Microwave plasma processor

• US 5,202,095 A
• Filed: 03/27/1992
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Houchin, Ryuzoh, Suzuki, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US07/861,179
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186, 204/298.38, 204/192.37, 204/192.34, 204/157.43, 156/643, 156/662, 219/121.4
• US Class Current: 422/186
• 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: H05B 6/72 Radiators or antennas

Abstract

A microwave plasma processor comprising a vacuum chamber with a gas introduction inlet, an exhaust port, a sample table for loading thereon a sample, a plurality of microwave radiation antennas, and a corresponding plurality of microwave energy introduction inlets thereby enabling a large area substrate to be uniformly plasma-processed at high speed.

Claims

1. A microwave plasma processor comprising:

a chamber, including a first chamber for a sample, and a plurality of second chambers for generating plasma;

a plurality of microwave radiation antennas outside said second chambers; and

a plurality of microwave introduction inlets from which microwave energy is introduced into said chamber through said microwave radiation antennas,

said first chamber including a gas introduction inlet, an exhaust port, and a sample table for loading thereon a sample, and said second chambers composed of a dielectric material;

and wherein said plurality of microwave energy introduction inlets corresponds in number to said microwave radiation antennas.

2. A microwave plasma processor according to claim 1, wherein each of said microwave radiation antennas is composed of a helical coil.

3. A microwave plasma processor according to claim 1, wherein each of said microwave radiation antennas is composed of a uniform diameter helical coil.

4. A microwave plasma processor according to claim 1, wherein the microwave introduction inlets are waveguides for introducing the microwave energy therethrough into said chamber.

5. A microwave plasma processor according to claim 1, wherein the microwave introduction inlets are coaxial cables for introducing the microwave energy therethrough into said chamber.

6. A microwave plasma processor, comprising:

a chamber in which plasma is formed, said chamber comprising a main chamber and a plurality of subchambers which protrude from the main chamber; and

antenna means for introducing electromagnetic energy into said chamber, said antenna means comprising a number of antennas corresponding to the plurality of subchambers, each antenna being located outside of said chamber and adjacent to one of said subchambers.

7. A microwave plasma processor, comprising:

a chamber in which plasma is formed, said chamber comprising a main portion and a plurality of subchambers which protrude from the main chamber, each of the subchambers being equally spaced about the main chamber; and

antenna means for introducing electromagnetic energy into said chamber, said antenna means comprising a number of antenna corresponding to the plurality of subchambers, each antenna being located outside of said chamber and adjacent to one of said subchambers.