KR101955575B1 - Apparatus and Method for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate using a plasma. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber for providing a processing space in which a process is performed, a support unit for supporting the substrate in the chamber, a gas supply unit for supplying process gas for performing the process to the substrate, And a baffle unit disposed between the inner side and the supporting unit and having a hole for exhausting the process gas in the processing space, wherein the baffle unit includes an upper baffle provided to be movable up and down between a first height and a second height, . As a result, the size of the processing space of the chamber can be adjusted.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE [0002]

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate using plasma.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, various processes for processing a substrate using a plasma are used for manufacturing a semiconductor device. These processes include etching, deposition, and cleaning processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing a general substrate processing apparatus, in which a baffle is provided inside a chamber. The process by-products generated during the process are exhausted to the outside of the chamber through the baffle 510. This limits the processing space to the upper space of the baffle 510 within the chamber. The size of the processing space affects the plasma density. However, the structure of the baffle 510 is fixed, and the processing space can not be adjusted.

In addition, the residence time of the plasma in the processing space differs depending on the length of the through hole 512 of the baffle 510. In general, the length of the through hole 512 of the baffle 510 is provided to be fixed, which makes it difficult to control the plasma residence time.

In addition, plasma has different etch rates for reactants depending on the temperature of the processing space in which the process is performed. The chamber 100 is provided with a temperature adjusting member for keeping the temperature of the processing space at a constant level, and an opening A through which the substrate is taken in and out is formed in one side wall thereof. The processing space of the chamber 100 has a generally cylindrical shape and includes an area where the opening A is formed. As a result, the opening A and the inner region B of the adjacent chamber 100 are lower in temperature than the other inner region C.

Korea Patent: 10-2010-0138687

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for adjusting the size of a processing space of a chamber.

The present invention also provides an apparatus and method for controlling the residence time of a plasma provided in a processing space of a chamber.

The present invention also provides an apparatus and a method that can prevent the process uniformity from being lowered in the region adjacent to the opening through which the substrate is taken in and out of the entire region of the processing space.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate using a plasma. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber for providing a processing space in which a process is performed, a support unit for supporting the substrate in the chamber, a gas supply unit for supplying process gas for performing the process to the substrate, And a baffle unit disposed between the inner side and the supporting unit and having a hole for exhausting the process gas in the processing space, wherein the baffle unit includes an upper baffle provided to be movable up and down between a first height and a second height, .

Further comprising a liner unit for protecting the inner surface of the chamber from the process gas, the liner unit being positioned between the inner side of the chamber and the baffle unit, the liner being fixedly coupled to the upper baffle, And a moving liner driver. The baffle unit may further include an upper baffle driver for moving the upper baffle up and down. The baffle unit may further include a lower baffle positioned below the upper baffle and a lower baffle driver moving the lower baffle up and down to a contact position and a spaced position.

A method of processing a substrate using plasma, the method comprising: providing a plasma to a substrate supported by a support unit within a chamber to perform a process, wherein for the first group of substrates, Wherein the upper baffle is located at a first height and for a second group of substrates different than the first group of substrates the upper baffle is located at a second height and is positioned in the first and second groups Thereby changing the size of the processing space of the chamber.

Wherein the lower baffle positioned below the upper baffle moves to a contact position and a spaced position to adjust a residence time of the plasma staying in the processing space, wherein the contact position is a position where the lower baffle is in contact with the upper baffle, The spaced apart position may be provided at a position where the lower baffle is spaced apart from the upper baffle. The upper baffle is fixedly coupled to a liner positioned between the chamber and the upper baffle and can be moved to the first and second heights as the liner moves.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and a method capable of adjusting the size of a processing space of a chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method for controlling a plasma residence time provided in a processing space of a chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and a method that can solve the etching unevenness due to the opening of the chamber.

Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to uniformly provide the temperature for the entire region of the processing space of the chamber.

1 is a sectional view showing a general substrate processing apparatus.
2 is a sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liner and baffle unit of FIG. 2 cut vertically. FIG.
FIGS. 4 to 6 are sectional views sequentially illustrating a process of performing the process using the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a baffle unit according to another embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a baffle unit according to another embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma source according to another embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG.

The embodiments of the present invention can be modified into various forms and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiments described below. The present embodiments are provided to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand the present invention. Accordingly, the shapes of the components and the like in the drawings are exaggerated in order to emphasize a clearer description.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus and method for etching a substrate using plasma will be described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various kinds of apparatuses and methods for performing a process using a plasma.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 9. Fig.

2 is a sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2, the substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber 100, a support unit 200, a gas supply unit 300, a plasma source 400, a liner unit 600, a baffle unit 500, and a control unit 700).

