KR20100129373A - Compound plasma reactor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A complex type plasma reactor is provided to uniformly generate plasma with the high density by uniformly controlling capacitive coupling between capacitively coupled electrodes. CONSTITUTION: A capacitively coupled electrode assembly(30) includes capacitively coupled electrodes(31, 33) in order to induce plasma discharge in a plasma reactor(10). Two or more main power supplying source(51) supplies power to the capacitively coupled electrode assembly. The capacitively coupled electrodes include a first electrode with an electrode recess and a second electrode installed in the electrode recess. Capacitively coupled plasma is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Description

Compound Plasma Reactor {COMPOUND PLASMA REACTOR}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma reactor. Specifically, a high density plasma can be generated uniformly by a more efficient capacitive coupling electrode, and plasma generation can be controlled for a plurality of discharge regions, thereby uniformizing a large area plasma. It relates to a complex plasma reactor that can be generated.

Plasma is a highly ionized gas containing the same number of positive ions and electrons. Plasma discharges are used for gas excitation to generate active gases containing ions, free radicals, atoms, molecules. The active gas is widely used in various fields and is typically used in a variety of semiconductor manufacturing processes such as etching, deposition, cleaning, ashing, and the like.

There are a number of plasma sources for generating plasma, and the representative examples are capacitive coupled plasma and inductive coupled plasma using radio frequency.

The capacitively coupled plasma source has the advantage of high process productivity compared to other plasma sources due to its high capacity for precise capacitive coupling control and ion control. On the other hand, since the energy of the radio frequency power supply is almost exclusively connected to the plasma through capacitive coupling, the plasma ion density can only be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the capacitively coupled radio frequency power. However, increasing radio frequency power increases ion bombardment energy. As a result, in order to prevent damage due to ion bombardment, radio frequency power is limited.

On the other hand, the inductively coupled plasma source can easily increase the ion density with the increase of the radio frequency power source, the ion bombardment is relatively low, it is known to be suitable for obtaining a high density plasma. Therefore, inductively coupled plasma sources are commonly used to obtain high density plasma. Inductively coupled plasma sources are typically developed using a radio frequency antenna (RF antenna) and a transformer (also called transformer coupled plasma). The development of technology to improve the characteristics of plasma, and to increase the reproducibility and control ability by adding an electromagnet or a permanent magnet or adding a capacitive coupling electrode.

As the radio frequency antenna, a spiral type antenna or a cylinder type antenna is generally used. The radio frequency antenna is disposed outside the plasma reactor and transmits induced electromotive force into the plasma reactor through a dielectric window such as quartz. Inductively coupled plasma using a radio frequency antenna can obtain a high density plasma relatively easily, but the plasma uniformity is affected by the structural characteristics of the antenna. Therefore, efforts have been made to improve the structure of the radio frequency antenna to obtain a uniform high density plasma.

However, in order to obtain a large plasma, it is limited to widen the structure of the antenna or increase the power supplied to the antenna. For example, it is known that a non-uniform plasma is generated in the radiographic state by a standing wave effect. In addition, when high power is applied to the antenna, the capacitive coupling of the radio frequency antenna increases, so that the dielectric window must be thickened, thereby increasing the distance between the radio frequency antenna and the plasma, thereby lowering power transmission efficiency. Losing problems occur.

In the recent semiconductor manufacturing industry, plasma processing technology has been further improved due to various factors such as ultra-miniaturization of semiconductor devices, the enlargement of silicon wafer substrates for manufacturing semiconductor circuits, the enlargement of glass substrates for manufacturing liquid crystal displays, and the emergence of new target materials. This is required. In particular, there is a need for improved plasma sources and plasma processing techniques that have good processing capabilities for large area workpieces.

An object of the present invention is a complex type that can generate a high-density plasma uniformly by the capacitive coupling electrode of a more efficient structure, the plasma generation can be controlled for a plurality of discharge areas to uniformly generate a large area plasma It is to provide a plasma reactor.

One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem relates to a complex plasma reactor. The hybrid plasma reactor of the present invention comprises: a plasma reactor; A capacitively coupled electrode assembly including a capacitively coupled electrode for inducing plasma discharge in the plasma reactor; And at least two main power sources for supplying power to the capacitively coupled electrode assembly, wherein the capacitively coupled electrode comprises a first electrode having an electrode groove formed therein and a second electrode provided in the electrode groove; A capacitively coupled plasma is generated between the second electrodes.

In one embodiment, the first electrode may have a structure in which an electrode groove is formed on one surface of the electrode plate.

In one embodiment, the first electrode has a structure in which an electrode groove is formed in the center of the cylindrical electrode.

In one embodiment, a first insulating layer may be provided between the first electrode and the second electrode.

In one embodiment, the capacitive coupling electrode may have a structure of any one or more of a circular structure, a square structure and a honeycomb structure.

In example embodiments, a third electrode may be installed in the second electrode in the plasma reactor, and a second insulating layer may be provided between the second electrode and the third electrode.

In an embodiment, the second electrode may be electrically connected to the main power supply, and the first electrode and the third electrode may be grounded.

