JP2023116233A - Device for performing plasma treatment and method for performing plasma treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique of performing a plasma treatment by supplying a low-energy charged particle, neutral particle or radical to a substrate from the plasmatized treatment gas.SOLUTION: When performing a plasma treatment by supplying plasmatized treatment gas to a substrate on a placement table provided in a processing container, a plurality of plasma formation spaces which are cylindrical spaces formed between tubular wall surfaces arranged so as to be opposed to each other in a double tube shape and each have a plasma formation mechanism for plasmatizing the treatment gas are formed on the upper side of the placement table. A treatment gas supply unit supplies the treatment gas along the axial direction of the plasma formation spaces. A ring-shaped regulation member regulates the flow such that the flow direction of the treatment gas flowing out from each plasma formation space heads in the radial direction of the plasma formation space, and forms a throttling passage having a smaller area than the plasma formation space between a member constituting the one side of the tubular wall surface and itself.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for performing plasma processing and a method for performing plasma processing.

CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) are known as processes for forming films on semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers") in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. In these film formation processes, source gases containing film materials, reaction gases for oxidizing and reducing the source gases, and the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as "film formation gases") are used.

In a film forming process, highly reactive active species obtained by plasmatizing a film forming gas may be used.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses plasma CVD in which needle-shaped metal electrodes (cathode) are arranged in the center of a plurality of cylindrical metal electrodes (anode) protruding so as to face a substrate supported by a support table. A device is described. This plasma CVD apparatus obtains radicals and ions by introducing a raw material gas into a cylindrical metal electrode and forming a glow discharge between the cylindrical metal electrode and the needle-like metal electrode.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a technique in which two plates each having a plurality of through-holes are arranged in a stack between a space generated by microwave plasma and a wafer mounted on a susceptor. . By shifting the formation positions of the through-holes so that the through-holes of the upper and lower plates do not overlap each other, ions in the plasma are blocked and hydrogen radicals are selectively passed through.
In addition to the film forming process, etching process, modification process, and the like are also performed using active species in plasma gas.

JP-A-60-262972 JP 2006-86449 A

The present disclosure provides a technique of performing plasma processing by supplying low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, or radicals to a substrate from a plasmatized processing gas.

The present disclosure is an apparatus for performing plasma processing by supplying a plasmatized processing gas to a substrate in a processing container,
a mounting table provided in the processing container for mounting the substrate;
A cylindrical space provided above the mounting table and formed between tubular wall surfaces facing each other in a double tubular shape, the plasma forming mechanism for plasmatizing the processing gas. A plurality of plasma formation spaces with
a processing gas supply unit for supplying the processing gas to a position on the upstream side of the flow of the processing gas so that the processing gas flows along the axial direction in the cylindrical plasma forming space;
It is provided at a position where the processing gas flows out from each of the plasma forming spaces, and regulates the flow of the processing gas so that the direction of flow of the processing gas is directed in the radial direction of the cylindrical plasma forming space, and and a ring-shaped regulating member that forms a throttle channel having a channel area smaller than that of the plasma forming space between itself and a member forming one side of the tubular wall surface.

According to the present disclosure, plasma processing can be performed by supplying low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, or radicals to a substrate from a plasmatized processing gas.

It is a configuration example of a film forming apparatus provided with a gas supply mechanism according to the present disclosure. It is a longitudinal side view of a gas supply mechanism concerning a 1st embodiment. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the gas supply mechanism according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the gas supply mechanism according to the first embodiment, viewed from the top or bottom side; It is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a gas supply mechanism according to a modification. It is a vertical side view of the gas supply mechanism which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a first enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a gas supply mechanism according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a second enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the gas supply mechanism according to the second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a partially broken plan view of a gas supply mechanism according to a second embodiment; It is a structural example of the microwave supply mechanism of the gas supply mechanism which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a longitudinal side view of the gas supply mechanism which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a gas supply mechanism according to a third embodiment; It is a longitudinal side view of the gas supply mechanism which concerns on 4th Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a first enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a gas supply mechanism according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a second enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the gas supply mechanism according to the fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a gas supply mechanism according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view of a gas supply mechanism according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the operation of magnets provided in the gas supply mechanism according to the fifth embodiment;

<Deposition equipment>
First, an example of the overall configuration of a film forming apparatus 1, which is an embodiment of the "apparatus for performing plasma processing" according to the present disclosure, will be described with reference to FIG. The film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment supplies a film forming gas such as a raw material gas containing a film raw material or a reaction gas as a processing gas to the wafer W so as to form a film of a desired substance on the surface of the wafer W. It is configured. The film formed on the wafer W is not particularly limited, and may be a metal oxide film or a metal nitride film for forming an insulating film, or a metal film for forming a wiring layer. In addition, the film forming apparatus 1 supplies low-energy particles, neutral particles, or radicals at a high concentration by controlling the plasma flow of the film forming gas generated in the cylindrical plasma forming space 7, which will be described later. It has a configuration that allows

This film forming apparatus 1 supplies a film forming gas such as a raw material gas containing a film raw material such as a metal compound or a reaction gas into a processing container 11 in which wafers W are accommodated and processed. is configured to deposit a film of a substance of As a method for film formation, a CVD method in which a film substance is deposited on the surface of the wafer W by continuously supplying a film formation gas may be used. Further, even in the ALD method in which the source gas is supplied and exhausted, and the reactant gas is alternately supplied and exhausted, and the adsorption and reaction of the source gas to the wafer W are repeated to stack a thin film of a film material. good.

The processing container 11 of this example is made of a flat cylindrical metal and is grounded. A side wall of the processing container 11 is provided with a loading/unloading port 12 for loading/unloading the wafer W and a gate valve 13 for opening/closing the loading/unloading port 12 . Above the loading/unloading port 12, an exhaust duct 14 having an annular shape in a plan view is provided. A slit-shaped exhaust port 141 extending along the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust duct 14 . An opening 15 is formed in the side wall surface of the exhaust duct 14 , and one end of an exhaust pipe 16 is connected through the opening 15 . An exhaust mechanism 17 including a pressure control mechanism and a vacuum pump is connected to the other end of the exhaust pipe 16 .

A mounting table 31 for horizontally mounting the wafer W is provided in the processing container 11 . A heater 311 for heating the wafer W is provided inside the mounting table 31 . An upper end portion of a rod-shaped support member 34 extending vertically through the bottom portion of the processing container 11 is connected to the central portion of the lower surface of the mounting table 31 . An elevating mechanism 35 is connected to the lower end of the support member 34, and the elevating mechanism 35 moves the mounting table 31 between the lower position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1 and the upper position indicated by the solid line in FIG. You can move up and down between them. The lower position is a transfer position for transferring the wafer W to and from a transfer mechanism (not shown) for the wafer W entering the processing chamber 11 through the loading/unloading port 12 . Further, the position on the upper side is the processing position where the film formation processing for the wafer W is performed.

