Plasma processing method

• US 7,883,632 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Honda, Masanobu, Matsui, Yutaka, Sato, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSEN, ALLAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/689,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20070221493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 216/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32165 Plural frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3255 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32862 In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31122 of layers not containing Si, e.g. PZT, Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31144 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus that enables polymer to be removed from an electrically insulated electrode. A susceptor of the plasma processing apparatus is disposed in a substrate processing chamber having a processing space therein. A radio frequency power source is connected to the susceptor. An upper electrode plate is electrically insulated from a wall of the substrate processing chamber and from the susceptor. A DC power source is connected to the upper electrode plate. A controller of the plasma processing apparatus determines a value of a negative DC voltage to be applied to the upper electrode plate in accordance with processing conditions for RIE processing to be carried out.

Claims

1. A plasma processing method for a plasma processing apparatus having a substrate processing chamber that has therein a processing space into which a substrate is transferred and is configured to carry out plasma processing on the substrate in the processing space, a first electrode that is disposed in the substrate processing chamber and is connected to a radio frequency power source, and a second electrode that has an exposed portion exposed to the processing space and is electrically insulated from the substrate processing chamber and the first electrode, the method comprising:

a relation obtaining step of obtaining in advance a relationship between a thickness of a deposit film to be removed and a required value of the DC voltage to be applied to the second electrode by determining a value of the DC voltage at which the deposit film can be removed but the second electrode itself is not sputtered for each of a plurality of deposit film thicknesses; and

a voltage value determining step of determining a value of the DC voltage applied to the second electrode from processing conditions for a plasma processing to be carried out, based on the obtained relationship; and

a DC voltage application step of applying the DC voltage to the second electrode without supplying a radio frequency power to the second electrode.

2. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage value determining step of determining a value of the DC voltage applied to the second electrode in accordance with an amount of deposit attached to the exposed portion.

3. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage value determining step of determining a value of the DC voltage applied to the second electrode in accordance with at least one of a type of a gas introduced into the processing space, a magnitude of radio frequency electrical power supplied to the first electrode, and a pressure in the processing space.

4. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said DC voltage application step, the DC voltage is applied to the second electrode at least while the radio frequency power source is supplying radio frequency electrical power to the first electrode.

5. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said DC voltage application step, the DC voltage is applied to the second electrode at least while plasma is being produced in the processing space.

6. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applied DC voltage is in a range of 50 V to 200 V.

7. A plasma processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage value determining step of determining a value of the DC voltage applied to the second electrode in accordance with the luminescence of the plasma in the processing space.