Plasma processing apparatus

• US 8,551,289 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meiko Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Meiko Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Nishimura, Eiichi, Yoneyama, Shimao
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/769,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.I, 118/723.IR, 156/345.48, 156/345.49, 315/111.51
• US Class Current: 156/345.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3211 Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• 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 21/32137 of silicon-containing layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus, for performing a plasma processing on a target substrate by generating an inductively coupled plasma of a processing gas in a depressurized processing chamber, includes: a mounting table; a gas supply unit; a gas exhaust unit; a planar high frequency antenna disposed opposite to the mounting table with a plate-shaped dielectric member therebetween and a shield member covering the high frequency antenna. The high frequency antenna includes an inner antenna element provided at a central portion of a region above the plate-shaped dielectric member and an outer antenna element provided at an edge portion to surround a periphery of the inner antenna element. Further, two ends of each of the antenna elements are open ends and the antenna elements are grounded at central points thereof or points close thereto to resonate at ½ wavelengths of high frequencies from individual high frequency power supplies.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a substrate to be processed by generating an inductively coupled plasma of a processing gas in a depressurized processing chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a mounting table, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon the substrate to be processed;

a gas supply unit for introducing the processing gas into the processing chamber;

a gas exhaust unit for depressurizing the inside of the processing chamber;

a planar high frequency antenna disposed opposite to the susceptor with a plate-shaped dielectric member therebetween; and

a shield member covering the high frequency antenna,

wherein the high frequency antenna includes an inner antenna element provided at a central portion of a region above the plate-shaped dielectric member and an outer antenna element provided at an edge portion of the region above the plate-shaped dielectric member to surround a periphery of the inner antenna element,

wherein two ends of each of the antenna elements are open ends and the antenna elements are grounded at central points thereof or points close thereto to resonate at ½

wavelengths of high frequencies from individual high frequency power supplies,

wherein the shield member includes;

a cylindrical inner shield wall disposed between the antenna elements to surround the inner antenna element;

a cylindrical outer shield wall disposed to surround the outer antenna element;

an inner shield plate disposed above the inner antenna element to cover an opening of the inner shield wall; and

an outer shield plate disposed above the outer antenna element to cover an opening between the inner and the outer shield wall, and

wherein the shield plates are provided with shield height adjusting mechanisms for independently adjusting distances between the shield plates and the antenna elements, respectively.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high frequency antenna includes an antenna height adjusting mechanism for adjusting distance between each of the antenna elements and the plate-shaped dielectric member.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna height adjusting mechanism has a unit for adjusting the distance between the inner antenna element and the plate-shaped dielectric member by moving the inner antenna element and a unit for adjusting the distance between the outer antenna element and the plate-shaped dielectric member by moving the outer antenna element.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the high frequency power supplies to apply different high frequency powers to the antenna elements.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the high frequency power supplies to apply high frequency powers to the antenna elements alternately at regular intervals by a pulse modulation method.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit switches on a high frequency output of one of the high frequency power supplies right before a high frequency output of the other of the high frequency power supplies is switched off.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein resonance frequencies of the antenna elements are automatically optimized by adjusting heights of the shield plates by controlling the shield height adjusting mechanisms in accordance with reflection wave powers detected by high frequency power meters provided at output sides of the high frequency power supplies, respectively.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the antenna elements is formed in a spiral coil shape.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer antenna element is arranged in a coaxial shape with respect to the inner antenna element to surround the periphery of the inner antenna element.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of outer antenna elements is arranged adjacent to one another to surround the periphery of the inner antenna element.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein either one or both of the inner antenna element and the outer antenna element are divided into at least two parts and arranged in a coaxial shape.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a power supply point to which the high frequency power is supplied from said one of the high frequency power supplies is provided between the ground point and one of the open ends of each of the antenna elements.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the location of the power supply point is configured to be varied.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a winding diameter, a winding pitch and the number of turns of each of the antenna elements are set so that each of the antenna elements resonates at the ½

wavelength of the high frequency power supplied from said one of the high frequency power supply.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clamping body supporting at least one of the antenna elements and a protrusion provided at the clamping body to protrude outwardly from the shield member, and

wherein a height of said at least one of the antenna elements is adjusted by moving the protrusion vertically.

16. A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a substrate to be processed by generating an inductively coupled plasma of a processing gas in a depressurized processing chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a susceptor, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon the substrate to be processed;

a high frequency susceptor power supply for applying a high frequency power to the susceptor;

a gas supply unit for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber;

a gas exhaust unit for depressurizing the inside of the processing chamber;

a planar high frequency antenna disposed opposite to the susceptor with a plate-shaped dielectric member therebetween; and

a shield member covering the high frequency antenna,

wherein the high frequency antenna includes an inner antenna element disposed at a central portion of a region above the plate-shaped dielectric member and an outer antenna element provided to surround a periphery of the inner antenna element,

wherein two ends of each of the antenna elements are open ends and the antenna elements are grounded at central points thereof or points close thereto to resonate at ½

wavelengths of high frequencies from individual high frequency antenna power supplies,

wherein the shield member includes;

a cylindrical inner shield wall disposed between the antenna elements to surround the inner antenna element;

a cylindrical outer shield wall disposed to surround the outer antenna element;

an inner shield plate disposed above the inner antenna element to cover an opening of the inner shield wall; and

an outer shield plate disposed above the outer antenna element to cover an opening between the inner and the outer shield wall, and

wherein the shield plates are provided with shield height adjusting mechanisms for independently adjusting distances between the shield plates and the antenna elements, respectively.

17. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the outer antenna element is arranged in a coaxial shape with respect to the inner antenna element to surround the periphery of the inner antenna element.

18. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein a plurality of outer antenna elements is arranged adjacent to one another to surround the periphery of the inner antenna element.

19. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein either one or both of the inner antenna element and the outer antenna element are divided into at least two parts and arranged in a coaxial shape.