Further, a plurality of support pins 38 configured to be vertically movable by a lifting mechanism 381 are arranged on the lower side of the mounting table 31 . When the support pin 38 is moved up and down when the mounting table 31 is positioned at the transfer position, the support pin 38 protrudes from the upper surface of the mounting table 31 through the through hole 39 provided in the mounting table 31 . By this operation, the wafer W can be transferred between the mounting table 31 and the transfer mechanism.

<Gas supply system 4>
Inside the exhaust duct 14 formed in an annular shape, that is, on the upper side of the mounting table 31, the gas supply mechanism 2 having the plasma forming space 7 described above is provided. Since the detailed configuration of the gas supply mechanism 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and later, an example configuration of the gas supply system 4 that supplies various film-forming gases to the gas supply mechanism 2 will be described first.

The gas supply system 4 of this example includes a source gas supply unit 41 that supplies a source gas containing a precursor (film source) that is a source of the film substance of the film to be formed on the wafer W, and a source gas supply unit 41 that reacts with the precursor to produce a film substance. A reactive gas supply unit 42 for supplying a reactive gas for obtaining a portion 43; When forming a film containing titanium as a film substance, a case of using a raw material gas containing TiCl ₄ can be exemplified. Examples of the reaction gas include oxygen gas and ozone gas when forming an oxide film, ammonia gas when forming a nitride film, and hydrogen gas which is a reducing gas when forming a metal film by reducing a precursor. can be done.

One end of a source gas supply line 412 is connected to the source gas supply unit 41, and a flow rate control unit 411 and a valve V1 are interposed in this source gas supply line 412 in order from the upstream side. One end of a reaction gas supply line 422 is connected to the reaction gas supply part 42, and a flow control part 421 and a valve V2 are interposed in this reaction gas supply line 422 in order from the upstream side. Further, when film formation is performed by ALD, for example, storage tanks 413 and 423 for respective gases are provided upstream of the valves V1 and V2 in order to supply a sufficient amount of raw material gas and reaction gas in a short time. good too.

Further, one end of an auxiliary gas supply line 432 is connected to the auxiliary gas supply section 43, and a flow control section 431 and a valve V3 are interposed in this auxiliary gas supply line 432 in order from the upstream side.
Note that the configuration of the gas supply system 4 is not limited to this example. may be joined together. Examples of the purge gas include inert gases such as argon gas and nitrogen gas.

The other end of each gas supply line 412 , 422 , 432 is connected to the connection port 21 provided in the gas supply mechanism 2 . Since the specific configuration of the connection port portion 21 will be described together with the explanation of the gas supply mechanism 2 after FIG. 2, FIG. .
The gas supply mechanism 2 is also connected to a high-frequency power supply 52 for applying high-frequency power for forming plasma through a matching box 51, and further connected to a ground terminal. The configuration related to the high-frequency power supply 52, the connection state of the ground terminal, etc. will also be explained in the explanation of the gas supply mechanism 2 after FIG.

<Gas supply mechanism 2 of the first embodiment>
Next, a configuration example (first embodiment) of the gas supply mechanism 2 that converts the film-forming gas into plasma and supplies active species contained in the plasma toward the wafer W mounted on the mounting table 31 is shown in FIGS. Description will be made with reference to FIG.

The gas supply mechanism 2 of this example generates capacitively coupled plasma of the film formation gas containing the reaction gas supplied from the reaction gas supply section 42 in the plasma formation space 7 which is a cylindrical space, for example, a cylindrical space. . Then, the active species contained in the plasma are supplied toward the wafer W. As shown in FIG. At this time, the gas supply mechanism 2 removes high-energy charged particles (ions) contained in the plasma and supplies active species in a state in which the concentration of low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, or radicals is increased. . As a result, the film formation process with less damage to the wafer W can be performed.

FIG. 2 shows a partially broken side view of the gas supply mechanism 2 of this example, and FIG. 3 shows an enlarged longitudinal sectional view thereof. 4(a) is a plan view of the gas supply mechanism 2 viewed from above, and FIG. 4(b) is a plan view of the gas supply mechanism 2 viewed from below.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the gas supply mechanism 2, a plurality of plasma forming spaces 7 are arranged laterally adjacent to each other. A gas shower head (hereinafter simply referred to as "shower ) 22 is provided. Since the configuration of each plasma forming space 7 is common to each other, a configuration example of the plasma forming space 7 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gas supply mechanism 2 has a configuration in which an outer cell 643 and an inner cell 63 are nested on the lower surface side of a dielectric plate 601 made of a dielectric member. The outer cell 643 and the inner cell 63 are each composed of a cylindrical dielectric member, and the inner diameter of the outer cell 643 is larger than the outer diameter of the inner cell 63 .

The outer cell 643 and the inner cell 63 are connected to the lower surface of the dielectric plate 601 such that the center axes are aligned and directed vertically. Each dielectric member is made of, for example, quartz (hereinafter the same unless otherwise specified).
With the above-described configuration, the wall surface (tubular wall surface) on the outer peripheral side of the inner cell 63 and the wall surface (tubular wall surface) on the inner peripheral side of the outer cell 643, both of which are made of a dielectric material, are arranged in a double tubular shape. , a cylindrical plasma forming space 7 is formed between these wall surfaces. In addition, in FIG. 4A, the positions of the wall surfaces of the inner cell 63 and the outer cell 643 are indicated by broken lines.

Inside the inner cell 63, an electrode 612 made of metal and formed in a cylindrical shape is provided. A screw-shaped electrode terminal 611 is inserted into the electrode 612 so as to pass through a metal plate provided on the upper surface side. A high frequency power supply 52 is connected to the upper end of the electrode terminal 611 via a matching box 51 .

An upper portion of the electrode terminal 611 is held by an upper nut 621 made of a dielectric member attached to the dielectric plate 601 . The lower end of the upper nut 621 protrudes from the lower surface of the dielectric plate 601 and is inserted inside the inner cell 63 .

Furthermore, a lower nut 622 made of a dielectric member is inserted from the lower surface side of the inner cell 63 so as to fit inside the cylindrical electrode 612 . An opening is formed in the upper surface of the lower nut 622, and the lower end of the electrode terminal 611 is inserted into the opening. A flange is formed at the lower end of the lower nut 622 and closes the opening of the inner cell 63 on the lower surface side.

On the other hand, in the outer cell 643, a groove that opens toward the upper surface side is formed along the circumferential direction. An electrode 642 made of metal and having a substantially cylindrical shape is inserted into the groove except for a position through which a source gas flow path 65 (to be described later) penetrates. A screw-shaped electrode terminal 641 is inserted into the electrode 642 . A ground end is connected to the upper end of the electrode terminal 641 .

With the above-described configuration, the electrodes 612 and 642 arranged inside the inner cell 63 and the outer cell 643 forming the plasma forming space 7 serve as opposing electrodes. When high-frequency power is supplied from the high-frequency power supply 52 to the electrode 612, which is the cathode electrode, capacitive coupling is formed in the plasma forming space 7 between the electrode 642, which is the grounded anode electrode.

