# US 8,771,537 B2 · Plasma treatment device and plasma treatment method

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- Number: US 8,771,537 B2
- Document ID: US8771537B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/391,196
- Filed: 2010-08-10
- Published: 2012-07-26
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2009-08-20
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Toshihisa Ozu; Naoki Matsumoto; Takashi Tsukamoto; Kazuto Takai
- Inventors: Toshihisa Ozu; Naoki Matsumoto; Takashi Tsukamoto; Kazuto Takai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771537B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- C23C 16/455: characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
- C23C 16/45523: {Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time}
- C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber}
- H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means}
- H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow}
- H10P 50/244: {comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps}
- H10P 50/268: {of silicon-containing layers}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/287: {by chemical means}
- H01J 2237/334: Etching
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Uniformity of a plasma process on a surface of a substrate is to be improved. In a plasma processing apparatus that processes a substrate by generating plasma from a processing gas introduced in a processing container, a ratio between an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced to a center portion of the substrate received in the processing container and an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced to a peripheral portion of the substrate received in the processing container is changed during a plasma process. Accordingly, a variation in an etching rate or the like between the center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate may be reduced. Therefore, uniformity of the plasma process on the surface of the substrate is improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma processing method which processes a substrate by generating plasma from a processing gas introduced into a processing container, the plasma processing method comprising changing a ratio between an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced onto a center portion of the substrate received in the processing container and an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced onto a peripheral portion of the substrate received in the processing container, during a plasma process,
wherein the ratio between the introducing amount of the processing gas from the central introduction unit and the introducing amount of the processing gas from the peripheral introduction unit is alternately and repeatedly switched into a first introducing amount ratio and a second introducing amount ratio that is different from the first introducing amount ratio.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing method of claim 1, wherein the processing gas comprises HBr.

### Claim 3

A plasma etching method for etching a substrate by introducing a processing gas, in which a plurality of material gases are mixed, into a processing container and generating plasma from the processing gas in the processing container, the plasma etching method comprising changing a mixture ratio of the material gases that are different from each other to control a critical dimension (CD),
wherein a ratio between an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced on a center portion of the substrate and an introducing amount of the processing gas introduced on a peripheral portion of the substrate is alternately and repeatedly switched into a first introducing amount ratio and a second introducing amount ratio that is different from the first introducing amount ratio, during a plasma etching process.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The plasma etching method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of material gases comprise a CF4 gas and a CHF3 gas, and a supplying amount of the CF4 gas and a supplying amount of the CHF3 gas are controlled.