Plasma process apparatus

• US 6,527,908 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Tadahiro Ohmi
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Tadahiro Ohmi
• Inventors: Ohmi, Tadahiro, Hirayama, Masaki, Yamamoto, Tatsushi, Tadera, Takamitsu, Kanetsuki, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills; Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASSANZADEH, PARVIZ
• Application Number:
  US09/813,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20020043341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.41,345.42,345.43 118/723 MW,723 E,723 ME,723 MR 315/111.21,111.31,111.41,111.51,111.61,111.71
• US Class Current: 156/345.41
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/511 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence

Abstract

A plasma process apparatus capable of preventing generation of plasma in an unwanted location and performing uniform plasma processing with stability is obtained. The plasma process apparatus includes a processing chamber having an internal wall surface; a microwave radiating member having one wall surface and the other wall surface that faces the internal wall surface of the processing chamber, and being disposed such that a space is formed between the other wall surface and a portion of the internal wall surface, and propagating and radiating microwaves within the processing chamber; and a reactive gas supply member, including a reactive gas supply passage having a space formed between the other wall surface of the microwave radiating member and the internal wall surface; and a microwave transmission preventing member disposed on a region, which faces the reactive gas supply passage, of the other wall surface of the microwave radiating member.

Claims

1. A plasma process apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber having an internal wall surface for internally performing processing using plasma;

a shower plate serving as-a microwave radiating member having one wall surface facing an interior of said processing chamber and other wall surface that is located opposite to the one wall surface and that faces the internal wall surface of said processing chamber, being disposed such that at least a space is formed between the other wall surface and a portion of the internal wall surface of said processing chamber; and

reactive gas supply means for supplying into said processing chamber a reactive gas caused to attain a plasma state by said microwaves, wherein

said reactive gas supply means includes a reactive gas supply passage having the space formed between the other wall surface of said microwave radiating member and a portion of the internal wall surface of said processing chamber, said plasma process apparatus further comprising;

a microwave transmission preventing member disposed on a region between said reactive gas supply passage and the other wall surface of said microwave radiating member,

said microwave radiating member propagating and radiating microwaves within said processing chamber other than within said gas supply passage.

2. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a surface of said microwave transmission preventing member is conductive.

3. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said microwave transmission preventing member is a conductor plate.

4. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a space formed between the other wall surface of said microwave radiating member and a portion of the internal wall surface of said processing chamber is a space surrounded by a recess formed in the internal wall surface of said processing chamber and said microwave transmission preventing member.

5. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said microwave transmission preventing member includes a connection hole which is formed such that it penetrates said microwave transmission preventing member from one surface of said microwave transmission preventing member facing said reactive gas supply passage to other surface of said microwave transmission preventing member that is located opposite to said one surface and that faces said microwave radiating member, and which is connected to said reactive gas supply passage, and

said microwave radiating member includes a reactive gas supply hole which is formed such that it penetrates through said microwave radiating member from the other wall surface to the one wall surface of said microwave radiating member and which is connected to said connection hole.

6. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

a diameter of said connection hole is smaller than a diameter of said reactive gas supply hole.

7. The plasma process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said microwave transmission preventing member is formed of a same material as a material that forms said processing chamber.