Plasma processing device and method for manufacturing the same, and plasma processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a plasma processing device and a manufacturing method thereof and a plasma processing method, which can stabilize discharge even when the plasma processing device is large-scale. The plasma processing device processes a substrate in a processing chamber of a processing container in which plasma is generated, and includes: a high-frequency power supply for plasma generation; a mounting table capable of mounting the substrate and electrically connected to a bias high-frequency power supply; a metal protective component that covers at least a portion of an exposed surface of the grounded processing container that is connected to the processing chamber; a first grounding potential component that is fastened to one end of the protective component by a first metal fastening component and contacts a portion of the processing container to have a grounding potential; and a second grounding potential component that is fastened to the other end of the protective component by a second metal fastening component and contacts another portion of the processing container to have a grounding potential.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plasma processing device and a manufacturing method thereof and a plasma processing method. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a plasma processing device, which performs plasma processing on a substrate placed on a placement surface of a placement table in a processing chamber while applying a high-frequency bias to the placement table. In the plasma processing device, a first opening baffle and a second opening baffle are provided at the exhaust port portion, and the first opening baffle and the second opening baffle are provided at the downstream side and the upstream side of the exhaust passage, respectively. The first opening baffle is grounded, the second opening baffle is in an electrically floating state, and the first opening baffle and the second opening baffle have a gap therebetween that can generate a stable discharge. According to the plasma processing device disclosed in patent document 1, it is possible to suppress plasma leakage to the exhaust portion, and it is possible to suppress unstable glow discharge above the baffle, and to generate a stable plasma in the processing chamber.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-17180 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same, and a plasma processing method, which can stabilize discharge even when the plasma processing apparatus is enlarged.

[0008] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0009] A plasma processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is capable of processing a substrate in a processing chamber of a processing container in which plasma is generated, and includes:

[0010] High frequency power supply for plasma generation;

[0011] A mounting table capable of mounting the substrate and electrically connected to a bias high frequency power supply;

[0012] a metal protective member covering at least a portion of an exposed surface of the grounded processing container that communicates with the processing chamber;

[0013] A first grounding potential member, which is fastened to one end of the protection member by a first metal fastening member and is in contact with a portion of the processing container to have a grounding potential; and

[0014] The second grounding potential member is fastened to the other end of the protection member by a second metal fastening member and is in contact with another portion of the processing container to have a grounding potential.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, even when the plasma processing apparatus is enlarged, discharge can be stabilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The enlarged view of part II is an enlarged view of the range from the exhaust through hole of the bottom plate of the chamber to the top of the exhaust part.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 III-III view of the device.

[0020] Description of Reference Numerals

[0021] 19: Through hole for exhaust (exposed surface)

[0022] 20: Processing Containers

[0023] 41: Bottom plate cover plate (first ground potential component)

[0024] 42: First inner wall covering plate (protective component)

[0025] 43: Exhaust pipe (second ground potential component)

[0026] 44: Exhaust network (second ground potential component)

[0027] 46: Second inner wall covering plate (second grounding potential component)

[0028] 47: Fastening screw (first fastening member)

[0029] 48: Fastening screw (second fastening member)

[0030] 56: High frequency power supply (high frequency power supply for plasma generation)

[0031] 70: Loading table

[0032] 83: High frequency power supply (high frequency power supply for bias)

[0033] 100: Plasma treatment device

[0034] S: Processing room

[0035] G: substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, a plasma processing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof and a plasma processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and the accompanying drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0037] [Plasma Processing Device and Manufacturing Method thereof and Plasma Processing Method according to Embodiment]

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , an example of a plasma processing device and a manufacturing method thereof and a plasma processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Here, Figure 1 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The enlarged view of part II is an enlarged view of the range from the exhaust through hole in the bottom plate of the chamber to the top of the exhaust part. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 III-III view of the device.

[0039] Figure 1 The plasma processing device 100 shown is an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) processing device for performing various substrate processing methods on a substrate G (hereinafter referred to as "substrate") which is rectangular when viewed from above and is used for a flat panel display (Flat Panel Dis play, hereinafter referred to as "FPD"). Glass is mainly used as the material of the substrate, and transparent synthetic resins and the like can also be used depending on the application. Here, the substrate processing includes etching processing, film forming processing using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, etc. As FPD, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an electroluminescent display (EL), a plasma display panel (PDP), etc. can be exemplified. In addition to the form in which the circuit is patterned on its surface, the substrate also includes the form of supporting the substrate. In addition, the plane size of the FPD substrate has been increased with the generation of the substrate, and the plane size of the substrate G processed by the plasma processing apparatus 100 ranges from, for example, 1500 mm×1800 mm in the sixth generation to 3000 mm×3400 mm in the 10.5th generation. The thickness of the substrate G is 0.2 mm to several mm.

