KR20240098299A - Substrate processing apparatus and baffles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus. The provided substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a support unit, a plasma generator, and a baffle. The housing has a processing space. The support unit supports the substrate in the processing space. The plasma generator is located outside the housing, generates plasma by discharging process gas, and supplies the generated plasma to the processing space. The baffle is disposed on the upper part of the support unit and ensures that the plasma moving from the plasma generator to the processing space is uniformly transferred to the substrate. The baffle has a body in which holes are formed that provide a path for plasma to move, and some or all of the above holes are provided at an angle.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and baffles {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND BAFFLES}

The present invention relates to a device for processing a substrate using plasma.

Plasma refers to a state in which gas is heated to an extremely high temperature and separated into electrons and positively charged ions. In the semiconductor or display industries, plasma can be used for substrate processing.

Meanwhile, referring to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0133751 (published on October 5, 2022), a device that processes a substrate using plasma generally includes a housing, a support unit, a plasma generator, and a baffle. do. The housing has a processing space. The support unit supports the substrate in the processing space. The plasma generator is located outside the housing, generates plasma by discharging process gas, and supplies the generated plasma to the processing space. The baffle is disposed on the upper part of the support unit and ensures that the plasma moving from the plasma generator to the processing space is uniformly transferred to the substrate.

Meanwhile, the upper baffle has a body in which holes are formed that provide a path for plasma to move. Conventionally, the upper holes are formed only in the vertical direction, so that the flow of plasma is smooth in some areas (near the support unit, etc.) within the processing space. I couldn't do it.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing device in which plasma flows smoothly within a processing space.

The object of the present invention is not limited here, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a housing, a support unit, a plasma generator, and a baffle. The housing has a processing space. The support unit supports the substrate in the processing space. The plasma generator is located outside the housing, generates plasma by discharging process gas, and supplies the generated plasma to the processing space. The baffle is disposed on the upper part of the support unit and ensures that the plasma moving from the plasma generator to the processing space is uniformly transferred to the substrate. The baffle has a body in which holes are formed that provide a path for plasma to move, and some or all of the above holes are provided at an angle.

In some embodiments, the stomach body may be divided into a first region and a second region. The second area is an area surrounding the first area, and among the holes formed in the body, the holes located in the first area may be defined as first holes, and the holes located in the second area may be defined as second holes. At this time, the first holes may be provided slanted downward in a direction toward the center of the substrate supported on the support unit, and the second holes may be provided slanted downward in a direction away from the center of the substrate supported on the support unit.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment may be disposed at the bottom of the support unit, and may further include an exhaust plate with an exhaust hole on the inner edge. In some embodiments, the second holes may be used to dispose the substrate supported on the support unit. It may be provided to discharge plasma toward the outside of.

The present invention also provides a baffle. The baffle according to the embodiment includes a body in which holes are formed that provide a movement path for plasma. Some or all of the above holes are provided at an incline.

In some embodiments, the stomach body may be divided into a first region and a second region. The second area is an area surrounding the first area, and among the holes formed in the body, the holes located in the first area may be defined as first holes, and the holes located in the second area may be defined as second holes. At this time, the first holes may be provided slanted downward in a direction toward the central axis of the body, and the second holes may be provided slanted downward in a direction away from the center of the body.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, during the process of processing a substrate with plasma, the flow of plasma is appropriately controlled due to the structure of the baffle, and eddy currents do not occur in the processing space. Accordingly, the substrate processing device according to the embodiment has excellent substrate processing efficiency.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.
Figure 2 is a top view of the baffle of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows fluid flow in the processing space of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a baffle according to another embodiment.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a baffle according to another embodiment.
Various features and advantages of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may become more apparent upon review of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered to be drawn to scale unless explicitly stated. Various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

Exemplary embodiments will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Illustrative embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. To provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required and that the example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, neither of which should be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and is not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, singular expressions or expressions where singular plurality is not specified are intended to include plural expressions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “comprising”, “having” have an open meaning and thus refer to the mentioned features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components. It specifies the presence and does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, configurations, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof. Method steps, processes and operations herein are not necessarily to be construed as being performed in the particular order discussed or described unless the order in which they are performed is specified. Additional or alternative steps may also be selected.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected,” “coupled,” “attached,” “adjacent,” or “covering” another element or layer, it is directly on or over said other element or layer. , connected, joined, attached, adjacent or covering, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, it will be understood that no intermediate elements or layers are present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes all combinations and subcombinations of one or more of the listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, regions, layers, and/or sections, the elements, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be understood as being limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element, region, layer, or section from another element, region, layer, or section. Accordingly, a first element, first region, first layer, or first section discussed below is referred to as a second element, second region, second layer, or second section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments. It can be.

