Plasma processing apparatus and shower plate

• US 9,663,856 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Taro, Kasai, Shigeru, Fujino, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zervigon, Rudy
• Application Number:
  US14/219,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 118723 MW, 15634541
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/005 Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/14 with multiple outlet openings B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32293 using particular waveforms, e.g. polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus including a processing vessel 10 in which a plasma process is performed and a plasma generation antenna 20 having a shower plate 100 which supplies a first gas and a second gas into the processing vessel 10, performs the plasma process on a substrate with plasma generated by a surface wave formed on a surface of the shower plate 100 through a supply of a microwave. The shower plate 100 has multiple gas holes 133 configured to supply the first gas into the processing vessel 10 and multiple supply nozzles 160 configured to supply the second gas into the processing vessel 10, and the supply nozzles 160 are protruded vertically downwards from a bottom surface of the shower plate 100 and are provided at different positions from the gas holes 133.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus including a processing vessel in which a plasma process is performed and a plasma generation antenna having a shower plate which supplies a first gas and a second gas into the processing vessel, the plasma processing apparatus performing the plasma process on a substrate with plasma generated by a surface wave formed on a surface of the shower plate through a supply of a microwave,

wherein the shower plate has a plurality of gas holes configured to supply the first gas into the processing vessel and a plurality of supply nozzles configured to supply the second gas into the processing vessel,

the supply nozzles are protruded vertically downwards from a bottom surface of the shower plate and are provided at different positions from the gas holes,

the supply nozzles are configured to pass through a region having an electron temperature higher in the vicinity of the shower plate than in any other region under the vicinity of the shower plate, and

a distance from the bottom surface of the shower plate to a lower end of each supply nozzle is equivalent to about 1/16 to about 3/16 of a wavelength of the supplied microwave.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the second gas is more easily decomposed by the plasma than the first gas.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the second gas is a source gas, and the first gas is a gas for generating the plasma.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein a base member protruded downwards is provided at the bottom surface of the shower plate,

recess portions depressed upwards are formed at the base member in a preset pattern, and

the supply nozzles are provided at the recess portions.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the gas holes and the supply nozzles are arranged to be equi-spaced when viewed from a plane.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the supply nozzles are provided at a portion of the shower plate excluding a central portion thereof.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1,

wherein flow rates of the first gas supplied from the gas holes are different for each of the gas holes and/or flow rates of the second gas supplied from the supply nozzles are different for each of the supply nozzles.

8. A shower plate that supplies a first gas and a second gas into a processing vessel of a plasma processing apparatus in which a plasma process is performed, the plasma process being performed on a substrate with plasma generated by a surface wave formed on a surface of the shower plate through a supply of a microwave, the shower plate comprising:

a plurality of gas holes configured to supply the first gas into the processing vessel and a plurality of supply nozzles configured to supply the second gas into the processing vessel,

wherein the supply nozzles are protruded vertically downwards from a bottom surface of the shower plate and are provided at different positions from the gas holes,

the supply nozzles are configured to pass through a region having an electron temperature higher in the vicinity of the shower plate than in any other region under the vicinity of the shower plate, and

a distance from the bottom surface of the shower plate to a lower end of each supply nozzle is equivalent to about 1/16 to about 3/16 of a wavelength of the supplied microwave.