[0040] Figure 1 The plasma processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes: a processing container 20 of a rectangular parallelepiped box type; a mounting table 70 having a rectangular outer shape in a plan view, which is arranged in the processing container 20 and can mount a substrate G; and a control unit 90. In addition, the processing container may also be in a cylindrical box type or an elliptical cylindrical box type, and in this form, the mounting table also becomes circular or elliptical, and the substrate mounted on the mounting table also becomes circular.

[0041] The processing container 20 is divided into two spaces, upper and lower, by the metal window 30. The antenna room A as the upper space is formed by the upper chamber 13, and the processing chamber S as the lower space is formed by the lower chamber 17. In the processing container 20, a rectangular ring-shaped support frame 14 is arranged at a position that becomes a boundary between the upper chamber 13 and the lower chamber 17 so as to protrude toward the inner side of the processing container 20, and the metal window 30 is installed on the support frame 14.

[0042] The upper chamber 13 forming the antenna chamber A is formed of the side wall 11 and the top plate 12 and is formed of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy as a whole.

[0043] The lower chamber 17 having the processing chamber S therein is formed of a side wall 15 and a bottom plate 16 , and is formed entirely of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The side wall 15 is grounded via a grounding wire 21 .

[0044] The support frame 14 is formed of conductive metal such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, and may also be referred to as a metal frame.

[0045] A rectangular annular (endless (closed loop)) sealing groove 22 is formed at the upper end of the side wall 15 of the lower chamber 17, and a sealing component 23 such as an O-ring is embedded in the sealing groove 22. The abutting surface of the supporting frame 14 holds the sealing component 23, thereby forming a sealing structure between the lower chamber 17 and the supporting frame 14.

[0046] A delivery port 18 for delivering substrates G to and from the lower chamber 17 is provided on the side wall 15 of the lower chamber 17, and the delivery port 18 is configured to be openable and closable by a gate 24. A conveying chamber (not shown) with a built-in conveying mechanism is adjacent to the lower chamber 17, and the gate 24 is controlled to be opened and closed, and the substrates G are delivered through the delivery port 18 by the conveying mechanism.

[0047] In addition, a plurality of exhaust through holes 19 (an example of an exposed surface) are formed in the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17, and an exhaust pipe 43 is connected to each exhaust through hole 19, and the exhaust pipe 43 is connected to the exhaust device 27 via an on-off valve 26. An exhaust section 28 is formed by the exhaust pipe 43, the on-off valve 26, and the exhaust device 27. The exhaust device 27 has a vacuum pump such as a turbomolecular pump, which can evacuate the lower chamber 17 to a specified vacuum level during processing. In addition, a pressure gauge (not shown) is provided at an appropriate position in the lower chamber 17, and monitoring information generated by the pressure gauge is sent to the control unit 90. In addition, with regard to Figure 1 The detailed structure of the portion II surrounded by the dashed line, from the exhaust through hole 19 to the top of the exhaust pipe 43, will be described in detail below.

[0048] The mounting table 70 includes a substrate 71 and an electrostatic chuck 76 formed on an upper surface 71 a of the substrate 71 .

[0049] The substrate 71 is rectangular in plan view and has the same plane size as the substrate G placed on the mounting table 70. The length of the long side of the substrate 71 can be set to about 1800 mm to 3400 mm, and the length of the short side can be set to about 1500 mm to 3000 mm. With respect to the plane size, the thickness of the substrate 71 can be, for example, about 50 mm to 100 mm.

[0050] The substrate 71 is provided with a curved temperature control medium flow path 72a so as to cover the entire area of ​​the rectangular plane, and is formed of stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc. The temperature control medium flow path 72a may also be provided on the electrostatic chuck 76. In addition, as shown in the example shown in the figure, the substrate 71 may not be a single component, but may be a laminate of two components formed of aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc.

[0051] A box-shaped base 78 made of an insulating material and having a step portion inside is fixed to the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 , and the mounting table 70 is mounted on the step portion of the base 78 .

[0052] An electrostatic chuck 76 capable of directly placing the substrate G is formed on the upper surface 71a of the base material 71. The electrostatic chuck 76 includes a ceramic layer 74 which is a dielectric film formed by thermal spraying ceramic such as alumina, and a conductive layer 75 (electrode) embedded in the ceramic layer 74 and having an electrostatic adsorption function.

