JP3037795B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed by using a processing gas, and more particularly to an apparatus for individually adjusting the displacement of a plurality of exhaust gases. The present invention relates to a processing apparatus capable of performing a uniform processing of the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Plasma processing such as plasma etching and reactive ion etching (RIE) is performed as a method for forming a pattern on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, an LCD substrate, and the like, and ashing is used as a method for removing a resist after etching. Plasma processing is being performed. As an apparatus for such plasma processing, there is a plasma apparatus as shown in FIG.

In this plasma apparatus 20, an upper electrode 22 and a lower electrode 23 are arranged opposite to each other in a processing chamber 21, and a high-frequency power supply 24 is connected to the upper electrode 22 or the lower electrode 23, and a high-frequency power is applied between the electrodes. The voltage RF is applied. Further, the lower electrode 23 can move in the direction of approaching and separating from the upper electrode 22, and the object to be processed 26 conveyed from the opening 25 is placed on the lower electrode 23 to set a predetermined distance from the upper electrode 22. Above the upper electrode 22, a gas supply pipe 27 connected to a gas supply system for introducing a reaction gas such as O ₂ gas or CF ₄ gas into the processing chamber 21 is provided. Gas is introduced into the processing chamber. A number of small holes are formed in the upper electrode 22 and the processing gas diffusion plate 29, and the gas introduced from the gas supply pipe 27 is supplied between the electrodes. Further, an exhaust pipe 28 connected to a vacuum pump or the like (not shown) is connected to a lower periphery of the processing chamber 21 so as to exhaust waste gas and excess gas in the processing chamber and to evacuate the processing chamber 21 by a predetermined amount. The vacuum is maintained at

In such a plasma apparatus, the reaction gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 27 is radicalized or ionized by discharge between the electrodes, and the surface of the workpiece 26 on the lower electrode 23 is subjected to plasma processing such as etching. Excess gas and waste gas generated during processing are exhausted from the exhaust pipe 28.

[0005]

By the way, in recent years, semiconductor wafers and LCD substrates as objects to be processed have become larger, and the in-plane uniformity of the processing has been required. For this reason, in the plasma processing apparatus, a processing gas diffusion plate 29 having a large number of small holes is provided between the gas supply pipe 27 and the upper electrode 22 so that the reaction gas is uniformly dispersed between the electrodes. . However, even if the reaction gas is uniformly dispersed and supplied between the electrodes as described above, if the exhaust pipe 28 is provided at one place in the processing chamber 21, the gas flows toward the exhaust pipe 28. There is a problem that the gas concentration is different between a portion of the object to be processed close to the exhaust pipe 28 and a portion far from the exhaust pipe 28, and the processing is not uniform.

[0006]

An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem. In an apparatus for processing an object to be processed while introducing a processing gas into a processing chamber and exhausting the same, a plurality of exhaust gases are provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus capable of individually adjusting the exhaust amount, thereby enabling uniform processing of a processing target.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus in which the exhaust gas flow rate can be easily adjusted.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for processing an object placed in a processing chamber while introducing and exhausting a processing gas into the processing chamber. A plurality of exhaust ports provided in a lower peripheral portion of the cylinder, a cylindrical fixing tool attached to the exhaust port, and a fixing tool
A cylindrical flange removably fitted to the
The fixture and the flange each have a plurality of openings on the side,
The opening is suitable for the purpose of processing and the shape and size of the object to be processed.
By changing the degree of overlap, the amount of exhaust from the plurality of exhaust ports is reduced.
It is adjusted for each exhaust port .

The object to be processed is a large LCD substrate.
Things.

[0010]

In this processing apparatus, by exhausting from a plurality of exhaust ports, the flow of exhaust gas can be adjusted for each of the exhaust ports, thereby making the concentration of the processing gas acting on the workpiece uniform. And uniform processing.
In addition, when the purpose of processing or the shape or size of the object to be processed is changed, the exhaust amount of each exhaust port can be adjusted in accordance with these changes, so that the flow of exhaust gas is always appropriate. it can.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to an etching process for an LCD glass substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as a substrate) will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a plasma apparatus 1 mainly includes a processing chamber 2 and a processing chamber 2.
It comprises an upper electrode 3 and a lower electrode 4 which are opposed to each other and a gas supply port 5 for introducing a gas into the processing chamber 2. The processing chamber 2 is made of, for example, aluminum, and has, for example, an alumina film formed on its inner surface as a corrosion-resistant measure. The upper part of the processing chamber 2 is openable and closable for reasons such as facilitating maintenance, and a gas supply port 5 for introducing a reaction gas into the processing chamber 2 is connected to the upper part. The gas supply port 5 is connected to a reaction gas source 54 via a supply pipe 51, a valve 52, and a filter 53,
A predetermined gas is supplied to the processing chamber 2 at a predetermined flow rate by controlling the valve 52. Depending on the purpose of the treatment, for example, O ₂ gas is used for ashing, and SF ₆ , CF ₄ , CCl _4, or the like is used for etching, depending on the purpose of processing.

