Plasma processing apparatus, method for operating the same, designing system of matching circuit, and plasma processing method

• US 7,095,178 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., Tadahiro Ohmi
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Tadashi, Oba, Tomofumi, Ohmi, Tadahiro, Nakano, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet
• Assistant Examiner(s): A, MINH D
• Application Number:
  US10/302,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 315/111.11, 315/111.71, 315/111.21, 315/111.51, 315/111.91, 118/723.MW, 118/723.E, 219/696, 219/746
• US Class Current: 315/111.21
• 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 37/32183 Matching circuits

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a radio frequency generator, a plasma processing chamber, a matching circuit for impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber, and matching circuit adjusting means for matching the output impedance of the matching circuit to the impedance of the plasma processing chamber in a nondischarge state. The matching circuit is a product matching circuit that is produced based on a circuit constant of an adjusting matching circuit. The adjusting matching circuit is disposed between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber for a required plasma treatment and the circuit constant is determined by impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber so that the adjusting matching circuit matches the load impedance of the plasma processing chamber.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency generator;

a plasma processing chamber;

a matching circuit for impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber; and

a matching circuit adjusting means for matching a output impedance of the matching circuit to the impedance of the plasma processing chamber in a nondischarge state.

2. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising discharge-detecting means for detecting the start of the discharge in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the matching circuit adjusting means matches the output impedance of the matching circuit to the impedance of the plasma processing chamber, upon the detection of the start of the discharge by the discharge-detecting means.

3. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plasma processing chamber has a measuring terminal for measuring the impedance of the plasma processing chamber before discharge.

4. A method for operating a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a first matching circuit adjusting step of matching an output impedance of a matching circuit to an impedance of the plasma processing chamber before discharge;

a power feeding step of feeding RF power to the plasma processing chamber;

a discharge detecting step of detecting discharge by the RF power in the plasma processing chamber; and

a second matching circuit adjusting step of matching the output impedance of the matching circuit to the impedance of the plasma processing chamber during the discharge.

5. A plasma processing method comprising:

a first matching circuit adjusting step of matching an output impedance of a matching circuit to an impedance of the plasma processing chamber before discharge;

a power feeding step of feeding RF power to the plasma processing chamber;

a discharge detecting step of detecting discharge by the RF power in the plasma processing chamber; and

a second matching circuit adjusting step of matching an output impedance of the matching circuit to an impedance of the plasma processing chamber during the discharge.

6. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency generator;

a plasma processing chamber; and

a product matching circuit for impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber;

wherein the product matching circuit is produced based on a circuit constant of an adjusting matching circuit which is disposed between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber for a required plasma treatment and the circuit constant is determined by impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber so that the adjusting matching circuit matches the load impedance of the plasma processing chamber; and

wherein the product matching circuit adjusts the impedance within a range including an impedance Z0 before plasma discharge and an impedance Z1 after plasma discharge of the plasma processing chamber.

7. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency generator;

a plasma processing chamber; and

a product matching circuit for impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber;

wherein the product matching circuit is produced based on a circuit constant of an adjusting matching circuit which is disposed between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber for a required plasma treatment and the circuit constant is determined by impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber so that the adjusting matching circuit matches the load impedance of the plasma processing chamber; and

wherein the plasma processing chamber has a measuring terminal that measures an impedance Z0 of the plasma processing chamber before plasma discharge.

8. A matching circuit designing system of a plasma processing apparatus comprising:

an adjusting matching circuit of which the output impedance is controlled by adjusting an internal variable passive device;

displacement measuring means for measuring the displacement of the variable passive device by drive means;

reflected wave measuring means for measuring reflected waves of electric power supplied from a radio frequency generator when a plasma is discharged;

drive control means for controlling the variable passive device by the drive means to minimize the reflected waves;

computing means for calculating the impedance Z1 of the plasma processing chamber after the plasma is discharged, based on the displacement at the minimized reflected waves; and

designing means for designing the circuit constant of the passive device constituting the product matching circuit based on the impedance Z1,

wherein these means are connected through an information communication network by communication means, and

wherein the plasma processing chamber comprises impedance measuring means for measuring the impedance Z0 of the plasma processing chamber before plasma discharge, the impedance measuring mean outputting the impedance Z0 to the designing means.

9. A matching circuit designing system according to claim 8, further comprising memory means that is connected to the information communication network and stores the impedance Z0, the impedance Z1, and an identification number of the matching circuit.

10. A matching circuit designing system according to claim 8, further comprising memory means that is connected to the information communication network and stores the impedance Z0, the impedance Z1, and an identification number of the matching circuit.

11. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency generator;

a plasma processing chamber; and

a matching circuit for impedance matching between the radio frequency generator and the plasma processing chamber, wherein the output impedance of the matching circuit is adjustable to match the impedance of the plasma processing chamber in a nondischarge state, the adjustment based at least in part on a first stored value corresponding to the impedance of the plasma chamber in a non-discharge state.

12. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a plasma discharge detector for detecting the start of the discharge in the plasma processing chamber, wherein the plasma processing apparatus is further configured to adjust the output impedance of the matching circuit to the impedance of the plasma processing chamber, upon the detection of the start of the discharge.

13. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the adjustment is based at least in part on a second stored value corresponding to the impedance of the plasma chamber in a plasma discharge state.

14. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second stored value is determined from an impedance measurement taken at the output terminal of the matching circuit after a matched state has been reached during plasma discharge.

15. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a reflected wave detector coupled with the plasma chamber wherein a fine adjustment of the matching circuit occurs to correspond to minimized reflected waves.

16. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plasma processing chamber comprises a measuring terminal for measuring the impedance of the plasma processing chamber in a non-discharge state.

17. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first stored values is determined from a nondischarge impedance measurement taken at the output terminal of the matching circuit.

18. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a memory for storing at least the first stored value.

19. A matching circuit designing system for a plasma processing apparatus comprising:

an adjustable matching circuit having an output impedance controllable by adjusting an internal variable passive device;

a displacement measuring unit configured for measuring the displacement of the variable passive device from a reference position;

a reflected wave detector configured to measure reflected waves of electric power supplied from a radio frequency generator when a plasma is discharged into a plasma processing chamber;

a drive control unit for controlling the variable passive device to minimize the reflected waves;

a processor configured to calculate the impedance Z1 of the plasma processing chamber after the plasma is discharged, based on the displacement of the variable passive device at the minimized reflected waves; and

a design subsystem configured to design a product matching circuit having a passive device with a circuit constant, wherein the design of the product matching circuit is based on the impedance Z1, and

wherein the design subsystem and the processor are connected through an information communication network by communication means.

20. A matching circuit designing system according to claim 19, wherein the plasma processing chamber comprises an impedance measuring device for measuring the impedance Z0 of the plasma processing chamber in a non-discharge state, the impedance measuring device being configured to transmit the impedance Z0 to the design subsystem.

21. A matching circuit designing system according to claim 20, further comprising memory connected to the information communication network and stores the impedance Z0, the impedance Z1, and an identification number of the matching circuit.

22. A matching circuit designing system according to claim 19, further comprising memory connected to the information communication network and configured to store the impedance Z0, the impedance Z1, and an identification number of the matching circuit.