Ring assembly and substrate processing apparatus including the same

Abstract

The ring assembly for a substrate processing apparatus in which a plasma process is performed, according to the present invention, comprises: an inner ring in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring disposed outside the inner ring, a second plasma region being formed in the outer ring, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and a cap ring disposed on an upper surface of the outer ring, the cap ring having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the inner ring, and the cap ring being made of a material whose etching reaction to plasma is lower than that of the outer ring.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0128965 filed on September 26, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a ring assembly for a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus including the ring assembly. Background Art

[0004] The process of manufacturing a semiconductor includes: a deposition process for forming a film on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a substrate); a chemical / mechanical polishing process for flattening the film; a photolithography process for forming a photoresist pattern on the film; an etching process for forming the film into a pattern having electrical characteristics using the photoresist pattern; an ion implantation process for implanting specific ions into a predetermined area of ​​the substrate; a cleaning process for removing impurities on the substrate; and an inspection process for inspecting the surface of the substrate on which the film or pattern is formed.

[0005] The etching process is a process for removing an exposed area of ​​a photoresist pattern formed on a substrate by a photolithography process. The types of etching processes can be divided into dry etching and wet etching.

[0006] The dry etching process forms an electric field by applying high frequency power to the upper electrode and the lower electrode installed at a predetermined distance in the sealed internal space where the etching process is performed, and applies an electric field to the reaction gas supplied into the sealed space to activate the reaction gas to form a plasma state. And then the ions in the plasma state etch the substrate located on the lower electrode.

[0007] At this time, it is necessary to uniformly form plasma on the entire upper surface of the substrate. A ring assembly is provided to uniformly form plasma on the entire upper surface of the substrate. The ring assembly is installed to surround the edge of the electrostatic chuck disposed on the lower electrode.

[0008] An electric field is formed on the upper part of the electrostatic chuck by applying high frequency power, and the ring assembly greatly expands the area where the electric field is formed compared to the area where the substrate is located. Therefore, the substrate is located at the center of the area where plasma is formed, and thus the substrate can be uniformly etched.

[0009] During this process, the ring assembly may be etched. As the ring assembly continues to be etched, the shape of the ring assembly will change. If the shape of the ring assembly changes, the plasma in the ring assembly becomes uneven, and the plasma is unevenly formed on the upper portion of the substrate, resulting in reduced etching accuracy of the substrate. Summary of the invention

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a ring assembly for a substrate processing device and a substrate processing device including the ring assembly, which can minimize etching of the ring assembly, thereby preventing degradation of etching accuracy of the substrate or increasing the replacement cycle of the ring assembly.

[0011] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above objects, and other unmentioned objects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0012] One aspect of the ring assembly of a substrate processing device for performing a plasma process therein for achieving the above-mentioned purpose of the present invention includes: an inner ring, in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring, which is arranged outside the inner ring and in which a second plasma region is formed, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and a cover ring, which is arranged on an upper surface of the outer ring, has a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring, and is made of a material with a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring.

[0013] One aspect of the substrate processing equipment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned other purpose includes: a chamber, in which a processing space for performing a plasma process is formed; a support member, which is arranged inside the chamber and is used to support a substrate; a ring assembly, which surrounds the top of the support member; and a gas supply unit, which is used to supply process gas to the interior of the chamber, wherein the ring assembly includes: an inner ring, in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring, which is arranged outside the inner ring and in which a second plasma region is formed, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and a cover ring, which is arranged on an upper surface of the outer ring, the cover ring has a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring, and the cover ring is made of a material with a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring.

[0014] Another aspect of the substrate processing equipment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose includes: a chamber, in which a processing space for performing a plasma etching process is formed; a support member, which is arranged inside the chamber and is used to support a substrate; a ring assembly, which surrounds the top of the support member; and a gas supply unit, which is used to supply process gas to the inside of the chamber, wherein the ring assembly includes: an inner ring, which is made of silicon and in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring, which is arranged outside the inner ring and is made of quartz material and in which a second plasma region is formed, and the second plasma region is formed. The plasma region has a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and a cover ring, the cover ring is arranged on the upper surface of the outer ring, the cover ring is not formed integrally with the inner ring but is separated from the inner ring, the cover ring has a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring, and the cover ring is made of a material with a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring, wherein the top of the outer ring has a flat surface and an inclined surface, the inclined surface is inclined downward from the edge of the flat surface in an outward direction, wherein the cover ring has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 7 mm, the cover ring is arranged as an annular plate, and includes silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) or yttrium oxide (Yttrium oxide) 2 O 3 ) and the cover ring covers the flat surface.

