Plasma processing apparatus

• US 8,733,281 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tohoku University National Universities Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Hirayama, Masaki, Ohmi, Tadahiro, Horiguchi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US13/726,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20130112352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 118/723.MW, 118/723.R, 118/723.ME, 118/723.MR, 156/345.36, 156/345.41, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 118/723.MW
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/00 Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles B05C1/0821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/511 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32266 Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber produced from a metal; a susceptor configured to mount a substrate; an electromagnetic wave source that supplies an electromagnetic wave; one or more dielectric member provided at an inner wall of the processing chamber, and configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave into an inside of the processing chamber; one or more metal electrode, wherein each metal electrode is installed on a bottom surface of each dielectric member such that a part of the each dielectric member is exposed to the inside of the processing chamber; and a surface wave propagating section which is a metal surface facing the susceptor, the surface wave propagating section being installed adjacent to the dielectric member and being exposed to the inside of the processing chamber. The surface wave propagating section and a bottom surface of the metal electrode are positioned on the same plane.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber produced from a metal;

a susceptor configured to mount a substrate and installed in the processing chamber;

an electromagnetic wave source that supplies an electromagnetic wave necessary to excite plasma in the processing chamber;

one or more dielectric member provided on a bottom surface of a cover of the processing chamber, and configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave supplied from the electromagnetic wave source into an inside of the processing chamber, the bottom surface of the cover facing the susceptor;

one or more metal electrode, wherein each metal electrode is installed on a bottom surface of each dielectric member such that a peripheral part of the each dielectric member is exposed to the inside of the processing chamber; and

a metal cover facing the susceptor, the metal cover being installed adjacent to the dielectric member and on the bottom surface of the cover, and being exposed to the inside of the processing chamber,

wherein a bottom surface of the metal cover and a bottom surface of the metal electrode are positioned on the same plane,

the metal cover does not overlap with the dielectric member when viewed from inside of the processing chamber, and

the metal cover and the metal electrode are formed of square shapes, and four sides of each of the metal cover and the metal electrode are surrounded by the part of the dielectric member exposed to the inside of the processing chamber.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber comprises a chamber main body and the cover, and the dielectric member and the metal cover are installed on the bottom surface of the cover, and the bottom surface of the metal cover serves as a surface wave propagating section.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the metal cover has a thickness equivalent to a sum of thicknesses of the dielectric member and the metal electrode.

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

one or more gas discharge hole through which a gas is discharged into the processing chamber,

wherein the gas discharge hole is provided in the bottom surface of the metal cover.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more dielectric member is plural in number, and at least two dielectric members are spaced apart from each other, and the metal cover is positioned between the two dielectric members.

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

a groove or a protrusion installed on the bottom surface of the cover of the processing chamber,

wherein a plurality of the dielectric members are surrounded by the groove or the protrusion.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the metal cover is a single continuous flat section.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more metal rod serving to propagate the electromagnetic wave to the dielectric member are provided in a top portion of the dielectric member such that a bottom end of each metal rod is adjacent or close to a top surface of the dielectric member.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein sealing members are installed between a top surface of the dielectric member and the bottom surface of the cover of the processing chamber, and between the bottom surface of the dielectric member and the metal electrode.

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

one or more connecting member provided to connect the metal electrode and the bottom surface of the cover of the processing chamber through a hole in the dielectric member.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the metal electrode is provided with one or more gas discharge hole through which a gas is discharged into the processing chamber, and the connecting member is provided with a gas passage through which the gas flows to reach the gas discharge hole.

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

one or more gas discharge hole through which a gas is discharged into the processing chamber,

wherein the gas discharge hole is provided in the bottom surface of the cover.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the electromagnetic wave supplied from the electromagnetic wave source is equal to or less than about 2 GHz.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a surface of the dielectric member exposed to the inside of the processing chamber is extended continuously while forming a circle or a polygon.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the metal cover is covered with a protective film having a thin thickness so as not to substantially affect the propagation of the electromagnetic wave.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, an area of the metal cover and an area of the metal electrode are substantially the same.