Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

US9870898B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9870898-B2
Application numberUS-201615018981-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateFeb 9, 2016
Priority dateFeb 23, 2015
Publication dateJan 16, 2018
Grant dateJan 16, 2018

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A plasma processing method includes applying a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for plasma generation and a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for bias whose frequency is lower than that of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation on the mounting table; and controlling the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias such that a predetermined phase difference is generated between the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias, and a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation becomes greater than or equal to a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for bias.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A plasma processing method using a plasma processing apparatus including a process chamber, a mounting table provided in the process chamber, and an electrode provided to face the mounting table, of plasma processing a substrate on the mounting table, the method comprising: applying a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for plasma generation and a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for bias whose frequency is lower than that of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation on the mounting table; controlling the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias such that a predetermined phase difference is generated between the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias, and a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation becomes greater than or equal to a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for bias; and etching the substrate on the mounting table under a condition controlled in the controlling, wherein in the controlling, the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias are controlled to generate the predetermined phase difference capable of suppressing generation of a standing wave of high harmonics waves generated due to the superimposition of the pulse waves, wherein in the controlling, the duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation is set greater than the duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for bias to a degree capable of selectively increasing an etching rate at a middle portion of the substrate between a center portion and an edge portion of the substrate. 2. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising: providing gas containing hydrogen bromide (HBr) gas, nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) gas and oxygen (O 2 ) gas, or gas containing hydrogen bromide gas, CF based gas and oxygen gas in the process chamber, and etching a polysilicon film formed on the substrate using a silicon oxide film formed on the polysilicon film as a mask. 3. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein frequency of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation is within a range of 100 MHz to 150 MHz and frequency of the high frequency electric power for bias is within range of 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz. 4. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein in the controlling, the duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation is set greater than or equal to two times of the duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for bias.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Workpiece holder · CPC title

  • Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing · CPC title

  • Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge · CPC title

  • Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9870898B2 cover?
A plasma processing method includes applying a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for plasma generation and a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for bias whose frequency is lower than that of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation on the mounting table; and controlling the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Tokyo Electron Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H01J37/32146. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Jan 16 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 12 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).