MICROWAVE PLASMA SOURCE AND PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20090159214A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: KASAI, Shigeru
• Application Number:
  US12/361,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20090159214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.410
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32256 Tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A microwave plasma source (2) is provided with a microwave outputting section (30) which outputs plural divided microwaves, and a plurality of antenna modules (41) for guiding the plural divided microwaves into a chamber. Each antenna module (41) is provided with an amplifier section (42) having one or more amplifier (47) for amplifying a microwave, and an antenna section (44) having an antenna (51) for radiating the amplified microwave into the chamber, and a tuner (43) for adjusting impedance in a microwave transmission path. The tuner (43) is integrally arranged with the antenna section (44) to be located close to the amplifier (47).

Claims

1. A microwave plasma source for forming a microwave plasma in a chamber, comprising:

a microwave outputting section for outputting a microwave;

an amplifier section having one or more amplifiers for amplifying the microwave;

an antenna section having an antenna for radiating the amplified microwave into the chamber; and

a tuner for adjusting impedance in a microwave transmission path,

wherein the tuner is integrally arranged with the antenna section to be located close to the amplifiers.

2. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the antenna has a planar shape, and is provided with a plurality of slots.

3. The microwave plasma source of claim 2, wherein the slots have an arc-shape.

4. The microwave plasma source of claim 2, wherein the antenna section has a ceiling plate formed of a dielectric through which the microwave radiated from the antenna is transmitted and a dielectric wave retardation member for shortening a wavelength of the microwave reaching the antenna, the wave retardation member being provided at an opposite side of the ceiling plate with respect to the antenna.

5. The microwave plasma source of claim 4, wherein a phase of a microwave is adjusted by adjusting a thickness of the wave retardation member.

6. The microwave plasma source of claim 4, wherein the ceiling plate has a rectangular shape.

7. The microwave plasma source of claim 6, wherein the ceiling plate is divided into two parts at a center portion thereof.

8. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the tuner and the antenna form a lumped constant circuit.

9. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the tuner and the antenna serve as a resonator.

10. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the tuner is a slug tuner having two dielectric slugs.

11. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the amplifiers have a semiconductor amplifying device.

12. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the tuner and the antenna section are integrally arranged in a common housing.

13. The microwave plasma source of claim 12, wherein the amplifiers are connected in series to the antenna section via the tuner by a connector extending upward from the housing.

14. The microwave plasma source of claim 12, wherein the amplifiers are installed directly on a top surface of the housing.

15. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, wherein the amplifier section further has an isolator for separating a reflected microwave from the microwave outputted from the amplifiers to the antenna.

16. The microwave plasma source of claim 1, further comprising a feed power conversion unit for optimally supplying microwave power from the amplifiers to the tuner.

17. The microwave plasma source of claim 16, wherein the feed power conversion unit has a feed power excitation member for performing a non-contact power supply via a dielectric and an antenna.

18. The microwave plasma source of claim 17, wherein the feed power excitation member has one or more open stub microstrip lines formed on a dielectric board;

one or more connectors for supplying the microwave power from the amplifiers to the microstrip lines;

a dielectric member which serves as a resonator and transmits the microwave power from the microstrip lines; and

a slot antenna for radiating the microwave transmitted through the dielectric member to the tuner.

19. The microwave plasma source of claim 18, wherein the numbers of the connectors and the microstrip lines are greater than one, respectively;

each of the connectors is connected to an amplifier; and

the microwave power from the amplifiers is combined in a space via the microstrip lines.

20. The microwave plasma source of claim 17, wherein the feed power excitation member has one or more patch antennas formed on a dielectric board;

one or more connectors for supplying the microwave power from the amplifiers to the patch antennas; and

a dielectric member for transmitting the microwave power radiated from the patch antennas therethrough to radiate the transmitted microwave power to the tuner.

21. The microwave plasma source of claim 17, wherein the numbers of the connectors and the patch antennas are greater than one, respectively;

each of the connectors is connected to an amplifier; and

the microwave power from the amplifiers is combined in a space via the patch antennas.

22. The microwave plasma source of claim 17, wherein the feed power excitation member further has a reflecting plate which is provided on an opposite surface of a microwave power radiating surface to reflect the microwave power.

23. A microwave plasma source for forming a microwave plasma in a chamber, comprising:

a microwave outputting section for outputting plural divided microwaves; and

a plurality of antenna modules for guiding the divided microwaves into a chamber,

wherein each antenna module includes;

an amplifier section having one or more amplifiers for amplifying a microwave;

an antenna section having an antenna for radiating the amplified microwave into the chamber; and

a tuner for adjusting impedance in a microwave transmission path,

wherein the tuner is integrally arranged with the antenna section to be located close to the amplifiers.

