Plasma generating device and surface processing device and method for processing wafers in a uniform magnetic field

A surface processing apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum container provided with a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to said first electrode for supporting thereon a substrate to be processed;
• gas feeding means for feeding a predetermined gas into said vacuum container;
• evacuating means for maintaining the inside of said container at a reduced pressure;
• electric field generating means for supplying electric power between said first and second electrodes to generate an electric field in a region between said first and second electrodes;
• and
• magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field in said vacuum container,
• said magnetic field generating means comprising a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in a circle around said container so as to form a ring, each of said magnetic elements having an axis directed to a center of said circle and a magnetization direction,
• wherein one of said magnetic elements is so disposed that the magnetization direction thereof coincides with the axis thereof, and each of said magnetic elements other than said one magnetic element is so disposed that an angle of the magnetization direction thereof relative to the magnetization direction of said one magnetic element is substantially twice an angle of the axis thereof relative to the axis of said one magnetic element.

A surface processing apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum container provided with a plurality of reactive chambers;
• a first electrode provided in at least one of said reactive chambers;
• a second electrode provided opposite to said first electrode;
• gas feeding means for feeding a predetermined gas into said at least one reactive chamber;
• evacuating means for maintaining the inside of said at least one reactive chamber at a reduced pressure;
• electric field generating means for supplying electric power between said first and second electrodes to generate an electric field in a region between said first and second electrodes;
• and
• magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field in said at least one reactive chamber,
• said magnetic field generating means comprising a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in a circle around said at least one reactive chamber so as to form a ring, each of said magnetic elements having an axis directed to a center of said circle and a magnetization direction,
• wherein one of said magnetic elements is so disposed that the magnetization direction thereof coincides with the axis thereof, and each of said magnetic elements other than said one magnetic element is so disposed that an angle of the magnetization direction thereof relative to the magnetization direction of said one magnetic element is substantially twice an angle of the axis thereof relative to the axis of said one magnetic element.

A surface processing method comprising the steps of:

• placing a substrate to be processed on a second electrode disposed opposite to a first electrode in a vacuum container;
• feeding a predetermined gas into said vacuum container;
• generating an electric field in a region between said first and second electrodes;
• and
• forming a uni-directional magnetic field substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate to be processed by means of a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in a circle around the vacuum container so as to form a ring, each of said magnetic elements having an axis directed to a center of said circle and a magnetization direction,
• wherein one of said magnetic elements is so disposed that the magnetization direction thereof coincides with the axis thereof, and each of said magnetic elements other than said one magnetic element is so disposed that an angle of the magnetization direction thereof relative to magnetization direction of said one magnetic element is substantially twice of an angle of the axis thereof relative to the axis of said one magnetic element, thereby to induce a plasma within the vacuum container to process the surface of the substrate.

A plasma generating apparatus comprising:

• a vacuum container provided with a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to said first electrode, for carrying thereon a substrate to be processed;
• gas feeding means for feeding a predetermined gas into said vacuum container;
• evacuating means for maintaining the inside of said container at a reduced pressure;
• electric field generating means for supplying electric power between said first and second electrodes to generate an electric field in a region between said first and second electrodes;
• magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field in said vacuum container, said magnetic field generating means comprising a plurality of magnetic elements arranged in a circle around said container so as to form a ring, each of said magnetic elements having an axis directed to a center of said circle and a magnetization direction, wherein one of said magnetic elements is so disposed that the magnetization direction thereof coincides with the axis thereof, and each of said magnetic elements other than said one magnetic element is so disposed that an angle of the magnetization direction thereof relative to the magnetization direction of said one magnetic element is substantially twice an angle of the axis thereof relative to the axis of said one magnetic element;
• and
• magnetic controlling means for adjusting a strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating means by changing the magnetization direction of at least one of said magnetic elements.