Vacuum processing apparatus

• US 7,780,790 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nogami, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/566,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 118/715, 118/723.E, 118/723.ER, 156/345.33, 156/345.34, 156/345.43, 156/345.47
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32422 Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32587 Triode systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a vacuum processing apparatus in which a conducive partition having a plurality of through holes is formed inside a vacuum processing vessel, and an internal space of the vacuum processing vessel is partitioned into a plasma generating space in which a high-frequency electrode is installed to function as a counter electrode with respect to the partition, and a substrate processing space in which a substrate is set. This vacuum processing apparatus includes a gas reservoir formed on a sidewall of the vacuum processing vessel and communicating with the plasma generating space, and a gas supply system connected to the gas reservoir to supply a gas to the gas reservoir.

Claims

1. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

a conductive partition which is positioned inside a vacuum processing vessel, partitions an internal space of the vacuum processing vessel into a plasma generating space and a substrate processing space, and has a plurality of through holes for communicating with the plasma generating space and the substrate processing space;

a high-frequency electrode which is positioned in the plasma generating space, and is positioned so as to be opposite to said conductive partition;

a gas reservoir is configured by a first insulating member which is positioned in a side of the substrate processing space and has a recessed sectional shape formed along a circumference portion of said conductive partition, and a second insulating member which is positioned along a circumference portion of said high-frequency electrode in a side of the plasma generating space and is arranged so as to be opposite to the first insulating member; and

a gas supply system is connected to said gas reservoir in order to supply a gas to said gas reservoir,

wherein said gas reservoir has a gap for spraying the gas supplied from said gas supply system to said gas reservoir to the plasma generating space between the second insulating member and an upper surface of the circumference portion of said conductive partition.

2. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gap has a tapered sectional shape in which a size of an opening on a side of the plasma generating space is smaller than a size of an opening on a side of said gas reservoir.

3. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 2, the size of the opening on the side of the plasma generating space is 0.05 mm or less.