Next, a configuration for supplying the film forming gas to the plasma forming space 7 where capacitive coupling is formed will be described. In the gas supply mechanism 2 of the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the reaction gas and the auxiliary gas that assists the conversion of the reaction gas into plasma are supplied into the plasma forming space 7 .
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the dielectric plate 601 is connected to a connection port 211 connected to a reaction gas supply line 422 for supplying a reaction gas, and an auxiliary gas supply line 432 for supplying an auxiliary gas. A connection port 212 is provided. The connection ports 211 and 212 are connected to a reactant gas flow path 671 and an auxiliary gas flow path 672 that penetrate the dielectric plate 601 in the vertical direction, respectively. A plurality of connection ports 211 and 212 are provided on the upper surface of the dielectric plate 601, and the downstream ends of the reactive gas supply line 422 and the auxiliary gas supply line 432 are branched to form the connection ports 211 and 212, respectively. 212.
The connection port portion 21 shown in FIG. 1 comprehensively displays the connection ports 211 and 212 with the reaction gas supply line 422 and the auxiliary gas supply line 432 described above, and the connection port 213 with the source gas supply line 412 described later. is.

On the other hand, a flange portion 631 having a larger diameter than the main body of the inner cell 63 is provided at the upper end portion of the inner cell 63 provided on the lower surface side of the dielectric plate 601 . The lower end portions of the reaction gas flow path 671 and the auxiliary gas flow path 672 are opened toward the upper surface of the flange portion 631 . Further, a gap is formed between the upper surface of the flange portion 631 and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 601 in a region radially outward of the opening positions of the reaction gas flow path 671 and the auxiliary gas flow path 672 . Using this gap as an introduction channel 72 , the reactive gas supplied from the reactive gas supply line 422 and the auxiliary gas supplied from the auxiliary gas supply line 432 flow into the plasma forming space 7 .

The film forming gas formed by mixing the reaction gas and the auxiliary gas that flowed into the plasma forming space 7 flows along the axial direction from the upper side to the lower side of the plasma forming space 7, and flows between the electrodes 612 and 642. plasma by the action of capacitive coupling.
From this point of view, each device on the upstream side of the reaction gas supply line 422 and the auxiliary gas supply line 432 (the reaction gas supply unit 42, the auxiliary gas supply unit 43, the flow control units 421 and 431, etc.), the connection ports 211 and 212, the reaction The gas flow path 671, the auxiliary gas flow path 672, and the introduction flow path 72 correspond to the processing gas supply section of this example. Further, the electrodes 612 and 642, the matching device 51, and the high-frequency power source 52, which constitute the counter electrode, correspond to a plasma forming mechanism provided in the plasma forming space 7 for converting the film forming gas (reactive gas, auxiliary gas) into plasma. do.

On the other hand, a regulating member for removing high-energy charged particles contained in the plasmatized film-forming gas is provided at the lower end of the plasma forming space 7 where the film-forming gas flows out. The regulating member of this example includes a ring-shaped support portion 661 provided so as to protrude radially inward of the plasma forming space 7 toward the inner cell 63 side from the lower end portion of the outer cell 643 , and the support portion 661 . and a ring member 662 disposed on the inner peripheral edge. The support portion 661 and the ring member 662 may be made of a dielectric member, or may be made of a metal member coated with a dielectric film. Examples of the dielectric that constitutes these members or coats the metal members include silicon dioxide (quartz), yttria oxide, and the like.

The ring member 662 supported by the support portion 661 is arranged below the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622, and when viewed from the mounting table 31 side, the entire lower surface of the inner cell 63 and part of the lower surface of the lower nut 622. is provided to cover the A gap is formed between the upper surface of the ring member 662 and the lower surfaces of the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622 . Using this gap as a throttle channel 71, the film forming gas flowing out of the plasma forming space 7 flows through the throttle channel 71 and the central opening 73 of the ring member 662 into the shower head 22 on the lower side. flow in. For convenience of illustration, illustration of the introduction channel 72 and the throttle channel 71 is omitted in FIG.

The supporting portion 661 and the ring member 662 are provided at a position where the film forming gas flows out from the plasma forming space 7, and the flow direction of the film forming gas along the axial direction of the plasma forming space 7 is directed to the cylindrical plasma forming space. It regulates so that it may go to the radial direction of the space 7. - 特許庁In addition, the channel area (cross-sectional area of the channel crossing the flow direction) of the throttle channel 71 formed between the upper surface of the ring member 662 and the lower surface of the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622 is the plasma forming space. The channel area is smaller than that of 7.

The support portion 661 and the ring member 662 constitute a regulating member of this example. In addition, the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622 correspond to the first member, and the outer cell 643 located at the starting point of the regulating member (support portion 661) arranged to protrude downward from the first member is the first member. It corresponds to 2 members.
Further, as described above, the support portion 661 and the ring member 662, both of which are restricting members, are configured as separate members. Therefore, by replacing the ring member 662 with a ring member 662 having a different opening diameter of the opening 73, the channel length of the throttle channel 71 can be changed.

The shower head section 22 is arranged at a position where the film forming gas flows out through the opening 73 of the ring member 662 . Inside the shower head part 22, a plurality of gas diffusion chambers 222a for diffusing the film forming gas flowing out from the plasma forming spaces 7 corresponding to the plurality of plasma forming spaces 7 provided in the gas supply mechanism 2 are provided. are divided into The gas diffusion chamber 222a is configured by arranging the gas diffusion plate 221 below the support portion 661 and the ring member 662, which are regulating members. The gas distribution plate 221 is formed with a large number of gas supply holes 223 for supplying the film forming gas toward the processing container 11 . FIG. 4(b) schematically shows a state in which a large number of gas supply holes 223 are formed in the area where the gas diffusion chamber 222a is formed by adding a dot pattern corresponding to the area. . As shown in FIG. 4B, each gas diffusion chamber 222a has a circular planar shape.

Further, the gas supply mechanism 2 has a function of supplying the raw material gas containing the precursor into the processing container 11 . In the gas supply mechanism 2 of this example, the raw material gas is supplied into the processing container 11 without passing through the plasma forming space 7 as “another film forming gas (processing gas)” that is not plasmatized.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the connection port 213 is provided on the upper surface side of the dielectric plate 601 so as to be positioned above the cylindrical outer cell 643 . A plurality of connection ports 213 are provided on the upper surface of the dielectric plate 601 , and the downstream end of the source gas supply line 412 for supplying the source gas is branched and connected to each of the connection ports 213 . there is As shown in FIG. 3, the connection port 213 is provided with a source gas flow path 65 made of a metal piping member so as to vertically penetrate the dielectric plate 601 and the outer cell 643 . The source gas flow path 65 is electrically connected to an electrode 642 arranged in the outer cell 643 and grounded.

