Plasma Processing Apparatus

• US 20090065480A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Ohmi, Tadahiro, Hirayama, Masaki
• Application Number:
  US11/990,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20090065480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/69
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus which can perform uniform processing even when a substrate to be processed has a large area. The plasma processing apparatus propagates microwaves introduced into wave guide tubes to dielectric plates through slots, and performs plasma processing to the surface of the substrate by converting a gas supplied into a vacuum container into the plasma state. In the plasma processing apparatus, a plurality of waveguide tubes are arranged in parallel, a plurality of dielectric plates are arranged for each waveguide tube, and partitioning members formed of a conductor and grounded are arranged between the adjacent dielectric plates. The in-tube wavelength of the waveguide tube is adjusted to be an optimum value by vertically moving a plunger. Furthermore, unintended plasma generation is eliminated in a space between the dielectric plate and the adjacent member, and stable plasma can be efficiently generated. As a result, high-speed and uniform processings, such as etching, film-forming, cleaning, ashing, can be performed.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising a container in which a plasma is excited, a microwave supply system adapted to supply a microwave necessary for exciting the plasma into said container, a wave-guide path connected to said microwave supply system and formed with a plurality of slots, and a dielectric plate adapted to propagate the microwave emitted through said slots to the plasma, said plasma processing apparatus comprising

means for adjusting a wavelength of the microwave propagating in said wave-guide path, from the outside of said wave-guide path.

2. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, said plasma processing apparatus being configured to move part of a conductor wall forming said wave-guide path from the outside of said wave-guide path.

3. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wave-guide path is a rectangular waveguide and said plasma processing apparatus is configured to move at least part of an E-surface (narrow wall surface) guide wall of said waveguide from the outside of said waveguide.

4. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of rods inserted into said wave-guide path and being configured to move each rod from the outside of said wave-guide path.

5. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first dielectric member in said wave-guide path and being configured to move said first dielectric member from the outside of said wave-guide path.

6. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, said plasma processing apparatus being configured to adjust said wavelength by changing a frequency of the microwave supplied by said microwave supply system.

27. A product manufacturing method of manufacturing a product by carrying out processing using the plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. A plasma processing apparatus comprising a container in which a plasma is excited, a gas supply system adapted to supply a gas into said container, a microwave supply system adapted to supply a microwave necessary for exciting the plasma into said container, one or more waveguides connected to said microwave supply system and formed with a plurality of slots, a plurality of dielectric plates adapted to propagate the microwave emitted through said slots to the plasma, and a stage disposed in said container for placing thereon a processing substrate, said plasma processing apparatus wherein

a plurality of said dielectric plates are provided per said waveguide and a partition member made of a conductor at least partly is provided between the adjacent dielectric plates.

8. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, comprising the waveguides.

9. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least part of airtightness maintaining portions located between the inside and the outside of said container is provided between a surface, on the side of said slots, of each dielectric plate and said container.

10. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a pitch between said dielectric plates in a traveling direction of the microwave propagating in said waveguide and a pitch between said slots in said traveling direction are substantially equal to each other.

11. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pitch between said slots in said traveling direction is substantially equal to a natural number times “

½

”

of a wavelength of the microwave propagating in said waveguide.

12. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the pitch between said slots in said traveling direction is substantially equal to “

½

”

of said wavelength.

13. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a second dielectric member is provided on at least part of the inside of each slot.

14. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of second dielectric members having different permittivities are provided in at least part of each slot.

15. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a third dielectric member is provided on at least part of the inside of said waveguide.

16. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said waveguide is a rectangular waveguide and said slots are formed in an H surface (wide wall surface) of said waveguide.

17. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said waveguide is a rectangular waveguide and said slots are formed in an E surface (narrow wall surface) of said waveguide.

18. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, said plasma processing apparatus having a function of adjusting a wavelength of the microwave propagating in said waveguide, from the outside of said waveguide.

19. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 18, said plasma processing apparatus being configured to move part of a guide wall of said waveguide from the outside of said waveguide.

20. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 18, comprising a plurality of rods inserted into said waveguide and being configured to move each rod from the outside of said waveguide.

21. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 18, comprising a first dielectric member in said waveguide and being configured to move said first dielectric member from the outside of said waveguide.

22. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of each dielectric plate is set depending on a distance from said slot facing said dielectric plate.

23. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a distance between said partition member and said stage is set shorter than a distance between each dielectric plate and said stage.

24. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said partition member has a gas ejecting function for ejecting the gas introduced from said gas supply system into said container.

25. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said partition member comprises a plurality of gas ejection holes for ejecting the gas into said container.

26. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said partition member comprises a gas flow path for conducting the gas introduced from said gas supply system to said plurality of gas ejection holes.

28. A product manufacturing method of manufacturing a product by carrying out processing using the plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7.