Plasma processing apparatus and method of manufacturing plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a manufacturing method of a plasma processing apparatus. A technology capable of stably suppressing abnormal discharge of a member exposed to a plasma processing space of a processing vessel is provided. The plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing vessel having a plasma processing space inside; a first member provided inside the processing vessel, having at least one first surface exposed to the plasma processing space, and constituting a partial portion of an internal structure of the processing vessel; and a second member provided inside the processing vessel, and contacting a second surface of the first member adjacent to the first surface. The first member has an inclined surface which is a partial portion of the first surface, is adjacent to the second surface, and forms a recess in a state where the second member contacts the second surface, and at least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered with a sputtering film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing the plasma processing apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing container for plasma processing of a substrate, a stage for placing the substrate in the processing container, a gas supply unit for supplying processing gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit for discharging the processing gas from the processing container, and a high-frequency power supply unit for generating plasma in the processing container.

[0003] Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the plasma processing apparatus has a partition around the stage that covers the upper part of the exhaust port (exhaust section) of the processing container and is exposed to the plasma processing space to control the exhaust of the processing gas. The partition is formed of a conductor and is connected to the ground potential via the processing container, thereby enabling the plasma generated by the processing gas to be contained by using the electric field formed by using the partition as a counter electrode.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-52140 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0008] This disclosure provides a technique for stably suppressing abnormal discharges of components exposed in the plasma processing space of a processing container.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] According to a technical solution of this disclosure, a plasma processing apparatus is provided, which uses plasma to process a substrate. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: a processing container having a plasma processing space inside; a first member disposed inside the processing container, having at least one first surface exposed in the plasma processing space, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container; and a second member disposed inside the processing container, contacting a second surface of the first member adjacent to the first surface. The first member has an inclined surface, which is a portion of the first surface and adjacent to the second surface, and forms a recess when the second member is in contact with the second surface. At least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a sprayed film.

[0011] The effects of the invention

[0012] According to a technical solution, abnormal discharge of components exposed in the plasma processing space of a processing container can be stably suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A schematic top view of the lower chamber of the plasma processing device.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the assembly state between the partition and the supporting components.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the partition is supported by the first support member.

[0017] Figure 5 (A) is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a plasma processing device. Figure 5 (B) means Figure 5 The flowchart of the partition preparation process for (A). Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, the mode for implementing this disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same structural parts are labeled with the same reference numerals, and sometimes repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus according to one embodiment. (As shown) Figure 1 As shown, plasma processing apparatus 1 is an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) processing apparatus for performing various substrate processing on an FPD substrate (hereinafter referred to as substrate G) formed of glass material. Examples of FPDs manufactured by processing substrate G include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electroluminescent displays (ELs), and plasma display panels (PDPs). Furthermore, in addition to glass, synthetic resins can also be used as materials for substrate G.

[0020] The substrate G can be either a substrate with circuitry patterned on its surface or a support substrate without circuitry. The planar dimensions of the substrate G are preferably in the range of approximately 1800 mm to 3400 mm for the long side and approximately 1500 mm to 3000 mm for the short side. Furthermore, the thickness of the substrate G is preferably in the range of approximately 0.2 mm to 4.0 mm. Examples of substrate processing performed by the plasma processing apparatus 1 include film deposition using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and etching. Hereinafter, the plasma processing apparatus 1 performing etching as a substrate processing example will be described.

[0021] The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped processing container 10. The processing container 10 is formed of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the processing container 10 can be formed into an appropriate shape according to the shape of the substrate G. For example, if the substrate G is a circular plate or an elliptical plate, the processing container 10 is preferably formed into a cylindrical shape or an elliptical cylindrical shape.

[0022] The processing container 10 has a rectangular support frame 11 protruding inward at a predetermined position in the vertical direction, which supports the dielectric plate 12 in the horizontal direction. The processing container 10 is divided into an upper chamber 13 and a lower chamber 14 through the dielectric plate 12. An antenna chamber 13a is formed inside the upper chamber 13. An internal space 14a is formed inside the lower chamber 14 for housing the substrate G and performing substrate processing.

[0023] The side wall 15 of the lower chamber 14 has an inlet / outlet 17 that is opened and closed by a gate valve 16. When the gate valve 16 is open, the plasma processing apparatus 1 feeds the substrate G into and out of the substrate via the inlet / outlet 17 using a transport device (not shown).

[0024] Additionally, the sidewall 15 of the lower chamber 14 is grounded (connected to the ground potential) via a grounding wire 18. The four sides of the sidewall 15 of the lower chamber 14 have annular sealing grooves 19 at their upper ends. By arranging sealing members 20 such as O-rings in the sealing grooves 19, the support frame 11 and the lower chamber 14 airtightly seal the internal space 14a.

[0025] The support frame 11 is made of metals such as aluminum or aluminum alloy. In addition, the dielectric plate 12 is made of ceramics such as alumina (Al2O3) or quartz.