A lower end portion of the source gas flow path 65 is connected to a gas diffusion chamber 222b formed by partitioning the gas diffusion chamber 222a described above. The gas diffusion chamber 222b is formed in an annular shape so as to surround each gas diffusion chamber 222a having a circular planar shape. A large number of gas supply holes 223 for supplying film forming gas toward the processing chamber 11 are also formed in the gas diffusion plate 221 on the lower surface side of the gas diffusion chamber 222b. FIG. 4(b) schematically shows a state in which a large number of gas supply holes 223 are formed in an annular region in which the gas diffusion chamber 222b is formed by adding a dot pattern corresponding to the region. shown in

In the gas supply mechanism 2 of this example, the related configuration (the inner cell 63, the outer cell 643, the supporting portion 661, the ring member 662, the gas diffusion chamber 222a, etc.) of the plasma forming space 7 explained with reference to FIG. A plasma forming space 7 for a plurality of units is provided as a unit. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4(a), and 4(b), the units constituting the plasma forming space 7 are adjacent to each other within the plane of the gas supply mechanism 2 which is circular in plan view. are placed in the filling.

<Control unit 100>
Returning to the description of FIG. 1 , the film forming apparatus 1 includes a control section 100 . The control unit 100 is configured by a computer including a storage unit storing programs, a memory, and a CPU. The program includes commands (steps) for outputting a control signal from the control unit 100 to each unit of the film forming apparatus 1, carrying in/out the wafer W, and performing the film forming process. The program is stored in a storage unit of the computer, such as a flexible disk, compact disk, hard disk, MO (magneto-optical disk), non-volatile memory, etc., read out from this storage unit and installed in the control unit 100 .

<Deposition process>
Next, the operation of performing the film forming process on the wafer W as the plasma process using the film forming apparatus 1 having the configuration described above will be described.
When the wafer W to be processed is transferred to the external vacuum transfer chamber, the gate valve 13 is opened, and the transfer mechanism (not shown) holding the wafer W enters the processing container 11 through the transfer port 12 . Then, the wafer W is transferred using the support pins 38 to the mounting table 31 waiting at the lower position.

Thereafter, the transfer mechanism is withdrawn from the processing container 11, the gate valve 13 is closed, and the pressure inside the processing container 11 and the temperature of the wafer W are adjusted. Next, the reactive gas and the auxiliary gas are supplied toward each plasma forming space 7, and high frequency power is applied from the high frequency power supply 52 to the electrode 612, and supplied to the plasma forming space 7 by capacitive coupling with the electrode 642. The deposited film forming gas (reactive gas, auxiliary gas) is turned into plasma. In the following description of the operation, for convenience of explanation, only the reactive gas may be referred to, but the auxiliary gas is simultaneously supplied to the reactive gas to be plasmatized. The plasmatized reaction gas passes through the plasma forming space 7 and flows into the gas diffusion chamber 222a, and then is supplied into the processing container 11. FIG.
Further, the raw material gas that has flowed into the gas diffusion chamber 222 b through the raw material gas channel 65 is also supplied into the processing container 11 .

At this time, when the film is formed by the CVD method, the supply of the reactant gas through the plasma forming space 7 and the supply of the raw material gas through the raw material gas flow path 65 may be performed in parallel.
Further, when film formation is performed by the ALD method, for example, "supply of raw material gas through raw material gas flow path 65 (adsorption of precursor to wafer W) → supply of raw material gas through plasma forming space 7 and raw material gas flow path 65 The cycle of supply of purge gas→supply of reaction gas to plasma formation space 7 (reaction with precursor adsorbed on wafer W)→supply of purge gas through plasma formation space 7 and source gas flow path 65 is repeated a predetermined number of times. be In this case, the plasma of the gas supplied via the plasma forming space 7 is formed only when the reactant gas is supplied.

<Action of regulating member>
Here, the action of the regulating members (the support portion 661 and the ring member 662) on the plasmatization of the reaction gas in the plasma forming space 7 and the flow of the plasmatized reaction gas will be described.
The reaction gas that has flowed into the plasma forming space 7 from the introduction channel 72 on the upper side of the inner cell 63 flows down in the plasma forming space 7 from the upper side toward the lower side. At this time, the reaction gas is turned into plasma by the action of capacitive coupling between the electrodes 612 and 642, and active species (ions, electrons, radicals) of the reaction gas are generated.

Here, the plasma forming space 7 is configured as a cylindrical space formed between the tubular wall surfaces of the inner cell 63 and the outer cell 643 which are arranged facing each other in a double tubular shape. The cylindrical plasma forming space 7 can efficiently arrange the plasma forming space 7 within a limited area while suppressing an increase in the separation distance between the electrodes 612 and 642 . For this reason, compared to the case where the electrodes 612 and 642 are arranged across a cylindrical space of the same volume, for example, to generate capacitively coupled plasma, energy can be efficiently supplied to the reaction gas, and active species can be generated. can be generated.

The active species generated in the plasma forming space 7 are supplied to the wafer W in the form of ions, electrons, and radicals alone, and react with the raw material gas on or near the wafer W to form a film.

On the other hand, the active species generated in the plasma forming space 7 contain those with relatively high energy. For example, if ions (charged particles) with a high valence are supplied to the wafer W at a high density, the device structure being manufactured may be electrically damaged. Also, if the charged particles have a large kinetic energy in the direction toward the plate surface of the wafer W, the physical damage caused by the collision of the active species with the wafer W increases.

With respect to these points, if the active species of the reaction gas flowing out from the plasma forming space 7 is supplied to the wafer W as it is, ions having a large valence are supplied to the wafer W in a state having a large velocity component. may cause serious damage.
Therefore, in the gas supply mechanism 2 of this example, the supporting portion 661 and the ring member 662, which are regulating members, are provided at positions where the reaction gas flows out from the plasma forming space 7 .

Since the supporting portion 661 and the ring member 662 are provided at the exit position of the plasma forming space 7, a sufficient amount of active species can be generated without hindering the plasma formation of the reaction gas in the plasma forming space 7. can. After obtaining a sufficient amount of active species, the direction of flow of the reactive gas is regulated so that the ions flow radially in the plasma forming space 7, so that the ions remain on the wafer while having a large velocity component. Collision with W can be avoided.

Further, as described above, the supporting portion 661 and the ring member 662 are made of a dielectric member such as silicon dioxide (quartz), or a metallic member coated with a dielectric film. A dielectric member has a characteristic that even if radicals or neutral particles come into contact with them, these active species are less likely to be deactivated.

On the other hand, when the high-energy charged particles (ions) reach the arrangement positions of the supporting portion 661 and the ring member 662 at the exit of the plasma forming space 7, the flow direction changes and the velocity component toward the wafer W decreases. Further, some of the high-energy charged particles collide with the support portion 661 and the ring member 662, and contact with these members 661 and 662 causes charge transfer and deactivation.

