Invited Paper

Applications of optical emission spectroscopy in plasma

manufacturing systems

George G. Gifford

IBM East Fishkill Facility, B/300-40E

1-lopewell Junction, New York 12533

ABSTRACT

Optical ernissn)n spectroscopy (OES) is an established laboratory diagnostic technique for plasma processes.
By detecting light from the electronic transitions of atoms and molecules it is possible to identify and
monitor the chemical species in a plasma. This technique has been extended to semiconductor manufac-
turing to determine the endpoint of plasma processes. The production of semiconductor devices relies
heavily on plasma etching and deposition processes. Because OES is a fairly simple technique, its use as a
continuous tool and process hionitor has been investigated. Ultimately, this technique could provide imme-
diate feedback for automatic adjustment of individual process parameters. This embodiment has been
referred to as adaptive process control.

2. INTRODUCTION

Recently, the value of OES as a plasma process diagnostic instrument has been demonstrated in manufac-
turing. A low cost, high resolution ( < O.2nm FWIIM) optical emission spectroscopy system was used to
detect process and tool contamination with excellent results. Examples from this system show the advan-
tages of high resolution OES for diagnostics. To determine the simultaneous dynamic behavior of several
process species, a lower resolution photodiode array based system has been used. An example of a moth-
toring and control system developed from the characterization of a manufacturing process will be shown.

3. EXPLANATION

Manufacturing engineers need to ensure that each product wafer going through a process receives, as much
as possible, the same treatment. I ]argely, this requires that the plasma tool functions repeatably and that
each wafer is exposed to the same processing environment. Process uniformity is a measure of the ability to
reproduce this environment over the entire surface of a wafer and process reproducibility is the ability to
achieve the same results from wafer-to-wafer. The processing environment can be characterized not only by
the process and tOOl parameters (chamber pressure, RU power, flow rates, I)C bias, etc.) but also by the
resulting plasma glow.

OhS is a means of characterizing the chemical composition of the plasma. It relies on the de-excitation of
atoms and simple molecules in the plasma to reveal the chemical composition and plasma excitation charac-
teristics. Pach species gives off light at a unique set of wavelengths depending on the energy levels to which
it was originally excited and the energy lcvcl to which it relaxes. Thus, with sufficient spectral resolution and
range, it is possible to observe the light coming from each of these transistions and determine both the iden-
tity of the species, and its excited states in the plasma. Unfortunately, the complexity of the excitation
mechanisms makes it very difficult to quantify the ground state population. Relative changes in concen-
tration are more easily determined. Several exceptions have been noted by J. Coburn (1) and atomic
actinometry can be used with caution in comparing the concentration of an atomic species, like fluorine, to
that of a known quantity of added argon.

Sometimes, residual gas analysis (RGA) is preferred for the study of gas composition and the detection of
impurities because partial pressures can he determined. Two major advantages of OES are that it is a non

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 invasive technique, and that sampling effectively takes place from the process chamber itself rather that at a
sampling port downstream from the wafer. (nce a quartz window has been installed in the wall of the
vacuum chamber a wealth of information about the plasma process is available.

4. APPLICATIONS
4. 1 . Process development

I'hcre are several distinct ways that OES can be used to enhance plasma processes for semiconductor fabri-
cation. In process development efforts, OES can provide a major improvement in process understanding
because it is an in-situ method for studying the process. It can reveal different types of information
depending on the spectral bandwidth of interest and the length of the plasma process step. One use of OES
in both process development and OCC5S monitoring is to study the dynamic behavior of a process. A
photodiode array based system can he used to look at the changing relationship among several species during
a process and to monitor large bandwidths with an effective time resolution of less than 50milliseconds. A
bandwidth of greater than 600nm can be monitored, but with a substantial reduction in resolution. This
type of OES can also be used to study the reproducibility of chemical and plasma changes that occur during
the process. One disadvantage of the photodiode array is a loss of resolution due to leakage currents
between adjacent diodes and the resulting broadening of spectral base widths.

to properly identify a specific chemical species in a complex gas mixture, higher resolution optical emission
equipment can he used. Figure 1 illustrates the high signal- to-noise ratio and spectral line clarity that high
resolution OES can provide. A O.32m scanning monochromator equipped with adjustable width slits and a
lìigh dispersion grating can provide a useful resolution of about 0. mm (FWI1M). A balance, though, must
be maintained between the need for high resolution and the desire to obtain data in real time. With a resol-
ution of 0. mm, it can take several minutes to cover a SOnm bandwidth. This emphasizes the importance of
first characterizing the spectrum with a broad bandwidth photodiode array and then choosing specific regions
to stU(IY at a higher resolution.

