Plasma generation module, method of operating same, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A plasma generation module capable of controlling plasma characteristics in an edge region in a processing space in a process chamber, a method of operating the plasma generation module, and a substrate processing apparatus including the plasma generation module are disclosed. A plasma generation module for generating a plasma in a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate using the plasma includes a housing disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber having a processing space defined therein for processing the substrate, the shell is provided with an open bottom and a treatment space limited in the open bottom; an antenna disposed in the processing space in the housing to apply radio frequency (RF) power to an interior of the processing space; an RF power source configured to supply the RF power to the antenna; and a metal ring assembly configured to control a flux linkage of a magnetic field generated by the antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plasma generation module for generating plasma to process a substrate, an operation method of the plasma generation module, and a substrate processing apparatus including the plasma generation module. Background Art

[0002] A semiconductor manufacturing process is a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices on a substrate (e.g., a wafer), and includes, for example, exposure, deposition, etching, ion implantation, and cleaning. To perform each manufacturing process, semiconductor manufacturing devices for performing each process are provided in a clean room of a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and each process is performed on a substrate loaded in the semiconductor manufacturing devices.

[0003] A plasma generation module for generating plasma is disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber having a processing space for processing a substrate. The plasma generation module generates plasma by exciting a process gas present in the processing space in the process chamber. An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) type plasma generation module uses an antenna including a plurality of coils to generate an electromagnetic field. The characteristics of the plasma generated by the antenna are determined by a magnetic flux interconnecting the coils.

[0004] In an edge region in the processing space in the process chamber, the intensity of the plasma is lower and the plasma is unevenly distributed due to the influence of an inner wall of the process chamber compared to a central region in the processing space in the process chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a plasma generation module capable of controlling plasma characteristics in an edge region in a processing space in a process chamber, an operation method of the plasma generation module, and a substrate processing apparatus including the plasma generation module.

[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a plasma generation module for generating plasma in a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate using plasma includes: a housing disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate; an antenna disposed in the processing space in the housing, the antenna configured to apply radio frequency (RF) power to the processing space; an RF power supply configured to supply the RF power to the antenna; and a metal ring assembly configured to control a magnetic flux linkage of a magnetic field generated by the antenna.

[0007] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring assembly may include: a metal ring having a diameter greater than that of the antenna, the metal ring being located between the antenna and the wall of the housing; a vertical drive shaft connected to the upper end of the metal ring; and a drive mechanism configured to move the metal ring in a vertical direction through the vertical drive shaft.

[0008] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vertical drive shaft may extend upward from the upper surface of the metal ring to pass through the top plate of the housing, and the drive mechanism may be coupled to the upper surface of the top plate of the housing.

[0009] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive mechanism may be implemented as a motor or a cylinder.

[0010] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring may include a plurality of metal rings concentrically arranged with different diameters.

[0011] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a metal ring to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing may be determined from the plurality of metal rings based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber.

[0012] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring may include a plurality of ring segments separated from each other in a horizontal direction.

[0013] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ring segment to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing may be determined from the plurality of ring segments based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber.

[0014] In a plasma generation module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring may be made of permalloy.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a plasma generation module for generating plasma in a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate using plasma includes: placing the metal ring between the antenna and the wall of the housing; and applying the RF power to the antenna.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using plasma includes: a process chamber including a main body defining a processing space and a sealing cover covering an open top of the main body; a substrate support member disposed in the main body and configured to support the substrate; a gas supply module configured to supply a process gas to the processing space; and a plasma generation module configured to apply RF power to the processing space to excite the process gas supplied to the processing space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings incorporated in this specification illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments below, further illustrate the technical concept of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to what is shown in such drawings. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 shows the structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of a magnetic field according to the distance between an antenna and an inner wall of a housing;

[0020] Figure 3 is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of a magnetic field in a plasma generation module in a state where a metal ring is located between the antenna and the housing;

[0021] Figure 4 shows along Figure 1 a cross-section taken along line A-A' in

[0022] Figure 5 shows the structure of a substrate processing apparatus including a metal ring assembly including a plurality of metal rings;

[0023] Figure 6 is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of a magnetic field in a plasma generation module in a state where a plurality of metal rings are located between the antenna and the housing;