[0053] The conductive layer 75 is connected to a DC power source 85 via a power supply line 84. When a switch (not shown) inserted in the power supply line 84 is turned on by the control unit 90, a DC voltage is applied to the conductive layer 75 from the DC power source 85, thereby generating a Coulomb force. The substrate G is electrostatically attracted to the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 76 by the Coulomb force, and is kept placed on the upper surface 71a of the substrate 71.

[0054] A curved temperature control medium flow path 72a is provided in a manner covering the entire area of ​​the rectangular plane on the base material 71 constituting the mounting table 70. A delivery pipe 72b and a return pipe 72c are connected at both ends of the temperature control medium flow path 72a. The delivery pipe 72b supplies the temperature control medium to the temperature control medium flow path 72a, and the return pipe 72c discharges the temperature control medium that has flowed through the temperature control medium flow path 72a and has been heated.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, the delivery pipe 72b and the return pipe 72c are connected to the delivery flow path 87 and the return flow path 88 respectively, and the delivery flow path 87 and the return flow path 88 are connected to the cooler 86. The cooler 86 has: a main body that controls the temperature of the temperature regulating medium and releases the flow rate; and a pump that pressurizes and delivers the temperature regulating medium (both are not shown). In addition, a refrigerant can be used as the temperature regulating medium, and the refrigerant can use GALDEN (registered trademark) or FLUORINERT (registered trademark) and the like. The temperature regulating method of the example shown in the figure is a method of making the temperature regulating medium flow through the substrate 71, but it can also be a method of using a heater built into the substrate 71 to perform temperature regulation, or it can be a method of using both the temperature regulating medium and the heater to perform temperature regulation. In addition, it is also possible to replace the heater and perform temperature regulation with heating by making a high-temperature temperature regulating medium flow over. In addition, the heater as a resistor is formed by tungsten, molybdenum, or a compound of any of these metals and aluminum oxide, titanium, etc. Furthermore, in the example shown in the figure, the temperature control medium flow path 72 a is formed on the substrate 71 , but, for example, the electrostatic chuck 76 may also have a temperature control medium flow path.

[0056] A temperature sensor such as a thermocouple (not shown) is disposed on the substrate 71, and monitoring information of the temperature sensor is immediately transmitted to the control unit 90. Based on the transmitted monitoring information, the control unit 90 performs temperature control of the substrate 71 and the substrate G. More specifically, the control unit 90 adjusts the temperature and flow rate of the temperature control medium supplied from the cooler 86 to the delivery flow path 87. The temperature control of the mounting table 70 is performed by circulating the temperature control medium after temperature control and flow control in the temperature control medium flow path 72a. In addition, a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple may be disposed on the electrostatic chuck 76, for example.

[0057] A step portion is formed by the outer periphery of the electrostatic chuck 76 and the substrate 71 and the upper surface of the base 78, and a focus ring 79 in a rectangular frame shape is placed on the step portion. When the focus ring 79 is placed on the step portion, the upper surface of the focus ring 79 is set lower than the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 76. The focus ring 79 is made of ceramics such as alumina or quartz.

[0058] A power supply component 80 is connected to the lower surface of the substrate 71. A power supply line 81 is connected to the lower end of the power supply component 80, and the power supply line 81 is connected to a high-frequency power supply 83 (an example of a high-frequency power supply for bias) as a bias power supply via a matching device 82 for impedance matching. By applying a high-frequency electric power of, for example, 3.2 MHz from the high-frequency power supply 83 to the mounting table 70, an RF bias is generated, and ions generated by the plasma generation source, i.e., the high-frequency power supply 56 described below, can be adsorbed to the substrate G. Therefore, in the plasma etching process, both the etching rate and the etching selectivity can be improved. In this way, the mounting table 70 mounts the substrate G and forms a bias electrode that generates an RF bias. At this time, the portion inside the chamber that becomes the ground potential functions as a relative electrode of the bias electrode, forming a return loop of the high-frequency electric power. In addition, the metal window 30 can also be configured as a part of the return loop of the high-frequency electric power.

[0059] The metal window 30 is formed by a plurality of segmented metal windows 31. The number of segmented metal windows 31 forming the metal window 30 can be set to a variety of numbers such as 12 and 24. The segmented metal window 31 has a conductor plate 32 and a shower plate 34. The conductor plate 32 and the shower plate 34 are both non-magnetic and conductive, and are formed of a corrosion-resistant metal or a metal that has been subjected to a corrosion-resistant surface treatment, i.e., aluminum or an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, etc. The corrosion-resistant surface treatment is, for example, anodizing or ceramic thermal spraying. In addition, a plasma-resistant coating obtained by anodizing or ceramic thermal spraying can be applied to the exposed surface 34a of the shower plate 34 facing the processing chamber S. The conductor plate 32 is grounded via a grounding wire (not shown), and the shower plate 34 is also grounded via the conductor plates 32 joined to each other.