In-situ monitoring techniques, in general, can assist the process engineer in optimizing a process for manu-
facturing. Because OES can be used to determine the endpoint of a process, the effect of various parameter
changes on the process etch rate and reproducibility can be easily studied. In this way the throughput of a
process can he optimized. Also, the OES signal is affected by the process uniformity. For example, when
an etch by-product that decreases in concentration at endpoint is monitored, the slope of its decrease mdi-
cates the relative utlih)rlnity of the process. A more uniform process will show a more abrupt level change
in the intensity of the species.

Traditional optical endpoint schemes call for the monitoring of a specific wavelength with a bandpass filter
or short focal length rnonochromator. This is difficult when the emission band chosen is too close to irrel-
evant or conipeting emission signals. I)ecreasing the slit width and increasing the monochromator focal
length are tWo simple ways to improve resolution. Alternatively, multiple wavelength or multiple species
schemes can increase the c'iiracy of the endpoint determination. This can be accomplished with either a
series of filters, monochromatoi s, or a photodiode array. If the group of species to be monitored is in a
narrow band, 75nm or less, an intensified photodiode array can he used on a O.28m spectrograph with an
effective resolution of less than O.3iim (EWIIM). At this resolution it is possible, in simple spectra, to differ-
entiate between the broader molecular emission bands and the narrow atomic emission lines.

Also, OES can provide information on the interaction of the process with the product wafer and process
chamber. lor example, the detection of aluminum in a oxygen ashing plasma is a clear indication of alu-
minum spultering from the chamber or product wafer. Excessive sputtering and possible redeposition can
damage product wafers. Io.n bombardment is an integral component of reactive ion etching, and OES can
he used to monitor this unintentional sputtering. By monitoring the emission of sputtered atoms while

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 adjusting process parameters and tooling configurations, OES can be used to optimize the process and
tooling design.

4.2. Failure recovery and tool qualification

Once a reproducible means of obtaining high quality spectra is established for a manufacturing tool it is
advantageous to the manufacturing and equipment engineers to obtain an OES "frngerprint" of the manufac-
turing process. This fingerprint is then combined with information about the typical process and tool
parameters during a production run. If OES is used to characterize a plasma process when it is running
smoothly, then this fingerprint can be used as a starting point after the tool is repaired or if a failure occurs.
Problems such as a vacuum leak or tool contamination can be more readily identified using this technique.

This fmgerprint is a reference to which spectra taken at later dates are compared. It is important to acquire
both high resolution spectral data, which can be used to reveal the exact identity of a species, and dynamic
information about the behavior of many different species using a photodiode array. Ideally this fmgerprint is
first acquired when the plasma tool is first qualified for manufacturing. For etching processes it may be
helpful to take an additional fingerprint using a wafer which is minimally affected by the process, for
example, using an oxide coated wafer in an oxygen ashing process. By eliminating the intentional dynamic
change of the plasma constituents, in this case oxidized carbon, the stability of the etching tool becomes
more apparent. 1he number of product wafers that are risked is also reduced. These tests then establish a
baseline condition for the tool and process to which future comparisons and tool corrections may be made.

This type of database is a very powerful aid in the diagnosis of problems with a plasma tool and process.
With the complexity of plasma tools and processes, the time needed to diagnose a problem is often as time
consuming as the actual repairs or adjustments. Though the engineer must manually set up the diagnostics
equipment and collect the data, ideally the means for comparing the most recent spectrum with this
frngerprint i automatic. Software routines need to be developed which make this automatic comparison in a
statistically meaningful manner. The ratio of the current spectrum to a reference is much more useful than
the difference. Subtraction does not highlight the sudden appearance of trace species that may have a large
impact on the process.

