# US 12,217,941 B2 · Plasma processing apparatus, and plasma processing method

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- Number: US 12,217,941 B2
- Document ID: US12217941B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/008,642
- Filed: 2021-06-04
- Published: 2023-07-13
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-18
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Satoru Kawakami
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217941B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32495: {Means for protecting the vessel against plasma}
- B08B 7/0035: {by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like}
- H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32183: {Matching circuits}
- H01J 37/32532: {Electrodes}
- H01J 37/32568: {Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means}
- H01J 37/32577: {Electrical connecting means}
- H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H01J 37/32834: {Exhausting}
- H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts}
- H05H 1/46: using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence)
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10P 70/54: {Cleaning of wafer edges}
- H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction}
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks
- H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks}
- H01J 2237/038: Insulating
- H01J 2237/335: Cleaning
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate by plasma and comprising a depressurizable processing container accommodating a substrate is disclosed. The processing container includes a substrate support for supporting a substrate and including a central electrode facing a central portion of the supported substrate supported by the substrate support; a lower ring electrode formed in a ring shape to face a lower surface of a peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support; and an upper ring electrode disposed to face an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support. The central electrode is grounded, a radio frequency (RF) power is supplied to each of the upper and lower ring electrodes, and the RF power is supplied to at least one of the upper and lower ring electrodes via a phase adjuster configured to adjust the phase of the RF power.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma processing apparatus for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate by plasma, comprising:
a depressurizable processing container accommodating a substrate;
a phase adjuster; and
a controller,
wherein the depressurizable processing container includes therein:
a substrate support configured to support a substrate and including a central electrode facing a central portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support;
a lower ring electrode formed in a ring shape to face a lower surface of a peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support; and
an upper ring electrode disposed to face an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support,
wherein the central electrode is grounded,
a radio frequency (RF) power is supplied to each of the upper ring electrode and the lower ring electrode,
the RF power is supplied to at least one of the upper ring electrode and the lower ring electrode via the phase adjuster configured to adjust the phase of the RF power, and
the controller is configured to control the RF power supplied to the upper ring electrode and the RF power supplied to the lower ring electrode between in phase and anti- phase by controlling the phase adjuster.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF power supplied to the upper ring electrode and the RF power supplied to the lower ring electrode are in phase.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an impedance adjustment circuit, wherein the substrate support is grounded via the impedance adjustment circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein a sidewall of the depressurizable processing container is grounded, and
the impedance adjustment circuit is configured to adjust an impedance between the plasma and the ground through the central electrode of the substrate support to be smaller than the impedance between the plasma and the ground through the sidewall of the depressurizable processing container.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an insulating member having an electrical insulating property, wherein an inner surface of the sidewall of the depressurizable processing container is covered with the insulating member.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a common RF power supply and a power distributer, wherein the RF power is supplied to each of the upper ring electrode and the lower ring electrode, from the common RF power supply via the power distributor, and
the power distributor is configured to adjust a ratio of the RF power supplied from the common RF power supply to the upper ring electrode and the RF power supplied from the common RF power supply to the lower ring electrode.

### Claim 7

A plasma processing method for cleaning a peripheral portion of a substrate by plasma using a plasma processing apparatus,
wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes:
a substrate support configured to support a substrate and including a central electrode facing a central portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support;
a lower ring electrode formed in an annular shape to face a lower surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support; and
an upper ring electrode disposed to face an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support;
the method comprising:
supplying an RF power to each of the upper ring electrode and the lower ring electrode in a state where the central electrode is grounded,
wherein said supplying the RF power includes:
adjusting a phase of at least one of the RF power supplied to the upper ring electrode and the RF power supplied to the lower ring electrode such that the RF power supplied to the upper ring electrode and the RF power supplied to the lower ring electrode are between in phase and anti-phase.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an insulating member having an electrical insulating property, wherein an inner surface of a sidewall of the depressurizable processing container is covered with the insulating member.