Plasma etching device

• US 6,585,851 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tadahiro Ohmi, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tadahiro Ohmi, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hirayama, Yusuke, Ohmi, Tadahiro, Hirayama, Masaki, Takano, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US09/380,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 188/723.R, 188/723.MR, 188/723.E, 156/345, 204/298.16, 204/298.2, 204/298.28, 335/212
• US Class Current: 156/345.46
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means

Abstract

A plasma etching device which has an auxiliary electrode enabling realization of a uniform plasma density of generated plasma on the surface of a base and which enables uniform etching with respect to the base without depending upon pressure and without rotating a magnetic field applying means. The plasma etching device has magnetic field applying means which has two parallel plate electrodes I and II and RF power applying means, with the base set on the electrode I, and which is horizontal and unidirectional with respect to the surface of the base where plasma etching is carried out. In this plasma etching device, an auxiliary electrode is provided at least on the upstream side of the base in a flow of electron current generated by the magnetic field applying means. The auxiliary electrode includes a local electrode arranged on the side facing the electrode II and means for adjusting impedance provided at a part of the local electrode to be electrically connected with the electrode I.

Claims

1. An etching device, for etching a base using plasma, said device comprising:

an electrode I and an electrode II, each electrode of a parallel plate type, the base mounted on a surface of electrode I opposite to electrode II;

a means for applying high frequency power connected to at least one of electrode I and/or electrode II; and

a means for applying a unidirectional magnetic field that is horizontal with respect to the surface of the base to be subjected to plasma etching, said magnetic field means including an auxiliary electrode at least on an upstream side, with respect to the base, of a flow of electrons generated by the magnetic field applying means, the auxiliary electrode including a local electrode arranged on a side facing the electrode II and means for adjusting impedance provided at a part of the local electrode to be electrically connected with the electrode I so that the upstream side input power effectiveness of the electron flow is increased by said local electrode impedance adjustment means.

3. The plasma etching device as disclosed in any one of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the magnetic field applying means is a dipole ring magnet (DRM).

4. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the local electrode constituting the auxiliary magnet is a first local electrode formed of a conductive material provided only at an upstream side of a flow of electrons caused by said magnetic field applying means.

5. The plasma etching device as disclosed in of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the local electrode comprising the auxiliary electrode is formed from a combination of a second local electrode formed of a conductive material provided at least at an upstream side of a flow of electrons caused by the magnetic field applying means, and a third local electrode formed of an insulating material provided at a portion other than the upstream side.

6. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the local electrode comprising the auxiliary electrode is formed, from a combination of a fourth local electrode formed of a conductive material and being wide at least at an upstream side of a flow of electrons caused by the magnetic field applying means and being narrow at other than the upstream side, and a fifth local electrode formed of an insulating material provided outside a region where the fourth electrode is narrow, looking from the base side.

7. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the local electrode comprising the auxiliary electrode provided at least at an upstream side of a flow of electrons caused by the magnetic field applying means is of a size that covers the upstream side of the electron flow, observed from all positions of the base.

8. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance has an uneven shape at a section of the local electrode to be electrically connected to the electrode I.

9. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance has an uneven shape at a section of the electrode I to be electrically connected to the local electrode.

10. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance is provided between the local electrode and the electrode I, and is a single layer film formed of a material having a different dielectric constant from that of the local electrode and the electrode I.

11. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance is a cavity provided inside the local electrode.

12. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance is a cavity provided in the vicinity of a boundary between said local electrode and said electrode I.

13. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the inside of the cavity is one of a vacuum, an inert gas, or a material having a different dielectric constant from that of the local electrode and said electrode I.

14. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1, or claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting junction impedance is a capacitor provided between the local electrode and the electrode I.

15. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the material constituting the local electrode is one of Al, Cu, Si, SiC or glassy carbon.

16. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a surface of the local electrode to be exposed to plasma is one of at the same height as a surface of the base, or higher than a surface of the base within a width of an ion sheath.

17. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a distance between said local electrode and a section of said electrode I on which the base is mounted is longer than a distance at which electrical shorting takes place, and shorter than a distance at which movement of electrons generated at the local electrode no longer reaches the base.

18. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein an outer end of the base mounted on said electrode I is located either at the same position as the outer end of said electrode II or inside the outer end of said electrode II.

22. The plasma etching device as disclosed in any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein a shower head comprising introduction pipes numerously arranged in a region of the electrode II that is electrically grounded is used as a structure for introducing process gas within a space sandwiched between the electrode I and the electrode II.

26. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 12, wherein the inside of the cavity is one of a vacuum, an inert gas, or a material having a different dielectric constant from that of the local electrode and said electrode I.

2. An etching device, for etching a base using plasma, said device comprising:

an electrode I and an electrode II, each electrode of a parallel plate type, the base mounted on a surface of electrode I opposite to electrode II;

a means for applying high frequency power connected to the electrode I and electrode II; and

a means for applying a unidirectional magnetic field that is horizontal with respect to the surface of the base to be subjected to plasma etching, said magnetic field means including an auxiliary electrode at least on an upstream side, with respect to the base, of a flow of electrons generated by the magnetic field applying means, the auxiliary electrode including a local electrode arranged on a side facing the electrode II and means for adjusting impedance provided at a part of the local electrode to be electrically connected with said electrode I; and

said electrode II comprising a central portion electrically connected to ground, and an outer portion connected to a high frequency power supply capable of being controlled independently of a high frequency power supply capable of being controlled independently of a high frequency power supply connected to said electrode I so that the upstream side input power effectiveness of the electron flow is increased by said local electrode impedance adjustment means.

19. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 2 or claim 2, wherein a distance between the outer portion of the electrode II and the electrode I is a distance at which movement of electrons generated on the surfaces of each of the electrode I and the electrode II have an effect on one another.

20. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 2, wherein a distance between a central section and an outer section constituting the electrode II is longer than a distance at which electrical shorting occurs.

21. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 2, wherein an outer end of the base mounted on the electrode I is located within a range from an outer end to an inner end of an outer section constituting the electrode II.

23. The plasma etching device as disclosed in claim 2, wherein, when a base mounted on the electrode I is plasma etched by applying high frequency separately to the electrode I and the electrode II, a relationship between a frequency f1 of high frequency applied to electrode I and a frequency f2 of high frequency applied to electrode II is f1≦

f2.

24. An etching device, for etching a base using plasma, said device comprising:

an electrode I and an electrode II, each electrode of a parallel plate type, the base mounted on a surface of electrode I opposite to electrode II;

a means for applying high frequency power connected to at least one of electrode I and electrode II; and

a means for applying a unidirectional magnetic field that is horizontal with respect to the surface of the base to be subjected to plasma etching, comprising an auxiliary electrode of a ring body provided at a peripheral section of the base, the auxiliary electrode including a local electrode arranged on a side facing the electrode II and means for adjusting impedance provided at a part of the local electrode to be electrically connected with the electrode I, and the impedance of the ring body at a section corresponding to an upstream side in an electron flow generated by the magnetic field applying means being lower than at other sections so that the upstream side input power effectiveness of the electron flow is increased by said local electrode impedance adjustment means.

25. A plasma etching device, for etching a base using plasma, said device comprising:

an electrode I and an electrode II, each electrode of a parallel plate type, the base mounted on a surface of electrode I opposite to electrode II;

a means for applying high frequency power connected to the electrode I and electrode II; and

the electrode II comprising a central portion electrically connected to ground, and a ring body outer portion connected to a high frequency power supply capable of being controlled independently of a high power supply connected to the electrode I, with the impedance of the ring body at a section corresponding to an upstream side in an electron flow generated by the magnetic field applying means being lower than at other sections so that the upstream side input power effectiveness of the electron flow is increased by said local electrode impedance adjustment means.