The quantitative determination of impurity levels or gas mixtures is not readily obtained with OES.
ITowever, comparisons of the intensity ratios of two species can he used to show changes in the gas mixture.
One application could be to verify the accuracy, using a standard, and the repeatability of tl1e flow control-
lers. Figure 2 shows two low resolution spectra from trifluorochioromethane (Freon 13) and hydrogen
plasmas. The highlighted peaks on the left side of each spectrum are the prominent emission bands of the
CF2 molecule. The darkened peaks to the right are the most prominent emission bands of HCI +. By
comparing the ratio of their intensities, I(CF2)/I(1IC1 +), one can see a relationship between this ratio and
the ratio of Freon 13 to hydrogen in the feed gas mixture. As the ratio of Freon 13 to hydrogen is increased
from 0.3 to 0.48 the normalized intensity ratio, I(CF2)/l(IICl + ), increases from 0.89 to 1 .04. Changes as
small as a five percent increase in the Freon 1 3 to 112 ratio have been detected using this technique.

Figure 3 shows a portion of the emission spectrum for two of the most common process contaminants,
water and nitrogen, taken of a water plasma to which nitrogen had been added. This figure shows the real
breadth of the major UV emission band for the Oil molecule. This dissociation fragment of water is often
simply listed in references by the location of its band head at 306.4nm. A 700 channel UV intensified
photodiode array at room temperature was used to obtain this spectrum. The subtraction of the spectrum
from a pure water plasma from this combined spectrum yields the nitrogen spectrum (shown as the dark
region) in Figure 3.

OES can also he used to check the stability of the plasma. Figure 4 shows the sensitivity of the Al emission
line at 396. lSnm to instabilities in the matching network of an argon sputter etching tool. This instability is

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 Most readily detected in the argon emission line itself as argon is the only feed gas in this process. The Al
signal must then he corrected for changes in the Ar siial, by monitoring the ratio Al/Ar, before it can be
reliably used to determine the endpoint of a process. The Ar signal has been monitored to detect RF tuning
mismatches, arcing, and changes in RU losses. Though Figure 4 shows an example using high resolution
OES, this technique has also been demonstrated with a photodiode array based system.

l() be of greatest use to the engineer, an OES system must be able to provide both dynamic information
about the plasma process and specific information about the identity of trace impurities or etch by-products.
If one OFS system is to be used to periodically monitor several production tools, portability and ease of
set-up are prerequisites. These two requirements exclude the use of long focal length spectrometers and
spectrometers that require that the optical cavity be opened when a grating is switched or when the unit is
switched from monochromator to spectrograph mode. Spectrographs that meet all of these requirements
have recently become commerciafly available.

4.3. OES implementation

4.3. 1 Hardware issues

Until recently it has been very difficult for manufacturing and equipment enneers to acquire spectral infor-
mation. Substantial improvements in both hardware and software have been necessary. First, a standard is
needed for the optical access to each type of plasma tool. The reproducible placement of the optical fiber is
essential to the development of an accurate database. Because an optical fiber accepts a cone of light, an
optimal sampling location must he determined and then an easy means of repeatably monitoring the tool
must be established. Permanently mounting an OES system to a production tool simplifies this task.

One standard for fiber optics is the use of SMA (subminiature type A) bushings as optical connectors. This
bushing provides for a 1.0mm bundle or single fiber to be carried with silica or other cladding. The high
thread count and the tight tolerance specifications for this connector (required for its use in conmiunication
systems), make it ideal for plasma tools. Its relatively small size makes it easy to develop interfaces to small,
single wafer chambers. A paper by M. Webb (2) explains the optimization of fiber optic interfaces for
spectroscopic uses.

Another issue when setting up an optical monitoring system in a manufacturing facility is the fragility of the
optical components and detector. An intensified photodiode array can easily cost $15000. If the unit is
therinoelectrically cooled then provisions must be made for a dry nitrogen purge. This prevents moisture
condensation on the intensifier which can cause corrosion. The use of argon as a purge gas must be avoided.
Argon readily ionizes in the high voltage section of the intensifier and causes arcing which can destroy the
intensifier. In general, the use of special color coding for all fragile components is recommended. This will
help plasma tool maintenance personnel who have not been trained in the care and replacement of optical
components. The use of a red outside jacket for commonly used fiber optics can substantially reduce the
possibility of breakage because it can be easily seen in yellow clean room lights.