[0060] Each divided metal window 31 constituting the metal window 30 is suspended from the ceiling 12 of the upper chamber 13 by a plurality of suspenders (not shown). A spacer (not shown) formed of an insulating member is arranged above each divided metal window 31, and a high-frequency antenna 51 (an example of an inductive coupling antenna) is arranged at a distance from the conductor plate 32 by means of the spacer. The high-frequency antenna 51 contributes to the generation of plasma, and is formed by winding an antenna wire formed of a metal with good conductivity such as copper into a ring or spiral shape. For example, the ring-shaped antenna wire can be arranged in multiple layers. The high-frequency antenna 51 is provided on the upper surface of the divided metal window 31, and is therefore suspended from the ceiling 12 via the divided metal window 31.

[0061] A gas diffusion groove 33 is formed on the lower surface of the conductor plate 32, and a through hole 32b is provided to connect the gas diffusion groove 33 with the upper end surface 32a. A gas introduction pipe 52 is buried in the through hole 32b. A plurality of gas release holes 35 are provided in the shower plate 34 to connect the gas diffusion groove 33 of the conductor plate 32 and the processing chamber S. The shower plate 34 is fastened to the lower surface of the area outside the gas diffusion groove 33 of the conductor plate 32 by a metal screw (not shown). In addition, the gas diffusion groove can also be provided on the upper surface of the shower plate. Each divided metal window 31 is electrically insulated from the support frame 14 and adjacent divided metal windows 31 by an insulating component 37. Here, the insulating component 37 is formed of a fluororesin such as PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene).

[0062] The high frequency antenna 51 is connected to a power supply component 53 extending upward from the upper chamber 13 , and a power supply line 54 is connected to the upper end of the power supply component 53 . The power supply line 54 is connected to a high frequency power supply 56 (an example of a high frequency power supply for plasma generation) via a matching device 55 for impedance matching.

[0063] By applying high frequency electric power of, for example, 13.56 MHz to the high frequency antenna 51 from the high frequency power supply 56, an induced electric field is formed in the lower chamber 17. The induced electric field converts the processing gas supplied from the shower plate 34 to the processing chamber S into plasma to generate inductively coupled plasma, and ions in the plasma are supplied to the substrate G.

[0064] The high frequency power source 56 is a plasma generation source, and the high frequency power source 83 connected to the mounting table 70 becomes a bias source that attracts the generated ions and gives them kinetic energy. In this way, by using inductive coupling to generate plasma for the ion generation source, and connecting the bias source as another power source to the mounting table 70 to control the ion energy, it is possible to independently generate plasma and control the ion energy, thereby improving the degree of freedom of processing.

[0065] The gas introduction pipes 52 of the divided metal windows 31 are joined at one point in the antenna chamber A, and the gas introduction pipes 52 extending upward are airtightly passed through the supply port 12a opened in the ceiling 12 of the upper chamber 13. The gas introduction pipes 52 are connected to the processing gas supply source 64 via the airtightly connected gas supply pipe 61.

[0066] An on-off valve 62 and a flow controller 63 such as a mass flow controller are inserted in the middle of the gas supply pipe 61. The gas supply pipe 61, the on-off valve 62, the flow controller 63 and the processing gas supply source 64 form a processing gas supply unit 60. In addition, the gas supply pipe 61 is branched in the middle, and the on-off valve and the flow controller, as well as the processing gas supply source (not shown) corresponding to the type of the processing gas, are connected to each branch pipe.

[0067] During the plasma processing, the processing gas supplied from the processing gas supply unit 60 is supplied to the gas diffusion grooves 33 of the conductor plate 32 of each divided metal window 31 via the gas supply pipe 61 and the gas introduction pipe 52. Then, the gas is released from each gas diffusion groove 33 into the processing chamber S via the gas release holes 35 of each shower plate 34.

[0068] In addition, the gas introduction pipes 52 of each divided metal window 31 may not be combined into one, but may be connected to the processing gas supply unit 60 separately, and the supply of the processing gas may be controlled for each divided metal window 31. In addition, the gas introduction pipes 52 of the multiple divided metal windows 31 located on the outside of the metal window 30 may be combined into one, and the gas introduction pipes 52 of the multiple divided metal windows 31 located on the inside of the metal window 30 may be combined into another, and each gas introduction pipe 52 may be independently connected to the processing gas supply unit 60 to control the supply of the processing gas. That is, the former method is a method of implementing the supply control of the processing gas for each divided metal window 31, and the latter method is a method of implementing the supply control of the processing gas divided into the outer area and the inner area of ​​the metal window 30.

