Patent ID: 8797705

Claim:
A method for optimizing a dechuck sequence, said dechuck sequence includes mechanically removing a substrate from a lower electrode in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system, comprising: turning off a clamp voltage; supplying inert gas to a backside of the substrate, before raising lifter pins, performing an initial analysis, wherein said initial analysis includes analyzing a first set of electrical characteristic data of a plasma, wherein said plasma is formed over said substrate during said dechuck sequence, and wherein said first set of electrical characteristic data is independent of force on the lifter pins, comparing said first set of electrical characteristic data against a set of electrical characteristic threshold values, and if said first set of electrical characteristic data traverses, by at least one of exceeding, falling below or remaining with a range of, said set of electrical characteristic threshold values, turning off the inert gas; raising the lifter pins from said lower electrode to move said substrate in an upward direction, wherein said lifter pins are not raised to a maximum height; and after raising the lifter pins, performing a mechanical and electrical analysis, wherein said mechanical and electrical analysis includes analyzing a first set of mechanical data, wherein said set of mechanical data includes an amount of force exerted by said lifter pins, analyzing a second set of electrical characteristic data, comparing said first set of mechanical data to a set of mechanical threshold values and said second set of electrical characteristic data to said set of electrical characteristic threshold values, and if said first set of mechanical data traverses, by at least one of exceeding, falling below or remaining with a range of, said set of mechanical threshold values and said second set of electrical characteristic data traverses said set of electrical characteristic threshold values, removing said substrate from said lower electrode since a substrate-released event has occurred.