[0026] Inside the support frame 11, a nozzle 21 is provided, which also serves as a support beam for the dielectric plate 12. The nozzle 21 is connected to the support frame 11 and is composed of multiple elongated members, spraying processing gas into the internal space 14a. The dielectric plate 12 is supported on the upper surface of the nozzle 21. The nozzle 21 is preferably made of a metal such as aluminum and undergoes a surface treatment using anodizing. A gas flow path 21a is formed horizontally inside the nozzle 21. Furthermore, the nozzle 21 has multiple gas ejection holes 21b that connect the gas flow path 21a to the lower surface (internal space 14a) of the nozzle 21.

[0027] A gas inlet pipe 22, which communicates with the gas flow path 21a, is connected to the upper surface of the nozzle 21. The gas inlet pipe 22 extends upward through the upper chamber 13 and is connected to the gas supply section 23 located outside the processing container 10.

[0028] The gas supply unit 23 has a gas supply path 24 connected to the gas inlet pipe 22, and a gas supply source 25, a mass flow controller 26, and an on / off valve 27 are sequentially provided from upstream to downstream of the gas supply path 24. During the etching process, processing gas is supplied from the gas supply source 25, the flow rate is controlled by the mass flow controller 26, and the supply timing is controlled by the on / off valve 27. The processing gas flows from the gas supply path 24 into the gas flow path 21a via the gas inlet pipe 22, and is released into the internal space 14a through each gas ejection port 21b.

[0029] A high-frequency antenna 28 is disposed within the upper cavity 13 that forms the antenna chamber 13a. The high-frequency antenna 28 is constructed by wiring antenna wires made of conductive metal such as copper into a loop or a spiral shape. Alternatively, the high-frequency antenna 28 may also be constructed by multi-layering the loop antenna wires. A power supply member 29 extending upward within the upper cavity 13 is connected to the terminals of the high-frequency antenna 28.

[0030] The power supply component 29 has an upper end protruding outward from the processing container 10, to which a high-frequency power supply unit 30 is connected. The high-frequency power supply unit 30 has a power supply line 30a, which is connected to a high-frequency power supply 32 via an impedance matching device 31. The high-frequency power supply 32 applies high-frequency power at a frequency corresponding to the substrate processing (e.g., 13.56 MHz) to the high-frequency antenna 28. As a result, the high-frequency antenna 28 forms an induced electric field within the lower chamber 14.

[0031] Furthermore, the processing container 10 has a stage 40 (placement stage) within the lower chamber 14 for placing the substrate G fed in from the feed inlet / outlet 17. The stage 40 has a stage body 41, a base 42, a plurality of lifting pins 43, and a plurality of lifting pin lifting mechanisms 44. The substrate G fed into the lower chamber 14 is handed over to the lifting pins 43 that are raised by the lifting pin lifting mechanisms 44, causing the lifting pins 43 to descend, thereby placing the substrate G on the stage body 41.

[0032] The stage body 41 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and has a mounting surface 411 with the same planar dimensions as the substrate G. For example, the planar dimensions of the mounting surface 411 are preferably in the range of approximately 1800 mm to 3400 mm for the long side and approximately 1500 mm to 3000 mm for the short side.

[0033] A plasma processing space PCS is formed between the mounting surface 411 of the stage body 41 and the nozzle 21. In the plasma processing space PCS, plasma is generated by using the induced electric field formed by the high-frequency antenna 28 to plasmaify the processing gas supplied from the nozzle 21 to the internal space 14a. The plasma processing apparatus 1 uses the etchant in the plasma generated in the plasma processing space PCS to perform etching processing on the substrate G.

[0034] Furthermore, the stage body 41 is formed of aluminum, aluminum alloy, or the like and has a cooling mechanism. The cooling mechanism may, for example, consist of a flow path 45 that circulates refrigerant within the stage body 41 and a cooler 46 that supplies refrigerant to the flow path 45. Moreover, the stage body 41 may also have heating wires (not shown) serving as resistive elements inside. By controlling these components using the control unit 60, precise temperature control of the stage body 41 can be achieved. For example, during substrate processing (etching) in the plasma processing apparatus 1, the temperature of the mounting surface 411 of the stage 40 is adjusted to approximately 80°C and maintained using the cooler 46 and the heating wires.

[0035] The pedestal 42, made of insulating material, is disposed on the bottom wall 33 of the lower chamber 14 to support the stage body 41. The pedestal 42 has an opening at the bottom, allowing it to fix and support the stage body 41 when it is separated from the bottom wall 33. The pedestal 42 may also be detachable into a lower member supporting the stage body 41 and an upper member surrounding the sides of the stage body 41. Furthermore, the stage 40 includes a bias power supply (not shown) that supplies high-frequency power during substrate processing to generate a bias voltage for introducing plasma to the stage 40. The side wall 15 of the lower chamber 14, connected to ground potential, and the partition 100 (described later) function as counter electrodes relative to this high-frequency power supply for biasing.

[0036] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A schematic top view of the lower chamber 14 of the plasma processing device 1. (See attached image.) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the plasma processing apparatus 1, the space between the outer periphery of the stage 40 and the side wall 15 of the processing container 10 becomes a concave space 34 for the processing gas discharged from the processing container 10 to flow through.

