Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, relates to a substrate processing apparatus that can suppress heating of a coaxial cable that transmits high-frequency power in a substrate processing apparatus using plasma.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus that can suppress heating of a coaxial cable transmitting high-frequency power in a substrate processing apparatus using plasma. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, a substrate processing apparatus performs processes such as deposition and etching on a substrate and uses plasma to improve the efficiency of the processing process. Figure 7 This is the structure of a conventional substrate processing apparatus 1 using plasma.

[0003] A conventional substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a first electrode 20 and a second electrode 30 disposed opposite the first electrode 20 within a chamber 10. A substrate S is mounted on the second electrode 30. The apparatus also includes an RF generator 70 for supplying high-frequency power to the second electrode 30; a matcher 60 for matching the high-frequency power with impedance; and a coaxial cable 50 for transmitting the high-frequency power. The coaxial cable 50 connects the matcher 60 and the chamber 10 to transmit the high-frequency power to the second electrode 30.

[0004] In the conventional substrate processing apparatus 1 , a relatively high current flowing through the coaxial cable 50 generates heat exceeding 100 to 150° C. This heat generation shortens the life of the coaxial cable 50 and reduces the safety of the substrate processing apparatus 1 . Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0006] The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus using plasma, in which the heating phenomenon of the coaxial cable is suppressed.

[0007] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0008] The object of the present invention as described above is achieved by a substrate processing device, which includes: a first electrode, arranged inside a cavity; a second electrode, opposite to the first electrode, arranged inside the cavity; and a high-frequency supply unit, connected to the second electrode, wherein the high-frequency supply unit includes: an RF generator (RF generator), supplying high-frequency power to the second electrode; a matcher (matcher), connected between the second electrode and the RF generator to match the impedance of the high-frequency power; a coaxial cable, arranged between the matcher and the cavity to transmit high-frequency power to the second electrode; and an impedance converter, changing the impedance of the coaxial cable.

[0009] Here, the first electrode is disposed at the upper portion of the cavity, and the second electrode is disposed at the lower portion of the cavity opposite to the first electrode.

[0010] Additionally, the impedance converter is connected between the coaxial cable and the cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the impedance converter is configured to reduce the current flowing through the coaxial cable.

[0012] Furthermore, the impedance converter includes an inductor connected in series and a capacitor connected in parallel between the coaxial cable and the second electrode. In this case, the capacitor is a variable capacitor.

[0013] Furthermore, the impedance converter further includes a cooling unit configured to cool circuit elements included in the impedance converter.

[0014] Furthermore, an additional matching device is provided, connected to the first electrode, and the additional matching device is composed of a variable capacitor.

[0015] In addition, a plurality of stages are provided inside the chamber as reaction spaces for the substrate, and the first electrode, the second electrode, and the high-frequency supplier are respectively disposed on the plurality of stages.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention having the above-described structure, in a substrate processing apparatus using plasma, heating of the coaxial cable is suppressed, thereby extending the life of the coaxial cable and improving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view showing the structure of a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A side cross-sectional view of the cavity with the position of the impedance converter changed;

[0020] Figure 3 A circuit diagram showing the structure of an impedance converter;

[0021] Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5 An exploded perspective view of a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A side cross-sectional view of the cavity;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a side cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus in the prior art.

[0025] Description of Reference Numerals

[0026] 10: Cavity

[0027] 20: first electrode

[0028] 30: Second electrode

[0029] 40: Impedance Converter

[0030] 50: coaxial cable

[0031] 60:Matcher

[0032] 70:RF generator

[0033] 80: High Frequency Supply Department DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Hereinafter, the structure of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of a substrate processing apparatus 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 The substrate processing device 5 includes: a chamber 10; a first electrode 20 disposed inside the chamber 10; a second electrode 30 disposed inside the chamber 10 opposite to the first electrode 20; and a high-frequency supply unit 80 connected to the second electrode 30.

