Semiconductor processing equipment having improved process drift control

• US 6,673,198 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Wicker, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HASSANZADEH, PARVIZ
• Application Number:
  US09/469,300
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.48, 156/345.47, 156/345.54, 156/345.51, 156/345.33, 118/723.I, 118/723.E, 118/728, 118/729, 118/715
• US Class Current: 156/345.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32495 Means for protecting the vessel against plasma

Abstract

A plasma processing chamber including a slip cast part having a surface thereof exposed to the interior space of the chamber. The slip cast part includes free silicon contained therein and a protective layer on the surface which protects the silicon from being attacked by plasma in the interior space of the chamber. The slip cast part can be made of slip cast silicon carbide coated with CVD silicon carbide. The slip cast part can comprise one or more parts of the chamber such as a wafer passage insert, a monolithic or tiled liner, a plasma screen, a showerhead, dielectric member, or the like. The slip cast part reduces particle contamination and reduces process drift in plasma processes such as plasma etching of dielectric materials such as silicon oxide.

Claims

1. A plasma processing system useful for processing a semiconductor substrate comprising:

a plasma processing chamber having an interior space bounded by a chamber sidewall;

a substrate support on which a substrate is processed within the interior space, the chamber sidewall being spaced outwardly of a periphery of the substrate support;

a gas supply through which process gas can be supplied to the interior space during processing of the substrate;

an energy source which can energize the process gas in the interior space into a plasma state during processing of the substrate; and

a slip cast part having a surface thereof exposed to the interior space, the slip cast part including a surface having pores impregnated with free silicon and a protective layer on the surface which protects the silicon from being attacked by the plasma in the interior space.

2. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the slip cast part is of porous silicon carbide backfilled with silicon.

3. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the protective layer is a chemical vapor deposited layer of silicon carbide.

4. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the slip cast part is a wafer passage insert of a plasma etch reactor.

5. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the gas supply supplies a fluorocarbon and/or a fluorohydrocarbon to the interior space.

6. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a ceramic liner between the chamber sidewall and the substrate support and the slip cast part comprises a tubular liner in an opening extending through the liner.

7. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises an antenna which inductively couples radiofrequency energy through a dielectric member into the chamber.

8. The plasma processing system of claim 1, wherein the interior of the chamber is bounded by a showerhead having a silicon carbide surface extending across the top of the chamber, a liner having a silicon carbide surface extending downwardly from the silicon carbide surface of the showerhead, a plasma screen having a silicon carbide surface extending inwardly from the silicon carbide surface of the liner, and the slip cast part comprising a wafer passage insert fitted in an opening in the liner, the CVD SiC coating forming a surface of the wafer passage insert through which a semiconductor wafer passes into and out of the chamber.

9. A plasma processing system useful for processing a semiconductor substrate comprising:

a plasma processing chamber having an interior space bounded by a chamber sidewall;

a substrate support on which a substrate is processed within the interior space, the chamber sidewall being spaced outwardly from a periphery of the substrate support;

a gas supply through which process gas is supplied to the interior space during processing of the substrate;

an energy source which energizes the process gas in the interior space into a plasma state during processing of the substrate; and

a slip cast part attached to the chamber sidewall by an elastomer joint, the slip cast part having a surface exposed to the interior space, the slip cast part including a surface having pores impregnated with free silicon and a protective layer on the surface which protects the silicon from being attacked by the plasma in the interior space.