Apparatus and method for processing substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12327735-B2
Application number	US-202016918212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing a substrate using plasma, which has high plasma stability and process reproducibility, is provided. The method includes providing an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a plasma generating region and a process region separate from the plasma generating region, placing the substrate including a silicon layer and an oxide layer in the process region, forming a hydrogen atmosphere in the process region by providing a hydrogen-based gas to the process region without passing through the plasma generating region, generating plasma by providing a fluorine-based gas to the plasma generating region, and providing the generated plasma to the process region to selectively remove the silicon layer compared to the oxide layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a plasma generating module including a plasma generating region and a first gas providing unit for providing a first gas to the plasma generating region, the plasma generating module using the first gas to generate plasma in the plasma generating region;
a process region separated from the plasma generating region and where the substrate is processed;
a support module arranged in the process region to support the substrate;
a second gas providing unit for providing a second gas to the process region without passing through the plasma generating region; and
a control module programmed to control the plasma generating module and the second gas providing unit,
wherein the second gas providing unit comprises a gas injection member for providing the second gas to the process region, the gas injection member comprising a heater installed therein and configured to heat the gas injection member to a predetermined temperature,
wherein the control module is programmed to control the second gas providing unit during a first period of forming a second gas atmosphere, a second period of generating the plasma, a third period of processing the substrate using the plasma, and a fourth period after the processing to remove first gas,
wherein the control module is programmed to control the plasma generating module to generate plasma during the second period and the third period using first gas,
wherein the third period includes a first processing period and a second processing period, and
wherein the second gas providing unit is programmed to provide the second gas at a first flow rate during the first period, the second period and the first processing period, and at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate during the second processing period and a fourth period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is a fluorine-based gas, and the second gas is a hydrogen-based gas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises a silicon layer and an oxide layer, and
wherein the silicon layer is selectively removed compared to the oxide layer by the generated plasma.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generating module generates the plasma by a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) method or an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control module controls the predetermined temperature of the gas injection member and a temperature of the support module to be the same during the third period of processing the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the temperature of the support module is 100° C. or higher during the third period of processing the substrate.

7. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a plasma generating region;
a process region separate from the plasma generating region;
a support module arranged in the process region to support the substrate:
a first gas providing unit for providing a fluorine-based gas for generating plasma in the plasma generating region;
a second gas providing unit for providing a hydrogen-based gas to the process region without passing through the plasma generating region; and
a control module programmed to control the plasma generating module and the second gas providing unit,
wherein a substrate including a silicon layer and an oxide layer is placed on the support module,
wherein the second gas providing unit provides the hydrogen-based gas to the process region to form the process region in a hydrogen atmosphere,
wherein the first gas providing unit provides the fluorine-based gas to the plasma generating region to generate the plasma,
wherein the generated plasma is provided to the process region, so that the silicon layer is selectively removed compared to the oxide layer,
wherein the second gas providing unit comprises a gas injection member for providing the second gas to the process region, the gas injection member comprising a heater installed therein and configured to heat the gas injection member to a predetermined temperature,
wherein the control module is programmed to control the second gas providing unit during a first period of forming a second gas atmosphere, a second period of generating the plasma, a third period of processing the substrate using the plasma, and a fourth period after processing the substrate to remove first gas;
wherein the control module is programmed to control the plasma generating module to generate plasma during the second period and the third period,
wherein the third period includes a first processing period and a second processing period, and
wherein the second gas providing unit is programmed to provide the second gas at a first flow rate during the first period, the second period and the first processing period, and at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate during the second processing period and the fourth period.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second gas providing unit provides the hydrogen-based gas to the process region without passing through the plasma generating region during a period of generating the plasma, a period of selectively removing the silicon layer, and a predetermined period after removing the silicon layer.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seong Gil
• Oh Sehoon
• Oh Dong Sub
• Lee Ji-Hwan
• Kim Dong-Hun
• Park Wan Jae

Classifications

• H10P72/0421 Primary

  for drying etching · CPC title

• H10P50/268 Primary

  of silicon-containing layers · CPC title

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H01J37/321

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

• H01J37/3244 Primary

  Gas supply means · CPC title