# US 12,191,116 B2 · Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,116 B2 - Document ID: US12191116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/497,559 - Filed: 2021-10-08 - Published: 2022-04-14 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-08 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Kazushi Kaneko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191116B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/32165: {Plural frequencies} - H01J 37/32174: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge} - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 2237/334: Etching - 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 processing chamber configured to accommodate a substrate, a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas into the processing chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to the processing chamber to generate plasma such that the substrate is processed by using the generated plasma, and a control device configured to control the power supply. The control device controls the power supply to perform a process of supplying a first power including a frequency component within a first band having a first bandwidth to the processing chamber when the plasma is generated from the processing gas, and a process of supplying a second power including a frequency component within a second band having a second bandwidth smaller than or equal to the first bandwidth to the processing chamber when the substrate is processed by using the generated plasma. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber configured to accommodate a substrate; a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas into the processing chamber; a power supply configured to supply power to the processing chamber to generate plasma from the processing gas supplied into the processing chamber such that the substrate is processed by using the generated plasma; and a control circuit configured to control the power supply, wherein the control circuit controls the power supply to perform (a) a first process of supplying a first power including a frequency component within a first band having a first bandwidth to the processing chamber, when the plasma is generated from the processing gas, and (b) a process of supplying a second power including a frequency component within a second band having a second bandwidth to the processing chamber, and not supplying the first power, when the substrate is processed by using the generated plasma, wherein the second bandwidth is smaller than the first bandwidth. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the process (b), the control circuit controls the power supply to supply power having a single peak at a predetermined frequency as the second power including the frequency component within the second band having the second bandwidth to the processing chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the process (a), the control circuit controls the power supply to supply the first power including a frequency component within the first band having the first bandwidth and a first center frequency to the processing chamber, and in the process (b), the control circuit controls the power supply to supply the second power including a frequency component within the second band having the second bandwidth and a second center frequency different from the first center frequency to the processing chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control circuit controls the power supply to supply a third power including a frequency component within a third band having a third bandwidth to the processing chamber during a period after the plasma is generated from the processing gas and before a processing of the substrate by using the generated plasma is started, wherein the third band is centered on a third center frequency between the first center frequency and the second center frequency and the third bandwidth is smaller than or equal to the first bandwidth and larger than or equal to the second bandwidth. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control circuit controls the power supply to supply power having a single peak at a set frequency to the processing chamber and sweep the single peak of the set frequency to measure a frequency distribution of power of a reflected wave from the processing chamber, and determines the first bandwidth and the first center frequency based on the frequency distribution of the power of the reflected wave. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control circuit controls the power supply to supply power having a single peak at a set frequency to the processing chamber and sweep the single peak of the set frequency to measure a frequency distribution of power of a reflected wave from the processing chamber, and determines the first bandwidth and the first center frequency based on the frequency distribution of the power of the reflected wave. ### Claim 7 A plasma processing method as a method of controlling power in a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber configured to accommodate a substrate, a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas into the processing chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to the processing chamber to generate plasma from the processing gas supplied into the processing chamber such that the substrate is processed by using the generated plasma, and a control circuit configured to control the power supply and perform the plasma processing method that comprises: (a) a process of supplying a first power including a frequency component within a first band having a first bandwidth to the processing chamber, in response to the plasma being generated from the processing gas; and (b) a process of supplying a second power including a frequency component within a second band having a second bandwidth to the processing chamber, and not supplying the first power, in response to the substrate being processed by using the generated plasma, wherein the second bandwidth is smaller than the first bandwidth. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The plasma processing method of claim 7, wherein the process (b) includes supplying power having a single peak at a predetermined frequency as the second power including the frequency component within the second band having the second bandwidth to the processing chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The plasma processing method of claim 7, wherein the process (a) includes supplying the first power including a frequency component within the first band having the first bandwidth and a first center frequency to the processing chamber, and the process (b) includes supplying the second power including a frequency component within the second band having the second bandwidth and a second center frequency different from the first center frequency to the processing chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The plasma processing method of claim 9, further comprising: (c) a process of supplying a third power including a frequency component within a third band having a third bandwidth to the processing chamber during a period after the plasma is generated from the processing gas and before a processing of the substrate by using the generated plasma is started, wherein the third band is centered on a third center frequency between the first center frequency and the second center frequency and the third bandwidth is smaller than or equal to the first bandwidth and larger than or equal to the second bandwidth. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The plasma processing method of claim 9, further comprising: supplying power having a single peak at a set frequency to the processing chamber and sweeping the single peak of the set frequency to measure a frequency distribution of power of a reflected wave from the processing chamber; and determining the first bandwidth and the first center frequency based on the frequency distribution of the power of the reflected wave. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The plasma processing method of claim 10, further comprising: supplying power having a single peak at a set frequency to the processing chamber and sweeping the single peak of the set frequency to measure a frequency distribution of power of a reflected wave from the processing chamber; and determining the first bandwidth and the first center frequency based on the frequency distribution of the power of the reflected wave.