[0015] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] These aspects and / or other aspects will become apparent and more readily understood through the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a graphic Figure 1 A graph of region A;

[0019] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outer ring of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a ring assembly of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 5 are diagrams showing states before and after etching of a ring assembly of a substrate processing apparatus for a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear from the detailed description of the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are intended only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and are provided to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, similar reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0023] The terms used herein are used to describe embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, unless otherwise specifically stated in the context, singular forms also include plural forms. As used herein, "include" and / or "comprise" do not exclude the addition or presence of one or more other parts, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0024] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] refer to Figure 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a chamber 100, a substrate supporting device 200, a gas supply unit 300, and a plasma generating unit 400. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment may perform an etching process using plasma, and may apply both a CCP (capacitively coupled plasma) type and an ICP (inductively coupled plasma) type. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described below by using ICP as an example, but the substrate processing apparatus 10 is not limited thereto, and various modifications are feasible, such as the CCP type may be applied.

[0026] The chamber 100 may provide a processing space in which a processing process for a substrate W is performed. The processing process is a process using plasma and may be, for example, an etching process. The chamber 100 may be arranged in a sealed structure to maintain a vacuum. The chamber 100 may have a hollow cubic shape, a hollow cylindrical shape, or other shapes. By way of example, the chamber 100 may include a body 110 and a window module 120.

[0027] A space having an open top may be formed in the body 110. The space of the body 110 may be provided as a processing space in which a substrate W processing process is performed. The body 110 may be made of a metal material (e.g., aluminum). An exhaust hole 102 may be formed on the bottom surface of the body 110. The exhaust hole 102 may be connected to an exhaust line 111. Reaction byproducts generated during the process may be discharged to the outside through the exhaust line 111.

[0028] The window module 120 may be disposed at an upper portion of the processing space and cover an upper surface of the outlet of the body 110, thereby sealing the space of the body 110. The window module 120 may be made of a material different from that of the body 110.

[0029] For example, the window module 120 can emit high frequency (radio frequency) and can be provided by a dielectric substance. The temperature of the window module 120 increases with the increase of process time and power, and cooling may be required for temperature control. The window module 120 can allow a fluid with a temperature lower than the temperature of the processing space to travel through the window module 120 for cooling purposes. The window module 120 can be provided with a flow path (not shown) that forms a fluid movement path for direct cooling.

[0030] In addition, the window module 120 may have a gas supply nozzle 310 formed at the center for discharging gas. The gas supply nozzle 310 may be connected to the block 350 so that the process gas can be discharged. A spray hole may be formed on the bottom surface of the gas supply nozzle 310. The spray hole may supply the process gas to the inside of the chamber 100.

[0031] The substrate support device 200 is located inside the body 110 and can support the substrate W. The substrate support device 200 may be an electrostatic chuck that adsorbs the substrate W using electrostatic force, but the substrate support device 200 is not limited thereto. Instead, the substrate support device 200 can be variously modified so that the substrate support device 200 can support the substrate W in various ways such as mechanical clamping. Hereinafter, adsorption of the substrate W using electrostatic force will be exemplified.

[0032] The substrate supporting apparatus 200 may include a supporting member 201 and a ring assembly 280 .

[0033] The support member 201 may support the substrate W. The support member 201 may be made of a disc-shaped dielectric substance and aluminum. The lower electrode 220 and the heater 230 may be embedded in the support member 201. Due to the current applied to the lower electrode 220, an electrical force may be applied between the lower electrode 220 and the substrate W, and the substrate W may be adsorbed to the support member 201 by the electrical force. The heater 230 may generate heat by withstanding the current applied from an external power source. The generated heat may be transferred to the substrate W through the support member 201. The substrate W may be maintained at a predetermined temperature by the heat generated by the heater 230.

