MICROWAVE PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS, SLOT ANTENNA, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20150013911A1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: IWAO, Toshihiko, KANEKO, Kazushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,875,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.37
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature

Abstract

Disclosed is a microwave plasma processing apparatus. The microwave plasma processing apparatus includes a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate. The coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor. Each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor transmits microwaves. A difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor.

Claims

1. A microwave plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a cooling plate;

an intermediate metal plate installed on a processing container side of the cooling plate to be spaced apart from the cooling plate, wherein the intermediate metal plate has a donut-shaped convex portion that separates a processing container side surface of the intermediate metal plate into a center side portion and an outer periphery side portion;

a slot plate installed on the processing container side of the intermediate metal plate to be in contact with the convex portion, wherein, on a processing container side surface of the slot plate, the slot plate includes, as slots for radiating microwaves, a first slot formed in a more center side portion than a portion which is in contact with the convex portion and a second slot formed at a more outer periphery side than a portion which is in contact with the;

a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate, wherein the coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor, and an outer conductor, microwaves are transmitted by each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor, and a difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor;

an inner waveguide configured to transmit microwaves to the first slot by transmitting the microwaves in a center side space, which is positioned at a more center side than the convex portion in a space between the slot plate and the intermediate metal body, through the space between the inner conductor and the intermediate conductor;

an outer waveguide configured to transmit microwaves to the second slot by transmitting the microwaves in an outer periphery side space, which is positioned at a more outer periphery side than the convex portion in the space between the slot plate and the intermediate metal body, through the space between the intermediate conductor, and the outer conductor and the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate in this order;

a dielectric window installed on the processing container side of the slot plate; and

a processing container provided to be sealed by the dielectric window.

2. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the outer conductor is 0.25 to 0.35 times of a natural wavelength of the microwaves.

3. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first member provided at a lower portion of the inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a first stepped portion protruding to the center side space which is positioned at the more center side than the convex portion in the space between the slot plate and the intermediate metal body, the length of the diameter of the first member at the first stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the intermediate conductor.

4. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an inner slow-wave plate installed above the first slot in the inner waveguide; and

a first member provided at a processing container side end of the inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a first stepped portion protruding to the center side space, the length of the diameter of the first member at the first stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the intermediate conductor,

wherein the inner slow-wave plate has an inclination or a step in an interface between the inner slow-wave plate and a portion where the inner slow-wave plate is not installed in the center side space, or the intermediate metal body or the slot plate has a convex portion protruding to the portion where the inner slow-wave plate is not installed in the center side space.

5. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer slow-wave plate installed in the outer waveguide; and

a second member provided at a processing container side end of the intermediate conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a third stepped portion protruding to the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate, the length of the diameter of the second member at the third stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the outer conductor,

wherein the inner slow-wave plate has a second stepped portion protruding toward the center side in an interface between the outer slow-wave plate and a portion where the outer slow-plate is not installed in the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate, or the cooling plate or the intermediate metal body has a convex portion protruding to the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate.

6. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the outer waveguide is 0.28 to 0.33 times of a natural wavelength of the microwaves.

7. A slot antenna comprising:

a cooling plate;

an intermediate metal plate installed on a processing container side to be spaced apart from the cooling plate, wherein the intermediate metal plate has a donut-shaped convex portion that separates a processing container side surface of the intermediate metal plate into a center side portion and an outer periphery side portion;

a slot plate installed on the processing container side of the intermediate metal plate to be in contact with the convex portion, wherein, on a processing container side surface of the slot plate, the slot plate includes, as slots for radiating microwaves, a first slot formed in a more center side portion than a portion which is in contact with the convex portion and a second slot formed in a more outer periphery side portion than the portion which is in contact with the convex portion; and

a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate, wherein the coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor, each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor transmits microwaves, and a difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor.