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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R39153/01
Title: Non-Invasive Real-Time Process Analysis and Prediction of Technological Plasmas
Principal Investigator: Kenyon, Professor AJ
Other Investigators:
Thornhill, Professor NF Law, Mr V Seeds, Professor AJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Surface Technology Systems Plc
Department: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 January 2002 Ends: 28 February 2005 Value (£): 182,414
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Plasmas - Technological
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The project will develop a novel non-invasive remote-coupled RF probe which will enable accurate determination and prediction of plasma process end-points. the instrument will be the first realisation of a fully functional ex-situ vector plasma impedance analyser, and will use the increased process sensitivity afforded >y capturing harmonic phase and amplitude data to improve substantially on the current achievable end-point detection limits. Key features of the proposed nstrument are that it will be truly non-invasive, requiring no reengineering of plasma tools, and it will have a very high directivity (>25 dB) and probe isolation >30 dB) from signal. We will extend RIF techniques recently developed at UCL to extract the plasma impedance from the plasma tool electrical characteristics, enabling data driven analysis to be used to determine end point response. Our target is to accurately and repeatably predict a process end point for etching 0.1 cm2 photoresist. This represents an increase in sensitivity of one order of magnitude over the current state of the art. At present our probe technology can detect a 2 dB change in signal strength for etching 1 cm2 of photoresist. No other non-invasive probe has achieved this degree of sensitivity.
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