Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
  • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
  • H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
  • H01J37/32192—Microwave generated discharge
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
  • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
  • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
  • H01J37/32532—Electrodes
  • H01J37/32541—Shape
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
  • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
  • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
  • H01J37/3266—Magnetic control means
  • H01J37/32678—Electron cyclotron resonance
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
  • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
  • H05H1/02—Arrangements for confining plasma by electric or magnetic fields; Arrangements for heating plasma
  • H05H1/16—Arrangements for confining plasma by electric or magnetic fields; Arrangements for heating plasma using externally-applied electric and magnetic fields
  • H05H1/18—Arrangements for confining plasma by electric or magnetic fields; Arrangements for heating plasma using externally-applied electric and magnetic fields wherein the fields oscillate at very high frequency, e.g. in the microwave range, e.g. using cyclotron resonance

Definitions

• the invention relates to an ECR plasma source with a linear plasma outlet opening on a plasma chamber, which simultaneously acts as an outer conductor and in which there is a central wave distributor, which is connected to a device for generating a high frequency, and with a multipole magnetic field arrangement in the area of the linear plasma outlet.
• All technically usable and approved frequency ranges can be considered as high frequencies. In practice, frequencies between 13.56 MHz and 2.45 GHz have proven their worth.
• a variety of plasma generating devices are known in the prior art.
• DE 198 12 558 AI describes a device for generating linearly extended ECR plasmas (electron cyclotron resonance plasmas).
• An inner conductor is connected to a device for generating microwaves (910 MHz to 2.45 GHz) and is arranged coaxially in a highly conductive outer coaxial waveguide, which at the same time delimits the plasma space.
• the tubular plasma space has a slot-shaped opening parallel to the longitudinal axis, at each of which a multipole magnet arrangement is provided on both sides of the longitudinal axis to generate a static magnetic field.
• a plasma forms in the plasma space. In the area of the gap-shaped opening, the plasma is significantly amplified by the magnetic field of the multipole magnet arrangement with strong electrical field components.
• a linearly expanded plasma can be generated very advantageously. It is disadvantageous, however, that the plasma density fluctuates relatively strongly in the longitudinal axis of the slit-shaped opening and has a parabolic extension transverse to the longitudinal axis with a relatively small apex radius of curvature.
• the invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a linear ECR plasma source of the type mentioned at the outset, with which a large-area homogeneous plasma can be formed at the plasma outlet opening.
• the essence of the invention consists in the fact that at least two linear ECR plasma sources known as such with a wave distributor and multipole magnetic field arrangement are inventively be further developed into a powerful linear ECR plasma source with at least one plasma outlet opening.
• An ECR plasma source with two partial plasma chambers will be sufficient for many applications.
• An ECR plasma source according to the invention can, however, in particular matched to the specific shape of the substrates or arrangement of the substrates on substrate carriers, also have three or more partial plasma chambers.
• the ECR plasma source can have one or two plasma outlet openings and, with three or more partial plasma chambers, also more plasma outlet openings.
• the ECR plasma source can have specific plasma outlet openings which are essentially dependent on the position of the actual plasma-generating partial plasma chambers and their position relative to one another.
• the ECR plasma source can advantageously be developed such that, in addition to the multipole magnet arrangements in the area of the partial plasma outlet openings, one or more further multipole magnet arrangements are arranged fixedly or displaceably outside the partial plasma chambers.
• the plasma formation in the interior of the partial plasma chambers can thus be influenced in a specific manner.
• the advantage of the ECR plasma source according to the invention is, in particular, that by overlaying at least two individual plasmas a dense and largely homogeneous Plasma can be generated with which an effective plasma treatment of large substrates or substrate arrangements can advantageously be carried out.
• the inventive ECR plasma source was able to produce layer thicknesses of silicon nitride layers over a length of the plasma exit of approximately 800 mm with inhomogeneities of less than ⁇ 2%.
• FIG. 1 shows a section through a schematic ECR plasma source with a plasma outlet opening, in which the radial lines between the individual wave distributor and the center of the width of the partial plasma outlet opening are inclined at an angle of 90 degrees to one another.
• FIG. 2 shows a section through a schematic ECR plasma source with two plasma outlet openings, in which the radial lines lie on an axis between each individual wave distributor and the center of the width of the partial plasma outlet opening and two plasma outlet openings of the ECR plasma source are arranged at right angles thereto.
• FIG 3 shows a section through a schematic ECR plasma source with a plasma outlet opening, in which the radial lines between the individual wave distributors and the center of the width of the partial plasma outlet opening are arranged parallel to one another.
