Induction plasma source

• US 5,346,578 A
• Filed: 11/04/1992
• Issued: 09/13/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Rough, Kirkwood H., Benzing, Jeffrey C., Broadbent, Eliot K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, JONI YUK YING
• Application Number:
  US07/971,363
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723 I, 118/723 JR, 315/111.51, 156/345, 204/298.34, 204/192.32
• US Class Current: 156/345.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

An induction plasma source for integrated circuit fabrication includes a hemispherically shaped induction coil in an expanding spiral pattern about the vacuum chamber containing a semiconductor wafer supported by a platen. The windings of the induction coil follow the contour of a hemispherically shaped quartz bell jar, which holds the vacuum. The power source is a low frequency rf source having a frequency of about 450 KHz and a power in the range of 200-2000 watts, and the pressure is a low pressure of about 0.1-100 mTorr. A high frequency rf source independently adjusts the bias voltage on the wafer.

Claims

1. A plasma process apparatus for integrated circuit fabrication having a chamber and a platen for supporting on a surface thereof a substrate in the chamber, comprising:

a hemispherically shaped induction coil having multiple helical windings, a base winding thereof being generally parallel to and coplanar with the support surface of the platen, and each of the other windings being generally parallel to the support surface of the platen, the chamber being disposed inside the induction coil;

a low frequency radio frequency power source coupled to the induction coil; and

a bias power source coupled to the platen for biasing the substrate.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the process chamber is contained within a hemispherical vessel, and the induction coil generally conforms to the hemispherical surface of the vessel.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the vessel is a quartz bell jar.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the vessel is an aluminum oxide bell jar.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the windings of the induction coil are a copper tube, further comprising a cooling system for furnishing a cooling fluid to one end of the copper tube and for removing cooling fluid from the other of the copper tube.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the bias power source is a high frequency radio frequency power source.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a plasma is operably sustainable in the process chamber generally above the platen in a pressure as low as 0.6 milliTorr.

8. A plasma process apparatus for integrated circuit fabrication having a chamber and a platen for supporting on a surface thereof a substrate in the chamber, comprising:

a vessel having a hemispherical quartz wall for containing the chamber;

means for inducing a low frequency oscillating azimuthal electric field in a region near the quartz wall so that electrons entering the region within the plasma boundary are accelerated and cancel an axial magnetic field in the interior of the plasma discharge; and

means for imposing a biasing voltage on the wafer independently of the inducing means.

9. A plasma process apparatus for integrated circuit wafer fabrication, comprising:

a housing having a top plate;

a bell jar having a hemispherical quartz wall, the bell jar being mounted on the top plate for containing a vacuum chamber;

a platen having a top surface for supporting a semiconductor wafer in the vacuum chamber;

a hemispherical induction coil conformal with the quartz wall of the bell jar, the induction coil having a plurality of windings which are generally parallel to the platen, one of the windings being at the base of the induction coil and generally coplanar with the top surface of the platen;

a gas system for delivering gas to the process chamber;

a low frequency radio frequency power source connected to one end of the induction coil through a matching network for inducing an oscillatory azimuthal electric field within the process chamber near the bell jar wall, the other end of the induction coil being connected to the housing; and

a high frequency radio frequency power source connected to the platen through a matching network for biasing the wafer;

wherein a plasma is operably sustainable in the vacuum chamber at a gas pressure therein as low as 1.0 milliTorr.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the windings of the induction coil form a single layer hemispherically shaped expanding spiral having an internal volume sufficiently large to contain the bell jar.

11. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the windings of the induction coil are a copper tube, further comprising a cooling system for circulating a cooling fluid through the copper tube to cool the induction coil.

12. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein a plasma is operably sustainable in the vacuum chamber at a gas pressure therein as low as 0.6 milliTorr.

13. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein a plasma is operably sustainable in the vacuum chamber at a gas pressure therein as low as 0.1 milliTorr.

14. A method of generating a plasma for processing an integrated circuit substrate, comprising the steps of:

placing the substrate in a chamber contained within a hemispherical vessel, the vessel having a hemispherical induction coil conformal with a surface of the vessel;

delivering a gas to the chamber;

applying an oscillating current to the induction coil so that a plasma is formed by excitation of the gas; and

imposing a biasing voltage on the substrate.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising the step of sustaining in the chamber a gas pressure therein as low as 1.0 milliTor.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

the imposing step includes the step of applying a high frequency radio frequency power source to the substrate; and

the applying step includes the step of applying a low frequency radio frequency power source to the coil.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

the plasma process is an ion sputter process; and

the delivering step includes delivering an inert gas to the chamber at low pressure to remove material from the substrate surface by momentum transfer.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

the plasma process is a chemical etching procedure; and

the delivering step includes delivering a reactive gas at a high pressure to the substrate from multiple gas sources arranged radially symmetrical thereabout.

19. A method as in claim 14, further comprising the step of evacuating the chamber to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure prior to the delivering step.

20. A method as in claim 14, wherein the induction coil is a copper tube and the method further comprises the step of circulating a cooling fluid through the tube.

21. A plasma process apparatus for integrated circuit fabrication having a chamber and a supporting member for supporting a substrate in a plane within the chamber, comprising:

a hemispherically shaped induction coil having multiple helical windings, each of the windings being generally parallel to the plane;

an alternating current source coupled to the induction coil; and

a bias source coupled to the supporting member for biasing the substrate.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the multiple helical windings include a base winding which is generally coplanar with the substrate plane.

23. An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the chamber is contained with a hemispherical vessel, the chamber is disposed inside the induction coil, and the induction coil generally conforms to the hemispherical surface of the vessel.

24. An apparatus as in claim 21 wherein:

the bias source is a high frequency power source; and

the alternating current source is a low frequency power source.

25. A plasma process for integrated circuit wafer fabrication, comprising the steps of:

sustaining a plasma within a hemispherical region of a process chamber;

inducing a low frequency oscillating azimuthal electrical field in the periphery of the hemispherical region so that electrons in a plasma entering the periphery are accelerated and cancel an axial magnetic field in the interior of the plasma; and

imposing a biasing voltage on the wafer.