| Ion Energy Distribution Functions (IEDFs) and emission spectra from various discharges including those from competing options for chamber cleaning discharges (NF3 related and C2F6/O2) have been measured and analyzed. With the understanding from these etching related discharges, patterned dielectric materials samples were prepared and subsequently measurements of their dielectric properties under low and high frequency conditions were made. During the cleaning discharge and patterning processes, a Hiden EQP-300 ion energy analyzer and an Ocean Optics 52000 optical emission spectrometer were used to characterize the process conditions. High frequency measurements techniques were developed to measure the material's dielectric constant and, in conjunction with low frequency measurements, provide very useful diagnostic tools for future investigations of how physical properties, such as dielectric constant, are affected by the etch chemistries and process conditions employed in patterning. In this work, techniques for measuring of discharge properties and for measuring of dielectric material properties have been successfully demonstrated. In particular for chamber cleaning discharges, a technique for correlating the relative intensities of selected UV emission lines to discharge electron temperature, sheath potential drop, and ion bombardment energy at the electrode and resulting electrode damage has been developed. This easy to implement technique, based upon detailed understanding of the electron energy distribution function and associated atomic collisional excitations within the discharge, provides a simple and inexpensive diagnostic minimizing electrode damage during discharge chamber cleaning, thereby significantly reducing overall cost of ownership for these expensive wafer etch processing tool. Future studies to provide greater understanding of how process conditions affect material properties are briefly outlined. |
