Using a pattern monitor wafer on an inspection tool for chamber recoveries

In the past, when a maintenance person wanted to recover a process chamber from either an FM issue or a wet strip, they would use a bare silicon wafer. This worked when line sizes were larger. Current technology has a need for better process chamber controls. Pattern monitors look to be the future in tool recovery for lowering defect density. The use of classification and failure analysis on pattern monitors gives us the ability to identify and locate smaller particles that would have never been found in the past.