In one embodiment, a gas outlet for introducing gas into the plasma reactor may be provided between the first electrode and the second electrode.

In one embodiment, the capacitively coupled electrode may include a cooling line to prevent overheating.

In an exemplary embodiment, an edge plasma generator may be installed at an edge of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly to induce plasma discharge in the plasma reactor, and a sub power source may be provided to supply power to the edge plasma generator. Can be.

In one embodiment, the edge plasma generating unit is installed on top of the plasma reactor and the dielectric window provided with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly in the open central region, and is installed on top of the dielectric window inductive coupling inside the plasma reactor It may include a radio frequency antenna for inducing a plasma discharge.

In one embodiment, a magnetic core cover is installed along the radio frequency antenna so that the magnetic flux entrance at the top of the dielectric window toward the interior of the plasma reactor.

In example embodiments, the capacitively coupled electrode assembly may have a plurality of discharge regions, and each discharge region may include the capacitively coupled electrode.

In an embodiment, the electronic device may include a current balancing circuit which adjusts a balance of currents supplied to the plurality of discharge regions.

In an embodiment, the current balancing circuit may be configured to adjust a balance of currents supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes of the respective discharge regions, and provide a plurality of first current balance circuits corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge regions. It may include a second current balance circuit for adjusting the balance of the current supplied to the first current balance circuit.

In an embodiment, the current balancing circuit may include a plurality of transformers for balancing current while driving the capacitively coupled electrodes of the respective discharge regions.

In an embodiment, the primary side of the plurality of transformers may be connected in series between a power input terminal to which the power is input and ground, and the secondary side may be connected to correspond to the capacitive coupling electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the secondary sides of the plurality of transformers may include grounded intermediate taps, and one end of the secondary side may output power of a non-inverted phase and the other end of power of an inverted phase.

In one embodiment, the current balance circuit may include a voltage level control circuit that can vary the current balance control range.

In one embodiment, the capacitively coupled electrode assembly may include an electrode mounting plate on which the capacitively coupled electrode is mounted.

In an embodiment, the electrode mounting plate may include a plurality of gas injection holes, and may include a gas supply unit supplying gas into the plasma reactor through the gas injection holes.

In one embodiment, the gas supply may include one gas supply channel or two or more separate gas supply channels.

In an embodiment, the gas supply unit may include a plurality of gas supply channels that are divided into a plurality of discharge regions corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge regions.

In one embodiment, an impedance matcher configured between the main power supply and the current balancing circuit may perform an impedance matching.

In one embodiment, it may include a filter for passing a frequency of a predetermined band from the power from the main power supply.

The main power supply may include a first main power supply for supplying a first frequency power to the first electrode, and a second main power supply for supplying a second frequency power to the second electrode. The filter may be provided on the second main power supply side to pass a frequency of a predetermined band from the first frequency power supply, and the filter may be provided on the first main power supply source side and a frequency of a predetermined band to the second frequency power supply. It may include a second filter passing through.

In one embodiment, the filter may include at least one of a high pass filter and a low pass filter.

In one embodiment, the plasma reactor has a support on which a substrate to be processed is placed, and the support may be either biased or unbiased.

In one embodiment, the support is biased but biased by a single frequency power supply or two or more different frequency power supplies.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a hybrid plasma reactor includes: a plasma reactor; A capacitively coupled electrode assembly having a plurality of discharge regions, each discharge region including a capacitively coupled electrode for inducing plasma discharge in the plasma reactor; A main power supply for supplying power to the capacitively coupled electrode assembly, wherein the capacitively coupled electrode comprises a first electrode having an electrode groove formed therein and a second electrode provided in the electrode groove; Generate a capacitively coupled plasma between the electrodes.

In one embodiment, the first electrode may have a structure in which an electrode groove is formed on one surface of the electrode plate.

In one embodiment, the first electrode may have a structure in which an electrode groove is formed in the center of the cylindrical electrode.

In one embodiment, the capacitive coupling electrode may have a structure of any one or more of a circular structure, a square structure and a honeycomb structure.

In an exemplary embodiment, an edge plasma generator is installed at an edge of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly to induce plasma discharge in the plasma reactor, and a sub power supply is provided to supply power to the edge plasma generator. can do.

In one embodiment, the edge plasma generating unit is installed on top of the plasma reactor and the dielectric window provided with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly in the open central region, and is installed on top of the dielectric window inductive coupling inside the plasma reactor It may include a radio frequency antenna for inducing a plasma discharge.

In one embodiment, a magnetic core cover is installed along the radio frequency antenna so that the magnetic flux entrance at the top of the dielectric window toward the interior of the plasma reactor.

In an embodiment, the electronic device may include a current balancing circuit which adjusts a balance of currents supplied to the plurality of discharge regions.

In an embodiment, the current balancing circuit may be configured to adjust a balance of currents supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes of the respective discharge regions, and provide a plurality of first current balance circuits corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge regions. It may include a second current balance circuit for adjusting the balance of the current supplied to the first current balance circuit.

