An automated laser thermometer for studying plasma processes in the microtechnology

The design and characteristics of an automated temperature sensor of dielectric and semiconductor substrates in apparatuses for film deposition and etching of microstructures are considered. The temperature is measured via the laser interference thermometry technique as wavelengths of 0.633 and 1.15 μm of a He-Ne laser. A signal-to-noise ratio of ～30 dB attained in the system is such that the device is sensitive to a change in the substrate temperature of 0.01 K. The heating and cooling of the wafer are recognized automatically and displayed via a graphic interface in real time. An interferogram recorded during substrate heating or cooling, the time dependence of the temperature after the discharge initiation, and the temperature dependence of the substrate-heating power are displayed on the monitor. For 0.5-mm-thick silicon substrates, the measurement range at a wavelength of 1.15 μm extends from cryogenic temperatures to 650 K.