Background technology
Plasma treatment appts utilizes the operation principle of vacuum reaction chamber to carry out the processing of the substrate of semiconductor chip and plasma flat-plate.The operation principle of vacuum reaction chamber is to feed the reacting gas that contains suitable etching agent or deposit source gas in vacuum reaction chamber, and then this vacuum reaction chamber carried out radio-frequency (RF) energy input, with activated reactive gas, light and keep plasma, so that respectively the material layer on the etching substrate surface or on substrate surface depositing layer of material, and then semiconductor chip and plasma flat-plate processed.For instance, the capacitive plasma reactor has been widely used for processing semiconductor substrate and display plate, in the capacitive plasma reactor, when radio-frequency power is applied to two electrodes one or both of, just between the pair of parallel electrode, form capacitive discharge.
Plasma is diffusible, though most of plasma is known from experience in the processing region that rests between the pair of electrodes, the part plasma may be full of whole operating room.For instance, plasma may be full of the zone (such as, exhaust gas region) of the treatment region outside of vacuum reaction chamber below.If plasma arrives these zones, then burn into deposit or erosion may take place in these zones thereupon, this can cause the particle of reative cell inside to stain, and then reduces the repeat performance of plasma treatment appts, and may shorten the working life of reative cell or reative cell parts.If not with plasma confinement in certain working region, charged particle will clash into not protected zone, and then cause surface of semiconductor chip impurity and pollution.
Therefore, industry is devoted to all the time to produce and is constrained on treatment region thereby more stable plasma.Existing a kind of thinking is to use confinement ring to come confined plasma, and for example, United States Patent (USP) 5534751 has been described a kind of chamber structure, and this chamber is restrained plasma diffusion by the confinement ring of being made by insulating material that tight arrangement forms narrow slot.These narrow slots are configured to have the width and the degree of depth (thereby also having identical depth-to-width ratio) of identical size, to realize exhaust equably.Work as charged particle, during by narrow slot, the major part among them can strike the surface of confinement ring and then prevent the diffusion of plasma as ion or electronics.
In addition, United States Patent (USP) 6178919 discloses the plasma sealing ring of the porous in another plasma reactor, this plasma sealing ring is made by electric conducting material, ring is provided with some through holes to allow bi-product gas in the processing procedure by these through holes and be discharged from treatment region, these through holes have identical depth-to-width ratio, and the diameter of each through hole is identical, to realize exhaust equably, the sealing ring of this conduction is configured to ground connection, in plasma treatment procedure, can make the sealing ring of electronics by this ground connection in the plasma be imported into the earth, electronics in the plasma is removed from treatment reactor, thereby the density of reduction plasma, with the ion concentration in the enhancement process district.
But, because in plasma treatment procedure, used reacting gas and bi-product gas are to be discharged from conversion zone by the through hole that is provided with on the plasm restraint device, thereby, use aforementioned plasm restraint device also can produce some adverse influences to technology and production efficiency.Because plasm restraint device is in order to realize plasma confinement in reaction chamber, must make setting through hole thereon have certain depth-to-width ratio, but this long and narrow through hole with certain depth-to-width ratio makes used side reaction gas be subjected to stopping of long and narrow through hole when discharging treatment region and speed is slowed down, thus, greatly reduce the efficient of exhaust, and then cause unnecessary effect the too much time of side reaction gas be deposited in the reaction chamber, diluted reacting gas, reduce the efficient of technological reaction, and these side reaction gases also can produce deposition and form polymer on the parts of processed substrate and reaction chamber, influence the device function of processed substrate and reaction chamber is produced and pollute, increase the time in cleaning activity chamber inevitably, reduced production efficiency.
Embodiment
The utility model provides a kind of plasm restraint device, its can not only be effectively with plasma confinement in the processing region of plasma processing apparatus, the treatment chamber pollution problem that minimizing causes because of plasma diffusion, and can increase the exhaust efficiency of treatment chamber greatly, reduce used reacting gas and bi-product gas and rest on the time of process chamber in stopping up.