In one embodiment, it may include a filter for passing a frequency of a predetermined band from the power from the main power supply.

The main power supply may include a first main power supply for supplying a first frequency power to the first electrode, and a second main power supply for supplying a second frequency power to the second electrode. The filter may be provided on the second main power supply side to pass a frequency of a predetermined band from the first frequency power supply, and the filter may be provided on the first main power supply source side and a frequency of a predetermined band to the second frequency power supply. It may include a second filter passing through.

In one embodiment, the filter may include at least one of a high pass filter and a low pass filter.

According to the complex plasma reactor of the present invention, a high-density plasma can be generated uniformly by a more efficient capacitive coupling electrode, and plasma generation can be controlled for a plurality of discharge regions, thereby generating a large-area plasma uniformly. Can be. In addition, large-area plasma can be generated uniformly by the plasma discharge of the edge region, and capacitively coupled plasma and inductively coupled plasma can be generated. In addition, the capacitive coupling electrode may be driven by multiple frequencies in each discharge region, and the current balance may be automatically achieved to uniformly control the capacitive coupling of the capacitive coupling electrodes to uniformly generate high-density plasma.

In order to fully understand the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiment of the present invention may be modified in various forms, the scope of the invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in detail below. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shape of the elements in the drawings and the like may be exaggerated to emphasize a more clear description. It should be noted that the same members in each drawing are sometimes shown with the same reference numerals. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and constructions which may be unnecessarily obscured by the gist of the present invention are omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a hybrid plasma reactor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plasma reactor 10, a gas supply unit 20, a capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30, and an edge plasma generator 40. The plasma reactor 10 is provided with a support 12 on which a substrate 13 to be processed is placed. The capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 and the edge plasma generator 40 are provided on the plasma reactor 10. The gas supply unit 20 is configured above the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 so that gas provided from a gas supply source (not shown) may be supplied to the plasma reactor 10 through the gas injection hole 32 of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30. Supply internally. The capacitive electrode assembly 30 has a capacitive coupling electrode 31 and 33 spaced apart from one surface of the electrode mounting plate 34 configured in the reactor body and the electrode mounting plate 34 in contact with the inner space of the reactor body 11. It includes. The capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 include a first electrode 31 having an electrode groove formed therein and a second electrode 33 provided in the electrode groove, and have a capacitance between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33. Generate a combined plasma. The gas injection holes 32 are formed at regular intervals along the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33. The electrode mounting plate 34 may be made of a metal, a nonmetal, or a mixed material thereof. Of course, when the electrode mounting plate 34 is made of a metal material, the electrode mounting plate 34 has an electrically insulating structure between the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33.

The main power supply 51 for supplying power to the capacitive electrode assembly 30 and the sub power supply 61 for supplying power to the edge plasma generator 40 may be provided in plural and the direct current power sources 53 and 63 may be provided. It may include. The radio frequency power generated from the main power supply 51 is supplied to the plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes 31 and 33 provided in the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 through the impedance matcher 55 and the current balance circuit 70. To induce a plasma capacitively coupled to the interior of the plasma reactor 10. The radio frequency power generated from the sub power supply 61 is supplied to the edge plasma generator 40 through the impedance matcher 65 to induce the plasma inside the plasma reactor 10. Plasma processing is performed on the substrate 13 by the capacitively coupled plasma generated in the plasma reactor 10 and the plasma generated in the edge plasma generator 40.

The plasma reactor 10 is provided with a support body 12 on which the reactor body 11 and the substrate 13 to be processed are placed. The reactor body 11 may be made of a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or copper. Or it may be made of coated metal, for example anodized aluminum or nickel plated aluminum. Alternatively, it may be made of refractory metal. As another alternative, it is also possible to fabricate the reactor body 11 in whole or in part with an electrically insulating material such as quartz, ceramic. As such, the reactor body 11 may be made of any material suitable for carrying out the intended plasma process. The structure of the reactor body 11 may have a structure suitable for uniform generation of the plasma, for example, a circular structure or a square structure, or any other structure depending on the substrate 13 to be processed.

The substrate 13 to be processed is, for example, substrates such as wafer substrates, glass substrates, plastic substrates, etc. for the manufacture of various devices such as semiconductor devices, display devices, solar cells, and the like. The plasma reactor 10 is connected to a vacuum pump 8. In the embodiment of the present invention, the plasma reactor 10 is subjected to plasma treatment on the substrate 13 under low pressure below atmospheric pressure. However, the capacitively coupled plasma reactor of the present invention can also be used as an atmospheric plasma processing system for processing a substrate under atmospheric pressure.

A support 12 for supporting the substrate 13 to be processed is provided in the plasma reactor 10. The substrate support 12 is connected and biased to the bias power sources 81 and 82. For example, two bias power sources 81 and 82 that supply different radio frequency power sources are electrically connected and biased to the substrate support 12 through an impedance matcher 85. The dual bias structure of the substrate support 12 facilitates plasma generation inside the plasma reactor 10 and further improves plasma ion energy control to improve process productivity. Alternatively, it may be modified to a single bias structure. Alternatively, the support 12 may be modified to have a zero potential without supplying a bias power supply. The substrate support 12 may include an electrostatic chuck (not shown). Alternatively, the substrate support 12 may include a heater (not shown).