The chamber 100 provides a space in which the process proceeds. The chamber 100 is provided with a cylindrical metal material. An exhaust hole 120 is formed in the bottom surface of the chamber 100. The exhaust hole 120 is connected to the exhaust line on which the pump 140 is mounted. The pump 140 provides vacuum pressure to the interior of the chamber 100 through an exhaust line. The by-products generated during the process and the process gas staying in the chamber 100 are discharged to the outside of the chamber 100 through the exhaust hole 120. The inside of the chamber 100 is reduced in pressure to a predetermined pressure through the exhaust hole 120. An opening 160 is formed in one side wall of the chamber 100. The opening 160 functions as a passage through which the substrate is carried in or out. The opening 160 is opened and closed by a door 180 provided on an outer wall of the chamber 100.

The support unit 200 supports the substrate within the chamber 100. The support unit 200 may be provided with an electrostatic chuck that adsorbs the substrate using an electrostatic force. Optionally, the support unit 200 may support the substrate in various ways, such as mechanical clamping.

The support unit 200 includes a dielectric plate 210, a ring assembly 250, and a base 230.

The dielectric plate 210 is placed directly on the substrate. The dielectric plate 210 is provided in a disc shape. Inside the dielectric plate 210, a heater 212 for heating the substrate is provided. The heater 212 maintains the substrate at the process temperature during the process. The heater 212 may be provided as a helical coil.

The ring assembly 250 has a focus ring 252 and an edge ring 254. The focus ring 252 focuses the plasma onto the substrate. A focus ring 252 is provided to surround the dielectric plate 210. The focus ring 252 is provided in an annular ring shape. The focus ring 252 is provided in a shape in which the upper surface side portion thereof is higher than the inner side portion. The upper side inner side portion of the focus ring 252 supports the bottom edge region of the substrate. The upper surface side of the focus ring 252 is provided to surround the side area of the substrate. An edge ring 254 is provided to enclose the focus ring 252.

The base 230 supports the dielectric plate 210. The base 230 is positioned below the dielectric plate 210 and is fixedly coupled to the dielectric plate 210. The upper surface of the base 230 has a stepped shape such that its central region is higher than the edge region. The central portion of the upper surface of the base 230 has a size corresponding to the bottom surface of the dielectric plate 210. A cooling passage 232 is formed in the base 230. The cooling channel 232 is provided as a passage through which the cooling fluid circulates. The cooling fluid can maintain the substrate at the process temperature while the cooling flow path 232 is flowing. The cooling channel 232 may be provided in a spiral shape inside the base 230. Alternatively, the cooling channel 232 may be provided to the dielectric plate 210.

The gas supply unit 300 supplies a process gas into the chamber 100. The gas supply unit 300 includes a gas reservoir 350, a gas supply line 330, and a gas inlet port 310. The gas supply line 330 connects the gas storage 350 and the gas inlet port 310. The process gas stored in the gas storage unit 350 is supplied to the gas inlet port 310 through the gas supply line 330. A valve is provided in the gas supply line 330 to open or close the passage, or to control the flow rate of the gas flowing in the passage.

The plasma source 400 excites the process gas staying in the chamber 100 into a plasma state. The plasma source 400 provides the internal space of the chamber 100 to the discharge space. The plasma source 400 may be provided as a capacitive coupled plasma source.

The plasma source 400 includes an upper electrode 410, a lower electrode 430, and a power source 432. The upper electrode 410 and the lower electrode 430 are vertically opposed to each other.

The upper electrode 410 includes a shower head 412 and a ring member 426. The showerhead 412 is positioned opposite the dielectric plate 210 and has a larger diameter than the dielectric plate 210. The showerhead 412 is positioned below the gas inlet port 310. The showerhead 412 receives the process gas from the gas inlet port 310. At the bottom of the showerhead 412, spray holes 411 for spraying the process gas are formed. The ring member 426 is provided so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the shower head 412. The ring member 426 contacts the shower head 412 and is electrically connected to the shower head 412. The lower electrode 430 is provided inside the dielectric plate 210. The lower electrode 430 is positioned above the heater. The upper electrode 410 is grounded and the lower electrode 430 is connected to a power source 432. When a high frequency power is applied to the lower electrode 430 from the power source 432, a discharge space is formed between the upper electrode 410 and the lower electrode 430. The process gas staying in the discharge space can be excited into a plasma state.