[0024] Figure 7 shows along Figure 5 a cross-section taken along line A-A' in

[0025] Figure 8 shows a cross-section taken along line A-A' in Figure 1 when the metal ring includes a plurality of ring segments;

[0026] Figure 9 shows a cross-section taken along line A-A' in Figure 5The cross-section taken along line A-A' in; and

[0027] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a plasma generation module according to the present disclosure. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement these embodiments. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0029] Parts irrelevant to the description of the present disclosure will be omitted to clearly describe the present disclosure, and throughout the specification, the same or similar components will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0030] In addition, components having the same configuration in several embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals and described only in the representative embodiments, and only the components different from those in the representative embodiments will be described in other embodiments.

[0031] Throughout the specification, when a component is said to be "connected", "coupled", or "joined" to another component, the component and the other component may be "directly connected", "directly coupled", or "directly joined" to each other, or may be "indirectly connected", "indirectly coupled", or "indirectly joined" to each other, with one or more intermediate elements interposed therebetween. In addition, throughout the specification, when a component is said to "include", "comprise", or "have" another component, the component should not be construed as excluding other elements as long as there is no special conflicting description, and the component may include at least one other element.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Terms such as those defined in a common dictionary should be construed as having the same meaning as the terms in the context of the related art, and should not be construed as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined in this specification.

[0033] Figure 1 Shows the structure of a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 10 when viewed from the side. In Figure 1 the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y are the directions in which the substrate W is placed and are perpendicular to each other. The vertical direction Z is a direction perpendicular to both the first horizontal direction X and the second vertical direction Y. That is, the vertical direction Z is a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the substrate W is placed.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 10 processes the substrate W using plasma. The substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a process chamber 100, a substrate support member 200, a gas supply member 300, and a plasma generation module 400.

[0035] The process chamber 100 defines a space in which the process of processing the substrate W is performed. The processing chamber 100 includes a main body 110, a sealing cover 120, and a liner 130.

[0036] A processing space with an open top is defined in the main body 110. The processing space in the main body 110 is set as the space in which the process of processing the substrate W is performed. The main body defines the processing space. The main body 110 is made of metal. The main body 110 may be made of aluminum. An exhaust hole 102 is formed in the bottom surface of the main body 110. The exhaust hole 102 is connected to an exhaust pipeline 121. The reaction by-products generated during the processing and the gas remaining in the processing space in the main body 110 can be discharged to the outside through the exhaust pipeline 121. During the exhaust process, the pressure in the main body 110 is reduced to a predetermined pressure.

[0037] The sealing cover 120 is disposed on the main body 110. The sealing cover 120 covers the open top of the main body 110. The liner 130 defines a space with an open top and bottom. The liner 130 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. The liner 130 may have a radius corresponding to the inner surface of the main body 110. The liner 130 is disposed along the inner surface of the main body 110. A support ring 131 is formed on the upper end of the liner 130. The support ring 131 is formed as an annular plate and is used to join the liner 130 to the main body 110. The liner 130 may be made of the same material as the main body 110. The liner 130 may be made of aluminum. The liner 130 protects the inner surface of the main body 110. During the process of exciting the process gas, arc discharge occurs in the process chamber 100. Arc discharge may damage the peripheral devices. Compared with the main body 110, the liner 130 may be a cheap and easily replaceable device. Therefore, if the liner 130 is damaged due to arc discharge, the liner 130 can be replaced with a new one.

[0038] The substrate support member 200 is disposed in the main body 110. The substrate support member 200 supports the substrate W. The substrate support member 200 may be configured as an electrostatic chuck that uses electrostatic force to hold the substrate W.

