Patent ID: 7345428

Claim:
An RF detector for use in association with a semiconductor processing system for detecting process parameters during semiconductor plasma processing, comprising: an AC voltage transducer coupled to a RF power delivery line and associated with said semiconductor processing system for generating RF voltage sample measurements of RF voltages from said RF power delivery line as said RF voltages occur within a semiconductor plasma processing environment of said semiconductor processing system; an AC current transducer coupled to said RF power delivery line and associated with said semiconductor processing system for generating current signals sample measurements of AC from said RF power delivery line as said current signals occur within said semiconductor plasma processing environment; said RF detector further separating the signal output from said AC voltage transducer into a DC component and an RF component, said DC component for generating a DC voltage parameter and said RF component of the signal for generating an RF voltage parameter, and further comprising an RF current detector for generating an RF current output; a phase detector for outputting a phase angle of the RF current output relative to the RF voltage parameter; said RF detector formed in a single integrated unit and further comprising means for coupling to an RF power delivery line between an RF power delivery network and a plasma RF load within said semiconductor plasma processing environment.