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AssigneesTokyo Electron Limited, Yasuyoshi Yasaka, Makoto Ando, Naohisa Goto
InventorsNobuo Ishii, Yasuyoshi Yasaka, Makoto Ando, Naohisa Goto
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A plasma-assisted processing system has a lifting mechanism capable of vertically moving a microwave power unit and a waveguide to adjust the level of a planar slot antenna disposed on an expanded lower end part of the waveguide. A space extending under the antenna is surrounded by a shielding member. An optical sensor having an array of photosensors is disposed on the outer side of a window formed in the side wall of a vacuum vessel to monitor the lower limit level of a cease region for a plasma (cease level). An ideal distance between the cease level and the antenna is determined beforehand and the level of the antenna is adjusted on the basis of a measured cease level so that the antenna is spaced the ideal distance apart from the cease level. Since the difference between the cease level and a level X0 for the cutoff density of an X-wave is fixed, the level X0 may be monitored instead of the cease level.
A plasma-assisted processing system including a vacuum vessel internally provided with a stage, a high-frequency wave transmitting plate attached to the vacuum vessel, a planar antenna disposed opposite to the high-frequency wave transmitting plate, and a high-frequency power unit that delivers a high-frequency wave for producing a plasma to the antenna, wherein the plasma-assisted processing system propagates a high-frequency wave for producing a plasma through the antenna and the high-frequency wave transmitting plate into the vacuum vessel, produces a plasma by ionizing a processing gas supplied into the vacuum vessel by the energy of the high-frequency wave and processes a substrate mounted on the stage in the vacuum vessel by using the plasma;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.