24. The microwave plasma source of claim 23, wherein the microwaves guided to the chamber via the respective antenna modules are combined in a space in the chamber.

25. The microwave plasma source of claim 23, wherein the amplifier section has a phase shifter for shifting a phase of a microwave.

26. The microwave plasma source of claim 23, wherein the antenna is formed in a planar shape, and has a plurality of slots.

27. The microwave plasma source of claim 26, wherein the amplifier section has a phase shifter for shifting a phase of a microwave.

28. The microwave plasma source of claim 25, wherein the antenna modules are arranged so that slots of neighboring antenna modules are disposed to make 90°

therebetween, and the phase shifter adjusts phase difference between neighboring antenna modules to be 90°

.

29. The microwave plasma source of claim 23, wherein the tuner and the antenna section are integrally arranged in a common housing.

30. The microwave plasma source of claim 29, wherein the amplifiers are connected in series to the antenna section via the tuner by a connector extending upward from the housing.

31. The microwave plasma source of claim 29, wherein the amplifiers are directly installed on a top surface of the housing.

32. The microwave plasma source of claim 23, further comprising a feed power conversion unit for optimally supplying microwave power from the amplifiers to the tuner.

33. The microwave plasma source of claim 32, wherein the feed power conversion unit has a feed power excitation member for performing a non-contact power supply via a dielectric and an antenna.

34. The microwave plasma source of claim 33, wherein the feed power excitation member has one or more open stub microstrip lines formed on a dielectric board;

one or more connectors for supplying the microwave power from the amplifiers to the microstrip lines;

the dielectric member which serves as a resonator and transmits the microwave power from the microstrip lines; and

a slot antenna for radiating the microwave transmitted through the dielectric member to the tuner.

35. The microwave plasma source of claim 34, wherein the numbers of the connectors and the microstrip lines are greater than one, respectively;

each of the connector is connected to an amplifier; and

the microwave power from the amplifiers is combined in a space via the microstrip lines.

36. The microwave plasma source of claim 33, wherein the feed power excitation member has one or more patch antennas formed on a dielectric board, one or more connectors for supplying the microwave power from the amplifier to the patch antennas, and a dielectric member for transmitting the microwave power radiated from the patch antennas therethrough to radiate the transmitted microwave power to the tuner.

37. The microwave plasma source of claim 36, wherein the numbers of the connectors and the patch antennas are greater than one, respectively;

each of connectors is connected to an amplifier; and

the microwave power from the amplifier is combined in a space via the path antennas.

38. The microwave plasma source of claim 33, wherein the feed power excitation member further has a reflecting plate which is provided on an opposite surface of a microwave power radiating surface to reflect microwave power.

39. A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on a substrate to be processed in a chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:

the chamber accommodating the substrate to be processed;

a gas supply mechanism for supplying gas into the chamber; and

a microwave plasma source for turning the gas supplied into the chamber into a plasma by a microwave,

wherein the microwave plasma source includes;

a microwave outputting section for outputting a microwave;

an amplifier section having one or more amplifiers for amplifying the microwave;

an antenna section having an antenna for radiating the amplified microwave into the chamber; and

a tuner for adjusting impedance in a microwave transmission path,

wherein the tuner is integrally arranged with the antenna section to be located close to the amplifiers.

40. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 39, wherein the gas supply mechanism has a first gas supply mechanism for introducing a plasma generating gas, and a second gas supply mechanism for introducing a processing gas, wherein the plasma generating gas from the first gas supply mechanism is turned into a plasma by the microwave, and the processing gas from the second gas supplying mechanism is turned into a plasma by the plasma.

41. A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on a substrate to be processed in a chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:

the chamber accommodating the substrate to be processed;

a gas supply mechanism for supplying gas into the chamber; and

a microwave plasma source for turning the gas supplied into the chamber into a plasma by a microwave,

wherein the microwave plasma source includes;

a microwave outputting section for outputting plural divided microwaves; and

a plurality of antenna modules for guiding the divided microwaves into the chamber,

wherein each antenna module includes;

an amplifier section having one or more amplifiers for amplifying a microwave;

an antenna section having an antenna for radiating the amplified microwave into the chamber; and

a tuner for adjusting impedance in a microwave transmission path,

wherein the tuner is integrally arranged with the antenna section to be located close to the amplifiers.

42. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 41, wherein the gas supply mechanism has a first gas supply mechanism for introducing a plasma generating gas, and a second gas supply mechanism for introducing a processing gas, wherein the plasma generating gas from the first gas supply mechanism is turned into a plasma by the microwave, and the processing gas from the second gas supplying mechanism is turned into a plasma by the plasma.