JP3205312B2 - Plasma processing apparatus and maintenance method for plasma processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a maintenance method thereof, and more particularly to a plasma processing apparatus suitable for forming fine patterns in a semiconductor manufacturing process and a maintenance method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a plasma processing apparatus is widely used in a fine processing process such as film formation, etching, and ashing. In the process by the plasma processing, the process gas introduced into the vacuum vessel (reactor) is turned into plasma by the plasma generating means,
A predetermined process is performed by causing a reaction on the semiconductor wafer surface to perform fine processing and exhausting volatile reaction products.

In this plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing process, when a sample is processed, a reaction product adheres to the surface around the lower electrode on which the sample is mounted, and eventually separates and adheres to the wafer surface as foreign matter. And lower the yield. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically open the plasma processing apparatus to the atmosphere and perform a cleaning operation called wet cleaning for removing the deposits. Also,
Parts exposed to the plasma in the vacuum chamber are consumed as the process is repeated, and consumable parts need to be replaced periodically.

As one method for ensuring workability during maintenance of the inside of the vacuum vessel, an upper wall of the vacuum vessel can be opened and closed by a mechanism such as a hinge so that the upper portion of the vacuum vessel is about 90 degrees. A method of performing maintenance such as component replacement by opening the cover and making it almost upright is used.

[0005]

However, in the state where the upper wall of the vacuum vessel is substantially upright as described above, if the mounting screw of the replacement part is removed, the part will not be held independently.
It may come off. For this reason, it is necessary for the operator to support the parts by hand at the same time when attaching and detaching the replacement parts, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform the work even if a jig for attaching the parts is used. Also,
Parts may be misaligned during installation, parts may be broken due to excessive force being applied when tightening the mounting screws, or parts may be damaged by thermal stress cycles during operation without even application of force. Various inconveniences could occur.

In particular, for example, in a silicon oxide film etching apparatus, a non-metal brittle part such as a silicon shower plate or a quartz ring which is expensive and is easily broken is used for a portion such as an antenna or an upper electrode which is located at an upper portion of a vacuum vessel.

[0007] Also, in the magnetron type plasma processing apparatus and the parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus, a nonmetallic brittle part such as silicon or quartz is used for a part of the upper electrode and the gas supply means. And when replacing these parts,
If the upper part of the vacuum container was opened only to about 90 degrees, the parts could be slipped and dropped, or the parts could be damaged due to excessive force.

In particular, with the increase in the diameter of the wafer, the components inside the vacuum vessel are also increasing in size or increasing in weight, so that it becomes difficult for the operator to handle the components, and the burden is increased. Tend to increase.

To avoid such a situation, it is one method to work by two people instead of one person. However, in this case, extra personnel are required for maintenance,
This leads to increased labor costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and improves productivity by improving maintainability and usability when replacing consumable parts inside a vacuum vessel and wet cleaning. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma processing apparatus and a maintenance method thereof that can contribute to the above.

[0011]

The present invention SUMMARY OF] includes a vacuum chamber process chamber formed therein, and a magnetic field electromagnetic wave radiation scheme flop plasma generator for generating plasma in the processing chamber, with the processing chamber A plasma processing apparatus having an electrode for holding a sample to be processed, wherein the upper wall of the vacuum vessel is an openable and closable portion, and the openable and closable portion is provided with an antenna of the plasma generator including a non-metallic brittle member ;
A magnetic field forming means is arranged around the processing chamber, and at least a part of an upper wall constituting an upper surface of the processing chamber is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis so that the openable / closable portion moves the processing chamber inner side. When the opening / closing portion is opened, the inside of the processing chamber is held at an angle within 30 degrees from a horizontal plane while holding the antenna when the opening / closing portion is opened. It is characterized by doing so.

Another feature of the present invention is that a vacuum chamber having a processing chamber formed therein, a magnetic field electromagnetic wave radiation type plasma generator for generating plasma in the processing chamber, and processing in the processing chamber. In a maintenance method for a plasma processing apparatus having an electrode for holding a sample, the plasma processing apparatus includes an upper wall of the vacuum vessel that can be opened and closed, and the openable and closable part includes a nonmetallic brittle member . An antenna is disposed , and at least a part of an upper wall constituting an upper surface of the processing chamber is rotated around a substantially horizontal axis so that the openable and closable portion is stabilized with the processing chamber inside facing upward. When the openable portion is opened, the inside of the processing chamber of the openable portion is opened.
The antenna while maintaining the is configured to be retained at an angle of within 30 degrees from a horizontal plane, the antenna <br/> retained or until the open portion of the processing chamber of the openable portion Maintenance angle so that the side faces upward
The object is to open in the direction of the nonce work area and perform maintenance work on the plasma processing apparatus .