[0034] The first circulation channel 241 and the second circulation channel 242 may be provided in the support 201. As an example, the first circulation channel 241 may be provided as a channel through which a heat transfer medium such as helium moves. The heat transfer medium may be supplied to the bottom surface of the substrate W. The second circulation channel 242 may be provided as a channel through which a temperature control fluid (e.g., a coolant) moves, and the temperature of the support 201 may be adjusted by the temperature control fluid.

[0035] In addition, ion particles included in the plasma may be attracted by an electrical force formed in the substrate supporting apparatus 200 and move to the substrate supporting apparatus 200 , and the ion particles may collide with the substrate W during the movement to perform an etching process.

[0036] The ring assembly 280 may improve the etching accuracy of the substrate W by focusing plasma on the substrate W. The ring assembly 280 may be mounted on the support 201 and may be arranged to surround the substrate W. The ring assembly 280 may have a structure in which a plurality of rings are combined. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The ring assembly 280 will now be described.

[0037] The gas supply unit 300 may supply the process gas to the inside of the chamber 100. The gas supply unit 300 may include a gas supply line 320 and a gas storage unit 330. The gas supply line 320 may supply the process gas stored in the gas storage unit 330 to the gas supply nozzle 310.

[0038] The plasma generating unit 400 may apply high frequency power to the inside of the chamber 100 to excite the process gas supplied to the inside of the chamber 100. The plasma generating unit 400 may include a housing 410, an upper power source 420, and an antenna 430.

[0039] The housing 410 may be located on the top of the window module 120, and a space may be formed in the housing 410. The interior of the housing 410 may be provided as a space where the antenna 430 is located. The upper power source 420 may generate a high frequency current. The generated high frequency current may be applied to the antenna 430.

[0040] The antenna 430 may be disposed above the window module 120, and may apply power to apply high-frequency power to the inside of the chamber 100. The high-frequency power applied from the antenna 430 may excite the process gas remaining inside the chamber 100. The excited process gas may be provided to the substrate W to process the substrate W. The excited process gas may perform an etching process.

[0041] Hereinafter, the ring assembly 280 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 a view of area A; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outer ring of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. and Figure 5 are diagrams showing states before and after etching of a ring assembly of a substrate processing apparatus for a comparative example.

[0043] The ring assembly 280 of the first embodiment may include an inner ring 281 , an outer ring 283 , and a cover ring 285 .

[0044] The inner ring 281 may be made of a silicon material, and may form a first plasma area PA1 having a plasma distribution (density) that is the same as or similar to that of the upper portion of the substrate W. That is, a first plasma area PA1 having a higher plasma distribution than that of the outer ring 283 may be formed in the substrate W and the inner ring 281. For example, depending on the material / thickness / shape of the inner ring 281 and the outer ring 283, and / or the influence of electrodes, different plasma densities of the first plasma area PA1 and the second plasma area PA2 may be differently formed.

[0045] The first plasma area PA1 of the inner ring 281 has a higher plasma distribution than the second plasma area PA2, and thus plasma can be focused around the substrate W. That is, the plasma distributions formed in the inner ring 281 and the outer ring 283 are different, and the inner ring 281 has a higher plasma distribution than the outer ring 283, and thus plasma is focused on the substrate W, and a plasma etching process of the substrate W can be accurately performed.

[0046] The outer ring 283 may surround the inner ring 281 outside the inner ring 281. The outer ring 283 may be made of a quartz material, and may form a second plasma area PA2. The second plasma area PA2 may have a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma area PA1.

[0047] And the top of the outer ring 283 may have a flat surface 283P and an inclined surface 283S (see Figure 3 ). The second plasma area PA2 may be formed at the top of the outer ring 283, and the influence of the electrode on the inclined surface 283S may be smaller, so that the plasma distribution on the inclined surface 283S may be lower compared to the flat surface 283P.

[0048] Here, the flat surface 283P is an inner area of ​​the outer ring 283, and is adjacent to the inner ring 281, and can form a flat surface. The flat surface 283P can be made of the same material as the inclined surface 283S, but the influence of the electrode can be greater than that of the inclined surface 283S, and unlike the inclined surface 283S, the flat surface 283P does not change in height, so that the plasma distribution can be higher than the plasma distribution of the inclined surface 283S. Here, the reason why the influence of the electrode on the inclined surface 283S is greater than the influence of the electrode on the flat surface 283P is that the influence of the electrode on the wall inside the chamber 100 is reduced. That is, this is because the radius of the electrode is smaller than the radius of the chamber 100.

