KR20190078103A - The plasma generating module and the plasma process apparatus having that - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plasma generating module and a plasma processing apparatus including the same. According to the present invention, the plasma generating module comprises: a high-frequency power source supplying high-frequency power; an antenna receiving the high-frequency power and generating plasma in process space; a window member composed of a nonmagnetic and conductive material and disposed between the process space and the antenna to partition the process space; and a gas supply pipe forming a path through which a process gas flows into the process space and having one end installed in the window member to form a ground path of the window member.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a plasma generating module and a plasma processing apparatus including the plasma generating module.

The present invention relates to a plasma generating module and a plasma processing apparatus including the plasma generating module, and more particularly, to a plasma generating module using a window made of a non-magnetic conductive material and a plasma processing apparatus including the plasma generating module.

Generally, a plasma processing apparatus refers to a plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate. The plasma processing apparatus performs processing of the substrate by various methods such as vapor deposition, etching, or ion implantation. Particularly, in recent years, research and development of an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus capable of obtaining a high density plasma has been actively conducted.

The prior art for an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus has already been disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2016-0068254 (Plasma Generating Module and Plasma Processing Apparatus Including the Same, June, 2016). The disclosed invention includes a plasma generating module for generating inductively coupled plasma in a chamber in which a substrate is disposed. Here, the plasma generating module includes a plurality of antennas and a dielectric window arranged to correspond to each of the plurality of antennas so as to cope with the enlargement of the substrate.

However, when using a conventional dielectric window, there is a limit in improving the process intensity. Particularly, since it is required to improve the process strength in order to cope with the enlargement of the substrate to be processed, in recent years, researches for constructing the plasma generating module using a window member made of a nonmagnetic conductive material have been actively conducted.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2016-0068254 (Plasma Generating Module and Plasma Processing Apparatus Including the Same, June 26, 2015)

The present invention relates to a plasma generating module capable of coping with the enlargement of a substrate and a plasma processing apparatus including the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plasma generating module capable of reducing a cost and simplifying an installation room structure, And to provide a processing apparatus.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus including a high frequency power supply for supplying a high frequency power, an antenna for generating a plasma in a process space by transmitting the high frequency power, And a gas supply pipe which forms a path through which the process gas flows into the process space and which has one end formed on the window member and forms a ground path of the window member, Generating module.

At least a part of one end of the gas supply pipe provided on the window member may be made of a nonmagnetic conductive material.

Specifically, one end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the window member and the other end is connected to a gas supply unit for supplying a process gas. A grounding unit, which is electrically connected to the external ground and forms a ground path, .

For example, the ground portion may be branched from the upper side of the window member and connected to the inner wall of the chamber for partitioning the process space. In this case, the ground unit may further include a variable capacitor element connected in parallel with a line connecting the gas supply pipe and the inner wall of the chamber to adjust a ground circuit characteristic.

The gas supply pipe may further include an insulating portion for preventing the window member from being electrically connected to the gas supply portion at a portion adjacent to the ground portion.

The window member may include a plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the plurality of window members, the plurality of gas supply pipes being connected to the plurality of window members, May be connected to the gas supply unit by joining them to one channel before passing through the wall surface of the chamber partitioning the process space.

Here, as another example, the ground portion may be configured to be branched from the portion where the plurality of gas supply pipes merge into one channel, and to be connected to the inner wall of the chamber. Alternatively, the ground portion may be configured to be branched from a portion where the plurality of gas supply pipes merge into one channel, and to be connected to an external ground region.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber including a processing space in which a plasma processing process is performed and an installation chamber provided at an upper side of the processing space; a high- An antenna for generating a plasma in the process space, a window member provided below the antenna for partitioning the installation chamber and the process space, a window member made of a nonmagnetic conductive material, and a path for introducing the process gas into the process space And a gas supply pipe provided at one end to the window member to form a ground path of the window member.

According to the present invention, the plasma processing apparatus is capable of processing a large substrate and can perform a uniform plasma processing process.

Further, when the plasma generating module is constructed, the structure can be improved and simplified, thereby reducing the size of the plasma generating module and reducing the manufacturing cost.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a gas supply pipe of the plasma generating module of FIG. 1,
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a gas supply pipe structure of a plasma generating module according to a second embodiment of the present invention,
4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a gas supply pipe structure of a plasma generation module according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a plasma generating module and a plasma processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the positional relationship of each component is principally described based on the drawings. The drawings may be simplified for simplicity of the description or exaggerated when necessary. Therefore, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various devices may be added, changed or omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes various configurations including a chamber 110 and a plasma generating module.