In order to solve aforementioned deficiency of the prior art, patent is created the people and is found through a large amount of research and experiment, on the one hand, for preferably with plasma confinement in processing region, need be provided with width of channel the smaller the better (in the degree of depth one timing of passage), and in addition on the one hand, the exhaust capacity and the width of channel of plasm restraint device are inversely proportional to, and this is provided with the minimum widith of its passage according to required exhaust efficiency.And, in plasma treatment procedure, the upstream side that plasma know from experience to extend diffusion and then is distributed in plasm restraint device (promptly, near a side of processing region) surface, and plasma density can the upper surface of plasm restraint device along with processed substrate the center be center of circle decay gradually radially.In other words, for the plasma that is distributed in the plasm restraint device upper surface, the closer to semiconductor chip or the outer peripheral position of bottom electrode, plasma density is high more; Away from semiconductor chip or the outer peripheral position of bottom electrode, the density of plasma is low more more.According to plasma in this characteristic of radial distribution, the utility model provides plasm restraint device a kind of optimization, that have change depth-to-width ratio and change channel width, simultaneously balance the demand of plasma confinement and the demand of high exhaust capacity, it not only constrains in plasma discharge in the treatment region effectively, and can used reacting gas and bi-product gas can leave treatment chamber apace.
See also Fig. 1, Fig. 1 is the structural representation that disposes the plasma processing apparatus of the utility model plasm restraint device.Plasma processing apparatus 1 comprises treatment chamber 11, and treatment chamber 11 is essentially cylindricality, and the treatment chamber sidewall is vertical basically, has the top electrode 12a and the bottom electrode 12b that are arranged in parallel in the treatment chamber 11.Usually, the zone 2 between top electrode 12a and bottom electrode 12b is a processing region, will form and keep plasma 3 in this zone.Place workpiece 4 to be processed above bottom electrode 12b, this workpiece 4 can be the glass plate of waiting to want the semiconductor chip of etching or processing or treating to be processed into flat-panel monitor.Reacting gas is input in the treatment chamber 11 from the gas inlet (not shown) of the top of treatment chamber 11, one or more radio-frequency power supply 5a can be applied to bottom electrode 12b individually and go up or be applied to respectively on top electrode 12a and the bottom electrode 12b simultaneously, by radio frequency adaptation 5b radio-frequency power is transported to that bottom electrode 12b goes up again or top electrode 12a and bottom electrode 12b on, thereby at the big electric field of treatment chamber 11 inner generations.Most of electric field lines are comprised in the processing region 2 between top electrode 12a and the bottom electrode 12b, and this electric field quickens the electronics that is present in treatment chamber 11 inside on a small quantity, the gas molecule collision of the reacting gas that makes it and import.These collisions cause the ionization of reacting gas and exciting of plasma.The neutral gas molecule of reacting gas has lost electronics when standing these highfields, stay the ion of positively charged.The ion of positively charged quickens towards bottom electrode 12b direction, combines with neutral substance in the processed substrate, excites substrate processing, i.e. etching, deposit etc.
