Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11183371-B2
Application number	US-201916724757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing vessel; a placing table, serving as a lower electrode, disposed within the processing vessel; an upper electrode serving as a facing electrode of the placing table; a plasma processor configured to form a gas within the processing vessel into plasma by supplying a high frequency power and to process a processing target object on the placing table with the plasma; a cover member configured to cover the upper electrode from thereabove; a cooler provided within the cover member and configured to cool the upper electrode with a coolant having a temperature lower than a dew point temperature of exterior air outside the processing vessel; and a gas supply configured to supply a low-dew point gas having a dew point temperature lower than the dew point temperature of the exterior air into a space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode.

First claim

We claim:

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a processing vessel;
a placing table, serving as a lower electrode, disposed within the processing vessel;
an upper electrode serving as a facing electrode of the placing table;
a plasma processor configured to form a gas within the processing vessel into plasma by supplying a high frequency power to at least one of the placing table or the upper electrode, and configured to process a processing target object on the placing table with the plasma;
a cover member configured to cover the upper electrode from thereabove;
a cooler provided within the cover member and configured to cool the upper electrode with a coolant having a temperature lower than a dew point temperature of exterior air outside the processing vessel;
a gas supply configured to supply a low-dew point gas having a dew point temperature lower than the dew point temperature of the exterior air into a space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode; and
a hollow conductive member disposed within the cover member and configured to guide the high frequency power from the plasma processor to the upper electrode,
wherein a through hole is formed in a sidewall of the hollow conductive member and extends through the hollow conductive member in a longitudinal direction, and
a space within the cover member and an internal space of the hollow conductive member communicate with each other through the through hole.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the low-dew point gas is an inert gas or dry air.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the gas supply controls a flow rate of the low-dew point gas such that a pressure within the space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode becomes a positive pressure.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an exhaust device configured to exhaust a gas within the space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode,
wherein the gas supply starts a supply of the low-dew point gas after a pressure within the space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode becomes equal to or less than a preset pressure.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater configured to cover a part of the hollow conductive member and heat the hollow conductive member.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid supply configured to circulate a fluid having a temperature higher than the temperature of the coolant within an internal space of the hollow conductive member.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature controller provided at an outside of the cover member and configured to control the temperature of the coolant; and
a pipeline a part of which is disposed within the cover member and a part of which is disposed at an outside of the cover member, the pipeline being configured to supply the coolant having the temperature controlled by the temperature controller into the cooler,
wherein the pipeline is fixed to a sidewall of the cover member with a member having electromagnetic shielding property and heat insulating property therebetween.

8. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a processing vessel;
a placing table, serving as a lower electrode, disposed within the processing vessel;
an upper electrode serving as a facing electrode of the placing table;
a plasma processor configured to form plasma from a gas within the processing vessel by supplying a high frequency power to at least one of the placing table or the upper electrode, and configured to process a processing target object on the placing table with the plasma;
a cover member configured to cover the upper electrode from thereabove;
a cooler provided within the cover member and configured to cool the upper electrode with a coolant having a temperature lower than a dew point temperature of exterior air outside the processing vessel;
an exhaust device configured to exhaust a gas within a space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode;
a pressure controller configured to control an exhaust rate of the gas by the exhaust device such that a pressure within the space surrounded by the cover member and the upper electrode becomes equal to or less than a preset pressure; and
a hollow conductive member disposed within the cover member and configured to guide the high frequency power from the plasma processor to the upper electrode,
wherein a through hole is formed in a sidewall of the hollow conductive member and extends through the hollow conductive member in a longitudinal direction, and
a space within the cover member and an internal space of the hollow conductive member communicate with each other through the through hole.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a heater configured to cover a part of the hollow conductive member and heat the hollow conductive member.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a fluid supply configured to circulate a fluid having a temperature higher than the temperature of the coolant within an internal space of the hollow conductive member.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a temperature controller provided at an outside of the cover member and configured to control the temperature of the coolant; and
a pipeline a part of which is disposed within the cover member and a part of which is disposed at an outside of the cover member, the pipeline being configured to supply the coolant having the temperature controlled by the temperature controller into the cooler,
wherein the pipeline is fixed to a sidewall of the cover member with a member having electromagnetic shielding property and heat insulating property therebetween.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Fujii Toru
• Konta Yoshitomo
• Otsuki Kohei

Classifications

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title