Uses of radio emission spectroscopy for non-contact and in situ diagnostics of low pressure radio frequency plasma processing

We demonstrate that a passive non-contact diagnostic technique, radio emission spectroscopy (RES), provides a sensitive monitor of currents in a low pressure radio frequency (RF) plasma. A near field magnetic loop antenna was used to capture RF emissions from the plasma without perturbing it. The analysis was implemented for a capacitively coupled RF plasma with an RF supply at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. Real-time measurements are captured in scenarios relevant to contemporary challenges faced during semiconductor fabrication (e.g. window coating and wall disturbance). Exploration of the technique for key equipment parameters including applied RF power, chamber pressure, RF bias frequencies and chamber wall cleanliness shows sensitive and repeatable function. In particular, the induced RES signal was found to vary sensitively to pressure changes and we were able to detect pressure and power variations as low as ~2.5 %/mtorr and ~3.5 %/watt, respectively, during the plasma processing during a trial generic plasma process. Finally, we explored the ability of RES to monitor the operation of a multiple frequency low-pressure RF plasma system (f1 = 2 MHz, f2 = 162 MHz) and intermixing products which suggests strongly that the plasma sheaths are the primary source of this non-linear diode mixing effect.