Hollow cathode device and method for using the device to control the uniformity of a plasma process

• US 9,455,133 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Denpoh, Kazuki, Ventzek, Peter L G, Xu, Lin, Chen, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US13/854,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130228284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.E, 118/723.ER
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• 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 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/00 Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes H01J25/00, H01J33/00, H01J35/00, H01J37/00 take precedence; details of cathode ray tubes or of electron beam tubes H01J29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32596 Hollow cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02 Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof

Abstract

A chamber component configured to be coupled to a processing chamber is described. The chamber component comprises one or more adjustable gas passages through which a process gas is introduced to the process chamber. The adjustable gas passage may be configured to form a hollow cathode that creates a hollow cathode plasma in a hollow cathode region having one or more plasma surfaces in contact with the hollow cathode plasma. Therein, at least one of the one or more plasma surfaces is movable in order to vary the size of the hollow cathode region and adjust the properties of the hollow cathode plasma. Furthermore, one or more adjustable hollow cathodes may be utilized to adjust a plasma process for treating a substrate.

Claims

1. A chamber component configured to be coupled to a plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a chamber element comprising a first surface on a supply side of said chamber element and a second surface on a process side of said chamber element, said process side opposing said supply side, wherein said chamber element comprises a reentrant cavity formed in said first surface and a conduit having an inlet coupled to said reentrant cavity and an outlet coupled to said second surface;

an insertable member configured to couple with said reentrant cavity, said insertable member having one or more passages formed there through and each of said one or more passages are aligned off-axis from said conduit;

means for adjusting the position of said insertable member within said reentrant cavity, and

a voltage source coupled to said chamber element and configured to couple a voltage to said chamber element to form a hollow cathode plasma,

wherein said one or more passages are configured to receive a process gas on said supply side and said conduit is configured to distribute said process gas from said one or more passages on said process side, and

wherein said means for adjusting the position of said insertable member is configured to turn on or turn off said hollow cathode plasma and adjust the properties of said hollow cathode plasma.

2. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said voltage source comprises a radio frequency (RF) voltage source.

3. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said chamber component comprises a shower head gas distribution plate configured to be coupled to a gas distribution system and distribute said process gas in the plasma processing chamber.

4. The chamber component of claim 3, wherein said shower head gas distribution plate comprises a plurality of said insertable members coupled to a plurality of said reentrant cavities formed on said supply side of said shower head gas distribution plate and configured to permit the passage of said process gas through a plurality of said conduits from said one or more openings formed in said plurality of said insertable members.

5. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said chamber component comprises a shower head gas distribution plate configured to be coupled to a gas distribution system integrated with a powered radio frequency (RF) electrode and configured to distribute said process gas in the plasma processing chamber.

6. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said insertable member is composed of a dielectric material.

7. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said insertable member is composed of silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or polyimide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

8. The chamber component of claim 1, wherein said reentrant cavity comprises a counter-bore formed in said first surface and said conduit comprises a cylindrical passage having a diameter less than the diameter of said counter-bore, and wherein said insertable member comprises a cylindrical member configured to slidably insert into said counter-bore.

9. The chamber component of claim 8, wherein said one or more passages in said insertable member comprise one or more cylindrical passages extending through said insertable member from a top surface of said insertable member to a bottom surface of said insertable member at the base of said counter-bore.

10. A hollow cathode device, comprising:

a hollow cathode configured to create a hollow cathode plasma in a hollow cathode region having one or more plasma surfaces in contact with said hollow cathode plasma, wherein at least one of said one or more plasma surfaces is movable in order to vary the size of said hollow cathode region and adjust the properties of said hollow cathode plasma.

11. A gas distribution system, comprising:

a shower head gas distribution plate having a supply side that interfaces with a gas supply plenum, a process side that interfaces with a process space in a processing chamber, and a plurality of gas passages formed from said supply side to said process side, wherein each of said plurality of gas passages comprises a counter-bore formed in said supply side that is configured to allow the generation of a hollow cathode plasma and a conduit having an inlet coupled to said counter-bore and an outlet coupled to said process side;

one or more insertable members uniquely configured to slidably insert within said counter-bore of said plurality of gas passages and configured to adjust the space available in said counter-bore to generate said hollow cathode plasma, wherein each of said one or more insertable members comprises one or more through-holes that are not aligned with said conduit; and

a voltage source coupled to said shower head gas distribution plate and configured to couple a voltage to said shower head gas distribution plate in order to form said hollow cathode plasma in any one of said plurality of gas passages,

wherein the space available in said counter-bore of at least one of said plurality of gas passages is different than the space available in said counter-bore of at least one of the remaining gas passages of said plurality of gas passages.

12. The gas distribution system of claim 11, said voltage source comprises a radio frequency (RF) voltage source.

13. The gas distribution system of claim 11, wherein said hollow cathode plasma in one of said plurality of gas passages is turned off by fully inserting said insertable member into said counter-bore in order to minimize the space available for generating said hollow cathode plasma.

14. The gas distribution system of claim 11, wherein said hollow cathode plasma in one of said plurality of gas passages is turned on by partially inserting said insertable member into said counter-bore in order to provide the space available for generating said hollow cathode plasma.

15. The gas distribution system of claim 11, wherein the intensity of said hollow cathode plasma in one of said plurality of gas passages is increased by retracting said insertable member from said one of said plurality of gas passages and decreased by inserting said insertable member into said one of said plurality of gas passages.