Spatially relative terms (e.g., “below,” “underneath,” “bottom,” “above,” “top,” etc.) refer to one element or feature as shown in the figure and to another element(s). Alternatively, it may be used for convenience of explanation to explain the relationship with feature(s). It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include not only the orientation shown in the figures, but also other orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawing were turned over, elements described as “beneath” or “beneath” other elements or features would be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Accordingly, the term “below” can include both upward and downward orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees, or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptive language used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

When using the terms “same” or “like” in the description of the embodiments, it should be understood that some inaccuracies may exist. Accordingly, when one element or value is stated to be the same as another element or value, it should be understood that the element or value is identical to the other element or value within a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g. ±10%).

When the words “approximately” or “substantially” are used herein in connection with a numerical value, the numerical value should be understood to include manufacturing or operating errors (e.g. ±10%) of the stated numerical value. Additionally, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in connection with geometrical forms, it is to be understood that accuracy of geometrical forms is not required, but that latitude with respect to form is within the scope of the disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the present disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments pertain. . In addition, terms, including terms defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present invention, are ideal or overly formal. It will be understood that it will not be interpreted as meaning.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 selectively removes a thin film on a substrate W using plasma. The substrate processing apparatus 100 may be provided to perform an ashing process, an etching process, etc. The thin film removed by plasma may be a natural oxide film or a chemically generated oxide film. For example, the thin film may be a polysilicon film, a silicon oxide film, or a silicon nitride film.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 may include a process processing unit 200, a plasma generator 400, a gas supply unit 600, an exhaust unit 900, and a controller (C).

The process processing unit 200 may include a housing 210, a support unit 230, and a baffle 250.

The housing 210 has a processing space 212 in which the substrate W is processed. The housing 210 is not limited to a specific shape, and as an example, as shown in the drawing, it may be provided in a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom. An opening (not shown) for entering and exiting the substrate W may be formed in the side wall of the housing 210. That is, the substrate W can be transferred from the outside of the housing 210 to the processing space 212 through the opening. The housing 210 may be further provided with a door (not shown) that opens and closes the opening.

Housing 210 has an exhaust plate 212 . The exhaust plate 212 is disposed at the bottom of the support unit 230. An exhaust hole 214 may be formed in the exhaust plate 212. The exhaust hole 214 may be located on the inner edge of the exhaust plate 212. Plasma, gas, and by-products in the processing space 212 may be exhausted to the outside of the housing 210 through the exhaust hole 214. The exhaust hole 214 is connected to the exhaust unit 900.

The support unit 230 is disposed in the processing space 212 and supports the substrate W. The support unit 230 may include a support plate 232 and a support shaft 234. The support plate 232 has a seating surface on which the substrate W is seated. The support shaft 234 has a predetermined height and is vertically coupled to the lower part of the support plate 232.

In some embodiments, support unit 230 may further include a heater (not shown). The heater may be located inside the susceptor 231 or adjacent to the susceptor 231. The heater heats the susceptor 231 to a set temperature. The heater may be provided in the form of a hot wire.

In some embodiments, support unit 230 may further include a cooler (not shown). The cooler may be located inside the susceptor 231 or adjacent to the susceptor 231. The cooler cools the susceptor (231). The cooler may be provided in the form of a cooling line through which coolant flows.

In some embodiments, the support unit 230 may be connected to an external power source and may be provided to hold the substrate W by electrostatic force.

In some embodiments, the support unit 230 may be provided to hold the substrate W in various ways, such as mechanical clamping or vacuum suction.

The baffle 250 is located on top of the support unit 230 and faces the support unit 230. The baffle 250 may be provided in a plate-shaped body 251 with a plurality of holes 252 that provide a movement path for plasma. Some or all of the holes 252 may be provided inclined. The baffle 250 may be located at the boundary between the housing 210 and the plasma generator 400, and may be provided to be coupled to the housing 210 or the plasma generator 400. The baffle 250 ensures that the plasma generated by the plasma generator 400 and flowing into the processing space 212 is uniformly supplied to the substrate W supported on the support unit 230.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the baffle 250 may be divided into a first area (A1) and a second area (A2). At this time, the second area A2 is an area surrounding the first area A1. Among the holes 252, those located in the first area A1 are defined as first holes 252a, and those located in the second area A2 are defined as second holes 252b.