[0049] The inclined surface 283S may be inclined downward from the edge of the flat surface 283P in an outward direction. The inclined surface 283S is located outside the flat surface 283P so that the inclined surface 283S may be arranged at a position farthest from the substrate W in the ring assembly 280 and the influence of the electrode may be minimized. The plasma distribution of the inclined surface 283S may be lower than that of the flat surface 283P.

[0050] In addition, reaction byproducts (e.g., polymers) generated during the etching process may move outward from the center of the substrate W and be discharged to the outside through the exhaust hole 102 and the exhaust line 111. The reaction byproducts may travel through the upper portion of the ring assembly 280. At this time, if the upper surface of the outer ring 283 does not have an inclined surface but is all flat or protruding, the reaction byproducts may hit the corners of the ring assembly 280 and accumulate. The reaction byproducts accumulated in the ring assembly 280 may flow back into the substrate W and act as particles in the repeated process.

[0051] However, in this embodiment, the corner of the edge of the ring assembly 280 has a cut shape, that is, the outer ring 283 includes an inclined surface 283S, thereby reducing the problem of reaction byproducts being loaded onto the ring assembly 280 .

[0052] The outer ring 283 is made of a material different from that of the inner ring 281 and is configured to focus the plasma on the substrate W. In the outer ring 283, as in the comparative example Figure 5 As shown in , etching is performed on the flat surface 283p, and the etching rate may be higher due to lower plasma resistance (etching resistance) compared to the inner ring 281.

[0053] That is, the outer ring 283 has a shorter replacement cycle than the inner ring 281 because the shape of the outer ring 283 is changed by etching when the substrate processing process is repeated. However, in this embodiment, the outer ring 283 is covered by the cover ring 285 so that the etching can be minimized. Here, Figure 5 The solid line in shows the state before the ring assembly 280 is etched, and the dotted line shows the state in which the ring assembly 280 is etched after repeating the process.

[0054] The cover ring 285 may cover the outer ring 283, thereby extending a replacement period of the outer ring 283. The cover ring 285 may not be formed integrally with the inner ring 281, but may be separated from the inner ring 281, thereby minimizing or preventing a higher plasma density (density of the first plasma area PA1) of the inner ring 281 from extending from the inner ring 281 toward the outer ring 283.

[0055] That is, the cover ring 285 is not connected to the inner ring 281 , and the first plasma area PA1 is formed in the inner ring 281 , and the cover ring 285 may cover only the outer ring 283 , thereby cutting off the influence of the inner ring 281 on the outer ring 283 .

[0056] In addition, on the upper surface of the outer ring 283, the cover ring 285 may be formed to have a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring 281. For example, the cover ring 285 may be provided as an annular plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm to 7 mm. The cover ring 285 provided as a plate may be coupled to the outer ring 283 by resin bonding. For example, the resin bonding may be formed on the bottom surface, the side surface, or both the bottom surface and the side surface of the cover ring 285. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible, such as providing the cover ring 285 in a coating manner.

[0057] In addition, the cover ring 285 may be made of a material having a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring 283 (a material having excellent etching resistance). For example, the cover ring 285 may be made of silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ) or more. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The cover ring 285 may be made of a ceramic material.

[0058] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 4Modified examples of this embodiment are described, and overlapping descriptions of the same configuration performing the same function will be omitted.

[0059] Figure 4 2 is a diagram illustrating a ring assembly of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 , will mainly explain the instructions and use Figures 1 to 3 The difference in the content described.

[0060] refer to Figure 4 The substrate processing apparatus 10 of the second embodiment may include a chamber 100 , a substrate supporting device 200 , and a gas supply unit 300 that are the same as or similar to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. And the substrate processing apparatus 10 may include a plasma generating unit 400 .