2 is a plan view of a capacitively coupled electrode assembly and a radio frequency antenna installed in an edge region thereof according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a capacitively coupled electrode assembly and a radio frequency antenna and a gas supply unit installed in an edge region thereof. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the upper part of the reactor, and FIG. 4 is a view showing various modifications of the capacitively coupled electrode according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention are installed in the first electrode 31 and the electrode groove in which the electrode grooves are formed. It includes a second electrode 33, the first electrode 31 has a structure in which an electrode groove is formed on one surface of the electrode plate. Specifically, the electrode plate is provided on the bottom surface of the electrode mounting plate 34, the electrode groove has a structure of a rectangular groove that is dug to a predetermined depth without penetrating the electrode plate. A plurality of electrode plates formed in a plurality of electrode grooves at regular intervals toward the inside of the plasma reactor 10 become a first electrode 31, and each of the plurality of electrode grooves has a rod shape at a predetermined interval from an inner surface of the electrode groove. The formed electrode becomes the second electrode 33. The first insulating layer 35 is provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33. In addition, a plurality of gas outlets 39 may be provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 to send gas into the plasma reactor 10. The gas supply unit 20 may include one gas distribution plate 23, and a plurality of openings 25 may be formed at a lower end thereof. The plurality of openings 25 formed in the gas supply unit 20, the plurality of gas injection holes 32 formed in the electrode mounting plate 34, and the plurality of gas discharge ports 39 formed in the first electrode 31 correspond to each other. It has a structure for sending gas into the plasma reactor (10). The gas receives electrical energy between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 to generate a capacitively coupled plasma.

The hybrid plasma reactor according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a radio frequency antenna 43 installed at the edge region of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 to induce plasma discharge inside the plasma reactor 10. have. Specifically, with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 installed in the ceiling center region of the reactor body 11, the dielectric window 41 forms the ceiling outline of the reactor body 11, and A spiral radio frequency antenna 43 is provided above the dielectric window 41 along the periphery. This allows for improved control and more uniform high density plasma generation.

Referring to FIG. 4, the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have various shapes such as a rectangular structure and a honeycomb structure in addition to the circular structure described above.

5 and 6 are partial cross-sectional views of a radio frequency antenna provided with a magnetic core cover.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the radio frequency antenna 43 may be covered by the magnetic core cover 45. As shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic core cover 45 is covered for each line of the radio frequency antenna 43, or as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of lines 43-1 and 43-2 are covered by the magnetic core cover 45a. Can be covered. The magnetic core cover 45 is, for example, a magnetic core made of ferrite material and is covered along the radio frequency antenna 43 so that the magnetic flux entrance and exit faces the inside of the reactor body. As a result, the induced electromotive force generated by the radio frequency antenna 43 may be evenly transmitted to the inside of the plasma reactor 10, thereby improving the internal plasma generation efficiency of the plasma reactor 10.

7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a capacitive coupling electrode provided with a third electrode.

Referring to FIG. 7, the first electrode 31 is installed on the bottom surface of the electrode mounting plate 34 as an electrode plate, and the electrode grooves have a structure of rectangular grooves which are dug to a predetermined depth without penetrating the electrode plate. The second electrode 33 is formed in the shape of a rod at a predetermined distance from each of the electrode grooves, and between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33, the first insulating layer ( 35) is provided. The second electrode 33 may have a multi-stage structure in which a third electrode 33-1 is installed in the plasma reactor and two or more capacitively coupled electrodes are stacked. The second insulating layer 35-1 is provided between the second electrode 33 and the third electrode 33-1. The second electrode 33 may be electrically connected to the main power source, and the first electrode 31 and the third electrode 33-1 may be grounded. In addition, a plurality of gas outlets 39 may be provided between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 to inject gas into the plasma reactor 10. The plurality of gas injection holes 32 formed in the electrode mounting plate 34 and the plurality of gas discharge ports 39 formed in the first electrode 31 correspond to each other to send gas into the plasma reactor 10. Has a structure.

8 is a plan view of a capacitively coupled electrode assembly and a radio frequency antenna installed at an edge region thereof according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a view showing various modifications of the capacitively coupled electrode according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

8 and 9, the capacitive coupling electrodes 31a and 33a of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30a according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention are installed in the first groove 31a and the electrode groove in which the electrode grooves are formed. A second electrode 33a is included, and the first electrode 31a has a structure in which an electrode groove is formed in the center of the cylindrical electrode. Specifically, the cylindrical electrode is provided on the bottom surface of the electrode mounting plate 34a, and the electrode groove has a structure of a square groove which is dug to a predetermined depth without penetrating the cylindrical electrode. The plurality of cylindrical electrodes having electrode grooves toward the inside of the plasma reactor 10 become the first electrode 31a, and are formed in a rod shape at regular intervals with an inner surface of the electrode groove in the electrode grooves of the plurality of cylindrical electrodes. The electrode becomes the second electrode 33a. The first insulating layer 35a is provided between the first electrode 31a and the second electrode 33a. In addition, a plurality of gas outlets 39a may be provided between the first electrode 31a and the second electrode 33a to inject gas into the plasma reactor 10. The plurality of gas injection holes 32a formed in the electrode mounting plate 34a and the plurality of gas discharge ports 39a formed in the first electrode 31a correspond to each other to send gas into the plasma reactor 10. Has The gas receives electrical energy between the first electrode 31a and the second electrode 33a to generate a capacitively coupled plasma.

