PROCESSING SYSTEM AND PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20190326105A1
• Filed: 04/18/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 11,302,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0245 by etching with a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4408 by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/182 Obtaining or maintaining desired pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/335 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3211 Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32733 Means for moving the material to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32816 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67155 Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices

Abstract

A plasma processing system includes processing modules, a transfer device connected to the processing modules, and a control unit for controlling an oxygen partial pressure and a water vapor partial pressure in the transfer device. The control unit controls the oxygen partial pressure and the water vapor partial pressure in the transfer device to 127 Pa or less and 24.1 Pa or less, respectively. The processing modules include a first processing module for performing etching on the target object, a second processing module for performing surface treatment on the target object, and a third processing module for performing a deposition process on the target object. The second processing module performs the surface treatment using hydrogen radicals generated by a high frequency antenna. The high frequency antenna resonates at one half of a wavelength of a signal supplied from a high frequency power supply used in the processing system.

Claims

1. A plasma processing system for processing a target object comprising:

a plurality of processing modules configured to process the target object;

a transfer device connected to the processing modules; and

a control unit configured to control an oxygen partial pressure and a water vapor partial pressure in the transfer device,

wherein the control unit controls the oxygen partial pressure in the transfer device to 127 Pa or less and the water vapor partial pressure in the transfer device to 24.1 Pa or less by using vacuum evacuation of a vacuum pump or inert gas substitution,

the processing modules include;

a first processing module configured to perform etching on the target object;

a second processing module configured to perform surface treatment on the target object; and

a third processing module configured to perform a deposition process on the target object,

wherein the second processing module performs the surface treatment using hydrogen radicals generated by a high frequency antenna,

wherein the high frequency antenna is formed in a shape of a planar spiral coil for generating inductively coupled plasma, and

an antenna element of the high frequency antenna is opened at both ends and grounded at a central portion, and resonates at a wavelength that is one half of a wavelength of a signal supplied from a high frequency power supply used in the processing system.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second processing module performs the surface treatment using hydrogen radicals to reduce a fluorine content on a surface of the target object to 1/10 or less of a fluorine content before the surface treatment.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the control unit drives the first processing module, the second processing module, and the third processing module, in that order.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the transfer device includes a first transfer module and a second transfer module, and

the control unit controls an oxygen partial pressure and a water vapor partial pressure in the second transfer module to be lower than an oxygen partial pressure and a water vapor partial pressure in the first transfer module.

5. The processing system of claim 4, wherein the third processing module is connected to the second transfer module.

6. The processing system of claim 4, wherein the first processing module and the second processing module are connected to the first transfer module.

7. The processing system of claim 4, wherein the transfer device uses at least one or both of a purge gas and a cryopump to control the oxygen partial pressure and the water vapor partial pressure in each of the first transfer module and the second transfer module.

8. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the purge gas includes an inert gas having an extremely low oxygen partial pressure that is generated in a yttria-stabilized zirconia tube.

9. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the purge gas contains H₂ gas or CO gas.

10. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second processing module performs the surface treatment by controlling a pressure in the second processing module such that two different pressures are alternately repeated while supplying hydrogen radicals into the second processing module.

11. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second processing module performs the surface treatment by alternately repeating a process of supplying hydrogen radicals into the second processing module at a first pressure and a process of stopping the supply of hydrogen radicals into the second processing module and setting the pressure in the second processing module to a second pressure lower than the first pressure.

12. A processing method for processing a target object, comprising:

a first step of performing etching on the target object;

a second step of performing surface treatment on the target object; and

a third step of performing a deposition process on the target object,

wherein the target object is not exposed to an atmosphere from an end of the first step to a start of the third step, and an oxygen partial pressure around the target object is adjusted to 127 Pa or less and a water vapor partial pressure around the target object is adjusted to 24.1 Pa or less by vacuum evacuation of a vacuum pump or by inert gas substitution,

in the second step, the surface treatment is performed by using hydrogen radicals generated by a high frequency antenna,

the high frequency antenna is formed in a shape of a planar spiral coil for generating an inductively coupled plasma, and

an antenna element of the high frequency antenna is opened at both ends and grounded at a central portion, and resonates at a wavelength that is one half of a wavelength of a signal supplied from a high frequency power supply used in the processing method.

13. The processing method of claim 12, wherein in the second step, the surface treatment using hydrogen radicals is performed to reduce a fluorine content on a surface of the target object to 1/10 or less of a fluorine content before the surface treatment.

14. The processing method of claim 12, wherein the first step, the second step, and the third step are executed in that order.

15. The processing method of claim 12, wherein between the first step, the second step, and the third step, at least one or both of a purge gas and a cryopump is used to control the oxygen partial pressure and the water vapor pressure around the target object.

16. The processing method of claim 15, wherein the purge gas includes an inert gas of an extremely low oxygen pressure that is generated in a yttria-stabilized zirconia tube.

17. The processing method of claim 15, wherein the purge gas contains H₂ gas or CO gas.

18. The processing method of claim 12, wherein in the second step, the surface treatment is performed by controlling a pressure around the target object such that two different pressures are alternately repeated while supplying hydrogen radicals to a vicinity of the target object.

19. The processing method of claim 12, wherein in the second step, the surface treatment is performed by alternately repeating a process of supplying hydrogen radicals around the target object at a first pressure and a step of stopping the supply of hydrogen radicals to a vicinity of the target object and setting a pressure around the target object to a second pressure lower than the first pressure.