4.3.2 Software development

Software for OES systems has, until recently, been written for the spectroscopist. The recent availability of
user friendly OES software has advanced the use of OES as a general process monitor and diagnostic instru-
ment. Manufacturing engineers, in general, need instrumentation that does not require frequent trips to the
user's manual. Task oriented software for the semiconductor fabrication line is certainly a requirement for
any future instrumentation.

Automated OES data collection has recently been demonstrated using a commercially available OES system.
Many suggestions and alterations were made to the software of this photodiode array controller to improve

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 the user interface for the production environment. One example of this was the simplification of the proce-
dure to subtract the detector's dark current noise. This background subtraction technique is now a five
second task done once per manufacturing shift. I)efault background levels are used if none is supplied.

By automating the data collection procedures, though, it is now possible to fill the computer hard disk very
quickly. This has led to two areas of development. Data reduction can be accomplished quite effectively
once a process has been fully characterized and its dynamic behavior can be generalized. By only storing
occasional full bandwidth scans and the intensity versus time data for the species of interest, the number of
production runs that can he stored on the hard disk has been increased by four times. Second, the means for
effective data compression are now readily available through the use of packing routines.

With this increase in the availability of data and the need for improved process monitoring in manufacturing,
better data analysis routines are needed that can make use of the data and allow for improved real time
response. Statistical process control (SPC) software could be quickly implemented to assist in the determi-
nation of a tool baseline and measure subsequent deviations.

4.4 Continuous process monitoring and control

fligh resolution OES was used to characterize the plasma of an in-situ Ar RF sputter cleaning process in
manufacturing. (3) A spectral regto between 280 and 340nm was found that revealed important informa-
tion about the condition of the process and tool. Because improvements in the reproducibility of this
process and the performance of the sputter etch tools were sought, a continuous process monitoring and
control system was developed.

In this process, a photodiode array OES system is used to simultaneously monitor the emission from seven
chemical species, Ar, Ar + , CO, 01-I, Al, Cu, and N2. Using a O.28m spectrograph with a 1200 ooves/mm
grating, it is possible to monitor the entire spectral region from 290 to 340nm using a 700 channel
photodiode array. This equipment combination provides an effective resolution of about O.26nm (FWFIM).
Figure 5 shows three time slices from a typical sputter etch run. In this particular case, a sample time of 33
seconds was chosen and 20 samples were taken over this 660 second etch. Samples 1, 3 and 20 are shown.

Based on the behavior of these species, the photodiode array controller has been programmed to determine
the endpoint of the process, detect process and tool contamination, and monitor RF stability all in real time.
The typical dynamic behavior of the integrated spectral areas for four of these species (Al, Ar, CO, and Oil)
is shown in Figure 6. The signal for 011 has been corrected for interference with the Al signal.

In this process, an oxidized aluminum and copper surface is cleaned .by the sputter etch. As the oxide is
removed, the intensity of these two species increases dramatically. CO is a by-product of this sputter etch
process in the presence of photoresist. The endpoint of this process can be readily determined by the plateau
in the increase of the Al line and the decrease of the CO band as seen in Fignre 6. The Ar and Ar + signals
(only Ar is shown in Figure 6) reveal the stability of,the RF components. There is a natural decrease in
their intensity over time due to changes in the chamber impedance as the process proesses.

Water and nitrogen are contaminants in this process Oil, formed by the dissociation of water, is readily
discerned in Figure 5a. The tool for this process is vented to atmosphere after each run and this first sample
shows the water which is desorhed from both the wafers and the chamber when the plasma is first ignited.
Nitrogen is another impurity present in this example. The N2 signal drops throughout the run and suggests
a problem with outgassing. The wafers in this run were baked at a lower temperature than those of previous
runs, and the OES scans from those runs do not suggest the presence of any nitrogen. A constant N2 signal
level would indicate a vacuum leak or a purge valve problem.