[0069] In addition, each divided metal window 31 has a unique high-frequency antenna, and it is possible to independently control the application of high-frequency electric power to each high-frequency antenna.

[0070] The control unit 90 controls the operation of each component of the plasma processing device 100, such as the operation of the cooler 86, the high-frequency power supply 56, 83, the processing gas supply unit 60, and the exhaust unit 28 based on the monitoring information sent from the pressure gauge. The control unit 90 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU performs a predetermined process according to a plan (processing plan) stored in the storage area of ​​the RAM and the ROM. The control information of the plasma processing device 100 corresponding to the processing conditions is set in the plan. The control information includes, for example, a gas flow rate, a pressure in the processing container 20, a temperature in the processing container 20, a temperature of the substrate 71, a processing time, and the like.

[0071] The recipe and the program applicable to the control unit 90 are stored in, for example, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc. In addition, the recipe and the like may be stored in a portable computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a memory card, etc. and set in the control unit 90 in a readable form. The control unit 90 may also have other input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse for inputting commands, a display device such as a display for visually displaying the operating status of the plasma processing device 100, and a user interface such as an output device such as a printer.

[0072] Next, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the detailed structure from the exhaust through hole 19 opened in the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 constituting the processing container 20 to the upper part of the exhaust portion 28 is described. In addition, in the following description, the exhaust through hole 19 and the inner wall surface of the exhaust pipe 43 are described as circular when viewed from above, but their shapes when viewed from above may be rectangular other than circular, including rectangular, square, polygonal other than rectangular, elliptical, etc.

[0073] The inner wall surface of the exhaust through hole 19 opened in the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 is an example of an exposed surface communicating with the processing chamber S.

[0074] like Figure 1 As shown, the side wall 15 and the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 are grounded via the grounding wire 21. A bottom plate covering plate 41 covering the top surface 16a is placed on the area of ​​the top surface 16a of the bottom plate 16 other than the exhaust through hole 19. The bottom plate covering plate 41 is a plate made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and is in contact with the top surface (an example of a part of the processing container) of the bottom plate 16. The bottom plate covering plate 41 is fixed by a fastening member such as a screw, not shown, in a manner that maintains electrical conduction, thereby forming a first grounding potential member having a grounding potential.

[0075] A first inner wall covering plate 42, which is a cylindrical protective member, is embedded in the inner wall surface of the exhaust through hole 19, which is circular when viewed from above. An endless flange 42a extending laterally from the upper end of the first inner wall covering plate 42 is placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate covering plate 41. In addition, eight fixing holes 42c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the inner wall surface of the first inner wall covering plate 42. The fixing holes 42c have an internal thread portion in at least a portion of their inner surface to form a threaded hole.

[0076] A plurality of through holes 42b (eight in the example shown) are provided on the flange 42a, and a plurality of through holes 41a (eight in the example shown) are provided at positions corresponding to the through holes 42b in the bottom plate cover plate 41. The inner wall surface of the through hole 41a has an internal threaded portion at least in a portion thereof. Furthermore, by screwing a first metal fastening member, i.e., a fastening screw 47, into the connecting hole formed by the corresponding through holes 42b and 41a, the fastening screw 47 is screwed into the internal threaded portion of the through hole 41a, and the upper portion of the first inner wall cover plate 42 is fixed to the bottom plate cover plate 41.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown, the flange 42 a is annular in plan view, and eight fastening screws 47 are arranged at equal intervals, for example, to fix the bottom plate cover plate 41 and the upper part of the first inner wall cover plate 42 .

[0078] An exhaust pipe 43 is installed below the exhaust through hole 19 of the bottom plate 16. The exhaust pipe 43 is a metal pipe made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and an endless flange 43a extending laterally from the upper end thereof is fixed in a state of contact with the lower surface of the bottom plate 16. The flange 43a is circular in plan view, and eight fixing holes 43c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction thereof. The fixing hole 43c has an internal thread portion at least a portion of its inner surface to form a threaded hole.

[0079] The flange 43a of the exhaust pipe 43 contacts the lower surface of the base plate 16 (another example of a part of the processing container) and is fixed by a fastening component (not shown) such as a screw to maintain electrical conduction, thereby forming a second grounding potential component with a grounding potential.

[0080] A cylindrical (endless) second inner wall covering plate 46 is embedded in the inner wall surface of the exhaust pipe 43 which is circular in plan view, and an endless flange 46a extending laterally from the upper end of the second inner wall covering plate 46 is embedded in a recessed groove 43b opened on the upper surface of the flange 43a. The second inner wall covering plate 46 is a plate made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Eight covering plate through holes 46b are provided in the flange 46a which is circular in plan view at positions corresponding to the eight fixing holes 43c of the flange 43a.

