KR20190047411A - Radical generator for suppling radical optionally - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a radical generator for selectively supplying radical comprises: a plasma generation unit receiving power from a power supply unit through an impedance matcher and receiving a gas from a gas supply unit to generate plasma and discharge radical; and a control unit controlling the power supply unit, the impedance matcher, and the gas supply unit. The control unit may control the power to be supplied intermittently so that the radical may be discharged discontinuously two or more times in the plasma generation unit while a process of processing the substrate is performed.

Description

[0001] RADICAL GENERATOR FOR SUPPLY RADICAL OPTIONALLY [0002]

The present invention relates to a radical generator that selectively supplies radicals.

The plasma discharge can be used to excite the gas to produce an activated gas containing ions, free radicals, atoms and molecules. Activated gases are used in a variety of industrial and scientific fields, including treating solid materials such as semiconductor wafers, powders, and other gases. In particular, plasma is used in the manufacture of semiconductor / thin film displays / solar cells, and processes such as etching, deposition, cleaning, ashing, and nitridation using plasma are performed in the process chamber. The process chamber is connected to a vacuum pump to discharge the process gas.

Recently, as the degree of integration of semiconductor devices increases in semiconductor manufacturing processes, patterns having a minute and high aspect ratio are formed. When a thin film is formed on such a pattern, excellent step coverage and thickness uniformity are required. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) devices have been developed to form thin films at atomic layer thickness to meet these requirements.

The atomic layer deposition process alternately introduces two or more source gases at time intervals and prevents the source gases from reacting in the gaseous state by introducing a purge gas, which is an inert gas, between the inlet of each source gas. That is, one source gas is chemically adsorbed on the substrate surface, and then the other introduced source gas is reacted, so that a thin film having an atomic layer thickness level is formed on the substrate surface. By repeating such a process as one cycle until a thin film having a desired thickness is formed, accurate thickness control can be performed.

When plasma is used in such a substrate processing process, a plasma is generated inside the process chamber to process the substrate. In addition, the semiconductor fabrication process using plasma must perform a fine process such as an atomic layer deposition process. Therefore, fine control of the plasma for the fine processing is required. Such fine plasma

It is an object of the present invention to provide a radical generator that selectively supplies radicals to the processing chamber, wherein radicals generated in the plasma generator are selectively supplied to the process chamber for efficient processing of the substrate in a fine semiconductor process.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radical generator for selectively supplying radicals, the apparatus including: a power supply unit for receiving power from an impedance matcher; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to generate plasma; And a control unit for controlling the power supply unit, the impedance matcher, and the gas supply unit, wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so that the power is intermittently supplied during the process of processing the substrate The radicals may be discharged discontinuously at least twice in the plasma generating unit.

In an embodiment, the plasma generating unit may further include a process chamber to which the radicals discontinuously discharged are supplied.

The plasma display apparatus may further include control means for controlling the opening and closing of the gas outlet through which the radical is discharged from the plasma generating unit, and the control unit may control the control means to intermittently discharge the radical.

In an embodiment, the plasma generating portion includes a chamber having a toroidal plasma discharge channel, the chamber having a gas inlet through which the gas is injected and a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged, And a primary coil wound around the ferrite core and connected to the power supply unit.

In an embodiment, the power supply unit may supply a frequency of 1 Hz to 999 MHz.

In an embodiment, the control unit may control the power supply or the control means such that the power and the radical supply are synchronized or unsynchronized.

A radical generator that selectively supplies radicals according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plasma generator that receives power from a power supply unit through an impedance matcher and receives gas from a gas supply unit to generate plasma to discharge radicals, And a control unit for controlling the supply unit, the impedance matcher, and the gas supply unit, and a control unit for opening and closing a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged from the plasma generation unit, , The control means is controlled so that the radicals can be discharged discontinuously at least twice or more in the plasma generating portion.

In an embodiment, the plasma generating unit may further include a process chamber to which the radicals discontinuously discharged are supplied.

In an embodiment, the plasma generating portion includes a chamber having a toroidal plasma discharge channel, the chamber having a gas inlet through which the gas is injected and a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged, And a primary coil wound around the ferrite core and connected to the power supply unit.

In an embodiment, the power supply unit may supply a frequency of 1 Hz to 999 MHz.

The effect of the radical generator that selectively supplies radicals according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the radicals generated in the plasma generator can be selectively supplied to the process chamber to control the plasma in a fine semiconductor process. Therefore, precise radical supply control and a fine substrate processing process become possible.

1 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing that power is supplied in a pulsed manner in the substrate processing system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a view showing control of opening and closing of a valve in a pulse manner in the substrate processing system shown in Fig. 3. Fig.
5 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a concept of controlling the valve and power in a synchronous or asynchronous manner in a pulse-like manner in the substrate processing system shown in FIG.
7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exploded perspective view of the plasma generating part shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a perspective view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating portion shown in FIG.
12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating portion shown in FIG. 14. FIG.
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating portion shown in FIG. 14. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix " module " and " part " for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

1 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 100 may include a power supply 130, a plasma generator 120, a controller 160, and a process chamber 110.

The power supply unit 130 may be configured to supply power to the plasma generation unit 120 to ignite the plasma in the plasma generation unit 120. The power supply unit 130 supplies power to the plasma generating unit 120 through the impedance matching unit 140 for impedance matching and can ignite or generate plasma in the plasma generating unit 120.