The hybrid plasma reactor according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include a radio frequency antenna 43 installed in the edge region of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30a to induce plasma discharge in the plasma reactor 10. have. Specifically, a spiral radio frequency antenna 43 is installed along the periphery of the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30 in a state where the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30 is installed in the center region. This allows for improved control and more uniform high density plasma generation.

Referring to FIG. 10, the capacitive coupling electrodes 31a and 33a according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may have various shapes such as a rectangular structure and a honeycomb structure in addition to the circular structure described above.

11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the top of the reactor showing separate gas supplies for the capacitively coupled electrode assembly and the radio frequency antenna.

Referring to FIG. 11, the gas supply unit 20 may include two gas supply channels 20-1 and 20-2 capable of separately supplying process gases. The gas supply unit 20 is a dielectric of the first gas supply channel 20-1 and the edge region for supplying process gas through the first group of gas injection holes 32 opened in the electrode mounting plate 34 in the center region. A second gas supply channel 20-2 is provided to supply process gas through the second group of gas injection holes 42 opened in the window 41. Specifically, the first gas supply channel 20-1 is installed on the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30, and the second gas supply channel 20-2 is installed on the radio frequency antenna 43. . The first and second gas supply channels 20-1 and 20-2 have independent components to supply gas. One or more gas distribution plates 23-1 and 23-2 may be provided in the first and second gas supply channels 20-1 and 20-2 of the gas supply unit 20. A plurality of openings 25-1 and 25-2 corresponding to the two groups of gas injection holes 32 and 42 are formed. In such a structure, the process gas supplied into the plasma reactor 10 may control the gas flow rates supplied to the edge region and the central region through two gas supply channels 20-1 and 20-2, respectively. More uniform plasma generation and processing is possible.

12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a capacitively coupled electrode having a cooling line, and FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a power supply method for a capacitively coupled electrode.

12, the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a cooling line 37 for preventing overheating. The first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 may each include a cooling line 37. Referring to FIG. 13, the current balancing circuit 70 distributes the power provided from the main power supply 51 to the plurality of capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 to be driven in parallel. Preferably, the current balancing circuit 70 automatically balances the currents supplied to the plurality of capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33. The capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 is driven by being supplied with a single frequency power source fm1 to induce capacitively coupled plasma inside the plasma reactor 10. The capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 may be driven at multiple frequencies, but the method of driving at multiple frequencies may be modified in various ways.

14 is a view showing a power supply structure having a plurality of frequency power supplies and filters.

Referring to FIG. 14, the hybrid plasma reactor of the present invention cuts off the frequency pass filter 91, 93 and the frequency of the predetermined band for passing the frequency of the predetermined band from the power source from the main power supply 51, 52. It may further include a frequency cut filter (95, 97) for. For example, when the first main power source 51 is a low frequency power source having a relatively low frequency, and the second main power source 52 is a high frequency power source having a relatively high frequency, the first main power source 51 and the first impedance. A first low pass filter 91 is installed between the matching unit 55-1 and a first high pass filter 95 is installed between the first ground and the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30. A second high pass filter 95 is installed between the second main power supply 52 and the second impedance matcher 55-2 and a second low pass between the second ground and the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30. The filter 97 is installed. Here, the first and second low pass filters 91 and 93 may be implemented as coils, and the first and second high pass filters 95 and 97 may be implemented as capacitors. The first low pass filter 91 and the second high pass filter 93 become frequency pass filters for the first main power source 51 and the second main power source 52, respectively. 95. The second low pass filter 97 is a frequency cutoff filter for the second main power supply 52 and the first main power supply 51, respectively. The first high pass filter 95 is installed between the first impedance matcher 55-1 and the first current balancing circuit 70-1, or the capacitively coupled electrode assembly with the first current balancing circuit 70-1. The plurality of capacitor coupling electrodes 31 and 33 may be provided between the plurality of capacitors 30. The second low pass filter 97 is installed between the second impedance matcher 55-2 and the second current balancing circuit 70-2, or the capacitively coupled electrode assembly with the second current balancing circuit 70-2. The plurality of capacitor coupling electrodes 31 and 33 may be provided between the plurality of capacitors 30.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of current balancing circuits corresponding to a plurality of discharge regions.