[0037] The plasma processing apparatus 1 has an exhaust port 33a on the bottom wall 33 constituting the recessed space 34 for discharging the processing gas from the internal space 14a. Specifically, two exhaust ports 33a are provided on each of the two short sides of the stage 40.

[0038] Furthermore, in the processing container 10, rectangular exhaust chambers 35 are connected and arranged adjacent to the recesses 34 of the processing container 10 on each of a pair of long sides. Moreover, the plasma processing apparatus 1 has three exhaust ports 33b at the bottom of each exhaust chamber 35. That is, three exhaust ports 33b are provided on each of a pair of long sides of the stage 40.

[0039] Each exhaust chamber 35 on a pair of long sides has a width slightly larger than the diameter of each exhaust port 33b, and is connected along the long side of the processing container 10. Fins (not shown) or similar components are provided inside each exhaust chamber 35 to guide the processed gas to each exhaust port 33b. Each exhaust chamber 35 communicates with a recessed space 34 via a plurality of connecting holes 36 formed in the sidewall 15 of the processing container 10.

[0040] Each of the two exhaust ports 33b on the long sides is formed into a perfect circle. Conversely, each of the two exhaust ports 33a on the short sides is formed into a semi-circle and is located between the side wall 15 of the processing container 10 and the stage 40. The diameter of each exhaust port 33a and 33b depends on the size of the processing container 10, and is preferably set to a range of approximately 200mm to 400mm. Additionally, an exhaust screen 37 may be provided at each exhaust port 33a and 33b to prevent components from falling.

[0041] return Figure 1 The plasma processing apparatus 1 has an exhaust section 50 outside the processing container 10, which is connected to each exhaust port 33a, 33b. The exhaust section 50 includes an exhaust pipe 51 connected to the exhaust ports 33a, 33b, and an exhaust mechanism 52 provided in the exhaust pipe 51 to exhaust the processing gas (processing gas that does not help in the processing of the substrate) inside the processing container 10. The exhaust mechanism 52 also exhausts volatile reaction products and the like generated during the processing of the substrate.

[0042] The exhaust mechanism 52, located downstream of the exhaust pipe 51 in the direction of gas flow, includes an APC (Automatic Pressure Control) valve 53, a turbomolecular pump (TMP) 54, and a dry pump 55. After initial evacuation of the processing container 10 using the dry pump 55, the exhaust mechanism 52 performs vacuum evacuation of the processing container 10 using the turbomolecular pump 54. Furthermore, the exhaust mechanism 52 controls the pressure in the internal space 14a by adjusting the opening of the APC valve 53.

[0043] Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 has multiple partitions 100 (first components) around the stage 40 and between the plasma processing space PCS and the exhaust ports 33a and 33b. Each partition 100 restricts the exhaust path of the processing gas around the stage 40.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a plurality of partitions 100 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the stage 40. Specifically, on a pair of short sides of the stage 40, a partition 100 is arranged at the corners of both ends of each short side. In addition, on a pair of long sides of the stage 40, a partition 100 is arranged at the corners of both ends of each long side.

[0045] Each partition 100 is plate-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The lengths of the short sides 101 and 102 of each partition 100 are approximately the same as the width of the recessed space 34. The lengths of the long sides 103 and 104 of each partition 100 are preferably set to be longer than the diameters of the exhaust ports 33a and 33b when viewed from above in the vertical direction. Thus, each partition 100 can reliably cover the exhaust port 33a. For example, the lengths of the long sides 103 and 104 of each partition 100 are set to be approximately 1.5 to 4 times the diameters of the exhaust ports 33a and 33b.

[0046] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the assembly state between the partition 100 and the support member 120. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the partition 100, in its disposed state within the processing container 10, is supported by support members 120 (second members) that respectively contact a pair of long sides 103 and 104 of the partition 100. The support members 120 include a first support member 121 supporting one long side 103 of the partition 100 on the side wall 15 of the processing container 10, and a second support member 126 supporting the other long side 104 of the partition 100 on the side of the platform 40. The first support member 121 and the second support member 126 are formed of a conductive metallic material (e.g., the same metallic material as the processing container 10: aluminum, etc.).

[0047] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first support member 121 has: a longitudinal plate portion 122 that protrudes vertically upward and closes a recessed space 34 at the center of the processing container 10; and a support frame 123 that extends from the longitudinal plate portion 122 along the sidewall 15 and supports the partition 100. The longitudinal plate portion 122 restricts the flow of processing gas from the center of the processing container 10 to the exhaust port 33a by closing the recessed space 34 on the inner side of the partition 100. Thus, the processing gas of the plasma processing space PCS flows towards the four corners of the processing container 10 and bypasses the partition 100 from the corners, and is guided to the exhaust port 33a.

