Plasma processing apparatus
AssigneesHitachi, Ltd., Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
InventorsMasaru Kurihara, Naoyuki Kofuji, Naoshi Itabashi, Takashi Tsutsumi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plasma processing apparatus which stably and continuously generates a uniform plasma to process large-diameter wafers using a wide range of seed gases under wide-ranging pressure and density conditions and can be thus used for a wide range of applications, ensuring a high production efficiency. The plasma processing apparatus, which introduces electromagnetic waves through a dielectric window into a reduced pressure vessel, has at least two antenna elements which are rotationally symmetrical. One end of each antenna is grounded and power is fed from a high frequency power supply to the other end in the same or virtually same phase.
Claims42
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vessel in which a reduced pressure atmosphere is maintained;
- (b) a processing table on which a workpiece placed in said vessel is to rest;
- (c) a dielectric window arranged to face the workpiece on said processing table;
- and
- (d) plural antenna elements, located behind the dielectric window, which introduce electromagnetic waves into said vessel in order to turn a given gas into a plasma,
- wherein:
- the plural antenna elements include at least two antenna elements which are disposed in a plane so as to be rotationally symmetrically arranged and spaced circumferentially from each other about an axis of symmetry, and so as to be electrically separated from each other in said plane,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has one end portion which is grounded and another end portion which is electrically connected to a high frequency power supply,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has a non-loop configuration, and
- an entire length of each of said at least two antenna elements is spaced from said axis of symmetry and subtends an acute angle having a vertex at said axis of symmetry.
The plasma processing apparatus as defined in claim it wherein the plural antenna elements are arranged on plural concentric circles.
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vessel in which a reduced pressure atmosphere is maintained;
- (b) a processing table on which a semiconductor wafer placed in said vessel is to rest;
- (c) a dielectric window arranged to face the semiconductor wafer on said processing table;
- and
- (d) plural antenna elements, located behind the dielectric window, which introduce electromagnetic waves into said vessel in order to turn a given gas into a plasma,
- wherein:
- the plural antenna elements include at least two antenna elements which are disposed in a plane so as to be rotationally symmetrically arranged and spaced circumferentially from each other about an axis of symmetry, and so as to be electrically separated from each other in said plane,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has one end portion which is grounded and another end portion which is electrically connected to a high frequency power supply,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has a non-loop configuration, and
- an entire length of each of said at least two antenna elements is spaced from said axis of symmetry and subtends an acute angle having a vertex at said axis of symmetry.
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vessel;
- (b) an evacuation device which is connected with said vessel in order to maintain a reduced pressure atmosphere in said vessel;
- (c) a processing table on which a semiconductor wafer placed in said vessel is to rest;
- (d) a dielectric window arranged to face the semiconductor wafer on said processing table;
- and
- (e) plural antenna elements, located behind the dielectric window, which introduce electromagnetic waves into said vessel in order to turn a given gas into a plasma,
- wherein:
- the plural antenna elements include at least two antenna elements which are disposed in a plane so as to be rotationally symmetrically arranged and spaced circumferentially from each other about an axis of symmetry, and so as to be electrically separated from each other in said plane,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has one end portion which is grounded and another end portion which is electrically connected to a high frequency power supply,
- each of said at least two antenna elements has a non-loop configuration, and
- and entire length of each of said at least two antenna elements is spaced from said axis of symmetry and subtends an acute angle having a vertex at said axis of symmetry.
A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vessel in which a reduced pressure atmosphere is maintained;
- (b) a processing table on which a workpiece placed in said vessel is to rest;
- (c) a dielectric window arranged to face the workpiece on said processing table;
- and
- (d) plural antenna elements, located behind the dielectric window which introduce electromagnetic waves into said vessel in order to turn a given gas into a plasma,
- wherein:
- the plural antenna elements include at least one group of two or more antenna elements which are disposed in a plane so as to be rotationally symmetrically arranged and spaced circumferentially from each other about an axis of symmetry, and so as to be electrically separated from each other in said plane,
- each antenna element of each said group has a non-loop configuration, and
- an entire length of each antenna element of each said group is spaced from said axis of symmetry and subtends an acute angle having a vertex at said axis of symmetry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.