In order to stably and naturally hold the components when the openable portion is opened, it is desirable that the inside of the processing chamber of the openable portion is held at an angle of 30 degrees or less from a horizontal plane.

Still another feature of the present invention is that a direction in which the openable and closable part opens is a maintenance work area direction.

Still another feature of the present invention is that the power supply section to the openable / closable portion has a structure that can be easily separated from the openable / closable section, and further, at this time, the hot side terminal of the power supply section is grounded. That is to be done.

According to the present invention, when the openable portion of the vacuum vessel is opened for maintenance work, the openable portion is held in a physically stable state with the processing chamber side facing upward. This eliminates the need for the operator to manually support the parts during maintenance and enables the maintenance work of the processing chamber to be performed in an easy posture from above. For this reason, a plasma processing apparatus excellent in maintainability and usability can be realized, which can contribute to improvement in productivity.

According to another feature of the present invention, the components attached to the openable / closable portion are naturally held stably by friction or by the locking portion without being mechanically fixed. Preferably, the openable and closable part is held at an angle of 30 degrees or less from a horizontal plane with the processing chamber side facing upward, so that the parts are held in a nearly horizontal state and in a physically stable state. Thereby, the maintainability at the time of work can be further improved.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the openable and closable portion at the upper part of the processing chamber is opened to the maintenance work area, so that the worker can easily access the upper part of the processing chamber. Can be performed in a comfortable posture.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the power supply is easily separable from the openable portion,
The openable portion can be opened to an angle close to horizontal. Further, by contacting the hot side terminal of the connection portion to the outer ground portion when the power supply portion is separated, it is possible to prevent the contact with the charging portion and to ensure the safety of the worker.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1, and then a method of component replacement and maintenance work will be specifically described.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a plasma etching apparatus of a magnetic field UHF band electromagnetic wave radiation discharge type, and a processing chamber 100 can achieve a degree of vacuum of about 10 ⁻⁶ Torr. It is a vacuum vessel, and has an antenna 110 for radiating electromagnetic waves on the upper part, and a lower electrode 130 for placing a sample W such as a wafer on the lower part.
The antenna 110 and the lower electrode 130 are installed so as to face each other in parallel. Around the processing chamber 100, a magnetic field forming means 101 including, for example, an electromagnetic coil and a yoke is provided. Then, by the interaction between the electromagnetic wave radiated from the antenna 110 and the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field forming means 101, the processing gas introduced into the processing chamber is turned into plasma to generate plasma P and process the sample W. .

The processing chamber 100 is evacuated by a vacuum exhaust system 106 connected to a vacuum chamber 105, and the pressure is controlled by a pressure control means 107. The vacuum chamber 105 is at the ground potential. On the side wall 102 of the processing chamber 100, a side wall inner unit 103 is installed so as to be exchangeable, and a heat medium is circulated and supplied from a heat medium supply means 104 so that the temperature of the inner surface is 0 ° C to 100 ° C, preferably 20 ° C to 100 ° C. It is controlled with an accuracy within ± 10 ° C. within a range of 80 ° C. Alternatively, it may be controlled by a heater heating mechanism and a temperature detecting means. The side wall 102 and the side wall inner unit 103 are desirably made of aluminum, for example, and are subjected to surface treatment such as plasma-resistant alumite.

The antenna 110 includes a disk-shaped conductor 111, a dielectric plate 112, and a dielectric ring 113, and is held in a housing 114 as a part of a vacuum vessel. A plate 115 is provided on the surface of the disk-shaped conductor 111 on the side in contact with the plasma, and an outer peripheral ring 116 is provided outside the plate 115. The temperature of the disc-shaped conductor 111 is adjusted by temperature control means (not shown).
The surface temperature of the plate 115 in contact with 11 is controlled.
A processing gas for etching the sample is supplied from the gas supply means 117 at a predetermined flow rate and a mixing ratio, and is supplied to the processing chamber 100 through a large number of holes provided in the disc-shaped conductor 111 and the plate 115. .