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 Thresholds can be set in the controller software which allow the system to react to these changing species
signal levels in the form of visual alarms and messages. Three different color coded alarms have been devel-
oped. If excessive contamination or any major instabilities in the RIF are detected, then an alarm message to
immediately abort the process run is shown in red on the monitor of the OES controller. The determination
of the process endpoint invokes an alarm message, shown in green, instructing the operator to shutoff the
RU and continue with the process. The third type of alarm warns, in blue, that preventive maintenance
should be done on the tool. This alarm is triggered by rising nitrogen levels or a shift in the typical time
needed for process endpoint. The means for immediate programmed feedback to the process tool is planned
for the OES system. This will allow the controller to send commands directly to the process tool. Cur-
rently, at the end of each process run, a data and alarm summary is automatically stored on the hard disk of
the OES controller.

5. SUMMARY

OES has been implemented as a plasma process monitor and diagnostic instrument in semiconductor manu-
facturing. Several key improvements in the hardware and software available to the manufacturing and equip-
ment engineer have made this possible. Additional improvements are needed in the area of data analysis
including statistical process control, spectra comparisons and species identification. The integrated use of
OES with other real-time process monitoring techniques is a natural progression from its use as a stand-
alone instrument.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank I)r. Gary Selwyn, Mr. Ivan I)olgov, Mr. George Woith, Mr. Lawrence
Bauer and Mr. Frank Marinacchio of IBM and Mr. Doug Maichow of EG&G Princeton Applied Research
for their involvement with this work.

7. REFERENCES

1. J. W. Coburn, and M. Chen, J. App!. Phys. 51(6), 3134 (1980).

2. M. J. Webb, Spectroscopy, Vol. 4, No. 6, 1989.

3. G. Selwyn, G. Gifford, I. Dolgov, II. Wildman, J. Rapp, submitted to Plasma Chemistry and Plasma
Processing.

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 26
24
22
20
18
cc Cr,

(f)
Zu
16

14
LiJ
zc
—D 12
'I, Cl)

wo
o-c 10

b 8
6
4
2
0
350 360 370 380 390
Wavelength (nm)
Fig. 1 High resolution OES spectrum of nitrogen plasma.

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 a) Freon 13/H2, 15/50 SCCM ratio, 15m1

0.9

0,8

.V
4.,
0.7
a 0.6
(I)
Ui
0 0.

.0
a
0.4

E 0.3
L
0
z 0.2

0.1

Wavelength (nm)
b) Freon 13/H2, 12/25 SCCM ratio, l5mT

0.9

0.8
3'
24)
S 0.6
(I,
Ui
0 0.
0
.a
0.4

E 0.3
S
:z:
0.2

0.1

Wavelength (nm)

Fig. 2 Photodiode array OES spectra of Freon 13/H2 plasmas.

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 900

800

700

600
cri
\_ 4J

zu
w
500

— 400
(f)O)
''-'-C
LiJ
0 300

200

100

—100

Wavelength (nm)
Fig. 3 Spectrum of water plasma with added nitrogen. Darkened areas
are nitrogen bands determined by the subtraction of the
spectrum of a pure water plasma from this combined spectrum.

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 32
30
28
26
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cc C,)

20
(1)0
zu
w
18
16

LI)
C,) 14
LJ0 12
10

8
6
4
2
0
400
Time (Seconds)
Fig. 4 RF stability monitored with high resolution OES of Al line.

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 300

-% 260
220

u 180
140
w
rO-C100
b 60
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0

300

% 260

220

o180
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(iC1)
r-o
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t: 60
20
0

300

__ 260
00(l)
*_ 4J
C 220
(I) 180
z-D
L3JC
I-.- 0 140
za)
(no 100
o._, 60

20
0
310
Wavelength (nm)
Fig. 5 Time integrated array spectra of Ar RF sputter etch.

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 Cl)
C
I)
C

'I)
-
a
C
(I)
0

Time (seconds) Time (seconds)

200 400 400

Time (seconds) Time (seconds)

Fig. 6 Dynamic behavior of integrated spectral regions.

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