Referring to FIG. 15, the capacitive electrode assembly 30 has a plurality of discharge regions 30-1 to 30-4, and each discharge region 30-1 to 30-4 has a plasma inside the plasma reactor 10. Capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 for inducing discharge; The current balancing circuit 70 distributes the power provided from the main power sources 51 and 52 to the plurality of discharge regions 30-1 to 30-4 of the capacitive electrode assembly 30 to be driven in parallel. That is, the current distributed in each discharge region 30-1 to 30-4 can be controlled by the current balancing circuit 70. Preferably, the current balancing circuit 70 automatically balances the currents supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 of each discharge region 30-1 to 30-4. The current balancing circuit 70 adjusts the balance of the current supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 of each of the discharge regions 30-1 to 30-4, and the plurality of discharge regions 30-1 to 30-4. A plurality of first current balance circuits 70-1 and a second current balance circuit 70-2 for adjusting the balance of the current supplied to the first current balance circuit 70-1 are provided. It may include. For example, the plurality of first current balancing circuits 70-1 and the second current balancing circuits 70-2 are connected in a pyramid structure to distribute currents by 25% for each discharge region 30-1-30-4. Can be provided to

16 to 19 show various modifications of a current balancing circuit composed of a plurality of transformers, and FIG. 20 shows a current balancing circuit including a voltage level adjusting circuit.

Referring to FIG. 16, the current balancing circuit 70 includes a plurality of transformers 71 which drive the capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 in parallel and balance the current. The primary side of the plurality of transformers 71 is connected in series between the power input terminal to which the radio frequency is input and ground, and one end of the secondary side is connected to correspond to the plurality of capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 and the other end is commonly grounded. do. The plurality of transformers 71 evenly divides the voltage between the power input terminal and the ground and outputs the divided plurality of divided voltages to the corresponding first electrode 31 among the plurality of capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33. Among the plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes 31 and 33, the second electrode 33 is commonly grounded. Referring to FIG. 17, as another embodiment, the other ends of the secondary sides of the plurality of transformers 71a may not be connected to each other and grounded.

Since the current flowing to the primary side of the plurality of transformers 71 is the same, the power supplied to the plurality of first electrodes 31 is also the same. When the impedance of any one of the plurality of capacitive coupling electrodes 31 and 33 is changed to change the amount of current, the plurality of transformers 71 may interact with each other to achieve a current balance. Therefore, the current supplied to the plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes 31 and 33 is continuously and automatically adjusted uniformly. In the plurality of transformers 71, the winding ratios of the primary side and the secondary side are basically set to 1: 1, but this can be changed.

Referring to FIG. 18, one variation of the current balancing circuit 70 includes an intermediate tap 72 in which the secondary sides of the plurality of transformers 71b are grounded, respectively, and one end of the secondary side receives the power of the non-inverted phase. Outputs power of the inverted phase, respectively. The power of the non-inverted phase is supplied to the second electrode 33 of the plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes with the power of the phase reversed to the first electrode 31 of the plurality of capacitively coupled electrodes. Referring to FIG. 19, a plurality of transformers 71c may be connected in a pyramid structure to distribute current by 50% to provide the plurality of capacitor coupling electrodes 31 and 33.

Referring to FIG. 20, another variation of the current regulation circuit 70 may include a voltage level adjustment circuit 75 that may vary the current balance adjustment range. The voltage level adjustment circuit 75 includes a coil 77 having a multi tap and a multi tap switching circuit 78 for connecting one of the multi taps to ground. The voltage level adjusting circuit 75 applies a voltage level that is varied according to the switching position of the multi-tap switching circuit 78 to the current balancing circuit 70, and the current balancing circuit 70 applies the voltage level adjusting circuit 75. The current balance adjustment range is changed by the voltage level determined by.

21 and 22 are plan views of edge plasma generating units formed of capacitively coupled electrodes.

Referring to FIG. 21, the edge plasma generator 40a according to another embodiment of the present invention may be embodied as an edge side capacitive coupling electrode 43a provided surrounding the edge region of the capacitive coupling electrode assembly 30. Specifically, the edge plasma generator 40a is installed on the upper portion of the plasma reactor 10 and has an edge spaced electrode mounting plate (not shown) provided with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 in the opened central region and the inner space of the reactor body. It may include an edge-side capacitive coupling electrode (43a) is provided at intervals on one surface of the edge-side electrode mounting plate in contact with. One or more sub power sources 61 supplying power to the edge-side capacitive coupling electrode 43a may be provided and may include a DC power source 63. The radio frequency power generated from the sub power source 61 is supplied to the edge side capacitive coupling electrode 43a through the impedance matcher 65 to induce the capacitively coupled plasma inside the plasma reactor 10. Referring to FIG. 22, the edge-side capacitive coupling electrode 43b provided in the edge region of the capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30 may have a structure in which linear electrodes are installed in each direction of the edge region. The edge-side capacitive coupling electrode 43b provided in the edge region may have various other modifications.

23 is a cross-sectional view of multiple plasma reactors sharing a gas supply.