[0039] The electrostatic chuck 200 includes a dielectric plate 210, an electrostatic electrode 220, a heater 230, a support plate 240, and an insulating plate 270. The dielectric plate 210 is located at the top of the substrate support member 200. The dielectric plate 210 is provided as a disk-shaped dielectric material. The substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the dielectric plate 210. The upper surface of the dielectric plate 210 has a diameter smaller than that of the substrate W. Accordingly, the edge region of the substrate W is located outside the dielectric plate 210. A first supply flow path 211 is formed in the dielectric plate 210. The first supply flow path 211 is formed from the upper surface of the dielectric plate 210 to the lower surface of the dielectric plate 210. A plurality of first supply flow paths 211 may be formed to be spaced apart from each other and may be used as channels through which a heat transfer medium (e.g., helium (He)) is supplied to the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0040] The electrostatic electrode 220 and the heater 230 are embedded in the dielectric plate 210. The electrostatic electrode 220 is located above the heater 230. The electrostatic electrode 220 is electrically connected to a first lower power supply 221. The first lower power supply 221 is configured as a direct current (DC) power supply. A switch 222 is installed between the electrostatic electrode 220 and the first lower power supply 221. The electrostatic electrode 220 may be electrically connected to the first lower power supply 221 through the on / off operation of the switch 222. When the switch 222 is turned on, a direct current is supplied to the electrostatic electrode 220. An electrostatic force is applied between the electrostatic electrode 220 and the substrate W by the current supplied to the electrostatic electrode 220, and the substrate W is attracted and firmly held by the electrostatic force through the dielectric plate 210.

[0041] The heater 230 is electrically connected to a second lower power supply 231. The heater 230 generates heat by resisting the current applied thereto from the second lower power supply 231. The generated heat is transferred to the substrate W through the dielectric plate 210. The temperature of the substrate W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the heat generated by the heater 230. The heater 230 is configured as a spiral coil. The heater 230 may have an irregular spiral pitch and may be installed in the dielectric plate 210.

[0042] The support plate 240 is located below the dielectric plate 210. The lower surface of the dielectric plate 210 and the upper surface of the support plate 240 may be adhered to each other by an adhesive 236. The support plate 240 may be made of a metal (e.g., aluminum). The upper surface of the support plate 240 may be stepped such that its central region is located at a higher position than its edge region. The central region of the upper surface of the support plate 240 has a region corresponding to the lower surface of the dielectric plate 210 and is adhered to the lower surface of the dielectric plate 210. A first circulation flow path 241, a second circulation flow path 242, and a second supply flow path 243 may be formed in the support plate 240.

[0043] The first circulation flow path 241 is provided as a channel through which a heat transfer medium (e.g., helium (He)) circulates. The first circulation flow path 241 may be formed in a spiral shape in the support plate 240. Alternatively, a plurality of annular first circulation flow paths 241 having different radii may be concentrically arranged with each other. The first circulation flow paths 241 may communicate with each other. The first circulation flow paths 241 are formed at the same height.

[0044] The second circulation flow path 242 is provided as a channel through which a cooling fluid (e.g., refrigerant) circulates. The second circulation flow path 242 may be formed in a spiral shape in the support plate 240. Alternatively, a plurality of annular second circulation flow paths 242 having different radii may be concentrically arranged with each other. The second circulation flow paths 242 may communicate with each other. The second circulation flow path 242 may have a larger cross-sectional area than the first circulation flow path 241. The second circulation flow paths 242 are formed at the same height. The second circulation flow paths 242 may be located below the first circulation flow path 241.

[0045] A plurality of second supply flow paths 243 extend upward from the first circulation flow path 241 to the upper surface of the support plate 240. The number of the second supply flow paths 243 is the same as the number of the first supply flow paths 211. The second supply flow paths 243 connect the first circulation flow path 241 to the first supply flow paths 211.

[0046] The first circulation flow path 241 is connected to the heat transfer medium storage unit 252 via a heat transfer medium supply pipeline 251. A cooling fluid storage unit 262 stores a cooling fluid. A cooler 263 may be provided in the cooling fluid storage unit 262. The cooler 263 cools the cooling fluid to a predetermined temperature. Alternatively, the cooler 263 may be installed on the cooling fluid supply pipeline 261. The cooling fluid supplied to the second circulation flow path 242 through the cooling fluid supply pipeline 261 circulates along the second circulation flow path 242 to cool the support plate 240. As the support plate 240 is cooled, the dielectric plate 210 and the substrate W are also cooled, thereby maintaining the temperature of the substrate W at a predetermined temperature.

[0047] An insulating plate 270 is provided below the support plate 240. The insulating plate 270 is formed to have a size corresponding to that of the support plate 240. The insulating plate 270 is located between the support plate 240 and the bottom surface of the process chamber 100. The insulating plate 270 is made of an insulating material and electrically insulates the support plate 240 and the process chamber 100 from each other.

