Plasma processing device and baffle plate thereof

• US 20050167052A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Ishihara, Hiroyuki, Ito, Atsushi, Araki, Youichi, Takahashi, Toshiki, Ono, Yoko, Kubo, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,109,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.470
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32633 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting

Abstract

A plasma processing device able to positively enhance a process-gas exhaust efficiency in a processing region and restrict plasma leaking. A processing container of a magnetron type parallel plate plasma processing device has a separator for separating the inside of the processing container into a processing region and an exhaust region. The separator has a plurality of gas passage holes to establish communication between the processing region and the exhaust region, and includes a non-conductive member. A conductive member is disposed on a gas passage-side surface facing the gas passage holes. A voltage V is applied by a power supply to the conductive member so that the gas passage-side surface is at a potential higher than that of a processing-region surface.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device comprising:

a processing container;

a separating unit for dividing an inside of the processing container into a processing region and an exhaust region,

wherein a processing gas is introduced into the processing region and an object to be processed is processed therein, and

wherein the processing gas supplied is exhausted to the exhaust region; and

a discharging unit for discharging in the processing region to produce a plasma formed of charged particles and a neutral gas particle by ionizing the processing gas supplied,

wherein the separating unit separates an average moving direction of the neutral gas particle from those of the charged particles in the vicinity of corresponding separating unit.

2. The plasma processing device of claim 1, wherein the separating unit includes:

an opening through which the neutral gas particle passes;

a non-conductive portion in a processing region facing surface, which faces the processing region; and

a conductive portion in a gas flow facing surface, which faces a flow of the processing gas exhausted to the exhaust region from the processing region,

wherein a predetermined voltage is applied to the conductive portion such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of a processing region facing surface.

3. The plasma processing device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of the plasma.

4. The plasma processing device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that an electric energy, which is generated by a potential difference defined as a difference between a potential of the gas flow facing surface and that of the plasma, is not higher than a lowest energy needed for developing a discharging.

5. The plasma processing device of claim 1, wherein the separating unit is formed of a baffle member having curved waves such that curved portions are alternately formed in a processing region and in an exhaust region, and

wherein the baffle member has a gas passage hole in each slope.

6. The plasma processing device of claim 5, wherein a distance between a plurality of protruded portions in the baffle member is set such that equipotential surfaces of a sheath field generated in the vicinity of the baffle member substantially do not break into a space formed by the plurality of the protruded portions facing a processing region side therebetween.

7. The plasma processing device of claim 5, a gap between a plurality of curved portions in the processing region is substantially twice a thickness of a sheath formed in the vicinity of a baffle member or less.

8. The plasma processing device of claim 1, wherein the separating unit includes one baffle members disposed in the processing region and another baffle members disposed in the exhaust region, and said one baffle members are misaligned with said another baffle members when viewed from the processing region.

9. The plasma processing device of claim 8, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members shade the exhaust region when viewed from the processing region, and are disposed away from each other to form a space through which the neutral gas particle passes.

10. The plasma processing device of claim 8, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members are of a flat plate.

11. The plasma processing device of claim 10, wherein an area of said another baffle members is substantially equal to or larger than a total area of gas passage holes corresponding to said another baffle members, the gas passage holes being formed by a plurality of said one baffle members therebetween, and a total area of another gas passage holes formed by a plurality of said another baffle members therebetween is substantially equal to or larger than the total area of the gas passage holes.

12. The plasma processing device of claim 8, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members are of a blade shape.

13. The plasma processing device of claim 10, wherein each of said one baffle members and said another baffle members is an annular member having a plurality of through holes.

14. The plasma processing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the through holes are disposed in a concentric circle of the annular member.

15. The plasma processing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the through holes in said one baffle members are misaligned with those in said another baffle members when viewed from the processing region.

16. The plasma processing device of claim 8, wherein at least one of said one baffle members and said another baffle members includes:

a non-conductive portion in a processing region facing surface, which faces the processing region; and

a conductive portion in a gas flow facing surface, which faces a flow of the processing gas from the processing region to the exhaust region,

wherein a predetermined voltage is applied to the conductive portion such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of a processing region facing surface.