Please in conjunction with consulting Fig. 2 to Fig. 5.Wherein, Fig. 2 is the enlarged diagram of the plasm restraint device shown in dotted line 14 parts shown in Figure 1.Fig. 3 is the schematic perspective view of plasm restraint device shown in Figure 1; Fig. 4 is the vertical view of plasm restraint device shown in Figure 3; Fig. 5 cuts the cutaway view that gets open for plasm restraint device shown in Figure 3 along hatching A-A.The utility model plasm restraint device 8 is arranged between the processing region 2 and exhaust gas region 7 of plasma processing apparatus 1, be used to make the plasma discharge in the treatment chamber 11 to be constrained in substantially in the processing region 2, and can not extend to the chamber contamination that causes in the exhaust gas region 7 in the exhaust gas region 7.Exhaust gas region 7 is connected with an exhaust apparatus 80, by exhaust apparatus 80 used reacting gas in the treatment chamber 11 and bi-product gas extraction is gone.More specifically, in execution mode shown in Figure 1, plasm restraint device 8 is arranged in the gap 9 between the outside 40 of pedestal 12c of the madial wall 11a of treatment chamber 11 and bottom electrode 12b.Plasma restraint device 8 comprises that the space is provided with and forms a plurality of concentric rings 82 of several galleries 84a, 84b, 84c.A plurality of concentric rings 82 are spaced from each other vertically, form gallery between adjacent ring and the ring.Unlike the prior art, the utility model provides a kind of plasm restraint device through optimizing, have change depth-to-width ratio and change channel width.As shown in Figure 2, plasma restraint device 8 comprises near the first area 80a of bottom electrode 12b with away from the second area 80c of bottom electrode 12b, and the zone line 80b between first area 80a and second area 80c.The width W a that the first area 80a of plasma restraint device 8 goes up formed gallery 84a goes up the width W c of formed gallery less than second area 80c, and the first area 80a of the plasma restraint device depth-to-width ratio Ha that goes up formed gallery goes up the depth-to-width ratio Hc of formed gallery greater than second area 80c.The width W b that zone line 80b goes up formed gallery goes up between the width W c of formed gallery between width W a and the second area 80c that first area 80a goes up formed gallery, and the depth-to-width ratio Hb of the formed gallery of described zone line 80b goes up between the depth-to-width ratio Hc of formed gallery between depth-to-width ratio Ha and the second area 80c that first area 80a goes up formed gallery.The depth-to-width ratio that should be noted that aforesaid each gallery is meant: gallery is at the passage that forms between the height of vertical direction or depth H and adjacent two rings ratio between the width W of R radially.That is: Ha=H/Wa; Hb=H/Wb; Hc=H/Wc.In order not influence the binding effect of plasm restraint device 8 integral body, preferably, the depth-to-width ratio of each gallery was at least 5: 1, gallery with this depth-to-width ratio can make leave in the treatment region from the charged particle of plasma when leaving this gallery, the distance that must move is greater than the mean free path of this charged particle, make the reacting gas of using and the most charged particles in the bi-product gas of from processing region, discharging pass through these galleries 84a, 84b, at least to collide once with the sidewall of these galleries during 84c, these collisions are with the charging neutrality on the charged particle, and the particle that leaves gallery after the feasible collision all is neutral.The result is, make the number of charged particles beyond treatment region be greatly reduced, the gas of discharging can not make the discharge of plasma extend to the outer space of treatment region, and the trend of the discharge that treatment region is outer will significantly reduce, thereby eliminates the electric discharge phenomena beyond the space basically.
The utility model is by being provided with the plasm restraint device that becomes depth-to-width ratio and become channel width, make in the plasm restraint device and have less relatively channel width and bigger depth-to-width ratio near regional 80a, 80b near the bottom electrode, thereby the highdensity plasma confinement of regional 80a, 80b upstream side is lived, and these regional exhaust efficiencies are relatively low simultaneously.And in plasm restraint device, have relatively large channel width and less depth-to-width ratio away near the regional 80c the bottom electrode, thus mainly realize high exhaust efficiency, but still plasma confinement can be lived.Through this optimization, can not only effectively plasma discharge be constrained in the treatment region, and can used reacting gas and bi-product gas can leave treatment chamber apace.
The width W a that should be appreciated that a plurality of (in the diagram, exemplarily being expressed as 3) the gallery 84a that forms in the regional 80a can be configured to equally, and also radially the R direction becomes big gradually; In like manner, the width W b of a plurality of (in the diagram, exemplarily being expressed as 3) the gallery 84b that forms in the 80b can be configured to the same, and also radially the R direction becomes big gradually; The width W c of a plurality of (in the diagram, exemplarily being expressed as 2) the gallery 84c that forms in the 80c can be configured to the same, and also radially the R direction becomes big gradually.