For example, silicon or carbon is preferably used for the plate 115, and quartz or alumina is preferably used for the outer ring 116, for example. In this embodiment, the plate 1
15 is made of silicon, and the outer ring 116 is made of quartz.

The antenna 110 is attached to the side wall 102 by a hinge 118. The antenna 110 is separated from the side wall 102 at a portion indicated by an arrow A and is lifted upward, so that the rotation axis of the hinge 118 installed substantially horizontally is used as a fulcrum. By rotating as shown by the arrow (1), it can be opened to approximately 180 degrees (the position shown by the broken line in the figure). In this state, even if the mounting screws of the plate 115 and the outer peripheral ring 116 are removed, the friction or, for example, several mm to 10 mm
It is held in a physically stable state by a locking portion such as a step having a height of about mm. When the antenna 110 is opened, the magnetic field forming means 101 is previously moved upward as indicated by an arrow, and is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the antenna and does not hinder maintenance.

The antenna 110 includes an antenna power supply system 12
0, the antenna power supply 121 and the antenna bias power supply 122
3, 124, and are connected by the introduction terminal 126,
Also, it is connected to the ground through the filter 125. The antenna power supply 121 supplies power of a UHF band frequency of 300 MHz to 1 GHz. In this embodiment, the frequency of the antenna power supply 121 is 450 MHz. On the other hand, the antenna bias power supply 122 supplies a frequency of several tens kHz to the antenna 110.
To a few tens of MHz. In this embodiment, the frequency is 13.56 MHz. The distance between the lower surface of the plate 115 and the wafer W (hereinafter, referred to as gap) is 30 mm or more and 150 mm or less, preferably 50 mm or more and 120 mm or less.

An antenna 110 is provided below the processing chamber 100.
The lower electrode 130 is provided so as to face. The lower electrode 130 is connected to a bias power supply 141 for supplying a bias power in a range of, for example, 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz via a matching circuit / filter system 142 so that the sample W
And the filter 14
3 to ground. In this embodiment, the frequency of the bias power supply 141 is 800 kHz.

A sample W such as a wafer is placed and held on an upper surface of the lower electrode 130, that is, a sample placing surface, by an electrostatic attraction device 131. An electrostatic attraction film is formed on the surface of the electrostatic attraction device 131, and a DC power supply 14 for electrostatic attraction is provided.
By applying a DC voltage of several hundred V to several kV from the filter 4 and the filter 145, the sample W is attracted and held on the lower electrode 130 by electrostatic attraction. A focus ring 132 made of, for example, silicon is provided on the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 131 and outside the sample W, and is insulated from the electrostatic chuck 131 by an insulator 133. An electrode outer cover 134 is provided outside the electrode. It is preferable to use alumina or quartz for the insulator 133 and the electrode outer cover 134. Further, a lower cover 1 is provided on an inner surface of a lower portion of the processing chamber.
35 are provided.

The plasma etching apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured as described above. A specific process for etching a silicon oxide film using the plasma etching apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. I do.

First, a wafer W to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber 100 from a sample loading mechanism (not shown), and then placed and sucked on the lower electrode 130. Is adjusted to a predetermined gap. Next, gases required for the etching process of the sample W, for example, C4F8, Ar, and O2 are supplied into the processing chamber 100 from the gas supply means 117 through the plate 115 into the processing chamber 100. At the same time, the processing chamber 100 is evacuated
Thus, the pressure is adjusted to a predetermined processing pressure.

Next, 450 MHz from the antenna power supply 121
Electromagnetic waves are emitted by the power supply of z. Then, a plasma P is generated in the processing chamber 100 by an interaction with a substantially horizontal magnetic field of 160 gauss (electron cyclotron magnetic field intensity for 450 MHz) formed inside the processing chamber 100 by the magnetic field forming means 101, and the processing gas is generated. Dissociated to generate ions and radicals. Further, ions and radicals are controlled by the antenna bias power from the antenna bias power supply 122 and the bias power from the bias power supply 141 from the lower electrode, and the wafer W is etched. Then, along with the end of the etching process, the supply of the electric power / magnetic field and the processing gas is stopped to end the etching.

The etching of the wafer by the plasma processing apparatus in this embodiment is performed as described above.
As the treatment process is repeated, the reaction product gradually accumulates inside the treatment chamber, and the deposited film is peeled off to generate foreign matter. When the number of foreign substances exceeds a certain management standard (for example, φ0.2 μm foreign substances: 20 / wafer or less), the processing chamber is opened to the atmosphere and wet cleaning is performed.

