Apparatus and methods for dry etch with edge, side and back protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170277-B2
Application number	US-201213455347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2012
Priority date	May 31, 2011
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for plasma etching substrates and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus with protection for edges, sides and backs of the substrates being processed. Embodiments of the present invention provide an edge protection plate with an aperture smaller in size than a substrate being processed, wherein the edge protection plate may be positioned in close proximity to the substrate in a plasma chamber. The edge protection plate overlaps edges and/or sides on the substrate to provide protection to reflective coatings on the edge, sides, and back of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber body having a chamber sidewall and a bottom defining a processing volume;
a supporting assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the supporting assembly comprises a raised portion for supporting the substrate during processing;
a plasma source configured to generating or supplying a plasma in the processing volume;
an edge protection plate movably disposed in the processing volume above and spaced apart from the supporting assembly, wherein the edge protection plate has a center opening formed in a central region and the center opening has substantially vertical walls, wherein the center opening has a size to shield only an edge of the substrate during processing, wherein the edge protection plate further includes a plurality of through holes formed therein, wherein the through holes are configured to allow a first plurality of supporting legs passing therethrough from the supporting assembly and the edge protection plate is spaced apart from the chamber sidewalls; and
an edge shield disposed against a periphery of the edge protection plate and spaced apart from the support assembly and the chamber sidewalls, the edge shield covering a vertical sidewall of the edge protection plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a lift hoop coupled to the edge protection plate, wherein the lift hoop is vertically movable within the processing volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a shaft extending from the lift hoop, wherein the lift hoop is disposed around the supporting assembly, and the shaft connects the lift hoop to an actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a second plurality supporting pins that fixedly attach the edge protection plate to the lift hoop.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an ion-radical shield disposed above the edge protection plate in the processing volume, wherein the first plurality of supporting legs supports the ion-radical shield and passes though the through holes of the edge protection plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of supporting legs passes through one of the first plurality of through holes of the edge protection plate to allow the edge protection plate to move independent from the ion-radical shield.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the center opening is shaped substantially similar to the substrate being processed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the center opening is smaller in size than the substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the center opening is defined by an upper opening and a lower opening, the lower opening is larger than the upper opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the edge protection plate is formed from quartz or ceramic.

11. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber body defining a processing volume, wherein the chamber body comprises chamber walls and a chamber lid disposed above the chamber walls;
a supporting assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the supporting assembly comprises a raised portion for supporting a substrate during processing;
an antenna disposed above the chamber lid configured to generate a plasma in the processing volume; and
an edge protection assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the edge protection assembly comprises:
an actuator;
an edge protection plate having a center opening disposed above and spaced apart from the supporting assembly, wherein the center opening has substantially vertical walls, wherein the center opening has a size to shield only an edge of the substrate during processing and the edge protection plate is coupled to the actuator, and an elevation of the edge protection plate is controlled by the actuator, wherein the edge protection plate includes a plurality of through holes formed therein configured to allow a first plurality of supporting legs passing therethrough from the supporting assembly and the edge protection plate is spaced apart from the chamber sidewalls; and
an edge shield disposed against a periphery of the edge protection plate, the edge shield covering a vertical sidewall of the edge protection plate, wherein the edge shield is spaced apart from the support assembly and the chamber sidewalls.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the center opening of the edge protection plate is square.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the edge protection plate is formed from quartz or ceramic.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
an ion-radical shield disposed above the edge protection plate in the processing volume, wherein the plurality of supporting legs supports the ion-radical shield and passes through the through holes of the edge protection plate.

15. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a chamber body defining a processing volume, wherein the chamber body comprises chamber walls and a chamber lid disposed above the chamber walls;
a supporting assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the supporting assembly comprises a raised portion for supporting a substrate during processing;
an antenna disposed above the chamber lid configured to generate a plasma in the processing volume; and
an edge protection assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the edge protection assembly comprises:
an actuator;
an edge protection plate having a center opening disposed above and spaced apart from the supporting assembly, wherein the edge protection plate is coupled to the actuator, an elevation of the edge protection plate is controlled by the actuator, the center opening is defined by an upper opening and a lower opening, the lower opening is larger in size than the upper opening, and the center opening has substantially vertical walls, wherein the center opening has a size to shield only an edge of the substrate during processing, wherein the edge protection plate further includes a plurality of through holes formed therein, wherein the through holes are configured to allow a plurality of supporting legs passing therethrough from the supporting assembly and the edge protection plate is spaced apart from the chamber sidewalls; and
an edge shield disposed against a periphery of the edge protection plate, the edge shield covering a vertical sidewall of the edge protection plate, wherein the edge shield is spaced apart from the support assembly and the chamber sidewalls.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the edge protection plate is formed from quartz or ceramic.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
an ion-radical shield disposed above the edge protection plate in the processing volume, wherein the plurality of supporting legs supports the ion-radical shield and passes through the through holes of the edge protection plate.

Assignees

• Singh Saravjeet
• Scott Graeme Jamieson
• Sabharwal Amitabh
• Kumar Ajay
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Singh Saravjeet
• Scott Graeme Jamieson
• Sabharwal Amitabh
• Kumar Ajay

Classifications

• H01J37/32623

  Mechanical discharge control means · CPC title

• H01J37/32477

  characterised by the means for protecting vessels or internal parts, e.g. coatings · CPC title

• H01J37/32651 Primary

  Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields · CPC title

• H01J37/32082 Primary

  Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/321

  the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma · CPC title