Plasma generating device, substrate processing apparatus, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

US11469081B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-11469081-B2
Application numberUS-201916250673-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJan 17, 2019
Priority dateJul 21, 2016
Publication dateOct 11, 2022
Grant dateOct 11, 2022

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electrode is used in common for two of the first electrode being respectively adjacent to the second electrode used in common.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A plasma generating device, comprising: a first rod-shaped electrode and a second rod-shaped electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply; a third rod-shaped electrode installed between the first rod-shaped electrode and the second rod-shaped electrode, and that is grounded; a gas supplier configured to supply gas; and at least one buffer structure that forms a buffer chamber configured to accommodate the first rod-shaped electrode, the second rod-shaped electrode, the third rod-shaped electrode, and the gas supplier, wherein high-frequency power is applied to the first rod-shaped electrode from the high-frequency power supply to convert gas into plasma in a plasma generation region between the first rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, and high-frequency power is applied to the second rod-shaped electrode from the high-frequency power supply to convert gas into plasma in a plasma generation region between the second rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, and wherein gas supply ports that supply gas into a process chamber are located between the first rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode and between the second rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, on a side wall surface of the buffer structure. 2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the side wall surface of the buffer structure is formed to face a side surface of a substrate. 3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gas supply ports are opened to face a center of a substrate. 4. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the process chamber; and a plasma generating device configured to activate the gas by converting the gas into plasma; and an exhaust system configured to evacuate an interior of the process chamber, wherein the plasma generating device includes: a first rod-shaped electrode and a second rod-shaped electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply; a third rod-shaped electrode installed between the first rod-shaped electrode and the second rod-shaped electrode, and that is grounded; and at least one buffer structure that forms a buffer chamber configured to accommodate the first rod-shaped electrode, the second rod-shaped electrode, the third rod-shaped electrode, and the gas supplier, wherein high-frequency power is applied to the first rod-shaped electrode from the high-frequency power supply to convert the gas into plasma in a plasma generation region between the first rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, and high-frequency power is applied to the second rod-shaped electrode from the high-frequency power supply to convert the gas into plasma in a plasma generation region between the second rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, and wherein gas supply ports that supply gas into the process chamber are located between the first rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode and between the second rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, on a side wall surface of the buffer structure. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the side wall surface of the buffer structure is formed to face a side surface of the substrate. 6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the gas supply ports are opened to face a center of the substrate. 7. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising: a controller configured to control the high-frequency power supply, wherein the controller controls the high-frequency power supply by monitoring an impedance of the plasma generating device. 8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one buffer structure includes a plurality of buffer structures, and different reaction gases are supplied to the plurality of buffer structures respectively. 9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one buffer structure includes a plurality of buffer structures, and the same reaction gas is supplied to the plurality of buffer structures. 10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one buffer structure includes a plurality of buffer structures, and the plurality of buffer structures are installed, with the exhaust system interposed between the plurality of buffer structures, in a line-symmetrical manner with respect to a line passing through the exhaust system and a center of the process chamber. 11. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the gas supplier includes a gas supply hole that supplies gas into the buffer chamber, and wherein the buffer structure includes a wall surface formed of an arc-shape and a wall surface formed in a radial direction, and the gas supply hole is opened to face the wall surface of the buffer structure that is formed in the radial direction. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first rod-shaped electrode or the second rod-shaped electrode is installed adjacent to the wall surface formed in the radial direction. 13. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the gas supply ports include: a first gas supply port that supplies the plasma-converted gas, which is generated in the plasma generation region between the first rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, to the process chamber; and a second gas supply port that supplies the plasma-converted gas, which is generated in the plasma generation region between the second rod-shaped electrode and the third rod-shaped electrode, to the process chamber. 14. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the buffer structure is made of insulating material.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane · CPC title

  • deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

  • the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz · CPC title

  • in the presence of a plasma [PECVD] · CPC title

  • Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US11469081B2 cover?
There is provided a plasma generating device that includes a first electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second electrode to be grounded, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged such that a number of electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are in an odd number of three or more in total, and wherein the second electro…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Kokusai Electric Corp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H10P14/69433. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Oct 11 2022 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).