Microwave plasma processing apparatus, slot antenna, and semiconductor device

• US 9,875,882 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Iwao, Toshihiko, Kaneko, Kazushi
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US14/326,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20150013911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 118723 MW, 118715-733, 15634541
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3222 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32522 Temperature

Abstract

Disclosed is a microwave plasma processing apparatus. The microwave plasma processing apparatus includes a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate. The coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor. Each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor transmits microwaves. A difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor.

Claims

1. A microwave plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container provided to be sealed by a dielectric window;

a slot antenna including;

(i) a cooling plate disposed above the processing container,

(ii) an intermediate metal plate installed on a processing container side of the cooling plate to be spaced apart from the cooling plate, wherein the intermediate metal plate has a donut-shaped convex portion that separates a processing container side surface of the intermediate metal plate into a center side portion and an outer periphery side portion,

(iii) a slot plate installed on the processing container side of the intermediate metal plate to be in contact with the convex portion, wherein, on the a processing container side surface of the slot plate, the slot plate includes, as slots for radiating microwaves, a first slot formed closer to the center side portion than a portion which is in contact with the convex portion and a second slot formed farther from the center side portion than the portion which is in contact with the convex portion,

(iv) a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate, wherein the coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor, and an outer conductor, wherein microwaves are transmitted by each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor, and wherein a difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor,

(v) an inner waveguide configured to transmit microwaves to the first slot by transmitting the microwaves via the space between the inner conductor and the intermediate conductor, and then via a space between the slot plate and the intermediate metal body radially, toward a center side space, the center side space being positioned closer to the center side portion than the convex portion, and

(vi) an outer waveguide configured to transmit microwaves to the second slot by transmitting the microwaves via the space between the intermediate conductor and the outer conductor, and then via a space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate radially, toward an outer periphery side space, the outer periphery side space being positioned farther from the center side portion than the convex portion; and

the dielectric window installed on the processing container side of the slot plate.

2. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the outer conductor is 0.25 to 0.35 times of a natural wavelength of the microwaves.

3. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first member provided at a lower portion of the inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a first stepped portion protruding to the center side space which is positioned closer to the center side portion than the convex portion in the space between the slot plate and the intermediate metal body, the length of the diameter of the first member at the first stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the intermediate conductor.

4. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an inner slow-wave plate installed above the first slot in the inner waveguide; and

a first member provided at a processing container side end of the inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a first stepped portion protruding to the center side space, the length of the diameter of the first member at the first stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the intermediate conductor,

wherein the inner slow-wave plate has an inclination or a step in an interface between the inner slow-wave plate and a portion where the inner slow-wave plate is not installed in the center side space, or the intermediate metal body or the slot plate has a convex portion protruding to the portion where the inner slow-wave plate is not installed in the center side space.

5. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer slow-wave plate installed in the outer waveguide; and

a second member provided at a processing container side end of the intermediate conductor of the coaxial waveguide and having a third stepped portion protruding to the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate, the length of the diameter of the second member at the third stepped portion being equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the outer conductor,

wherein the outer slow-wave plate has a second stepped portion protruding toward the center side in an interface between the outer slow-wave plate and a portion where the outer slow-plate is not installed in the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate, or the cooling plate or the intermediate metal body has a convex portion protruding to the space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate.

6. The microwave plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the outer waveguide is 0.28 to 0.33 times of a natural wavelength of the microwaves.

7. A slot antenna installed above a microwave plasma processing container, the slot antenna comprising:

a cooling plate disposed above the processing container;

an intermediate metal plate installed on the a processing container side to be spaced apart from the cooling plate, wherein the intermediate metal plate has a donut-shaped convex portion that separates a processing container side surface of the intermediate metal plate into a center side portion and an outer periphery side portion;

a slot plate installed on the processing container side of the intermediate metal plate to be in contact with the convex portion, wherein, on the a processing container side surface of the slot plate, the slot plate includes, as slots for radiating microwaves, a first slot formed closer to the center side portion than a portion which is in contact with the convex portion and a second slot formed farther from the center side portion than the portion which is in contact with the convex portion;

a coaxial waveguide installed in a through hole which is formed in the center side portion in the intermediate metal body to extend continuously through the cooling plate and the intermediate metal plate, wherein the coaxial waveguide includes an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor, wherein each of a space between the inner conductor installed in a hollow portion of the intermediate conductor and the intermediate conductor and a space between the intermediate conductor installed in a hollow portion of the outer conductor and the outer conductor transmits microwaves, and wherein a difference between an inner diameter of the outer conductor and an outer diameter of the intermediate conductor is larger than a difference between an outer diameter of the inner conductor and an inner diameter of the intermediate conductor; and

a waveguide configured to transmit microwaves to the second slot by transmitting the microwaves via the space between the intermediate conductor and the outer conductor, and then via a space between the intermediate metal body and the cooling plate radially, toward an outer periphery side space, the outer periphery side space being positioned farther from the center side portion than the convex portion.