JPH05315295A - Plasma etching device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily put or take out samples in or from the title device and, at the same time, to prevent erroneous application of a high-frequency voltage while an upper lid is opened by dividing a shield cover into two parts and providing a means which fixes one part of the cover and makes the other part movable together with the upper lid. CONSTITUTION:A shield cover 1 is divided into two parts and one part is fixed, with the other part being made movable together with an upper lid 2. In addition, an inner pipe 3 is also divided into two parts and one part is made movable. When a lever 10 is pull up, the shield cover 1 on the lever 10 side rotates around a shaft 11 together with the upper lid 2, upper electrode 12, etc., and a plasma generating chamber is opened. In addition, a high-frequency power source 14 is connected to a switch 7 which is constituted in such a way that the switch 7 is turned off when the plasma generating chamber is opened. Therefore, workers can put or take out a sample 5 in or from the plasma generating chamber by opening the chamber through nearly one action and they are never exposed to such a danger that a high-frequency voltage is erroneously applied.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma etching apparatus for photoresist ashing of semiconductor devices, etching of polysilicon or silicon nitride, and more particularly to a mechanism for opening / closing a plasma reaction chamber thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional dry process plasma etching apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process is described in detail, for example, in "Semiconductor Plasma Process Technology" by Takuo Kanno (Industrial Books). Plasma etching equipment
It was composed of a plasma generation chamber, a plasma gas introduction device, a high-frequency power supply, a vacuum exhaust system, and the like, and an electromagnetic shield was provided to shield electromagnetic wave leakage from the power supply unit, the quartz plasma generation chamber, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a plasma generating chamber of a conventional plasma etching apparatus. The sample 5 is placed on the table 4, the quartz tube 3 is attached, and the shield cover 1
After mounting, the upper lid 2 is tightened, the inside is evacuated, the plasma gas is introduced, and plasma is generated by high-frequency discharge. Further, the distance between the plasma electrodes has been changed by changing the vertical position of the table 4.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional plasma etching apparatus, there are problems in operability and safety particularly with respect to taking in and out of a Si wafer. That is, in FIG. 3, the sample 5 was taken in and out by first opening the upper lid 2, then removing the shield cover 1, and then removing the quartz tube 3, which was troublesome and very inconvenient. When changing the distance between the plasma electrodes, it is necessary to open the upper lid 2 each time to bring the plasma generating chamber to atmospheric pressure, adjust the position of the table 4, and then close the upper lid 2 to evacuate the inside. there were.

Further, there is a possibility that a high frequency voltage for plasma generation may be erroneously applied with the shield cover 1 removed or the upper lid 2 opened, which is dangerous. The purpose of the present invention is to simplify the loading and unloading of the sample,
At the same time, it is possible to change the distance between the plasma electrodes while maintaining a vacuum state, and further, plasma etching in which a high frequency voltage is prevented from being accidentally applied while the shield cover 1 is removed or the upper lid 2 is opened. To provide a device.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the shield cover is divided into two parts and one of them is fixed,
The other is movable together with the upper lid. Further, the inner cylinder is also divided into two, and one of them is connected to the rotating means so as to be movable. Further, the upper electrode is attached to the upper lid so that the attachment position can be adjusted. Further, it is connected to the rotating means to control the connection of the high frequency voltage.

[0007]

[Operation] By moving the movable shield cover,
One of the upper lid and the shield cover of the plasma generation chamber is moved to form an opening for taking out the sample. Further, by moving the movable shield cover, the plasma generating chamber is sealed and at the same time the electromagnetic shield is completed. Also, by connecting one of the divided quartz tubes to the movable shield cover, the area of the opening for taking out the sample is increased. Further, the position adjusting means for the upper electrode, which is attached to the upper lid, makes it possible to adjust the position of the upper electrode while keeping the plasma generation chamber sealed. Further, the high frequency voltage connection control means automatically shuts off the high frequency voltage when the plasma generating chamber is opened.

[0008]

1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a plasma generating chamber of a plasma etching apparatus according to the present invention. The plasma generation chamber is sealed by the quartz tube 3 and the upper lid 2, and the exhaust pipe 8
After evacuating through the chamber, a plasma gas is introduced, a high-frequency power source 14 is connected between the upper electrode 12 and the table 4 which are grounded, and the plasma gas is turned into a plasma. Plasma etching. The distance between the electrodes of the plasma discharge is set by the knob 6 attached to the upper lid 2 while the plasma generation chamber is closed.
Adjust by changing the position of.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the plasma generation chamber of FIG. 1 is opened. By pulling up the lever 10 in the upward direction, the shield cover 101 on the lever 10 side is rotated around the shaft 11 together with the upper lid 2, the upper electrode 12 and the like to open the plasma generating chamber. Further, the quartz tube 3 can be similarly divided into two and one of them can be opened together with the shield cover 101. The other shield cover 1
02 is fixed together with the table 4 and the base 9. When the quartz tube 3 is divided into two as described above, one of them is similarly fixed.

Further, the high frequency power source 14 is connected to the switch 7, and the switch 7 is cut off by linking with the opening of the plasma generating chamber. Therefore, the worker can open the plasma generation chamber with almost one touch to install or take out the sample 5, and at this time, there is no risk of accidentally applying the high frequency voltage. After the sample 5 is installed, the lever 10 is returned to its original position, the chamber 5 is evacuated to reduce the pressure inside the plasma generation chamber, and a high frequency voltage is applied to etch the sample 5. At this time, since the shield covers 101 and 102 are in close contact with each other and closed, electromagnetic waves do not leak out of the device.

[0011]

According to the present embodiment, the electromagnetic wave shield cover, the upper lid, the upper electrode, the quartz tube and the like of the plasma generating chamber can be opened and closed integrally, so that the sample can be taken in and out easily and the work can be made efficient. You can Further, the pillar 13 for supporting the conventional upper lid shown in FIG. 3 can be omitted,
Further, since a part of the shield cover is opened and closed, the weight when opening and closing can be reduced. Further, at the same time, the distance between the plasma electrodes can be changed in a vacuum state, so that the plasma generation conditions can be optimized quickly. Further, since the high frequency voltage cannot be applied unless the shield cover, the upper lid, the upper electrode, the quartz tube, etc. are closed, the high frequency voltage is erroneously applied when the shield cover 1 is removed or the upper lid 2 is opened. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a plasma generating chamber according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an open / closed view of the plasma generation chamber shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generation chamber of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 101, 102 ... Shield cover, 2 ... Top cover, 3 ...
Quartz tube, 4 table, 5 sample, 6 knob, 7 switch, 8 exhaust pipe, 9 base, 10 lever
11 ... Shaft, 12 ... Upper electrode, 13 ... Pillar, 14 ... High frequency power supply.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plasma etching apparatus for etching a sample by applying a high-frequency voltage between a pair of electrodes in a plasma generation chamber provided with an inner cylinder and an upper lid for putting in and taking out a sample and a shield cover, A plasma etching apparatus comprising means for fixing the shield cover in two, fixing one of the shield covers and moving the other together with the upper cover. 2. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner cylinder is divided into two parts, one of which is fixed and the other is connected to the moving means so as to be movable. 3. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for attaching one of the pair of electrodes to the upper lid and further adjusting the attachment position. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A plasma etching apparatus comprising a switch for controlling the connection of the high frequency voltage in association with the movement of the rotating means.