Next, a general procedure for disassembling and assembling the apparatus at the time of wet cleaning in the apparatus of this embodiment and a method for removing parts will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a main part of the plasma etching apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in order to show a state of maintenance according to the present invention, and a part thereof is shown in cross section. . Side wall 10 placed in vacuum chamber 105
An antenna 110 is mounted on the antenna 2, and a magnetic field forming means 101 is installed around the antenna 110.
0 is connected to the antenna power supply system 120 via the introduction terminal 126.

When the apparatus is disassembled for wet cleaning, the processing chamber 100 and the vacuum chamber 105 are opened to the atmosphere, and the connection of the introduction terminal 126 connecting the antenna 110 and the antenna power supply system 120 is released.

The next step is shown in FIG. First, as shown by the arrow (1) in FIG. 3, the magnetic field forming means 101 and the antenna power supply system 120 (not shown) are raised,
Fix in a position that does not hinder maintenance work. Then, as shown by the arrow (2), the antenna 110 is rotated around the axis of the hinge 118 to be opened and held in a substantially horizontal position, and the plate 115 and the ring 116 are rotated by the arrow (3).
(4) Remove upward as shown.

The next step is shown in FIG. 4, and as shown by arrows (5) and (6), the side wall inner unit 103 and the lower cover 135 are pulled up and removed. Also, for the lower electrode, focus ring 1
32 and the electrode outer cover 134 are removed. The removed parts are subjected to processing such as removal of the deposited film, ultrasonic cleaning and drying. Then, the parts are attached in the reverse order to the above, the apparatus is restored to the original state, and the evacuation is performed.

Thereafter, it is confirmed that the degree of vacuum in the processing chamber 100 has reached a predetermined value, and if necessary, a foreign substance check and a rate check are performed. The operation of the apparatus is confirmed, and the apparatus is restored to an operating state. Then, the wet cleaning operation is completed. If one set of replacement parts is prepared in advance, the recovery and evacuation of the apparatus can be performed promptly, so that downtime of the apparatus can be reduced.

Further, by improving the wet cleaning workability by devising, for example, using no bolts in the sealing portion of the vacuum flange portion, the down time (Good Wafer to Good Wafer) of the apparatus is reduced by about 3 to The operation rate of the device is kept at around 4 hours.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since the antenna 110 is structured to be opened by rotating about the axis of the hinge 118, it is necessary to lift and remove the entire antenna 110 from the processing chamber. Therefore, the burden of lifting heavy objects is not imposed on the operator. As described above, when removing the plate 115, which is a silicon shower plate, and the ring 116, which is made of quartz, it is sufficient to lift up as shown by arrows (3) and (4) in FIG. As a result, the work efficiency can be improved, and the possibility of damage to parts is reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the antenna power supply system 120 above the processing chamber is structured so that it can be easily separated from the antenna 110 at the introduction terminal 126. Therefore, the antenna 110 is moved to a substantially horizontal position. It is possible to open. The introduction terminal 126 has a structure in which the inner hot side terminal for supplying power and the outer ground are insulated. When the connection of the introduction terminal 126 is released, the inside hot side terminal of the antenna 110 and the antenna power supply system 120 is brought into contact with the outside ground portion using a simple mechanism such as a spring. By connecting to the ground, even if the antenna is charged, the electric charge is released, and the worker is prevented from accidentally touching the hot side terminal to ensure the safety of the worker.

The configuration of the plasma etching apparatus in this embodiment and the method of parts replacement and maintenance work are as described above. As described above, the workability of component replacement and maintenance is improved by adopting the full flat open structure. This will be more clearly understood by describing with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 which schematically show the posture and the working state of the worker at the time of maintenance.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the state of maintenance in the fully flat open state in the plasma etching apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, an antenna 110 that radiates an electromagnetic wave is roughly 18
It is attached to the side wall 102 by a hinge 118 that can be opened and closed at 0 degrees. FIG. 5 shows that antenna 110 is approximately 18
In a fully flat open state in which the antenna is opened at 0 degrees and the inside of the antenna is substantially horizontal with the inside facing upward,
0 is about to be removed from the outer ring 116 and its inner plate 115.

