PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS, PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20070224817A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsui, Yutaka, Tanaka, Satoshi, Matsumoto, Naoki, HONDA, Masanobu
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/689
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32532 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus having a substrate processing chamber, which enables leakage of plasma into an exhaust space to be prevented. The substrate processing chamber has therein a processing space in which plasma processing is carried out on a substrate, an exhaust space for exhausting gas out of the processing space, and an exhaust flow path that communicates the exhaust space and the processing space together. The plasma processing apparatus further has a grounding component that is electrically grounded and is disposed in the exhaust flow path. The grounding component has a conducting portion made of a conductive material, and the conducting portion has an exposed area exposed to the exhaust flow path in a range of 100 to 1000 cm².

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus having a substrate processing chamber having therein a processing space in which plasma processing is carried out on a substrate, an exhaust space for exhausting gas out of said processing space, and an exhaust flow path that communicates said exhaust space and said processing space together;

wherein

the plasma processing apparatus further has a grounding component that is electrically grounded and is disposed in said exhaust flow path, said grounding component having a conducting portion made of a conductive material, and said conducting portion having an exposed area exposed to said exhaust flow path in a range of 100 to 1000 cm².

2. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further having a DC electrode that applies a DC voltage into said processing space.

3. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon carbide, and amorphous carbon.

4. A plasma processing method for a plasma processing apparatus having a substrate processing chamber having therein a processing space in which plasma processing is carried out on a substrate, an exhaust space for exhausting gas out of the processing space, and an exhaust flow path that communicates the exhaust space and the processing space together, and having a grounding component that is electrically grounded and is disposed in the exhaust flow path, the grounding component having a conducting portion made of a conductive material, and the conducting portion having an exposed area exposed to the exhaust flow path in a range of 100 to 1000 cm², the plasma processing method having:

a plasma production step of producing plasma in the processing space; and

an electron introducing step of introducing electrons in the plasma into the grounding component.

5. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 4, further having a DC voltage application step of applying a DC voltage into the processing space.

6. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to implement a plasma processing method for a plasma processing apparatus having a substrate processing chamber having therein a processing space in which plasma processing is carried out on a substrate, an exhaust space for exhausting gas out of the processing space, and an exhaust flow path that communicates the exhaust space and the processing space together, and having a grounding component that is electrically grounded and is disposed in the exhaust flow path, the grounding component having a conducting portion made of a conductive material, and the conducting portion having an exposed area exposed to the exhaust flow path in a range of 100 to 1000 cm², the program having:

a plasma production module for producing plasma in the processing space; and

an electron introducing module for introducing electrons in the plasma into the grounding component.