Wafer level wireless temperatures sensing and its applications in RF plasma etch in VLSI processing

The etch module is an important processing step in semiconductor device manufacturing. Due to the harsh environment in an etch chamber, in-situ monitoring of etch performance is extremely difficult. However, an intermediate variable such as wafer temperature provides an excellent alternative for in-situ etch performance monitoring. We discuss a wafer-level wireless sensor system along with advanced chamber diagnostic modeling techniques for in-situ etch process performance monitoring. The system is shown to be cost-effective, reliable, and easy to implement within any commercially available plasma chamber. In addition, a new level of process insight along with optimization opportunities can be realized from the system's implementation.