In this embodiment, the outer peripheral ring 116 is a quartz ring, and the plate 115 is a silicon shower plate having a large number of gas holes, all of which are easily broken or broken and are expensive parts. is there. However, by making the antenna 110 to which they are attached substantially horizontal, the worker M can attach and handle these components in an easy posture from above. In addition, even if all mounting screws for parts are removed,
The parts are held in a substantially horizontal position, i.e. physically stable, by friction or by locking parts,
There is no need to support parts.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, since the worker M can handle the parts with both hands, there is no fear of slipping and dropping the parts. Also, it is unlikely that the components will be damaged due to excessive force applied to the screw portion or the like when mounting the components. In addition, since the antenna 110 is opened in a direction toward the worker in the maintenance area, the antenna 110 is held at a position easily accessible to the worker, so that the worker can work in a stable posture. In addition, it goes without saying that there is no need for a co-worker because the parts can be replaced alone.

For comparison, FIG. 6 shows a case in which maintenance is performed in the present embodiment in a state in which the processing chamber is approximately upright with an opening and closing angle of approximately 90 degrees as in the prior art. Peripheral ring 116 made of quartz or plate 115 made of silicon
To remove the parts, remove the mounting screws and the parts will come off. For this reason, the worker M has to remove the mounting screw while holding the part with one hand, and it cannot be said that the workability is good. Not only that, they can even slip parts down. Alternatively, when mounting the component, an excessive force is applied to the screw hole, and the component is likely to be damaged.
There is also a feeling of psychological pressure on workers that could damage expensive and fragile quartz and silicon parts. In addition, since the inner surface of the antenna 110 is not located at a position facing the worker, the worker must work while leaning on himself, and the burden on the worker is also large in this regard.

By comparing these points, it is clear that the full flat open structure as shown in FIG. 5 is excellent in maintenance workability. This is a feeling that is actually realized when the maintenance work of the apparatus is actually performed. It is easily presumed that this structure greatly reduces the burden on the worker and contributes to the improvement of the productivity by increasing the work efficiency. Things.

The fact that a part of the processing chamber has a full flat open structure allows the whole arrangement and maintenance to be well balanced even in a plasma processing system equipped with a vacuum vessel (reactor) in which a plasma processing chamber is formed. I can do it.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which a vacuum container having a full flat open structure is mounted on a plasma processing system, and is a plan view seen from above. This apparatus includes two plasma processing chambers E1 and E2, and a sample wafer is transferred from a loader mechanism 151 to a load lock chamber 152.
Is transported to the buffer chamber 153 through the sample transport mechanism 1
The wafer is transferred to the plasma processing chambers E1 and E2 by.

The plasma processing chamber E 1 is in a state where the apparatus is assembled, and the magnetic field forming means 10 is placed above the vacuum chamber 105.
1. The antenna power supply system 120 is mounted. The plasma processing chamber E2 is in a state of performing a wet cleaning operation, the inside of the processing chamber 100 is open to the atmosphere, and the antenna 110 is opened to a full flat state by the hinge 118. Magnetic field forming means 101, antenna power supply system 120
Has been evacuated to a position that does not interfere with the work. The antenna 110 is opened in the direction of the worker M in the maintenance area (outward of the base frame 150), and is formed so as to protrude about half with respect to the base frame 150 of the system. Maintenance work can be performed easily. It does not protrude excessively into the maintenance area and occupy extra space in the clean room. By mounting the plasma processing chamber (reactor) having the full flat open structure in this manner, a well-balanced plasma processing apparatus system having both compactness of the entire arrangement and maintainability can be realized.

By the way, in the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment of FIG.
A heat medium for controlling the temperature of the antenna 11 is supplied to the antenna 110. Here, when the antenna 110 is set to the full flat open state in which the antenna 110 is opened by 180 degrees, if the supply path of the heat medium (for example, a hose) is detached at a connection portion such as a connector, the refrigerant leaks from the seal portion of the connector. Possible and take extra working time.

Therefore, a hinge 118 for opening and closing the antenna is provided.
By providing a heat medium introduction path inside, it is not necessary to detach the connection part even when opening and closing the antenna part, and to improve the reliability against leakage of the refrigerant from the connection seal part and shorten the work time be able to.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of such a hinge mechanism. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a structure of a hinge 118 provided with a heat medium passage therein and capable of being opened and closed at approximately 180 degrees in the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with the hinge 118 opened at 180 degrees. Is viewed from above. The support portion 16 is provided on the housing 114 of the antenna 100.
2 is fixed to the shaft 163 by a locking part 164 such as a set screw. The shaft 163 is rotatably mounted on a hinge mounting portion 161 mounted on the side surface of the side wall 102. For example, the axial movement is restricted by a locking member 165 such as a retaining ring, so that the positional relationship between the shafts 163 is established. It is determined.