Furthermore, the channel area of the throttle channel 71 formed between the upper surface of the ring member 662 and the lower surface of the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622 is a throttle channel having a channel area smaller than that of the plasma forming space 7. It's becoming Since the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622 are also made of dielectric members as described above, the charged particles flowing through the throttle channel 71 come into contact with the surfaces of the ring member 662, the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622. Deactivation of the charged particles also occurs when the In the throttle channel 71 having a small channel area, the probability that the charged particles come into contact with these dielectric members increases, and the charged particles can be deactivated efficiently.

As described above, the regulating member (the support portion 661 and the ring member 662) has the function of regulating the flow direction of the reaction gas flowing out of the plasma forming space 7 and suppressing the deactivation of radicals and neutral particles. , has the effect of promoting the deactivation of charged particles. Due to these actions, the high-energy charged particles contained in the active species generated in the plasma formation space 7 are deactivated by contact with the dielectric member, and the charged particles remaining without being deactivated are also removed from the wafer. The velocity component toward W becomes smaller.
By these actions, a reactive gas containing active species from which high-energy charged particles are selectively removed can be obtained.

After passing through the throttle channel 71, the reaction gas flows into the gas diffusion chamber 222a through the opening 73, spreads in the gas diffusion chamber 222a, and then flows through the gas supply holes 223 formed in the gas distribution plate 221. is supplied into the processing container 11. This reactive gas has a reduced concentration of high-energy charged particles and a high concentration of low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, and radicals. Membrane processing can proceed.

After film formation by the CVD method or the ALD method has been performed for a preset period, the supply of various film forming gases from the plasma forming space 7 and the source gas flow path 65 and the supply of high frequency power to the electrode terminals 611 are stopped. . After that, the wafer W on which the film has been formed is unloaded from the processing container 11 in the reverse order of the carrying-in procedure.

<effect>
The film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has the following effects. High-energy charged particles contained in the plasmatized film forming gas (reactive gas) are removed by the regulating members (supporting portion 661 and ring member 662). As a result, low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, or radicals can be supplied to the wafer W at a high concentration to perform film formation.

Here, as in the example shown in FIG. 3, the restricting member protrudes from the outer cell 643 side toward the inner cell 63 side, and is provided so as to form the throttle channel 71 between the inner cell 63 and the lower nut 622. It is not limited to cases.
For example, like the gas supply mechanism 2a shown in FIG. 5, the restricting member (the support portion 661a and the ring member 662a) may be provided so as to protrude from the inner cell 63 side toward the outer cell 643 side. In this case, for example, the gap between the upper surface of the ring member 662a and the lower surface of the electrode 642 becomes the throttle channel 71a. In this example, the outer cell 643 corresponds to the first member, and the inner cell 63 positioned at the starting point of the support portion 661a corresponds to the second member.

<Gas supply mechanism 2b of the second embodiment>
Next, a configuration example of the gas supply mechanism 2b according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 5 to 16, including the already explained gas supply mechanism 2a shown in FIG. are attached with the same reference numerals as those attached to .
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing longitudinal side surfaces of the gas supply mechanism 2b viewed from two directions orthogonal to each other in the same screen. is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the. FIG. 8 is a partially broken plan view of the gas supply mechanism 2b as seen from above.

In the gas supply mechanism 2 according to the first embodiment, a plurality of cylindrical plasma forming spaces 7 are arranged adjacent to each other, whereas in the gas supply mechanism 2b according to the second embodiment, a plurality of The difference is that the plasma forming spaces 7 are arranged in multiple concentric circles.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a cylindrical inner cell 63 made of a dielectric member and containing a cylindrical electrode 612a is provided in the central portion of the gas supply mechanism 2b. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the high frequency power supply 52 is connected to the electrode 612a.

On the outer side of the inner cell 63, anode cells 643a and cathode cells 63a made of flat annular dielectric members are alternately provided at intervals. The anode cell 643a and the cathode cell 63a are each formed with grooves that open toward the upper surface side and extend along the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8, in the groove of the anode cell 643a, an electrode 642 made of metal and formed into a substantially cylindrical shape is provided except for the position where the source gas flow path 65 penetrates. inserted. The upper ends of these electrodes 642 are provided so as to be in contact with the lid 23 made of metal and are grounded through the lid 23 .

On the other hand, a tubular metal electrode 612b is inserted into the groove of the cathode cell 63a. A high-frequency power source 52 is connected to these electrodes 612b through electrode terminals 611. As shown in FIG. To prevent contact between the grounded lid portion 23 and the electrode 612b, an annular dielectric electrode is provided between the upper surface of the electrode 612 and the lower surface of the lid portion 23 along the opening of the groove of the electrode 612b. A quartz cap 663 of body member is provided.

With the above configuration, electrodes 612a and 612b connected to the high-frequency power source 52 are cathode electrodes, and the grounded electrode 642 is the anode electrode to form a counter electrode. When high-frequency power is supplied, capacitive coupling is formed in plasma formation space 7 with electrode 642, which is a grounded anode electrode.

In addition, the reaction gas and the auxiliary gas are supplied to the plasma forming space 7 through the reaction gas flow path 671 and the auxiliary gas flow path 672, and at the position where the reaction gas turned into plasma flows out from the plasma forming space 7, a regulating member is provided. Support portions 661 and 661a and ring members 662 and 662a are provided, and a throttle channel 71, which is a throttle channel, is formed. In addition to the provision of the shower head portion 22 in which the diffusion chambers 222a, 222b, and 222c are formed, the source gas flow path 65 is formed so as to vertically penetrate the anode cell 643a, and the lower end of the flow path 65 is the shower head portion 22. It is substantially the same as the gas supply mechanism 2 according to the first embodiment in that it is connected to the gas diffusion chamber 222b formed therein.
However, the support portion 661 arranged in the center, the support portion 661a other than the gas diffusion chamber 222a, the regulating member 662b, and the gas diffusion chambers 222b and 222c have an annular shape corresponding to the planar shape of each plasma forming space 7. This is different from the gas supply mechanism 2 according to the first embodiment.

Also in the gas supply mechanism 2b having the configuration described above, high-energy charged particles contained in the plasmatized film forming gas (reactive gas) are removed by the regulating members (supporting portions 661, 661a, ring members 662, 662b). can do. As a result, a reaction gas containing a high concentration of low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, or radicals can be supplied to the wafer W, and film formation processing can be performed with little damage to the wafer W. FIG.

<Gas supply mechanism 2c of the third embodiment>
Next, embodiments with different plasma formation techniques will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG.
In addition, in the third to fifth embodiments described below, as in the second embodiment described with reference to FIGS. Examples are shown in which various technical configurations are applied to the supply mechanisms 2c to 2e.