[0048] The support frame 123 has a base 124 that is fixed to the processing container 10 by means of threads or the like, and a protrusion 125 that protrudes from the base 124 toward the inside of the processing container 10 (see also...). Figure 4 ;exist Figure 3 (Simplified description). Furthermore, the support frame 123 supports the lower surface of the partition plate 100 on the long side 103 side on the upper surface 123a of the base 124 and the protrusion 125. Therefore, the upper surface 123a is formed to be flat.

[0049] On the other hand, the second support member 126 is arranged along the side of the platform 40 and is fixed to the bottom wall 33 by a suitable fixing method such as threaded fixing. The second support member 126 can be made using a member for fixing the side of the platform 40 (the aforementioned pedestal 42 or a frame provided on the outer periphery of the pedestal 42). The upper end of the second support member 126 is provided with a protrusion 127 that protrudes outward toward the platform 40, and the lower surface of the partition 100 on the long side 104 side is supported on the upper surface 127a of the protrusion 127. Therefore, the upper surface 127a of the protrusion 127 is formed to be flat.

[0050] The first support member 121 and the second support member 126 are fixed to the bottom wall 33 or side wall 15 of the processing container 10 (lower chamber 14), thereby connecting to the ground potential via the processing container 10. Furthermore, in the first support member 121 and the second support member 126, the portions other than those in contact with the support partition 100 can also be covered with a non-conductive spray-coated film. Moreover, as... Figure 3 As shown, the height of the upper surface 123a of the first support member 121 and the height of the upper surface 127a of the second support member 126 may also be different from each other. For example, by making the first support member 121 lower than the second support member 126, it is possible to keep the plate portion between a pair of long sides 103, 104 in the partition 100 in an inclined state.

[0051] Figure 4This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the partition 100 is supported by the first support member 121. For example... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a pair of long sides 103, 104 of each partition 100 are supported by each support member 120 (first support member 121, second support member 126). The partition 100 is formed by a plate-shaped substrate 105 and a spray-coated film 110 laminated (coated) on the surface of the substrate 105.

[0052] The substrate 105 can be formed of any conductive material and is not particularly limited; for example, metals such as aluminum, iron, copper, or their alloys can be used. The substrate 105 is formed into a rectangular shape that can be disposed within the recessed space 34 using appropriate processing methods such as injection molding, stamping, or cutting. The thickness of the substrate 105 is not particularly limited; for example, it is preferably set to a range of approximately 3 mm to 6 mm. In this embodiment, the thickness of the substrate 105 is 5 mm.

[0053] The partition 100 supported by the support member 120 has an upper surface 106 facing upward in the vertical direction, a side surface 107 (first surface) extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the upper surface 106, and a lower surface 108 (second surface) constituting the opposite side of the upper surface 106. Moreover, the lower surface 108 of the partition 100 is supported along the extending direction of the long sides 103, 104 by the upper surface 123a of the first support member 121 and the upper surface 127a of the second support member 126.

[0054] The partition 100 has a main surface 107 orthogonal to the upper surface 106 and the lower surface 108 on its short sides 101, 102 and long sides 103, 104, a first inclined surface 107b inclined to the lower side of the main surface 107a, and a second inclined surface 107c inclined to the upper side of the main surface 107a. Specifically, regarding the side surfaces 107 of the long sides 103, 104, the first inclined surface 107b is adjacent to the lower surface 108, and a recess 109 is formed between the first inclined surface 107b and the support member 120 when the support member 120 is in contact with the lower surface 108. On the other hand, the second inclined surface 107c is adjacent to the upper surface 106. Alternatively, the partition 100 may also have a structure without the second inclined surface 107c.

[0055] The first inclined surface 107b is formed to be larger than the second inclined surface 107c. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length Lm of the main surface 107a and the length Lt of the first inclined surface 107b are set to be the same, or the length Lt of the first inclined surface 107b is set to be longer than the length Lm of the main surface 107a. Alternatively, the length Lt of the first inclined surface 107b may also be set to be shorter than the length Lm of the main surface 107a.

[0056] Furthermore, the tilt angle θ of the first inclined surface 107b relative to the main surface 107a is preferably set to a range of 30° to 60°. In this embodiment, the tilt angle θ is set to 45°. By forming the side surface 107 in such a manner that it has the main surface 107a and the first inclined surface 107b, the depth Ds (the depth of the recess 109 from the main surface 107a) in the horizontal direction from the main surface 107a to the boundary between the first inclined surface 107b and the lower surface 108 is sufficiently long. Since the depth Ds to the boundary between the first inclined surface 107b and the lower surface 108 is relatively long, it is difficult for plasma to reach the boundary. For example, the actual size of the depth Ds can be set to 1 mm or more, and more preferably to a range of 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0057] Furthermore, the partition 100 has a spray-coated film 110 laminated on the upper surface 106 and side surface 107 of the substrate 105 formed as described above. On the other hand, the lower surface 108 of the substrate 105 is not laminated with the spray-coated film 110, and becomes the substrate exposure surface 111 that exposes the substrate 105 itself.