The plasma generating part 120 may have a space for accommodating a gas (for example, Ar) convertible to a plasma (for example, Ar +). The plasma generating unit 120 may receive power from the power supply unit 130 and supply the process gas from the gas supply unit 150 to generate plasma in the internal space. The plasma generating part 120 may be provided outside the process chamber 110. A radical component of the plasma generated in the plasma generating part 120 may be supplied to the process chamber 110 and the substrate 114 loaded into the process chamber 110 may be processed. The radical component supplied to the process chamber 110 reacts with the other source gas adsorbed on the substrate 114 so that the desired material film can be formed into a thin film of atomic layer thickness.

The radicals supplied from the plasma generator 120 may be used for processing the substrate 114 to be processed, which is placed on the susceptor 112 inside the process chamber 110. Here, the process for substrate processing refers to a process for processing a substrate in a state in which the substrate 114 is loaded into the process chamber 110. For example, at least one of an etching process, an ashing process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, and a plasma chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Or may be used for cleaning to clean the interior of the process chamber 110.

The plasma generating unit 120 may be a plasma source for discharging radicals (activated gas), such as an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), a capacitive coupled plasma (CCP), or a transformer plasma ). ≪ / RTI > The plasma generator 120 in the present invention may use a transformer plasma. Embodiments of the plasma generator 120 will be described in detail below.

In the present invention, while the substrate 114 is loaded and processed in the process chamber 110, the radical generated in the plasma generating unit 120 may be discontinuously supplied to the process chamber 110 to process the substrate 114 have. The plasma generator 120 may selectively supply the radicals generated by the plasma to the process chamber 110. The radicals generated in the plasma generator 120 during the supply of the process gas through the gas supply unit 150 can be controlled through the controller 160 so that the radicals can be supplied discontinuously to the process chamber 110 at least twice. have.

 The process chamber 110 includes a susceptor 112 for supporting the substrate 114 therein. The susceptor 112 may be electrically coupled to one or more bias power sources (not shown) through an impedance matcher (not shown). The process chamber 110 may include an outlet that is coupled to the pump 116 to exhaust the interior exhaust gas and form a vacuum within the process chamber 110.

The plasma generating part 120 may be connected to the process chamber 110 through an adapter (not shown). The adapter (not shown) may have an insulation section for electrical insulation, and may have a cooling channel (not shown) to prevent overheating.

The substrate 114 is an object to be loaded into the process chamber 110 and processed by the semiconductor process, for example, a silicon wafer substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a glass substrate for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, .

The control unit 160 may control the power supply unit 130, the impedance matcher 140, and the gas supply unit 150. The controller 160 controls the power supplied to the plasma generator 120 by controlling the power supply 130 and the impedance matcher 140. Here, the control unit 160 controls the power supply unit 130 to supply power from the power supply unit 130 to the plasma generation unit 120 in pulses. In other words, the control unit 160 may control the power supply unit 130 so that the supply and non-supply of electric power to the plasma generating unit 120 can be repeatedly performed (intermittently supplied).

The gas supply control described in the present invention may mean directly controlling the gas supply unit 150 using the control unit 160. [ Or may be controlled using mass flow meter 151 or valve 152. The gas supply control may control the supply amount of the supplied gas or may control the supply time of the supplied gas.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing that power is supplied in a pulsed manner in the substrate processing system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, radicals may be discontinuously discharged from the plasma generator 120 by the power supply 130. The substrate processing system 100 according to the present invention may be configured such that the precursor A from the gas supply unit 150 is first supplied into the process chamber 110 and is seated on the substrate 114. A purge gas may then be supplied into the process chamber 110 to remove precursors that are not seated on the substrate 114. As the purge gas, an inert gas such as argon, helium, or the like may be used. The precursor and purge gas may be supplied in pulses through the precursor feed, purge gas feed, or gas feed 150 for a predetermined time. The precursor and purge gas may be supplied into the process chamber 110 through the plasma generator 120 or may be supplied directly to the process chamber 110 without passing through the plasma generator 120.

After the purge gas is supplied, the source gas may be supplied from the gas supply unit 150 to the plasma generation unit 120 in a pulse for a predetermined time. The time and amount of supply of the source gas may be variously performed depending on the recipe for the substrate processing. In addition, various types of process gases may be used depending on the process recipe.

The substrate 114 may be loaded into the process chamber 110 and the substrate 114 may be unloaded outside the process chamber 110 after the process is complete. Or when multiple process gases are used in one process, each process gas may be supplied. In the substrate processing step of the present invention, the process of supplying a precursor, a purge gas, and then supplying a radical to deposit a thin film on a substrate may be defined as one cycle. Such a cycle can be repeatedly performed in order to deposit a plurality of thin film layers on a substrate according to the thickness of the thin film required in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

The precursor can be supplied for a predetermined time as the source gas and adsorbed on the substrate. The source gas may be a precursor gas of the material constituting the desired thin film. The fact that the pulse is supplied for a predetermined time means that it is supplied at a constant flow rate only for a predetermined time and then cut off, and can be used in the same sense in the following. Preferably, the source gas is first supplied and then power is supplied at a predetermined time interval to convert the source gas into a plasma state. As the source gas, NF3, N2, Ar, O2, SF6, NH3, H2, He, H2SO4, HCl, F2, HF, Cl2, BCl3, NOx, H2S, SiH4, Si2H6, PH3 and AsH3 can be used.