The gas supply mechanism 2c according to the third embodiment uses microwaves to form surface wave plasma of the deposition gas, which is different from the gas supply mechanisms according to the first and second embodiments that form capacitively coupled plasma. 2, 2a and 2b.
FIG. 9 shows a partially broken side view of the upper portion of the processing container 11 of the film forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. A microwave introduction portion 535 is provided on the upper surface of the gas supply mechanism 2c provided on the exhaust duct 14, and a coaxial waveguide 534, a mode converter 533, and a waveguide 532 are connected to the microwave introduction portion 535. A microwave generator 531 is connected via the . A cover 18 for preventing leakage of microwaves is provided on the upper surface side of the gas supply mechanism 2c.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the gas supply mechanism 2c has a configuration in which dielectric plates 601 and 602 and dielectric members 603 and 604 are stacked in this order from the top. As shown in the enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 11, the microwaves supplied to the microwave introduction part 535 are transmitted through the microwave propagation path arranged between the dielectric plates 601 and 602 in the uppermost and second stages from the top. It propagates along the lower surface of the plate 536 and is supplied to the dielectric plate 602 on the lower surface side.
The microwave generating section 531, waveguide 532, mode converter 533, coaxial waveguide 534, microwave introducing section 535, and microwave propagation plate 536 correspond to the microwave supplying mechanism of this example. The microwave supply mechanism constitutes a plasma formation mechanism for forming surface wave plasma of the reaction gas.

The dielectric plate 602 is made of a dielectric material that transmits microwaves, such as quartz. In addition, multiple concentric grooves are formed on the lower surface of the dielectric plate 602 .
The dielectric members 603 and 604 in the third and fourth stages from the top are disc-shaped dielectric members in the central region and A plurality of ring-shaped dielectric members in the outer region are arranged in multiple concentric circles at intervals.

By connecting the grooves of the dielectric plate 602 and the openings of the dielectric members 603 and 604 vertically, as shown in FIGS. A forming space 7 is formed. The plurality of plasma forming spaces 7 are arranged in multiple concentric circles when viewed from above, like the plasma forming spaces 7 of the gas supply mechanism 2b according to the second embodiment shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, inside the dielectric member 603 of the third stage, a reaction gas channel member 671a is provided. Each reactant gas channel member 671a is composed of a dielectric member. A flat circular flow path space is formed in the reaction gas flow path member 671a in the central area, and an annular flow path space is formed in the reaction gas flow path member 671a in the outer area. As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of gas supply holes 671b are formed along the edge of the channel space on the upper surface of the reaction gas channel member 671a. Each gas supply hole 671 b communicates with the plasma forming space 7 via an introduction channel 72 which is a gap formed between the lower surface of the dielectric plate 602 and the upper surface of the dielectric member 603 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, reaction gas flow paths 671 are formed in the outermost reaction gas flow path member 671a. The upstream end of the reaction gas flow path 671 is connected to the reaction gas supply line 422 shown in FIG. 1 (the connection is not shown). The downstream end of the reaction gas channel 671 is connected to the channel space of the reaction gas channel member 671a on the outermost side. Furthermore, the auxiliary gas supply line 432 shown in FIG. 1 merges with the upstream end of the reaction gas flow path 671, and is configured to premix and supply an auxiliary gas for forming plasma together with the reaction gas. 10 and 11, the mixed gas of premixed reaction gas and auxiliary gas is simply referred to as "reaction gas".

Further, the channel spaces of the respective reaction gas channel members 671a are connected to each other by a connection pipe (not shown) made of a dielectric member provided so as to penetrate the reaction gas channel members 671a and the dielectric member 603 in the radial direction. are connected to each other by With this configuration, the reactant gas supplied to the channel space of the outermost reactant gas channel member 671a through the reactant gas channel 671 flows into the other reactant gas channel member 671a arranged radially inward. flows into the flow space of Then, the reactant gas supplied to the channel space of each reactant gas channel member 671 a flows into each plasma forming space 7 via the gas supply hole 671 b and the introduction channel 72 .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a raw material gas channel member 65a is provided inside the dielectric member 604 in the fourth stage. Each source gas flow path member 65a is made of a dielectric member. A flat circular channel space is formed in the source gas channel member 65a in the central region, and an annular channel space is formed in the source gas channel member 65a in the outer region. As shown in FIG. 11, the shower head section 22 is divided into gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c for reactive gases and a gas diffusion chamber 222b for source gases. Here, a gas supply hole 65b is formed in the lower surface of the source gas channel member 65a arranged above the gas diffusion chamber 222b for the source gas. On the other hand, no gas supply holes 65b are formed in the remaining source gas flow path members 65a disposed above the gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c for reaction gases.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a source gas flow path 672c is formed in the source gas flow path member 65a on the outermost side. The upstream end of the source gas flow path 672c is connected to the downstream end of the source gas supply line 412 shown in FIG. The flow path spaces of the source gas flow path members 65a are connected to each other by a connection pipe (not shown) made of a dielectric member, which is provided so as to penetrate the source gas flow path members 65a and the dielectric member 604 in the radial direction. It is connected. With this configuration, the raw material gas supplied through the raw material gas flow path 672c flows into the flow path space of each raw material gas flow path member 65a arranged radially inward. Then, the raw material gas supplied to each raw material gas channel member 65a is supplied to the gas diffusion chamber 222b for the raw material gas through the raw material gas supply hole 65b.

Also in the gas supply mechanism 2c according to the third embodiment having the configuration described above, the regulating member 662b is provided at the lower end of the plasma forming space 7 where the film forming gas (reactive gas) of the plasma forming space 7 flows out. It is As shown in FIG. 11, the regulating member 662b of this example is made of a dielectric member, and the dielectric member 662b extends from the source gas gas diffusion chamber 222b toward the reaction gas gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c. It is a ring-shaped member provided so as to project laterally from the lower end position of the member 604 .

The tip of the regulating member 662b is arranged below the dielectric member 604 provided above the gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c for reaction gases. Therefore, the restricting member 662b is provided so as to partially cover the lower surface of the dielectric member 604 when viewed from the mounting table 31 side. A gap between the upper surface of the regulating member 662b and the lower surface of the dielectric member 604 forms a throttle channel 71 through which reaction gas flows out from the plasma forming space 7. As shown in FIG.

The regulation member 662b is also (1) provided at a position where the reactant gas flows out from the plasma forming space 7, and the direction of flow of the reactant gas along the axial direction of the plasma forming space 7 is oriented in the cylindrical plasma forming space. 7, and (2) the throttle channel 71 has a channel area smaller than that of the plasma forming space 7, as in the gas supply mechanism 2 according to the first embodiment. is.

The operation of the gas supply mechanism 2c according to the third embodiment having the configuration described above will be described. The reactant gas is supplied from the reactant gas channel member 671a through the introduction channel 72 toward each plasma forming space 7, and the microwave is supplied from the microwave generator 531 to the dielectric plate 601 on the uppermost stage. . As a result, a surface wave plasma (SWP) of the reaction gas is formed along the wall surface of the plasma forming space 7, which is a tubular wall surface through which microwaves propagate within the plasma forming space 7. FIG.

