Plasma distribution control

• US 10,026,638 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Liao, Han-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): KUSUMAKAR, KAREN M
• Application Number:
  US15/380,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20180174883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32532 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68714 the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support

Abstract

A system is configured to perform plasma related fabrication processes. The system includes a process chamber and a wafer stage positioned within the process chamber. The wafer stage is configured to secure a process wafer. The system further includes a bottom electrode positioned beneath the wafer stage, a top electrode positioned external to the chamber, and a plasma distribution mechanism. The plasma distribution mechanism is reconfigurable to allow for more than one plasma distribution profile.

Claims

1. A system configured to perform plasma related fabrication processes, the system comprising:

a chamber;

a wafer stage positioned within the chamber, the wafer stage being configured to secure a process wafer;

a bottom electrode positioned beneath the wafer stage;

a top electrode positioned external to the chamber; and

a plasma distribution mechanism, the plasma distribution mechanism being reconfigurable to allow for more than one plasma distribution profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism comprises:

a slot positioned between the top electrode and the wafer stage; and

a set of dielectric plates, each dielectric plate configured to be received in the slot, each dielectric plate having varying characteristics such that placement of different dielectric plates in the slot results in different plasma distribution profiles.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the dielectric plates vary in thickness.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the dielectric plates vary in material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism comprises a set of rotatable fans, each fan having a different blade length.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the fans varies in at least one of thickness and material.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the fans are configured to rotate while maintaining a set configuration relative to each other.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism comprises a plurality of sets of concentric rings, each set being a different size.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each set includes rings with various thicknesses or materials.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism comprises:

a first set of elongated shutters; and

a second set of elongated shutters positioned orthogonal to the first set of elongated shutters.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first set of elongated shutters differs from the second set of elongated shutters in at least one of:

thickness and material.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first set of elongated shutters and the second set of elongated shutters are independently rotatable.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to perform one of:

a plasma etching process or a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to perform a physical vapor deposition process, and the system further includes a target positioned between the plasma distribution mechanism and the wafer stage.

15. A system comprising:

a fabrication tool comprising;

a wafer stage positioned within a fabrication chamber; and

a plasma distribution mechanism; and

a control system comprising;

a processor; and

a memory with machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the system to select one of a plurality of configurations for the plasma distribution mechanism, each of the configurations being designed to produce a different plasma distribution profile.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism is manually reconfigurable by a human operator.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the plasma distribution mechanism is automatically reconfigurable through a robotic system.

18. A method comprising:

determine a desired result of a plasma-related fabrication process;

selecting one of a plurality of configurations for a plasma distribution mechanism of a fabrication tool for the plasma-related fabrication process based on the desired result, the plasma distribution mechanism being reconfigurable to provide for more than one plasma distribution profile;

reconfiguring the plasma distribution mechanism based on the one of the plurality of configurations;

securing a process wafer to a wafer stage within the fabrication tool; and

performing the plasma-related fabrication process on the process wafer, the plasma-related fabrication process having a plasma distribution profile based on the one of the plurality of configurations.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one of the plurality of configurations is selected based on a current profile of the process wafer.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the one of the plurality of configurations is selected based on historical data associated with the plasma-related fabrication process.