Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus for generating plasma in a processing chamber by causing a high-frequency current to flow through an antenna provided outside a vacuum container forming the processing chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a slit plate provided so as to close an opening formed at a position facing the antenna of the vacuum container; and a dielectric plate that blocks a slit formed in the slit plate from the outside of the vacuum container, the slit plate including an annular frame and a plurality of beam-shaped members arranged and erected on the frame, the slit being formed by gaps between the plurality of beam-shaped members.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plasma processing device for processing an object to be processed using plasma. Background Art

[0002] In the past, a plasma processing device has been proposed, which generates an inductively coupled plasma (ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma)) by passing a high-frequency current through an antenna and using the inductive field generated thereby, and processes a substrate or other object to be processed using the inductively coupled plasma. As such a plasma processing device, Patent Document 1 discloses that an antenna is arranged outside a vacuum container, and a high-frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna is transmitted into the vacuum container through a magnetic field transmission window provided in a manner to block an opening of a side wall of the vacuum container, thereby generating plasma in the vacuum container.

[0003] The plasma processing device of Patent Document 1 includes: a metal slit plate that blocks the opening of the vacuum container; and a dielectric plate that blocks the slit formed in the slit plate from the outside of the vacuum container. In the plasma processing device, the metal slit plate and the dielectric plate overlapped on the slit plate function as a magnetic field transmission window, so that the thickness of the magnetic field transmission window can be reduced compared to the case where only the dielectric plate functions as the magnetic field transmission window. As a result, the distance from the antenna to the inside of the vacuum container can be shortened, so that the high-frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna can be efficiently supplied to the vacuum container.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-198282 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] However, in the structure of the plasma processing device of Patent Document 1, deposits generated by plasma generated near the slit or deposits generated by particle entrapment due to sputtering, etc., adhere to the slit plate, so the slit plate needs to be cleaned regularly. In this case, it is necessary to clean the multiple slit holes formed in the slit plate one by one, which requires time.

[0009] The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main subject is to improve the maintainability of the slit plate in a plasma processing apparatus in which an antenna is arranged outside a vacuum container and a dielectric plate and a slit plate are overlapped to form a magnetic field transmission window.

[0010] Technical means of solving problems

[0011] That is, the plasma processing device of the present invention generates plasma in the processing chamber by passing a high-frequency current through an antenna arranged outside a vacuum container forming a processing chamber, and the plasma processing device is characterized in that it includes: a slit plate arranged in a manner to block an opening formed in the vacuum container at a position facing the antenna; and a dielectric plate blocking the slit formed in the slit plate from the outside of the vacuum container, the slit plate including an annular frame and a plurality of beam-shaped members arranged and mounted on the frame, the slit being formed by gaps between the plurality of beam-shaped members.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention thus constituted, in a plasma processing apparatus in which an antenna is disposed outside a vacuum container and a dielectric plate and a slit plate are overlapped to form a magnetic field transmission window, the maintainability of the slit plate can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] [ Figure 1 ] is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of a plasma processing device according to one embodiment.

[0015] [ Figure 2 ] is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the plasma processing device of the embodiment.

[0016] [ Figure 3 ] is a plan view schematically showing the structure of the slit plate of the embodiment and observed from the antenna side.

[0017] [ Figure 4 ] are longitudinal sectional views schematically showing the structure of the slit plate of the embodiment, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view showing the state after the beam-shaped member is removed, and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view showing the state in which the beam-shaped member, the dielectric plate and the antenna are provided.

[0018] [ Figure 5 ] is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a slit plate of another embodiment, and observed from the antenna side.

[0019] [ Figure 6 ] is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of a slit plate according to another embodiment, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing Figure 5 (b) is a schematic diagram showing the longitudinal section of the A-A' line section. Figure 5 Longitudinal section view of the BB' line section.

[0020] [ Figure 7 ] is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a slit plate according to another embodiment.

[0021] [ Figure 8 ] is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a slit plate according to another embodiment.

[0022] [ Fig. 9 ] are longitudinal sectional views schematically showing the structure of a slit plate according to another embodiment, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure near a first beam-shaped member, and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure near a second beam-shaped member.