The flow direction of the reaction gas that has become plasma is regulated by the regulating member 662b when flowing out of the plasma forming space 7 . At this time, deactivation of radicals and neutral particles is suppressed because the regulating member 662b is made of a dielectric member. On the other hand, the high-energy charged particles contained in the active species generated in the plasma generation space 7 are deactivated by contact with the dielectric member, and the charged particles remaining undeactivated are also directed toward the wafer W. Velocity component becomes smaller. As a result, the effect of obtaining a reaction gas containing active species from which high-energy charged particles are selectively removed is the same as in the first embodiment.

The reaction gas that has passed through the throttle channel 71 flows into the gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c through the openings 73, and is supplied into the processing vessel 11 through the gas supply holes 223 formed in large numbers in the gas distribution plate 221. be. Further, the raw material gas that has flowed into the gas diffusion chamber 222b through the raw material gas channel member 65a is also supplied into the processing container 11. As shown in FIG. Then, the reaction gas containing the high-energy charged particles at a reduced concentration and containing the low-energy charged particles, the neutral particles, and the radicals at a high concentration can be used to proceed with the film formation process while suppressing damage to the wafer W. can be done.

<Gas supply mechanism 2d of the fourth embodiment>
The gas supply mechanism 2d according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 13B uses a coil 54 to form inductively coupled plasma of the reaction gas, unlike the first and second embodiments which form capacitively coupled plasma. It is different from the gas supply mechanisms 2, 2a, and 2b.
FIG. 12 is a longitudinal side view of the entire gas supply mechanism 2d, and FIGS. 13A and 13B are enlarged longitudinal sectional views of the central region of the gas supply mechanism 2d as seen from two directions perpendicular to each other.

As shown in these longitudinal side views, a cylindrical inner cell 63 made of a dielectric member is provided in the central portion of the gas supply mechanism 2d according to the fourth embodiment. On the outer side of the inner cell 63, ground electrode cells 643b and coil cells 63b made of a flat annular dielectric member are alternately provided at intervals. The configurations of the inner cell 63, the ground electrode cell 643b, and the coil cell 63b are described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B. The configuration is substantially the same as that of the cathode cell 63a.

A cylindrically wound coil 54 is provided in the central inner cell 63 . A coil 54 wound along the ring is provided in the groove of the coil cell 63b formed in the ring. One end of each coil 54 is connected to the high frequency power supply 52 via the matching box 51, and the other end is grounded. Further, the electrode 642 provided in the ground electrode cell 643b is grounded via the lid portion 23. As shown in FIG. The coil 54 connected to the high frequency power supply 52 and the grounded electrode 642 constitute the plasma forming mechanism of this example.

In addition, the configuration of the support portion 661 and the ring member 662 which are regulating members, the configuration of the reactant gas flow path 671 and the auxiliary gas flow path 672 for supplying the reactant gas and the auxiliary gas to the plasma forming space 7, and the configuration of the shower head portion 22. Since the structure of the source gas flow path 65 for supplying the source gas is substantially the same as that of the gas supply mechanism 2b according to the second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In the gas supply mechanism 2 d according to the fourth embodiment having the configuration described above, the reaction gas and the auxiliary gas are supplied toward each plasma forming space 7 . Then, high-frequency power is applied from the high-frequency power supply 52 to the coil 54, and the reaction gas supplied to the plasma forming space 7 is turned into plasma by inductive coupling.

The flow of the reaction gas turned into plasma and the action of the support portion 661 and the ring member 662, which are regulating members, are the same as those of the gas supply mechanism 2b according to the second embodiment. That is, by passing the reaction gas through the throttle channel 71, the concentration of high-energy charged particles is reduced, and the concentration of low-energy charged particles, neutral particles, and radicals is increased. As a result, it is possible to proceed with the film forming process while suppressing damage to the wafer W. FIG.

<Gas supply mechanism 2e of the fifth embodiment>
Next, FIGS. 14 to 16 show an example of a gas supply mechanism 2e provided with a magnet 644 for reducing the kinetic energy of charged particles moving toward the plate surface of the wafer W and making the charged particles low-energy. . In the gas supply mechanism 2e according to the fifth embodiment, similar to the gas supply mechanism 2d according to the fourth embodiment, the inner cell 63, the coil cell 63b, and the ground electrode cell 643b, which constitute the multi-concentric plasma formation space 7, are: This is a configuration example in which the coil 54 is arranged in the inner cell 63 and the coil cell 63b.

On the other hand, when viewed from the mounting table 31 side, the end of the regulating member 662b provided so as to protrude from the ground electrode cell 643b side does not cover the lower surfaces of the inner cell 63 and the coil cell 63b. , and the gas supply mechanism 2d according to the fourth embodiment. Moreover, the shower head portion 22 is not provided in the gas supply mechanism 2e of this example.

As shown in the enlarged longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 14, a magnet 644 is provided at the lower end of the groove of the ground electrode cell 643b in which the electrode 642 is provided. As schematically shown in the cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 15, a plurality of magnets 644 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction in the grooves of the ground electrode cells 643b in which the electrodes 642 are provided. there is In FIG. 15, the gray area indicates the space within the groove of the inner cell 63 and the coil cell 63b, and the coil 54 is arranged in this space. The dashed-dotted lines in the figure indicate the positions of wall surfaces (tubular wall surfaces) of the inner cell 63, the coil cell 63b, and the ground electrode cell 643b, which constitute the plasma forming space 7. FIG.

As schematically enlarged in FIG. 16, the plurality of magnets 644 are arranged in the grooves of the electrodes 642 such that the straight line connecting the north and south poles is oriented in a direction that intersects the circumferential direction of the plasma forming space 7. placed. In addition, these magnets 644 are arranged so that the directions of the north pole and the south pole are reversed between adjacent magnets 644 .

With these arrangements, the magnets 644 can form magnetic lines of force acting in a direction intersecting the flow direction of the reactive gas containing the active species in each plasma forming space 7 . Due to the action of the magnetic lines of force, the high-energy charged particles contained in the active species are moved along the magnetic lines of force. As a result, the kinetic energy of the high-energy charged particles directed toward the surface of the wafer W is reduced, and coupled with the action of the regulating member 662b, the charged particles can be supplied to the wafer W in a low-energy state.

In the gas supply mechanism 2e shown in FIG. 14, since the magnet 644 that reduces the kinetic energy of the charged particles is provided, the gas supply according to other embodiments shown in FIGS. Compared to mechanisms 2, 2b, and 2c, the channel area of the throttle channel 71 is larger (however, the requirement is changed to "the channel area of the throttle channel 71 is smaller than that of the plasma formation space 7"). not). By increasing the channel area of the throttle channel 71 in this way, it is possible to suppress an increase in pressure loss due to the provision of the restricting member 662b.

