Method and apparatus for improving processing and reducing charge damage in an inductively coupled plasma reactor

• US 6,085,688 A
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Loewenhardt, Peter, Lymberopoulos, Dimitris, Yamartino, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorgos, Kathryn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parsons, Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US09/049,722
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 216/68, 216/67, 438/729, 438/732, 427/571, 427/569, 118/723 I, 204/298.37, 156/345
• US Class Current: 118/723.00I
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3348 control of ion bombardment energy
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a workpiece in an inductively coupled plasma reactor. Inductive power is applied to the reactor to generate a plasma. A magnetic field is generated within the plasma reactor having lines of force oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface. It is a feature of the invention to control the electron temperature near the surface of the workpiece by controlling the applied magnetic field. It is a further feature to increase average ion density near the workpiece without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up. The applied magnetic field can be time invariant or time variant. In both cases, processing can be optimized by adjusting the magnitude of the magnetic field to a level just below where damage due to uneven charge build-up occurs. With the time variant field, the average ion density can be adjusted with respect to average electron temperature. As such, average ion density near the workpiece can by increased without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece. It is a further feature of the present invention to provide independently controllable conductors for generating the magnetic field and to provide an adjustable non-uniformly distributed magnetic field within the chamber. This can be used to selectively control plasma density or to selectively confine process gas species.

Claims

1. A method for processing a workpiece in an inductively coupled plasma reactor comprising the steps of:

a) applying inductive power to the reactor so as to generate a plasma comprising ions;

b) generating a magnetic field within the plasma reactor having lines of force oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface; and

c) pulsing the magnetic field so as to adjust the average ion density near the workpiece with respect to average electron temperature near the workpiece.

2. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 1 wherein the inductive power and the magnetic field are adjusted so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece while decreasing average electron temperature near the workpiece.

3. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 2 wherein the pulses have a magnitude, duration, and duty cycle, and wherein at least one of the magnitude, duration, or duty cycle is adjusted to adjust the magnetic field.

4. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 1 wherein the pulses have a magnitude, duration, and duty cycle, and wherein at least one of the magnitude, duration, or duty cycle is adjusted to adjust the average ion density near the workpiece.

5. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 4 wherein the reactor futher comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is non-uniformly distributed throughout the chamber.

6. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 5 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

7. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 4 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

8. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 7 wherein the reactor comprises walls, and wherein the method further comprises the step of containing the plasma away from at least part of the reactor walls.

9. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 1 wherein the step of generating the magnetic field includes causing a current to flow through a conductor, the conductor being located circumferentially around the reactor.

10. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 9 wherein the current is pulsed.

11. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 1 wherein the magnetic field is generated by a plurality of conductors.

12. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 11 wherein the plurality of conductors are independently controlled.

13. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 12 wherein the conductors are located circumferentially around the reactor.

14. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 11 wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located below the workpiece.

15. The method for processing a workpiece claim 11 wherein the reactor further comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located above the chamber.

16. A method for processing a workpiece in an inductively coupled plasma reactor comprising the steps of:

a) applying inductive power to the reactor so as to generate a plasma comprising ions;

b) generating a magnetic field within the plasma reactor having lines of force oriented perpendicular to the workpiece surface; and

c) varying the magnetic field over time.

17. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 further comprising the step of adjusting the magnetic field so as to adjust the average ion density near the workpiece with respect to average electron temperature near the workpiece.

18. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 17 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece without causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up.

19. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece without causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up.

20. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 wherein the magnetic field is pulsed, and wherein the pulses have a magnitude, duration, and duty cycle, and wherein the at least one of the magnitude, duration, and duty cycle is adjustable.

21. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 20 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece without causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up.

22. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 20 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece while decreasing average electron temperature near the workpiece.

23. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 wherein the step of generating the magnetic field includes causing a current to flow through a conductor, the conductor being located circumferentially around the reactor.

24. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 23 wherein the current is pulsed.

25. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 wherein the magnetic field is generated by a plurality of conductors.

26. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 25 wherein the plurality of conductors are independently controlled.

27. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 26 wherein the conductors are located circumferentially around the reactor.

28. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 25 wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located below the workpiece.

29. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 25 wherein the reactor further comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located above the chamber.

30. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 wherein the reactor further comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is non-uniformly distributed throughout the chamber.

31. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 30 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

32. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 16 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

33. The method for processing a workpiece of claim 32 wherein the reactor comprises walls, and wherein the method further comprises the step of containing the plasma away from at least part of the reactor walls.

34. A method for controlling damage, to a workpiece exposed to plasma in an inductively coupled plasma reactor, resulting from charge build-up on the workpiece, the method comprising the step of controlling average electron temperature near the workpiece by applying a pulsed magnetic field perpendicular to a workpiece.

35. The method for controlling damage of claim 34 wherein the pulses have a magnitude, duration, and duty cycle, and wherein at least one of the magnitude, duration, or duty cycle is adjusted up to a threshold at which damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up occurs.

36. The method for controlling damage of claim 35 further comprising the step of lowering the inductive power to reduce the average electron temperature near the workpiece.

37. The method for controlling damage of claim 34 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece due to uneven charge build-up.

38. The method for controlling damage of claim 34 further comprising the step of adjusting the inductive power and the magnetic field so as to increase average ion density near the workpiece while decreasing average electron temperature near the workpiece.

39. The method for controlling damage of claim 34 wherein the step of applying the magnetic field includes causing a current to flow through a conductor, the conductor being located circumferentially around the reactor.

40. A method in an inductively coupled plasma reactor for controlling damage to a workpiece exposed to plasma, due to uneven charge build-up, the method comprising the steps of:

a) applying a magnetic field perpendicular to a workpiece; and

b) adjusting the average magnitude of the applied field up to a threshold at which damage due to uneven charge build-up occurs.

41. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 40 wherein the magnetic field is time-varied.

42. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 41 wherein the magnetic field is pulsed.

43. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 42 wherein the pulses have a magnitude, duration, and duty cycle, and wherein at least one of the magnitude, duration, or duty cycle is adjusted to adjust the average magnitude of the magnetic field.

44. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 43 further comprising the step of adjusting the level of inductive power within the reactor so that the inductive power and the average magnitude of the applied magnetic field are adjusted to a level that increases average ion density near the workpiece without otherwise causing damage to the workpiece.

45. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 43 further comprising the step of adjusting the level of inductive power within the reactor so that the inductive power and the average magnitude of the applied magnetic field are adjusted to a level that decreases average electron temperature near the workpiece without otherwise lowering average ion density near the workpiece.

46. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 40 further comprising generating the magnetic field using a plurality of conductors.

47. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 46 wherein the plurality of conductors are independently controlled.

48. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 47 wherein the conductors are located circumferentially around the reactor.

49. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 46 wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located below the workpiece.

50. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 46 wherein the reactor further comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is generated by independently controllable conductors and wherein at least some of the conductors are located above the chamber.

51. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 40 wherein the reactor further comprises a chamber for containing a plasma and a workpiece, wherein the magnetic field is non-uniformly distributed throughout the chamber.

52. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 51 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

53. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 40 further comprising the step of utilizing the magnetic field to control the density of the plasma throughout the reactor.

54. The method of controlling damage to a workpiece of claim 53 wherein the reactor comprises walls, and wherein the method further comprises the step of containing the plasma away from at least part of the reactor walls.