Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

• US 7,655,111 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Horiguchi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh; Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US11/653,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20070163996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.MW, 156/345.41, 156/345.33, 156/345.34
• US Class Current: 156/345.41
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

At a frame 26 in a microwave plasma processing apparatus 100, numerous horizontal spray gas nozzles 27 formed therein injection holes A and numerous vertical gas nozzles 28 formed therein injection holes B are fixed. A first gas supply means 50 injects argon gas through the injection holes A into an area near each dielectric parts 31a. A second gas supply means 55 injects silane gas and hydrogen gas through the injection holes B into a position at which the gases do not become over-dissociated. The gases injected as described above are raised to plasma with a microwave transmitted through each dielectric parts 31a. Since the vertical gas nozzles 28 are mounted at positions at which they do not block the flow of plasma traveling toward a substrate G, ions and electrons do not collide with the vertical gas nozzles 28 readily.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber where a workpiece is processed with plasma generated by raising a gas to plasma with microwaves;

a plurality of waveguides configured to allow a microwave to be transmitted;

a slot antenna in which a plurality of slots is formed at bottom surfaces of the plurality of waveguides;

a plurality of dielectric members configured to allow the microwave propagating through the plurality of waveguides and passing through the plurality of slots to be transmitted;

a latticed frame configured to support multiple rows of the plurality of dielectric members disposed in a regular pattern on a ceiling of the processing chamber;

a plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles including first injection holes, the plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles being fixed onto a bottom surface of the latticed frame, and being configured to project out toward an upper surface of a workpiece, the first injection holes opening along a direction parallel with the upper surface of the workpiece; and

a plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles including second injection holes, the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles being fixed onto the bottom surface of the latticed frame, and being configured to project out toward the upper surface of the workpiece and to hang out from the latticed frame, a length of each of the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles being longer than a length of each of the plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles, the second injection holes opening along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the workpiece, and wherein

each row of the plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles and vertical spray gas nozzles is disposed alternately in a direction parallel with a longer extending direction of the plurality of waveguides at the bottom surface of the latticed frame, and the plurality of slots and each row of the plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles and vertical spray gas nozzles are disposed in a regular pattern over the ceiling of the processing chamber, and wherein a distance from each of the plurality of slots to a closest horizontal spray gas nozzle or vertical spray gas nozzle is uniform.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of horizontal spray pas nozzles is mounted outside the latticed frame or is installed inside the latticed frame.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray pas nozzles is constituted of metal.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray pas nozzles each assumes a shape of a rod or a plate.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles is fixed onto the bottom surface of the latticed frame so as to hang down vertically from the latticed frame in parallel with one another.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles is disposed at positions at which the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles does not form a barrier that would block plasma being diffused over the workpiece.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles each projects out from the bottom surface of the latticed frame by 30 mm or less.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the second injection holes are set at positions at which a processing gas is injected through the second injection holes at a position such that the processing gas does not become over-dissociated.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles each includes a porous part, the plasma processing apparatus further comprising:

a gas supply means configured to inject a processing gas into the processing chamber through the second injection holes constituted with a plurality of openings present at the porous part by passing the processing gas through the porous part.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the porous part constitutes a spherical front end of each of the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles each has a spherical front end; and

the second injection holes are formed in a radial pattern at the spherical front end;

the plasma processing apparatus further comprising;

a gas supply means configured to inject a processing gas radially into the processing chamber through the second injection holes.

12. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first gas supply means configured to inject a first processing gas and a second gas supply means configured to inject a second processing gas, wherein at least either the first processing gas or the second processing gas is a mixed gas obtained by mixing a plurality of processing gas constituents; and

unless the mixed gas induces an excessive reaction, the first processing gas achieves greater bond energy than the second processing gas.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the dielectric members are constituted with a plurality of dielectric parts; and

the dielectric parts each include at least either a concave portion or a convex portion formed at a surface thereof opposing the workpiece.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of slots is provided for each of the dielectric members at positions where the waveguides Y-branched from a microwave generator and each row of the dielectric members intersect in a regular pattern facing the ceiling of the processing chamber.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a first gas supply means configured to inject a first processing gas to a desired position within the processing chamber through the first injection holes at each of the plurality of horizontal spray gas nozzles; and

a second gas supply means configured to inject a second processing gas through the second injection holes at each of the plurality of vertical spray gas nozzles to a position lower than the position at which the first processing gas is injected.