[0037] The chamber 10 provides a space for accommodating and processing a substrate S. A first electrode 20 is disposed on an upper side of the chamber 10. The first electrode 20 is grounded, and a gas supply unit that supplies process gas to the substrate S functions as the first electrode 20.

[0038] Furthermore, the second electrode 30 is provided at the lower side of the chamber 10. The substrate S is mounted on the second electrode 30, and plasma is generated between the first electrode 20 and the second electrode 30 to perform a treatment process on the substrate S. For example, the second electrode 30 is formed of a substrate support portion having a built-in heater (not shown) for heating the substrate S.

[0039] Furthermore, the second electrode 30 is connected to a high-frequency supply unit 80 for supplying high-frequency power to generate plasma.

[0040] The high-frequency supply unit 80 includes: an RF generator 70 for supplying high-frequency power to the second electrode 30; a matcher 60 connected between the second electrode 30 and the RF generator 70 to match the impedance of the high-frequency power; a coaxial cable 50 disposed between the matcher 60 and the cavity 10 to transmit high-frequency power to the second electrode 30; and an impedance converter 40 for changing the impedance of the coaxial cable 50.

[0041] The RF generator 70 supplies high-frequency power to the second electrode 30. In this case, the matcher 60 matches the impedance of the cavity 10 and the coaxial cable 50 to transmit the high-frequency power supplied from the RF generator 70.

[0042] The matching unit 60 is connected to the coaxial cable 50 and transmits high-frequency power to the second electrode 30 via the coaxial cable 50. In this case, the present invention includes an impedance converter 40 to suppress heating of the coaxial cable 50.

[0043] The impedance converter 40 changes the impedance of the coaxial cable 50 to suppress heat generation. Specifically, the impedance converter 40 reduces the current transmitted along the coaxial cable 50 to suppress heat generation.

[0044] That is, the impedance converter 40 increases the combined impedance of the current path connected through the second electrode 30 in the matching device 60, ultimately reducing the intensity of the current flowing through the coaxial cable 50. In this case, the power supplied to the cavity 10 is multiplied by voltage and current (P = V × I), and while the intensity of the current is reduced, the voltage is increased to maintain the supplied power.

[0045] Finally, in the conventional device, the temperature of the coaxial cable rises to above 100 to 150° C. However, when the impedance converter 40 of this embodiment is provided, the temperature of the coaxial cable 50 can be reduced by about 60 to 70° C.

[0046] Furthermore, when the coaxial cable 50 is connected to the second electrode 30 located in the lower portion of the chamber 10, various wires and pipes are arranged in the lower portion of the chamber 10. This relatively lowers the temperature of the coaxial cable 50, thereby preventing the various wires and pipes in the lower portion of the chamber 10 from heating up and ensuring the safety of the operator.

[0047] Furthermore, the impedance converter 40 is connected between the coaxial cable 50 and the cavity 10. That is, the impedance converter 40 is disposed at the rear end of the coaxial cable 50 when viewed from the RF generator 70. In contrast, when the impedance converter 40 is disposed between the coaxial cable 50 and the matching device 60, it is difficult to suppress heat generation.

[0048] Figure 2 To display in Figure 1 FIG. 5 shows a structure in which the impedance converter 40′ is disposed between the coaxial cable 50 and the matching device 60.

[0049] observe Figure 2 With this structure, while impedance changes occur on the matching device 60 side, the impedance in region 'A' remains unchanged compared to when the impedance converter 40' is not present. In other words, the current flowing through the coaxial cable 50 does not change, resulting in the same heat generation as in conventional devices. Therefore, the impedance converter 40' is preferably connected between the coaxial cable 50 and the second electrode 30.

[0050] in addition, Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing the structure of the impedance converter 40 .

[0051] Reference Figure 3 The impedance converter 40 includes an inductor 44 connected in series with the connecting line 12 between the coaxial cable 50 and the second electrode 30, and a capacitor 42 connected in parallel. The circuit structure of the impedance converter 40 is described using an example, and can be modified appropriately to reduce the current flowing through the coaxial cable 50.