[0058] In other words, in this embodiment, the partition 100 not only covers the entire upper surface 106 opposite to the plasma processing space PCS with a spray-coated film 110, but also covers the side surface 107 exposed to the plasma processing space PCS with a spray-coated film 110. This spray-coated film 110 is formed continuously without gaps relative to the upper surface 106, the main surface 107a constituting the side surface 107, the first inclined surface 107b, and the second inclined surface 107c. Furthermore, the spray-coated film 110 is formed over the entire circumference of the side surface 107 of the partition 100, including the short sides 101, 102 and the long sides 103, 104. Additionally, the end of the spray-coated film 110 is located at least at the junction of the first inclined surface 107b and the lower surface 108 at the long sides 103, 104. Therefore, the junction of the first inclined surface 107b at the long sides 103 and 104 with the lower surface 108 is also the junction of the sprayed film 110 with the exposed surface 111 of the substrate.

[0059] The spray-coated film 110 can be made of any non-conductive material, without particular limitations. For example, ceramics such as alumina, yttrium oxide, yttrium fluoride, zirconium oxide, mullite (Al6O13Si2), and spinel (MgAl2O4) can be used as materials for the spray-coated film 110. For instance, while spraying spray-coating powder using a carrier gas such as argon, plasma is generated in the spraying space, forming a plasma stream composed of dissolved spray-coating powder. This plasma stream is then blown onto the substrate 105 to form the spray-coated film 110. Furthermore, by moving the substrate 105 during the plasma stream blowing process, the spray-coated film 110 can be formed integrally on the upper surface 106 and side surface 107 of the substrate 105. Alternatively, a coating such as Capton (registered trademark) or acid-resistant aluminum can be used instead of a spray-coated film.

[0060] The sprayed film 110 thus formed prevents abnormal discharges caused by plasma generated in the plasma processing space PCS between the plasma and the substrate 105. Therefore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can perform plasma processing more stably. In particular, the partition 100, by providing a first inclined surface 107b on its side surface 107 adjacent to the lower surface 108, forms a recess 109 between itself and the support member 120, which reliably prevents plasma from winding around to the end of the sprayed film 110.

[0061] On the other hand, the partition 100 sets the lower surface 108 of the substrate 105, which contacts the support member 120, as the substrate exposed surface 111, thereby enabling stable electrical conduction between the partition 100 and the support member 120. Since the support member 120 is connected to the ground potential via the processing container 10, the partition 100, which is connected to the support member 120, is also connected to the ground potential. As a result, the plasma generated by the processing gas is contained by the electric field formed by the partition 100, and the plasma processing apparatus 1 suppresses the intrusion of plasma into the exhaust section 50, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal discharge at the exhaust section 50.

[0062] Furthermore, the partition 100 is not limited to having the entire lower surface 108 of the substrate 105 as the substrate exposed surface 111. It can also be configured such that the lower surface 108, except for the part in contact with the support member 120, is partially or entirely covered by the sprayed film 110. For example, for a certain area on the short sides 101 and 102 of the partition 100, the sprayed film 110 is formed not only on the upper surface 106 and the side surface 107, but also on the lower surface 108, thereby more effectively preventing abnormal plasma discharge on the short sides 101 and 102.

[0063] In addition, such as Figure 3As shown, the partition 100 has multiple holes 115 through which multiple threaded fasteners 116 pass to fix the partition 100 to the support member 120. Each threaded fastener 116 is threadedly engaged with a threaded hole (not shown) in the support member 120 via each hole 115. Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a non-conductive cap 117 that covers the threaded fasteners 116. Therefore, the periphery of the hole 115 covered by the cap 117 can be set as the substrate exposed surface 111 that is not covered by the sprayed coating 110.

[0064] return Figure 1 The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 60 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus. The control unit 60 is a computer equipped with one or more processors 61, a memory 62, an input / output interface (not shown), and electronic circuitry. The processors 61 can be CPUs, ASICs, FPGAs, circuits composed of multiple discrete semiconductors, or a combination thereof. The memory 62 includes non-volatile memory and volatile memory, forming a storage unit for storing programs and process data for the control unit 60. Furthermore, a portion of the memory 62 may be integrated into the processor 61. A user interface (not shown) for the plasma processing apparatus 1 is connected to the input / output interface. Examples of user interfaces include touch panels, monitors, and keyboards. The processors 61 execute programs stored in the memory 62 and perform plasma processing on the substrate G according to the process data.

[0065] The plasma processing apparatus 1 disclosed herein is configured essentially as described above. Referring hereafter, [further details are provided]. Figure 5 The manufacturing method of the plasma processing device 1 is described. Figure 5 (A) is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of plasma processing device 1. Figure 5 (B) means Figure 5 The flowchart of the partition preparation process for (A).

[0066] In the manufacturing method of the plasma processing apparatus 1, the aforementioned partition 100 is installed on the processing container 10. Specifically, in the manufacturing method, as... Figure 5 As shown in (A), the process includes container preparation (step S1), partition preparation (step S2), support member installation (step S3), partition installation (step S4), and final assembly (step S5).