The first holes 252a may be provided to be inclined downward in a direction toward the central axis of the body 251 or toward the center of the substrate W supported on the support unit 230. In general, the airflow supplied in the vertical direction to the plasma generator 400 has a tendency to spread outward. When the first holes 252a are provided as described above, the phenomenon of airflow spreading is significantly reduced, and the airflow spreads to the substrate ( W) can be uniformly transferred. The above airflow may include plasma, gas, and by-products.

The second holes 252b may be provided to be inclined downward in a direction away from the central axis of the body 251 or in a direction away from the center of the substrate W supported on the support unit 230. In general, particles generated during the substrate processing process have weight and tend to move inside the airflow supplied from the plasma generator 400. The second holes 252b are provided as described above. In this case, the particles remaining in the upper part of the processing space 212 can be directly exhausted through the exhaust hole 214 without contaminating the substrate W by the airflow sprayed into the second holes 252b. The above airflow may include plasma, gas, and by-products.

To maximize the particle removal effect through the second holes 252b, the second holes 252b may be provided to discharge airflow toward the outside of the substrate W supported on the support unit 230. In addition, the body 251 has a large area compared to the substrate W supported on the support unit 230, and the inlets of the innermost of the second holes 252b are supported on the support unit 230. It may be positioned to overlap the substrate (W).

That is, when using the baffle 250 described above, in the process of processing the substrate W with plasma, the flow of plasma is appropriately controlled due to the structure of the baffle 250, and the vortex phenomenon within the processing space 212 is prevented. This does not occur. Additionally, the phenomenon of the substrate W being re-contaminated by particles is significantly reduced.

Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, all of the holes 252 formed in the body 251 are directed toward the central axis of the body 251 or toward the center of the substrate W supported on the support unit 230. It may be provided slanted downward in the direction toward.

Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, all of the holes 252 formed in the body 251 are in a direction away from the central axis of the body 251 or at the center of the substrate W supported on the support unit 230. may be provided sloping downward in a direction away from

Referring again to FIG. 1, the plasma generator 400 may be located at the top of the housing 210. The plasma generator 400 generates plasma by discharging the process gas, and supplies the generated plasma to the processing space 212. The plasma generator 400 may include a plasma chamber 410, a power application unit 430, and a diffusion chamber 440.

The plasma chamber 410 is not limited to a specific shape, and as an example, as shown in the drawing, it may be provided in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower surfaces. The plasma chamber 410 has a plasma generation space 412. The plasma chamber 410 may be made of a material containing aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The plasma generation space 412 may be filled with process gas and/or purge gas supplied from the gas supply unit 600.

The power application unit 430 applies high frequency power to the plasma generation space 412. The power applying unit 430 may include an antenna 432 and a power source 434.

The antenna 432 is provided in a coil shape and can be wound spirally around the outside of the plasma chamber 410 a plurality of times. At this time, the height at which the antenna 432 is wound may correspond to the height of the plasma generation space 412.

The power source 434 is connected to the antenna 432 and applies high frequency power to the antenna 432. A portion of power source 434 is grounded.

When high frequency power is applied to the antenna 432, an induced electric field is formed in the plasma generation space 412, and the gas in the plasma generation space 412 is converted into a plasma state.

The diffusion chamber 440 is located below the plasma chamber 410 and connects the plasma chamber 410 and the housing 210. The diffusion chamber 440 may be provided in a funnel shape with the lower end having a larger area than the upper end.

The diffusion chamber 440 diffuses the plasma generated in the plasma chamber 410 and the process gas and/or purge gas that passes through the plasma generation space 412 and moves to the housing 210 .

Plasma, process gas, purge gas, etc. diffused to a predetermined area in the diffusion chamber 440 are uniformly supplied to the substrate W supported on the support unit 230 through the baffle 250.

The gas supply unit 600 supplies process gas and/or purge gas to the plasma generation space 412. The gas supply unit 600 may include a gas port 610, a process gas source 620, a purge gas source 630, and a gas supply line 640.