[0081] The flange 46a of the second inner wall covering plate 46 contacts the flange 43a of the exhaust pipe 43 and is fixed by a fastening member (not shown) such as a screw, whereby the second inner wall covering plate 46 and the exhaust pipe 43 form a second ground potential member having a ground potential.

[0082] An exhaust net 44 is provided on the upper surface of the flange 46a of the second inner wall cover plate 46 to cover the upper end opening 43d of the exhaust pipe 43. The exhaust net 44 has a large number of exhaust holes 44a, and a frame portion 44b is provided on its lower surface. Frame portion through holes 44c communicating with the cover plate through holes 46b are provided at positions of the frame portion 44b corresponding to the eight cover plate through holes 46b of the flange 46a.

[0083] The exhaust net 44 is a net made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The frame portion 44b contacts the flange 46a of the second inner wall cover plate 46 and is fixed to the exhaust pipe 43 by a fastening structure described below, whereby the exhaust net 44, the exhaust pipe 43 and the second inner wall cover plate 46 together form a second ground potential component having a ground potential.

[0084] As described above, the exhaust pipe 43 , the second inner wall covering plate 46 , and the exhaust net 44 all form a second ground potential member.

[0085] A connecting member 45 is disposed at a position corresponding to each frame through hole 44c on the upper surface of the exhaust net 44. The connecting member 45 is a connecting portion made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Figure 2 The illustrated side view shows an L-shape with a horizontal hole 45a and a vertical hole 45b.

[0086] Each horizontal hole 45a of the eight connecting members 45 is connected to the eight fixing holes 42c of the first inner wall covering plate 42. Furthermore, the third metal fastening member, namely the fastening screw 49, is screwed into the corresponding eight sets of horizontal holes 45a and fixing holes 42c, and the fastening screw 49 is screwed into the internal thread of the fixing hole 42c, so that the connecting member 45 is fixed to the first inner wall covering plate 42.

[0087] On the other hand, each of the vertical holes 45b of the eight connecting members 45 is connected to the eight frame through holes 44c of the exhaust net 44. The second metal fastening member, namely the fastening screw 48, is screwed into the corresponding eight sets of vertical holes 45b, frame through holes 44c, cover plate through holes 46b and fixing holes 43c, respectively, so that the fastening screw 48 and the internal thread of the fixing hole 43c are screwed together. Thus, the exhaust net 44 is fixed to the first inner wall cover plate 42 and the exhaust pipe 43 via the connecting member 45.

[0088] In this way, the first inner wall covering plate 42 is fixed to the bottom plate covering plate 41 by a plurality of fastening screws 47 , thereby enabling the first inner wall covering plate 42 to be stably grounded compared to a structure in which the flange 42a of the first inner wall covering plate 42 is simply placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate covering plate 41 or the bottom plate 16 .

[0089] In addition, the exhaust net 44 and the first inner wall cover plate 42 are fixed by the fastening screw 49 via the connecting member 45, and the exhaust net 44 is fixed to the exhaust pipe 43 fixed to the lower surface of the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 by the fastening screw 48 via the connecting member 45 and the second inner wall cover plate 46. Thus, the first inner wall cover plate 42 can be grounded more stably. In addition, the first inner wall cover plate 42 is connected to the ground potential at one end through the bottom plate cover plate 41 and is connected to the ground potential at the other end through the exhaust pipe 43, so it can be grounded stably.

[0090] The bottom plate cover plate 41, the first inner wall cover plate 42, the second inner wall cover plate 46, etc., which are in contact with the bottom plate 16 of the processing container 20 or cover a part of the exposed surface communicating with the processing chamber S, all have a ground potential. And, when the bias high frequency voltage is applied to the mounting table 70 by the bias high frequency power supply 83, these components form a part of the counter electrode facing the mounting table 70.

[0091] As the plasma processing apparatus 100 becomes larger, the applied power and applied voltage applied by the bias high-frequency power supply 83 naturally become larger. If the grounding of the above-mentioned components that serve as relative electrodes relative to the bias high-frequency voltage is insufficient, a potential difference will occur between the components that constitute the relative electrodes, which may lead to an unstable discharge state.

[0092] In this regard, in the plasma processing apparatus 100, the above-mentioned components that become the counter electrode are fixed to the bottom plate 16 of the lower chamber 17 by the connecting member 45 and the fastening screws 47, 48, and 49, thereby making it possible to form an electrically integrated structure of the above-mentioned components that become the counter electrode and the bottom plate 16. Thus, it is possible to suppress the generation of a potential difference between the components constituting the counter electrode, and to eliminate the situation where the discharge is unstable in the exhaust portion of the bottom plate 16.