As a kind of execution mode, the first area 80a of described plasma restraint device goes up the width of formed gallery 84a between 0.5 to 2.0mm; The width that zone line 80b goes up formed gallery 84b 1.5 to 2.5mm; The width that second area 80c goes up formed gallery 84c is between the 2.0mm to 3.0mm.The degree of depth of gallery is between 10 to 25mm.
According to design of the present utility model and spirit, should be appreciated that the degree of depth of each gallery that forms in zones of different 80a, 80b, the 80c also can be arranged to different in order further to optimize implementation result of the present utility model.For example, gallery 84a, the 84b that forms in regional 80a, 80b, the 80c, the degree of depth of 84c are radially changed from small to big.Regulate depth-to-width ratio and/or channel width by changing the degree of depth, realize better plasma confinement and exhaust capacity.
In embodiment of the present utility model, plasm restraint device can select for use the metal with conductivity to make (for example aluminium, stainless steel, tungsten etc.).Preferably, plasm restraint device is made of aluminum, can also carry out anodization to its surface.Anodization is a kind of electrolysis procedure, and this processing can make the metal surface form one deck oxide protective layer.Anodization can be used for multiple purpose, is included in the metal surface and forms hard coating, perhaps makes metal have electric insulating quality, and makes metal anticorrosive.
Further, in of the present utility model other implemented, several rings in the plasm restraint device can at first carry out anodization towards processing region or the surf zone that touches plasma, apply the material that one deck prevents plasma etching subsequently again, such as: apply a kind of Y2O3 material, further to prevent plasma etching.
As a kind of concrete execution mode of the present utility model, the utility model plasm restraint device in plasma treatment procedure electrical ground.
Certainly, as the distortion of the foregoing description, described plasm restraint device also can be configured to be that electricity suspends or float ground (electricallyfloated from the ground) with respect to the earth in plasma treatment procedure.This framework can bring more superiority.Because, by making the floating ground of plasm restraint device, in the plasma processing apparatus processing procedure, the electromotive force of the plasma in the electromotive force on the plasm restraint device and the processing region equates haply or is equipotential, this set can so that processing unit in the process of handling, reduce as much as possible with in reacting gas of crossing and the bi-product gas or the charged particle in the plasma quickens to rush at plasm restraint device and in generation sputter of the surface of plasm restraint device or collision, thereby reduce sputter thus or collision and the pollution that produces.
In another kind of embodiment of the present utility model, plasm restraint device can select for use dielectric substance (such as, quartz material or carborundum or silicon nitride (Si3N4)) make.Preferably, plasm restraint device is made up of quartzy annulus.
In the process of concrete plasma in process restraint device, a Circular Plate can be provided, on this plate, offer concentric gallery, and make width of channel and depth-to-width ratio with aforementioned description setting; Perhaps, also can provide to have some rings that shape in advance, the assembling in a certain way of these rings is connected into required plasm restraint device.
According to utility model design of the present utility model, the utility model also provides a kind of plasma processing apparatus.This processing unit comprises a treatment chamber, is arranged at a pair of top electrode that is arranged in parallel and bottom electrode and plasm restraint device in the described treatment chamber.Constitute a processing region between described top electrode and the bottom electrode.Described plasm restraint device is arranged at the outside of this processing region.The plasm restraint device execution mode can adopt aforementioned described various execution modes.
Plasma processing apparatus described in the utility model comprises the various device of the use plasma treatment semiconductor chip that is used to make semiconductor chip, flat-panel screens or LCD, for example, the depositing device of plasma treatment, plasma etching equipment etc.
That more than introduces only is based on several preferred embodiment of the present utility model, can not limit scope of the present utility model with this.Any device of the present utility model is done replacement, the combination, discrete of parts well know in the art, and the utility model implementation step is done well know in the art being equal to change or replace and all do not exceed exposure of the present utility model and protection range.