Further, as described above, the shower head portion 22 is not provided in the gas supply mechanism 2e of this example. The shower head unit 22 diffuses the reaction gas flowing out of the throttle channel 71 in the gas diffusion chambers 222a and 222c and then supplies it toward the wafer W, thereby preventing charged particles from colliding with the wafer W at high speed. It also has the function of suppressing In this respect as well, by providing the magnet 644 that has the effect of reducing the kinetic energy of the charged particles, the installation of the shower head portion 22 is omitted, and an increase in pressure loss due to the provision of the regulation member 662b is suppressed. The device configuration is simplified.

<Other variations>
Each configuration described above for the gas supply mechanisms 2, 2a to 2e according to the first to fifth embodiments can be appropriately combined with configurations described in other embodiments.
For example, the plasma forming mechanisms according to the second to fourth embodiments are gas supply mechanisms 2, 2a in which a plurality of plasma forming spaces 7 are arranged laterally adjacent to each other, as illustrated in the first embodiment. may be applied to Regarding the arrangement and configuration of the regulating member, the arrangement and configuration of the regulating member (support portion 661a, ring member 662a) according to the modified example of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. It may be applied to the supply mechanisms 2b to 2e. Further, the regulating member 662b without the ring member 662 for adjusting the opening diameter of the opening 73 according to the third and fifth embodiments is replaced with the gas supply mechanism according to the first, second and fourth embodiments. 2, 2a, 2b, and 2d. Contrary to this, a regulating member consisting of a support portion 661 and a ring member 662 may be provided for the gas supply mechanisms 2c and 2e according to the third embodiment and the fifth embodiment. Also, in the gas supply mechanisms 2, 2a to 2d according to the first to fourth embodiments, the installation of the shower head portion 22 may be omitted.

In each embodiment, the projection direction of the regulating members (the support portions 661 and 661a, the ring members 662 and 662a, and the regulating member 662b) is not limited to the horizontal direction. may be In addition, it is not an essential requirement that these regulating members cover the entire outlet of the processing gas from the plasma forming space 7 when viewed from the mounting table 31 side. If the plasma formed in the plasma forming space 7 is hidden by the regulating member when viewed from the mounting table 31 side, part of the outlet may be visible.

Further, in each gas supply mechanism 2, 2a to 2e, each plasma forming space 7 does not have to be configured as an integral space. For example, partition walls made of dielectric members may be provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical space, and the cylindrical plasma forming space 7 as a whole may be configured by a plurality of mutually partitioned partial spaces. .
Further, the planar shape of each plasma forming space 7 when viewed from the mounting table 31 side is not limited to a ring shape. For example, it may be configured in a polygonal ring shape or an elliptical ring shape.

The gas supply mechanisms 2, 2a to 2e described above are not limited to application to the film forming apparatus 1 for forming films on the wafer W. FIG. An etching processing apparatus that supplies a plasmatized etching gas to a wafer W to etch a film formed on the wafer W, and modifies a substance on the wafer W with a plasmatized modifying gas. In order to supply various gases into the processing vessel 11 of the reforming apparatus for performing the reforming process, a gas supply mechanism including the plasma forming space 7 and the regulating member having the structure described above may be provided. In these cases, the etching gas and the modifying gas each correspond to the processing gas of the present disclosure.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

W Wafer 1 Film forming apparatus 11 Processing container 2, 2a to 2e
Gas supply mechanism 52 High-frequency power supply 531 Microwave generators 661, 661a
Supports 662, 662a
Ring member 671 Reactive gas channel 672 Auxiliary gas channel 71, 71a
throttle channel

Claims (13)

An apparatus for performing plasma processing by supplying a plasmatized processing gas to a substrate in a processing container,
a mounting table provided in the processing container for mounting the substrate;
A cylindrical space provided above the mounting table and formed between tubular wall surfaces facing each other in a double tubular shape, the plasma forming mechanism for plasmatizing the processing gas. A plurality of plasma formation spaces with
a processing gas supply unit for supplying the processing gas to a position on the upstream side of the flow of the processing gas so that the processing gas flows along the axial direction in the cylindrical plasma forming space;
It is provided at a position where the processing gas flows out from each of the plasma forming spaces, and regulates the flow of the processing gas so that the direction of flow of the processing gas is directed in the radial direction of the cylindrical plasma forming space, and and a ring-shaped regulating member that forms a restricted flow path having a flow area smaller than that of the plasma forming space, between itself and a member forming one side of the tubular wall surface. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tubular wall is constructed from a dielectric material. When a member forming one side of the tubular wall surface is called a first member and a member forming the other side of the tubular wall surface is called a second member,
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said restricting member is provided so as to protrude downward from said first member with said second member as a starting point. The regulating member is provided so as to partially cover the lower surface of the first member when viewed from the mounting table side, and the throttle channel is formed between the first member and the regulating member. 4. The apparatus of claim 3. 5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said plurality of plasma forming spaces are arranged laterally adjacent to each other. 5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said plurality of plasma forming spaces are arranged in a multiple concentric manner. A plate-shaped gas distribution plate having a large number of gas supply holes formed therein is disposed below the regulation member, and the processing gas passing through the throttle channel is supplied between the regulation member and the gas distribution plate. 7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a gas showerhead portion defining a gas diffusion chamber for diffusion. 8. The gas diffusion chamber is partitioned into a plurality of spaces, and a part of the plurality of spaces is supplied with a non-plasma processing gas through a channel other than the plasma forming space. The apparatus described in . 9. The plasma forming mechanism comprises a high frequency power supply for supplying high frequency power from one side of the tubular wall surface to form capacitively coupled plasma with the grounded tubular wall surface on the other side. The apparatus according to any one of . 9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said plasma forming mechanism comprises a microwave supplying mechanism for supplying microwaves for forming plasma along said tubular wall surface. 9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the plasma forming mechanism comprises a coil connected to a radio frequency power supply for forming an inductively coupled plasma within the plasma forming space. 12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a magnet for forming magnetic lines of force acting in a direction intersecting the flow direction of the processing gas flowing through the plasma forming space. A method of performing plasma processing by supplying a plasmatized processing gas to a substrate in a processing container, comprising:
A mounting table provided in the processing container for mounting the substrate thereon, and a tubular wall surface provided above the mounting table and facing each other in a double-tube shape. a plurality of plasma forming spaces each provided with a plasma forming mechanism for plasmatizing the processing gas and a position where the processing gas flows out from each of the plasma forming spaces; The flow direction of the processing gas is regulated in the radial direction of the cylindrical plasma forming space, and the flow between the member forming one side of the tubular wall surface and the member constituting the tubular wall surface is greater than the plasma forming space. using a ring-shaped regulating member that forms a throttle channel with a small road area,
a step of supplying the processing gas to a plurality of the plasma forming spaces and flowing the processing gas along the axial direction of the cylindrical plasma forming spaces;
converting the processing gas flowing in each of the plasma forming spaces into plasma by the plasma forming mechanism;
The flow of the processing gas flowing out from each plasma forming space is regulated by the regulating member so as to flow in the radial direction, and after passing through the throttle channel, the processing gas is applied to the substrate on the mounting table. and providing a.

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