TWI524416B - A local plasma confinement and pressure control arrangement and methods thereof - Google Patents

Description

Local plasma bundle and pressure control device and method [Priority claim]

This application is related to and claims the priority of the co-pending provisional patent application under 35 USC § 119(e) entitled "A Local Plasma Confinement And Pressure Control Arrangement and Methods Thereof", Invented by Dhindsa et al., attorney Docket No. P1990P/LMRX-P185P1, filed on Jan. 31, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[Reciprocal Reference of Related Applications]

The present invention is related to the following applications, which are hereby incorporated by reference: the same title as "A Multiple Peripheral Ring Arrangement for Performing Plasma Confinement", filed on the same day by Dhindsa et al. And the application (attorney's case number P1989/LMRX-P184), which claims the priority of the joint grant of the provisional patent application under 35 USC §119(e), which is owned by Dhindsa et al. The invention is entitled "A Multiple Peripheral Ring Arrangement for Performing Plasma Confinement", attorney case number P1989P/LMRX-P184P1, application number 61/238,656, application dated August 31, 2009, the content of which is incorporated by reference Merge here.

The present invention relates to a partial plasma sheathing and pressure control apparatus and method.

Advances in plasma processing have provided growth in the semiconductor industry. In today's competitive market, manufacturing companies must be able to minimize waste and produce high quality semiconductor devices. Therefore, in order to achieve satisfactory results during substrate processing, strict control of processing parameters is often required.

Within the processing chamber, the gas can interact with a radio frequency (RF) current to form a plasma during substrate processing. To control plasma formation and to protect the walls of the process chamber, the plasma can be enclosed in a restricted chamber volume, such as an area within the surrounding ring. In order to discharge neutral gas species from the surrounding area (the volume within the surrounding ring), the surrounding ring may comprise a plurality of slots. Each slot has a geometry that is set large enough to allow neutral gas species to pass through the slot and exit the containment region and flow toward the turbine pump. In general, in order to effectively enclose the plasma in the surrounding area, each slot tends to have a cross-sectional dimension that is less than twice the thickness of the plasma sheath. A plasma sheath can be present on each side of the slot. Therefore, if the total sheath thickness is larger than the slit width, there will be no bulk plasma between the sheaths, so the plasma can be smoothly pinched off by the slit. However, if the slot width is greater than twice the thickness of the sheath, then plasma may be present within the slot.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that each recipe/formulation step may need to be maintained at a certain amount of pressure/grade to produce the desired plasma required during substrate processing. However, during substrate processing, certain conditions, such as chamber conditions, can cause fluctuations in the amount/grade of pressure. To control the amount/grade of pressure, a vacuum valve can be used, which is placed downstream of the containment zone and upstream of the turbine pump. In an example, to increase the amount of pressure/grade, the vacuum valve can be locked.

Unfortunately, as the pressure increases, the plasma sheath tends to collapse, and the size of the plasma sheath may become smaller. In some cases, the cross-sectional dimension of each slot may become twice as large as the size of the reduced plasma sheath. Assuming that the plasma sheath is shrunk, the slot may no longer enclose the plasma in the surrounding area. Therefore, the plasma will pass through the slot and be formed outside the surrounding area. The locking of the vacuum valve not only increases the amount/level of pressure in the surrounding area, but also increases the amount/grade of pressure in the outer chamber volume (area outside the confined area). Therefore, the high pressure environment of the outer chamber volume may contribute to the formation of unbundled plasma.

Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus for pressure control that simultaneously limits plasma formation to the area formed by the surrounding annulus.

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for performing pressure control within a processing chamber. The apparatus includes a peripheral ring that at least surrounds a volume of the containment chamber that maintains plasma for etching a substrate during substrate processing. The peripheral ring includes a plurality of slots that are at least used to discharge treated by-product gases from the containment chamber volume during substrate processing. The apparatus also includes a conductive control ring disposed adjacent to the surrounding ring and configured to include a plurality of slots. Moving the conduction control ring relative to the surrounding ring such that the first slot on the surrounding ring and the second slot on the conductive control ring are offset from zero offset to full offset relative to each other And achieve pressure control.

