Plasma treatment apparatus

• US 7,806,078 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon; Rudy
• Application Number:
  US11/608,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.I, 118/723.R, 156/345.33, 156/345.48
• US Class Current: 118/723.00I
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/455 characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/507 using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

A plasma CVD apparatus has a container, and channels composed of introduction grooves and circumferential grooves for different types of gases are formed within the container. The gases introduced through source gas piping, auxiliary gas piping, and cleaning gas piping are equally supplied to a plurality of supply nozzles, a plurality of auxiliary gas supply nozzles, and a plurality of cleaning gas nozzles. The configuration of the container can be simplified without complicating pipings for the gases.

Claims

1. A plasma treatment apparatus which introduces a treatment gas into a treatment chamber, and generates a plasma in said treatment chamber to treat a surface of a substrate with atoms and molecules excited and activated in said treatment chamber, comprising:

a container defining said treatment chamber and including an upper container and a lower container connected to said upper container;

a circumferential groove, formed in said upper container, for allowing passage of said treatment gas;

a plurality of treatment gas nozzles connected to said circumferential groove and arranged uniformly along the circumferential groove;

an introduction groove, formed in said lower container, for allowing passage of said treatment gas, said introduction groove terminating at a first end and a second end after extending for a length of nearly a half of a circumference in a circumferential direction of said container;

treatment gas introduction means connected to said introduction groove, said treatment gas introduction means in communication with a halfway portion of said introduction groove; and

communication paths including a first communication path that extends and allows communication between the first end of said introduction groove and a first portion of said circumferential groove, and a second communication path that extends and allows communication between the second end of said introduction groove and a second portion of said circumferential groove, the first portion and the second portion being portions in said circumferential groove that do not oppose any of said plurality of treatment gas nozzles with respect to a circumferential direction of the circumferential groove.

2. The plasma treatment apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the treatment gas introducing means is in communication with a central portion of the introduction groove.

3. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said circumferential groove, said introduction groove, a portion of communication between said treatment gas nozzles and said circumferential groove, a portion of communication between said treatment gas introduction means and said introduction groove, and said communication paths for establishing communication between said circumferential groove and said introduction groove are each formed by machining.

4. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the introduction groove extends in a horizontal direction,

the communication paths extend in a vertical direction, and

the circumferential groove extends in the horizontal direction.

5. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential groove extends along an entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the container.

6. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the treatment gas nozzles extend into the treatment chamber.

7. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seal ring member provided at a junction between said upper container and said lower container, and disposed at a side opposite to said treatment chamber with respect to said communication paths.

8. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, said seal ring member is the only seal ring member disposed between said upper container and said lower container.

9. The plasma treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of treatment gas nozzles includes a plurality of gas supply nozzles, a plurality of auxiliary gas supply nozzles, and a plurality of cleaning gas nozzles.