[0067] In the process container preparation step, a process container 10 with a plasma processing space PCS inside is prepared. The upper chamber 13 and lower chamber 14 of the process container 10 are provided by processing using appropriate processing methods such as injection molding. In the process container preparation step, with the upper chamber 13 of the process container 10 removed, a stage 40 is installed inside the lower chamber 14. When installing the stage 40, the necessary structures for the stage 40 (such as a base 42) are also assembled simultaneously. In addition, various structures such as a support frame 11, a dielectric plate 12, a nozzle 21, and a high-frequency antenna 28 are installed in the upper chamber 13.

[0068] In the partition preparation process, a partition 100 is prepared that is disposed inside the processing container 10 and constitutes a part of the internal structure of the processing container 10. In this partition preparation process, such as... Figure 5 As shown in (B), a processing method is implemented for processing a partition 100 having a sprayed coating 110.

[0069] In the processing method, firstly, a rectangular plate-shaped substrate 105, which serves as the basis for the partition 100, is formed by using processes such as casting, cutting, and stamping (step S2-1).

[0070] Next, the side surfaces 107 of a pair of short sides 101, 102 and a pair of long sides 103, 104 of the substrate 105 are cut using a cutting device to form the first inclined surface 107b and the second inclined surface 107c (step S2-2).

[0071] Then, the upper surface 106, the pair of short sides 101 and 102, and the side surfaces 107 of the pair of long sides 103 and 104 of the substrate 105 are covered with the spray-coated film 110 (steps S2-3). Thus, a partition 100 with the spray-coated film 110 is formed. Furthermore, when forming the spray-coated film 110, the lower surface 108 of the substrate 105 is not covered with the spray-coated film 110, thereby allowing the lower surface 108 to remain as the substrate exposed surface 111.

[0072] return Figure 5 In step (A), during the support member installation process, a first support member 121 and a second support member 126, serving as support members 120, are installed inside the processing container 10. Furthermore, support members 120 can, of course, be installed simultaneously with the stage 40.

[0073] Then, in the partition installation process, the partition 100 is installed on the support member 120. With the lower surface 108 of the partition 100 on the long side 103 side in contact with the upper surface 123a of the first support member 121, it is threadedly fixed using each of the fixing threaded members 116, and each fixing threaded member 116 is covered by a cap 117. Similarly, with the lower surface 108 of the partition 100 on the long side 104 side in contact with the upper surface 127a of the second support member 126, it is threadedly fixed using each of the fixing threaded members 116, and each fixing threaded member 116 is covered by a cap 117. Thus, in the installed state, recesses 109 are formed between the first inclined surface 107b on the long side 103 side and the upper surface 123a of the first support member 121, and between the first inclined surface 107b on the long side 104 side and the upper surface 127a of the second support member 126. Figure 4 ).

[0074] Finally, in the final assembly process, the upper chamber 13 is assembled on the upper part of the lower chamber 14, which is provided with partition 100, thereby completing the processing container 10. Moreover, in the final assembly process, by providing the structures on the outside of the processing container 10 (gas supply unit 23, high-frequency power supply 32, cooler 46, exhaust unit 50, etc.), the plasma processing device 1 can be manufactured.

[0075] Next, refer to Figures 1-4 The operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 in this embodiment during plasma processing will be described.

[0076] First, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is set to the state with the gate valve 16 open. The substrate G is fed into the internal space 14a from the feed outlet 17 by the conveying mechanism, and is handed over to a plurality of lifting pins 43 that are raised and lowered by the lifting pin mechanism 44. Each lifting pin 43 descends, thereby placing the substrate G on the mounting surface 411 of the stage 40.

[0077] Next, the plasma processing apparatus 1 supplies processing gas via the gas supply unit 23 and ejects the processing gas into the plasma processing space PCS through the gas ejection port 21b of the nozzle 21. In addition, the plasma processing apparatus exhausts gas from the exhaust ports 33a and 33b into the internal space 14a via the exhaust pipe 51 while controlling the pressure using the APC 54.

[0078] Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 supplies high-frequency power, for example, 13.56 MHz, from the high-frequency power supply 32 to the high-frequency antenna 28, thereby forming a uniform induced electric field within the plasma processing space PCS via the dielectric plate 12. Using this induced electric field, the processing gas is plasmaified within the plasma processing space PCS, generating a high-density inductively coupled plasma. Using this plasma, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can perform substrate processing on a predetermined film of the substrate G, such as plasma etching or plasma ashing.

[0079] Additionally, the processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space PCS, which does not contribute to the processing of the substrate, is drawn in by the turbomolecular pump 54 and discharged from the exhaust ports 33a and 33b via the exhaust pipe 51. At this time, the partition 100 provided in the recessed space 34 increases the exhaust resistance of the processing gas, and as... Figure 2 As shown, the processed gas is guided to the four corners of the processing container 10, thereby homogenizing the exhaust characteristics of the processed gas (in Figure 2 (For ease of illustration, the flow of the processing gas is shown only in the upper right and lower right corners of the processing container 10.) The plasma generated by the processing gas is sealed off by the electric field formed by the partition 100, which serves as the ground potential, and the processing container 10, thus suppressing the intrusion into the exhaust ports 33a and 33b.