[0023] [ Fig.10 ] is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure near the slit plate of another embodiment.

[0024] [ Fig.11 ] is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure near the slit plate of another embodiment.

[0025] [ Fig.12 ] is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure near the slit plate of another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a plasma processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] <Device Structure>

[0028] The plasma processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment uses an inductively coupled plasma P to process a substrate O. Here, the substrate O is, for example, a substrate for a flat panel display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent (EL) display, a flexible substrate for a flexible display, etc. In addition, the processing performed on the substrate O is, for example, film formation, etching, ashing, sputtering, etc. using a plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

[0029] In addition, the plasma processing device 100 is also called a plasma CVD device when film formation is performed by the plasma CVD method, is also called a plasma etching device when etching is performed, is also called a plasma ashing device when ashing is performed, and is also called a plasma sputtering device when sputtering is performed.

[0030] Specifically, if Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the plasma processing apparatus 100 includes: a vacuum container 1, which is evacuated and into which gas is introduced to form a processing chamber; an antenna 2, which is provided outside the vacuum container 1; and a high-frequency power supply 3, which applies a high frequency to the antenna 2. In the above structure, by applying a high frequency to the antenna 2 from the high-frequency power supply 3, a high-frequency current IR flows in the antenna 2, an induced electric field is generated in the vacuum container 1, and an inductively coupled plasma P is generated.

[0031] The vacuum container 1 is, for example, a metal container, and has an opening 1x formed in its wall (here, the upper wall 1a) penetrating in the thickness direction. Here, the vacuum container 1 is electrically grounded, and the processing chamber inside the vacuum container is evacuated by a vacuum exhaust device 4.

[0032] In addition, for example, gas is introduced into the vacuum container 1 via one or more gas inlet ports 11 provided in a flow rate adjuster (not shown) or the vacuum container 1. The gas may be a gas corresponding to the processing content to be performed on the substrate O. For example, in the case where a film is formed on the substrate by a plasma CVD method, the gas is a raw material gas or a gas obtained by diluting it with a dilution gas (for example, H2). If further specific examples are given, when the raw material gas is SiH4, a Si film can be formed on the substrate, when it is SiH4+NH3, a SiN film can be formed on the substrate, when it is SiH4+O2, a SiO2 film can be formed on the substrate, and when it is SiF4+N2, a SiN:F film (silicon nitride fluoride film) can be formed on the substrate.

[0033] A substrate holder 5 for holding a substrate O is provided inside the vacuum container 1. As in the above example, a bias voltage may be applied to the substrate holder 5 from a bias power supply 6. The bias voltage may be, for example, a negative DC voltage, a negative bias voltage, etc., but is not limited thereto. By means of such a bias voltage, for example, the energy of positive ions in the plasma P when incident on the substrate O may be controlled, thereby controlling the crystallinity of a film formed on the surface of the substrate O. A heater 51 for heating the substrate O may be provided in advance in the substrate holder 5.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the antenna 2 is arranged to face the opening 1x formed in the vacuum container 1. The number of antennas 2 is not limited to one, and a plurality of antennas 2 may be provided.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, the power supply end 2a as one end of the antenna 2 is connected to the high frequency power source 3 via the matching circuit 31, and the terminal 2b as the other end is directly grounded. Alternatively, the terminal 2b may be grounded via a capacitor or a coil.

[0036] The high frequency power source 3 can flow a high frequency current IR through the antenna 2 via the matching circuit 31. The frequency of the high frequency is, for example, generally 13.56 MHz, but is not limited thereto and can be changed as appropriate.

[0037] The plasma processing apparatus 100 further includes: a slit plate 7 for blocking an opening 1x formed in a wall (upper wall 1a) of the vacuum container 1 from the outside of the vacuum container 1; and a dielectric plate 8 for blocking a slit 7x formed in the slit plate 7 from the outside of the vacuum container 1.

