MULTI-CELL RESONATOR MICROWAVE SURFACE-WAVE PLASMA APPARATUS

• US 20150126046A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Funk, Merritt, Zhao, Jianping, Nozawa, Toshihisa, Doppel, Megan, Entralgo, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,424,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/798
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/327 Arrangements for generating the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32229 Waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma

Abstract

A processing system is disclosed, having a multiple power transmission elements with an interior cavity that may be arranged around a plasma processing chamber. Each of the power transmission elements may propagates electromagnetic energy that may be used to generate plasma within the plasma process chamber. The power transmission elements may be designed to accommodate a range of power and frequency ranges that range from 500W to 3500W and 0.9 GHz to 9 GHz. In one embodiment, the power transmission elements may include a rectangular interior cavity that enables the generation of a standing wave with two or more modes. In another embodiment, the power transmission elements may have a cylindrical interior cavity that may be placed along the plasma processing chamber or have one end of the cylinder placed against the plasma processing chamber.

Claims

1. A plasma processing system for processing semiconductor substrates, comprising:

a plasma chamber comprising a substrate holder;

a plurality of power transmission elements arranged around the plasma chamber, the power transmission elements comprising;

an interior cavity to propagate microwave frequency electromagnetic waves; and

a gap along the interior cavity that forms an opening between the interior cavity and plasma chamber;

an antenna coupled to the power transmission elements; and

a dielectric component that limits fluid communication between the interior cavity and the plasma chamber.

2. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the gap comprises a gap distance opening of at least 0.5 mm and no more than 10 mm.

3. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the interior cavities of the power transmission elements are not in fluid communication with each other.

4. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the power transmission elements are arranged in a circular manner around the substrate holder.

5. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is disposed opposite of or parallel to the dielectric component.

6. The plasma processing system of claim 1, further comprising a solid state amplifier that can vary one or more of the following characteristics of the electromagnetic waves:

power, phase, frequency, or modulation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the power transmission elements comprise a common wall that electrically isolates the at least two power transmission elements from each other.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power transmission elements comprise:

a first power transmission element comprising a first interior cavity; and

a second power transmission element comprising a second interior cavity that has a geometry or volume that is different from the first interior cavity.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a solid state amplifier for the respective power transmission elements to control the phase, power, frequency, and modulation of the electromagnetic energy to the power transmission elements.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing of the electromagnetic energy comprises providing a first frequency of the electromagnetic energy to a first power transmission element and a second frequency of the electromagnetic energy to a second power transmission element.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the power is modulated with an arbitrary waveform with frequency separation from the center frequency by at least 0.1% of the center frequency at discrete frequencies.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a plasma processing chamber comprising;

a substrate holder that can receive a substrate;

a chamber wall comprising a plurality of openings arranged around the substrate holder;

one or more dielectric components that cover the openings;

one or more power transmission elements that are disposed adjacent to the openings and opposite the one or more dielectric components, the power transmission elements comprising a waveguide cavity that can transmit electromagnetic energy towards the respective opening; and

a power source component that provides the electromagnetic energy to the plurality of power transmission elements.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the openings are disposed horizontally in the chamber wall around the substrate holder.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the openings are disposed vertically in the chamber wall around the substrate holder.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the power transmission elements comprise:

a first waveguide cavity having a length or a width of at least ¼

wavelength of the electromagnetic energy, and

a second waveguide cavity having a length or width of at least ¼

wavelength of the electromagnetic energy.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the power source components provides a first frequency bandwidth of electromagnetic energy to a first power transmission element and a second frequency bandwidth of electromagnetic energy to a second power transmission element.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the openings form a continuous opening around the plasma processing chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power transmission elements comprise a first group with a first interior cavity design and a second group with a second interior cavity design, wherein the first interior design has a first volume that is different from a second volume of the second interior cavity design.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a substrate on a substrate holder in a plasma chamber comprising a plurality of power transmission elements arranged around the substrate holder;

providing electromagnetic energy to one or more of the power transmission elements;

varying characteristics of the electromagnetic energy using solid state amplifiers for the respective power transmission element, the characteristics comprising power, phase, frequency, or modulation; and

generating a plasma within the plasma chamber using the electromagnetic energy.

20. The method of claim 17, where in the first frequency of the electromagnetic energy is out of phase with the second frequency of the electromagnetic energy.