• FIG. 4a shows a section through a structural design of an ECR plasma source with a plasma exit opening, in which the radial lines between the individual wave distributor and the center of the width of the partial plasma exit opening lie on one axis and the plasma exit opening of the ECR Plasma source is arranged at right angles to this.
• FIG. 4b shows the ECR plasma source according to FIG. 4a in a perspective view.
• the ECR plasma source according to exemplary embodiment I essentially consists of two individual ECR plasma sources.
• Figure 1 shows two partial plasma chambers 1 and 2, which together form the plasma chamber of the ECR plasma source and are arranged in a vacuum chamber, not shown.
• the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2 are tubular and a single shaft distributor 3 and 4 are arranged coaxially inside.
• the shaft distributors 3 and 4 correspond to known solutions and consist of an inner conductor which can be connected to a device for generating microwaves, preferably in the range between 910 MHz to 2.45 GHz.
• the wave distributors 3 and 4 are surrounded by protective tubes made of quartz glass. The interior of the protective tubes can be flushed with a gas and thus the shaft distributors 3 and 4 can be cooled.
• the walls of the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2 act as external coaxial waveguides for the microwaves and, in a known manner, preferably have inner protective linings made of dielectric or conductive materials.
• a linear partial plasma outlet opening 5 and 6 is provided on the tubular partial plasma chambers 1 and 2 in each case on their longitudinal axis.
• the radial lines 7 and 8 are arranged between the individual shaft distributors 3 and 4 and the center of the width of the partial plasma outlet opening 5 and 6 at an angle of 90 degrees to one another. The intersection of the radial lines 7 and 8 lies approximately in the middle of the plasma outlet opening 9 of the ECR plasma source.
• a multipole magnetic field arrangement 10 and 11 with, for example, static magnetic fields are arranged outside each on the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2.
• Multipole magnetic field arrangements 12 are arranged on the outside on the circumference of the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2.
• All multipole magnetic field arrangements 10, 11 and 12 are attached to the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2 in such a way that their position and thus the effect of the magnetic field lines can be changed slightly and adapted to specific technological requirements.
• the function of the ECR plasma source according to exemplary embodiment I is described in more detail below.
• the ECR plasma source is located in a vacuum chamber in which a pressure of a carrier gas, for example argon, of 2 ⁇ 10 2 mbar is set to operate the ECR plasma source.
• the two wave distributors 3 and 4 are connected to a device for generating microwaves, for example 915 MHz, the two wave distributors 3 and 4 act as microwave antennas and feed the microwaves into the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2, whereby a plasma is formed in them, which act in the area of the multipole magnetic field arrangements 10 and 11 Magnetic field components on the plasma, whereby the plasma emerging from the plasma outlet opening 9 of the ECR plasma source is substantially amplified, and the magnetic field components of the multipole magnetic field arrangements 12 also act on the plasma in a corresponding manner.
• a device for generating microwaves for example 915 MHz
• the two wave distributors 3 and 4 act as microwave antennas and feed the microwaves into the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2, whereby a plasma is formed in them, which act in the area of the multipole magnetic field arrangements 10 and 11 Magnetic field components on the plasma, whereby the plasma emerging from the plasma outlet opening 9 of the ECR plasma source is substantially amplified, and the magnetic field components of the multipole magnetic field arrangements 12 also act on the plasma in
• the multipole magnetic field arrangements 10, 11 and 12 are arranged by positioning them on the partial plasma chambers 1 and 2 in such a way that their magnetic field components have a homogeneous plasma expansion to the plasma outlet opening 9 of the ECR plasma source, both in length and in width, in accordance with the specific technological requirement great homogeneity.
• a plasma treatment of a substrate, not shown, which is positioned in front of the plasma outlet opening 9 or guided past it, can thus be ensured with high effectiveness and maximum quality.
• FIG. tions 27 and 28 an ECR plasma source with two plasma exit openings is shown schematically in FIG. tions 27 and 28 shown.
• the positions identical to embodiment I are identified in FIG. 2 with the same position number.
• the radial lines 25 and 26 lie between the individual shaft distributors 3 and 4 and the
• the distance between the partial plasma outlet openings 23 and 24 is selected in such a way that two opposite plasma-type plasma outlet openings 27 and 28 are formed at right angles and on both sides to the radial lines 25 and 26. Similar to exemplary embodiment I, multipole magnetic field arrangements 10 and 11 as well as multipole magnetic field arrangements 29 are arranged at the plasma outlet openings 27 and 28 to influence the formation of the plasma.
• the function of the ECR plasma source according to embodiment II is similar to embodiment I.
• the substrates can be arranged on both sides in front of the plasma outlet openings 27 and 28.
• FIG. 3 an ECR plasma source with a plasma outlet opening 18 is shown schematically in FIG.