The above summary is only one of the many embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description of the invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a plurality of embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing steps and/or structures are not described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the invention.

Various embodiments incorporating methods and techniques are described below. It should be borne in mind that the present invention also encompasses articles of manufacture comprising computer readable media on which computer readable instructions for performing embodiments of the present technology can be stored. The computer readable medium can include, for example, a semiconductor, magnetic, optical-magnetic, optical, or other form of computer readable medium for storing computer readable codes. Furthermore, the invention may also encompass apparatus for practicing embodiments of the invention. Such a device may include dedicated and/or programmable circuitry for performing the operations associated with embodiments of the present invention. Examples of such devices include a suitably programmed general purpose computer and/or special purpose computing device, and may include computer/computing devices and special/processes for various tasks associated with embodiments of the present invention. Combination of circuits.

As described above, in the prior art, pressure control is provided by adjusting the vacuum valve. Since the vacuum valve system tends to be located away from the surrounding area, the adjustment of the vacuum valve not only changes the amount/grade of pressure in the surrounding area, but also tends to change the amount/grade of pressure outside the surrounding ring. In one embodiment of the invention, the inventors herein have learned that local control is required to adjust the amount/grade of pressure within the surrounding ring without changing the amount/level of pressure outside the surrounding area.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a pressure controlled device is provided to enclose plasma in a region formed by a surrounding ring. Embodiments of the invention include a partial pressure control and plasma confinement apparatus. Embodiments of the present invention also include an automatic feedback device and method for managing this partial pressure control and plasma enclosure device.

In one embodiment of the invention, the partial pressure control and plasma containment apparatus are disposed within the processing chamber of the plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the partial pressure control and plasma confinement apparatus can be disposed in a capacitively coupled-plasma (CCP) processing system. In one embodiment, the partial pressure control and plasma containment device includes a fixed peripheral ring and at least one movable conductive control ring. Although more than one movable conduction control loop can be used to control the size of the opening for exhausting gas from the surrounding area, it is economical to provide more than one movable conduction control loop in each surrounding ring due to cost considerations and practical space constraints. And/or actually not feasible.

In this document, a single surrounding ring is used as an example to illustrate various implementations. However, the invention is not limited to a single surrounding ring and can be used in a plasma processing system having one or more surrounding rings. This description is provided as an example, and the invention is not limited by the examples presented.

In an embodiment, the conductive control ring may be disposed within or outside the surrounding area (the surrounding area refers to the area surrounded by the surrounding ring). A conduction control loop is placed adjacent to the surrounding ring. As used herein, the term "adjacent" may mean, but is not limited to, nested inside and outside, nested within the other, contiguous, separated by a small gap, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the conductive control loop surrounds the surrounding ring. In other words, the conduction control loop is placed closer to the outer chamber volume to provide a barrier to prevent plasma from being bundled. Sex.

The surrounding ring can have a plurality of slots (which can be of fixed or variable size). In one embodiment, the number of slots on the conductive control ring and the slot positioning are variable. In one embodiment, the number of slots on the conductive control ring and the slot positioning can match the number of slots on the surrounding ring and the slot location. In another embodiment, the number of slots and/or slot locations on the conductive control ring can be different than the surrounding ring. To control the pressure within the confined region, the conductive control ring can be driven/moved/rotated relative to the surrounding ring to adjust the opening of each slot on the surrounding ring.

In an embodiment, a motor (eg, a stepper motor) can be used to drive and/or rotate the conduction control loop. During substrate processing, the motor can move the control loop to control the slot size of the surrounding ring. In one example, the position of each slot on the conductive control ring can be set to match the position of each slot on the surrounding ring, and the desired slot size on the surrounding ring can be used to discharge Processed by-product gas (eg, neutral gas species). However, in order to reduce the size of the slot on the surrounding ring, we can move the conduction control ring so that the slot on the surrounding ring can be offset from the slot on the conductive control ring.