Further, a plurality of exhaust ports for exhausting gas in the processing chamber, that is, an exhaust pipe 6 are provided in a lower peripheral portion of the processing chamber 2.
Is connected. A plurality of exhaust pipes 6 are provided according to the shape of the object to be processed. The exhaust pipe 6 is connected to an exhaust mechanism, for example, a rotary pump or a turbo molecular pump (not shown). Further, an exhaust adjusting means 7 which can be set to a predetermined opening ratio is detachably attached to the exhaust pipe 6 so that the gas in the processing chamber 2 is exhausted uniformly.

The exhaust adjusting means 7 is made of a material such as aluminum which has been subjected to a corrosion-resistant treatment. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical fixing member 71 attached to the exhaust pipe 6 and a removable fixing member 71 Cylindrical flange 72 fitted to
Consisting of The fixture 71 and the flange 72 are provided with a plurality of, for example, four openings 71a, 72a on the side surfaces thereof, and the gas in the processing chamber 2 is exhausted to the exhaust system through these openings 71a, 72a. To adjust the displacement, the flange 72 is rotated so that the opening 72a and the fixing member 71 are fixed.
This is performed by changing the degree of overlap with 1a. Thereby, the flow of the exhaust gas can be adjusted.

The exhaust adjusting means 7 'shown in FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, in which a flange 73 directly fitted to the exhaust pipe 6 is provided.
Consists of The flange 73 includes a cylindrical portion installed on the exhaust pipe 6 and an upper surface thereof, and has an opening 73a on the upper surface. The flange 73 has openings 73a of different diameters.
, For example, an opening diameter of 54 mm for an exhaust pipe diameter of 65 mm.
mm, 49 mm, 44 mm, etc. are prepared, and the flange 73 of the opening 73a having an optimum diameter is used according to the processing conditions. Since the flange 73 has a simple shape, it can be easily processed, and can avoid concentration of plasma.

Further, the processing chamber 2 is provided with an opening 8 for loading and unloading a substrate as an object to be processed, and an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) for opening and closing the opening 8 is provided in the processing chamber 2. It is provided on the outer surface of the side wall. By closing the opening / closing mechanism, the inside of the processing chamber 2 can be kept airtight. Load locks can be used as needed. The upper electrode 3 is fixed to a side surface of the processing chamber 2 via an insulating base 9. The insulating base 9 is made of quartz glass, ceramics or the like, and is fixed to the main body via an O-ring, and the upper electrode 3 is fixed via an O-ring. Further, a hole 3a for sending gas is formed in the upper electrode 3.
The gas supply port 5 is connected to the hole 3a.

A gas supply plate 10 having a plurality of gas supply ports 10a is attached to the upper electrode 3 as a gas supply path means for branching a gas supply path and ejecting gas to a plurality of locations in the processing chamber. The gas supply plate 10 has a gas passage connected to the hole 3a of the upper electrode 3 on one side, and a plurality of gas supply ports 10a provided on the other side communicate with the gas passage. The gas supply plate 10 is made of, for example, aluminum and has a gas passage and a gas supply port 10.
a has been subjected to a surface treatment to enhance corrosion resistance. The number and position of the gas supply ports 10a vary depending on the size and shape of the object to be processed and the gas to be used.
When etching a square LCD glass substrate of mm square, one point at the center and four points between the center and four sides, a total of 5
There are several places. A small baffle 11 for dispersing gas jets is fitted into each of the gas supply ports 10a. A gas supply plate 10 is further provided on the upper electrode 3.
A plurality of baffles 12 and 13 having substantially the same shape as
And the electrode plate 31 is fixed. These baffles 11, 1
A large number of small holes are arranged in four sides in 2 and 13, and the small holes of adjacent baffles are configured not to overlap with each other. The electrode plate 31 is also provided with a plurality of small-diameter holes for allowing gas to pass therethrough. With this configuration, the gas ejected from each gas supply port 10a is more uniformly dispersed and supplied between the electrodes as it passes through the baffles 11, 12, 13 and the electrode plate 31.

An insulating shield ring 32 is fixed to the outer periphery of the electrode plate 31. The shield ring 32 is made of quartz glass, ceramics, or the like, and acts so that discharge between the electrodes is concentrated on a predetermined portion of the lower electrode 4. On the other hand, the lower electrode 4 is supported by the elevating mechanism 14 and the elevating mechanism 1
The upper electrode 3 can be moved toward and away from the upper electrode 3 by the support 4, and is supported so as to keep a predetermined interval with the upper electrode 3 during processing. Further, the elevating mechanism 14 includes a mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the lower electrode 4, and the upper electrode 3 (the electrode plate 3).
It is configured to keep parallel to 1). The airtightness is maintained by a bellows 15 made of, for example, stainless steel or the like corresponding to the elevation. The lower electrode 4 is made of, for example, a flat plate made of aluminum, and has an alumite treatment on its surface. On the upper surface of the lower electrode 4, a rectangular substrate 16 which is an object to be processed is provided. In order to facilitate the installation of the substrate 16, the lower electrode 4 has lifter pins (not shown) which can be protruded and retracted from the surface. ) Is provided. Also,
In order to concentrate the discharge generated when the substrate 16 is subjected to the plasma processing on the surface of the substrate 16, a focus member 17 covering the lower electrode 4 is provided on a portion other than the substrate installation portion of the lower electrode 4.
Are provided detachably. This focus member 17
Is made of a material having a thickness of, for example, about 3 to 10 mm and having an L-shaped cross section, and is made of a material having a sufficiently high impedance with respect to RF than the substrate 16, such as Teflon (trade name), quartz glass, ceramics, or the like. Have been. Since the focus member 17 is detachable, it can be easily replaced.

