Induction plasma source

• US 5,405,480 A
• Filed: 07/11/1994
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• 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, J. Kirkwood H., Benzing, Jeffrey C., Broadbent, Eliot K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, JONI YUK YING
• Application Number:
  US08/273,574
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723 I, 118/723 IR, 118/, 156/345, 156/643, 315/111.51, 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 windings proceeding from an equatorial base to a pole of the hemispherically shaped induction coil generally parallel to the support surface of the platen, the chamber being disposed inside the induction coil;

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

a bias power source coupled to the platen.

2. 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.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the chamber is contained within a hemispherical vessel and the induction coil.

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

5. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the vessel is an aluminum oxide bell jar.

6. An apparatus as in claim 3, 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.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the windings of the induction coil are packed in a thermally conductive dielectric material and the thermally conductive dielectric material couples the induction coil to the vessel.

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

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the radio frequency power source is a low frequency radio frequency power source.

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

11. 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 which contains the chamber;

a low frequency radio frequency power source which induces 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

a high frequency radio frequency power source which imposes a biasing voltage on the wafer independently of the low frequency radio frequency power source.

12. 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 and containing a vacuum chamber;

a platen having a top wafer-supporting surface;

a hemispherical induction coil disposed about the quartz wall of the bell jar, the induction coil having a plurality of windings proceeding from an equatorial base to a pole of the hemispherically shaped induction coil generally parallel to the platen;

a gas system coupled to the chamber;

a radio frequency power source connected to one end of the induction coil through a matching network and 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.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the windings of the induction coil form a single hemispherically shaped expanding spiral layer having an internal volume sufficiently large to contain the bell jar.

14. An apparatus as in claim 12 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.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the windings of the induction coil are packed in a thermally conductive dielectric material and the thermally conductive dielectric material couples the induction coil to the bell jar.

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

17. An apparatus as in claim 12 wherein a plasma is operably sustainable in the vacuum chamber at a gas pressure therein as low as 0.1 milliTorr.

18. 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 induction coil;

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 in the chamber; and

imposing a biasing voltage on the substrate.

19. A method as in claim 18 further comprising the step of sustaining in the chamber a gas pressure therein as low as 1.0 milliTor.

20. A method as in claim 18 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.

21. A method as in claim 18 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.

22. A method as in claim 18, 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.

23. A method as in claim 18, wherein:

the plasma process is a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) procedure; and

the delivering step includes delivering a reactive gas to the substrate.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the delivering step includes delivering the reactive gas at a high pressure to the substrate.

25. A method as in claim 23, wherein the delivering step includes delivering the reactive gas to the substrate from multiple gas sources arranged radially symmetrical thereabout.

26. A method as in claim 18, further comprising the step of evacuating the chamber to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure prior to the delivering step.

27. A method as in claim 18, wherein the induction coil is a copper tube and the method further comprises the step of circulating a cooling fluid through the tube.

28. A method as in claim 27 further comprising the step of packing the windings of the induction coil in a thermally conductive dielectric material.

29. A method as in claim 27 wherein the chamber is contained within a hemispherical vessel and the thermally conductive dielectric material couples the induction coil to the bell jar.

31. A housing as in claim 29 wherein the vessel and the induction coil are hemispherically shaped and the multiple windings of the induction coil wind from an equatorial base to a pole of the hemispherically shaped induction coil.

30. A chamber housing of a plasma process apparatus for integrated circuit fabrication, comprising:

a vessel disposed about a chamber;

an induction coil disposed about the vessel and having multiple windings of a copper tube;

a cooling system furnishing a cooling fluid to one end of the copper tube and removing cooling fluid from the other of the copper tube; and

a thermally conductive dielectric material packing the windings of the induction coil and coupling the induction coil to the vessel.