[0080] Furthermore, the sprayed film 110, laminated on the substrate 105, covers the entire upper surface 106 and side surface 107 of the partition 100 exposed to the plasma processing space PCS. Therefore, the partition 100 can suppress the generation of abnormal discharge between the plasma and the substrate 105.

[0081] In particular, the sprayed film 110 covering the side 107 of the partition 100 prevents abnormal discharge from occurring on that side 107. Furthermore, the partition 100 forms a large recess 109 with the support member 120 via the first inclined surface 107b, such that the lower surface 108, which becomes the substrate exposed surface 111, and the junction of the first inclined surface 107b on which the sprayed film 110 is formed—that is, the junction of the sprayed film 110 and the substrate exposed surface 111—are positioned sufficiently inward. This reliably prevents plasma from circulating to the end of the sprayed film 110.

[0082] The technical concepts and effects of this disclosure as described in the above embodiments are described below.

[0083] The first technical solution of this disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus 1 for processing a substrate G using plasma. The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes: a processing container 10 having a plasma processing space PCS inside; a first member (partition 100) disposed inside the processing container 10, having at least one first surface (side surface 107) exposed in the plasma processing space PCS, constituting part of the internal structure of the processing container 10; and a second member (support member 120) disposed inside the processing container 10, in contact with a second surface (lower surface 108) of the first member adjacent to the first surface. The first member has an inclined surface (first inclined surface 107b), which is part of the first surface and adjacent to the second surface, and a recess 109 is formed when the second member is in contact with the second surface. At least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a sprayed film 110.

[0084] Based on the above, the plasma processing apparatus 1 covers the first component (partition 100) exposed in the plasma processing space PCS of the processing container 10 with a spray-coated film 110, thereby stably suppressing abnormal discharge of the first component. In particular, the first component has an inclined surface (first inclined surface 107b) on its first surface (side surface 107), which makes the interface between the inclined surface and the second surface (lower surface 108) less susceptible to plasma exposure. Thus, it is possible to prevent plasma from entering the interface between the spray-coated film 110 and the substrate exposure surface 111 and causing abnormal discharge.

[0085] Furthermore, the second surface (lower surface 108) of the first member (partition 100) has an exposed surface (substrate exposed surface 111) where the coating 110 is not applied, at least in the contact area where it contacts the second member (support member 120). Thus, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can make the exposed surface of the first member contact the second member without the coating 110 in between, and can be configured to electrically integrate the first member and the second member.

[0086] Furthermore, the second component is a support member 120 that supports the first component (partition 100), and the first component is electrically connected to the support member 120 via an exposed surface (substrate exposed surface 111). Thus, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can make the first component electrically connected to the support member 120, and can function as a high-frequency counter electrode relative to the bias voltage while suppressing abnormal discharge.

[0087] Furthermore, the processing container 10 includes a stage 40 for mounting the substrate G and exhaust ports 33a and 33b disposed below the stage 40. The first component is a partition 100 disposed on the outer periphery of the stage 40, with a first surface 107 of the partition 100 and a second surface 108 of the partition 100. Thus, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can apply a structure capable of stably suppressing abnormal discharge to the partition 100 disposed on the outer periphery of the stage 40.

[0088] Furthermore, the partition 100 has a third surface adjacent to the first surface (side surface 107) and opposite to the second surface (lower surface 108). This third surface forms the upper surface (106) of the partition 100, which is exposed to the plasma processing space PCS. The sprayed film 110 is continuously formed over the first and third surfaces. Thus, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can cover the entire surface exposed to the plasma processing space PCS with the sprayed film 110, thereby more reliably reducing abnormal discharge of the partition 100.

[0089] The spray-coated film 110 is formed all around the side surface 107 of the partition 100. As a result, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can stably prevent the generation of abnormal discharge at the side surface 107 of the partition 100.

[0090] Furthermore, the partition 100 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and the second member (support member 120) supports a pair of long sides 103 and 104 of the partition 100 respectively. As a result, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can stably support the pair of long sides 103 and 104 of the partition 100 using the second member, and suppress abnormal discharges at the side surfaces of the partition 100 using the sprayed film 110.

[0091] Furthermore, the sprayed film 110 is formed of non-conductive ceramic. Thus, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can easily form the sprayed film 110 on the substrate 105 of the partition 100 and effectively suppress abnormal discharge of the partition 100.

[0092] Furthermore, the second technical solution disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a plasma processing apparatus 1 that uses plasma to process a substrate G. This method includes the following steps: preparing a processing container 10 having a plasma processing space PCS inside; preparing a first component (partition 100) having at least one first surface (side surface 107) exposed in the plasma processing space PCS, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container 10; and providing a second component (support component 120) inside the processing container 10, the second component being capable of communicating with the first... The first component contacts the second surface (lower surface 108) adjacent to the first surface; and the first component is disposed on the second component. In the process of preparing the first component, the following processing is performed: an inclined surface (first inclined surface 107b) is formed on a portion of the first surface that is adjacent to the second surface; and after forming the inclined surface, at least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a spray coating film 110. In the process of disposing the first component on the second component, a recess 109 is formed by contacting the second surface of the first component with the second component using the inclined surface and the second component. In this case, the manufacturing method of the plasma processing apparatus 1 can stably suppress abnormal discharge of the first component exposed in the plasma processing space PCS of the processing container 10.