[0093] In particular, in the plasma processing apparatus 100, when the first inner wall cover plate 42 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the exhaust through hole 19, the number of the fastening screws 47 that fix the upper part of the first inner wall cover plate 42 to the first ground potential component and the number of the fastening screws 48 and 49 that fix the lower part of the first inner wall cover plate 42 to the second ground potential component are set to be the same. Thus, the amount of current flowing in each ground potential component above and below the first inner wall cover plate 42 can be equalized, and the potential difference generated in the first inner wall cover plate 42 can be effectively suppressed.

[0094] Here, an example of a method for manufacturing a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described in general terms as follows. The method includes the steps of grounding a processing container 20 constituting a plasma processing apparatus 100, installing a high-frequency power supply 56 for plasma generation and a mounting table 70 capable of mounting a substrate G in the processing container 20, and covering at least a portion of an exposed surface of the processing container 20 that communicates with the processing chamber S with a metal protective member 42. In addition, the method includes the step of electrically connecting the mounting table 70 to a high-frequency power supply 83 for bias.

[0095] In the step of covering with the protection member 42, one end of the protection member 42 is fastened to the first grounding potential member 41 which is in contact with a part of the processing container 20 and has a ground potential by a first metal fastening member 47. In addition, the other end or the vicinity of the other end of the protection member 42 is fastened to the second grounding potential members 43, 44, 46 which are in contact with another part of the processing container 20 and have a ground potential by a second metal fastening member 48. More specifically, the connecting member 45 is fastened to the vicinity of the other end of the protection member 42 by a third fastening member 49, and the connecting member 45 is fastened to the second grounding potential members 43, 44, 46 by a second fastening member 48.

[0096] The plasma processing device 100 can be manufactured according to the manufacturing method of the plasma processing device. Even if the plasma processing device 100 is enlarged, it is possible to suppress the potential difference between the components constituting the relative electrodes by using a high-frequency voltage biased against the mounting table 70, thereby achieving stable discharge in the exhaust portion of the base plate 16.

[0097] In addition, as described below, an example of the plasma processing method of the embodiment is summarized. When implementing the plasma processing method, first, the processing container 20 constituting the plasma processing device 100 is grounded. The processing container 20 has: a mounting table 70 capable of mounting the substrate G and electrically connected to the bias high-frequency power supply 83; a metal protection component 42, which covers at least a portion of the exposed surface connected to the processing chamber S and has a ground potential. In addition, the processing container 20 has a first ground potential component 41, which is fastened to one end of the protection component 42 by a metal first fastening component 47, and is in contact with a portion of the processing container 20 and has a ground potential. In addition, the processing container 20 has second ground potential components 43, 44, 46, which are fastened to the other end of the protection component 42 by a metal second fastening component 48, and are in contact with another portion of the processing container 20 and have a ground potential.

[0098] The plasma processing method includes the steps of placing a substrate G on a mounting table 70 and generating plasma in a processing chamber S.

[0099] The plasma processing method includes a step of applying a bias high frequency voltage to the mounting table 70 so that the protection member 42 , the first ground potential member 41 , and the second ground potential members 43 , 44 , 46 become part of an opposing electrode facing the mounting table 70 .

[0100] In addition, the plasma processing method includes a step of performing plasma processing on the substrate G. Here, the plasma processing step includes an etching process and a film forming process using plasma.

[0101] According to this plasma processing method, even when the plasma processing apparatus 100 is enlarged, it is possible to suppress the potential difference between the components constituting the relative electrodes by the high-frequency voltage biased by the bias applied to the mounting table 70, suppress the generation of unnecessary discharge in the exhaust portion of the base plate 16, and (at the same time) perform various plasma processing.

[0102] It is also possible to combine other embodiments obtained by combining other constituent elements, etc., for the configurations exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, the configurations disclosed herein are not the contents that limit the present invention in any way. In this regard, changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention and can be appropriately determined according to its application mode.