The heat medium is supplied from a universal joint 166A rotatable about the axis of the shaft 163 to a flow path 1 provided in the shaft.
The air flows through the flow path 168A inside the antenna housing 114 through 67A, and is discharged from 166B through the flow paths 168B and 167B. The passage of the heat medium is sealed by a seal member 169 such as a circle so that the heat medium does not leak. As the heat medium, for example, a fluorine-based cold
It is preferable to use a refrigerant such as a medium and set the temperature at about 30 ° C. to about 80 ° C.

According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to attach and detach the connector for connecting the heat medium when opening and closing the antenna part, so that leakage of the refrigerant from the seal part of the connector can be prevented, and the reliability of the operation can be reduced. Can be improved,
Work time can be reduced.

In each of the above embodiments, a magnetic field
In the case of the plasma processing apparatus of the UHF band electromagnetic wave radiation discharge method, the radiated electromagnetic wave may be a microwave of 2.45 GHz or a VHF band of several tens of MHz to about 300 MHz, in addition to the UHF band. The magnetic field strength was described as being 160 gauss, which is the electron cyclotron resonance magnetic field strength for 450 MHz. However, it is not always necessary to use a resonance magnetic field, and a stronger magnetic field or a weak magnetic field of several tens gauss or less is required. May be used. Further, for example, a non-magnetic field microwave discharge that does not use a magnetic field may be used. Further, in addition to the above, each of the above embodiments can be applied to, for example, a magnetron type plasma processing apparatus using a magnetic field, a parallel plate type capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus, or an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an RIE apparatus using a magnetic field (for example, a magnetron RIE apparatus). In this embodiment, the processing chamber 10 as a vacuum vessel
Numeral 0 denotes a side wall 102, a lower electrode 130 on which a sample W such as a wafer is placed, and an upper electrode
Gas supply means 117 for introducing a predetermined gas into the vacuum vessel, a vacuum exhaust system 106 for depressurizing and exhausting the inside of the vacuum vessel, and a lower power supply 20 for supplying power to the lower electrode.
5 and magnetic field generating means 20 for generating a magnetic field in the vacuum vessel
4 is provided. The magnetic field generating means 204 has a plurality of permanent magnets or coils arranged in a ring on the outer periphery or upper side of the processing chamber 100, and forms a magnetic field substantially parallel to the electrodes inside the processing chamber. The magnetic field is given a gradient so that it can rotate. Then, the processing gas is turned into plasma by the electric field generated between the electrodes by the electric power supplied from the lower power supply 205, and the plasma P is generated, thereby processing the sample W. In an RIE apparatus using a magnetic field, a magnetic field is generated in a direction substantially orthogonal to the electric field by the magnetic field generating means 204, so that the frequency of collision between electrons and molecules and atoms in the plasma increases due to the effect of the magnetic field and magnetron, and the plasma Density increases and high etching characteristics are obtained. The frequency of the lower power supply 205 is several tens
A low frequency band to a high frequency band of about 0 kHz to several tens MHz is preferable.

The upper electrode 200 is a plate 202 in which a large number of gas holes are formed in an electrode plate 201 which is grounded.
Is attached and covered by the outer peripheral ring 203.
The plate 202 is preferably made of silicon or carbon, or may be made of anodized aluminum. The upper electrode 200 is attached to the side wall 102 by a hinge 118. Then, the side wall 10 at the portion indicated by the arrow A
2 and lifted upward, and rotated about a substantially horizontal support shaft of the hinge 118 as a fulcrum, thereby obtaining approximately 180
Degree (the position shown by the broken line in the figure).

With such a configuration, the plate 2
When removing or replacing the outer ring 02 or the outer ring 203, work can be performed from above with the upper electrode 200 fully flat open, improving workability, improving work efficiency, and ensuring reliability and safety. can do. Also, the possibility of damage due to dropping parts or applying excessive force is reduced. Further, the upper electrode 200
There is no need to lift and remove the whole, and the burden of lifting heavy objects is not imposed on the operator. In the present embodiment, since no power supply is connected to the upper electrode 200, there is no need to separate the power supply at the terminal portion as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and there is an advantage that the workability is further improved.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus. In the present embodiment, the processing chamber 100 as a vacuum container includes a side wall 102, a lower electrode 130 on which a sample W such as a wafer is placed, and an upper electrode 210 facing the lower electrode 130. And a vacuum exhaust system 106 for depressurizing and exhausting the inside of the vacuum vessel. Then, an electric field is generated between the electrodes by the power supplied from the upper power supply 221 to the upper electrode 210, the processing gas is turned into plasma, and the plasma P is generated to process the sample W.

