Surface nanoparticle monitoring for plasma etching chamber components using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP ICP-MS)

Nanoparticles (NPs) are defined as particles with at least one dimension in the nano-scale (1–100 nanometer or nm) range. They can be either engineered or naturally occurring. Naturally occurring nanoparticles are contaminants present in all aspects of the chip fabrication process including etching, lithography, chemical mechanical planarization, deposition, and implantation. It is widely recognized that nanoparticle contamination is the leading cause of microchip failure for current and next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. As the world of electronics becomes smaller, analytical methods must be employed that can detect NPs <5 nm. The focus of this paper will be the detection of nanoparticles on the surface of plasma etching parts including an aluminum alloy coupon, an Al2O3 ceramic tube, a quartz tube, and a yttria-coated quartz part. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry has been routinely used for the determination of trace metals in extraction solutions from tool parts. However, to date, there has been no information about metallic nanoparticles present in the extract solutions as these contaminants are difficult to remove from the process. NP concentration and particle size data for extracts of etching and deposition chamber parts will be presented.