[0052] In addition, for Figure 3 In the illustrated configuration, instead of suppressing heat generation in the coaxial cable 50, the impedance converter 40 generates heat due to the relatively high current flowing through it. Therefore, the impedance converter 40 is further provided with a cooling unit 46 for cooling the circuit elements contained therein. In this case, the inductor 44 and capacitor 42 are disposed within the housing (not shown) of the impedance converter 40, and the cooling unit 46 is provided on the outside or inside of the housing. The cooling unit 46 can be used with air cooling or water cooling, as appropriate.

[0053] in addition, Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a chamber 10 of a substrate processing apparatus 5' according to another embodiment. Figure 4 Zhongyu Figure 1 The same reference numerals are used for the same components.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 The substrate processing device 5 ′ is further provided with an additional matching device 90 connected to the first electrode 20 .

[0055] For the above Figure 1 The structure of the second electrode 30 and the additional impedance converter 40 make impedance matching with the matching element 60 difficult. To address this issue, in this embodiment, an additional matching element 90 is also provided, connected to the first electrode 20. Therefore, the provision of the matching element 60 connected to the second electrode 30 and the additional matching element 90 facilitates impedance matching. In this case, the additional matching element 90 is formed of a variable capacitor or the like.

[0056] in addition, Figure 5 An exploded perspective view showing the structure of a chamber 100 of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to another embodiment is shown.

[0057] Reference Figure 5 The substrate processing apparatus 1000 includes stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D for processing a plurality of substrates S within a chamber 100 to improve throughput.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, the substrate S is introduced into the chamber 100 or taken out of the chamber 100 through slots 110 and 112 formed on one side of the chamber 100. The chamber 100 is composed of a chamber body 105 and a chamber guide 120 that seals the upper portion of the chamber body 105.

[0059] The substrate S passes through the slots 110 and 112 and moves into the chamber 100 to be mounted on top of a lift pin 310A described below.

[0060] Furthermore, a plurality of stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D are disposed within the interior 102 of the chamber 100 to provide reaction spaces for the substrates S. For example, the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D include: a first stage 300A and a second stage 300B, disposed adjacent to the slits 110 and 112 for introducing and removing substrates; and a third stage 300C and a fourth stage 300D, disposed spaced apart from the slits 110 and 112.

[0061] In this case, since each of the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D provides additional reaction spaces for substrates, deposition processes can be performed on a plurality of substrates S simultaneously, thereby improving the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 .

[0062] Each of the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D includes a support substrate and a second electrode 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D capable of vertical movement. Each of the second electrodes 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D is provided with lift pins 310A, 310B, 310C, and 310D so that they can be raised and lowered. While the drawings show three lift pins 310A, 310B, 310C, and 310D on each of the second electrodes 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D, these pins are capable of various modifications.

[0063] Furthermore, a cavity guide 120 is provided at the upper portion of the cavity 100. First electrodes 500A, 500B, 500C, and 500D corresponding to the second electrodes 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D are provided on the cavity guide 120. Therefore, when the second electrodes 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D are raised relative to the first electrodes 500A, 500B, 500C, and 500D, a reaction space is formed between the first electrodes 500A, 500B, 500C, and 500D and the second electrodes 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D.

[0064] Figure 5 1 and 2 show that four stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D are provided inside the chamber 100 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D can be changed appropriately.

[0065] The substrate S transferred into the chamber 100 is mounted on the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D. A spindle unit 400 is provided at the center of the chamber 100 as a transfer device for moving the substrate S.

[0066] The axis unit 400 is disposed inside the chamber 100 , specifically, in the center of the chamber 100 or the center of each of the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D.

[0067] The axis unit 400 includes a main body 420 that rotates and elevates, and a plurality of loading arms 410A, 410B, 410C, and 410D extending from the main body 420 for loading the substrate S. The number of loading arms 410A, 410B, 410C, and 410D corresponds to the number of stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D. That is, the number of loading arms 410A, 410B, 410C, and 410D is the same as the number of stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D.

