Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

• US 8,034,213 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kodama, Noriaki, Tanaka, Satoshi, Hayakawa, Yoshinobu, Hanaoka, Hidetoshi, Koshimizu, Chishio, Iwata, Manabu, Matsumoto, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kackar; Ram
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crowell; Anna
• Application Number:
  US11/694,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20070227664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.E, 156/345.43, 156/345.44, 156/345.45, 156/345.46, 156/345.47
• US Class Current: 156/345.47
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing vessel capable of being vacuum evacuated; a first electrode disposed in the processing vessel in a state electrically floating via an insulating member or a space; a second electrode, arranged in the processing vessel to face and be in parallel to the first electrode with a specific interval, supporting a substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas into a processing space surrounded by the first electrode, the second electrode and a sidewall of the processing vessel; and a first radio frequency power supply unit for applying a first radio frequency power to the second electrode to generate a plasma of the processing gas in the processing space. An electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the processing vessel is set such that a desired plasma density distribution is obtained for the generated plasma.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing vessel capable of being vacuum evacuated;

a first electrode disposed in the processing vessel to be in a state electrically isolated from the processing vessel via an insulating member or a space;

a second electrode, arranged in the processing vessel to face and be in parallel to the first electrode with a specific interval, for supporting a substrate to be processed;

a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas into a processing space surrounded by the first electrode, the second electrode and a sidewall of the processing vessel; and

a first radio frequency power supply unit for applying a first radio frequency power to the second electrode to generate a plasma of the processing gas in the processing space,

wherein an electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the processing vessel is set such that a desired plasma density distribution is obtained for the plasma generated in the processing space,

wherein a vacuum space separated from the processing space is formed between the processing vessel and a rear surface of the first electrode when viewed from the second electrode,

wherein the vacuum space includes a ceiling portion that faces the rear surface of the first electrode,

wherein a first insulator is disposed in the vacuum space to cover at least the ceiling portion of the vacuum space.

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

a capacitance varying unit for varying an electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the processing vessel.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing vessel is made of a conductor, and is grounded.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein an entire or partial area of the processing vessel is made up of a second insulator, wherein the area faces the rear surface of the first electrode when viewed from the second electrode.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an upper electrode and the second electrode is a lower electrode.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein a gas chamber, to which a processing gas is to be introduced from the processing gas supply unit, is provided at an upper portion of or above the first electrode, and a plurality of gas injection openings for injecting the processing gas from the gas chamber into the processing space are formed in the first electrode.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein a third insulator of a ring shape is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the first electrode and the sidewall of the processing vessel.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the third insulator fills a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the first electrode and the sidewall of the processing vessel.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein a space is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the first electrode and the sidewall of the processing vessel.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is partitioned into a disk-shaped inner electrode and a ring-shaped outer electrode in a radial direction.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein a fourth insulator of a ring shape is inserted, or a space is formed, between the inner electrode and the outer electrode.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein a fifth insulator of a ring shape is inserted, or a space is formed, between the outer electrode and the sidewall of the processing vessel.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein an electrostatic capacitance between the outer electrode and the processing vessel is greater than that between the inner electrode and the processing vessel.

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

a second radio frequency power supply for applying a second radio frequency power to the second electrode, wherein a frequency of the second radio frequency power is lower than that of the first radio frequency power.

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

a DC power supply for applying a DC voltage to the first electrode.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vacuum space separated from the processing space is vacuum evacuated independently of the processing space, and maintains the vacuum state by means of an airtight structure thereof.