[0093] The plasma processing apparatus 1 disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the appended claims and their spirit. Other structures can be adopted for the items described in the above embodiments without contradiction, and combinations can also be made without contradiction. In the embodiments disclosed herein, the case of the first component having the sprayed coating 110 applied to a partition has been described; however, the first component is not limited to a partition, and can be applied as long as the connection portion of multiple components electrically connected is exposed to plasma. For example, the first component can be a mounting structure such as an observation window provided on the side wall of the processing container 10.

[0094] In the plasma processing apparatus 1 of the disclosed embodiment, an inductively coupled plasma apparatus with a dielectric window has been described, but it is also possible to use an inductively coupled plasma apparatus with a metal window instead of a dielectric window. Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 of this disclosure can also be applied to any type of apparatus, including Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP), Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), Radial Line Slot Antenna (RLSA), Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma (ECR), and Helicon Wave Plasma (HWP).

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus that uses plasma to process a substrate, wherein, The plasma processing device has the following features: A processing container that has a plasma processing space inside; A first component, disposed inside the processing container, having at least one first surface exposed in the plasma processing space, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container; and The second component is disposed inside the processing container and is in contact with the second surface of the first component adjacent to the first surface. The first component has an inclined surface, which is a portion of the first surface and adjacent to the second surface, and forms a recess when the second component is in contact with the second surface. At least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a spray-coated film. The second surface of the first component has an exposed surface without a sprayed coating in at least the contact area that contacts the second component. The second component is a support component that supports the first component. The first component is electrically connected to the support component via the exposed surface.

2. A plasma processing apparatus that uses plasma to process a substrate, wherein, The plasma processing device has the following features: A processing container that has a plasma processing space inside; A first component, disposed inside the processing container, having at least one first surface exposed in the plasma processing space, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container; and The second component is disposed inside the processing container and is in contact with the second surface of the first component adjacent to the first surface. The first component has an inclined surface, which is a portion of the first surface and adjacent to the second surface, and forms a recess when the second component is in contact with the second surface. At least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a spray-coated film. The processing container includes: A stage on which the substrate is placed; and The exhaust port is located below the platform. The first component is a partition disposed on the outer periphery of the stage, the first surface is the side surface of the partition, and the second surface is the lower surface of the partition.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The partition has a third surface, which is adjacent to the first surface and is the side opposite to the second surface. This third surface forms the upper surface of the partition and is exposed to the plasma processing space. The sprayed film continuously covers both the first and third surfaces.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The sprayed coating is formed around the entire circumference of the side surface of the partition.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The partition is rectangular in shape when viewed from above. The second component supports a pair of long sides of the partition.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The sprayed film is formed from non-conductive ceramic.

7. A method for manufacturing a plasma processing apparatus, wherein the plasma processing apparatus uses plasma to process a substrate, wherein... The manufacturing method of this plasma processing device includes the following steps: Prepare a processing container with an internal plasma processing space; Prepare a first component having at least one first surface exposed in the plasma processing space, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container; A second component is disposed inside the processing container, the second component being capable of contacting a second surface of the first component adjacent to the first surface; and The first component is disposed on the second component. In the process of preparing the first component, the following processing is performed: An inclined surface is formed in a portion of the first surface, specifically at a location adjacent to the second surface; and After the inclined surface is formed, at least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a spray-coated film, and at least in the contact area of ​​the second surface of the first member, an exposed surface without the spray-coated film is created. In the process of placing the first member on the second member, by bringing the exposed surface of the second surface of the first member into contact with the second member, the first member is supported by the second member and the first member and the second member are electrically connected, and a recess is formed by the inclined surface and the second member.

8. A method for manufacturing a plasma processing apparatus, wherein the plasma processing apparatus uses plasma to process a substrate, wherein... The manufacturing method of this plasma processing device includes the following steps: Prepare a processing container with an internal plasma processing space; Prepare a first component having at least one first surface exposed in the plasma processing space, constituting a portion of the internal structure of the processing container; A second component is disposed inside the processing container, the second component being capable of contacting a second surface of the first component adjacent to the first surface; and The first component is disposed on the second component. The processing container includes: A stage on which the substrate is placed; and The exhaust port is located below the platform. The first component is a partition disposed on the outer periphery of the stage, the first surface being the side surface of the partition, and the second surface being the lower surface of the partition. In the process of preparing the first component, the following processing is performed: An inclined surface is formed in a portion of the first surface, specifically at a location adjacent to the second surface; and After forming the inclined surface, at least the first surface and the inclined surface are continuously covered by a spray-coated film. In the process of placing the first member on the second member, a recess is formed by bringing the second surface of the first member into contact with the second member, thereby utilizing the inclined surface and the second member.

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