Plasma processing apparatus, plasma processing method and wave retardation plate
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsTadahiro Ohmi, Masaki Hirayama, Shigetoshi Sugawa, Tetsuya Goto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a microwave plasma processing apparatus that uses a radial line slot antenna, a slot plate (16) is formed by a material having a thermal expansion rate close to the wave retardation plate (18), or depositing a metal on a dielectric plate constituting the wave retardation plate (18). An intimate contact between the wave retardation plate and a slot plate constituting a microwave radiation surface is improved so as to prevent an abnormal electric discharge.
Claims23
1-7. (canceled)
A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing vessel defined by an outer wall and having a stage for holding a substrate to be processed;
- an evacuation system coupled to said processing vessel;
- a plasma gas supplying part supplying plasma gas to said processing vessel;
- and
- a microwave antenna provided on said processing vessel in correspondence to said plasma gas supplying part and supplied with an electric power from a coaxial waveguide,
- wherein said microwave antenna comprises:
- a radial line back surface metal plate having openings;
- a microwave radiation surface provided on said radial line back surface metal plate so as to cover said openings and having a plurality of slots;
- and a dielectric plate provided between said radial line back surface metal plate and said microwave radiation surface,
- wherein said microwave radiation surface is formed by a plating layer of an electrically conductive material formed on said dielectric plate.
A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing vessel having a stage on which a substrate to be processed is placed thereon;
- a microwave generator generating microwave so as to supply the microwave to said processing vessel;
- a wave retardation plate provided between the microwave generator and said processing vessel so as to reduce a wavelength of the microwave supplied by said microwave generator;
- and
- a microwave radiation member which radiates a microwave of which wavelength is shortened by the wave retardation plate to a space of said processing vessel,
- wherein a metal layer is formed at least an upper surface and a lower surface of said wave retardation plate, and said microwave radiation member is constituted by said metal plate formed on a surface of said wave retardation plate.
A plasma processing method using a microwave plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- a processing vessel defined by an outer wall and having a stage for holding a substrate to be processed;
- a microwave generator generating a microwave so as to supply the microwave to said processing vessel;
- a wave retardation plate provided between the microwave generator and said processing vessel so as to reduce a wavelength of the microwave supplied by said microwave generator;
- and a microwave radiation member formed by a part of said metal layer formed on a surface of said wave retardation plate, the method comprising:
- placing said substrate on said stage so that a processing surface of said substrate faces said microwave radiation member;
- supplying the microwave to said wave retardation plate so as to introduce the microwave into said processing vessel from many slots formed in a part of the metal layer;
- and
- generating plasma within said processing vessel by the introduced microwave so as to apply a plasma process to said substrate by the generated plasma.
A wave retardation plate used in a microwave plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing vessel to apply plasma processing and a microwave generator generating a microwave so as to supply the microwave to said processing vessel, wherein said wave retardation plate reduces a wavelength of the microwave supplied by said microwave generator,
- wherein at least an upper surface and a lower surface are covered by a metal layer, and a microwave radiation member is formed by a part of the metal layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.