KR20040096044A - Inductive plasma chamber having multi discharge tube bridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An inductive coupled plasma chamber having a multi-discharge tube bridge is provided to obtain high-density plasma and simplify a gas supply structure by increasing plasma volume and plasma uniformity. CONSTITUTION: A discharge tube head(12) includes a gas inlet for receiving gas and a plurality of openings. A process chamber(20) includes a gas outlet for discharging the gas, a plurality of openings corresponding to the openings of the discharge tube head, and a susceptor. A working piece is loaded on the susceptor. A plurality of discharge tube bridges(16) are formed between the openings of the discharge tube head and the openings of the process chamber. One or more ferrite cores(18) are installed at each discharge tube bridge. The ferrite cores include wires connected to a power supply in order to generate the electromotive force.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an induction plasma chamber having multiple discharge tube bridges,

The present invention relates to a plasma source, and more particularly to an inductive coupled plasma source and to an induction plasma chamber having a plurality of discharge tube bridges.

A plasma is a highly ionized gas containing the same number of positive ions and electrons. Current plasma sources are widely used in various fields. For example, cleaning, etching, deposition, and the like, for manufacturing semiconductor devices for producing semiconductor chips.

ICP (inductively coupled plasma) or TCP (transformer coupled plasma) generation technology has been widely studied in this application field. The RF ICP approach provides the advantage of not having electrodes in contact with the plasma in providing electromagnetic energy for generating plasma. In the capacitive coupled plasma (CCP) method using an electrode, impurities are generated from electrodes that are in contact with the plasma, which adversely affects the final product.

Techniques for inductively coupled discharges for plasma etching and resist stripping are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,431,898 issued to Alan Allenberg et al. On Feb. 14, 1984, for a description of an early ICP plasma source.

Recently, a plasma source having a larger volume, uniformity, and high density is required in the field of the technology using plasma. There has been a demand for a plasma source capable of efficiently processing large-sized wafers in the production of semiconductor devices. A plasma source capable of processing a liquid crystal display panel of a large size is also required in the production of a liquid crystal display panel. However, it is difficult to obtain high density plasma with high uniformity by simply increasing the size of the induction coil or transformer in order to obtain a large volume of plasma.

A technique related to an inductive RF plasma source having an external discharge bridge is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,392,351 issued to Jenny Vanceco on May 21, 2002. And U.S. Patent Publication No. 6432260 issued to Leonard J. Mahoney et al on Aug. 13, 2002 discloses an inductively coupled ring-plasma source device for process gas and materials and a method for the same.

However, in the above-described techniques, it is difficult to obtain a high-density plasma having a uniform volume and a wide volume with only a C-shaped bridge to which a transformer is coupled. For example, the connection structure between a C-shaped bridge and a working chamber or a process chamber is a structure in which the plasma gas is difficult to uniformly diffuse while maintaining a high density within the working chamber. In addition, in the case of having a plurality of C-shaped bridges as in these techniques, the gas supply structure for supplying the process gas must be complicatedly designed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an induction plasma chamber having multiple discharge tube bridges which can increase the plasma volume while achieving uniformity and high density plasma and simplify the gas supply structure, .

1 is a perspective view of an induction plasma chamber according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the induction plasma chamber of Figure 1;

3 is a plan view showing an example in which four discharge tube bridges are arranged;

4 is a plan view showing an example in which seven discharge tube bridges are arranged;

5 is a view showing an insulation structure of a discharge tube head and a multiple discharge tube;

6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the structure of the discharge tube bridge and the process chamber is modified;

7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a gas shower plate is installed in a discharge tube head;

8 is a plan view of the gas shower plate of Fig. 7;

9 is a view showing an example in which a cooling pipe is mounted on a discharge tube head;

10 and 11 are a perspective view and a plan view showing an example in which a gas guide is installed in a discharge tube head;

12 and 13 are diagrams showing examples in which permanent magnets are installed on the upper surface of the process chamber;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an induction plasma chamber according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. And

15 is a cross-sectional view of the induction plasma chamber of Fig.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

10: plasma reactor 12: discharge tube head

14: gas input part 16: discharge tube bridge

18: ferrite core 20: process chamber

22: susceptor 24: workpiece

30: Power source

In order to achieve the above object, an induction plasma chamber having a multiple discharge tube bridge according to the present invention comprises: a hollow discharge tube head having a gas inlet for receiving gas and a plurality of openings; A process chamber having a gas outlet for discharging the gas and a susceptor in which a plurality of openings corresponding to the openings of the discharge tube head are formed on the upper surface and a workpiece is placed on the inner side; A plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges connected between the openings of the discharge tube head and the openings of the process chamber; And a ferrite core disposed on each of the discharge tube bridges, the ferrite core having a winding connected to a power source to generate an electromotive force for generating plasma in the discharge tube head, the discharge tube bridge and the process chamber.

