PLASMA PROCESS APPARATUS AND PLASMA PROCESS METHOD

• US 20100278999A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Gokon, Kiyohiko, Onodera, Naomi, Sato, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/8
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A disclosed plasma process apparatus is disclosed that applies a plasma process to an object to be processed, including a cylindrical processing container configured to be evacuatable to vacuum, a holding unit configured to hold plural objects to be processed and inserted into and to be extracted from the cylindrical processing container, a gas supplying unit configured to supply a gas into the processing container, an activating unit configured to be located along a longitudinal direction of the processing container and to activate the gas by plasma generated by a high frequency power, a cylindrical shield cover configured to surround a periphery of the processing container and to be connected to ground for shielding from high frequency, and a cooling device configured to cause the cooling gas to flow through a space between the cylindrical shield cover and the cylindrical processing container during the plasma process.

Claims

1. A plasma process apparatus that applies a plasma process to an object to be processed, the plasma process apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical processing container configured to be evacuatable to vacuum;

a holding unit configured to hold plural objects to be processed and inserted into and to be extracted from the cylindrical processing container;

a gas supplying unit configured to supply a gas into the processing container;

an activating unit configured to be located along a longitudinal direction of the processing container and to activate the gas by plasma generated by a high frequency power;

a cylindrical shield cover configured to surround a periphery of the processing container and to be connected to ground for shielding from high frequency; and

a cooling device configured to cause the cooling gas to flow through a space between the cylindrical shield cover and the cylindrical processing container during the plasma process.

2. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling device includes an intake header configured to be provided on one end of the shield cover and to take the cooling gas in, and an exhaust header configured to be provided on another end of the shield cover and to be connected to an exhaust source for evacuating an atmosphere in the shield cover to the exhaust source.

3. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the exhaust source is a duct of a factory in which the plasma process apparatus is installed.

4. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the exhaust source is an exhaust pump.

5. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the intake header includes a gas duct formed on a sidewall of the shield cover along a peripheral direction of the shield cover,

gas flow holes opened in the sidewall of the shield cover and provided at preset intervals along the peripheral direction of the shield cover, and

a gas intake hole provided in the gas duct through which gas enters the intake header.

6. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the gas flow holes are provided with punching metal having plural apertures.

7. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the exhaust header includes a gas flow hole opened in an end plate clogging an end face of the shield cover, an exhaust box surrounding and covering the gas flow hole, a gas exhaust opening provided in the exhaust box, and an exhaust tube connected between the gas exhaust opening and the exhaust source.

8. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the gas flow holes is provided with punching metal having plural apertures.

9. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the cooling gas is an atmosphere in a clean room as a factory in which the plasma process apparatus is installed.

10. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein a longitudinal direction of the processing container is vertical.

11. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the intake header is provided in a lower end portion of the shield cover, and the exhaust header is provided in an upper end portion of the shield cover.

12. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the intake header is provided in an upper end portion of the shield cover, and the exhaust header is provided in a lower end portion of the shield cover.

13. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a thermometry unit for measuring a temperature of the atmosphere in the space;

an exhaust tube connected between the exhaust header and the exhaust source; and

a valve device which is installed in a mid-course of the exhaust tube, and closes during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature obtained by the thermometry unit when the plasma process apparatus is in a stand-by state is lower than a preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere in the space is evacuated at a preset volumetric flow rate.

14. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the valve device includes a flow rate control valve and an on-off valve.

15. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a gas supply tube connected to the intake header; and

an on-off valve provided in a mid-course of the gas supply tube,

wherein

the on-off valve closes during the plasma process in the case where the measured temperature obtained by the thermometry unit is lower than the preset threshold value when the atmosphere in the space is evacuated at the preset volumetric flow rate under the stand-by state.

16. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the gas includes an aminosilane-based gas as a gas for forming a film.

17. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the preset threshold value is 33°

C.

18. A plasma process method of processing an object to be processed by a plasma process while enabling cooling of an inside of a plasma apparatus by taking in and exhausting a gas to evacuate an atmosphere of the inside, the plasma process method comprising:

measuring a temperature of the atmosphere of the inside of the plasma process apparatus while the plasma is not generated; and

stopping taking the gas into the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature is lower than a first preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere is evacuated at a preset volumetric flow rate.

19. The plasma process method according to claim 18,

wherein when the measured temperature of the atmosphere is the preset threshold value or more, the plasma process is carried out while the gas is injected and ejected, while the gas is injected or ejected, or while the gas is neither injected nor ejected.

20. The plasma process method according to claim 18, further comprising:

measuring a temperature of an atmosphere of a part of the inside other than another part of the inside where the plasma exists while the plasma is not generated; and

stopping taking a gas into the part of the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature of the atmosphere of the part is lower than a second preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere of the part is evacuated at the preset volumetric flow rate.