Microwave plasma processing system

• US 5,545,258 A
• Filed: 06/13/1995
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries Limited (Nippon Steel Corporation), Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation, Sumitomo Metal Industries Limited (Nippon Steel Corporation)
• Inventors: Akimoto, Takeshi, Katayama, Katsuo, Mabuchi, Hiroshi, Komachi, Kyoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, JONI YUK YING
• Application Number:
  US08/490,088
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 204/298.38, 118/723 MP, 118/723 ME, 118/723 MW, 118/723 E, 118/723 ER, 313/231.31, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 118/723.0MP
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

A microwave plasma processing system, wherein a conductor disposed for controlling the anisotropy and the acceleration energy of ions in a plasma has inside a flow path for reactant gasses and a plurality of holes through which the gasses are to be blown toward a sample holder.

A microwave plasma processing system, wherein the ratio of the total area of microwave transmission holes to the area of a conductor is set to be in a range of 0.25 to 0.65.

A microwave plasma processing system, wherein each microwave transmission hole formed in a conductor has a dimension in the microwave traveling direction greater than that in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction.

Claims

1. A microwave plasma processing system comprising:

a microwave oscillator;

a reactor to which a microwave oscillated by said microwave oscillator and a reactant gas are introduced;

a waveguide for guiding the microwave to said reactor;

a dielectric passage formed on one face of said reactor and connected to said waveguide;

a microwave introduction window disposed in a manner that said reactor is partitioned into said dielectric passage and a reaction chamber;

a sample holder disposed in said reaction chamber;

means for applying an electric field to said sample holder;

gas supplying means for supplying the reactant gas to said reaction chamber; and

a conductor disposed between said microwave introduction window and said sample holder, the conductor having microwave transmission holes, a flow path communicated with said gas supplying means, and holes through which the reactant gas is to be blown toward a sample.

2. A microwave plasma processing system according to claim 1, wherein said conductor is disposed in contact with said microwave introduction window.

3. A microwave plasma processing system comprising:

a microwave oscillator;

a reactor to which a microwave oscillated by said microwave oscillator and a reactant gas are introduced;

a waveguide for guiding the microwave said reactor;

a dielectric passage formed on one face of said reactor and connected to said waveguide;

a microwave introduction window which is disposed in a manner that said reactor is partitioned into said dielectric passage and a reaction chamber;

a sample holder disposed in said reaction chamber;

means for applying an electric field to said sample holder;

means for supplying the reactant gas to said reaction chamber; and

a conductor disposed between said microwave introduction window and said sample holder, the conductor having microwave transmission holes,

wherein a ratio of a total area of said microwave transmission holes to an area of said conductor is in the range of 0.25 to 0.65.

4. A microwave plasma processing system according to claim 3, wherein said conductor is disposed in contact with said microwave introduction window.

5. A microwave plasma processing system comprising:

a microwave oscillator;

a reactor to which a microwave oscillated by said microwave oscillator and a reactant gas are introduced;

a waveguide for guiding the microwave to said reactor;

a dielectric passage formed on one face of said reactor, and connected to said waveguide;

a microwave introduction window which partitions said reactor into said dielectric passage and a reaction chamber;

a sample holder disposed in said reaction chamber;

means for applying an electric field to said sample holder;

means for supplying the reactant gas to said reaction chamber; and

a conductor disposed between said microwave introduction window and said sample holder, the conductor having microwave transmission holes,

wherein a dimension of each of said microwave transmission holes in a microwave traveling direction on said dielectric passage is greater than that in a direction perpendicular to said microwave traveling direction.

6. A microwave plasma processing system according to claim 5, wherein each of said microwave transmission holes has a rectangular shape.

7. A microwave plasma processing system according to claim 5, wherein each of said microwave transmission holes has an elliptic shape.

8. A microwave plasma processing system according to claim 5, wherein said conductor is disposed in contact with said microwave introduction window.