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US 5,685,913 AGranted
Plasma processing apparatus and method
AssigneeSemiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
InventorsNaoki Hirose, Takashi Inujima, Toru Takayama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plasma processing apparatus and method is equipped with a vacuum chamber, helmholtz coils, a microwave generator and gas feeding systems. An auxiliary magnet is further provided in order to strengthen the magnetic field in the vacuum chamber to produce centrifugal drifting force which confine the plasma gas about the center position of the vacuum chamber.
Claims19
A microwave plasma etching apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having a central axis;
- a magnetic circuit(s) provided around the periphery of said chamber;
- an even-numbered plurality of auxiliary magnets numbering at least two and provided around the periphery of said chamber and on the inner side of said magnetic circuit(s);
- and
- a microwave introducing means provided along the central axis of said chamber;
- wherein the chamber is provided with a plasma-forming gas introducing port,
- wherein the chamber has associated therewith a substrate to be etched,
- wherein said auxiliary magnets are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of said chamber in such a way that the magnetic poles of every auxiliary magnet are respectively reversed in polarity relative to the adjoining magnetic poles of an auxiliary magnet adjacent thereto,
- wherein an electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon induced by an electric field formed by microwaves introduced into said chamber through said microwave introducing means and a magnetic field formed by means of said magnetic circuit(s) and said auxiliary magnets is utilized to turn a plasma-forming gas introduced into said chamber into a plasma to thus etch the substrate, and
- wherein said substrate is located at substantially an ECR point in the chamber where said electron cyclotron resonance occurs.
7 more elements
A plasma etching apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having a central axis;
- a gas introducing means for introducing a process gas into said vacuum chamber;
- means for introducing a microwave into said vacuum chamber in a direction parallel to said central axis thereof;
- a substrate holder for holding a substrate in said vacuum chamber;
- means for establishing a first magnetic field in said vacuum chamber in order to excite said gas into a plasma by an interaction between said first magnetic field and said microwave where said substrate is located substantially at an electron cyclotron resonance point in said vacuum chamber where said microwave and first magnetic field satisfy the condition for electron cyclotron resonance;
- and
- means for establishing a second magnetic field in said vacuum chamber, said second magnetic field is such that said plasma is forced to move away from inner walls of said vacuum chamber by said second magnetic field.
4 more elements
A microwave plasma etching apparatus comprising:
- a magnetic circuit(s) provided around the periphery of said chamber;
- an even-numbered plurality of auxiliary magnets numbering at least two and provided around the periphery of said chamber and on the inner side of said magnetic circuit(s);
- and
- a microwave introducing means provided along the central axis of said chamber;
- wherein the chamber has associated therewith a substrate to be etched,
- wherein said auxiliary magnets are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of said chamber in such a way that the magnetic poles of every auxiliary magnet are respectively reversed in polarity relative to the adjoining magnetic poles of an auxiliary magnet adjacent thereto,
- wherein an electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon induced by an electric field formed by microwaves introduced into said chamber through said microwave introducing means and a magnetic field formed by means of said magnetic circuit(s) and said auxiliary magnets is utilized to turn a plasma-forming gas introduced into said chamber into a plasma to thus etch the substrate.
4 more elements
A plasma etching apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having a central axis;
- a gas introducing means for introducing a process gas into said vacuum chamber;
- means for introducing a microwave into said vacuum chamber in a direction parallel to said central axis thereof;
- a substrate holder for holding a substrate in said vacuum chamber;
- means for establishing a first magnetic field in said vacuum chamber in order to excite said gas into a plasma by an interaction between said first magnetic field and said microwave;
- and
- means for establishing a second magnetic field in said vacuum chamber, said second magnetic field is such that said plasma is forced to move away from inner walls of said vacuum chamber by said second magnetic field.
4 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having a central axis;
- a substrate holder for supporting a substrate in said vacuum chamber;
- a gas introducing means for introducing a process gas into said vacuum chamber;
- means for introducing a microwave into said vacuum chamber in a direction parallel to said central axis;
- means for inducing a first magnetic field in said vacuum chamber in order to excite said process gas into a plasma by an interaction between said first magnetic field and said microwave;
- a vacuum pump for evacuating said vacuum chamber;
- and
- means for establishing a second magnetic field in said vacuum chamber, said second magnetic field is such that said plasma is forced to move away from inner walls of said vacuum chamber by said second magnetic field.
5 more elements
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having inner walls and a central axis;
- a substrate holder for supporting a substrate in said vacuum chamber;
- means for introducing a reactive gas into said vacuum chamber in a direction parallel to said central axis thereof;
- a first magnetic field forming means for forming a first magnetic field in said vacuum chamber in order to form a plasma of said reactive gas by an interaction with said microwaves where said substrate is located substantially at an electron cyclotron resonance point in said vacuum chamber where said microwaves and said first magnetic field satisfy the condition for electron cyclotron resonance;
- and
- a second magnetic field forming means for forming a second magnetic field in said vacuum chamber in order to force away said plasma from the inner walls of said vacuum chamber.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.