JPH05259126A - Sputtering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an apparatus wherein the end time of an etching treatment can be judged properly by a method wherein the apparatus is provided with the following: a mass analyzer which detects and analyzes a component generated from the surface of a semiconductor substrate by the etching treatment; and a controller which judges the end time of the etching treatment and which outputs the end instruction of the etching treatment. CONSTITUTION:A sputtering apparatus is provided with a mass analyzer 4 and a controller 5; it is provided with a function to etch and remove an oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate 7 inside a sputtering and etching chamber 1. In the sputtering apparatus, the mass analyzer 4 detects and analyzes a component generated from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 7 by an etching treatment. The controller 5 is connected to the mass analyzer 4; it judges the end time of the etching treatment form data on the kind, physical properties on the amount and the like of the component which has been detected and analyzed by using the mass analyzer 4; it outputs the end instruction of the etching treatment. For example, when the component of an oxide film cannot be detected, an etching operation is finished.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus,
In particular, it relates to a sputtering apparatus for forming a thin film on a semiconductor substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sputtering apparatus comprises a sputter etch chamber and a sputter chamber. When forming a film on a semiconductor substrate, first, a natural oxide film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate is removed by etching in the sputter etch chamber. ,
The film is formed in the sputtering chamber.

[0003]

In the conventional sputtering apparatus, etching was performed in the sputter etching chamber with a constant RF power and a constant etching time prior to film formation.

Therefore, since the etching conditions are the same with respect to the thickness of the natural oxide film on the semiconductor substrate and the variation in the amount of gas generated during etching, when the etching is insufficient, the surface of the semiconductor substrate is sputtered. There is no continuity with the membrane,
Since this will result in malfunction of the semiconductor device, the etching time must be set to a long time,
Therefore, there is a problem that it takes a long time to manufacture the semiconductor substrate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sputtering apparatus that properly determines when etching will end.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention has a mass analyzer and a controller, and removes an oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate by etching in a sputter etching chamber. A sputtering device with a function, the mass analyzer detects and analyzes the components generated from the semiconductor substrate surface by the etching process, and the controller
It is connected to a mass analyzer, and judges the timing of the end of etching from the data such as the kind and amount of the physical properties of the components detected and analyzed by the mass analyzer, and outputs a command to end the etching process.

[0007]

When the etching is started, the oxide film component gas and moisture of the semiconductor substrate are detected by the mass analyzer. When the etching progresses and the lower layer component of the oxide film is detected and the oxide film component is no longer detected by the mass analyzer, this is judged to be the end time of the etching, and the controller outputs an etching end command.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a sputtering apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a sputter etch chamber 1 is shown.
Inside, there is a lower electrode 2 and an upper electrode 3, and both electrodes 2,
3 is connected to an RF power source (high frequency power source) 6.

In the present invention, the mass analyzer 4 is communicated with the sputter etch chamber 1 and the output end thereof is RF.
The controller 5 for controlling the power supply 6 is connected.

The mass analyzer 4 detects and analyzes the components generated from the surface of the semiconductor substrate by etching. The controller 5 controls the data such as the kind and amount of the physical properties of the components detected and analyzed by the mass analyzer 4. From the above, the timing of the end of etching is determined and an end command of the etching process is output to the RF power source 6.

In the embodiment, the semiconductor substrate 7 is installed as the evaporation source on the lower electrode 2, and the RF power source 6 is turned on to start the sputter etching process.

At the start of etching, moisture and gas components of the natural oxide film on the semiconductor substrate 7 are generated and detected by the mass analyzer 4. As the etching progresses, the semiconductor component in the lower layer of the natural oxide film is detected by the mass analyzer 4, and the gas component generated from the oxide film of the semiconductor substrate 7 is not detected. When the lower component of the oxide film and the oxide film component are no longer detected by the mass analyzer 4, the controller 5 judges the timing of the end of etching from the detection result and issues a power-off command to the RF power supply 6, Terminate sputter etching.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, by detecting / analyzing a component generated in the etching chamber during sputter etching, the end point of etching is specified from the detection / analysis result. It has an effect that an appropriate etching time can be set, an extra time is not spent on the etching process, and the semiconductor substrate can be efficiently manufactured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sputter Etch Chamber 2 Lower Electrode 3 Upper Electrode 4 Mass Analyzer 5 Controller 6 RF Power Supply 7 Semiconductor Substrate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sputtering apparatus having a mass analyzer and a controller and having a function of removing an oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate by etching in a sputter etching chamber, wherein the mass analyzer is a surface of the semiconductor substrate by etching. The controller is connected to the mass analyzer, and the controller detects the etching end time based on the data such as the type and amount of the physical properties of the component detected and analyzed by the mass analyzer. A sputtering apparatus, which outputs an end command.