The chamber 110 forms the contour of the processing apparatus 100. Inside the chamber, a processing space 30 for processing the substrate S and an installation chamber 10 in which various configurations including an antenna are installed are provided. The chamber 110 may be formed of aluminum whose inner wall is anodized. The inner wall of the chamber is electrically connected to the external ground G so that the ground potential can be maintained.

A gate valve 111 may be mounted on one side of the chamber 110 to form a path through which the substrate S is carried in and out. The gate valve () is selectively opened and closed to maintain the open state at the stage of the substrate entering and leaving, and to maintain the closed state during the process. The operation of inserting / removing the substrate using the gate valve is an example, and the substrate can be configured to be carried in / out of the processing space in various ways.

Meanwhile, a stage 113 supporting the substrate S is disposed inside the chamber 110. The stage 113 is disposed under the chamber 110 and can be connected to the bias high-frequency power supply P1. Here, a heater or a cooler for controlling the temperature of the substrate S may be further provided on the stage 113. Further, the stage 113 can be supported by the stage support portion 113a. Here, although not shown, the stage support portion 113a may be configured to be vertically elevated.

On the other hand, an installation chamber 10 is provided on the upper side of the process space 30, and a plasma generation module including the antenna 210 is installed in the installation room 10. Here, the plasma generation module may include an antenna 210 through which high-frequency power is transmitted, a window member 230 partitioning the installation chamber and the process space, and a gas supply pipe 220 for transferring the process gas to the process space.

First, the antenna 210 is disposed in the installation chamber 10 on the upper side inside the chamber 110. Here, the antenna 210 is connected to a high frequency power source P2 for applying a high frequency power. A matching device A for performing impedance matching is provided between the antenna 210 and the high frequency power source P2. The antenna 210 receives the high frequency power from the high frequency power source and uses the high frequency power to form an induction field inside the chamber 110.

An installation chamber 10 where an antenna or the like is installed and a window member 230 partitioning a process space (process chamber) 30 in which a plasma processing process is performed are disposed under the antenna 210. The window member 230 is disposed between the antenna 210 and the stage 113 in an electrically insulated manner from the chamber 110. As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of window members 230 may be provided. Then, the plurality of window members 230 are arranged in an electrically insulated state with respect to each other.

The window member 230 is made of a nonmagnetic material and a conductive material. The window member 230 may be made of a metal material, for example, an alloy material including aluminum or aluminum.

The window member 230 allows the induction field to be formed in the process chamber 30 when high frequency power is applied to the antenna 210. Specifically, when high frequency power is applied to the antenna 210, an eddy current loop is formed in the window member 230 insulated from the chamber 110. That is, an eddy current is formed on the upper surface of the window member 230, and the eddy current circulates along the surface of the window member 230 and forms an eddy current loop circulating in the downward direction of the window member 230. Accordingly, the current formed on the lower surface of the window member 230, that is, the surface facing the substrate S, can induce an induction field inside the process chamber 30. [

Meanwhile, the window member 230 may be supported by a lead frame 250 installed on the inner wall of the chamber. The lead frame 250 supports the edge of the window member 230. Here, the lead frame 250 is made of a dielectric, and the window member 230 can be maintained electrically insulated from the inner wall of the chamber 110 while being supported by the lead frame 250. As described above, the present embodiment includes a plurality of window members 230, and the lead frame 250 may be provided in a lattice form so as to support the plurality of window members 230, respectively. Therefore, each of the window members 230 is disposed in each of the lattice spaces formed by the lead frame 250, so that the window members 230 can be electrically insulated from each other.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1, each of the window members 230 may include at least one gas discharge hole 231 through which process gas is supplied to the process space. A gas supply pipe is provided on the upper side of the window member on which the gas discharge hole 231 is formed. The gas supply pipe 220 is connected to the upper surface of the window member 230 such that one end of the gas supply pipe 220 is connected to the external gas supply unit 50 and the other end thereof is connected to the gas discharge hole 231 of the window member 230. In addition, a conduit through which the process gas is transferred is formed inside, thereby forming a path through which the process gas necessary for the plasma process is transferred. Although FIG. 1 shows a structure in which one gas discharge hole 231 is formed in each window member, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of gas discharge holes 231 may be formed in one member Do. The structure of the gas supply pipe and the window member will be described in more detail in the following drawings.

On the other hand, the antenna 210 installed in the installation room 10 is supported by a separate supporting part (not shown). The support portion is composed of an insulator and supports the antenna 210 so that the antenna can be isolated from each window member 230 in an insulated state.

Although not shown in the drawings, a protection plate (not shown) may be mounted on the lower surface of the plasma generating module, that is, on the bottom surface of the window member and the lead frame. A gas injection hole (not shown) is formed in the protection plate at a position corresponding to the gas discharge hole 253 so that the process gas supplied through the gas discharge hole 231 can be introduced into the process chamber 30. The protection plate may be made of a metal material and may be detachably attached to the bottom surface of the window member and the lead frame by a fastening method such as bolting.