The control unit 160 may control the power supply unit 130 so that the process gas C is supplied and power is supplied to the plasma generation unit 120. [ At this time, the control unit 160 controls the power supply unit 130 so that the power can be supplied intermittently (pulse mode). When power is intermittently supplied by the controller 160, the supply and non-supply of electric power to the plasma generator 120 can be repeated. Therefore, when power is supplied to the plasma generating unit 120, plasma is generated and radicals can be generated and discharged. If power is not supplied to the plasma generator 120, plasma is not generated and radicals are not generated or discharged. Therefore, during the supply of the process gas, the radicals from the plasma generating part 120 can be discharged discontinuously at least twice depending on the power supplied intermittently. The discharged radical may be deposited as a thin film in reaction with the precursor seated on the substrate 114.

Generally, a plasma generating method is used in the process chamber. However, in the present invention, the power supply unit 130 is controlled by the control unit 160 so that power can be discontinuously supplied. Accordingly, the radicals can be discontinuously discharged at least twice in the plasma generating unit 120 provided outside the process chamber 110 while the substrate processing process is being performed by supplying the source gas. Therefore, it is possible to precisely control the radical emission in a fine semiconductor process, so that it can be utilized in a micro semiconductor process.

The power supplied from the power supply 130 may be supplied at a frequency of 1 Hz to 999 MHz, preferably at a frequency of 13.56 MHz used in a semiconductor process.

3 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3, the substrate processing system 300 includes a power supply unit 330, an impedance matching unit 340, a gas supply unit 350, a plasma generation unit 320, And further includes a control means 322 between the plasma generating portion 320 and the process chamber 110. In addition,

The control means 322 is provided on the connection path between the plasma generating portion 320 and the process chamber 110 and the connection path with the plasma generating portion 320 is opened and closed according to the control signal of the control portion 360. Therefore, the discharge of the radicals generated in the plasma generator 320 can be controlled by the control means 322. The control means 322 may be, for example, a valve, and various types of valves may be used. The valve which is the control means 332 can be opened or closed in accordance with the control signal of the control unit 360. [

When the control unit 332 is opened by the control unit 360, the radicals generated in the plasma generating unit 320 are supplied to the process chamber 110. When the control unit 332 is closed by the control unit 360, The radicals generated in the plasma generator 320 can not be supplied to the process chamber 110. Therefore, the radicals generated in the plasma generating portion 320 by the control means 322 can be discharged discontinuously.

The gas supply unit 350 may be connected to the plasma generation unit 320 through a mass flow meter 351 or a valve 352.

Fig. 4 is a view showing control of opening and closing of a valve in a pulse manner in the substrate processing system shown in Fig. 3. Fig.

Referring to FIG. 4, radicals may be discontinuously discharged from the plasma generator 320 by controlling the valve, which is the control means 322. The controller 360 controls the power supply unit 360 to supply power to the plasma generator 320. Here, the control unit 360 may control the valve so that the opening and closing of the valve, which is the control means 322, can be repeatedly performed.

When electric power is supplied to the plasma generator 320, a plasma may be generated in the plasma generator 320 to generate radicals. Therefore, when the valve is opened by the control unit 360, the radicals generated in the plasma generating unit 320 are discharged, and when the valve is closed, the radicals generated in the plasma generating unit 320 are not discharged. Therefore, the radicals generated in the plasma generating portion 320 by the valve serving as the control means 322 can be discharged discontinuously.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a substrate processing system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows a concept of synchronizing or asynchronously controlling valves and power in a pulsed manner in the substrate processing system shown in FIG. Fig.

5, the substrate processing system 500 includes a power supply unit 530, an impedance matcher 540, a gas supply unit 550, a plasma generation unit 520, (560) and control means (522).

The control unit 560 controls the power supply unit 530 to intermittently control the power supplied to the plasma generation unit 520 and to control the valve 552 intermittently. The control unit 560 may control the control unit 522 to cause the radicals to be discontinuously supplied to the process chamber 110.

The control unit 560 may control one or more of the power supply unit 530 or the control unit 522 so that the radicals generated in the plasma generation unit 520 may be discharged discontinuously.

The control unit 560 may control the power supply unit 530 or the control unit 522 to be driven synchronously or asynchronously so that the radicals generated in the plasma generation unit 520 may be discharged discontinuously .

5 and 6, in one embodiment, the control unit 560 controls the power supply unit 530 to supply power intermittently while the process gas is supplied, and also controls the power supply unit 530 to supply the radicals intermittently The plasma generated by the plasma generating part 520 can be discharged discontinuously by intermittently controlling the opening and closing of the valve. The control unit 560 may control the power supply unit 530 and the control unit 522 so that the power supply and the opening and closing of the valve are synchronized and driven. In other words, the radicals generated in the plasma generating portion 520 can be discharged by opening the valve during the power-supplied section (pulse section), and by closing the valve during the section where power is not supplied (pulse idle section) Can be prevented from being discharged.

In another embodiment, the control unit 560 may control the power supply unit 530 and the control means 522 such that power supply and opening and closing of the valve are driven asynchronously. In other words, the power is supplied first and the latency is generated, and then the valve is opened and closed without matching the section in which the power is supplied and the section in which the valve is opened, so that the radicals generated in the plasma generating portion 520 are discharged .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the plasma generator shown in FIG.