The liner unit 600 includes a liner 610, a heater 630, and a liner driver 650. The liner 610 is provided inside the chamber 100. The liner 610 is provided to be adjacent to the inner wall of the chamber 100. The liner 610 has a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom surfaces. The liner 610 has a diameter that generally corresponds to the inner wall of the chamber 100. This allows the liner 610 to prevent the inner wall of the chamber 100 from being damaged during the process gas excitation process.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the liner and baffle unit of Fig. 1 cut in a vertical direction. Fig. 3, the liner 610 is provided so as to be movable up and down. The liner 610 is movable by the liner driver 650. The liner 610 is provided to be movable between an open height and a cut-off height. The open height is the height at which the liner 610 opens the opening 160. The liner 610 located at the open height is positioned lower than the lower end of the opening 160 at its upper end. The cut-off height is the height at which the liner 610 blocks the opening 160. The liner 610 located at the cut-off height is the height at which the top of the liner 610 is positioned higher than the top of the opening 160.

If the liner 610 is located at the cut-off height during the process, etching unevenness due to the opening 160 can be eliminated. And the temperature uniformity due to the opening 160 can be improved. When the liner 610 is located at the open height, the liner 610 can avoid interference with the substrate to be loaded and unloaded. According to one example, the cut-off height may be provided by a first cut-off height (dashed line in Fig. 2) and a second cutoff height (solid line in Fig. 2). The first blocking height may be a relatively high position relative to the second blocking height.

The heater 630 heats the liner 610. The heated liner 610 transfers heat to the interior space of the chamber 100. The heater 630 is provided to the liner 610. The heater 630 may be provided inside the liner 610. The heater 630 has a helical coil shape and is evenly provided from the lower end to the upper end of the liner 610. The liner 610 heated by the heater 630 heats the internal space of the chamber 100. According to one example, the liner 610 located at the cut-off height can uniformly heat the internal space of the chamber 100. [ This is because the liner 610 heats the region adjacent to the opening 160 to maintain the internal temperature of the chamber 100 uniformly, even though the interior region of the chamber 100 adjacent to the opening 160 maintains a somewhat lower temperature than other regions. . For example, the heater 630 may be provided in various forms such as a plate heater.

The liner driver 650 provides power to move the liner 610 up and down. The liner driver 650 may move the liner 610 to an open height, a first blocking height, and a second blocking height.

The baffle unit 500 includes an upper baffle 510, a lower baffle 530, and a lower baffle driver 550.

The upper baffle 510 defines the size of the processing space within the chamber 100. The processing space is the upper region of the upper baffle 510 inside the chamber 100. The upper baffle 510 is provided inside the chamber 100. The upper baffle 510 is positioned between the liner 610 and the support unit 200. The upper baffle 510 has an annular ring shape. A plurality of through holes 512 are formed in the upper baffle 510. The process gas staying in the chamber 100 is exhausted to the exhaust hole 120 through the through hole 512. [ The upper baffle 510 is fixedly coupled to the liner 610. The upper baffle 510 is moved up and down with the liner 610. The upper baffle 510 is movable between a first height and a second height. The size of the processing space in the chamber 100 may be varied depending on the height of the upper baffle 510. [ Depending on the size of the processing space, the density of the plasma provided in the processing space can be adjusted. The density of the plasma affects the etch rate of the substrate. According to one example, the higher the height of the upper baffle 510, the smaller the size of the process space and the greater the density of the plasma. On the other hand, the lower the height of the upper baffle 510, the larger the size of the processing space and the lower the density of the plasma. For example, when the liner 610 is positioned at a first cut-off height, the upper baffle 510 is moved to a first height, and when the liner 610 is positioned at a second cut height, Lt; / RTI >

The lower baffle 530 can control the residence time of the plasma within the processing space. The lower baffle 530 is located below the upper baffle 510. The lower baffle 530 has a shape similar to the upper baffle 510. The lower baffle 530 is arranged so that the through-hole 532 formed therein aligns with the through-hole 512 of the upper baffle 510. The lower baffle 530 is adjustably provided with its height independently of the upper baffle 510. The lower baffle 530 is movable up and down by the lower baffle driver 550. The lower baffle 530 moves its height to the contact and spaced positions to adjust the spacing between the upper baffles 510. The contact position is higher than the separation position. According to one example, the contact position is where the lower baffle 530 contacts the upper baffle 510, and the spaced position may be the position where the lower baffle 530 is spaced apart from the upper baffle 510. The gap between the lower baffle 530 and the upper baffle 510 affects the exhaust flow rate of the plasma. The lower baffle 530 may adjust the gap between the upper baffles 510 to control the exhaust flow rate of the plasma. According to one example, the lower baffle 530 located in the contact position can further reduce the exhaust flow rate of the plasma as compared to the lower baffle 530 located in the spaced apart position. Generally, as the length of the through holes 512 and 532 becomes longer, the discharge of the plasma through the lower baffle 530 does not occur smoothly. In the embodiment of the present invention, the lower baffle 530 and the upper baffle 510 are in contact with each other, so that the through holes 512 and 532 are provided long.

