Patent ID: 6825437
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
A method for processing semiconductor devices comprising:an introduction step of introducing a semiconductor substrate into a processing chamber; a plasma generating step of generating plasma in said processing chamber; a processing step of processing the semiconductor substrate by effecting a reaction of said semiconductor substrate with said generated plasma in said processing chamber; a foreign particle detection step of detecting foreign particles floating in or near said generated plasma in said processing chamber; and a removal step of removing said manufactured semiconductor substrate from the processing chamber; wherein said foreign particle detection step comprises: an irradiation step of irradiating a laser beam inside said processing chamber through a window of said processing chamber, and scanning the laser beam in a plane substantially parallel to and above the semiconductor substrate which substantially covers an entire surface of the semiconductor substrate inside said processing chamber by using a scanning optical system; a detecting step of detecting light that is scattered, as a result of the scanning of the laser beam, from foreign particles floating above the semiconductor substrate, using a detecting lens optical unit having a wide view lens, which views the plane above the semiconductor substrate and has a wide view angle substantially covering the area above the semiconductor substrate through the window and has an optical axis different from an optical axis of the scanning optical system, and a sensor which receives the scattered light through the wide view lens and outputs a first signal; and a step of attaining floating foreign particle information from said first signal.