Parasitic plasma prevention in plasma processing chambers

• US 9,728,429 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Martinez, Larry, Ricci, Anthony, Ullal, Saurabh
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Karla
• Assistant Examiner(s): NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z
• Application Number:
  US12/844,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20120024449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 118715, 118728-733, 15634551-34555
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32477 characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32798 Further details of plasma apparatus not provided for in groups H01J37/3244 - H01J37/32788; special provisions for cleaning or maintenance of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6833 Details of electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

Parasitic plasma in voids in a component of a plasma processing chamber can be eliminated by covering electrically conductive surfaces in an interior of the voids with a sleeve. The voids can be gas holes, lift pin holes, helium passages, conduits and/or plenums in chamber components such as an upper electrode and a substrate support.

Claims

1. A substrate support of a plasma processing chamber, comprising:

a first layer of a non-metal material, the first layer having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface configured to support a substrate thereon during processing of a substrate in the plasma processing chamber;

a second layer of an electrically conductive material bonded to the lower surface of the first layer;

a void space extending through the entire first and second layers;

a tubular sleeve fitted in the void space in the second layer such that the second layer is not exposed in the void space;

wherein one end of the tubular sleeve is coplanar with facing surfaces of the first layer and the second layer and the other end of the tubular sleeve is coplanar with a lower surface of the second layer and the tubular sleeve has an exposed inner surface with an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the void space in the first layer;

wherein at least one ESC electrode is embedded in the first layer;

wherein the second layer has a thickness from 0.5 to 5 mm and at least one film heater attached to the lower surface of the second layer; and

a base plate attached to the lower surface of the second layer wherein the base plate includes embedded fluid channels and is configured to be supplied with RF power during processing of a substrate when the substrate support is installed in the plasma processing chamber.

2. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the tubular sleeve is made of the same material as the first layer.

3. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the tubular sleeve is affixed on an interior surface of the void space with threads on an exterior surface of the tubular sleeve.

4. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the first layer is made of alumina, aluminum nitride, undoped silicon, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride and/or yttria.

5. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the tubular sleeve has an upper outwardly extending flange or a lower outwardly extending flange received in a mating recess in the second layer.

6. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the tubular sleeve has a wall thickness of at least 0.01 inch.

7. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein a relative permittivity of the electrically conductive material at radio frequencies present in the plasma processing chamber is at least 20 times of a relative permittivity of the non-metal material at the radio frequencies.

8. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the void is a gas hole, a lift pin hole, a helium passage, a conduit and /or a plenum.

9. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the second layer is bonded to the lower surface by an adhesive.

10. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the void space is from 0.02 to 0.08 inch.

11. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the base plate has at least one plenum in fluid communication with the void space.

12. The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the base plate is attached to the second layer with a bond, fasteners, or an adhesive.

13. A plasma processing chamber comprising:

a vacuum pump in fluid communication with an interior of the processing chamber that is operable to maintain a desired pressure in the interior of the processing chamber during processing;

a process gas source operable to deliver process gas to the interior of the processing chamber during processing;

an RF source operable to supply RF power to the interior of the processing chamber such that plasma may be generated from the process gas delivered to the interior of the processing chamber during processing; and

the substrate support of claim 1 in the interior of the processing chamber.

14. A method of manufacturing the substrate support of claim 1, comprising:

lining an interior surface of the void space in the second layer with the tubular sleeve such that the second layer is not exposed in the void space and parasitic plasma can be prevented in the void space; and

bonding the second layer to the lower surface of the first layer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising attaching the base plate to the lower surface of the second layer.