[0103] For example, the plasma processing device 100 shown in the figure is described as an inductively coupled plasma processing device with a metal window, but it can also be an inductively coupled plasma processing device with a dielectric window instead of a metal window, or it can be a plasma processing device of other types. Specifically, electron cyclotron resonance plasma (ECP) or helicon wave plasma (HWP), parallel plate plasma (CCP) can be exemplified. In addition, microwave excited surface wave plasma (SWP) can be exemplified. These plasma processing devices, including ICP, can independently control the ion flux and ion energy, can freely control the etching shape and selectivity, and can obtain 10 11 Up to 10 13 cm -3 High electron density.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device capable of processing a substrate in a processing chamber of a processing container in which plasma is generated, the plasma processing device comprising: High frequency power supply for plasma generation; A mounting table capable of mounting the substrate and electrically connected to a high frequency bias power supply; a metal protective member covering at least a portion of an exposed surface of the grounded processing container that is in communication with the processing chamber, the exposed surface being an inner wall surface of an exhaust through hole provided on a bottom plate constituting the processing container; A first grounding potential member, which is fastened to one end of the protection member by a first metal fastening member and contacts a portion of the processing container; and a second grounding potential member, which is fastened to the other end of the protection member by a second metal fastening member and contacts another part of the processing container; The protective component, the first ground potential component and the second ground potential component all have a ground potential. When the bias high-frequency voltage is applied to the mounting table using the bias high-frequency power supply, the protective component, the first ground potential component and the second ground potential component become part of a relative electrode opposite to the mounting table.

2. The plasma processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the first fastening components is the same as the number of the second fastening components.

3. The plasma processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first fastening component and the second fastening component are both fastening screws.

4. The plasma processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The protection member is a first inner wall covering plate having a cylindrical shape and covering the inner wall surface of the exhaust through hole.

5. The plasma processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first ground potential component is a base plate cover plate covering the upper surface of the base plate, The second ground potential member includes at least a metal exhaust pipe provided below the exhaust through hole.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The second ground potential member further includes a metal exhaust mesh covering an upper end opening of the exhaust pipe.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The second ground potential member further includes a second cylindrical inner wall covering plate that covers the inner wall surface of the exhaust pipe.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: The other end of the protection member is fastened to the second ground potential member by the second fastening member via a metal connecting member having a horizontal hole and a vertical hole.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: The exhaust net has a frame portion, and the frame portion has a frame portion through hole. The connecting member is placed on the upper surface of the exhaust net. A cover plate through hole is provided in a portion of the second inner wall cover plate, The connecting member and the first inner wall covering plate are fastened by a third fastening member inserted through the horizontal hole. The second fastening member is inserted through the vertical hole, the frame through hole, and the cover plate through hole to fix the front end of the second fastening member to the exhaust pipe, and the connecting member, the exhaust net, and the second inner wall cover plate are fastened to the exhaust pipe. The number of the third fastening members is the same as the number of the first fastening members and the second fastening members.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The third fastening component is a fastening screw.

11. A method for manufacturing a plasma processing device, wherein the plasma processing device is capable of processing a substrate in a processing chamber of a processing container in which plasma is generated, the method for manufacturing the plasma processing device comprising: The step of grounding the processing container, installing a high-frequency power supply for plasma generation and a mounting table capable of mounting the substrate in the processing container, and covering at least a portion of an exposed surface of the processing container that is connected to the processing chamber with a metal protective component, wherein the exposed surface is an inner wall surface of a through hole for exhaust provided in a bottom plate constituting the processing container; and The step of electrically connecting the mounting table to a high frequency bias power supply, In the step of covering with the protective member, One end of the protection member is fastened to a first grounding potential member in contact with a portion of the processing container by a first metal fastening member, The other end of the protection member is fastened to a second grounding potential member in contact with another part of the processing container by a second metal fastening member, The protective component, the first ground potential component and the second ground potential component all have a ground potential. When the bias high-frequency voltage is applied to the mounting table using the bias high-frequency power supply, the protective component, the first ground potential component and the second ground potential component become part of a relative electrode opposite to the mounting table.

12. The method for manufacturing a plasma processing device according to claim 11, wherein: The number of the first fastening members and the number of the second fastening members are the same.

13. The method for manufacturing a plasma processing device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The first fastening component and the second fastening component are both fastening screws.

14. A plasma processing method, wherein a substrate is processed in a processing chamber of a processing container in which plasma is generated, the plasma processing method comprising: The processing container is grounded, the substrate is placed on the stage, and the plasma is generated in the processing chamber, wherein the processing container comprises: a stage capable of placing the substrate and electrically connected to a bias high-frequency power supply; a metal protective component covering at least a portion of an exposed surface communicating with the processing chamber and having a ground potential, the exposed surface being an inner wall surface of an exhaust through hole provided on a bottom plate constituting the processing container; a first ground potential component fastened to one end of the protective component by a first metal fastening component and in contact with a portion of the processing container to have a ground potential; and a second ground potential component fastened to the other end of the protective component by a second metal fastening component and in contact with another portion of the processing container to have a ground potential; a step of applying a bias high frequency voltage to the mounting table so that the protection member, the first ground potential member, and the second ground potential member become a part of an opposing electrode facing the mounting table; and The step of subjecting the substrate to plasma treatment.

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