[0038] The slit plate 7 allows the high frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna 2 to pass through the vacuum container 1 and prevents the electric field from entering the inside of the vacuum container 1 from the outside of the vacuum container 1. Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, the slit plate 7 is a flat rectangular plate having a plurality of slits 7x arranged at equal intervals along the long side direction of the antenna 2 and penetrating along the thickness direction thereof. The slit plate 7 preferably has a higher mechanical strength than the dielectric plate 8 described later, and preferably has a larger thickness than the dielectric plate 8. Furthermore, when viewed from the thickness direction, the plurality of slits 7x are parallel to each other and formed in a manner intersecting (specifically, orthogonal) with the antenna 2. The plurality of slits 7x are all of the same shape (specifically, a rectangular shape in top view), and the length (width) along the long side direction of the antenna 2 is, for example, greater than 5 mm and less than 30 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] The slit plate 7 is larger than the opening 1x of the vacuum container 1 in a plan view, and blocks the opening 1x while being supported by the upper wall 1a. A sealing member S1 such as an O-ring or a gasket is inserted between the slit plate 7 and the upper wall 1a (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 ), which are vacuum sealed.

[0040] The dielectric plate 8 is provided on the outer surface 7 a of the slit plate 7 facing the outside of the vacuum container 1 (the back side of the inner surface 7 b facing the inside of the vacuum container 1 ) to block the slit 7 x of the slit plate 7 .

[0041] The dielectric plate 8 as a whole is made of a dielectric material and is in a flat plate shape, for example, ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride, inorganic materials such as quartz glass and alkali-free glass, resin materials such as fluororesins (such as Teflon), etc. In addition, from the viewpoint of reducing dielectric loss, the material constituting the dielectric plate 8 is preferably one with a dielectric loss tangent of 0.01 or less, and more preferably one with a dielectric loss tangent of 0.005 or less.

[0042] Here, the thickness of the dielectric plate 8 is made smaller than the thickness of the slit plate 7, but it is not limited to this. For example, when the vacuum container 1 is evacuated, it only needs to have a strength that can withstand the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the vacuum container 1 received by the slit 7x, and it can be appropriately set according to the specifications such as the number or length of the slits 7x. However, from the perspective of shortening the distance between the antenna 2 and the vacuum container 1, it is preferably thinner. A sealing member S2 such as an O-ring or a gasket is inserted between the dielectric plate 8 and the slit plate 7, and the space between them is vacuum-sealed.

[0043] With the above structure, the slit plate 7 and the dielectric plate 8 function as a magnetic field transmission window W that transmits the magnetic field generated by the antenna 2. That is, when a high frequency is applied to the antenna 2 from the high frequency power supply 3, the high frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna 2 is formed (supplied) by transmitting the magnetic field transmission window W including the slit plate 7 and the dielectric plate 8 into the vacuum container 1. As a result, an induced electric field is generated in the space within the vacuum container 1, and an inductively coupled plasma P is generated.

[0044] Therefore, in the plasma processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, as Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the slit plate 7 includes an annular frame 71 and a plurality of beam-shaped members 72 arranged on the frame 71, and the slits 7x are formed by gaps between the plurality of beam-shaped members 72. In addition, the frame 71 and the plurality of beam-shaped members 72 constituting the slit plate 7 are electrically connected to the vacuum container 1 and are both at ground potential.

[0045] The frame 71 is, for example, a plate-shaped metal material including a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Zn, Ni, Sn, Si, Ti, Fe, Cr, Nb, C, Mo, W, or Co, or an alloy thereof (e.g., a stainless steel alloy, an aluminum alloy, etc.). The frame 71 has a shape that surrounds a rectangular opening 71a when viewed from the antenna 2 side, and its outer periphery 71o and inner periphery 71i are both rectangular. A plurality of grooves 71g are formed in pairs across the opening 71a on the inner periphery 71i of the frame 71. Specifically, the plurality of pairs of grooves 71g are formed by cutting off a pair of opposite sides parallel to the long side direction of the antenna 2, and are arranged at equal intervals along the long side direction of the antenna 2. In the present embodiment, the plurality of grooves 71g all have the same cross-sectional shape (here, a rectangular shape), and are all formed to approximately the same depth.