• the radial lines 19 and 20 lie parallel to each other between the individual wave distributors 3 and 4 and the center of the width of the partial plasma outlet openings 17 and form the plasma outlet opening 18 of the ECR plasma source.
• the U-shaped partial plasma chambers 13 and 14 each have an outwardly angled extension 16 on the outer sides of the partial plasma outlet openings 17, the length and shape of which depend on the given technological conditions.
• the distance between the two partial plasma exit openings 17 is selected such that the homogeneous individual plasmas at the partial plasma exit openings 17 largely combine to form a homogeneous plasma at the plasma exit opening 18 of the ECR plasma source.
• 17 multipole magnetic field arrangements 10 and 11 are provided on the outer sides of the partial plasma outlet openings, and further multipole magnetic field arrangements 12 are provided on the partial plasma chambers 13 and 14.
• a multipole magnetic field arrangement 15 which on both sides of the individual plasmas at the partial plasma outlet Acts 17 acts.
• FIG. 4a shows a section through a structural design of an ECR plasma source similar to embodiment II.
• FIG. 4b shows the ECR plasma source in a perspective view.
• the performance example IV builds on the principle of performance example II, i.e. lines 25 and 26 lie on one axis.
• the main difference is that the ECR plasma source has only one plasma outlet opening 30, while the opposite side is covered with a metal sheet 31.
• the distance between the two shaft distributors 3 and 4 is 300 mm from one another.
• the shaft distributors 3 and 4 consisting of an inner tube with a
• Diameters of 8 mm and a protective tube with a diameter of 30 mm are arranged within U-shaped partial plasma chambers 32 and 33, the U-shape being formed from a square tube open on one side with rounded corners.
• the inner width of this square tube is 110 mm, ie the distance between the protective tube and the inner wall of the partial plasma chambers 32 and 33 is 40 mm.
• the plasma exit opening 30 of the ECR plasma source is 200 mm. Between the partial plasma outlet openings 34 and 35 and the plasma outlet opening 30 baffles 36 and 37 are provided.
• Multipole magnet arrangements 38 and 39 are arranged in pairs directly on the partial plasma outlet openings 34 and 35 on both sides of the partial plasma outlet openings 34 and 35. These are water-cooled, which means that even high ambient temperatures cannot change the magnetic field density.
• the magnetic fields of the multipole magnet arrangement 38 and 39 were set such that the ECR plasma is preferably formed in the area of the wave distributors 3 and 4.
• the magnetic field was weakened in such a way that the ECR plasma is shifted in the direction of the partial plasma outlet openings 34 and 35.
• the plasma density gradient which results from the increased power consumption in the vicinity of the connection points 40, is compensated by a lower magnetic field influence on the plasma generation directly at the wave distributors 3 and 4.
• This arrangement results in a homogeneous plasma along the partial plasma outlet openings 34 and 35, which finally floods the central region of the ECR plasma source with charge carriers.
• This superimposition also leads to a homogeneous plasma region of a certain plasma density at the plasma outlet opening 30 of the ECR plasma source.
• the ECR plasma source is arranged in a vacuum chamber in a vacuum-tight manner in relation to the environment.
• the vacuum chamber has a length of 1000 mm and the length of the active plasma zone is approximately 950 mm.
• the microwaves fed into the ECR plasma source via the wave distributors 3 and 4 have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.
• Each of the wave distributors 3 and 4 is connected to a microwave generator which can generate an output of 2 kW.
• a grating system (not shown in the drawing) can also be arranged in the region of the plasma outlet opening 30 outside the ECR plasma source.
• the ECR plasma source can also be used as an ion beam source.
• multipole magnet arrangements with electrocoil arrangements are preferably used.
• substrates to be processed were continuously moved past the plasma outlet opening 30. Depending on their width, even large substrate areas can be treated with a homogeneous plasma.
• the speed of the carrier plate was set so that the required layer thickness was achieved in one movement cycle.
• the layer thicknesses of the silicon nitride layers showed inhomogeneities of less than ⁇ 2% with a coating width of approx. 800 mm.
• the advantage here was that, due to the relatively homogeneous layer thickness, the refractive index of the silicon nitride layers over the large one
• Coating width of 800 mm was within a tolerance range of less than ⁇ 1%.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
• Plasma Technology (AREA)
• Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
• Electron Sources, Ion Sources (AREA)
• Particle Accelerators (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=34305603

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (6)

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• 2003
  • 2003-09-08 DE DE10341239A patent/DE10341239B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-09-08 EP EP04786748A patent/EP1665324B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-09-08 AT AT04786748T patent/ATE352862T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-09-08 DE DE502004002806T patent/DE502004002806D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-09-08 CN CNB2004800257138A patent/CN100530509C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-09-08 JP JP2006525621A patent/JP2007505451A/ja active Pending
  • 2004-09-08 WO PCT/DE2004/002027 patent/WO2005027595A2/de not_active Ceased
  • 2004-09-08 US US10/571,161 patent/US20060254521A1/en not_active Abandoned

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