# US 2014/0150882 A1 · Plasma process apparatus and plasma process method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0150882 A1
- Document ID: US20140150882A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/176,237
- Filed: 2014-02-10
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2009-05-01
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Naomi ONODERA; Kiyohiko GOKON; Jun SATO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150882A1

## CPC

- F17D 3/01: for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
- C23C 16/402: {Silicon dioxide}
- C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)}
- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- Y10T 137/0324: With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid
- F17D: PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES (pumps or compressors F04; fluid dynamics F15D; valves or the like F16K; pipes, laying pipes, supports, joints, branches, repairing, work on the entire line, accessories F16L; steam traps or the like F16T; fluid-pressure electric cables H01B9/06)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A disclosed plasma process apparatus is disclosed that applies a plasma process to an object to be processed, including a cylindrical processing container configured to be evacuatable to vacuum, a holding unit configured to hold plural objects to be processed and inserted into and to be extracted from the cylindrical processing container, a gas supplying unit configured to supply a gas into the processing container, an activating unit configured to be located along a longitudinal direction of the processing container and to activate the gas by plasma generated by a high frequency power, a cylindrical shield cover configured to surround a periphery of the processing container and to be connected to ground for shielding from high frequency, and a cooling device configured to cause the cooling gas to flow through a space between the cylindrical shield cover and the cylindrical processing container during the plasma process.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma process method of processing an object to be processed by a plasma process while enabling cooling of an inside of a plasma apparatus by taking in and exhausting a gas to evacuate an atmosphere of the inside, the plasma process method comprising:
measuring a temperature of the atmosphere of the inside of the plasma process apparatus while the plasma is not generated; and
stopping taking the gas into the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature is lower than a first preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere is evacuated at a preset volumetric flow rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma process method according to claim 1,
wherein when the measured temperature of the atmosphere is the preset threshold value or more, the plasma process is carried out while the gas is injected and ejected, while the gas is injected or ejected, or while the gas is neither injected nor ejected.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The plasma process method according to claim 1, further comprising:
measuring a temperature of an atmosphere of a part of the inside other than another part of the inside where the plasma exists while the plasma is not generated; and
stopping taking a gas into the part of the inside of the plasma process apparatus during the plasma process in a case where the measured temperature of the atmosphere of the part is lower than a second preset threshold temperature when the atmosphere of the part is evacuated at the preset volumetric flow rate.