Dry etching apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices

• US 20030019579A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Jae-Su
• Granted Patent: US 6,726,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.29
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32633 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

Disclosed is a dry etching apparatus for etching a film coated on a semiconductor substrate. An electrostatic chuck on which the semiconductor substrate is disposed is provided in a chamber carrying out an etching process. The electrostatic chuck is elevated to perform the etching process and moved downwardly to load and unload the semiconductor substrate. When the chuck is elevated, a peripheral surface of the chuck faces an inner edge of a baffle plate mounted on the inner surface of the chamber. A reaction byproduct created for the etching process and a non-reacted gas are discharged through slits formed in the baffle plate from the chamber. Accordingly, as the baffle plate is not moved along with the chuck, the reaction byproduct attached to the baffle plate cannot be exfoliated.

Claims

1. A dry etching apparatus comprising:

a chamber into which a plasma gas for use in etching a film coated on a semiconductor substrate is provided in a plasma state;

a chucking apparatus disposed in the chamber for supporting the semiconductor substrate, the chucking apparatus being upwardly elevated to a predetermined position to perform the dry etching process and moved downwardly to load and unload the semiconductor substrate; and

a baffle plate for discharging from the chamber a reaction byproduct generated in the dry etching process and a non-reacted gas, the baffle plate having a flat ring shape and slits through which the reaction byproducts and the non-reacted gas are exhausted, the baffle plate being fixed to an inner surface of the chamber so that a terminal end of the baffle plate faces a peripheral surface of the chucking apparatus at the predetermined position.

2. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a step portion is formed along the inner surface of the chamber, the baffle plate being placed on the step portion.

3. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one pad for adjusting a mounting height of the baffle plate, the pad being disposed between the step portion of the chamber and the baffle plate.

4. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pad has a flat ring shape.

5. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pad is made of aluminum, a surface of the pad being coated with a material subjected to an anodizing treatment.

6. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pad has a thickness of about 0.9 mm˜

1.1 mm.

7. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a shield for protecting the inner surface of the chamber against the plasma, the shield being disposed on the baffle plate to cover the inner surface of the chamber.

8. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shield is comprised of aluminum, a surface of the shield being coated with a material subjected to an anodizing treatment.

9. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of thru-holes are formed along an outer edge of the baffle plate, a step portion on which the baffle plate is placed is formed along an inner surface of the chamber, and a plurality of screw-holes corresponding to the thru-holes of the baffle plate are formed along the inner surface of the chamber, such that screws extend through the thru-holes of the baffle plate to fix the baffle plate to the chamber.

10. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising at least one pad for adjusting a mounting height of the baffle plate, the pad being disposed between the step portion of the chamber and the baffle plate and having a plurality of thru-holes corresponding to the thru-holes of the baffle plate so as to be attached to the chamber by the screws.

11. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a shield for protecting the inner surface of the chamber against the plasma, the shield being disposed on the baffle plate to cover the inner surface of the chamber and having a plurality of thru-holes corresponding to the thru-holes of the baffle plate so as to be attached to the chamber along with the baffle plate by the screws.

12. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shield for protecting the inner surface of the chamber, the shield being mounted in the chamber to cover the inner surface of the chamber.

13. A dry etching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chucking apparatus comprises:

a chuck on which the semiconductor substrate is placed;

a driving section which is disposed under the chuck for driving the chuck upwardly and downwardly; and

a control section which is connected to the driving section for controlling an operation of the driving section as the dry etching process is carried out.