This protection plate can prevent the metal window 230 and the lead frame 250 from being damaged by the inductive coupling plasma generated in the process chamber 30 and is preferably provided so as not to be in contact with the chamber 110 . However, it is also possible to insulate the protection plate from the chamber 110 by inserting an insulator between the side surface of the protection plate and the inner wall of the chamber 110. However, such a protection plate is not essential, and can be omitted according to the judgment of the user.

The above-described plasma generating module and the plasma generating device form an induction field in the process space by using the high-frequency power provided from the external high-frequency power source P2. Particularly, the window member according to this embodiment is made of a non-magnetic material or a conductive material, and an eddy current loop is formed in the plasma process. However, arc may be generated when the intensity of the eddy-current loop is high or the voltage of the window member is high. In this case, there is a problem that the quality of the substrate subjected to the plasma process is significantly deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, each window member 230 is configured to be grounded, but the ground path may be formed by using the gas supply pipe 220 described above instead of separately providing the ground line. 2 to 4, a structure for installing the gas supply pipe of the plasma generating module according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a gas supply pipe of the plasma generating module of FIG.

One end of the gas supply pipe 220 is connected to the upper side of the window member 230 so as to communicate with the gas discharge hole 231 formed in the window member 230, as described above. The other end of the gas supply pipe 220 is connected to the gas supply unit 50 to form a path through which the process gas is transferred from the gas supply unit. At this time, one end of the gas supply pipe 220 in the direction of the window member forms a ground path through which the eddy current and the like of the window member 230 can escape. Therefore, one end of the gas supply pipe 220 in the direction of the window member is made of a conductive material, and is electrically connected to the window member 230. However, it is preferable that it is made of a nonmagnetic material so as not to affect the induced electric field by the antenna.

Between both ends of the gas supply pipe 220, there is formed a ground portion 221 connected to an external ground (ground or a corresponding position) to form a ground path. Therefore, one end of the gas supply pipe 220 on the window member side is electrically connected to the ground portion 221, and grounded to the external ground through the ground portion 221.

The grounding part 221 and the gas supply part 50 may be separated from each other by a separate insulation part (not shown) so as to prevent the gas supply pipe 220 from being electrically connected from the window member 230 to the gas supply part 50 222 may be provided. The insulating portion 222 is constructed such that one side of the gas supply pipe in which the grounding portion 221 is formed and one side of the gas supply pipe in the gas supply portion direction are insulated. Here, it is advantageous to arrange the insulating portion 222 at a position adjacent to the grounding portion to control the floating effect of the window member and the plasma.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a gas supply pipe 220 is formed above the gas discharge hole 231 of the window member 230. The gas supply pipe 220 is made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and is made of a conductive material, and is formed into a bent pipe shape. The bent gas supply pipe 220 joins the gas supply pipe connected to the other window member and is connected to the external gas supply unit 50 through the inner wall of the chamber (see FIG. 1).

Here, a grounding portion 221 is formed at the bent portion of the gas supply pipe 220. The grounding unit 221 has one end electrically connected to the gas supply pipe 220 and the other end connected to an external ground or a corresponding member. In FIG. 2, for example, an external ground and a grounded state are maintained And is connected to the chamber inner wall 110a. Therefore, the window member 230 can be maintained at the external ground and the grounded state via the grounding portion 221 along one end of the gas supply pipe 220.

In this embodiment, the one side conduit of the gas supply pipe 220 is entirely made of a non-magnetic conductive material, but this is an example, and only a part or the surface of the corresponding conduit may be made of a non-magnetic conductive material.

The gas supply pipe 220 has a separate insulation part 222 formed between the ground part 221 and the gas supply part 50 and at a position adjacent to the ground part 221. The insulation part 222 forms a path through which the gas can be transferred, and blocks the electrical connection between the left gas supply pipe 220a and the right gas supply pipe 220b with respect to the insulation part. The gas supply pipe 220 connecting between the insulation part 222 and the gas supply part 50 may be made of the above-mentioned conductive material, but it may be made of an insulating material like the insulation part.

Meanwhile, a variable capacitor element 241 may be installed in parallel between the grounding line 221 and the grounding line 241 connected to the chamber inner wall 110a. Therefore, the control unit (not shown) can control the flow of the eddy current of the window member by controlling the parameters of the variable capacitor element 241 to adjust the circuit characteristics of the ground line.

As described above, according to the present invention, the ground path is formed by using the end of the gas supply pipe 220 to control the flow of the eddy current generated in the window member while using the metallic window member 230, Discharge is prevented, and uniform plasma processing can be performed. Further, since a separate member other than the gas supply pipe is not provided on the window for grounding the window member 230, the inside of the installation chamber can be more simply constructed and the cost can be reduced.