In this embodiment, a ring-shaped insulating member and a ring-shaped vacuum chamber are connected between the discharge tube head and the discharge tube bridge, and a rim of a certain upper region of the process chamber has an inclined surface inclined to an upward center.

In this embodiment, the discharge tube bridge has an enlarged structure in which the diameter of the upper end portion connected to the opening of the discharge tube head is gradually widened, and the upper surface of the process chamber has a structure inclined to the center portion.

In this embodiment, the discharge tube head includes a gas shower plate having a plurality of through holes formed therein in the lateral direction.

In this embodiment, the discharge tube head includes a cooling channel.

In this embodiment, the discharge tube bridge has a cylindrical shape, and the plurality of discharge tube bridges are arranged in a uniformly symmetrical structure as a whole.

In this embodiment, one discharge tube bridge is located at the center of the plurality of discharge tube bridges, and the remaining discharge tube bridges are arranged at equal intervals around the other.

In this embodiment, the cross sectional area of the central discharge tube bridge is approximately one half of the sum of the cross sectional areas of the remaining discharge tube bridges located in the periphery.

In this embodiment, a gas guide is provided inside the discharge tube head so that a plasma discharge loop is formed between the openings symmetrical to each other around the opening arranged in a symmetrical structure.

In this embodiment, a plurality of permanent magnets are disposed on the upper surface of the process chamber for inducing a plasma discharge path so that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an induction plasma chamber having multiple discharge tube bridges includes: a process chamber having a gas outlet for discharging a gas with an inclined surface inclined upward toward the center, the susceptor having a workpiece placed thereon; A gas inlet tube provided at the center of the upper portion of the process chamber to receive a gas; A plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges connected between a plurality of openings formed in the periphery of the process chamber and a plurality of openings formed in the periphery of the gas input tube; And a ferrite core disposed on each of the discharge tube bridges, wherein the ferrite core has a winding connected to a power source to generate an electromotive force for generating plasma in the discharge tube bridge and the process chamber.

In this embodiment, the discharge tube bridge is bent in a '' shape, and each ferrite core is installed on both sides bent.

In this embodiment, a plurality of permanent magnets are disposed on the upper inclined surface of the process chamber to induce a plasma discharge path so that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber.

(Example)

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments disclosed herein are provided so that the disclosure can be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an induction plasma chamber according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the induction plasma chamber of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the induction plasma chamber of the present invention mainly comprises a process chamber 20 and a plasma reactor 10 thereon. The plasma reactor 10 is composed of a hollow type discharge tube head 12 and a plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges 16. The discharge tube head 12 and the discharge tube bridge 16 may be made of aluminum coated with alumina.

The discharge tube head 12 is provided with a cylindrical gas inlet 14 having a hollow disc shape and being supplied with a gas at an upper center thereof. A process gas is provided from a gas source (not shown) through the gas inlet 14. The gas inlet 14 may be insulated with an insulating material made of a separate ceramic material. A plurality of openings 13 are formed in the lower portion of the discharge tube head 12.

The process chamber 20 includes a gas outlet 26 connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) for discharging gas to the inner bottom surface, and a work piece 24, such as a susceptor 22 are provided. The susceptor 22 is electrically connected to the bias power source 34. [ A plurality of openings 25 corresponding to the openings 13 of the discharge tube head 12 are formed on the upper surface 23. In particular, the process chamber 20 has an inclined surface 21 in which the rim of the upper certain region is inclined upward toward the center.

A discharge tube bridge 16 is connected between the openings 13 of the discharge tube head 12 and the openings 25 of the process chamber 20, respectively. The discharge tube bridge 16 has a cylindrical shape and a plurality of discharge tube bridges 16 are arranged in a symmetrical structure having a uniform interval on the upper surface 23 of the process chamber 20 as a whole. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, four discharge tube bridges 16 may be arranged. Or as shown in Fig. 4, six discharge tube bridges 17a may be circularly arranged on the upper surface 23 and one discharge tube bridge 17b may be located at the center thereof. In this case, it is preferable that the cross sectional area of the central discharge tube bridge 17b be approximately half the sum of the cross sectional areas of the remaining discharge tube bridges 17a located in the periphery.