7 and 8, the plasma generator 700 includes a chamber 710 having a toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 and a chamber 710 having a plasma discharge channel 712 coupled to the plasma capacitively coupled plasma And first and second electrode blocks 762 and 764 for complex formation of the plasma.

The chamber 710 is formed with a toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 as a discharge space therein. The chamber 710 has a gas inlet 704 formed at an upper center thereof to receive a gas, A gas outlet 706 is provided. The gas inlet 704 is connected to the gas supply port 720 to receive gas from the gas supply path 722. The gas supplied through the gas inlet 704 is branched into the plasma discharge channels 712 on both sides. The gas outlet 706 is connected to the through hole formed in the cooling water injection block 780. The cooling water injection block 780 is provided with a cooling line 782 inside the through hole. In the present invention, the coolant injection block 780 is separately provided. However, it is also possible to form the coolant channel after the gas outlet 706 is formed in the flange structure. The gas outlet 706 is fitted with a quartz tube 850 and an insulating plate 767.

The gas outlet 706 is formed such that the diameter of the through hole gradually increases in a direction in which the gas is discharged to the outside in the plasma generating portion 700. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ions emitted from the plasma generating part 700 from being recombined again by the impact with the gas outlet 706. The gas supplied into the chamber 710 through the gas inlet 704 passes through the toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 and is activated by the discharged plasma to be discharged through the gas outlet 706 to the outside of the chamber 710 do.

The chamber 710 is fabricated in an integrated configuration with an insulating material such as quartz. In the plasma generating portion 700, the toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 may have a substantially uniform cross-sectional area. The diameters of all the parts in the plasma generating part 710 may be the same or different from each other. The chamber 710 is made of quartz and therefore can be used as a process plasma source for processing substrates in process chambers. In the case of a circular plasma chamber, there is a disadvantage in that the lower portion of the chamber is cut by the centrifugal force to generate particles. However, as in the present invention, the formation of the chamber 710 can be prevented by forming the chamber 710 in a left-right symmetrical shape.

The first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are located on one side and the other side of the chamber 710. The first electrode block 862 is made of a metal material (for example, aluminum) as one block and is formed in a toroidal shape, and a groove into which the chamber 710 is inserted is formed. Here, the first electrode block 862 is formed in a toroidal shape so as to form a current path of one turn along the toroidal plasma discharge channel 712, and an insulation section in which a certain section is cut is formed. An insulation member 863 for electrical insulation is fitted in the insulation section. The first electrode block 862 is formed by the insulating member 863 so that the current path of the first electrode block 862 is formed. The second electrode block 864 is made of a metal and is formed in a toroidal shape and has a groove into which the chamber 710 is inserted. Here, the second electrode block 864 is formed in a toroidal shape so as to form a current path of the original along the toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 like the first electrode block 862, This cut insulation section is formed. An insulation member 863 for electrical insulation is fitted in the insulation section. The insulating member 863 forms a current path for the first electrode block 864. The first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are installed in the chamber 710 so as to face each other. Here, the whole of the chamber 710 is surrounded by the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864. The first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 may be separated into two or more.

The ferrite core 732 is installed in the chamber 710 to link with the plasma discharge channel 712. The first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are provided on the ferrite core 732 so as to be connected to the plasma discharge channel 712 in a state where the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are installed in the chamber 710. In the plasma discharge channel 712, Form a secondary circuit.

Between the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864, an insulating blade portion 813 made of ceramic is provided for electrical insulation. The insulating wing portion 813 extends in the form of a plate around the plasma discharge channel 712 of the chamber 710. (Not shown) independently of the chamber 710, and may be mounted around the chamber 710. The chamber 710 may be formed as a single unit. The first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are electrically insulated by the insulating vanes 813.

One end of the first electrode block 862 is connected to the power supply and the other end is connected to one end of the second electrode block 864. The other end of the second electrode block 864 is connected to the ground. Therefore, the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 form a current path of the toothed portion to function as a primary winding. When the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are driven, the plasma in the toroidal plasma discharge channel 712 forms a secondary circuit of the transformer.

Further, an electric field is generated between the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 to generate capacitively coupled plasma in the plasma discharge channel 712. Since the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are installed so as to surround the entire chamber 710, capacitively coupled plasma can easily occur throughout the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 facing each other have. Therefore, a capacitively coupled plasma and an inductively coupled plasma are formed in combination in the plasma discharge channel 712.

In the present invention, the plasma initial discharge is performed into the plasma discharge channel 712 by using the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 as an ignition device. Since the plasma initial discharge can be performed by the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864, it is not necessary to provide a separate ignition device in the plasma chamber. Further, it is not necessary to provide a separate ignition device, so that the occurrence of particles by the ignition device can be prevented. Or an ignition device for generating a free charge that provides an initial ionization event.

In the plasma generating part 700 of the present invention, the chamber 710 is made of quartz, so that the particles generated by the plasma are reduced. In addition, first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 are provided to surround the entire chamber 710, so that the plasma that is capacitively coupled with the chamber 710 as a whole can be easily combined with the plasma. Therefore, the decomposition efficiency into the activated gas discharged from the plasma generating part 700 can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 8, a cooling channel is provided in the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864. A first cooling channel (not shown) for moving the cooling water is included in the first electrode block 862 and a second cooling channel (not shown) for moving the cooling water also in the second electrode block 864 Respectively. The first and second cooling channels have a toroidal shape along the shape of the toroidal first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 and are formed to surround the entire chamber 710 as a cover.