[0048] The focus ring 280 is disposed in the edge region of the substrate support member 200. The focus ring 280 has a ring shape and is disposed along the periphery of the dielectric plate 210. The upper surface of the focus ring 280 may be stepped such that its outer portion 280a is located at a higher position than its inner portion 280b. The upper surface of the inner portion 280b of the focus ring 280 is located at the same height as the upper surface of the dielectric plate 210. The upper surface of the inner portion 280b of the focus ring 280 supports the edge region of the substrate W located outside the dielectric plate 210. The outer portion 280a of the focus ring 280 is formed to surround the edge region of the substrate W. The focus ring 280 extends the region where the electromagnetic field is formed such that the substrate W is located at the center of the region where the plasma is formed. Accordingly, the plasma is uniformly formed over the entire region of the substrate W, and thus, the entire region of the substrate W is uniformly processed.

[0049] The gas supply module 300 supplies a process gas to the processing space of the process chamber 100. The gas supply module 300 includes a gas supply nozzle 310, a gas supply line 320, and a gas storage unit 330. The gas supply nozzle 310 is mounted to the central portion of the seal cover 120. A spraying port is formed in the bottom surface of the gas supply nozzle 310. The spraying port is located below the seal cover 120 and supplies the process gas to the processing space in the process chamber 100. The gas supply line 320 connects the gas supply nozzle 310 to the gas storage unit 330. The gas supply line 320 supplies the process gas stored in the gas storage unit 330 to the gas supply nozzle 310. A valve 321 may be mounted on the gas supply line 320. The valve 321 can control the opening and closing of the gas supply line 320 and can also control the flow rate of the process gas supplied through the gas supply line 320.

[0050] The plasma generation module 400 applies radio frequency (RF) power to the processing space of the process chamber 100 to excite the process gas supplied to the processing space of the process chamber 100. The plasma generation module 400 includes a housing 410, an RF power supply 420, an antenna 430, and a metal ring assembly 440.

[0051] The housing 410 has an open bottom and has a processing space defined therein. The housing 410 is located on the seal cover 120. Specifically, the housing 410 is disposed on the upper surface of the seal cover 120. The interior of the housing 410 is provided as the space where the antenna 430 is located. The housing 410 may be grounded. The housing 410 includes a wall 410A extending in the vertical direction Z and a top plate 410B extending in the horizontal direction from the upper end of the wall 410A.

[0052] The RF power supply 420 generates RF current. The RF current generated by the RF power supply 420 is applied to the antenna 430. The antenna 430 applies RF power to the processing space of the process chamber 100. The RF power supply 420 includes a first RF power supply 420A and a second RF power supply 420B. The first RF power supply 420A and the second RF power supply 420B can supply RF power with different frequencies or different amplitudes. The first RF power supply 420A supplies first RF power to the inner antenna 430A, and the second RF power supply 420B supplies second RF power to the outer antenna 430B.

[0053] The antenna 430 includes an inner antenna 430A and an outer antenna 430B. Refer to Figure 2 , the inner antenna 430A includes an inner coil 430Aa and an outer coil 430Ab, and the outer antenna 430B includes an inner coil 430Ba and an outer coil 430Bb. The inner antenna 430A can be formed such that two or more inner coils 430Aa are stacked in the vertical direction Z and two or more outer coils 430Ab are stacked in the vertical direction Z, and the outer antenna 430B can be formed such that two or more inner coils 430Ba are stacked in the vertical direction Z and two or more outer coils 430Bb are stacked in the vertical direction Z. The inner antenna 430A receives first RF power from the first RF power supply 420A, and the outer antenna 430B receives second RF power from the second RF power supply 420B.

[0054] Figure 2 is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field according to the distance between the antenna 430 and the inner wall of the housing 410.

[0055] The magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field (B-field) generated by the antenna 430 is determined by the distance D0 between the outer end of the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. Specifically, the shorter the distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the larger the magnetic flux linkage. The larger the magnetic flux linkage, the smaller the amount of power transmitted to the plasma. On the contrary, the longer the distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the smaller the magnetic flux linkage. The smaller the magnetic flux linkage, the larger the amount of power transmitted to the plasma.

[0056] Figure 3 is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field in the plasma generation module 400 in a state where the metal ring 442 is located between the antenna 430 and the housing 410. Refer to Figure 3 , the metal ring 442 is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The metal ring 442 increases the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. That is, the metal ring 442 can produce an effect of reducing the distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 to D1, where D1 is the distance between the metal ring 442 and the antenna 430.

