end point of the cleaning based on time-dependent data of a concentration of a predetermined gas generated during the executing the cleaning, for each pressure of the plurality of time points. The executing the cleaning is implemented when the time-dependent data of the concentration of the predetermined gas generated in the continuously increasing the pressure changes from an increasing state to a decreasing state after exceeding a threshold value.

A probe for measuring plasma parameters by means of active plasma resonance spectroscopy comprises an external coupling, a balun, an internal coupling, and a probe head. It is provided that the couplings, the balun, and the probe head are integrated in an electrically-insulating substrate cylinder, and the substrate cylinder has a layered structure made from multiple substrate layers along its rotational axis. In this way, a probe for measuring plasma parameters is provided which enables an improved measurement of the plasma parameters, wherein the plasma is influenced as little as possible during the measurement of the plasma parameters.

A method of operating a plasma tool includes executing a plasma process on a wafer. Data associated with the plasma process are measured using a plurality of sensors while the plasma process is executed on the wafer. The plasma process is terminated at an endpoint time. A post-process fault detection is executed by determining whether a post-process wafer state is within a target range. When the post-process wafer state is outside the target range so that a fault is detected, the fault is corrected using the data associated with the plasma process.

Several designs of a gas distribution device for a substrate processing system are provided. The gas distribution device includes a dual plenum showerhead. Additionally, designs for a light blocking structure used with the showerheads are also provided.

Methods and apparatus leverage dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma to treat samples for surface modification prior to photomask application and for photomask cleaning. In some embodiments, a method of treating a surface with AP plasma includes igniting plasma over an ignition plate where the AP plasma is formed by one or more plasma heads of an AP plasma reactor positioned above the ignition plate, monitoring characteristics of the AP plasma with an optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensor to determine if stable AP plasma is obtained and, if so, moving the AP reactor over a central opening of an assistant plate where the central opening contains a sample under treatment and where the assistant plate reduces AP plasma arcing on the sample during treatment. The AP reactor scans back and forth over the central opening of the assistant plate while maintaining stabilized AP plasma to treat the sample.

A plasma processing apparatus includes; a housing including a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the housing defines a processing region in which plasma is generated, an optical source unit disposed on the first side wall in alignment with the viewing window, wherein the optical source unit is configured to irradiate the processing region with incident light through the viewing window, a reflector disposed on the second side wall of the housing, wherein the reflector reflects a portion of the incident light irradiating the processing region to generate reflected light, a spectrometer configured to receive the reflected light from the reflector through the viewing window and the optical source unit and a controller configured to determine density of the active species gas within the processing region in relation to the incident light and the reflected light.