In an embodiment, this offset can range from zero offset to full offset. As used herein, zero offset refers to the condition in which at least one first slot on the surrounding ring matches one of the first slots on the conductive control ring to provide an unobstructed passage for the exhaust gas. As described herein, full offset may refer to the condition in which at least one slot on the surrounding ring is covered by a slot in the conductive control ring to block the passage of exhaust gases. From the above, it can be understood that the offset relationship between the surrounding ring and the conduction control ring can also include a partial offset so that at least a portion of the passage of the exhaust gas is available.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the production environment is typically a dynamic environment. The amount/grade of pressure may fluctuate during substrate processing. In an embodiment, a partial pressure control and plasma containment device can be used to provide localized pressure control to the containment region. Local pressure control can be performed by adjusting the conduction control loop. In an example, in order to increase the amount/level of pressure in the surrounding area, the conductive control ring can be driven/rotated relative to the surrounding ring, and the size of each slot on the surrounding ring can be reduced, so that no increase is required. The pressure in the area of the envelope is increased with the pressure within the chamber volume.

In an embodiment, a partial pressure control and plasma confinement device can be used to plasma The bundle is enclosed in the surrounding area. In one example, the slots on the surrounding ring may become more than twice the size of the plasma sheath due to the chamber conditions. In the prior art, the collapse of the plasma sheath causes the plasma to pass through the slot and into the outer chamber volume. However, by adjusting the movable conductive control ring, the slots on the surrounding ring can be kept smaller than twice the size of the plasma. In other words, by rotating/driving the movable conduction control ring, the conduction control ring can offset the opening of each slot on the surrounding ring, thereby effectively reducing the size of the slot and substantially preventing plasma leakage to the outer chamber. Within the volume.

In one embodiment of the invention, the partial pressure control and plasma enclosure device is an automatic feedback device in which a sensor is used to monitor the amount/grade of pressure within the confined region. The data collected by the sensor can be sent to the control module for analysis. The module can include a processing module controller. The pressure data can be compared to a predetermined threshold range. If the amount/level of pressure is outside the threshold range, an instruction can be sent to the motor to drive/rotate the conduction control loop to change the amount/level of pressure within the confined area.

By providing means for performing pressure control, the amount of pressure within the volume of the surrounding chamber of the surrounding ring can be adjusted without affecting the amount/grade of pressure in the outer chamber volume (area outside the confined region) /grade. With partial pressure control, the stable plasma above the substrate can be maintained during substrate processing, while at the same time limiting the plasma from forming through the slot of the surrounding ring and outside the surrounding area. In addition, the automatic feedback feature of this device enables automatic pressure control and/or plasma containment without human intervention.

The features and advantages of the present invention are best understood by reference to the appended claims.

1 shows a simplified partial view of a processing chamber 100 having a partial pressure control and plasma containment apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention. Consider, for example, the case where the substrate 106 is being processed in the processing chamber 100. In an embodiment, the processing chamber 100 can be a capacitively coupled plasma processing chamber. The substrate 106 can be disposed above the lower electrode 104. A plasma 108 for etching the substrate 106 may be formed between the substrate 106 and the upper electrode 102 during substrate processing.

To control plasma formation and to protect the chamber walls, a perimeter ring 112 can be used. The surrounding ring 112 may be fabricated from a conductive material such as tantalum, polycrystalline germanium, tantalum carbide, boron carbide, ceramic, aluminum, and the like. Typically, the surrounding ring 112 can be used to surround the volume of the containment chamber Around the 110, a plasma 108 can be formed within the volume of the containment chamber. In addition to the surrounding ring 112, the circumference of the containment chamber volume 110 can also be defined by the upper electrode 102, the lower electrode 104, the edge ring 114, the insulating rings 116 and 118, and the chamber support structure 128.