[0057] To control the characteristics of the plasma in the edge region of the process chamber 100, the plasma generation module 400 includes a metal ring assembly 440 configured to control the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. The metal ring assembly 440 includes a metal ring 442 having a diameter larger than that of the antenna 430, a vertical drive shaft 444 connected to the upper end of the metal ring 442, and a drive mechanism 446 configured to move the metal ring 442 in the vertical direction Z through the vertical drive shaft 444.

[0058] The metal ring 442 is a metal object having a ring shape. The magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated around the antenna 430 is changed by the metal ring 442. When the metal ring 442 is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field increases due to the coupling between the antenna 430 and the metal ring 442. This has the effect of reducing the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The metal ring 442 can be made of a highly conductive metal to achieve coupling with the antenna 430. For example, the metal ring 442 can be made of permalloy, which is an alloy of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni).

[0059] The vertical drive shaft 444 connects the metal ring 442 and the drive mechanism 446 to each other. The vertical drive shaft 444 is fixed to the metal ring 442 at one end thereof and extends upward from the upper surface of the metal ring 442 such that the other end thereof passes through the top plate 410B of the housing 410. The drive mechanism 446 is coupled to the upper surface of the top plate 410B of the housing 410. As Figure 1 shown, the drive mechanism 446 can be disposed on the upper surface of the top plate 410B of the housing 410, and the vertical drive shaft 444 can be coupled to the lower portion of the drive mechanism 446. The drive mechanism 446 can lower the metal ring 442 through the vertical drive shaft 444 such that the metal ring 442 is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, or can raise the metal ring 442 through the vertical drive shaft 444 such that the metal ring 442 is outside the influence region of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. That is, the drive mechanism 446 can selectively place the metal ring 442 in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The drive mechanism 446 can be implemented as a motor or a cylinder.

[0060] Figure 4 A cross-section taken along the Figure 1 line A-A' in Figure 4As shown, the antenna 430 includes an inner antenna 430A and an outer antenna 430B. The inner antenna 430A includes an inner coil 430Aa and an outer coil 430Ab, and the outer antenna 430B includes an inner coil 430Ba and an outer coil 430Bb. The metal ring 442 can be formed to have a diameter larger than that of the outer coil 430Bb of the outer antenna 430B. The metal ring 442 can have the same center as the antenna 430 and can have a diameter larger than that of the outer coil 430Bb of the outer antenna 430B. The magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430 can be changed by the metal ring 442.

[0061] Figure 5 The structure of the substrate processing apparatus 10 including the metal ring assembly 440 is shown, and the metal ring assembly includes a plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C. According to this embodiment, the metal ring 442 can include a plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C that are concentrically arranged with each other while having different diameters. Refer to Figure 5 , the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C having different diameters can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0062] The metal ring 442 can include a first metal ring 442A closest to the antenna 430, a second metal ring 442B located outside the first metal ring 442, and a third metal ring 442C located outside the second metal ring 442B. The vertical drive shaft 444 can include a first vertical drive shaft 444A coupled to the first metal ring 442A, a second vertical drive shaft 444B coupled to the second metal ring 442B, and a third vertical drive shaft 444C coupled to the third metal ring 442C. The drive mechanism 446 includes a first drive mechanism 446A configured to move the first metal ring 442A in the vertical direction Z through the first vertical drive shaft 444A, a second drive mechanism 446B configured to move the second metal ring 442B in the vertical direction Z through the second vertical drive shaft 444B, and a third drive mechanism 446C configured to move the third metal ring 442C in the vertical direction Z through the third vertical drive shaft 444C.

[0063] According to this embodiment, at least one of the plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be selectively located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. That is, by separately controlling the drive mechanisms 446A, 446B, and 446C, some of the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the remaining metal rings can be located outside the range of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430.