The quartz-formed chamber 710 may be broken when the high-temperature environment and the low-temperature environment are alternately formed. By the cooling water passing through the first and second cooling channels, the first and second electrode blocks 862 , 864 can be prevented from being overheated, and the temperature of the chamber 710 can be controlled. Since the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864, which are supplied with power and are heated, are formed of metal, the temperature can be easily lowered by the cooling water, thereby preventing the chamber 710 from being overheated. The first electrode block 862 and the second electrode block 864 are arranged to surround the entire chamber 710 and thus the contact area between the chamber 710 and the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 is very wide. The temperature control efficiency can be further increased.

On both sides of the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864, a connection cap 765 for connecting the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel is provided. In the connection cap 765, an inner hole through which the cooling water can be moved is formed. The first and second cooling channels can be connected by the connection cap 765 to form one cooling water pass. The cooling water supplied to the cooling water injection block 780 is circulated first along the cooling line 782 in the cooling water injection block 780 and then supplied to the connection cap 765 on one side. The supplied cooling water is distributed and supplied to the first and second cooling channels of the first and second electrode blocks 862 and 864 through the connection cap 765. The cooling water circulates along the first and second cooling channels, and then forms a cooling water circulation path that is discharged to the outside through the connection cap 765 on the other side.

The cooling water is firstly supplied to the cooling water injection block 780. In the chamber 710, the temperature near the gas outlet 706 at which the gas activated at the time of plasma generation is discharged becomes the highest. Therefore, a large amount of particles due to overheating may be generated in the chamber 710 near the gas outlet 706. Since the cooling water injection block 780 is installed in the gas outlet 706 through which the activated gas is discharged, the cooling water is first supplied to the cooling water injection block 780 rather than the other cooling channels, thereby effectively controlling the temperature near the hot gas outlet 706 Can be controlled.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

9, the plasma generating unit 900 includes a chamber 910 including a toroidal plasma discharge channel 912 therein, and a transformer 910 for forming electromagnetic energy in the plasma discharge channel 912 and coupling the plasma into the plasma. . ≪ / RTI > The transformer may include a ferrite core 932, a primary coil 934, The ferrite core 932 may be installed to enclose a part of the chamber 910 and to link to the plasma discharge channel 912. A portion of the ferrite core 932 may be wound with a primary coil 934. The primary side of the transformer includes a primary coil 934 and the secondary side of the transformer may include a plasma formed in the plasma discharge channel 912. The primary coil 934 is connected to the power supply unit 930 via the impedance matcher 940 and may be driven by receiving a radio frequency from the power supply unit 930. The energy from the power supply 930 can ignite or generate the gas passing through the plasma generator 900 and the plasma that is inductively coupled through the transformer. The plasma ignited in the plasma generating portion 900 can function as the secondary side of the transformer.

The chamber 910 may be provided with a gas inlet 914 connected to the gas supply unit and supplied with a process gas, and a gas outlet 916 through which radicals generated in the chamber 910 are discharged. The chamber 910 may include an upper chamber 910a including a gas inlet 914, a lower chamber 910c including a gas outlet 916, and two connecting chambers 910c.

The chamber 910 may be provided with a cooling channel (not shown) for controlling the temperature of the chamber 910 when plasma is generated therein. The cooling channel is formed along the plasma discharge channel 912 so that the cooling water supplied from the cooling water supply source can be circulated. The temperature of the chamber 910 can be controlled by the circulated cooling water along the cooling channel.

The power supply 930 can supply a high excitation voltage to the primary coil 934 of the transformer. This excitation voltage can generate an alternating magnetic field through the ferrite core 932 by inducing a high voltage current in the primary coil 934. As a result, current can be induced into the gas in the chamber 910 to cause ignition of the plasma. Once the plasma has been generated, the plasma can be used to excite other source gases to produce radicals.

10 is a perspective view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the plasma generating unit 1000 includes a transformer plasma source as an example, and may include a chamber 1010 and a ferrite core 1032 installed in the chamber 1010. The chamber 1010 may be formed by combining a plurality of blocks. In an embodiment, the chamber 1010 may include an upper chamber 1010a, two connecting chambers 1010b, and a lower chamber 1010c. One side of the top of the chamber 1010 may include a gas supply port 170 for supplying a process gas into the chamber 1010. The gas supply port 170 is connected to the gas supply unit and may be connected to the gas inlet of the plasma generation unit 1000.

11 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating portion shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 11, the plasma generator 1100 includes a chamber 1010 and a transformer. The chamber 1010 may include a plasma discharge channel 1112 having a toroidal shape as a discharge space for generating plasma therein. The chamber 1010 is provided with a gas inlet 1114 and an upper chamber 1010a including the upper part of the plasma discharge channel 1112 and a gas outlet 1106. The chamber 1010 includes a lower part including the lower part of the plasma discharge channel 1112, A chamber 1010c and two connection chambers 1010b connecting the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c. Here, the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c may be formed as a single body or may be separated into a plurality of chambers. An o-ring (not shown) for vacuum insulation may be provided at a portion where each body is coupled.

The O-ring can be composed of two members. One is an elastic member and the other is an inelastic member (for example, a ceramic material). The elastic member is used for substantial vacuum insulation and is installed close to the outer region of the chamber body and the inelastic member can be installed close to the inner plasma discharge region of the reactor body. Thus, it is possible to prevent the elastic member from being deteriorated by the high-temperature plasma gas.