During substrate processing, gas may flow from a gas distribution system (not shown) into the containment chamber volume 110 to interact with the RF current to produce a plasma 108. The RF current may flow from the RF source 122 to the lower electrode 104 via the cable 124 and the RF matching portion 120. Those skilled in the art will be aware that some of the chamber components (e.g., upper electrode, lower electrode, insulating ring, edge ring, chamber support, etc.) may have other configurations than those shown. Moreover, the number of RF sources and RF matching sections can also vary depending on the plasma processing system.

In order to discharge treated by-product gases (eg, neutral gaseous species) from the containment region (containment chamber volume 110), the surrounding ring 112 may include a plurality of slots (eg, slots 126a, 126b, 126c, 128a, 128b, 128c, 130a, 130b, and 130c). The treated by-product gas (e.g., neutral gas species) can pass through the containment chamber volume 110 and into the outer region 132 of the processing chamber 100 (outer chamber volume) before being withdrawn from the processing chamber 100 via the turbo pump 134. Inside.

The slots on the perimeter ring 112 can have a radial shape, although other configurations can be used. The geometry of each slot is set to be large enough to allow the treated by-product gas (e.g., neutral gas species) to exit the containment chamber volume 110. The number of slots and the size of the slots may depend on the desired conduction rate of the processing chamber. However, each slot typically has a profile that is twice as small as the plasma sheath (not shown).

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the processing chamber 100 has a dynamic environment. Therefore, the amount/level of pressure may fluctuate during substrate processing. As noted above, in the prior art, vacuum valve 138 can be used to perform pressure control. However, in some cases, such as when the vacuum valve 138 is locked, a higher amount of pressure/grade will cause the plasma sheath (not shown) to collapse. When the plasma sheath collapses, the profile of the slot on the peripheral ring 112 becomes twice as large as the size of the reduced plasma sheath. As a result, the plasma can become unconstrained and can escape through the slots into the outer region 132 of the processing chamber 100. Since the change in pressure amount/grade is not limited to the volume of the surrounding chamber chamber 110, the outside of the processing chamber 100 The region 132 (outer chamber volume) will have a high pressure environment at this time, which contributes to the formation of plasma.

Since the production of advanced semiconductor devices typically requires strict control of processing parameters (e.g., pressure levels/grades), an apparatus and/or method is needed to control the amount/grade of pressure within the confinement chamber volume 110. In an embodiment, a conduction control loop 136 can be used to provide local pressure control. In an embodiment, the conductive control ring 136 can be disposed adjacent to the surrounding ring 112. As used herein, the term "adjacent" may mean, but is not limited to, nested inside and outside, nested within the other, contiguous, separated by a small gap, and the like. For example, the conductive control ring 136 can be fabricated from a dielectric material and can be disposed adjacent the peripheral ring 112. In another embodiment, the conductive control ring 136 can surround the surrounding ring 112 such that the conductive control ring 136 can be used to block plasma flow from the surrounding chamber volume 110 into the outer region 132 of the processing chamber 100.

In one embodiment, the number of slots (140a, 140b, 140c, 142a, 142b, 142c, 144a, 144b, and 144c) on the conductive control ring 136 can be offset from the slots (126a, 126b, The number of 126c, 128a, 128b, 128c, 130a, 130b, and 130c) matches. In another embodiment, the number of slots may not match. For example, the number of slots on the conductive control ring 136 can be greater than the number of slots on the surrounding ring 112. By driving/rotating the conduction control ring 136, the offset between the slot of the conductive control ring 136 and the slot of the surrounding ring 112 can be adjusted to provide local pressure control. As can be appreciated from the above, the offset of the slots on the peripheral ring 112 can vary depending on the number of slots on the conductive control ring and/or the positioning of the slots.

To facilitate the description, Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C show examples of different degrees of offset in embodiments of the present invention that can be used to perform localized pressure control.

2A shows a partial view of a partial pressure control and plasma containment device (200) having zero offset in one embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, the conductive control ring 136 surrounds the surrounding ring 112, and the slots (140a, 140b, and 140c) that conduct the control ring 136 are disposed directly on the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) of the surrounding ring 112. Below. In this configuration, the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) of the perimeter ring 112 have the largest dimensions. In other words, the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) of the peripheral ring 112 have the same dimensions as when the conductive control ring 136 remains absent. Inch. This configuration is desirable when the plasma sheath does not shrink and the possibility that the plasma is not bundled is minimal.