[0068] The axis unit 400 performs lifting and rotating motions to move the substrates introduced into the first stage 300A and the second stage 300B of the chamber 100 through the slits 110 and 112 and install them on the third stage 300C and the fourth stage 300D.

[0069] Furthermore, the axis unit 400 transfers the substrate from the third stage 300C and the fourth stage 300D to the first stage 300A and the second stage 300B, and takes the substrate S out of the chamber 100 from the first stage 300A and the second stage 300B.

[0070] In addition, for Figure 5 In the case of the substrate processing apparatus 5, a plurality of stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D are provided in one chamber 10, and the stages 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D are connected to RF generators 7000A and 7000B, respectively (see Figure 6 ). In this case, when the connection structure of the radio frequency generator and the coaxial cable of the prior art is adopted, the safety of the coaxial cable is significantly reduced due to the heating phenomenon of the coaxial cable and the heat transfer of the adjacent coaxial cables. Figure 5 In the case of the substrate processing apparatus 1000, it is preferable to have the above-mentioned impedance converters 4000A and 4000B (see Figure 6 ).

[0071] Figure 6 To show that the impedance converters 4000A and 4000B are arranged Figure 5 1 is a side sectional view of a state of a chamber 100 of a substrate processing apparatus 1000. Figure 6 Only the first unit 300A and the second unit 300B are shown, but the third unit 300C and the fourth unit 300D have the same structure and repeated description will be omitted.

[0072] Reference Figure 6 , high-frequency supply units 8000A and 8000B are provided, which are connected to the second electrode 305A of the first station 300A and the second electrode 305B of the second station 300B, respectively.

[0073] Furthermore, the high-frequency supply units 8000A and 8000B are respectively equipped with: RF generators 7000A and 7000B for supplying high-frequency power; matchers 6000A and 6000B connected between the second electrodes 305A and 305B and the RF generators 7000A and 7000B to match the impedance of the high-frequency power; coaxial cables 5000A and 5000B connecting the matchers 6000A and 6000B to the cavity 100 to transmit the high-frequency power; and impedance converters 4000A and 4000B for varying the impedance of the coaxial cables 5000A and 5000B. The structures of the high-frequency supply units 8000A and 8000B have been described above, and repetition thereof will be omitted.

[0074] In summary, the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Therefore, to the extent that such variations substantially encompass the constituent elements of the present invention as set forth in the claims, they should be deemed to be fully encompassed within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: include: A first electrode is disposed inside the cavity; a second electrode, opposite to the first electrode, disposed inside the cavity; and A high frequency supply unit connected to the second electrode, The high frequency supply unit includes: a radio frequency generator for supplying high frequency power to the second electrode; a matcher connected between the second electrode and the radio frequency generator to match the impedance of the high frequency power; a coaxial cable, disposed between the matching device and the cavity and transmitting high-frequency power to the second electrode; An impedance converter changes the impedance of the coaxial cable, wherein the impedance converter is connected between the coaxial cable and the cavity, and the impedance converter is configured at the rear end of the coaxial cable when viewed from the radio frequency generator.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first electrode is disposed at an upper portion of the cavity, and the second electrode is disposed at a lower portion of the cavity opposite to the first electrode.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The impedance converter reduces the current in the coaxial cable.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The impedance converter includes an inductor connected in series and a capacitor connected in parallel between the coaxial cable and the second electrode.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The capacitor is formed of a variable capacitor.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The impedance converter further comprises: The cooling unit cools the circuit elements included in the impedance converter.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Also set: an additional matching device connected to the first electrode, The additional matching element is formed by a variable capacitor.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of stages are provided inside the chamber as reaction spaces for the substrate, and the first electrode, the second electrode and the high-frequency supplier are respectively disposed on the plurality of stages.

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