Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12315698-B2
Application number	US-202117313180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2020
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber; a source RF generator coupled to the plasma processing chamber, and configured to generate a pulse source RF signal including a plurality of source cycles; and a bias RF generator coupled to the substrate support, and configured to generate a pulse bias RF signal. A transition timing to the bias operating state in each bias cycle is delayed with respect to a transition timing to the source operating state in a corresponding source cycle, the source non-operating period overlaps with the bias non-operating period, and the bias operating period in each bias cycle overlaps with the source operating period in the next source cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a plasma processing chamber;
a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber;
a source radio frequency (RF) generator coupled to the plasma processing chamber;
a bias RF generator coupled to the substrate support;
at least one memory storing executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the executable instructions to:
control the source RF generator to generate a pulse source RF signal including a plurality of source cycles, each source cycle of the plurality of source cycles having:
a source operating state during a source operating period in which the pulse source RF signal is turned ON to a first source power level and then to a second source power level lower than the first source power level, and
a source non-operating state during a source non-operating period in which the pulse source RF signal is turned OFF, the source non-operating period being after the source operating period;

control the bias RF generator to generate a pulse bias RF signal including a plurality of bias cycles having a same pulse frequency as that of the plurality of source cycles, each bias cycle of the plurality of bias cycles having:
a bias operating state during a bias operating period in which the pulse bias RF signal is turned ON to a first bias power level and then to a second bias power level higher than the first bias power level, and
a bias non-operating state during a bias non-operating period in which the pulse bias RF signal is turned OFF, the bias non-operating period being after the bias operating period; and

control the source RF generator and the bias RF generator such that:
a transition timing to the bias operating state in each bias cycle is delayed with respect to a transition timing to the source operating state in a corresponding source cycle,
the source non-operating period partially overlaps with the bias non-operating period, and
the bias operating period in each bias cycle partially overlaps with the source operating period in a next source cycle such that the bias operating period in one bias cycle lasts over two source cycles of the pulse source RF signal.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pulse bias RF signal transitions to the bias operating state during the source non-operating period in each source cycle.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pulse bias RF signal transitions from the first bias power level to the second bias power level during the source non-operating period in each source cycle.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a transition from the first source power level to the second source power level in each source cycle is substantially synchronized with a transition from the bias operating state to the bias non-operating state in each bias cycle.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a transition from the first source power level to the second source power level in each source cycle is substantially synchronized with a transition from the bias operating state to the bias non-operating state in each bias cycle.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to control the source RF generator and the bias RF generator such that:
a period having the first source power level partially overlaps with a period having the second bias power level in a period during which the bias operating period in one bias cycle lasts over the two source cycles of the pulse source RF signal.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Thomas Cedric
• Lee Shihchin

Classifications

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H01J37/32155

  Frequency modulation · CPC title

• H01J37/3211 Primary

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

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title

• H01J37/32715

  Workpiece holder · CPC title