[0064] Figure 6It is a view for explaining the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field in the plasma generation module 400 in a state where multiple metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C are located between the antenna 430 and the housing 410. Refer to Figure 6 , multiple metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C are located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The multiple metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C increase the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. Different from the state shown in Figure 6 , one of the multiple metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C may be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the remaining metal rings among them may be located outside the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0065] When the first metal ring 442A is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, this has the effect of reducing the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410 of the housing 410 to a first distance Da, which is shorter than the original distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. When the second metal ring 442B is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, this has the effect of reducing the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410 of the housing 410 to a second distance Db, which is shorter than the original distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. When the third metal ring 442C is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, this has the effect of reducing the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410 of the housing 410 to a third distance Dc, which is shorter than the original distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0066] When the first metal ring 442A is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, a first magnetic flux linkage corresponding to the first distance Da is generated, and the first distance is the shortest distance. When the second metal ring 442B is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, a second magnetic flux linkage corresponding to the second distance Db is generated, and the second distance is longer than the first distance Da. In this case, the second magnetic flux linkage is smaller than the first magnetic flux linkage. When the third metal ring 442C is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, a third magnetic flux linkage corresponding to the third distance Dc is generated, and the third distance is longer than the second distance Db. In this case, the third magnetic flux linkage is smaller than the second magnetic flux linkage.

[0067] Not only can a metal ring be provided, but also two or more metal rings can be provided to be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. Among the two or more metal rings, the metal ring to be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 can be selected according to the plasma distribution characteristics in the edge region of the process chamber 100. That is, based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100, the metal ring to be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 is determined from the plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C.

[0068] Figure 7 A cross-section taken along Figure 5 line A-A' in Figure 7 is shown. As

[0069] shown, the antenna 430 includes an inner antenna 430A and an outer antenna 430B. The inner antenna 430A includes an inner coil 430Aa and an outer coil 430Ab, and the outer antenna 430B includes an inner coil 430Ba and an outer coil 430Bb. The metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be formed to have a diameter larger than that of the outer coil 430Bb of the outer antenna 430B. The metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can have the same center as the antenna 430 and can have a diameter larger than that of the outer coil 430Bb of the outer antenna 430B. The first metal ring 442A can be located outside the outer coil 430Bb of the outer antenna 430B, the second metal ring 442B can be located outside the first metal ring 442, and the third metal ring 442C can be located outside the second metal ring 442B. Among the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C, the first metal ring 442A has the smallest diameter, the second metal ring 442B has a diameter larger than that of the first metal ring 442A but smaller than that of the third metal ring 442C, and the third metal ring 442C has the largest diameter. Some of the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the remaining metal rings among them can be located outside the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0070] Figure 8Shows a cross-section taken along line A-A' in Figure 1 when the metal ring 442 includes a plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d. The metal ring 442 may include a plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d that are separated from each other in the horizontal direction. Referring to Figure 8 , the metal ring 442 includes four separate ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d, and the remaining components are the same as those in the Figure 4 illustrated embodiment. The ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d may be symmetrically separated from each other. Each of the ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d may be selectively located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. Depending on the ring segment located at the position between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the magnetic flux of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430 at the corresponding position may be changed, and thus, the plasma distribution characteristics at the corresponding position may be changed. The first ring segment 442a may affect the plasma distribution at the 12 o'clock position, the second ring segment 442b may affect the plasma distribution at the 3 o'clock position, the third ring segment 442c may affect the plasma distribution at the 6 o'clock position, and the fourth ring segment 442d may affect the plasma distribution at the 9 o'clock position. Each of the ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d may be respectively coupled to a vertical drive shaft and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering.

[0071] In this embodiment, the ring segment located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 may be determined from the plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100.

[0072] Figure 9 Shows a cross-section taken along line A-A' in Figure 5 when the metal ring 442 includes a plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C and each of the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C includes a plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d. The metal ring 442 may include a plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C having different diameters, and each of the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C may include a plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d that are separated from each other in the horizontal direction. Referring to Figure 9 , the metal ring 442 includes four separate ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d, and the remaining components are the same as those in the Figure 7 illustrated embodiment.

[0073] Thus, the first ring segment 442a includes first ring sub-segments 442Aa, 442Ba, and 442Ca having different diameters at the 12 o'clock position, the second ring segment 442b includes second ring sub-segments 442Ab, 442Bb, and 442Cb having the same diameter at the 3 o'clock position, the third ring segment 442c includes third ring sub-segments 442Ac, 442Bc, and 442Cc having different diameters at the 6 o'clock position, and the fourth ring segment 442d includes fourth ring sub-segments 442Ad, 442Bd, and 442Cd having different diameters at the 9 o'clock position.

