Apparatus for plasma treatment and method for plasma treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9277637-B2
Application number	US-201113885708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2011
Priority date	Nov 17, 2010
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for plasma treatment contains a process vessel provided with a mounting table for mounting a substrate, a first gas supplying unit configured to supply a first gas into the process vessel, a first plasma generating unit configured to convert at least a part of the first gas to a first plasma, a second gas supplying unit configured to supply a second gas into the process vessel, and a second plasma generating unit configured to convert at least a part of the second gas to a second plasma. A height of ea an inlet of the second gas from the mounting table is lower than a height of an inlet of the first gas from the mounting table.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for plasma treatment comprising:
a process vessel provided with a mounting table for mounting a substrate;
a first gas supplying unit configured to supply a first gas into the process vessel through a first gas inlet;
a first plasma generating unit including a first mechanism configured to generate a first microwave to convert at least a part of the first gas supplied through the first gas inlet to a first plasma;
a second gas supplying unit configured to supply a second gas into the process vessel through a second gas inlet; and
a second plasma generating unit including a second mechanism configured to generate a second microwave to convert at least a part of the second gas supplied through the second gas inlet to a second plasma, the second plasma being a plasma separately generated from the first plasma using the second plasma generating unit,
wherein a height of the second gas inlet from the mounting table is lower than a height of the first gas inlet from the mounting table,
the first gas inlet is located on an upper side of the process vessel directed toward the substrate in a vertical direction to diffuse the first plasma generated by the first plasma generating unit in a direction perpendicular to the mounting table, and
the second gas inlet is located on a side wall of the process vessel directed towards an inner side of the process vessel in a horizontal direction to diffuse the second plasma generated by the second plasma generating unit in a direction parallel to the mounting table.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plasma generating unit converts at least a part of the second gas to the second plasma immediately after the second gas enters the process vessel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second gas inlet is located on a side wall of the process vessel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plasma generating unit and the second plasma generating unit are separated from each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the first microwave is different from a frequency of the second microwave.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for adjusting a ratio of an amount of the first gas to an amount of the second gas.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gas contains hydrogen bromide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plasma generating unit comprises a coil configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second gas contains at least two gases with different dissociation constants.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plasma generating unit comprises a member configured to change polarization characteristics of the microwave.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the member comprises:
a first dielectric window and a second dielectric window; and
a conductor provided with a plurality of slots, the conductor intervening between the first dielectric window and the second dielectric window.

12. An apparatus for plasma treatment comprising:
a process vessel provided with a mounting table for mounting a substrate;
a first gas supplying unit configured to supply a first gas into the process vessel through a first gas inlet;
a first plasma generating unit including a first mechanism configured to generate a first microwave to convert at least a part of the first gas to a first plasma;
a second gas supplying unit configured to supply a second gas into the process vessel through a second gas inlet; and
a second plasma generating unit including a second mechanism configured to generate a second microwave to convert at least a part of the second gas to a second plasma, the second plasma being a plasma separately generated from the first plasma using the second plasma generating unit,
wherein the first gas inlet is located on an upper side of the process vessel directed toward the substrate in a vertical direction to diffuse the first plasma generated by the first plasma generating unit in a direction perpendicular to the mounting table, and
the second gas inlet is located on a side wall of the process vessel directed towards an inner side of the process vessel in a horizontal direction to diffuse the second plasma generated by the second plasma generating unit in a direction parallel to the mounting table.

13. A method for plasma treatment, the treatment being conducted in a process vessel provided with a mounting table for mounting a substrate, the method comprising:
supplying a first gas from a first gas inlet into the process vessel;
generating a first microwave to convert at least a part of the first gas to a first plasma using a first plasma generating unit;
supplying a second gas from a second gas inlet into the process vessel; and
generating a second microwave to convert at least a part of the second gas to a second plasma, the second plasma being a plasma separately generated from the first plasma using a second plasma generating unit,
wherein a height of the second gas inlet from the mounting table is lower than a height of the first gas inlet from the mounting table,
the first gas inlet is configured to diffuse the first plasma generated by the first plasma generating unit in a direction perpendicular to the mounting table, and
the second gas inlet is configured to diffuse the second plasma generated by the second plasma generating unit in a direction parallel to the mounting table.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least a part of the second gas is converted to the second plasma immediately after the second gas enters the process vessel.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second gas inlet is located on a side wall of the process vessel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first gas contains hydrogen bromide.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second plasma generating unit comprises a member configured to change polarization characteristics of the microwave.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second plasma generating unit comprises a coil configured to generate an inductively coupled plasma.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second gas contains at least two gases with different dissociation constants.

Assignees

• Nozawa Toshihisa
• Tian Caizhong
• Sasaki Masaru
• Mihara Naoki
• Matsumoto Naoki
• Moyama Kazuki
• Yoshikawa Jun
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Nozawa Toshihisa
• Tian Caizhong
• Sasaki Masaru
• Mihara Naoki
• Matsumoto Naoki
• Moyama Kazuki
• Yoshikawa Jun

Classifications

• H01J37/3244

  Gas supply means · CPC title

• H01J37/32211 Primary

  Means for coupling power to the plasma · CPC title

• H05H1/46 Primary

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32192 Primary

  Microwave generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/3211

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