Plasma processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11810758-B2
Application number	US-201816175988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2018
Priority date	Nov 1, 2017
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber having a space therein and configured to process a target object loaded into the space by plasma generated in the space; a gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas into the space of the chamber; a high frequency antenna having a plurality of lines adjacent to each other and configured to generate the plasma in the space by an induced electric field generated in the space by a current flowing in the lines; and a plurality of holders configured to hold the lines of the high frequency antenna. The holders are arranged on the respective lines of the high frequency antenna such that the adjacent holders are spaced from each other by a gap of a predetermined distance or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber having a space therein and configured to process a target object loaded into the space by plasma generated in the space;
a gas supply source configured to supply a processing gas into the space of the chamber;
a high frequency antenna having a plurality of lines adjacent to each other and configured to generate the plasma in the space by an induced electric field generated in the space by a current flowing in the lines;
a plurality of holders configured to hold the lines of the high frequency antenna;
a plurality of support members configured to support the plurality of holders;
a dielectric plate forming an upper portion of the chamber; and
a shield member provided to cover the high frequency antenna, the shield member disposed above the dielectric plate,
wherein each of the holders holds only one of the lines and the holders are arranged on the respective lines of the high frequency antenna such that adjacent holders are spaced from each other by a gap of a predetermined distance, the predetermined distance between adjacent holders being greater than a distance between adjacent lines held by the adjacent holders,
the support members are each provided for holders of adjacent lines, and each support member supports the holders of the adjacent lines with respect to at least one of the dielectric plate and the shield member,
each of the support members has a connecting portion, the connecting portion extending along an arrangement direction of the holders of the adjacent lines when seen from above, and
the connecting portion is connected to at least three holders of the adjacent lines.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high frequency antenna is a planar coil in which the lines are wound in a substantially circular spiral shape.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of support members includes:
a first support portion having the connecting portion and configured to support the holders of adjacent lines with respect to the dielectric plate; and
a second support portion extending from the first support portion in a plane direction of the dielectric plate,
wherein a lower end of the first support portion is in contact with an upper surface of the dielectric plate, and
the second support portion is fixed to the shield member.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lines adjacent to each other include a first adjacent line which is adjacent to a second adjacent line, to provide first and second adjacent lines,
the holders correspondingly hold the first and second adjacent lines in a direction away from a center of the high frequency antenna, and
two holders correspondingly hold the first and second adjacent lines at different positions in the direction away from the center of the high frequency antenna, the two holders hold the first and second adjacent lines at different positions in a direction orthogonal to the direction away from the center of the high frequency antenna.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
the holders correspondingly hold the first and second adjacent lines in a diametrical direction of the high frequency antenna having a substantially circular outer shape, and
the two holders correspondingly holding the first and second adjacent lines at different positions in the diametrical direction, and hold the first and second adjacent lines at different positions in a circumferential direction of the high frequency antenna.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the two holders include a first holder holding only the first adjacent line and a second holder holding only the second adjacent line,
the first holder and the second holder are placed at different positions in an extension direction of the first adjacent line and the second adjacent line, and
the first holder is positioned between the center of the high frequency antenna and the second holder.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the holders of the adjacent lines are disposed on a straight line when seen from above, and
an extending direction of the connecting portion is parallel to an extending direction of the straight line when seen from above.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the support members further has a plurality of support portions, and
each of the support portions is provided for one holder and fixes a corresponding holder to the connecting portion.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is directly fixed to the shield member such that the connecting portion and the shield member are in contact.

10. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber having a plasma processing space;
an antenna having a substantially circular shape provided above the plasma processing space, the antenna including a first line and a second line;
a high frequency power supply connected to the antenna;
a first insulating holder configured to hold only the first line; and
a second insulating holder configured to hold only the second line,
at least one support member which supports the first insulating holder and the second insulating holder;
wherein the first line and the second line are adjacent in a radial direction of the antenna, and
a distance between the first insulating holder and the second insulating holder is greater than a distance between the first line and the second line.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a distance between the first insulating holder and the second line is greater than half of the distance between the first line and the second line.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first insulating holder and the second insulating holder are provided at different positions in a circumferential direction of the antenna.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the antenna includes a spiral planar coil having the first line and the second line.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the antenna includes a first coil arranged along a circumference of a first circle having a first radius and a second coil arranged along a circumference of a second circle having a second radius different from the first radius,
each of the first coil and the second coil has two terminals, and
the first coil has the first line and the second coil has the second line.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the antenna includes a swirl-shaped coil having the first line and the second line, and
a height of the first insulating holder is different from a height of the second insulating holder.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a dielectric window disposed between the plasma processing space and the antenna; and
a conductive shield box provided to cover the antenna,
wherein the first insulating holder and the second insulating holder are fixed to at least one of the dielectric window and the conductive shield member by way of the at least one support member.

17. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one support member comprises:
a first insulating support member for fixing the first insulating holder to the conductive shield box; and
a second insulating support member for fixing the second insulating holder to the conductive shield box.

18. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 16 , where

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Itou Satoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P50/244

  comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps · CPC title

• H01J37/321

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

• H01J37/3211 Primary

  Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils · CPC title

• C23C16/517

  using a combination of discharges covered by two or more of groups C23C16/503 - C23C16/515 · CPC title