PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS, PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110088850A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsui, Yutaka, Sato, Manabu, HONDA, Masanobu
• Granted Patent: US 9,362,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.47
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32165 Plural frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3255 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31122 of layers not containing Si, e.g. PZT, Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31144 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus that enables polymer to be removed from an electrically insulated electrode. A susceptor of the plasma processing apparatus is disposed in a substrate processing chamber having a processing space therein. A radio frequency power source is connected to the susceptor. An upper electrode plate is electrically insulated from a wall of the substrate processing chamber and from the susceptor. A DC power source is connected to the upper electrode plate. A controller of the plasma processing apparatus determines a value of a negative DC voltage to be applied to the upper electrode plate in accordance with processing conditions for RIE processing to be carried out.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate processing chamber that has therein a processing space into which a substrate is transferred and is configured to carry out plasma processing on the substrate in the processing space;

a first electrode that is disposed in said substrate processing chamber and is connected to both a first radio frequency power source and a second radio frequency power source;

a second electrode that has an exposed portion exposed to the processing space and is electrically insulated from said substrate processing chamber and said first electrode, said second electrode being connected to a DC power source; and

a controller configured to control a value of a DC voltage applied to said second electrode,

wherein the DC voltage applies the DC voltage to said second electrode while, to said first electrode, the first radio frequency power source supplies a first radio frequency electrical power and the second radio frequency power source supplies a second radio frequency electrical power having a lower frequency than that of the first radio frequency electrical power, and

wherein said controller determines the value of the applied DC voltage such as not to affect a plasma generated in the processing space.

2. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said controller determines the value of the applied DC voltage in accordance with an amount of deposit attached to the exposed portion.

3. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said controller determines the value of the applied DC voltage in accordance with at least one of type of a gas introduced into the processing space, a magnitude of radio frequency electrical power supplied to said first electrode, and a pressure in the processing space.

4. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC power source applies the DC voltage to said second electrode at least while the first radio frequency power source is supplying the first radio frequency electrical power to said first electrode.

5. A plasma processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC power source applies the DC voltage to said second electrode at least while plasma is being produced in the processing space.