The upper electrode 210 is held by the housing 214 while the electrode plate 211 is insulated by insulators 212 and 213. A plate 215 is provided on the surface of the electrode plate 211 which is in contact with the plasma, and a shield ring 21 is provided on the outer periphery thereof.
6 is installed. The shield ring 216 is
2 and 213 are protected from the plasma, and at the same time, the plasma P
By confining it at 0, the plasma density is improved and high etching characteristics are obtained. For example, silicon or carbon is preferably used for the plate 215, and quartz or alumina is preferably used for the shield ring 216, for example.

The frequency of the upper power supply 221 is approximately 10
The VHF band from the high frequency band of MHz to over 100 MHz is preferable. In such a high-frequency band or VHF band, from the viewpoint of the skin effect and the power loss at the contact portion, the electrode plate 21 is formed.
It is desirable to connect 1 to the matching circuit / filter system 223 and the filter 225 at a distance as short as possible, and to reliably connect them using a copper plate or a copper pipe. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, a matching box 220 in which a small and lightweight matching circuit / filter system 223 and a filter 225 using a switching circuit by a diode are integrated is directly mounted on the upper electrode 210, and connection terminals are provided. 226 is connected to the upper power supply 221.

In this embodiment, the upper electrode 210 is attached to the side wall 102 by the hinge 118, and is separated from the side wall 102 at the portion indicated by the arrow A and lifted upward, with the substantially horizontal support shaft of the hinge 118 as a fulcrum. It is configured to be able to rotate and open. By reducing the size and weight of the matching circuit / filter system 223 and the filter 225 mounted on the upper electrode 210, the upper electrode 210 can be opened at an opening angle of 165 degrees to 180 degrees without removing them from the upper electrode 210, that is, It is possible to open up to 15 degrees from the horizontal plane.

With this configuration, even if the mounting screws are removed when replacing the silicon plate 215 or the quartz insulator 216, for example, the parts are physically stable due to friction and locking portions. Since the components are maintained in a state, there is an advantage that the possibility of damage due to excessive force being applied or dropped to the components is small. Further, since the worker can work from above, the workability is good, and there is no need to lift and remove the upper electrode 210, so that there is an advantage that the worker is not burdened.

In this embodiment, the upper power supply 221 is configured to be separable by the connection terminal 226. However, the upper power supply 221 having high efficiency, small size and light weight may be directly mounted on the upper electrode 210. In this case, the opening angle is about 15
It is sufficiently possible to open from 0 degrees to 180 degrees, that is, within 30 degrees from the horizontal plane, and the work of replacing the plate 215 and the insulator 216 can be performed efficiently and safely.

Further, since it is not necessary to separate the upper power supply 221 at the connection terminal portion, there is an advantage that workability is further improved.

In each of the above embodiments, the processing target is a semiconductor wafer and the etching process is performed on the semiconductor wafer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, when the processing target is a liquid crystal substrate. Can be applied, and the processing itself is not limited to etching. For example, sputtering or CVD
It is also applicable to processing.

[0068]

According to the present invention, a part of the vacuum chamber constituting the processing chamber is formed as an openable and closable part, and the openable and closable part is oriented horizontally with the processing chamber side facing upward. In a close state, it is kept physically stable by friction or by a locking portion. Therefore, since the upper part of the processing chamber opens to the maintenance work area, the worker can easily access the processing chamber, and the maintenance work can be performed in an easy posture from above. As a result, it becomes easier for the operator to handle parts during maintenance, and the workability is improved, so that a plasma processing apparatus with excellent maintainability and ease of use can be realized, contributing to an improvement in productivity. A plasma processing apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a plasma etching apparatus of a magnetic field UHF band electromagnetic wave radiation discharge system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a state during a maintenance operation in the plasma etching apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a state during a maintenance operation in the plasma etching apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a state during a maintenance operation in the plasma etching apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a state during a maintenance operation in the plasma etching apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a state during a maintenance operation in a conventional plasma etching apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment in which a vacuum container having a full flat open structure of the present invention is mounted on a plasma processing apparatus system.

