Microwave plasma source and plasma processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016358757-A1
Application number	US-201615165388-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A microwave plasma source for forming a surface wave plasma by radiating a microwave into a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, includes: a microwave output part; a microwave transmission part configured to transmit microwave outputted from the microwave output part; and a microwave radiation member configured to radiate the microwave into the chamber, wherein the microwave transmission part includes a microwave introduction mechanism configured to introduce the microwave into the microwave radiation member. The microwave radiation member includes: a metal main body; a dielectric slow-wave member installed in a portion of the main body; a plurality of slots configured to radiate the microwave introduced through the dielectric slow-wave member therethrough; and a dielectric microwave transmission member installed in a portion facing the chamber in the main body to cover a region where the slots are formed; and a plurality of dielectric layers installed to be separated from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A microwave plasma source for forming a surface wave plasma by radiating a microwave into a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
a microwave output part configured to generate and output the microwave; a microwave transmission part configured to transmit the microwave outputted from the microwave output part; and a microwave radiation member constituting a ceiling wall of the chamber and configured to radiate the microwave, which is supplied from the microwave transmission part, into the chamber, wherein the microwave transmission part includes a microwave introduction mechanism configured to introduce the microwave into the microwave radiation member, wherein the microwave radiation member includes: a metal main body; a dielectric slow-wave member which is installed in a portion of the main body into which the microwave is introduced; a plurality of slots configured to radiate the microwave introduced through the dielectric slow-wave member therethrough, the plurality of slots being covered by the dielectric slow-wave member and being formed to be separated from each other to have a circumferential shape in its entirety; and a dielectric microwave transmission member which is installed in a portion facing the chamber in the main body to cover a region where the plurality of slots is formed, wherein a surface wave is generated on a portion facing the chamber in the microwave transmission member; and a plurality of dielectric layers which is installed to be separated from each other to correspond to the plurality of slots between the plurality of slots and the microwave transmission member such that a single magnetic field loop is formed by a microwave electric field generated from the plurality of slots.

2 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of dielectric layers in a circumferential direction is equal to or less than λg/2 where λg is an effective wavelength of the microwave inside each of the plurality of dielectric layers.

3 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are air layers or dielectric material layers.

4 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots is vacuous or formed of a dielectric material, has an arc shape, and is arranged in a line along a circumferential direction.

5 . The microwave plasma source of claim 4 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of slots in the circumferential direction is equal to (( g/2)−5), where λg is an effective wavelength of the microwave inside each of the plurality of slots and δ is a fine tuning component (including zero).

6 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein the microwave introduction mechanism is installed at plural places in a circumferential direction on a peripheral portion of the microwave radiation member, which corresponds to a peripheral portion inside the chamber.

7 . The microwave plasma source of claim 6 , wherein the slow-wave member is installed at plural places to have an annular shape in its entirety in an annular microwave introduction mechanism arrangement region including a sector where the plurality of microwave introduction mechanisms is installed, and
wherein the plurality of slow-wave members is arranged such that adjacent slow-wave members are separated from each other by a metal member, and the plurality of slow-wave members are twice as many as the plurality of microwave introduction mechanisms, the plurality of slow-wave members being arranged to extend to both sides from a position where the respective peripheral microwave introduction mechanism is installed.

8 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein the microwave radiation member has a disc shape, and further includes another microwave introduction mechanism arranged in a central portion of the microwave radiation member, which corresponds to a central portion of the chamber, and is configured such that the surface wave plasma is generated in the central portion of the chamber through the central portion of the microwave radiation member.

9 . The microwave plasma source of claim 1 , wherein the microwave radiation member further includes a gas introduction part configured to introduce a plasma process gas into the chamber.

10 . The microwave plasma source of claim 9 , wherein an annular groove is formed between the microwave introduction mechanism arrangement region and a region where the another microwave introduction mechanism is arranged, in an upper surface of the microwave radiation member.

11 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber configured to accommodate a target substrate; a gas supply mechanism configured to supply a gas into the chamber; and a microwave plasma source configured to form a surface wave plasma by radiating a microwave into the chamber, and performs a plasma process on the target substrate using the surface wave plasma, wherein the microwave plasma source includes: a microwave output part configured to generate and output the microwave; a microwave transmission part configured to transmit the microwave outputted from the microwave output part; and a microwave radiation member constituting a ceiling wall of the chamber and configured to radiate the microwave, which is supplied from the microwave transmission part, into the chamber, wherein the microwave transmission part includes a microwave introduction mechanism configured to introduce the microwave into the microwave radiation member, wherein the microwave radiation member includes: a metal main body; a dielectric slow-wave member which is installed in a portion of the main body into which the microwave is introduced; a plurality of slots configured to radiate the microwave introduced through the dielectric slow-wave member therethrough, the plurality of slots being covered by the dielectric slow-wave member and being formed to be separated from each other to have a circumferential shape in its entirety; and a dielectric microwave transmission member which is installed in a portion facing the chamber in the main body to cover a region where the plurality of slots is formed, wherein a surface wave is generated on a portion facing the chamber in the microwave transmission member; and a plurality of dielectric layers which is installed to be separated from each other to correspond to the plurality of slots between the plurality of slots and the microwave transmission member such that a single magnetic field loop is formed by a microwave electric field generated from the plurality of slots.

12 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of dielectric layers in a circumferential direction is equal to or less than λg/2, where λg is an effective wavelength of the microwave inside each of the plurality of dielectric layers.

13 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are air layers or dielectric material layers.

14 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of slots is vacuous or formed of a dielectric material, has an arc shape, and is arranged in a line along a circumferential direction.

15 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of slots in the circumferential direction is equal to ((λg/2)−5), where λg is an effective wavelength of the microwave inside each of the plurality of slots and δ is a fine tuning component (including zero).

16 . The plasma processing apparatus of cla

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Taro
• Komatsu Tomohito

Classifications

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P14/6336

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

• H10P14/6532

  by exposure to a plasma · CPC title

• H10P14/6514

  by exposure to a plasma · CPC title

• H01J37/32201 Primary

  Generating means · CPC title