However, conditions within the volume of the containment chamber may change during substrate processing. In an example, the amount of pressure/grade may fall outside of an acceptable threshold range during substrate processing. To perform pressure control, the conductive control ring 136 can be adjusted to overlap the slots (140a, 140b, and 140c) on the conductive control ring 136 with corresponding slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) on the surrounding ring 112 (eg, Figure 210 of device 210 shows). In other words, the drive/rotation of the conduction control ring 136 can cause the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) to be changed into a plurality of variable sized slots (as shown by slots 204a, 204b, and 204c).

In some cases (e.g., in a high pressure environment), the thickness of the plasma sheath will be reduced, and the dimensions of the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) on the surrounding ring 112 will be larger than the size of the collapsed plasma sheath. Twice more. In one embodiment, by driving/rotating the conduction control ring 136, the geometry (e.g., size) of the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) on the perimeter ring 112 can be offset, thereby reducing access to the outer region 132. Openings (as indicated by the smaller openings 204a-c).

In one embodiment, the rate of conduction of treated by-product gases (e.g., neutral gaseous species) from the volume of the enclosure chamber may be reduced if a particularly high amount of pressure/grade is required within the volume of the enclosure chamber. At zero. To create a high pressure environment, the conductive control ring 136 can be adjusted to close the openings of the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) of the surrounding ring 112. In other words, 100% can be created by having each slot (140a, 140b, and 140c) on the conductive control ring 136 abutting the corresponding slot (126a, 126b, and 126c) on the surrounding ring 112. Offset (as shown by device 220 of Figure 2C).

Referring back to Figure 1, although an inverted c-type partial pressure control and plasma containment apparatus is shown, the partial pressure control and plasma containment apparatus can have other configurations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the rate of conduction may vary in each of the processing chambers. In a chamber having a normal rate of conduction, the slots may be disposed only within blocks 150, 152, or 154. In an example, the slots (126a, 126b, and 126c) may be disposed within the block 150 if a bottom drain is desired. Since the slots are only provided within the block 150, only the slots (140a, 140b, and 140c) that conduct the control ring 136 may be required. To perform partial pressure control.

In another embodiment, the partial pressure control and plasma confinement apparatus can include two blocks to perform localized pressure control. In one example, for processing chambers that require a higher emission rate of exhaust gas, blocks 150 and 152 may, for example, have slots for discharging treated by-product gases (eg, neutral gaseous species) (126a, 126b, 126c, 128a, 128b, and 128c). Similar to the above example, corresponding slots (140a, 140b, 140c, 142a, 142b, and 142c) above the conductive control ring 136 can be used to perform pressure control.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the inverted c-type partial pressure control and plasma confinement apparatus can be used in processing chambers that require particularly high conduction rates. From the above, we can understand that three blocks (150, 152, and 154) can be used to perform pressure control on a processing chamber having a c-type configuration.

In an embodiment of the invention, the partial pressure control and plasma enclosure device is an automatic feedback device. Figure 3 shows a simplified flow diagram in an embodiment of the invention showing a method of automatically performing partial pressure control and plasma confinement. The illustration of Figure 3 is related to Figures 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C.

In a first step 302, the partial pressure control and plasma confinement device are set to an initial set point position. In one example, the conductive control ring 136 is moved to an initial set point position such that the slot of the conductive control ring 136 is stacked below the slot of the surrounding ring 112 (as shown in Figure 2A). In an embodiment of the invention, a positioning module (not shown) such as an encoder can be used to record the initial set position of the conduction control loop 136, and the initial set position can be sent to the control module 162 (eg, processing) Module controller).

In the next step 304, substrate processing begins. Those skilled in the art will be aware that the formula can be entered. This recipe defines the requirements for different processing parameters, including pressure parameters. The input recipe is used to process the substrate during production.

