Plasma process method

• US 9,447,926 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Gokon, Kiyohiko, Sato, Jun, Onodera, Naomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Bret
• Application Number:
  US14/176,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A plasma process method of processing an object to be processed by a plasma process while enabling cooling of an inside of a plasma apparatus by taking in and exhausting a gas to evacuate an atmosphere of the inside includes measuring a temperature of the atmosphere of the inside of the plasma process apparatus while the plasma is not generated; and stopping taking the gas into the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature is lower than a first preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere is evacuated at a preset volumetric flow rate.

Claims

1. A plasma process method of processing an object to be processed by a plasma process apparatus by a plasma process while enabling cooling of an inside of a plasma apparatus by taking in and exhausting a gas to evacuate an atmosphere of the inside,

the plasma process apparatus comprising:

a processing container, which is shaped like a cylinder and is configured to be evacuatable to vacuum;

a holding unit configured to hold plural objects to be processed and inserted into and to be extracted from the processing container;

a gas supplying unit configured to supply a gas into the processing container;

an activating unit, which is located along a longitudinal direction of the processing container and is configured to activate the gas by plasma generated by a high frequency power, the activating unit including

a plasma generating box which is subdivided by a plasma compartment wall provided along the longitudinal direction of the processing container,

plasma electrodes provided along the longitudinal direction of the plasma compartment wall, and

a high frequency power source connected to the plasma electrodes;

a cylindrical shield cover configured to surround a periphery of the processing container and to be connected to ground for shielding from high frequency; and

a cooling device that includes an exhaust header including an end plate, the end plate clogging an upper end face of the cylindrical shield cover, including cooling gas flow holes, and being made of metal having a shield function of shielding against high frequency, the cooling device being configured to cause a cooling gas to flow through a space between the cylindrical shield cover and the processing container during the plasma process,

the plasma process method comprising;

measuring a temperature of the atmosphere of the inside of the plasma process apparatus while the plasma is not generated; and

controlling the cooling device to stop taking the gas into the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature is lower than a first preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere is evacuated at a preset volumetric flow rate.

2. The plasma process method according to claim 1,

wherein when the measured temperature of the atmosphere is the preset threshold value or more, the plasma process is carried out while the gas is injected and ejected.

3. The plasma process method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a temperature of an atmosphere of a part of the inside other than another part of the inside where the plasma exists while the plasma is not generated; and

stopping taking a gas into the part of the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature of the atmosphere of the part is lower than a second preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere of the part is evacuated at the preset volumetric flow rate.

4. The plasma process method according to claim 1,

wherein when the measured temperature of the atmosphere is the preset threshold value or more, the plasma process is carried out while the gas is injected or ejected.

5. The plasma process method according to claim 1,

wherein when the measured temperature of the atmosphere is the preset threshold value or lower, the plasma process is carried out while the gas is neither injected nor ejected.