The upper chamber 1010a is provided with a gas inlet 1114 for supplying gas into the chamber 1010 and the lower chamber 1010c is provided with a gas outlet 1106 for discharging gas activated outside the chamber 1010, . In particular, the gas inlet 1114 may be formed in the center of the upper chamber 1010a, and the gas supplied around the gas inlet 1114 may be provided branched to both sides of the plasma discharge channel 1112.

The gas outlet 1106 is formed in the lower center of the lower chamber 1010c, and the activated gas can be discharged to the outside in the chamber 1010. The gas supplied through the gas inlet 1114 is branched and moved along the plasma discharge channel 1112 branched on both sides in the upper chamber 1010a and is moved on both sides along the connection chamber 1010b, 1010c and exhausted to the gas outlet 1106. [

The gas outlet 1106 may be connected to a discharge pipe 1180 formed so as to allow gas to pass therethrough. The discharge tube 1180 may be formed integrally with the lower chamber 1010c. The discharge pipe 1180 is formed so that the diameter of the through hole gradually increases in the direction in which the gas is discharged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon that ions discharged from the plasma generating portion 1100 are interfered by the discharge tube 1180 and are recombined. The lower chamber 1010c and the discharge pipe 180 may be integrally formed. The gas supplied into the chamber 1010 through the gas inlet 1114 passes through the toroidal plasma discharge channel and can be activated by the discharged plasma and discharged to the outside through the gas outlet 1106.

The plasma generating portion 1100 in the present invention may include a permanent magnet module 1160 having a plurality of permanent magnets 1162. In the upper chamber 1010a, a permanent magnet module 1160 composed of a plurality of permanent magnets 1162 is buried in the chamber 1010 so as to face the other polarities. Due to the permanent magnets 1162 of different polarities, a magnetic field may be formed in the plasma discharge channel 1112 to rotate the gas ions passing through the plasma discharge channel 1112 to increase the residence time of the gas ions. Whereby the flow rate of the supplied gas can be adjusted. Further, the permanent magnet module 1160 is further provided around the gas outlet 1106 to increase the decomposition rate with respect to the discharged gas ions.

The plurality of permanent magnet modules 1160 may be installed along the entire length of the plasma discharge channel 1112 or may be installed only on a part of the plasma discharge channel 1112. In particular, the permanent magnet module 1160 may be positioned adjacent the gas inlet 1114 and the gas outlet 1106 to rotate the provided gas and the discharged gas.

For example, permanent magnets of N poles may be linearly arranged in one permanent magnet module 1160, and permanent magnets of S poles may be linearly arranged in another permanent magnet module 1160. Or permanent magnets of N poles and S poles are alternately arranged to form the permanent magnet module 1160, two permanent magnet modules 1160 are provided so that permanent magnets of different polarities face each other. A toroidal electric field is induced in the plasma discharge channel 1112 by a transformer, and the induced electric field has a direction different from a magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet module 1160. Therefore, the electrons in the plasma discharge channel 1112 rotate. As the electrons rotate, the motion locus of the electrons increases, and the residence time in the plasma discharge channel 1112 increases, so that the gas decomposition efficiency increases.

In the plasma generating portion 1100, the toroidal plasma discharge channel 1112 can have a substantially uniform cross-sectional area. The diameters of all the parts in the chamber 1010 may be the same or different. For example, the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c may be formed with plasma discharge channels 1112 of the same diameter, and the diameter of the connection chamber 1010b may be the same as that of the upper chamber 1010a or the lower chamber 1010c. The diameter of the plasma discharge channel 1112 may be smaller than the diameter of the plasma discharge channel 1112 of FIG.

The chamber 1010 may be made of a metallic material such as aluminum. When the chamber 1010 is made of a metallic material, it is preferable to use a coated metal such as anodized aluminum. Or an insulating material such as quartz. Or when the chamber body is made of a metallic material, it can be very useful to use a composite material, for example, a composite material composed of aluminum covalently bonded to a carbon nanotube. These composite materials have a strength of approximately three times higher than that of conventional aluminum and are lightweight compared with strength.

When the chamber 1010 is made of a metallic material, it has an insulating brake 1111, which is one or more electrically insulating regions, to prevent induced current from flowing into the chamber 1010. The chamber 1010 may be divided into an upper portion and a lower portion with reference to a connecting chamber 1010b in which the insulating brake 1111 is formed.

 The plasma generator 1100 and the power supply unit may be physically separated from each other. In other words, the plasma generator 1100 and the power supply unit may be electrically connected to each other by a radio frequency supply cable. The separated structure of the plasma generating part 1100 and the power supply part can provide ease of maintenance and installation. However, the plasma generator 1100 and the power supply unit may be provided in an integrated structure.

The plasma generator 1100 may include a transformer that couples the electromagnetic energy into a plasma formed within the plasma discharge channel 1112. The transformer may include a ferrite core 1032, a primary coil. The ferrite core 1132 may be installed in the chamber 1010 to bridge the plasma discharge channel 1112. The ferrite core 1132 may be wound with a primary coil connected to the power supply. The primary coil is supplied with the radio frequency from the power supply, and the plasma in the toroidal plasma channel 1112 can form the secondary circuit of the transformer.

