Semiconductor device fabrication method and fabrication apparatus

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: measuring light emission intensity of at least one type of wavelength contained in light emitted from a plasma, when one of nitriding, oxidation, and impurity doping is to be performed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate in a processing vessel by using the plasma; calculating, for each semiconductor substrate, an exposure time during which the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the plasma, on the basis of the measured light emission intensity; and exposing each semiconductor substrate to the plasma on the basis of the calculated exposure time, thereby performing one of the nitriding, oxidation, and impurity doping.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A semiconductor device fabrication apparatus comprising:
 a processing vessel which accommodates a semiconductor substrate;   a plasma generator which generates a plasma in said processing vessel;   a light emission intensity sensor which measures light emission intensity of at least one type of wavelength contained in light emitted from the plasma generated in said processing vessel;   a calculator which, when each semiconductor substrate is to be processed, calculates an exposure time during which the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the plasma, on the basis of the measured light emission intensity; and   a gas supply unit which supplies, into said processing vessel, a gas for performing one of nitriding, oxidation, and impurity doping by exposing each semiconductor substrate to the plasma, on the basis of the calculated exposure time.   
   
   
       17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said calculator calculates the exposure time for each semiconductor substrate, such that a product of the measured light emission intensity and a square root of the exposure time is constant. 
   
   
       18 . A semiconductor device fabrication apparatus comprising:
 a processing vessel which accommodates a semiconductor substrate;   a plasma generator which generates a plasma in said processing vessel;   a light emission intensity sensor which measures light emission intensity of at least one type of wavelength contained in light emitted from the plasma generated in said processing vessel;   a tuner having a tuner position which reflects a state of the plasma generated by said plasma generator;   a calculator which, when each semiconductor substrate is to be processed, calculates an exposure time during which the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the plasma, on the basis of the measured light emission intensity, and adjusts the exposure time on the basis of the tuner position; and   a gas supply unit which supplies, into said processing vessel, a gas for performing one of nitriding, oxidation, and impurity doping by exposing each semiconductor substrate to the plasma, on the basis of the calculated exposure time.   
   
   
       19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said calculator calculates the exposure time for each semiconductor substrate, such that a product of the measured light emission intensity and a square root of the exposure time is constant.