Plasma processing apparatus

• US 5,766,364 A
• Filed: 07/15/1997
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takisawa, Takahiro, Ishida, Toshimichi, Tanabe, Hiroshi, Yamada, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BUEKER, RICHARD R
• Application Number:
  US08/893,940
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/724, 118/725
• US Class Current: 118/725
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45572 Cooled nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature

Abstract

Generated heat is effectively dissipated to prevent thermal deformation of a gas ejector plate in a plasma processing apparatus which is capable of processing a substrate of large scale. A temperature controlling plate 106 and heat conductor 109 are fixedly disposed on the upper electrode-cum-gas ejector plate 105 which is provided with a multiplicity of gas ejecting apertures 105a disposed at regular intervals. The heat conductor 109 is constructed to be a latticed member for effectively conducting heat from the gas ejector plate 105 to the temperature controlling plate 106, and has a plurality of gas pressure equalizing spaces 109a defined between crossing bars of the lattice for pressuring process gas to be evenly ejected through the gas ejecting apertures 105a.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus having a pressure reduced chamber for accommodating an object to be plasma processed, a pair of opposite electrodes mounted in the chamber for ionizing process gas supplied into the chamber, a process gas supplying means and a high-frequency power source both connected to one of the electrodes, and a heater for heating the object placed on the other electrode, comprising:

a temperature controlling member equipped with a temperature regulating means;

a gas ejector plate having a multiplicity of gas ejecting apertures provided therein at regular intervals and serving as one of the electrodes; and

a heat conducting member constructed to be a latticed form and placed between the temperature controlling member and the gas ejector plate, each of a plurality of spaces defined by crossing bars constituting the heat conducting member making gas pressure equalizing spaces for pressurizing and ejecting the process gas evenly through the gas ejecting apertures of the gas ejector plate.

2. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the latticed heat conducting member has a gas inlet disposed in the center thereof for receiving the process gas.

3. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the latticed heat conducting member has gas passages provided therein where the crossing bars cover the gas ejecting apertures of the gas ejector plate.

4. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all the gas pressure equalizing spaces have the same shape and are arranged symmetrical about the center of the heat conducting member.

5. A plasma processing apparatus for depositing a thin film on a glass substrate used in a liquid crystal display comprising:

a pressure chamber;

a lower electrode mounted in the pressure chamber and electrically grounded, the lower electrode is larger than a glass substrate used to form a component of a large liquid crystal display;

a heater for heating the glass substrate on the lower electrode to a temperature of approximately 400°

C.;

a combination upper electrode assembly including a gas manifold member, gas ejector member and a heat conducting member, is mounted above the lower electrode;

means for providing a process gas to the gas manifold member to transmit the gas to the gas ejector to form a plasma between the upper and lower electrodes; and

means for providing a coolant to the heat conducting member to maintain the gas ejector member at a substantially constant temperature of approximately 80°

C.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the gas manifold member has an open latticed configuration to transmit heat from the gas ejector to the heat conducting member.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein the heat conducting member is mounted to the pressure chamber, the gas manifold member is connected to the heat conducting member and the gas ejector is directly secured to the gas manifold member.