Plasma processing apparatus

• US 5,868,848 A
• Filed: 06/06/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Geist, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US08/659,655
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723 E, 156/345, 204/298.32, 204/298.34, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 118/723.00E
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3299 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 156/915 Differential etching apparatus including focus ring surrounding a wafer for plasma apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an etching apparatus for etching wafer W held on an electrostatic chuck 11 by using a plasma generated in a space between an upper electrode 21 and a susceptor 5 in a processing chamber 2. The plasma is generated by supplying a high frequency power from a high frequency power supply 43 via a power supply line 42. The etching apparatus includes a measuring electrode 18 made of silicon, attached to a focus-ring 17 provided around wafer W. The measuring electrode 18 can be electrically connected to a susceptor 5. A lead wire 44 is used, an end of which is connected to the power supply bar 42 and the other end of which is connected to a voltage indicator 46 for monitoring V_DC via an RF filter 45. The V_DC level having a constant correlation with the V_DC generated on wafer W, can be detected through monitoring by the voltage indicator 46.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber;

a supporting electrode for supporting an object to be processed in the processing chamber;

a high-frequency power source electrically connected to the supporting electrode for providing a high-frequency power to the supporting electrode to generate a plasma in the processing chamber;

a measuring electrode provided near the object supported by the supporting electrode and exposed to the plasma, the measuring electrode measuring a self bias electrode potential near the object;

means for electrically connecting the measuring electrode to the supporting electrode; and

means for obtaining the self bias electrode potential measured by the measuring electrode, by removing the high-frequency component of the high-frequency power, the obtaining means electrically connected to the supporting electrode.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a screw connection for mechanically and electrically connecting the measuring electrode to the supporting electrode.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring electrode has an end upper face exposed to the plasma, and said supporting electrode has an upper surface on which the object is mounted, and the end upper face of the measuring electrode is positioned in the substantially same plane as the upper surface of the supporting electrode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting electrode includes an electrostatic chuck for supporting the object thereon, a focus-ring mounted on the supporting electrode and surrounding the object supported by the electrostatic chuck, and a power source for supplying an electric power to the electrostatic chuck.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining means includes controlling means electrically connected to the high-frequency power source, for controlling the amount of high-frequency power provided by the high-frequency power, on the basis of the self bias electrode potential measured by the measuring electrode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said measuring electrode is provided to said focus-ring.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said focus-ring comprises a first focus-ring, and a second focus-ring provided outside said first focus-ring, said first focus-ring having a conductive property, said second focus-ring having an insulating property, and said measuring electrode being provided to said first focus-ring.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said focus-ring comprises a first focus-ring, and a second focus-ring provided outside said first focus-ring, said first focus-ring having an insulating property, said second focus-ring having a conductive property, and said measuring electrode being provided to said second focus-ring.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said focus-ring has a depressed portion having substantially the same shape as that of said object, and has substantially the same thickness as that of a said object.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said object is a semiconductor wafer having an orientation flat and said measuring electrode is provided in the proximity of said orientation flat.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a hole for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between said electrostatic chuck and said object is formed in the supporting electrode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising heat transfer gas supply means for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between said electrostatic chuck and said object.