# US 11,443,920 B2 · Plasma processing apparatus

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- Number: US 11,443,920 B2
- Document ID: US11443920B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/730,861
- Filed: 2019-12-30
- Published: 2020-05-07
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-05
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Jun Yamawaku; Tatsuo Matsudo; Chishio Koshimizu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443920B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/3211: {Antennas, e.g. particular shapes of coils}
- H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32165: {Plural frequencies}
- H01J 37/32183: {Matching circuits}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma generation unit for converting a processing gas into plasma by an inductive coupling. The plasma generation unit includes a first high frequency antenna formed of a vortex coil having open opposite ends and, at a central portion of a line between the open ends, a supply point of a high frequency power and a grounding point grounded through a capacitor; a second high frequency antenna formed of a planar vortex coil disposed between first and second high frequency antenna elements of the first high frequency antenna; and an impedance adjustment unit for adjusting a resonant frequency of a circuit viewed from a high frequency power supply toward the first high frequency antenna which is configured to have two resonant frequencies depending on adjustment of the impedance adjustment unit when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate in a processing chamber, the apparatus comprising:
a mounting table on which the substrate is mounted, the mounting table being provided in the processing chamber;
a plasma generation unit arranged opposite to the mounting table through a dielectric window, the plasma generation unit including a high frequency antenna for converting a processing gas supplied into the processing chamber into plasma by an inductive coupling;
a shield member that surrounds a space where the high frequency antenna is arranged; and
a high frequency power supply for supplying a high frequency power, the high frequency power supply being capable of changing a frequency of the high frequency power,
wherein the plasma generation unit includes:
the high frequency antenna formed of a vortex coil having open ends at an inner end and an outer end, and including, at a central portion of a line along the high frequency antenna between the open ends, a supply point of the high frequency power supplied from the high frequency power supply and a grounding point, wherein the high frequency antenna includes a first high frequency antenna element from one open end to the supply point, a second high frequency antenna element from the other open end to the grounding point, and a connection portion through which the first high frequency antenna element and the second high frequency antenna element are connected to each other;
an annular coil arranged not to be connected to the high frequency antenna and not to be connected to the high frequency power supply; and
an impedance adjustment unit configured to adjust impedance of the impedance adjustment unit when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed such that the first high frequency antenna element and the second high frequency antenna element have different resonant frequencies from each other,
wherein a line length of the connection portion is adjusted to determine a distribution ratio of the high frequency power to the first high frequency antenna element and the second high frequency antenna element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impedance adjustment unit includes a first variable capacitor connected between one end and the other end of the annular coil.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a circuit viewed from the high frequency power supply toward the high frequency antenna is configured to have a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency depending on adjustment of the first variable capacitor when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first high frequency antenna element and the second high frequency antenna element has a line length of ((λ/4)+(nλ/2)) multiplied by a fractional shortening, where λ is a wavelength of the frequency of the high frequency power and n is a natural number.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the impedance adjustment unit further includes a second variable capacitor connected to the high frequency power supply, and
wherein a circuit viewed from the high frequency power supply toward the high frequency antenna is configured to have a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency depending on adjustment of at least one of the first variable capacitor and the second variable capacitor when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the annular coil is arranged at a same height position as the high frequency antenna.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the annular coil is arranged at a different height position from the high frequency antenna.