The ferrite core 1132 may be installed in either the upper chamber 1010a or the lower chamber 1010c or may be installed in both the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c. In particular, the ferrite core 1132 can be installed on both or one of the plasma discharge channels 1112 branched to left and right (not shown). Particularly, since the ferrite core 1132 is installed close to both the gas inlet 1114 and the gas outlet 1106, the plasma 1112a and 1112b are generated in the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c . It is preferable that the ferrite cores 1132 installed on both sides of the gas inlet 1114 are installed so as to integrally form the plasma 1112a. The ferrite core 1132 installed on both sides of the gas outlet 1106 is also the same.

The gas provided to the gas inlet 1114 branches into the plasma discharge channel 1112 and is discharged by the ferrite core 1132 installed in the upper chamber 1010a to generate the plasma 112a. The generated plasma 1112a is uniformly branched on both sides to be provided to the two connection chambers 1010b, collected again, and discharged to the outside through the gas outlet 1106. [ The recombined or undecomposed gas moving through the plasma discharge channel 1112 can be decomposed once more by the plasma 1112b generated in the lower chamber 1010c before being discharged.

Generally, when the ferrite core is installed in the connection chamber in the plasma generating portion, the gas moves quickly through the connection chamber. Therefore, the residence time in the connecting chamber of the gas is short and the reaction time with the plasma is also shortened. In addition, the ferrite cores are installed in the connection chambers, respectively, so that the strength and the pressure of the electric field induced by the respective ferrite cores may not be uniform. Therefore, the gas moving to the connecting chamber is driven only to one side, so that the gas can not be uniformly activated. In addition, in the portion where the plasma is driven, the decomposition rate into the activated gas is lowered, so that the supplied gas may not be activated but may be discharged as it is.

On the other hand, when the ferrite core 1132 is installed in the upper chamber 1010a and the lower chamber 1010c as shown in the figure, a plasma 1112a is formed adjacent to the gas inlet 1104 to form two connection chambers The plasma can be uniformly provided to the electrodes 1010a and 1010b. Therefore, the gas decomposition rate in the two connection chambers 1010b can be improved. Since the injected gas is once again supplied from the upper part of the chamber and again from the lower part of the chamber, it reacts with the plasma many times and the activation ratio of the gas becomes high. Further, since the chamber 1010 is elongated in the lateral direction, it is possible to prevent the gas supplied into the chamber 1010 from being deviated to one side due to a pressure difference.

The chamber 1010 may include a cooling channel (not shown) for preventing the chamber 1010 from being overheated and damaged by the high-temperature plasma generated therein. The cooling channel may be a cooling water path through which the cooling water is circulated in the chamber 1010 or may be a separate cooling cover covering the chamber 1010. [ In order to prevent overheating of the electric parts such as the magnetic core 1132 and the primary coil, another cooling means may be provided. The cooling channel in the present invention is formed in the chamber 1010 around the plasma discharge channel 1112 in such a structure that the cooling water is circulated. At this time, the cooling channel may be one circulation structure connected to the upper chamber 1010a, the lower chamber 1010c, and the connection chamber 1010b.

12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention

Referring to FIG. 12, the plasma generator 1200 may include an upper chamber 1210a, a lower chamber 1210c, and a connection chamber 1210b. The ferrite core 1232 may be installed adjacent to the gas inlet 1114 and the gas outlet 1106. The upper chamber 1210a, the lower chamber 1210c, and the connection chamber 1210b may include a beveled coupling portion 1211 formed at both ends to have a predetermined angle (bevel). The beveled coupling portion 1211 may be provided with an O-ring (not shown) as an insulation breaker for electrical insulation between the upper chamber 1210a and the lower chamber 1210c and the connection chamber 1210b. The O-ring can be composed of two members. One is an elastic member and the other is an inelastic member (for example, a ceramic material). The elastic member is used for substantial vacuum insulation and is installed close to the outer region of the chamber body and the inelastic member can be installed close to the inner plasma discharge region of the reactor body. Thus, it is possible to prevent the elastic member from being deteriorated by the high-temperature plasma gas.

The upper chamber 1210a and the lower chamber 1210c may be chamfered from one end having the beveled coupling part toward the other end to form the plasma discharge channel 1212. [ Also, the two connection chambers 1210b can be machined from one end having the beveled coupling portion toward the other end to form the plasma discharge channel 1212. [ Therefore, four bodies can be formed by four processes, and by combining them, a toroidal plasma discharge channel 1212 can be formed. Therefore, the chamber 1210 having the beveled coupling portion 1211 processes only four chambers, thereby greatly reducing the machining cost. Also, since the area of the beveled coupling part is large, initial discharge using the connection chamber 1210b can be easily performed.

13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the plasma generator 1300 may generate a plasma using an inductively coupled plasma. The chamber 1310 may have a cylindrical shape and may have a discharge space therein. A gas inlet 1314 connected to the gas supply unit may be provided at an upper end of the chamber 1310 and a gas outlet 1316 may be provided at a lower end thereof to allow radicals to be discharged to the outside. The antenna coil 1320 may be wound a plurality of times around the outer circumferential surface of the chamber 1310, and the antenna coil 1320 may be connected to the power supply unit. When the antenna coil 1320 is driven, an electric field is induced in the inner space of the chamber 1310, so that an inductively coupled plasma can be formed inside the chamber 1310. The structure for forming the inductively coupled plasma may be variously modified in addition to the embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a plasma generating unit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the plasma generating unit shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a cross- Fig.

