Electrode plate for plasma etching and plasma etching apparatus

• US 9,117,635 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Satoh, Naoyuki, Nagayama, Nobuyuki, Nagakubo, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US13/245,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20120073753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.43, 156/345.44, 156/345.45, 156/345.51, 118/723.E, 118/728
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32541 Shape

Abstract

An electrode plate for a plasma etching is formed as a disc shape having a predetermined thickness, a plurality of gas holes penetrating a surface of the electrode plate perpendicularly to the surface are provided on different circumferences of a plurality of concentric circles, the electrode plate is divided in a radial direction of the electrode plate into two or more regions, types of gas holes provided in the two or more regions are different from each other by region.

Claims

1. An electrode plate for a plasma etching formed as a disc shape having a predetermined thickness, the electrode plate comprising:

a plurality of gas holes through which a gas is able to be discharged,

wherein the electrode plate is divided into at least three regions according to distances from a center of the electrode plate, shapes of the gas holes are different according to the regions, the at least three regions comprising an outermost region, an intermediate region and an innermost region,

Y-shaped holes are provided in the outermost region, the Y-shaped holes each comprising;

a straight pore penetrating one surface of the electrode plate perpendicularly to the one surface;

a sloping pore communicating with the straight pore and penetrating other surface of the electrode plate non-perpendicularly to the other surface; and

a trap pore branching from a connecting point between the straight pore and the sloping pore,

first inclined holes are provided in the intermediate region, the first inclined holes each consisting of;

the straight pore and the sloping pore, and

second inclined holes or standard holes are provided in the innermost region,

wherein a ratio of length of the straight pore of the second inclined hole to length of the sloping pore of the second inclined hole is larger than a ratio of length of the straight pore of the first inclined hole to length of the sloping pore of the first inclined hole, and

each of the standard holes penetrates the electrode plate straight in a thicknesswise direction of the electrode plate.

2. A plasma etching apparatus comprising:

a process chamber;

a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in the process chamber and having a plasma generating space between the first and second electrodes; and

a gas supply source which supplies a gas into the process chamber,

wherein the first electrode comprises the electrode plate of claim 1.

3. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein

the second inclined holes are provided in the innermost region,

the intermediate region is divided into a plurality of regions according to distances from the center, each of the divided intermediate regions have inclined holes consisting of the straight pore and the sloping pore, and

as going farther from the center, the inclined holes in the innermost region and the divided intermediate regions have shorter straight pore and longer slopping pore.

4. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein

the standard holes are provided in the innermost region,

the intermediate region is divided into a plurality of regions according to distances from the center, each of the divided intermediate regions have inclined holes consisting of the straight pore and the sloping pore, and

as going farther from the center, the inclined holes in the divided intermediate regions have shorter straight pore and longer slopping pore.

5. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein

the outermost region is a region including at least an outermost circumference of the electrode plate, and

the innermost region is a region including at least the center of the electrode plate.