17. The plasma processing device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of the plasma.

18. The plasma processing device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that an electric energy, which is generated by a potential difference defined as a difference between a potential of the gas flow facing surface and that of the plasma, is not higher than a lowest energy needed for developing a discharging.

19. A baffle plate wherein a plasma formed of a neutral gas particle and charged particles, which are generated by ionizing a processing gas supplied into a processing container of a plasma processing device, has a contact with a processing region performing a processing therein on an object to be processed, and a path, through which the processing gas passes when being exhausted, is included,

wherein an average moving direction of the neutral gas particle is separated from those of the charged particles in the vicinity of corresponding baffle plate.

20. The baffle plate of claim 19, including:

an opening through which the neutral gas particle passes;

a non-conductive portion in a processing region contact surface having a contact with the processing region; and

a conductive portion in a gas flow facing surface, which faces a flow of the processing gas exhausted,

wherein a predetermined voltage is applied to the conductive portion such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of a processing region contact surface.

21. The baffle plate of claim 20, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of the plasma.

22. The baffle plate of claim 20, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that an electric energy, which is generated by a potential difference defined as a difference between a potential of the gas flow facing surface and that of the plasma, is not higher than a lowest energy needed for starting the discharging.

23. The baffle plate of claim 19, wherein waves having a plurality of protruded portions facing the processing region are shown and, a gas passage hole is formed in each slope of corresponding wave surface.

24. The baffle plate of claim 23, a distance between the plurality of the protruded portions is set such that equipotential surfaces of a sheath field generated in the vicinity of the baffle member substantially do not break into a space formed by the plurality of the protruded portions facing a processing region side therebetween.

25. The baffle plate of claim 23, a distance between the plurality of the protruded portions is substantially twice a thickness of a sheath formed in the vicinity of a baffle member or less, so that equipotential surfaces of a sheath field can be maintained substantially in parallel with a surface normal to a flow direction of a processing gas to be exhausted from the processing region.

26. The baffle plate of claim 19, including:

one baffle members disposed in the processing region; and

another baffle members disposed in the exhaust region,

wherein said one baffle members are misaligned with said another baffle members when viewed from the processing region.

27. The baffle plate of claim 26, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members shade the exhaust region when viewed from the processing region, and are disposed away from each other to form a space through which the neutral gas particle passes.

28. The baffle plate of claim 26, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members are of a flat plate.

29. The baffle plate of claim 28, wherein an area of said another baffle members is substantially equal to or larger than a total area of gas passage holes corresponding to said another baffle members, the gas passage holes being formed by a plurality of said one baffle members therebetween, and a total area of another gas passage holes formed by a plurality of said another baffle members therebetween is substantially equal to or larger than the total area of the gas passage holes.

30. The baffle plate of claim 26, wherein said one baffle members and said another baffle members are of a blade shape.

31. The baffle plate of claim 28, wherein each of said one baffle members and said another baffle members is an annular member having a plurality of through holes.

32. The baffle plate of claim 31, wherein the plurality of the through holes are disposed in a concentric circle of the annular member.

33. The baffle plate of claim 31, wherein the plurality of the through holes in said one baffle members are misaligned with those in said another baffle members when viewed from the processing region.

34. The baffle plate of claim 26, wherein at least one of said one baffle members and said another baffle members includes:

a non-conductive portion in a processing region contact surface, which faces the processing region; and

a conductive portion in a gas flow facing surface, which faces a flow of the processing gas exhausted,

wherein a predetermined voltage is applied to the conductive portion such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of a processing region contact surface.

35. The baffle plate of claim 34, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that a potential of the gas flow facing surface is higher than that of the plasma.

36. The baffle plate of claim 34, wherein the predetermined voltage is set such that an electric energy, which is generated by a potential difference defined as a difference between a potential of the gas flow facing surface and that of the plasma, is not higher than a lowest energy needed for developing a discharging.