Each of the discharge tube bridges 16 is provided with at least one ferrite core 18 and the ferrite core 18 has a winding 32 connected to a power source 30. As shown in Fig. 5, a ring-shaped vacuum seal 40 is provided between the discharge tube head 12 and the discharge tube bridge 16, and a ring-shaped insulating member 42 such as a ceramic ring Respectively.

The induction plasma chamber of the present invention is characterized in that the process gas is introduced through the gas inlet 14 and the RF power is supplied from the power supply source 30 to the winding 32. The induction plasma chamber is connected to the discharge tube head 12 and the discharge tube bridge 16, An electromotive force is transmitted to the inside of the chamber 20 to perform plasma discharge. The discharge path is made between mutually opposing discharge tube bridges when having four discharge tube bridges 16. In the case of the seven discharge tube bridges 17a and 17b, a discharge path is formed in common to the central discharge tube bridge 17b.

In this manner, multiple discharge paths are formed by the multiple discharge tube bridges 16, so that a high-density plasma having a large volume is formed inside the process chamber 20. At this time, the generated plasma gas uniformly diffuses to the lower portion of the process chamber 20 where the susceptor 22 is located because the upper part of the upper part of the process chamber 20 has an inclined surface 21 inclined upward toward the center Loses.

To further increase the efficiency, the induction plasma chamber may be modified as shown in FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the structure of the discharge tube bridge and the process chamber is modified.

Referring to the drawings, the discharge tube bridge 16a has an enlarged structure in which the diameter of the upper end portion connected to the opening of the discharge tube head 12 is gradually widened, so that gas can be easily introduced. Additionally or alternatively, the upper surface 23a of the process chamber 20 may have a structure inclined to the center. In this way, the gas can be more easily discharged and the uniform diffusion can be assisted.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a gas shower plate is installed in a discharge tube head, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of a gas shower plate in FIG. Referring to the drawings, it is possible to provide a gas shower plate 50 having a plurality of through holes 52 in the transverse direction inside the discharge tube head 12 so as to have a uniform distribution when the gas is introduced. In order to prevent the discharge tube head 12 from being overheated, a cooling tube 60 may be provided around the discharge tube head 12 and a bracket 62 for the discharge tube head 12 may be mounted as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a gas guide 65 is provided so as to form a plasma discharge loop between openings symmetrical to each other around the opening 13 arranged symmetrically in the inside of the discharge tube head 12. [ Can be installed. 12 and 13, a plurality (not shown) for inducing a plasma discharge path such that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber 20 on the upper surface 23 of the process chamber 20, The permanent magnets 68 can be disposed.

The induction plasma chamber of the present invention can be modified to include only a plurality of discharge tube bridges as described below without installing the discharge tube head as described above. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an induction plasma chamber according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the induction plasma chamber of FIG.

Referring to the drawings, in the induction plasma chamber, the process chamber 70 is provided with a gas outlet 79 for discharging a gas having an inclined surface 72 whose center portion is raised and inclined upward toward the center, and a workpiece 78 is placed inside A susceptor 76 is provided. The susceptor 76 is electrically connected to the bias power source 104. A gas inlet tube 74 is provided at the center of the upper portion of the process chamber 70. The gas input tube 74 may be insulated with a ceramic tube.

A plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges 80 are provided between a plurality of openings 75 formed in the periphery of the process chamber 70 and a plurality of openings 77 formed in the periphery of the gas input tube 74. The discharge tube bridge 80 is bent in a '' shape, and the ferrite cores 82 and 84 are installed on both sides bent. The ferrite cores (82, 84) are provided with a winding (102) connected to a power source (100).

The connecting portion 92 of the gas input pipe 74 and the process chamber 70 is provided with a ring-shaped vacuum chamber and a ring-shaped insulating member such as a ceramic ring on the inside thereof, as described above. An insulating member 90 is also installed on the plurality of discharge tube bridges 80. The installation position of the insulating member 90 may be provided at a connection portion with the gas input pipe 74 or the process chamber 70, or may be provided with a vacuum chamber.

