Plasma process apparatus

• US 5,525,159 A
• Filed: 12/16/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hama, Kiichi, Hata, Jiro, Hongoh, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALADUGU, RAMAMOHAN RAO
• Application Number:
  US08/357,423
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723 I, 118/723 IR, 118/723 R, 118/ 715
• US Class Current: 118/723.00I
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/455 characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4586 Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/466 using thermal contact gas
• 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: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3211 Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

A plasma CVD apparatus for forming a silicon film on an LCD substrate includes a container which is divided into process and upper chambers by a quartz partition plate. A work table on which the substrate is mounted is arranged in the process chamber and a lower electrode to which a high frequency potential is applied is arranged in the work table. First lower and second upper supply heads are arranged between the partition plate and the work table in the process chamber. SiH₄ and H₂ gas and He gases are supplied through the first and second supply heads. He gas is transformed into plasma while SiH₄ and H₂ gas is excited and decomposed by the plasma thus formed. Two coils are arranged in the upper chamber and high frequency voltages are applied to the coils to generate electromagnetic field to induce the transforming of He gas into plasma. High frequency voltages applied to the coils are the same in phase and directions of current flowing through adjacent portions of the coils are the same.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a process region of a substrate, using a plasma, comprising:

a casing for defining an air-tight process chamber and provided with a window plate made of dielectric;

an exhaust for exhausting and setting the process chamber to a vacuum;

a work table arranged in the process chamber and having a support face opposed to the window plate, said substrate being mounted on the support face of the work table, facing said process region to the window plate;

a main supply for supplying a process gas between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table, at least a part of the process gas being transformed into the plasma;

an induction electrode for generating electromagnetic field between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table to induce generation of the plasma, and including plural conductive coils arranged outside the process chamber and opposed to the window plate; and

a power supply section for applying high frequency voltages to the coils;

wherein high frequency voltages applied to the coils are the same in phase and directions of current flowing through adjacent portions of the coils are the same.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an air-tight auxiliary chamber arranged next to the process chamber to house the coils, a cooler for cooling the coils, and a pressure adjuster for keeping a pressure difference between pressures in the process and auxiliary chambers smaller than a set value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressure adjuster includes a supply for supplying a gas into the auxiliary chamber, an exhaust for exhausting the auxiliary chamber to a vacuum, and a controller for adjusting the pressure in the auxiliary chamber according to the pressure in the Process chamber.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said gas supplied into the auxiliary chamber is a coolant and it serves as a part of the cooler.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said coils is seated on a seat arranged on the window plate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a passage through which coolant is circulated is formed in each of the seats.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main supply includes a first supply member having a first supply head arranged between the window plate and the support face of the work table and made of dielectric, said first supply head has a plurality of supply holes arranged to uniformly cover the whole of the process region of the substrate on the support face of the work table, and at least a part of the process gas is supplied into the process chamber through the supply holes.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said main supply includes a second supply member arranged between the window plate and the first supply member, said process gas includes first and second gases supplied through the first and second supply members, and said second gas is transformed into the plasma while said first gas is excited and decomposed by the plasma thus formed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said apparatus is used as a plasma CVD apparatus to form a film on the process region of the substrate and said first gas is decomposed to provide a material of the film.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first supply head comprises a lattice formed of a combination of pipe elements through which said first gas flows.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a lower electrode arranged in the work table and a power supply for applying a high frequency potential to the lower electrode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said second supply member includes a second supply head comprising a pipe frame through which said second gas flows, and a plurality of supply holes through which said second gas is supplied are formed in the second supply head.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plural conductive coils consist of two coils.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plural conductive coils consist of three coils.

13. An apparatus for processing a process region of a substrate, using a plasma, comprising:

a casing for defining an air-tight process chamber and provided with a window plate made of dielectric;

an exhaust for exhausting and setting process chamber to a vacuum;

a work table arranged in the process chamber and having a support face opposed to the window plate, said substrate being mounted on the support face of the work table, facing said process region to the window plate;

a main supply for supplying a process gas between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table, at least a part of the process gas being transformed into the plasma;

an induction electrode for generating electro-magnetic field between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table to induce generation of the plasma, and including plural conductive coils arranged outside the process chamber and opposed to the window plate; and

a power supply section for applying high frequency voltages to the coils;

wherein phases of the high frequency voltages applied to the coils are shifted from each other by 120 degrees.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said induction electrode comprises three coils arranged at vertexes of an equilateral triangle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising an air-tight auxiliary chamber arranged next to the process chamber to house said coils therein, a cooler for cooling the coils, and a pressure adjuster for keeping a pressure difference between pressures in the process and auxiliary chambers smaller than a set value.

16. A CVD apparatus for forming a film on a process region of a substrate, using a plasma, comprising:

a casing for defining an air-tight process chamber and provided with a window plate made of dielectric;

an exhaust for exhausting and setting the process chamber to a vacuum;

a work table arranged in the process chamber and having a support face opposed to the window plate, said substrate being mounted on the support face of the work table, facing said process region to the window plate;

a main supply for supplying a process gas between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table, and including a first supply member having a first supply head made of dielectric and arranged between the window plate and the support face of the work table and a second supply member arranged between the window plate and the first supply member, said first supply head including a plurality of supply holes to uniformly cover the whole of the process region of the substrate on the support face, said process gas including first and second gases supplied through the first and second supply members, respectively, and said second gas being transformed into the plasma while said first gas being excited and decomposed by the plasma thus formed to provide a material of the film;

an induction electrode for generating electro-magnetic field between the window plate and the substrate on the support face of the work table to induce generation of the plasma, and including plural conductive coils arranged outside the process chamber and opposed to the window plate; and

a power supply section for applying high frequency voltages to the coils;

wherein the phases of the high frequency voltages applied to the coils are shifted from each other by 90 degrees.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said first supply head comprises a lattice formed of a combination of pipe elements through which said first gas flows.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said induction electrode comprises four coils arranged at vertexes of a rectangle.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a lower electrode arranged in the work table and a power supply for applying a high frequency potential to the lower electrode.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second supply member includes a second supply head comprising a pipe frame through which said second gas flows, and said second supply head includes a plurality of supply holes through which said second gas is supplied.