US 5,269,881 A · Plasma processing apparatus and plasma cleaning method

Abstract

There are disclosed apparatus and method for eliminating, by plasma cleaning, reaction products which are generated by etching and stick to an inner wall surface of a chamber. First to third conductive blocks (90a to 90c) are mounted on the inner wall surface of the chamber (50) through an insulator (92). A high-frequency electric field is applied sequentially between a first electrode (61) and the respective conductive blocks (90a to 90c) while a reactive gas is introduced into an internal space (51) of the chamber (50), to produce a plasma of the reactive gas. The reaction products which stick to the respective conductive blocks (90a to 90c) are sequentially gasified by the plasma of the reactive gas and exhausted to the outside of the chamber (50) to be eliminated.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a material to be processed, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an internal space;
(b) a reactive gas supply mechanism connected to said chamber for introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(c) an exhaust mechanism connected to said chamber;
(d) a first electrode conductor disposed in said internal space of said chamber and being capable of placing said material thereon;
(e) a second electrode conductor disposed opposite to said first electrode conductor in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said first electrode conductor;
(f) a conductive block mounted on an inner wall surface of said chamber in electrically insulated relation to said chamber and insulated electrically from said first and second electrode conductors;
and
(g) selective voltage supply means connected to said first and second electrode conductors and to said conductive block and being capable of switching from a first voltage supply mode to a second voltage supply mode, and vice versa, said first voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said first and second electrode conductors, said second voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said conductive block and one of said first and second electrode conductors.

5 more elements

A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a material to be processed, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an internal space;
(b) a reactive gas supply mechanism connected to said chamber for introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(c) an exhaust mechanism connected to said chamber;
(d) a first electrode conductor disposed in said internal space of said chamber and being capable of placing said material thereon;
(e) a second electrode conductor disposed opposite to said first electrode conductor in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said first electrode conductor;
(f) a plurality of conductive blocks mounted on an inner wall surface of said chamber in electrically insulated relation to said first and second electrode conductors and insulated electrically from each other;
and
(g) selective voltage supply means connected to said first and second electrode conductors and to said plurality of conductive blocks and being capable of switching from a first voltage supply mode to at least one of second and third voltage supply modes, and vice versa, said first voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said first and second electrode conductors, said second voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied selectively across one of said first and second electrode conductors and said plurality of conductive blocks, said third voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied accross said plurality of conductive blocks.

5 more elements

A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a material to be processed, comprising:

(a) a conductive chamber having an internal space;
(b) a reactive gas supply mechanism connected to said chamber for introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(c) an exhaust mechanism connected to said chamber;
(d) a first electrode conductor disposed in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said chamber, said first electrode conductor being capable of placing said material thereon;
(e) a second electrode conductor disposed opposite to said first electrode conductor in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said chamber and said first electrode conductor;
and
(f) selective voltage supply means connected to said first and second electrode conductors and to said chamber and being capable of switching from a first voltage supply mode to a second voltage supply mode, and vice versa, said first voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said first and second electrode conductors, said second voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said chamber and one of said first and second electrode conductors.

4 more elements

A plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma processing on a material to be processed, comprising:

(a) a chamber having an internal space and a plurality of conductive portions insulated electrically from each other;
(b) a reactive gas supply mechanism connected to said chamber for introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(c) an exhaust mechanism connected to said chamber;
(d) a first electrode conductor disposed in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said plurality of conductive portions, said first electrode conductor being capable of placing said material thereon;
(e) a second electrode conductor disposed opposite to said first electrode conductor in said internal space of said chamber and insulated electrically from said plurality of conductive portions and said first electrode conductor;
and
(f) selective voltage supply means connected to said first and second electrode conductors and to said plurality of conductive portions and being capable of switching from a first voltage supply mode to at least one of second and third voltage supply modes, and vice versa, said first voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said first and second electrode conductors, said second voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied selectively across one of said first and second electrode conductors and said plurality of conductive portions, said third voltage supply mode being a mode in which voltage is applied across said plurality of conductive portions.

4 more elements

A plasma cleaning method for use in a plasma processing apparatus adapted such that first and second electrode conductors are disposed opposite to each other in an internal space of a chamber and such that voltage is applied across said first and second electrode conductors, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(b) producing a plasma of said reactive gas by applying voltage across one of said first and second electrode conductors and one conductive block selected among a plurality of conductive blocks mounted on an inner wall surface of said chamber and insulated from each other in parallel with said step (a) to clean an inside portion of said chamber by said plasma;
and
(c) repeating said step (b) while sequentially selecting each of said plurality of conductive blocks as said one conductive block.

1 more element

(a) introducing a reactive gas into said internal space of said chamber;
(b) producing a plasma of said reactive gas by applying voltage across one of said first and second electrode conductors and one conductive portion selected among a plurality of conductive portions exposed to an inner wall surface of said chamber and insulated from each other in parallel with said step (a) to clean an inside portion of said chamber by said plasma;
and
(c) repeating said step (b) while sequentially selecting each of said plurality of conductive portions as said one conductive portion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma cleaning method

Life of this patent

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma cleaning method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33