The gas port 610 is located in the open upper area of the plasma chamber 410 and may be provided to seal the open upper area of the plasma generation space 412.

The gas supply line 640 may be connected to the gas port 610. One end of the gas supply line 640 may be connected to the gas port 610, and the other end of the gas supply line 640 may be branched and connected to the process gas source 620 and the purge gas source 630.

The process gas source 620 supplies process gas to the plasma generation space 412. The process gas may contain fluorine and/or hydrogen. The process gas supplied to the plasma generation space 412 may be converted into a plasma state in the plasma generation space 412 by the power application unit 430.

The gas supply line 640 may be provided with a valve 622 that controls the flow rate of the process gas supplied from the process gas source 620. The valve 622 is not limited to a particular shape or structure and may be any one of a variety of known valves.

The purge gas source 630 supplies purge gas to the plasma generation space 412. The purge gas may be an inert gas such as nitrogen. The internal pressure of the processing space 212 may be adjusted by the supply amount of purge gas.

The gas supply line 640 may be provided with a valve 632 that controls the flow rate of the purge gas supplied from the purge gas source 630. The valve 632 is not limited to a particular shape or structure and may be any one of a variety of known valves.

The exhaust unit 900 is connected to the exhaust hole 214 of the housing 210. The exhaust unit 900 exhausts plasma, gas, and by-products generated during the substrate processing process to the outside of the housing 210. Exhaust unit 900 may include an exhaust line 902 and a pump 904.

One end of the exhaust line 902 may be connected to the exhaust hole 214 formed on the bottom of the housing 210, and the other end of the exhaust line 902 may be connected to the pump 904.

The pump 904 sucks plasma, gas, and by-products within the processing space 212 and reduces the atmospheric pressure of the processing space 212. Pump 904 is not limited to a particular form or structure and may be any one of a variety of known pumps.

The controller C controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The supply amount of plasma supplied to the processing space 212, the supply amount of purge gas supplied to the processing space 212, the output of the pump 904, etc. can be controlled.

Although exemplary embodiments have been disclosed herein, it should be understood that other variations are possible. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and may be used in selected embodiments even if not specifically shown or described. Such modifications should not be construed as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

250: baffle
251: body
252: Hall
252a: 1st hole
252b: 2nd hole
A1: first area
A2: Second area

Claims (9)

In a device for processing a substrate,
a housing having a processing space;
a support unit supporting a substrate in the processing space;
a plasma generator located outside the housing, generating plasma by discharging a process gas, and supplying the generated plasma to the processing space; and
It includes a baffle disposed on an upper part of the support unit and allowing plasma moving from the plasma generator to the processing space to be uniformly transmitted to the substrate,
The baffle has a body in which holes are formed to provide a path for plasma movement, and some or all of the holes are provided at an angle. According to claim 1,
Some or all of the holes are provided to be inclined downward in a direction toward the center of the substrate supported on the support unit. According to claim 1,
Some or all of the holes are provided to be inclined downward in a direction away from the center of the substrate supported on the support unit. According to claim 1,
The body is divided into a first region and a second region,
The second area is an area surrounding the first area,
Among the holes, the holes located in the first area are defined as first holes,
Among the holes, those located in the second area are defined as second holes,
The first holes are provided inclined downward in a direction toward the center of the substrate supported on the support unit,
The second holes are provided to be inclined downward in a direction away from the center of the substrate supported on the support unit. According to claim 4,
An exhaust plate disposed below the support unit and having an exhaust hole formed on an inner edge thereof,
The second holes are provided to discharge plasma toward the outside of the substrate supported on the support unit. According to claim 4,
The body has a large area compared to the substrate supported on the support unit,
When viewed from above, the inlets of the innermost of the second holes are positioned to overlap the substrate supported on the support unit. In the baffle provided in the substrate processing apparatus,
Includes a body in which holes are formed that provide a movement path for plasma;
A baffle, wherein some or all of the holes are provided at an angle. According to claim 7,
The body is divided into a first region and a second region,
The second area is an area surrounding the first area,
Among the holes, the holes located in the first area are defined as first holes,
The first holes are provided inclined downward in a direction toward the central axis of the body, and are baffles. According to claim 8,
Among the holes, those located in the second area are defined as second holes,
The second holes are provided to be inclined downward in a direction away from the center and away from the central axis of the body.

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