In the next step 306, the amount/level of pressure is monitored during substrate processing. In an embodiment, the sensor 164 can be used to monitor the level of pressure within the confinement chamber volume 110. Processing data regarding pressure can be sent to control module 162 for analysis.

In the next step 308, the amount/level of pressure during substrate processing is maintained by adjusting the conduction control loop 136. Since the control module 162 continuously collects pressure data, the The control module 162 can determine when the amount/grade of pressure within the envelope chamber volume 110 will fall outside of an acceptable threshold range. Once the problem is found, the control module 162 can recalculate the new set point position such that the amount/level of pressure is within an acceptable threshold. A new set position can be calculated based on the current set point position.

In one embodiment, control module 162 can send a set of commands to motor 160 for driving/rotating conductive control ring 136. In an embodiment, the set of instructions to move the conduction control loop can include a direction signal and a step signal. In one example, the command received by the motor may indicate that the conduction control loop 136 is moved to the left by two stepping pulses (the stepping signals of the stepper motor are typically represented as the number of stepping pulses).

Upon receiving the set of commands, the motor 160 can drive/rotate the conductive control ring 136 to a desired position to change the size of the opening of each slot on the peripheral ring 112. Thus, adjusting the size of the opening of each slot changes the rate of conduction, thereby providing local pressure control without affecting the amount/grade of pressure within the volume of the outer chamber.

Even though the pressure control is performed by another component, such as vacuum valve 138, rather than conduction control loop 136, the regulated conduction control ring 136 is still an effective means for enclosing the plasma. In an example, by adjusting the vacuum valve 138, the amount/grade of pressure within the process chamber 100 (including the containment chamber 110 and the outer region 132) is increased. In this example, the conductive control ring 136 can be used to reduce the opening of the slot on the surrounding ring 112 when the plasma sheath begins to collapse.

Steps 304 through 308 are repeated steps and may be repeated during substrate processing.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that one or more embodiments of the present invention can provide partial pressure control and plasma containment equipment. By providing a partial pressure control device, the pressure level/grade variation can be limited to the chamber volume within the surrounding annulus. Since the pressure control is localized, the plasma for etching the substrate can be stabilized at a faster rate. In addition, or because local pressure control and plasma containment equipment can be used to substantially eliminate the possibility of plasma build-up within the outer chamber volume, the apparatus can provide a wider processing window. Therefore, the partial pressure control and plasma containment device can protect the chamber components from being affected by the unbundled plasma. This is reduced to a minimum.

Although the invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alternative, alternative, and equivalent designs that fall within the scope of the invention. While the examples are provided herein, they are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. Moreover, although the description of the present invention is directed to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) processing system, the application of the present invention may also be directed to an inductively coupled plasma processing system or a hybrid plasma processing system.

Further, the title and the inventive content are presented for convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims herein. In addition, the abstract is written in a very simplified manner and is presented for convenience, and therefore should not be construed as limiting or limiting the entire invention (which is indicated in the claims). If the term "group" is used herein, it is meant to have a mathematical meaning that is generally understood to cover zero, one, or more. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatus of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims be construed as including all such alternatives, substitutions, and equivalents.

