Plasma processing method

• US 20050039683A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kazue Takahashi, Kouichi Okamura, Ryoji Hamasaki, Saburo Kanai, Satoshi Ito
• Original Assignee: Kazue Takahashi, Kouichi Okamura, Ryoji Hamasaki, Saburo Kanai, Satoshi Ito
• Inventors: Ito, Satoshi, Takahashi, Kazue, Hamasaki, Ryoji, Okamura, Kouichi, Kanai, Saburo
• Granted Patent: US 7,208,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/724
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/022 Avoiding or removing foreign or contaminating particles, debris or deposits on sample or tube
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32504 Means for preventing sputtering of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

A plasma processing method utilizing a plasma processing apparatus having a plasma generating unit, a process chamber including an outer cylinder for withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable arranged inside the outer cylinder, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen and a vacuum pumping unit. A temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored, and a desired inner cylinder temperature which is inputted in advance in response to a processing condition of the specimen is compared with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder. A temperature of the outer cylinder is controlled in response to a result of the comparison so as to control the inner cylinder temperature to a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A plasma processing method for plasma processing a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable, the method comprising:

monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder;

comparing a desired inner cylinder temperature which is inputted in advance in response to a processing condition of the specimen with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder; and

controlling the inner cylinder temperature to a predetermined value by controlling a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the comparison.

2. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the inner cylinder is one of monitored continuously and optionally.

3. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of specimens are processed continuously one by one, the inner cylinder temperature is monitored continuously one by one until a processing of the plurality of specimens is completed.

4. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein a history of the specimen up to an interruption of plasma processing is checked and the processing of the specimen is started again.

5. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein when a seasoning electrical discharging processing is carried out in the process chamber, the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored during the seasoning electrical discharging processing.

6. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored either one of before starting a plasma processing for the specimen and after completion of a cleaning processing.

7. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma processing for the specimen is interrupted in response to a result of the monitoring.

8. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein an alarm is generated in response to the monitored temperature.

9. A plasma processing method for plasma processing a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable, the method comprising:

monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored;

comparing, when a specimen having a multi-layer film structure is processed, a desired inner cylinder temperature which is inputted in advance in response to a film quality of each of the films of the multi-layer film structure, a type of processing gas and an electrical discharging condition with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder; and

controlling the inner cylinder temperature to a predetermined value by controlling a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the comparison.

10. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein a temperature of the inner cylinder is one of monitored continuously and optionally.

11. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein when a plurality of specimens are processed continuously one by one, the inner cylinder temperature is monitored continuously one by one until a processing of the plurality of specimens is completed.

12. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein a history of the specimen up to an interruption of plasma processing is checked and the processing of the specimen is started again.

13. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein when a seasoning electrical discharging processing is carried out in the process chamber, the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored during the seasoning electrical discharging processing.

14. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored either one of before starting a plasma processing for the specimen and after completion of a cleaning processing.

15. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein the plasma processing for the specimen is interrupted in response to a result of the monitoring.

16. The plasma processing method according to claim 9, wherein an alarm is generated in response to the monitored temperature.

17. A plasma processing method for plasma processing a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable, the method comprising:

monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder;

comparing a desired inner cylinder temperature which is inputted in advance in response to a processing condition of a lot of the specimens with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder; and

controlling a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the comparison so as to correct a variation in initial processing of the lot by changing the inner cylinder temperature at the initial stage of processing of the lot.

18. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein a temperature of the inner cylinder is one of monitored continuously and optionally.

19. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein when a plurality of specimens are processed continuously one by one, the inner cylinder temperature is monitored continuously one by one until a processing of the plurality of specimens is completed.

20. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein a history of the specimen up to an interruption of plasma processing is checked and the processing of the specimen is started again.

21. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein when a seasoning electrical discharging processing is carried out in the process chamber, the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored during the seasoning electrical discharging processing.

22. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored either one of before starting a plasma processing for the specimen and after completion of a cleaning processing.

23. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein the plasma processing for the specimen is interrupted in response to a result of the monitoring.

24. The plasma processing method according to claim 17, wherein an alarm is generated in response to the monitored temperature.

25. A plasma processing method for plasma processing a specimen by a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable, the method comprising:

monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder;

comparing a desired inner cylinder temperature pattern which is inputted in advance in response to a processing condition of a lot of the specimens with the monitored temperature of the inner cylinder; and

controlling of a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the comparison so as to make a processing performance of the specimen during one lot processing constant by controlling the inner cylinder temperature during the one lot processing.

26. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein a temperature of the inner cylinder is one of monitored continuously and optionally.

27. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein when a plurality of specimens are processed continuously one by one, the inner cylinder temperature is monitored continuously one by one until a processing of the plurality of specimens is completed.

28. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein a history of the specimen up to an interruption of plasma processing is checked and the processing of the specimen is started again.

29. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein when a seasoning electrical discharging processing is carried out in the process chamber, the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored during the seasoning electrical discharging processing.

30. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein the temperature of the inner cylinder is monitored either one of before starting a plasma processing for the specimen and after completion of a cleaning processing.

31. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein the plasma processing for the specimen is interrupted in response to a result of the monitoring.

32. The plasma processing method according to claim 25, wherein an alarm is generated in response to the monitored temperature.

33. A plasma processing method utilizing a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit, a process chamber capable of having an inside pressure thereof reduced, a process gas supply unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, a specimen table for holding a specimen, a controller, and a vacuum pumping unit, wherein the process chamber includes an outer cylinder having the capability of withstanding a reduced pressure, and an inner cylinder arranged inside the outer cylinder, wherein the inner cylinder being made of non-magnetic material and being replaceable, the method comprising:

carrying out a cleaning processing under utilization of a cleaning gas plasma one of before plasma processing of the specimen, during plasma processing for a plurality of specimens and after plasma processing for the specimen;

monitoring a temperature of the inner cylinder after the cleaning processing and before starting of the plasma processing for the specimen; and

controlling a temperature of the outer cylinder in response to a result of the monitoring so as to control a temperature of the inner cylinder to a predetermined value.