Method for treating a substrate

• US 20060065629A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nozawa, Toshihisa, Chen, Lee, Nishizuka, Tetsuya, Kambara, Hitomitsu, Tian, Caiz Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,268,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32211 Means for coupling power to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching

Abstract

A method of treating a substrate includes disposing the substrate in a processing chamber having a first chamber portion configured to define a plasma space and a second chamber portion configured to define a process space, introducing a first gas to the plasma space and introducing a second gas to the process space. A plasma is formed in the plasma space from the first gas using a plasma source coupled to the upper chamber portion, and a process chemistry for treating the substrate is formed in the process space by providing a grid positioned between the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion such that the plasma can diffuse from the plasma space to the process space.

Claims

1. A method of treating a substrate in a plasma processing system comprising:

disposing said substrate in a processing chamber having a first chamber portion configured to define a plasma space and a second chamber portion configured to define a process space;

introducing a first gas to said plasma space;

introducing a second gas to said process space;

forming a plasma in said plasma space from said first gas using a plasma source coupled to said upper chamber portion; and

forming a process chemistry for treating said substrate in said process space by providing a grid positioned between said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion such that said plasma can diffuse from said plasma space to said process space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said process chemistry comprises forming process chemistry for performing an etch process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said process chemistry comprises forming process chemistry for performing a deposition process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said plasma using a plasma source comprises forming plasma using a surface wave plasma (SWP) source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said first gas comprises introducing a plasma forming gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said first gas comprises introducing an inert gas.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said first gas comprises introducing a Noble gas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said second gas comprises introducing a process gas for forming said process chemistry.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said second gas comprises introducing a halogen containing gas.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said second gas comprises introducing a C_xF_y containing gas, where x and y are integers greater than or equal to unity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said introducing said second gas further comprises introducing an inert gas.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling said plasma space to said process space comprises forming one or more passageways within said gas injection grid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said first gas to said plasma space comprises injecting said first gas through a gas injection mechanism in said grid into the plasma space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said injecting said first gas comprises injecting the first gas through multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said plasma.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said spatially controlling said plasma comprises injecting different compositions of said first gas through said multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said plasma.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said spatially controlling said plasma comprises injecting said first gas at different gas flow rates through said multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said plasma.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said spatially controlling said plasma comprises introducing said first gas from a concentric pattern of multiple plasma zones in said gas injection grid.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said introducing said first gas from said concentric zones includes introducing said first gas from concentric rectangular zones.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said introducing said first gas from said concentric zones includes introducing said first gas from concentric circular zones.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said injecting said first gas at different gas flow rates comprises setting a flow rate for each plasma zone in a process recipe configured to produce a substantially uniform process on said substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said setting said flow rate for each plasma zone comprises performing a design of experiment (DOE) to determine an optimal set of flow rates for achieving said substantially uniform process on said substrate.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing said second gas to said plasma space comprises injecting said second gas through a gas injection mechanism in said grid into the process space.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said injecting said second gas comprises injecting the second gas through multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said process space.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said spatially controlling said process space comprises injecting different compositions of said second gas through said multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said process space.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said spatially controlling said process space comprises injecting said second gas at different gas flow rates through said multiple zones of the gas injection grid in order to spatially control said process space.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said spatially controlling said process space comprises introducing said second gas from a concentric pattern of multiple plasma zones in said gas injection grid.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said introducing said second gas from said concentric zones includes introducing said second gas from concentric rectangular zones.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said introducing said second gas from said concentric zones includes introducing said second gas from concentric circular zones.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said injecting said first gas at different gas flow rates comprises setting a flow rate for each plasma zone in a process recipe configured to produce a substantially uniform process on said substrate.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said setting said flow rate for each plasma zone comprises performing a design of experiment (DOE) to determine an optimal set of flow rates for achieving said substantially uniform process on said substrate.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising flowing a temperature control fluid through said grid to control a temperature of said grid.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said flowing a temperature control fluid comprises flowing said fluid through multiple zones of the grid in order to spatially control at least one of said plasma space or said process space.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming a plasma in said plasma space comprises using a surface wave plasma SWP source to form said plasma from said first gas.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said using a SWP source comprises adjusting at least one of a number, a distribution or a size of slots in a slot antenna of said SWP source in order to control spatial uniformity of said plasma in said plasma space.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing a cover plate for protecting said SWP source from said plasma.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing a mode scrambler coupled to said SWP source in order to suppress mode hops in said plasma.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising adjusting at least one of a size, a geometry, a number or a distribution of blind holes in said mode scrambler in order to control spatial uniformity of said plasma in said plasma space.

38. A method of treating a substrate in a plasma processing system comprising:

disposing said substrate in a processing chamber having a first chamber portion configured to define a plasma space and a second chamber portion configured to define a process space;

providing a gas injection grid positioned between said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion

introducing a first gas from said gas injection grid to said plasma space;

introducing a second gas from said gas injection grid to said process space;

forming a plasma in said plasma space from said first gas using a plasma source coupled to said upper chamber portion; and

forming a process chemistry for treating said substrate in said process space by providing said gas injection grid positioned between said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion such that said plasma can diffuse from said plasma space to said process space.