The induction plasma chamber according to the modified embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of discharge tube bridges 80 and a plurality of discharge tube bridges 80 when the process gas is injected through the gas input tube 74 and power is supplied to the windings 102 from the power source 100. [ An electromotive force is transmitted to the inside of the chamber 70 to perform plasma discharge. The discharge path is made between mutually opposing discharge tube bridges when there are four discharge tube bridges 80.

In this way, multiple discharge paths are formed by the multiple discharge tube bridges 80, so that a high-density plasma having a large volume is formed inside the process chamber 70. The generated plasma gas is uniformly diffused to the lower portion of the process chamber 20 where the susceptor 22 is located because the upper side of the process chamber 20 has an inclined surface 72 inclined to the center.

Although not shown in the drawings, as described above, a plurality of permanent magnets for guiding the plasma discharge path are disposed on the upper inclined surface 72 of the process chamber 70 so that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber .

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It is of course possible to change and change.

As described above in detail, the plasma volume can be increased, uniformity can be increased, high-density plasma can be obtained, and the gas supply structure can be simplified.

Claims (14)

A hollow discharge tube head having a gas inlet for receiving a gas and a plurality of openings; A process chamber having a gas outlet for discharging the gas and a susceptor in which a plurality of openings corresponding to the openings of the discharge tube head are formed on the upper surface and a workpiece is placed on the inner side; A plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges connected between the openings of the discharge tube head and the openings of the process chamber; And And at least one ferrite core installed in each of the discharge tube bridges, The ferrite core has a winding connected to a power source to provide a discharge tube head and a discharge tube bridge, and a multiple discharge tube bridge for generating an electromotive force for generating plasma in the process chamber. The induction plasma chamber according to claim 1, further comprising a multiple discharge tube bridge in which a ring-shaped insulating member and a ring-shaped vacuum chamber are connected between the discharge tube head and the discharge tube bridge. The induction plasma chamber according to claim 1, wherein a rim of a certain upper region of the process chamber has an inclined surface inclined upward. The process chamber of claim 1, wherein the discharge tube bridge has an expansion structure in which a diameter of an upper portion connected to an opening of the discharge tube head is gradually widened, and an upper surface of the process chamber is provided with a multiple discharge tube bridge Inductive plasma chamber. The induction plasma chamber of claim 1, wherein the discharge tube head includes a gas shower plate having a plurality of through holes formed therein in a transverse direction. The induction plasma chamber of claim 1, wherein the discharge tube head includes a multiple discharge tube bridge including a cooling channel. The induction plasma chamber according to claim 1, wherein the discharge tube bridge has a cylindrical shape, and the plurality of discharge tube bridges are arranged in a uniformly symmetrical structure as a whole. [10] The induction plasma chamber of claim 7, wherein the plurality of discharge tube bridges include a plurality of discharge tube bridges having one discharge tube bridge at the center and the remaining discharge tube bridges at equal intervals. 9. The induction plasma chamber of claim 8, wherein the cross sectional area of the central discharge tube bridge is approximately one half of the sum of the cross sectional areas of the remaining discharge tube bridges located in the periphery. The induction plasma chamber according to claim 7, wherein the gas guide is provided in the inside of the discharge tube head such that a plasma discharge loop is formed between the openings symmetrical to each other around the opening arranged symmetrically. The induction plasma chamber of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the process chamber has a multiple discharge tube bridge in which a plurality of permanent magnets are arranged to induce a plasma discharge path so that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber. A process chamber having a gas outlet for discharging the gas with a slope inclined toward the upward center and a gas inlet for discharging the gas, and a susceptor on which the workpiece is placed; A gas inlet tube 74 provided at the center of the upper portion of the process chamber for injecting gas; A plurality of hollow discharge tube bridges connected between a plurality of openings formed in the periphery of the process chamber and a plurality of openings formed in the periphery of the gas input tube; And And at least one ferrite core installed in each of the discharge tube bridges, Wherein the ferrite core has a winding connected to a power source to provide a discharge tube bridge and a process chamber with multiple discharge tube bridges for generating electromotive force for plasma generation. 13. The induction plasma chamber of claim 12, wherein the discharge tube bridge includes a multiple discharge tube bridge bent in a " shape " 13. The induction plasma chamber of claim 12, wherein the upper inclined surface of the process chamber has a multiple discharge tube bridge in which a plurality of permanent magnets are arranged to induce a plasma discharge path so that a plasma discharge is evenly formed inside the process chamber.