Plasma processing equipment and gas discharging device

• US 5,834,730 A
• Filed: 01/31/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Sales Co., Inc. (Canon Inc.), Semiconductor Process Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Canon Sales Co., Inc. (Canon Inc.), Semiconductor Process Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Aoki, Junichi, Maeda, Kazuo, Suzuki, Setsu, Tokumasu, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/792,138
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.43, 219/121.4, 219/121.44, 204/192.35, 204/298.31, 204/298.34, 204/298.32, 156/345, 118/723 R
• US Class Current: 219/121.43
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence

Abstract

A gas discharging device is provided which has a function as one of opposing electrodes to plasmanize a reaction gas and executes film formation and etching with a plasma gas. The device comprises a base body having a recess portion at its central portion and a through-hole for introducing a gas into the recess portion, a gas distributing plate provided in the recess portion for introducing the gas in a radial direction, and an annular gas discharging member for discharging the gas introduced by the gas distributing plate.

Claims

1. A plasma processing equipment comprising:

(a) a gas discharging device for discharging a reaction gas, serving as a first electrode;

(b) a table which rotates while facing said gas discharging device, having

(1) loading portions on which substrates to be processed are loaded annularly, and

(2) a single conductive plate provided under said loading portions, and serving as a second electrode in common to said substrates loaded on said loading portions; and

c) a high frequency power supply for applying power to plasmanize said reaction gas, being connected to one of said first electrode and said second electrode.

2. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, further comprising an AC power supply for applying a bias voltage to said substrates which are loaded on said table, being connected to said second electrode.

3. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said table has a single heater which is provided under said loading portions and in common to said substrates loaded on said loading portions.

4. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 3, wherein said single conductive plate and said single heater are buried in said table.

5. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 4, wherein said conductive plate and said heater are insulated each other by said insulating material interposed therebetween.

6. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, further including a plurality of heaters which are separately buried in said table and at locations corresponding to said loading portions.

7. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 6, wherein said conductive plate is buried in said table, and said conductive plate and said plurality of heaters are insulated each other by said insulating material interposed therebetween.

8. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said gas discharging device has a gas introducing port for introducing said reaction gas and a gas discharging port which opposes to said loading portions of said table, and is further provided with a conductive gas piping which links said gas introducing port to said gas discharging port and has a coil-like piping portion partially.

9. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, further comprising,

a process chamber where said gas discharging device and said table are received and pressure can be reduced, and

a rotating axis which is fixed to said table, extends to an outside of said process chamber, and is supported rotatably at said outside of said plasma processing equipment.

10. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said gas discharging device further includes,

a gas introducing port for introducing said reaction gas,

an annular gas discharging port which is arranged so as to oppose to said loading portions of said table, and

a gas flow path which links said annular gas discharging port to said gas introducing port.

11. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 10, wherein said annular gas discharging port has a plurality of gas discharging holes.

12. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein said gas discharging device further includes,

a plurality of gas introducing ports which are separated each other,

a plurality of gas discharging ports which are arranged annularly so as to oppose to said loading portions of said table, and

a plurality of gas flow paths which are separated each other and link said respective gas discharging ports to said respective gas introducing ports.

13. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 12, each of said gas discharging ports has a plurality of gas discharging holes.

14. A gas discharging device serving as a first electrode in a plasma processing equipment, comprising:

(a) a gas introducing port;

(b) a first gas flow path for introducing a gas into a central portion of said gas discharging device, being linked to said gas introducing port;

(c) a second gas flow path being connected to said first gas flow path, splitting said gas in a radial direction at said central portion, and then resplitting said once split gas toward said central portion and an peripheral portion of said gas discharging device in an intermediate portion between said central portion and said peripheral portion; and

(d) an annular gas discharging port for discharging said resplit gas, being connected to said second gas flow path.

15. A gas discharging device comprising:

(a) a base body having a gas introducing port, a recess portion at the central portion of the base body and a first gas flow path which links said gas introducing port to said recess portion;

(b) a gas distributing plate provided in said recess portion, forming a first space to serve as a radial outward part of a second gas flow path between said base body and said gas distributing plate; and

(c) an annular gas discharging member for discharging said gas, forming a second space to serve as a split radial inward and outward part of said second gas flow path between said gas distributing plate and said annular gas discharging member.

16. A gas discharging device according to claim 15, wherein said annular gas discharging member contacts said base body at its outer peripheral portion and also contacts said base body at its inner peripheral portion via said gas distributing plate.

17. A gas discharging device according to claim 15, wherein said annular gas discharging member has a plurality of gas discharging holes which are distributed in an annular region.

18. A plasma processing equipment comprising:

(a) a gas discharging device provided with,

(1) a base body having a gas introducing port, a recess portion at a central portion of the base body and a first gas flow path which links said gas introducing port to said recess portion,

(2) a gas distributing plate provided in said recess portion, forming a first space to serve as a radial outward part of a second gas flow path between said base body and said gas distributing plate, and

(3) an annular gas discharging member for discharging said gas, forming a second space to serve as a split radial inward and outward part of said second gas flow path between said gas distributing plate and said annular gas discharging member; and

(b) a table serving as a second electrode, and having a plurality of loading portions for loading substrates to be processed, and said loading portions being arranged to oppose to said annular gas discharging member.

19. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 18, wherein said annular gas discharging member of said gas discharging device contacts said base body at its outer peripheral portion and also contacts said base body at its inner peripheral portion via said gas distributing plate.

20. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 18, wherein said annular gas discharging member of said gas discharging device has a plurality of gas discharging holes which are arranged in a side facing to said loading portions of said table.

21. a plasma processing equipment according to claim 18, further comprising rotating means for rotating said table to pass the substrates along an annular direction juxtaposed with said annular gas discharging device.

22. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 18, further comprising a high frequency power supply connected to said gas discharging device to plasmanize said gas.

23. A plasma processing equipment according to claim 18, further comprising an AC power supply connected to said table to apply a bias voltage to said substrates which are loaded on said table.