FIG. 8 is a view showing one embodiment of a hinge mechanism of the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an RIE apparatus using a magnetic field (for example, a magnetron RIE apparatus).

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 100 processing chamber, 101 magnetic field forming means, 102 side wall, 103 side wall inner unit, 104 heating medium supply means, 105 vacuum chamber, 106 vacuum evacuation system, 107
... pressure control means, 110 ... antenna, 111 ... disk-shaped conductor, 112 ... dielectric plate, 113 ... dielectric ring, 115 ... plate, 116 ... dielectric outer ring, 1
Reference Signs List 17: gas supply means, 118: hinge, 120: antenna power supply system, 121: antenna power supply, 122: antenna bias power supply, 130: lower electrode, 131: electrostatic chucking device, 132: focus ring, 133: insulator, 14
1: Bias power supply, 144: DC power supply for electrostatic attraction,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Inventor: Mitsuru Suehiro 794, Higashi-Toyoi, Kazamatsu, Kamamatsu, Yamaguchi Pref. Hitachi, Ltd. Kasado Factory (72) Inventor Takashi Takahashi 794, Higashi-Toyoi, Kazamatsu, Yamaguchi Prefecture Stock Company Hitachi, Ltd. Kasado Factory (56) References JP-A-7-147241 (JP, A) 10-41096 (JP, A) JP-A-7-161695 (JP, A) JP-A-5-335263 (JP, A) JP-A-11-140648 (JP, A) JP-A-8-227878 (JP, A) A) JP-A-11-71680 (JP, A) JP-A-56-132746 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/3065 B01J 3/02 C23C 16 / 509

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] A vacuum vessel 1. A inside the processing chamber is formed, and a magnetic field electromagnetic wave radiation type plasma generator for generating plasma in the processing chamber, an electrode for holding a sample to be processed in the processing chamber In the plasma processing apparatus having an upper wall of the vacuum container as an openable and closable part, an antenna of the plasma generator including a non-metallic brittle member is arranged in the openable and closable part, and a magnetic field forming means is provided around the processing chamber. It is arranged, and at least a part of an upper wall constituting an upper surface of the processing chamber is rotated around a substantially horizontal axis, and the openable and closable portion is stably held in a state where the inside of the processing chamber faces upward. When the openable / closable portion is opened, the antenna is held at a distance of 3 h from the horizontal plane when the openable / closable portion is opened.
A plasma processing apparatus characterized by being kept at an angle within 0 degrees. 2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said openable and closable portion is opened toward a maintenance work area. 3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit for said antenna provided in said openable / closable portion, wherein said power supply unit is separable from said openable / closable portion. A plasma processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 4. A vacuum vessel inside the processing chamber is formed, a plasma generator for generating plasma in the processing chamber, a parallel plate having an electrode for holding a sample to be processed in the processing chamber In the plasma processing apparatus, the upper wall of the vacuum vessel is an openable / closable part, and an upper electrode including a non-metallic brittle member of the plasma generator is disposed in the openable / closable part, and an upper surface of the processing chamber is provided. Rotating at least a part of an upper wall constituting a substantially horizontal axis so that the openable / closable portion can be stably held with the inside of the processing chamber facing upward, and the processing chamber of the openable / closable portion A plasma processing apparatus, wherein the inner side is kept at an angle within 30 degrees from a horizontal plane while holding the upper electrode and the gas supply means when the openable portion is opened. . 5. A vacuum vessel having a processing chamber formed therein, a magnetic-field-emission-type plasma generator for generating plasma in the processing chamber, and an electrode for holding a sample to be processed in the processing chamber. In the maintenance method of the plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus has an upper wall of the vacuum vessel as an openable and closable portion, and the openable and closable portion is provided with an antenna of the plasma generator including a non-metal brittle member, Rotating at least a part of an upper wall constituting an upper surface of the processing chamber around a substantially horizontal axis so that the openable and closable portion can be stably held with the processing chamber inside facing upward, The inside of the processing chamber inside the openable portion is configured to be held at an angle of 30 degrees or less from a horizontal plane while holding the antenna when the openable portion is opened. Holding the antenna, opening the openable portion toward the maintenance work area so that the inside of the processing chamber of the openable portion faces upward, and performing maintenance work on the plasma processing apparatus. Characteristic maintenance method of plasma processing equipment.