[0061] The ring assembly 280 of the second embodiment may include an inner ring 281 , an outer ring 283 , and a cover ring 285 that are the same as or similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0062] Meanwhile, the ring assembly 280 of the second embodiment is different in that a step 283A is formed on the flat surface 283P of the outer ring 283, and the cover ring 285 is disposed at the step 283A. That is, the flat surface 283P of the outer ring 283 has a concave structure corresponding to the thickness of the cover ring 285, so that the cover ring 285 can be seated.

[0063] In the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the outer ring 283 is covered by the cover ring 285 having excellent etching resistance, thereby increasing the replacement cycle of the ring assembly 280 or minimizing the degradation of the etching accuracy of the substrate W due to the shape deformation of the ring assembly 280.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the above content and the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

[0065] [reference numerals]

[0066] 10: Substrate processing equipment

[0067] 100: Chamber

[0068] 200: Substrate support device

[0069] 280: Ring assembly

[0070] 281: Inner Ring

[0071] 283: Outer Ring

[0072] 285: Cover ring

[0073] 300: Gas supply unit

Claims

1. A ring assembly for a substrate processing device in which a plasma process is performed, the ring assembly comprising: an inner ring in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring, the outer ring being arranged outside the inner ring, and forming a second plasma region in the outer ring, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and A cover ring is disposed on an upper surface of the outer ring, the cover ring having a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring and made of a material having a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring.

2. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover ring is not formed integrally with the inner ring but is separate from the inner ring.

3. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The top of the outer ring includes: Flat surface; and An inclined surface is inclined downwardly from an edge of the flat surface in an outward direction.

4. The ring assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The cover ring covers the flat surface of the outer ring but does not cover the inclined surface.

5. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover ring has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 7 mm.

6. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover ring is configured as an annular plate.

7. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover ring is provided as a coating on the upper surface of the outer ring.

8. The ring assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The inner ring comprises a silicone material, Wherein, the outer ring comprises quartz material.

9. The ring assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The cover ring includes at least one material of silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and yttrium oxide (Y2O3).

10. The ring assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The cover ring is made of ceramic material.

11. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a chamber in which a processing space for performing a plasma process is formed; a support member, the support member being disposed inside the chamber and used to support a substrate; a ring assembly surrounding a top portion of the support member; and a gas supply unit for supplying a process gas into the interior of the chamber, Wherein, the ring assembly comprises: an inner ring in which a first plasma region is formed; an outer ring disposed outside the inner ring, wherein a second plasma region is formed in the outer ring, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and A cover ring is disposed on an upper surface of the outer ring, the cover ring having a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring and made of a material having a lower etching reaction to plasma than the outer ring.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein The cover ring is not formed integrally with the inner ring but is separate from the inner ring.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein: The top of the outer ring includes: Flat surface; and An inclined surface is inclined downwardly from an edge of the flat surface in an outward direction.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein: The cover ring covers the flat surface of the outer ring but does not cover the inclined surface.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein: The outer ring has a step, and the cover ring is placed on the step.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The inner ring comprises a silicone material, Wherein, the outer ring comprises quartz material.

17. The ring assembly of claim 16, wherein: The cover ring has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 7 mm, Wherein, the cover ring includes at least one material selected from silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3).

18. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a chamber in which a processing space for performing a plasma etching process is formed; a support member, the support member being disposed inside the chamber and used to support a substrate; a ring assembly surrounding a top portion of the support member; and a gas supply unit for supplying a process gas into the interior of the chamber, Wherein, the ring assembly comprises: an inner ring, the inner ring being made of silicon and forming a first plasma region in the inner ring; an outer ring, the outer ring being disposed outside the inner ring and being made of a quartz material, in which a second plasma region is formed, the second plasma region having a lower plasma distribution than the first plasma region; and a cover ring, the cover ring being disposed on the upper surface of the outer ring, the cover ring being not integrally formed with the inner ring but being separate from the inner ring, the cover ring having a thickness smaller than that of the inner ring, and the cover ring being made of a material having a lower etching reaction to plasma than that of the outer ring, The top of the outer ring has a flat surface and an inclined surface, wherein the inclined surface is inclined downward from the edge of the flat surface in an outward direction. The cover ring has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 7 mm, is configured as an annular plate including at least one material of silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) or yttrium oxide (Y2O3), and covers the flat surface.

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