PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110114261A1
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Naoki, Kato, Kazuyuki, Shikata, Masafumi, Takai, Kazuto
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.33
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32238 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68785 characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing container in which a plasma processing is performed on a substrate to be processed, a holding stage which is disposed in the processing container and holds thereon the substrate to be processed, a dielectric plate which is provided at a location facing the holding stage and transmits a microwave into the processing container, and a reactive gas supply unit which supplies a reactive gas for plasma processing toward the central region of the substrate to be processed held by the holding stage. Here, the reactive gas supply unit includes an injector base, which is disposed at a location more recessed inside the dielectric plate than a wall surface of the dielectric plate facing the holding stage. A supply hole, which supplies a reactive gas for plasma processing into the processing container, is formed in the injector base.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container in which a plasma processing is performed on a substrate to be processed;

a holding stage which is disposed in the processing container and holds thereon the substrate to be processed;

a microwave generator which generates a microwave for exciting plasma;

a dielectric plate which is provided at a location facing the holding stage and transmits a microwave into the processing container; and

a reactive gas supply unit which supplies a reactive gas for plasma processing toward the central region of the substrate to be processed held by the holding stage,

wherein the reactive gas supply unit includes an injector base, which is disposed at a location more recessed inside the dielectric plate than a wall surface of the dielectric plate is facing the holding stage, and

a supply hole, which supplies a reactive gas for plasma processing into the processing container, is formed in the injector base.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supply hole is formed in the wall surface of the injector base facing the holding stage.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wall surface facing the holding stage is flat.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the injector base includes a protrusion, which extends from the wall surface of the injector base facing the holding stage toward the holding stage and whose length is within a range of not reaching the wall surface of the dielectric plate facing the holding stage.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the supply hole is formed in the front end portion of the protrusion.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric plate has a disk-like shape, and

the supply hole is formed in the injector base to be located at the center in the diametric direction of the dielectric plate.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a base housing portion, which penetrates the dielectric plate in the plate thickness direction and houses the injector base, is provided in the dielectric plate,

a seal, which is closely adhered to a wall surface of the base housing portion and tightly seals the interior of the processing container, is provided on a wall surface of the injector base facing the wall surface of the base housing portion, and

a step is formed between a wall surface, of the injector base, exposed to the inside of the processing container and the wall surface, of the injector base, on which the seal is provided.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a distance between the bottom surface of the dielectric plate and the wall surface, of the injector base, exposed to the inside of the processing container is different from a distance between the bottom surface of the dielectric plate and the wall surface, of the injector base, on which the seal is provided.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a wall surface of the injector base forming the step includes a surface extending perpendicularly to at least one of the wall surface, of the injector base, exposed to the inside of the processing container and the wall surface, of the injector base, on which the seal is provided.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a recess portion, which is recessed from the wall surface of the injector base so as to house the seal, is formed in the wall of the injector base, on which the seal is provided.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plurality of the steps are formed.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the seal includes an O-ring.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the reactive gas includes a mixed gas containing oxygen.