Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

• US 9,196,460 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hirayama, Masaki, Ohmi, Tadahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/997,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20110180213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,365 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.E, 118/723.I, 118/723.MW, 118/723.AN, 118/723.R, 118/118, 156/345.33, 156/345.34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

A ratio between gas conductances of a main gas passage and a plurality of branch gas passages is increased. A plasma processing apparatus is an apparatus for plasma-processing an object to be processed by exciting gas, and includes a processing container; a gas supply source for supplying a desired gas; a main gas passage distributing the gas supplied from the gas supply source; a plurality of branch gas passages connected to a lower stream side of the main gas passage; a plurality of throttle portions formed on the plurality of branch gas passages to narrow the branch gas passages; and one, two, or more gas discharging holes per each of the branch gas passages, for discharging the gas that has passed through the plurality of throttle portions formed on the plurality of branch gas passages into the processing container.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container which is formed of metal and receives a substrate that is plasma-processed;

an electromagnetic wave source which supplies electromagnetic waves required to excite the plasma inside of the processing container;

one, two, or more dielectric plates which are disposed on a lower surface of a lid of the processing container, are partially exposed to inside of the processing container, and transmit the electromagnetic wave supplied from the electromagnetic wave source to inside of the processing container; and

a metal electrode that is provided on a lower surface of the dielectric plate;

wherein the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the dielectric plates is propagated along a metal surface exposed to inside of the processing container, the metal surface comprising a lower surface of the metal electrode and a lower surface of the lid where the dielectric plate is not disposed,

wherein the plasma processing apparatus further comprises;

a gas supply source which supplies a desired gas;

a first gas discharging unit which discharge the gas supplied from the gas supply source to inside of the processing container; and

a gas flow passage which introduce the gas supplied from the gas supply source to the first gas discharging unit.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of first gas discharging holes formed in the metal electrode, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of first gas discharging holes.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a metal cover that is disposed to be adjacent to the dielectric plate on the lower surface of the lid of the processing container, on which the dielectric plate is not disposed, and

a side cover that is adjacent to an outer portion of the dielectric plate and disposed on the lower surface of the lid where the dielectric plate is not disposed,

wherein the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of second gas discharging holes formed in the metal cover, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of second gas discharging holes in the metal cover.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of third gas discharging holes formed in the side cover, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of third gas discharging holes in the side cover.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a first gas passage which is formed between the metal electrode and the dielectric plate, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of first gas discharging holes through the first gas passage.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first gas passage is a groove formed on at least one of a surface of the metal electrode, which is adjacent to the dielectric plate, and a surface of the dielectric plate, which is adjacent to the metal electrode.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a second gas passage which is formed between the metal cover and the side cover, and the lid, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of second gas discharging holes in the metal cover and the plurality of third gas discharging holes in the side cover through the second gas passage.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second gas passage is a groove formed in surfaces of the metal cover and the side cover, which are adjacent to the lid, or a surface of the lid, which is adjacent to the metal cover and the side cover.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the dielectric plate and the metal electrode are fixed on the lid by using a screw, the metal cover and the side cover are fixed on a main body of the lid by using a screw, the gas flow passage comprises a third gas passage formed in an inner portion of the screw, and the first and second gas passages are connected to the third gas passage.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of fourth gas discharging holes formed in the plurality of screws, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of fourth gas discharging holes through the third gas passages.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas conductance of the plurality of fourth gas discharging holes is smaller than the gas conductance of the third gas passages.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fourth gas discharging hole is formed as a cylinder, and diameters and lengths of the first, second, third and fourth gas discharging holes are substantially the same as each other.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first gas discharging holes, the second gas discharging holes, the third gas discharging holes, and the fourth gas discharging holes are arranged at substantially regular pitches.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least any of the first gas discharging holes, the second gas discharging holes, the third gas discharging holes, and the fourth gas discharging holes is formed on a convex portion that is formed on a metal surface of at least one of the metal electrode, the metal cover, and the side cover.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a fourth gas passage which is formed on an inner side surface of the screw and communicated with the third gas passage, and the gas that has passed through the third gas passage is introduced into the first or second gas passage through the fourth gas passage.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gas conductances of the first gas passage, the second gas passage, and the third gas passage are greater than the gas conductance of the fourth gas passage.

17. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the gas conductance of the fourth gas discharging hole is substantially the same as the gas conductance of the fourth gas passage.

18. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the fourth gas passage and the fourth gas discharging hole are formed as cylinders, and diameter and length of the fourth gas passage are substantially the same as the diameter and length of the fourth gas discharging hole.

19. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a main passage connected to the gas supply source and a throttle portion is disposed to be adjacent to the main gas passage so that the gas conductance of the third gas passage is smaller than the gas conductance of the main gas passage.

20. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the dielectric plate and the metal electrode are fixed on the lid by using a screw and the metal cover and the side cover are fixed on a main body of the lid by using a screw, and wherein the gas flow passage comprises a fifth gas passage which is formed between the screw and the lid, and the gas is introduced into the plurality of first gas discharging holes and the plurality of second gas discharging holes from the first and second gas passages through the fifth gas passage.

21. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a sixth gas passage which is communicated with the fifth gas passage and a main gas passage which is communicated with the sixth gas passage, and the gas that has passed through the main gas passage is introduced to the fifth gas passage through the sixth gas passage.

22. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sixth gas passage is disposed so as to be inclined toward the object to be processed.

23. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 21, wherein a throttle portion is disposed to be adjacent to the main gas passage so that the gas conductance of the sixth gas passage is smaller than the gas conductance of the main gas passage.

24. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the groove has a depth of 0.2 mm or less.

25. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a gas passage which is formed inside the metal cover and the side cover, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of second gas discharging holes in the metal cover and the plurality of third gas discharging holes in the side cover through the gas passage.

26. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first gas discharging holes, the second gas discharging holes, and the third gas discharging holes are arranged substantially at regular pitches.

27. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a gas passage which is formed inside the metal electrode, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of first gas discharging holes through the first gas passage.

28. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of gas discharging holes formed in the lid that is exposed to inside of the processing container, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of gas discharging holes formed in the lid.

29. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the metal electrode is disposed on each surface of the dielectric plates that face the processing container, the first gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of first gas discharging holes formed in the metal electrode, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the plurality of gas discharging holes formed in the lid and the first gas discharging holes.

30. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first gas discharging hole and the gas discharging hole formed in the lid are formed as cylinders, and diameters and lengths of the first gas discharging holes and the gas discharging holes formed in the lid are substantially the same as each other.

31. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a gas passage which is formed inside the lid, and the gas is introduced into the processing container from the gas discharging holes formed in the lid through the gas passage which is formed inside the lid.

32. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the dielectric plate and the metal electrode are fixed on the lid by using a screw, the first gas discharging unit comprises a gas discharging hole formed in the screw, and the gas conductance of the gas discharging hole formed in the lid and the gas conductance of the gas discharging hole formed in the screw are substantially the same as each other.

33. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 32, wherein the gas discharging hole formed in the screw has substantially the same size as the gas discharging hole formed in the lid.

34. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas flow passage comprises a plurality of main gas passages which are formed inside the lid and a plurality of branch gas passages which are communicated with the plurality of main gas passage, and the plurality of main gas passages distribute the gas into the plurality of branch gas passages.

35. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises an upper lid and a lower lid, and the gas flow passage comprises a main gas passage which is formed on a boundary between the upper lid and the lower lid.

36. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second gas discharging unit which is disposed between a space beneath the lid and a space for receiving the substrate in an inner space of the processing container, and discharges a gas supplied from a gas supply source that is different from the gas supply source toward the space for receiving the substrate.

37. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container which is formed of metal and receives a substrate that is plasma-processed;

an electromagnetic wave source which supplies electromagnetic waves required to excite the plasma in the processing container;

one, two, or more dielectric plates which are disposed on a lower surface of a lid of the processing container, are partially exposed to inside of the processing container, and transmit the electromagnetic wave supplied from the electromagnetic wave source to inside of the processing container; and

a metal electrode that is provided on a lower surface of the dielectric plate;

wherein the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the dielectric plates is propagated along a metal surface exposed to inside of the processing container, the metal surface comprising a lower surface of the metal electrode and a lower surface of the lid where the dielectric plate is not disposed,

wherein the plasma processing apparatus further comprises;

a first gas supply source which supplies a first gas including a plasma excitation gas;

a second gas supply source which supplies a desired second gas;

a first gas discharging unit which discharges the first gas supplied from the first gas supply source into a first space that is an inner space of the processing container, which is adjacent to the lower surface of the lid; and

a second gas discharging unit which discharges the second gas supplied from the second gas supply source into a second space that is an inner space of the processing container formed between the first space and a space for receiving the substrate.

38. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 37, wherein the second gas discharging unit comprises a plurality of gas passages passing through the inside of the lid and extending to near the second space, and at least one gas discharging hole formed in each of the gas passages to discharge the second gas into the second space.

39. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 38, wherein the plurality of gas passages comprise a first gas pipe disposed substantially perpendicularly to the object to be processed, and a plurality of second gas pipes that are connected to the first gas pipe in substantially parallel with the object to be processed.

40. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 39, wherein the plurality of second gas pipes are disposed at substantially regular angle intervals around the first gas pipe.

41. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 39, wherein a plurality of first gas pipes are arranged at regular pitches, and four second gas pipes are connected to each of the first gas pipes.

42. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 38, wherein the at least one gas discharging holes are formed at regular pitches in a surface of the plurality of second pipes, which faces the object to be processed.

43. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 38, wherein the plurality of gas passages comprise third gas pipes that are disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the object to be processed.

44. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 43, wherein the third gas pipes extend from a plurality of portions on the lower surface of the lid to near the second space and, on each of the plurality of portions, a plurality of third gas pipes are formed in different directions to each other at substantially regular angle intervals.

45. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 43, wherein the gas discharging holes are formed on end portions of the plurality of third gas pipes, and the gas discharging holes are arranged at substantially regular pitches on a same plane that is parallel with the object to be processed.

46. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 37, wherein the second gas discharging unit is formed of a porous material.

47. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 37, wherein the second gas discharging unit is a slit-shaped opening.