Plasma processing apparatus

• US 10,446,374 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPTS Technologies Limited (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SPTS Technologies Limited (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Bennett, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US15/446,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170256384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0035 by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/08 Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/448 characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/503 using dc or ac discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3211 Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32541 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32568 Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing a substrate comprising includes a chamber having one or more walls, in which a portion of the walls of the chamber is an electrode structure formed from a metallic material and configured to act as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source, and an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical signal that drives the electrode structure as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source to sustain an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing a substrate comprising:

a chamber comprising one or more walls, in which a portion of the walls of the chamber is a single turn electrode structure formed from a metallic material and configured to act as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source; and

an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical signal that drives the single turn electrode structure as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source to sustain an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber,

wherein the single turn electrode structure is a single non-continuous band forming a single turn around a periphery of the chamber.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a lower region of the single turn electrode structure proximal to the substrate support comprises one or more discontinuities which prevent the formation of a primary current flow path in said lower region.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the discontinuities are slots formed in the single turn electrode structure.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the metallic material is a metal.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the single turn electrode structure is in direct communication with the interior of the chamber.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the single turn electrode structure extends through at least one chamber wall from an outer surface to an inner surface thereof.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a substrate support positioned within the chamber.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a first chamber having the single turn electrode structure which acts as a plasma source and one or more further chambers in which plasma processing takes place.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the electrical signal supply device supplies a RF electrical signal that drives the single turn electrode structure.

15. A method of plasma processing a substrate comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus according to claim 1; and

supplying an electrical signal to the single turn electrode structure to drive the single turn electrode structure as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source thereby sustaining an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber which is used to perform the plasma processing.

16. A method according to claim 15 in which the plasma processing is performed to process a substrate which is positioned in the apparatus.

17. A method according to claim 16 in which the substrate is a semiconductor substrate or a flat panel.

18. A method according to claim 15 in which the plasma processing is a chamber cleaning process.

19. A method according claim 15 in which the apparatus comprises a first chamber having the single turn electrode structure which acts as a plasma source, and one or more further chambers in which the plasma processing takes place.

20. A method according to claim 19 in which the first chamber is a source of radicals which are used for the plasma processing.

2. A plasma processing apparatus for plasma processing a substrate comprising:

a chamber comprising one or more walls, in which a portion of the walls of the chamber is single turn electrode structure formed from a metallic material and configured to act as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source; and

an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical signal that drives the single turn electrode structure as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source to sustain an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber,

wherein the single turn electrode structure comprises a plurality of spaced apart band segments forming a single turn around a periphery of the chamber.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the band segments are spaced apart by portions of a chamber wall formed from a dielectric material.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the band segments are connected in parallel to the electrical signal supply device.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the band segments are grounded at their midpoints.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which a lower region of each band segment in the electrode structure comprises a discontinuity which prevents the formation of a primary current flow pattern in said lower region.

21. A method of plasma processing a substrate comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus according to claim 2; and

supplying an electrical signal to the single turn electrode structure to drive the single turn electrode structure as a primary winding of an inductively coupled plasma source thereby sustaining an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber which is used to perform the plasma processing.

22. A method according claim 21 in which the apparatus comprises a first chamber having the single turn electrode structure which acts as a plasma source, and one or more further chambers in which the plasma processing takes place.