Plasma processing device

• US 20050172901A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nozawa, Toshihisa, Ishibashi, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/723.I
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32238 Windows

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber for carrying out plasma processing inside, a top plate made of a dielectric material for sealing the upper side of this chamber, and an antenna section that serves as a high frequency supply for supplying high frequency waves into the chamber via this top plate. The top plate is provided with reflecting members inside thereof. The sidewalls of the reflecting members work as a wave reflector for reflecting high frequency waves that propagate inside the top plate in the radius direction. Alternatively, no reflecting members may be provided in a manner in which the sidewalls of a recess of the top plate serve as a wave reflector.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber for carrying out plasma processing inside;

a top plate made of a dielectric material for sealing the upper side of said chamber; and

high frequency supplying means for supplying high frequency waves into said chamber via said top plate, wherein

said top plate has wave reflecting means inside for reflecting high frequency waves that propagate inside said top plate.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wave reflecting means is provided in order to reflect high frequency waves that propagate in the radius direction of said top plate.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wave reflecting means is placed at approximately the center of said top plate.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wave reflecting means divides said top plate.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an antenna plate having slots is provided between said top plate and said high frequency supplying means so that each of said slots is positioned within each region of said top plate divided by said wave reflecting means.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said top plate has a recess provided on at least one surface from among the front and rear surfaces so that said wave reflecting means is a sidewall portion of said recess.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recess is in ring form.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recess is provided on the side of said top plate that faces said high frequency supplying means.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recess is provided on the side of said top plate that faces said chamber.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said wave reflecting means is plasma that has entered into said recess.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reflecting member made of a material different from that of said top plate is placed inside the top plate so that the sidewall of said reflecting member is provided as said wave reflecting means.

12. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length of a portion of said top plate located between said wave reflecting means which are adjacent to each other is no less than ½

of the wavelength of said high frequency waves when propagating through the material of said top plate.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said top plate in the portion of said recess is no greater than ½

of the wavelength of said high frequency waves when propagating through the material of said top plate.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said top plate in the portion of said recess is no greater than ¼

of the wavelength of said high frequency waves when propagating through the material of said top plate.

15. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a chamber for carrying out plasma processing inside;

a top plate made of a dielectric material for sealing the upper side of said chamber;

high frequency supplying means for supplying high frequency waves into said chamber via said top plate; and

an antenna plate having a slot provided between said top plate and said high frequency supplying means, wherein

said top plate has a thick portion and a thin portion so that said slot is placed in a position that corresponds to said thin portion.