Plasma apparatus and substrate-processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734990-B2
Application number	US-201414251013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2011
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a plasma generating apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus. The plasma generating apparatus includes a plurality of dielectric tubes mounted in a plurality of through-holes formed in a vacuum container, respectively; antennas comprising or divided into a first group of antennas and a second group of antennas based on their disposition symmetry in the vacuum container and mounted outside the dielectric tubes, respectively; a first RF power source to supply power to the first group of antennas; a second RF power source to supply power to the second group of antennas; and a first power distribution unit disposed between the first group of antennas and the first RF power source to distribute the power from the first RF power source to the first group of antennas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma generating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of dielectric tubes mounted in a plurality of through-holes formed in a vacuum container, respectively;
antennas comprising a first antenna group having one or more antennas and a second antenna group having one or more antennas based on a disposition symmetry of the antennas in the vacuum container, wherein:
each of the one or more antennas of the first antenna group and the second antenna group are mounted outside a respective one of the dielectric tubes,
the one or more antennas of the first antenna group are symmetrically disposed in a vicinity of a circumference of a constant radius on a basis of a center of a circular top plate of the vacuum container, and
the one or more antennas of the second antenna group are disposed substantially in the center of the circular top plate;

a first RF power source to supply power to the first antenna group;
a second RF power source to supply power to the second antenna group; and
a first power distribution unit disposed between the first antenna group and the first RF power source to distribute the power from the first RF power source to the first antenna group, the first power distribution unit comprising:
an input branch in a form of coaxial cable which receives power from the first RF power source,
a three-way branch in the form of coaxial cable which is connected to the input branch and branches in three directions; and
T branches in the form of coaxial cable which is connected to the three-way branch and which further branches in two.

2. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first power distribution unit comprises:
a first power distribution line; and
a first conductive outer cover that covers the first power distribution line and is grounded,
wherein a distance between an input terminal of the first power distribution unit and the first antenna group is a same.

3. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 1 , comprising toroidal permanent magnets disposed in a spaced arrangement along a longitudinal direction of the dielectric tubes.

4. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 3 , comprising a moving part to fix all or some of the permanent magnets and to move a plane on which the permanent magnets are disposed.

5. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the moving part comprises:
at least one support pillar fixedly connected to the vacuum container and perpendicularly extending to a plane on which the dielectric tubes are disposed; and
a permanent magnet fixing plate, on which the permanent magnets are mounted, inserted into the support pillar to be movable along the support pillar.

6. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
fixing plates for fixing the antennas and which are fixed to the top plate; and
a ground line connected to the fixing plates and an outer conductor of the T branches,
wherein one end of each of the fixing plates is connected to one end of each of the antennas, and a second end of the fixing plates is connected to one end of the ground line, and
wherein a length of the ground line is a same with respect to all of the antennas.

7. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
metal lids, each being mounted on one end of each of the dielectric tubes,
wherein a length (L/2=π/k z ) of each of the dielectric tubes meets a following equation:

k
z
4

+

(

3.83
R

)

2

⁢

k
z
2

-

(

e
⁢

⁢

μ
0

⁢

n
0

⁢
ω

B
0

)

2

=
0

where R represents a radius of each of the dielectric tubes, e represents a charge amount of electron, B 0 represents an intensity of magnetic flux density in a center of each of the dielectric tubes, μ 0 represents a permeability, ω represents an angular frequency, and n 0 represents a plasma density.

8. A plasma generating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of dielectric tubes mounted in a plurality of through-holes formed at a vacuum container, respectively;
antennas comprising a first antenna group and a second antenna group based on a disposition symmetry of the antennas in the vacuum container, the antennas being mounted outside the dielectric tubes, respectively;
a first RE power source to supply power to the first antenna group;
a second RE power source to supply power to the second antenna group;
a first power distribution unit disposed between the first antenna group and the first RE power source to distribute the power from the first RF power source to the first antenna group; and
grids disposed at lower portions of the through-holes; respectively.

9. A plasma generating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of dielectric tubes mounted in a plurality of through-holes formed in a vacuum container, respectively;
antennas comprising a first antenna group having one or more antennas and a second antenna group having one or more antennas based on a disposition symmetry of the antennas in the vacuum container, the antennas being mounted outside the dielectric tubes, respectively;
a first RF power source to supply power to the first antenna group;
a second RF power source to supply power to the second antenna group; and
a first power distribution unit disposed between the first antenna group and the first RF power source to distribute the power from the first RF power source to the first antenna group,
wherein a driving frequency of the first RF power source is different from a driving frequency of the second RF power source.

10. The plasma generating apparatus of claim 9 , comprising a second power distribution unit disposed between the second antenna group and the second RF power source to distribute power from the second RF power source to the second antenna group.

Assignees

• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech
• Wintel Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Hong-Young
• Lee Jin-Won

Classifications

• H01J37/3211 Primary

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

• H05H2001/4667

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01J37/32165

  Plural frequencies · CPC title

• H05H1/46 Primary

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

• H01J2237/327

  Arrangements for generating the plasma · CPC title