As described above, the configuration using the gas supply pipe as the ground path of the window member can be implemented in various ways other than the embodiment shown in Fig. Hereinafter, some of other embodiments will be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. Fig.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a gas supply pipe structure of a plasma generation module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a gas supply pipe structure of a plasma generation module according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the plasma generation module includes a plurality of window members, and each window member is connected to a gas supply pipe for supplying gas to each gas discharge hole, respectively. As described above, the plurality of gas supply pipes 220 provided in the installation chamber are respectively connected to the respective window members in a branched state, but merged into one or at least several gas supply pipes before being connected to the gas supply portion (see FIG. Here, compared with FIG. 2 described above, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a configuration in which the grounding portion is provided at the junction of the gas supply pipes.

3, the grounding unit 221 is provided at a position adjacent to a point where the gas supply pipe passes through the chamber inner wall 110a to be connected to an external gas supply unit. The grounding portion 221 is formed inside the installation chamber 10 adjacent to the chamber inner wall 110a and the grounding line 241 branched from the grounding portion 221 is connected to the chamber inner wall 110a and grounded therein. And the insulating portion 222 may be formed at a position passing through the chamber inner wall 110a. Therefore, the gas supply pipe 220 can be electrically insulated between the gas supply pipe 220a inside the installation chamber and the gas supply pipe 220b outside the chamber with respect to the portion passing through the inner wall of the chamber.

4 is a configuration in which the gas supply pipe 220 is directly grounded to a separate external ground outside the chamber. The gas supply pipe 220 extends to the outside through the chamber inner wall 110a and the ground portion 221 may be formed in the gas supply pipe outside the chamber. A portion of the gas supply pipe 220 which penetrates the inner wall of the chamber may be a sealing or gasket 260 or the like provided on the outer surface of the gas supply pipe so that the gas supply pipe 220 is grounded to the external ground through a ground line branched from the ground portion 221 And may be insulated to be electrically insulated from the chamber inner wall. The insulating portion 222 may be disposed between the ground portion 221 and the gas supply portion 50.

3 and FIG. 4, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various other structures may be used. For example, when the gas supply pipe passes through the inner wall of the chamber, the gas supply pipe and the inner wall of the chamber may be electrically connected to form a ground portion, so that the window member may be grounded through the inner wall of the chamber Do. In addition to this, it is noted that various modifications are possible in which one end of the gas supply pipe is used as a ground path of the window member without a separate ground line.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Leave.

10: installation room 20: process space
110: chamber 210: antenna
220: gas supply pipe 230: window member

Claims (10)

A high frequency power supply for supplying high frequency power;
An antenna for generating a plasma in a process space by using high frequency power transmitted from the high frequency power source;
A window member made of a nonmagnetic conductive material and disposed between the process space and the antenna to partition the process space;
And a gas supply pipe provided at one end of the window member to form a path through which the process gas flows into the process space and constitute at least a part of a ground path of the window member. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the gas supply pipe is made of a non-magnetic conductive material, at least a part of one end of the gas supply pipe is provided on the window member. The method according to claim 1,
One end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the window member and the other end is connected to a gas supply unit for providing a process gas,
Further comprising: a grounding part electrically connected to an external ground to form a ground path between both ends of the gas supply pipe. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the grounding portion is connected to the inner wall of the chamber which is branched from the upper side of the window member and divides the process space. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the ground unit further comprises a variable capacitor element connected in parallel to a lead connecting the gas supply pipe and the inner wall of the chamber to adjust a ground circuit characteristic. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the gas supply pipe further includes an insulating portion for preventing the window member and the gas supply portion from being electrically connected to each other at a portion adjacent to the grounding portion. The method of claim 3,
The window member is provided between the process space and the antenna, and is connected to a gas supply pipe through which a process gas flows and forms a ground path,
Wherein the plurality of gas supply pipes connected to the plurality of window members are joined to the gas supply unit by one channel before being passed through the wall surface of the chamber partitioning the process space. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the grounding portion is branched from a portion where the plurality of gas supply pipes are merged into one channel, and is connected to the inner wall of the chamber. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the ground portion is branched from a portion where the plurality of gas supply pipes join to one channel and is connected to an external ground region. A chamber having a processing space where a plasma processing process is performed and an installation chamber provided above the processing space;
An antenna disposed in an installation chamber of the chamber and generating a plasma in the process space using high frequency power supplied from a high frequency power source;
A window member provided below the antenna and partitioning the installation chamber and the process space, the window member being made of a nonmagnetic conductive material; And
And a gas supply pipe forming a path through which the process gas flows into the process space and having a first end formed on the window member to form a ground path of the window member.

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