The control unit 700 controls the lower baffle driver 550 and the liner driver 650. The control unit 700 controls the liner driver 650 such that the liner 610 is positioned at the open height, the first break height, and the second break height according to the process. The control unit 700 also controls the lower baffle driver 550 such that the lower baffle 530 is positioned at a spaced or contacted position, depending on the process.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are views sequentially illustrating a process of performing the process using the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 2. FIG. An example of a method of processing a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 2 is as follows. When the etching process for the first group of substrates proceeds, the liner 610 is moved to the open height, and the door 180 is moved downward to open the opening 160. A first group of substrates is loaded into the chamber 100 through the openings 160 and placed in the dielectric plate 210. The liner 610 is moved from the open height to the first interruption height, and the door 180 is moved up to block the opening 160. At the same time, the upper baffle 510 is moved to the first height. When high-frequency power is applied to the lower electrode 430, a discharge space is formed in the processing space. The process gas is supplied to the discharge space to generate plasma. The lower baffle 530 is moved to the contact position. The first group of substrates is treated by plasma. Upon completion of the etching process, the liner 610 is moved to the open height and the door 180 is moved downward to open the opening 160. The first group of substrates is carried out of the chamber 100 through the openings 160.

In the above example, the etching process for the first group of substrates has been described. However, when the etching process is performed on the second group of substrates, the upper baffle 510 can be moved to the second height. This allows the second group of substrates to be provided with a larger processing space than the first group of substrates.

Further, when the etching process is performed on the second group of substrates, the lower baffle 530 can be moved to the separated position. This allows the exhaust flow rate of the plasma in the process of the second group of substrates to be greater than the process of the first group of substrates.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the upper baffle 510 is fixedly coupled to the liner 610 and moved together with the liner 610 has been described. However, the liner 610 is not provided as in the substrate processing apparatus of Fig. 7, and the upper baffle 510 may be provided to be movable by the upper baffle driver 650. Fig.

8, the baffle unit 500 may be provided with only the upper baffle 510 among the upper baffle 510 and the lower baffle 530.

Also, the height of the upper baffle 510 is provided at a first height and a second height. However, the upper baffle 510 may be provided at one or more than three heights.

Also, in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 9, the plasma source 400 may be provided as an inductively coupled plasma (" plasma ") source. The plasma source 400 has an antenna 450 disposed outside the chamber 100. A high frequency power source 460 may be connected to the antenna 450. According to an example, the antenna 450 may be provided on the top of the chamber 100.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

100: chamber 200: support unit
300: gas supply unit 500: baffle unit
510; Upper baffle 600: liner unit
610: liner 650: liner driver

Claims (7)

A chamber for providing a processing space in which a process is performed;
A support unit for supporting the substrate in the chamber;
A gas supply unit for supplying a process gas for performing the process to the substrate;
And a baffle unit positioned between the inner side surface of the chamber and the supporting unit and having through holes for exhausting the process gas in the processing space;
Wherein the baffle unit comprises:
An upper baffle provided to be movable up and down between a first height and a second height lower than the first height;
A lower baffle located below the upper baffle;
And a lower baffle driver for moving the lower baffle up and down to a contact position in contact with the upper baffle and a spaced apart position away from the upper baffle,
Wherein the lower baffle is located in the contact position when the upper baffle is located at the first height and the lower baffle is located in the spaced position when the upper baffle is located at the second height. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising: a liner unit protecting the inner surface of the chamber from the process gas;
Wherein the liner unit comprises:
A liner positioned between the inner side of the chamber and the baffle unit and fixedly coupled to the upper baffle;
And a liner driver for moving the liner up and down. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the baffle unit comprises:
And an upper baffle driver for moving the upper baffle up and down. delete A method of processing a substrate using a plasma,
Performing a process by providing a plasma to a substrate supported by a support unit inside the chamber,
For a first group of substrates, an upper baffle located between the support unit and the inner side of the chamber at a first height, and for a second group of substrates different from the first group of substrates, Wherein the processing chamber is positioned at a second height lower than the first height to change the size of the processing space of the chamber in accordance with the first group and the second group,
Wherein when the upper baffle is positioned at the first height, the lower baffle located below the upper baffle is moved to a contact position where the lower baffle contacts the upper baffle, and when the upper baffle is positioned at the second height, Wherein the substrate is moved to a spaced apart position away from the upper baffle to adjust the residence time of the plasma to remain within the processing space. delete 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the upper baffle is fixedly coupled to a liner positioned between the chamber and the upper baffle and is moved to the first and second heights in accordance with movement of the liner.

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