Such an upper electrode 3 and a lower electrode 4
One of them is connected to the high frequency power supply 18 and the other is grounded. For example, in the case of etching with radicals, the upper electrode 3 is connected to a high-frequency power supply 18 as shown in FIG. In the case of the RIE mode in which etching is performed by ions, the lower electrode 4 is connected to a high-frequency power supply 18. Further, the inside of the processing chamber 2, the upper electrode 3 and the lower electrode 4 are maintained at a predetermined temperature by a temperature control mechanism (not shown).

Next, the operation of the processing apparatus configured as described above will be described. First, the processing chamber 2 is set to a predetermined reduced pressure state, and the opening 8 formed in the side wall of the processing chamber 2 is set.
Is opened, and the substrate 16 is loaded by a transport mechanism, for example, a handling arm (not shown). By setting the external space of the opening 8 as a load lock chamber, it is possible to maintain reduced pressure in the processing chamber 2 when opening and closing the opening 8. At this time, the lower electrode 4 is at a lower position by the lifting mechanism 14, and the substrate 16 is supported by lifter pins projecting from the surface. Then, the handling arm retreats, the opening 8 is closed, and the processing chamber is airtight. On the other hand, the lower electrode 4 is raised by the lifting mechanism 14 so that the substrate 16 is placed at a predetermined position on the lower electrode 4 and is set at a predetermined distance from the upper electrode 3.

Thereafter, an RF power is applied between the upper electrode 3 and the lower electrode 4 to generate a discharge between the upper electrode 3 and the lower electrode 4. At the same time, a predetermined gas from the gas supply source 54, that is, O ₂ gas for ashing, for example, SF ₆ , CF ₄ , CCl ₄ or the like for etching at a predetermined flow rate through the filter 53, the valve 52 and the supply pipe 51. The gas is supplied to the gas supply plate 10 through the hole 3a of the upper electrode. An exhaust adjusting means 7 (7 ') selected according to the flow rate of the supplied gas is attached to the exhaust pipe 6, and exhaust is performed at a predetermined exhaust amount. On the other hand, the supply path of the processing gas is divided into a plurality of parts by the gas supply port 10 a of the gas supply plate 10, and is blown out toward the electrode plate 31. At this time, the gas is firstly diffused by each baffle 11 provided in the gas supply port 10a, further diffused by the baffles 12 and 13, and diffused very uniformly in the surface direction of the electrode. 4 and sent.
This gas is turned into plasma by the discharge between the electrodes to generate, for example, radicals and selectively remove, for example, an α-Si film, a SiNx film, an Al film, and the like, which adhere to the surface of the substrate 16. The waste gas and excess gas generated by this plasma processing are exhausted as a uniform exhaust flow from exhaust pipes 6 provided at the four corners of the processing chamber 2 via exhaust adjusting means 7 (7 ').

In the above embodiment, an example of plasma processing using a rectangular LCD glass substrate as an object to be processed has been described. However, the processing apparatus of the present invention is applicable to all types of processing using semiconductor wafers and other gases. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the object to be processed.

[0022]

As is clear from the above description, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of exhaust ports of the processing chamber are provided,
By adjusting the volume, only the normal size
In addition, even with a large object, a uniform gas concentration can be formed over the entire surface and uniform processing can be performed. According to the plasma apparatus of the present invention , the exhaust amount is adjusted for each exhaust port.
Each exhaust port exhaust amount capable most uniform processing in accordance with the purpose or the like of the processing corresponding to the shape of the object to be processed by
It can be processed by selecting. In addition, maintenance is easy because it is detachable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a plasma apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a view showing one embodiment of an exhaust adjusting means of the plasma apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the exhaust adjusting means of the plasma device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional plasma device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Plasma apparatus 2 ... Processing chamber 3 ... Upper electrode 4 ... Lower electrode 5 ... Gas supply port 6 ... ... Exhaust pipe (exhaust port) 7,7'71,72,73a ... Exhaust adjusting means 16 ... Workpiece

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for processing an object to be processed placed in the processing chamber while evacuating with introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber, a plurality of exhaust ports below the peripheral portion of the processing chamber, the exhaust port A cylindrical fixture that attaches to the
A cylindrical flange removably fitted to the fixture
The fixture and the flange are each provided on a side surface.
It has a number of openings, and the openings are used for the purpose of processing and the shape of the object to be processed.
The degree of overlap is changed according to the shape and size,
A processing apparatus wherein the amount of exhaust from an exhaust port is adjusted for each exhaust port . 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be processed is a large LCD substrate .