[0046] The beam-shaped member 72 is in the shape of a long strip extending in a direction perpendicular to the antenna 2, and in the present embodiment has a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape along the long side direction. The two end portions 72a of the beam-shaped member 72 along the long side direction have a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape as the groove 71g of the frame 71, and the two end portions 72a are embedded in the groove 71g of the frame 71, so that a plurality of beam-shaped members 72 are mounted on the frame 71 in a manner of being at the same height. The plurality of beam-shaped members 72 are all of the same shape with the same length and width, and are detachably mounted on the frame 71 at substantially equal intervals along the long side direction of the antenna 2. Figure 4 As shown, the height dimension of the beam-shaped member 72 is substantially the same as or smaller than the depth dimension of the groove 71 g of the frame body 71 .

[0047] The beam member 72 includes a metal material such as a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Zn, Ni, Sn, Si, Ti, Fe, Cr, Nb, C, Mo, W, or Co, or an alloy thereof (e.g., a stainless steel alloy, an aluminum alloy, etc.). For example, the beam member 72 includes a material having a higher Young's modulus than the frame 71, such as SUS.

[0048] <Effects of the present embodiment>

[0049] According to the plasma processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment thus configured, the slit plate 7 includes a frame 71 and a plurality of beam-shaped members 72 mounted on the frame 71, and the gaps between the beam-shaped members 72 form the slits 7x. Therefore, when cleaning, it is sufficient to remove the beam-shaped member 72 that is contaminated by the attachment of deposits, etc. from the frame 71 and replace it. Therefore, it is possible to save the labor of cleaning the plurality of slits 7x one by one, thereby making maintenance simpler. Furthermore, by forming the slit plate 7 into two components, namely the frame 71 and the beam-shaped member 72, it is possible to simply process each component compared to the case where the slit plate 7 is formed by processing a single metal plate. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a material such as aluminum that is easy to cut, and a metal material such as SUS with higher strength can be used, thereby making it possible to achieve a thinner slit plate 7. As a result, the distance from the antenna 2 to the vacuum container 1 can be further shortened, so that the high-frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna 2 can be more efficiently supplied to the vacuum container 1.

[0050] <Other Modified Embodiments>

[0051] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0052] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plurality of beam-shaped members 72 are mounted on the frame 71 in such a manner that all of them have the same height, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 5 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7As shown, the slit plate 7 of another embodiment has a plurality of first beam-shaped members 721 and second beam-shaped members 722 respectively mounted on the frame 71 at different heights, and the first beam-shaped members 721 and the second beam-shaped members 722 are arranged alternately along the long side direction of the antenna 2. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first grooves 711g and the second grooves 712g of different depths are alternately formed in the frame 71 along the long side direction of the antenna 2, and the first beam-shaped members 721 and the second beam-shaped members 722 only need to be mounted on the first grooves 711g and the second grooves 712g, respectively. Figure 5-Figure 7 In the embodiment of FIG. 7 , the first beam-shaped member 721 is located closer to the antenna 2 than the second beam-shaped member 722 (ie, the second groove 712 g is deeper than the first groove 711 g ).

[0053] In this embodiment, the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722 are mounted on the frame body 71 in a non-contact manner. Specifically, the upper surface (the surface on the antenna 2 side) of the second beam-shaped member 722 embedded in the second groove 712g is lower than the bottom surface of the first groove 711g, and the bottom surface (the surface on the processing chamber side) of the first beam-shaped member 721 is higher than the upper surface of the second beam-shaped member 722.

[0054] In addition, in the present embodiment, when viewed from above from the antenna 2 side, the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722 are arranged without gaps and without overlapping each other. Specifically, in the long side direction of the antenna 2, the gap size between the first beam-shaped members 721 is equal to the width size of the second beam-shaped member 722, and the gap size between the second beam-shaped members 722 is equal to the width size of the first beam-shaped member 721. In addition, of course, when viewed from above from the antenna 2 side, there may be a gap between the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722, and they may also be arranged to overlap each other.