Referring to FIG. 23, a complex plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention includes first and second plasma reactors 10a and 10b and first and second plasma reactors configured in parallel with respect to a gas supply unit 20a. The gas supply unit 20a configured between the first and second multi-source target assemblies 30a and 30b and the first and second multi-source target assemblies 30a and 30b respectively provided in the interiors 10a and 10b, respectively. It includes. In the first and second plasma reactors 10a and 10b, supports 12a and 12b in which the substrates 13a and 13b are placed are disposed to face the first and second multi-source target assemblies 30a and 30b. Is installed to the side. The gas supply unit 20 is configured between the first and second multi-source target assemblies 30a and 30b to supply gas provided from a gas source (not shown) to the first and second multi-source target assemblies 30a and 30b. The gas is supplied into the first and second plasma reactors 10a and 10b through the gas injection holes 32a and 32b. As a result, the production speed of the substrate to be processed can be increased and production efficiency can be improved.

The embodiment of the hybrid plasma reactor of the present invention described above is merely exemplary, and it is well understood that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible to those skilled in the art. You will know. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

 The complex plasma reactor of the present invention can be very usefully used in plasma processing processes for forming various thin films such as fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits, flat panel display fabrication, and solar cell fabrication.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a plan view of a capacitively coupled electrode assembly and a radio frequency antenna installed in an edge region thereof according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the reactor showing the capacitively coupled electrode assembly and the radio frequency antenna and gas supply installed in the border region thereof.

4 illustrates various modifications of the capacitively coupled electrode according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6 are partial cross-sectional views of a radio frequency antenna provided with a magnetic core cover.

7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a capacitive coupling electrode provided with a third electrode.

8 is a plan view of a capacitively coupled electrode assembly and a radio frequency antenna installed in an edge region thereof according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a capacitively coupled electrode assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a view showing various modifications of the capacitively coupled electrode according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the top of the reactor showing separate gas supplies for the capacitively coupled electrode assembly and the radio frequency antenna.

12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a capacitively coupled electrode with a cooling line formed thereon.

13 is a view showing a power supply method for a capacitively coupled electrode.

14 is a view showing a power supply structure having a plurality of frequency power supplies and filters.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of current balancing circuits corresponding to a plurality of discharge regions.

16 to 19 illustrate various modifications of a current balancing circuit composed of a plurality of transformers.

20 is a diagram showing a current balancing circuit including a voltage level adjusting circuit.

21 and 22 are plan views of edge plasma generating units formed of capacitively coupled electrodes.

23 is a cross-sectional view of multiple plasma reactors sharing a gas supply.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

10 plasma reactor 8: vacuum pump

11 reactor body 12 substrate support

13 substrate to be processed 20 gas supply unit

30: capacitively coupled electrode assembly 30-1 to 30-4: a plurality of discharge regions

31, 33: capacitive coupling electrode 32, 42: gas injection hole

34: electrode mounting plate 37: cooling line

39: gas discharge port 40: edge plasma generating unit

41: dielectric window 43: radio frequency antenna

45: magnetic core cover 51: the main power supply

55: impedance matcher 61: sub power source

53, 63: DC power supply 70: current balancing circuit

71: a plurality of transformers 72: the middle tap

75: voltage level control circuit 77: coil

78: multi-tap switching circuit 91, 93: frequency pass filter

95, 97: frequency cut filter 81, 82: bias power supply

Claims (40)