100‧‧‧Processing room

102‧‧‧Upper electrode

104‧‧‧ lower electrode

106‧‧‧Substrate

108‧‧‧ Plasma

110‧‧‧Bundle chamber volume

112‧‧‧ surrounding ring

114‧‧‧Edge ring

116‧‧‧Insulation ring

118‧‧‧Insulation ring

120‧‧‧RF Matching Department

122‧‧‧RF source

124‧‧‧ cable

126a‧‧‧ slot

126b‧‧‧ slot

126c‧‧‧ slot

128‧‧‧Cell support structure

128a‧‧‧Slots

128b‧‧‧ slot

128c‧‧‧ slot

130a‧‧‧ slot

130b‧‧‧ slot

130c‧‧‧ slot

132‧‧‧External area

134‧‧‧ turbo pump

136‧‧‧ Conduction control loop

138‧‧‧Vacuum valve

140a‧‧‧ slot

140b‧‧‧ slot

140c‧‧‧ slot

142a‧‧‧ slot

142b‧‧‧ slot

142c‧‧‧ slot

144a‧‧‧ slot

144b‧‧‧ slot

144c‧‧‧ slot

150‧‧‧ blocks

152‧‧‧ Block

154‧‧‧ Block

160‧‧‧Motor

162‧‧‧Control Module

164‧‧‧ sensor

200‧‧‧Partial pressure control and plasma enclosure equipment

204a‧‧‧Slots

204b‧‧‧Slots

204c‧‧‧ slot

210‧‧‧Partial pressure control and plasma enclosure equipment

220‧‧‧Partial pressure control and plasma enclosure equipment

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, and in the drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a simplified partial view of a processing chamber having a partial pressure control and plasma containment apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention.

2A, 2B, and 2C show examples of different degrees of offset in embodiments of the present invention that can be used to perform localized pressure control.

3 shows a simplified flow diagram in an embodiment of the invention showing a method of automatically performing localized pressure control and plasma confinement.

100. . . Processing room

102. . . Upper electrode

104. . . Lower electrode

106. . . Substrate

108. . . Plasma

110. . . Surrounding chamber volume

112. . . Surrounding ring

114. . . Edge ring

116. . . Insulation ring

118. . . Insulation ring

120. . . RF matching department

122. . . RF source

124. . . Cable

126a. . . Slot

126b. . . Slot

126c. . . Slot

128. . . Chamber support structure

128a. . . Slot

128b. . . Slot

128c. . . Slot

130a. . . Slot

130b. . . Slot

130c. . . Slot

132. . . External area

134. . . Turbo pump

136. . . Conduction control loop

138. . . Vacuum valve

140a. . . Slot

140b. . . Slot

140c. . . Slot

142a. . . Slot

142b. . . Slot

142c. . . Slot

144a. . . Slot

144b. . . Slot

144c. . . Slot

150. . . Block

152. . . Block

154. . . Block

160. . . motor

162. . . Control module

164. . . Sensor

Claims (18)

An apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, the processing chamber including a processing chamber wall, the apparatus comprising: a peripheral ring at least for surrounding a volume of the surrounding chamber, the surrounding ring A peripheral ring vertical structure is included, the peripheral ring vertical structure being disposed inwardly from the processing chamber wall such that the surrounding chamber volume does not extend to the processing chamber wall, wherein the surrounding chamber volume can be maintained during substrate processing a plasma for etching a substrate, the peripheral ring comprising a first plurality of slits, wherein the first plurality of slits are at least used to discharge treated by-product gas from the volume of the surrounding chamber during processing of the substrate; a conductive control loop, wherein the conductive control loop is disposed adjacent to the peripheral loop, wherein the peripheral loop is nested within the conductive control loop such that the conductive control loop surrounds the peripheral loop, the conductive control loop including a plurality of slots, wherein the peripheral ring and the conductive control ring each include an upper portion, a side portion, and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion, the side portion, and the lower portion of the surrounding ring are at least The first slot of the first plurality of slots is included, and the conductive control ring includes a second slot of the second plurality of slots, wherein the conductive control ring is moved relative to the surrounding ring, The first slot of the first plurality of slots of the surrounding ring and the second slot of the second plurality of slots of the conductive control ring are offset from zero to full offset relative to each other Internal offset, while achieving pressure control. The apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 1 further includes a motor, wherein the motor is configured to move the conduction control loop to perform pressure control. An apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 2, further comprising a set of sensors having at least one sensor for collecting Processing data for the amount of pressure within the volume of the chamber. In the plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 3 The device for performing pressure control in the processing chamber further includes a control module, the control module is configured to: receive the processing data from the group of sensors, analyze the processing data, and determine a new position of the conduction control ring And the new position that will be part of a set of instructions is sent to the motor. An apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 4, wherein the motor is configured to receive the set of instructions and move the conduction control loop to adjust the enclosure cavity The amount of pressure within the chamber volume. An apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 1 wherein the conductive control loop is fabricated from a dielectric material. An apparatus for performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, as described in claim 1, wherein the plasma processing system is a capacitively coupled plasma processing system. A method of performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, wherein the processing chamber includes a peripheral ring at least for surrounding a volume of the chamber chamber, wherein the volume of the surrounding chamber is A plasma for etching a substrate can be maintained during substrate processing, the peripheral ring including a first plurality of slits, wherein the first plurality of slits are at least used to discharge processed from the peripheral chamber volume during substrate processing By-product gas, the method comprising the steps of: providing a conductive control ring, wherein the conductive control ring is disposed adjacent to the surrounding ring and configured to include a second plurality of slots; monitoring the volume within the volume of the surrounding chamber The amount of pressure; the processing data about the amount of pressure is sent to a control module; the processing data is analyzed; Comparing the amount of pressure in the volume of the enclosure chamber to a predetermined threshold range; if the amount of pressure exceeds the predetermined threshold range, calculating a new position of the conduction control loop; and by making the conduction control loop relatively Moving about the peripheral ring such that a first slot of the first plurality of slots of the peripheral ring and a second slot of the second plurality of slots of the conductive control ring are offset from each other by zero The amount of pressure within the volume of the enclosure chamber is adjusted by shifting to the full offset range. The method of performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, as described in claim 8, the method further comprising: sending the new position as part of a set of instructions to a motor, wherein the A motor is at least adapted to move the conduction control ring to adjust the amount of pressure within the volume of the containment chamber. A method of performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 9 wherein the step of monitoring the amount of pressure within the volume of the surrounding chamber is by a sense of The detector is executed. The method of performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, as described in claim 8, the method further comprising setting the conduction control loop to an initial set position before the substrate processing begins. A method of performing pressure control in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 11 wherein the new set position is calculated based on a previous set position. A plasma sheathing apparatus in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, comprising: a peripheral ring having a first set of slots, wherein the surrounding ring encloses a perimeter capable of maintaining plasma during substrate processing Beam chamber volume, the surrounding ring containing a surrounding ring a horizontal structure, the peripheral ring horizontal structure being disposed above a plane defined by the substrate, the first set of slots being at least for discharging the treated by-product gas from the enclosure chamber volume during the substrate processing; a conductive control ring having a second set of slots, the conductive control ring comprising a conductive control loop horizontal structure, the conductive control loop horizontal structure being disposed adjacent to the surrounding loop horizontal structure; wherein the surrounding loop system is nested The conductive control ring is disposed such that the conductive control ring surrounds the surrounding ring; wherein the surrounding ring and the conductive control ring each include an upper portion, a side portion, and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion and the side portion of the surrounding ring And at least one of the lower portions includes a first slot of the first set of slots, and the conductive control ring includes a second slot of the second set of slots; and a motor for at least conducting the conductive Moving the control ring relative to the peripheral ring such that the first slot of the first set of slots of the peripheral ring and the second slot of the second set of slots of the conductive control ring are relative to each other Zero offset to full offset Inner circle offset. The plasma sheathing device in the processing chamber of the plasma processing system during substrate processing according to claim 13 further includes a set of sensors having at least one sensor for collecting Processing data within the volume of the enclosure chamber. The plasma-wounding device in the processing chamber of the plasma processing system during the processing of the substrate, as described in claim 14, further comprising a control module, the control module being at least configured to: receive the sensing from the group The processing data of the device analyzes the processing data, determines a new location of the conduction control loop, and sends the new location as part of a set of instructions to the motor. In the plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 15 A plasma buffing apparatus within the processing chamber, wherein the motor is configured to receive the set of commands and adjust the conductive control loop to maintain a plasma bundle within the volume of the containment chamber. A plasma sheathing apparatus in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing as described in claim 16 wherein the conductive control loop is fabricated from a dielectric material. A plasma-bundling device in a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing, as described in claim 17, wherein the plasma processing system is a capacitively coupled plasma processing system.