[0055] In addition, in the case of having the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722, as Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 As shown, the slit plate 7 may also have a shielding wall 73 between the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722, and the shielding wall 73 is used to shield the charged particles moving along the long side direction of the antenna 2. The shielding wall 73 may have a wall surface 73a formed in a manner that intersects (specifically, is orthogonal to) the long side direction of the antenna 2. The wall surface 73a is preferably in the shape of a long strip extending in a direction intersecting the antenna 2, and has a length that is substantially the same as the length of the opening 71a of the frame 71. For example, the shielding wall 73 may include a protrusion that protrudes from one of the first beam-shaped member 721 and the second beam-shaped member 722 toward the gap between the other beam-shaped member. The slit plate 7 may have a plurality of shielding walls 73 along the long side direction of the antenna 2.

[0056] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 71g is a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto. Fig.10 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 71g may be a V-shape or a partially circular shape. In addition, in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of the groove 71g, the cross-sectional shape of the beam-shaped member 72 may also be a triangular shape or a circular shape.

[0057] In addition, the beam-shaped member 72 may also have a film-forming inhibition protrusion 74 protruding toward the processing chamber side in the area other than the two end portions 72a of the groove 71g. The film-forming inhibition protrusion 74 is used to prevent deposits from adhering to the groove 71g on which the beam-shaped member 72 is supported, and has a covering surface 74a facing the inner peripheral surface 71s of the frame body 71 and covering the inner peripheral surface 71s when viewed from the long side direction of the antenna 2. The film-forming inhibition protrusion may be as follows: Fig.11 As shown in the figure, it is only provided near the two end portions 72a of the beam-shaped member 72, or it may be provided as shown in the figure. Fig.12 As shown, it is formed over the entire opening 71a.

[0058] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0059] Furthermore, the disclosure of this specification may include the following embodiments 1 to 7.

[0060] (Implementation 1) A plasma processing device allows a high-frequency current to flow through an antenna arranged outside a vacuum container forming a processing chamber, and generates plasma in the processing chamber, the plasma processing device comprising: a slit plate arranged in a manner to block an opening formed in the vacuum container at a position facing the antenna; and a dielectric plate blocking a slit formed in the slit plate from the outside of the vacuum container, the slit plate comprising an annular frame, and a plurality of beam-shaped members arranged and mounted on the frame, the slit being formed by gaps between the plurality of beam-shaped members.

[0061] If such a structure is adopted, the slit plate includes a frame body and a plurality of beam-shaped members mounted on the frame body, and the gaps between the beam-shaped members form the slits. Therefore, when cleaning, it is sufficient to remove the beam-shaped members that are contaminated by the adhesion of deposits from the frame body and replace them. Therefore, the labor of cleaning the plurality of slits one by one can be omitted, thereby making maintenance simple. Furthermore, by dividing the slit plate into two components, namely the frame body and the beam-shaped members, the processing of each component can be simplified compared to the case where the slit plate is formed by processing a single metal plate. Therefore, it is not necessary to use materials such as aluminum that is easy to cut, and metal materials such as SUS with higher strength can be used, thereby making the slit plate thinner. As a result, the distance from the antenna to the vacuum container can be shortened, so that the high-frequency magnetic field generated by the antenna can be efficiently supplied to the vacuum container.

[0062] (Embodiment 2) In the plasma processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1, a plurality of grooves are formed in pairs on the inner peripheral edge of the frame body with openings interposed therebetween, and both ends of the beam-shaped member are hooked on each of the paired grooves.

[0063] According to this structure, the beam-like member is mounted on the frame by hanging the beam-like member in the groove, so that the positional displacement of the beam-like member can be prevented and the mounting and removal of the beam-like member can be easily performed.

[0064] (Embodiment 3) The plasma processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the groove is a V-shape or a partially circular shape.

[0065] When the cross section of the groove is rectangular, the beam-shaped member may be misaligned in the groove due to countersinking. However, this misalignment problem can be solved by making the cross section of the groove V-shaped or partially circular.

[0066] (Embodiment 4) The plasma processing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 or 3, wherein the beam-shaped member has a protrusion protruding toward the processing chamber side in a region other than the two end portions of the groove.

