PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20150087162A1
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/798
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/405 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/511 using microwave discharges
• 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: H01L 21/2636 for heating, e.g. electron beam heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/463 using antennas or applicators

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container which defines a processing space; a microwave generator; a dielectric having an opposing surface which faces the processing space; a slot plate formed with a plurality of slots; and a heating member provided within the slot plate. The slot plate is provided on a surface of the dielectric at an opposite side to the opposing surface to radiate microwaves for plasma excitation to the processing space through the dielectric based on the microwaves generated by the microwave generator.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container which defines a processing space;

a microwave generator;

a dielectric having an opposing surface which faces the processing space;

a slot plate formed with a plurality of slots and provided on a surface of the dielectric at an opposite side to the opposing surface to radiate microwaves for plasma excitation to the processing space through the dielectric based on the microwaves generated by the microwave generator; and

a heating member provided within the slot plate.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating member is provided within the slot plate through an insulating material.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slot plate is formed in a disk shape,

the plurality of slots includes:

a first slot group formed by a plurality of pairs of elongated holes arranged along a circumferential direction of the slot plate, two elongated holes in each pair of elongated holes extending in crossing directions; and

a second slot group formed by a plurality of pairs of elongated holes arranged along the circumferential direction of the slot plate outside of the first slot group in a radial direction of the slot plate, two elongated holes in each pair of elongated holes extending in crossing directions, and

the heating member includes;

a first heater spirally wound in a central region of the slot plate inside the first slot group in the radial direction;

a second heater spirally wound in an intermediate region of the slot plate outside the first slot group in the radial direction, and inside the second slot group in the radial direction;

or a third heater spirally wound in an outer periphery region of the slot plate outside the second slot group in the radial direction.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a heat removal member is provided on a side wall of the processing container.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a waveguide configured to guide the microwaves generated by the microwave generator to the slot plate,

wherein a heat removal member is provided on the waveguide.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heat removal member is beryllium copper or tungsten.

7. A method of performing a plasma processing by using a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus including a processing container which defines a processing space;

a microwave generator;

a dielectric having an opposing surface which faces the processing space;

a slot plate formed with a plurality of slots and provided on a surface of the dielectric at an opposite side to the opposing surface to radiate microwaves for plasma excitation to the processing space through the dielectric based on the microwaves generated by the microwave generator; and

a heating member provided within the slot plate, the method comprising;

performing a heating processing by the heating member before the plasma processing of irradiating the microwaves for plasma excitation to the processing space is performed;

performing the plasma processing after the heating processing is initiated; and

stopping the heating processing by the heating member after the plasma processing is initiated.