# US 9,437,402 B2 · Plasma processor and plasma processing method

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- Number: US 9,437,402 B2
- Document ID: US9437402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/561,595
- Filed: 2014-12-05
- Published: 2015-03-26
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2001-07-10
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Akihiro Kikuchi; Satoshi Kayamori; Shinya Shima; Yuichiro Sakamoto; Kimihiro Higuchi; Kaoru Oohashi; Takehiro Ueda; Munehiro Shibuya; Tadashi Gondai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437402B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32724: {Temperature}
- C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles}
- C23C 16/509: using internal electrodes
- C23C 16/5096: {Flat-bed apparatus}
- H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/32174: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge}
- H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means}
- H01J 37/32532: {Electrodes}
- H01J 37/32623: {Mechanical discharge control means}
- H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H01J 37/3411: {Constructional aspects of the reactor}
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H01J 2237/002: Cooling arrangements
- H01J 2237/0206: Extinguishing, preventing or controlling unwanted discharges
- H01J 2237/334: Etching
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

An etching chamber 1 incorporates a focus ring 9 so as to surround a semiconductor wafer W provided on a lower electrode 4. The plasma processor is provided with an electric potential control DC power supply 33 to control the electric potential of this focus ring 9, and so constituted that the lower electrode 4 is supplied with a DC voltage of, e.g., −400 to −600 V to control the electric potential of the focus ring 9. This constitution prevents surface arcing from developing along the surface of a substrate to be processed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed and performing a plasma processing thereon;
a susceptor installed inside the processing chamber to mount the substrate thereon, the susceptor serving as an electrode;
a first path formed inside the susceptor to circulate a coolant therethrough, the first path including:
(i) a coolant inlet line,
(ii) a coolant exhaust line extending vertically to exhaust the coolant, and
(iii) a coolant circulating line connected to the coolant inlet line and the coolant exhaust line, the coolant inlet line introducing the coolant into the coolant circulating line; and
a second path, formed inside the susceptor, the second path including:
(i) a gas inlet portion configured to supply a cooling gas from a bottom of the susceptor,
(ii) a gas storage being connected to the gas inlet portion and being configured to store the cooling gas,
(iii) fine grooves formed on a mounting surface of the susceptor, and
(iv) gas supply fine holes to supply the cooling gas from the gas storage to the fine grooves,
wherein a temperature of the susceptor is controlled by circulating the coolant through the coolant circulating line and a temperature of the substrate to be processed is controlled by supplying the cooling gas from the gas storage to a backside of the substrate mounted on the susceptor through the gas supply fine holes, and the gas storage is formed under the coolant circulating line, and
wherein dimensions of the gas storage are different from those of the gas inlet portion and the gas supply fine holes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fine grooves, matching with the respective gas supply fine holes, for diffusing the cooling gas are formed on the mounting surface of the susceptor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a depth of the fine grooves is smaller than or equal to 1 mm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fine grooves are formed in concentric continuous circles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a silicon coating is formed on an inner surface of the gas supply fine holes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein every two fine grooves formed in concentric continuous circles are interconnected by at least one radial fine groove.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the mounting surface of the susceptor and a bottom portion of the gas storage is greater than or equal to 10 mm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas inlet portion of the second path formed inside the susceptor includes a peripheral portion to supply cooling gas to a periphery of the susceptor and a central portion to supply cooling gas to a central portion of the susceptor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower electrode includes at least a first plate and a second plate, and the gas storage in the second path is formed as a groove between the first plate and the second plate.