[0067] With such a structure, the protrusion protruding toward the processing chamber side functions as a cover to suppress the adhesion of deposits to the inner peripheral surface of the frame, and the deposits adhering to the frame can be reduced, thereby further improving the maintainability.

[0068] (Implementation 5) A plasma processing device according to any one of implementations 1 to 4, wherein the slit plate includes a first beam-shaped member and a second beam-shaped member which are erected on the frame body at different heights in the plate thickness direction, and the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member are alternately arranged along the long side direction of the antenna.

[0069] With such a structure, the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member are alternately arranged along the long side direction of the antenna when viewed from above, so that the dielectric plate is shielded when viewed from the inner side of the vacuum container, thereby preventing conductive flying objects from adhering to the dielectric plate and causing contamination. As a result, the surface of the dielectric plate can be prevented from being conductive, the reduction in the transmittance of the high-frequency magnetic field can be suppressed, and the heat caused by the induction current flowing through the surface of the dielectric plate can be prevented.

[0070] In addition, since the second beam-shaped member is located between the first beam-shaped members, the dielectric plate exposed from the slit between the first beam-shaped members is not directly exposed to the plasma or the object to be processed, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the dielectric plate caused by radiation and the like and preventing damage.

[0071] Furthermore, since the heights of the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member are different from each other, the induced current generated in the slit plate along the antenna can be reduced, thereby efficiently suppressing a decrease in the transmittance of the high-frequency magnetic field.

[0072] (Embodiment 6) In the plasma processing apparatus according to Embodiment 5, in the longitudinal direction of the antenna, a gap dimension between the first beam-shaped members is substantially the same as a width dimension of the second beam-shaped member.

[0073] With this configuration, the dielectric plate is securely shielded when viewed from the inside of the vacuum container, and thus it is possible to further prevent conductive flying objects from adhering to the dielectric plate and causing contamination.

[0074] (Embodiment 7) In the plasma processing apparatus according to Embodiment 6, the slit plate has a shielding wall between the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member, the shielding wall being used to shield charged particles moving along the long side direction of the antenna.

[0075] In this way, the shielding wall can suppress the movement of charged particles in the gap between the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member along the long side direction of the antenna, thereby preventing the generation of discharge in the gap.

[0076] Industrial Applicability

[0077] According to the present invention, in a plasma processing apparatus in which an antenna is arranged outside a vacuum container and a dielectric plate and a slit plate are overlapped to form a magnetic field transmission window, the maintainability of the slit plate can be improved.

[0078] Description of Figure Numbers

[0079] 100: Plasma treatment device

[0080] P: Inductively coupled plasma

[0081] 1: Vacuum container

[0082] 2: Antenna

[0083] 3: High frequency power supply

[0084] 7: Slit plate

[0085] 71: Frame

[0086] 71i: Inner circumference

[0087] 72: Beam-like member

[0088] 7x: Slit

[0089] 8: Dielectric board

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus, wherein a high-frequency current is passed through an antenna provided outside a vacuum container forming a processing chamber, and plasma is generated in the processing chamber, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a slit plate provided so as to block an opening formed in the vacuum container at a position facing the antenna; as well as a dielectric plate that blocks the slit formed in the slit plate from the outside of the vacuum container, The slit plate includes an annular frame and a plurality of beam-shaped members arranged and spanned on the frame, and the slit is formed by gaps between the plurality of beam-shaped members.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of grooves are formed in pairs on the inner peripheral edge of the frame body with the openings interposed therebetween. Both ends of the beam-shaped member are hooked on the paired grooves.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The cross-sectional shape of the groove is a V-shape or a partially circular shape.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The beam-shaped member has a protrusion protruding toward the processing chamber side in a region other than the regions spanning the groove at both ends.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The slit plate includes a first beam-shaped member and a second beam-shaped member which are mounted on the frame at different heights in the plate thickness direction. The first beam-shaped members and the second beam-shaped members are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the antenna.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: In the long side direction of the antenna, the gap size between the first beam-shaped members is substantially the same as the width size of the second beam-shaped member.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The slit plate has a shielding wall between the first beam-shaped member and the second beam-shaped member, and the shielding wall is used to shield charged particles moving along the long side direction of the antenna.

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