14 through 16, the plasma generator 1400 may include a chamber 1410 including a plasma discharge channel 1412, a gas inlet 1472, and a gas outlet 1406. [ The chamber 1410 has a hollow annular structure, and the gas inlet 1472 may be provided at the upper portion and the gas outlet 1406 may be provided at the lower portion. The gas inlet 1472 may be connected to the gas injection port 1470. The diameter of the gas outlet 1406 may be gradually widened toward the outside from the plasma discharge channel 1412. The gas outlet 1406 may be connected to an adapter 1480 having a through hole 1484 therein. The first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may be installed outside the chamber 1410 so as to face each other with the plasma discharge channel 1412 interposed therebetween. Each of the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may be further provided with a separate insulation cover (not shown). The insulating cover can function as an insulating member between the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430.

The first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may be formed to provide a current path of one or more than one. For example, the first hybrid electrode 1420 may be a disk-shaped donut structure in which a predetermined section is disconnected. The second hybrid electrode 1430 may be structured to partially enclose the chamber 1410, having a disc-shaped donut structure having a certain section cut off, similar to the first hybrid electrode 1420.

An insulating member 1440 for electrical insulation may be provided between the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430. The insulating member 1440 may be formed of ceramics and may be provided along the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430.

The chamber 1410 may be composed of a dielectric material such as, for example, quartz. Or may be constructed using suitable alternative materials. The first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may have cooling channels 1422 and 1432 therein to prevent overheating. The cooling channels 1422 and 1432 may be provided inside the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 and may have a donut shape in which a certain section is disconnected in the same manner as the shapes of the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 Lt; / RTI > Or a separate cooling cover covering the chamber 1410 may be provided or a separate cooling channel may be formed in a suitable portion of the plasma generator 1400.

One end of the first hybrid electrode 1420 may be connected to the power supply unit and the other end may be connected to one end of the second hybrid electrode 1430. The other end of the second hybrid electrode 1430 may be connected to ground. Thus, the turn winding structure can be formed by the first hybrid electrode 1420 and the second hybrid electrode 1430 as a whole. At this time, a first electric field may be provided to the plasma discharge channel 1412 of the chamber 1410 by a potential difference generated between the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430. In addition, the magnetic field H formed by the current path of the to-be-supplied first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 is applied to the annular plasma discharge channel 1412 provided by the chamber 1410, An electric field can be formed.

Accordingly, capacitively coupled and inductively coupled plasma can be formed in a complex manner in the inner plasma discharge space of the plasma generator 1400. The first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may not be electrically connected. In this case, the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 can function purely as capacitive coupling electrodes.

A switching circuit (not shown) may be provided between the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 so as to function only as a capacitive coupling electrode or function as a mixed electrode. In addition, an additional circuit such as a capacitor, an inductor, or a resistor may be added between the first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430. One or more additional circuits may be selected to improve the overall operation efficiency of the plasma generating part 1400.

A modified example of the hybrid electrode will be briefly described as follows.

The first and second hybrid electrodes 1420 and 1430 may be formed of a plurality of overlapping electrode plates so as to form a current path of more than one. When a plurality of overlapping electrode plates are used, it may be preferable to insert an appropriate insulating member between each electrode plate. And each electrode plate is electrically connected to provide a rotating current path.

The foregoing detailed description should not be construed in any way as being restrictive and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A plasma generator for receiving electric power from a power supply unit through an impedance matcher and supplying gas from the gas supply unit to generate plasma to discharge radicals; And
And a control unit for controlling the power supply unit, the impedance matcher, and the gas supply unit,
Wherein,
The radical generator being controlled to supply the power intermittently during the process of processing the substrate to selectively supply the radicals emitted by the plasma generation unit discontinuously at least twice or more.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a process chamber in which the radicals discontinuously discharged from the plasma generator are supplied.
The method according to claim 1,
And control means for controlling opening and closing of the gas outlet through which the radical is discharged from the plasma generating portion,
Wherein,
And selectively supplies radicals to control said control means such that said radicals are intermittently discharged.
The method according to claim 1,
The plasma generator may include:
A chamber having a toroidal plasma discharge channel, the chamber having a gas inlet through which the gas is injected and a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged;
A ferrite core installed in the chamber to bridge a part of the plasma discharge channel; And
And a primary coil wound around the ferrite core and connected to a power supply.
The method according to claim 1,
The power supply unit
An optional radical-supplying radical generator providing a frequency of 1 Hz to 999 MHz.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein,
Wherein the power supply and the control means are controlled such that the power and the radical supply are synchronized or unsynchronized.
A plasma generator for receiving electric power from a power supply unit through an impedance matcher and supplying gas from the gas supply unit to generate plasma to discharge radicals;
A control unit for controlling the power supply unit, the impedance matcher, and the gas supply unit; And
And control means for opening and closing a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged from the plasma generating portion,
Wherein,
And controlling the control means while the process of processing the substrate proceeds,
Wherein the radical generator supplies radicals selectively, wherein the radicals are discontinuously discarded at least twice.
8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising a process chamber in which the radicals discontinuously discharged from the plasma generator are supplied.
8. The method of claim 7,
The plasma generator may include:
A chamber having a toroidal plasma discharge channel, the chamber having a gas inlet through which the gas is injected and a gas outlet through which the radical is discharged;
A ferrite core installed in the chamber to bridge a part of the plasma discharge channel; And
And a primary coil wound around the ferrite core and connected to a power supply.
8. The method of claim 7,
The power supply unit
An optional radical-supplying radical generator providing a frequency of 1 Hz to 999 MHz.

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