Substrate processing apparatus, electrode structure and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12555752-B2
Application number	US-202318171015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2023
Priority date	Mar 23, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a technique capable of performing a substrate processing more uniformly. According to one aspect thereof, there is provided an electrode structure capable of generating a plasma, including: a first electrode group constituted by: at least one first electrode to which an electric potential is applied; at least one second electrode whose length is different from that of the first electrode and to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one third electrode to which a reference potential is applied; and a second electrode group constituted by: at least one fourth electrode to which an electric potential is applied; at least one fifth electrode whose length is different from that of the fourth electrode and to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one sixth electrode to which the reference potential is applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; and a plasma generator comprising an electrode structure capable of generating a plasma, wherein the electrode structure comprises:
a first electrode group constituted by: a first electrode to which an electric potential is applied; a second electrode to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one third electrode to which a reference potential is applied, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the at least one third electrode are sequentially arranged in aforelisted order, and the first electrode and the second electrode arranged adjacent to each other have different lengths from each other; and
a second electrode group constituted by: a fourth electrode to which an electric potential is applied; a fifth electrode to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one sixth electrode to which the reference potential is applied, wherein the fourth electrode, the fifth electrode, and the at least one sixth electrode are sequentially arranged in aforelisted order, and the fourth electrode and the fifth electrode arranged adjacent to each other have different lengths from each other.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second electrode is shorter than that of the first electrode arranged adjacent to the second electrode.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the fifth electrode is shorter than that of the fourth electrode arranged adjacent to the fifth electrode.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the fifth electrode is shorter than that of the second electrode.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second electrode is shorter than that of the at least one third electrode arranged adjacent to the second electrode.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the fifth electrode is shorter than that of the at least one sixth electrode arranged adjacent to the fifth electrode.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second electrode different from that of the first electrode is equal to a length of the fifth electrode different from that of the fourth electrode.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the second electrode to which the electric potential is applied is different from that of the fourth electrode to which the electric potential is applied, and the second electrode and the fourth electrode are arranged adjacent to the at least one third electrode to which the reference potential is applied.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first electrode, the second electrode, the at least one third electrode, the fourth electrode, the fifth electrode, and the at least one sixth electrode comprises a plate-shaped structure.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode of the first electrode group and the fourth electrode of the second electrode group are arranged adjacent to the at least one third electrode, and
an interval between the at least one third electrode and the second electrode is equal to that between the at least one third electrode and the fourth electrode.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first electrode, the second electrode, the at least one third electrode, the fourth electrode, the fifth electrode, and the at least one sixth electrode is arranged in a direction in which a plurality of substrates comprising the substrate are stacked and accommodated in the process chamber.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of substrates comprising the substrate are stacked and accommodated in the process chamber, and
a front end of the second electrode is located at a position lower than a position of an uppermost substrate among the plurality of substrates by a length within a range from 0.5% to 6% with respect to an output wavelength of a high frequency power supply applied thereto.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode group and the second electrode group are provided outside the process chamber, and are configured to generate the plasma within the process chamber.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, the at least one third electrode, the fourth electrode, the fifth electrode, and the at least one sixth electrode are adjacently arranged at an equal interval.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode group and the second electrode group are arranged adjacent to each other.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode of the first electrode group and the fourth electrode of the second electrode group are arranged adjacent to the at least one third electrode, and
a length of the second electrode and a length of the fourth electrode are different from each other.

17 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first electrode, a length of the at least one third electrode, a length of the fourth electrode arranged adjacent to the at least one third electrode, and a length of the at least one sixth electrode are equal to one another.

18 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of substrates comprising the substrate are stacked and accommodated in the process chamber, and
a front end of the fifth electrode is located at a position lower than a position of an uppermost substrate among the plurality of substrates by a length within a range from 0.5% to 6% with respect to an output wavelength of a high frequency power supply applied thereto.

19 . An electrode structure capable of generating a plasma, the electrode structure comprising:
a first electrode group constituted by: a first electrode to which an electric potential is applied; a second electrode to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one third electrode to which a reference potential is applied, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the at least one third electrode are sequentially arranged in aforelisted order, and the first electrode and the second electrode arranged adjacent to each other have different lengths from each other; and a second electrode group constituted by: a fourth electrode to which an electric potential is applied; a fifth electrode to which an electric potential is applied; and at least one sixth electrode to which the reference potential is applied, wherein the fourth electrode, the fifth electrode, and the at least one sixth electrode are sequentially arranged in aforelisted order, and the fourth electrode and the fifth electrode arranged adjacent to each other have different lengths from each other.

20 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
(a) loading a substrate into a process chamber, where the substrate is processed, of a substrate processing apparatus provided with a plasma generator comprising an electrode structure capable of generating a plasma, wherein the electrode structure comprises:
a first electrode group constituted by: a first electrode to which an electric potential is applied; a second electrode to which an electric potential is applied; and at least

Assignees

• Kokusai Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takeda Tsuyoshi
• Hara Daisuke
• Nakajo Hiroshi
• Tsuchikura Iichiro

Classifications

• H01J37/32091

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

• H01J37/32449 Primary

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• H01J37/32522 Primary

  Temperature · CPC title

• H01J37/32541

  Shape · CPC title

• H01J37/32743

  for introducing the material into processing chamber · CPC title