Plasma reactor; A capacitively coupled electrode assembly including a capacitively coupled electrode for inducing plasma discharge in the plasma reactor; Comprising two or more main power supply for supplying power to the capacitive coupling electrode assembly, The capacitive coupling electrode includes a first electrode having an electrode groove and a second electrode provided in the electrode groove, Hybrid plasma reactor for generating a capacitively coupled plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode. The method of claim 1, The first electrode has a structure in which the electrode groove is formed on one surface of the electrode plate. The method of claim 1, The first electrode has a complex plasma reactor having an electrode groove formed in the center of the cylindrical electrode. The method of claim 1, A hybrid plasma reactor having a first insulating layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The method of claim 1, The capacitively coupled electrode has a complex plasma reactor having at least one of a circular structure, a square structure and a honeycomb structure. The method of claim 1, The third electrode is installed in the second direction in the plasma reactor in the second electrode, the hybrid plasma reactor is provided between the second electrode and the third electrode. The method of claim 6, The second electrode is electrically connected to the main power supply, and the first electrode and the third electrode are grounded. The method of claim 7, wherein And a gas outlet for introducing gas into the plasma reactor is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The method of claim 1, The capacitively coupled electrode comprises a cooling line to prevent overheating. The method of claim 1, An edge plasma generator installed at an edge region of the capacitive coupling electrode assembly to induce plasma discharge into the plasma reactor; And a sub power supply for supplying power to the edge plasma generator. The method of claim 10, The edge plasma generation unit A dielectric window installed above the plasma reactor and provided with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly in an open central region; And a radio frequency antenna installed above the dielectric window to induce a plasma discharge inductively coupled to the plasma reactor. The method of claim 11, And a magnetic core cover installed along the radio frequency antenna such that a magnetic flux entrance and exit toward the interior of the plasma reactor at the top of the dielectric window. The method of claim 1, The capacitively coupled electrode assembly has a plurality of discharge regions, each discharge region comprising the capacitively coupled electrode. The method of claim 13, And a current balancing circuit for adjusting a balance of currents supplied to the plurality of discharge regions. The method of claim 14, The current balancing circuit adjusts the balance of the current supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes of the respective discharge regions, and is provided in a plurality of first current balancing circuits corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge regions, and is supplied to the first current balancing circuit. A hybrid plasma reactor comprising a second current balancing circuit for adjusting the balance of the current to be. The method of claim 14, The current balancing circuit includes a plurality of transformers in parallel to drive the capacitive coupling electrode of each discharge region to balance the current. The method of claim 16, A primary side of the plurality of transformers is connected in series between a power input terminal to which the power is input and ground, and a secondary side is connected corresponding to the capacitive coupling electrode. The method of claim 17, Secondary sides of the plurality of transformers each comprising a grounded middle tab, One end of the secondary side of the hybrid plasma reactor for outputting the power of the non-inverted phase and the other end of the reversed phase. The method of claim 16, The current balancing circuit includes a plasma plasma control circuit comprising a voltage level control circuit capable of varying the current balance control range. The method of claim 1, The capacitively coupled electrode assembly may include an electrode mounting plate on which the capacitively coupled electrode is mounted. 21. The method of claim 20, The electrode mounting plate includes a plurality of gas injection holes, And a gas supply unit for supplying gas into the plasma reactor through the gas injection hole. The method of claim 21, The gas supply unit Hybrid plasma reactor comprising one gas supply channel or two or more separate gas supply channels. The method of claim 13, And a impedance matcher configured between the main power supply and the current balance circuit to perform impedance matching. The method of claim 1, And a filter for passing a frequency of a predetermined band from a power source from the main power source. The method of claim 24, The main power supply source includes a first main power supply for supplying a first frequency power to the first electrode, and a second main power supply for supplying a second frequency power to the second electrode, The filter may be provided on the second main power supply side to pass a frequency of a predetermined band from the first frequency power supply, and the first filter may be provided on the first main power supply source to adjust a frequency of a predetermined band from the second frequency power supply. A hybrid plasma reactor comprising a second filter to pass through. The method of claim 25, Wherein said filter comprises at least one of a high pass filter and a low pass filter. The method of claim 1, The plasma reactor has a support on which a substrate to be processed is placed, wherein the support is either biased or unbiased. The method of claim 27, Wherein the support is biased, a hybrid plasma reactor is biased by a single frequency power supply or two or more different frequency power supply. Plasma reactor; A capacitively coupled electrode assembly having a plurality of discharge regions, each discharge region including a capacitively coupled electrode for inducing plasma discharge in the plasma reactor; Including a main power supply for supplying power to the capacitive coupling electrode assembly, The capacitive coupling electrode includes a first electrode having an electrode groove and a second electrode provided in the electrode groove, Hybrid plasma reactor for generating a capacitively coupled plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode. 30. The method of claim 29, The first electrode has a structure in which the electrode groove is formed on one surface of the electrode plate. 30. The method of claim 29, The first electrode has a complex plasma reactor having an electrode groove formed in the center of the cylindrical electrode. 30. The method of claim 29, The capacitively coupled electrode has a complex plasma reactor having at least one of a circular structure, a square structure and a honeycomb structure. 30. The method of claim 29, An edge plasma generator installed at an edge region of the capacitive coupling electrode assembly to induce plasma discharge into the plasma reactor; And a sub power supply for supplying power to the edge plasma generator. 34. The method of claim 33, The edge plasma generation unit A dielectric window installed above the plasma reactor and provided with the capacitively coupled electrode assembly in an open central region; And a radio frequency antenna installed above the dielectric window to induce a plasma discharge inductively coupled to the plasma reactor. The method of claim 34, wherein And a magnetic core cover installed along the radio frequency antenna such that a magnetic flux entrance and exit toward the interior of the plasma reactor at the top of the dielectric window. 30. The method of claim 29, And a current balancing circuit for adjusting a balance of currents supplied to the plurality of discharge regions. The method of claim 36, The current balancing circuit adjusts the balance of the current supplied to the capacitive coupling electrodes of the respective discharge regions, and is provided in a plurality of first current balancing circuits corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge regions, and is supplied to the first current balancing circuit. A hybrid plasma reactor comprising a second current balancing circuit for adjusting the balance of the current to be. 30. The method of claim 29, And a filter for passing a frequency of a predetermined band from a power source from the main power source. 39. The method of claim 38, The main power supply source includes a first main power supply for supplying a first frequency power to the first electrode, and a second main power supply for supplying a second frequency power to the second electrode, The filter is provided on the second main power supply side to pass a frequency of a predetermined band from the first frequency power supply, and the first main power supply is provided on the side to supply a frequency of a predetermined band from the second frequency power supply. A hybrid plasma reactor comprising a second filter to pass through. 39. The method of claim 38, Wherein said filter comprises at least one of a high pass filter and a low pass filter.

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