[0074] In Figure 9 each of the twelve ring sub-segments can be respectively coupled to the vertical drive shaft and the drive mechanism. By separate control of the drive mechanism, some of the twelve ring sub-segments can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the remaining metal rings thereof can be located outside the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. Depending on the combination of the ring sub-segments located at the position between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430 at the corresponding position may be changed, and thus, the plasma distribution characteristics at the corresponding position may be changed. That is, the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430 at each position can be changed by separately controlling the drive mechanism coupled to the corresponding ring sub-segment to select the ring sub-segments located in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 from the ring sub-segments, thereby precisely controlling the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100.

[0075] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the plasma generation module 400 according to the present disclosure. The plasma generation module 400 includes: a housing 410 disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber 100 having a processing space for processing a substrate W; an antenna 430 disposed in the processing space of the housing 410 and applying RF power to the processing space of the process chamber 100; an RF power supply 420 supplying RF power to the antenna 430; and a metal ring assembly 440 controlling the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430.

[0076] The metal ring assembly 440 includes: a metal ring 442 having a diameter larger than that of the antenna 430 and located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410; a vertical drive shaft 444 connected to the upper end of the metal ring 442; and a drive mechanism 446 configured to move the metal ring 442 in the vertical direction Z through the vertical drive shaft 444.

[0077] The method of operating the plasma generation module 400 according to the present disclosure includes the step (S1010) of placing the metal ring 442 in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 and the step (S1020) of applying RF power to the antenna 430.

[0078] In step S1010, the driving mechanism 446 can place the metal ring 442 in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 through the vertical driving shaft 444. The metal ring 442 is placed between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 and increases the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. That is, the metal ring 442 can produce the effect of reducing the distance D0 between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 to D1, where D1 is the distance between the metal ring 442 and the antenna 430.

[0079] In step S1020, the RF power supply 420 supplies RF power to the antenna 430, and the RF power applied to the antenna 430 generates a magnetic field, thereby exciting the process gas present in the process chamber 100. At this time, the plasma distribution characteristics in the edge region of the process chamber 100 are affected by the magnetic field outside the antenna 430. The magnetic field outside the antenna 430 varies according to the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The metal ring 442 produces the effect of changing the distance between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, thereby changing the magnetic flux linkage of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. That is, the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100 can be controlled by the metal ring 442.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring 442 is configured to selectively move in the vertical direction Z through the driving mechanism 446. That is, the driving mechanism 446 can selectively place the metal ring 442 in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0081] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vertical driving shaft 444 extends upward from the upper surface of the metal ring 442 to pass through the top plate 410B of the housing 410, and the driving mechanism 446 is coupled to the upper surface of the top plate 410B of the housing 410. The driving mechanism 446 can be implemented as a motor or a cylinder. As Figure 1As shown, the drive mechanism 446 can be disposed on the upper surface of the top plate 410B of the housing 410, and the vertical drive shaft 444 can be coupled to the lower portion of the drive mechanism 446. The drive mechanism 446 can lower the metal ring 442 through the vertical drive shaft 444 such that the metal ring 442 is located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, or can raise the metal ring 442 through the vertical drive shaft 444 such that the metal ring 442 is located outside the influence area of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. That is, the drive mechanism 446 can selectively place the metal ring 442 in the space between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring 442 can include a plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C that are concentrically arranged with different diameters. Referring to Figure 5 , the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C with different diameters can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. The metal ring 442 can include a first metal ring 442A closest to the antenna 430, a second metal ring 442B located outside the first metal ring 442, and a third metal ring 442C located outside the second metal ring 442B. At least one of the plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be selectively located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. That is, by individually controlling the drive mechanisms 446A, 446B, and 446C, some of the metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the remaining metal rings thereof can be located outside the range of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430. One or more metal rings can be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, and the metal rings located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 can be selected according to the plasma distribution characteristics in the edge region of the process chamber 100. That is, based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100, the metal rings to be located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 are determined from the plurality of metal rings 442A, 442B, and 442C.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring 442 can include a plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d that are separated from each other in the horizontal direction. Referring to Figure 8, the metal ring 442 includes four separate ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d. The ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d can be symmetrically separated from each other. Each of the ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d can be selectively positioned between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410. Depending on the ring segment located at the position between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410, the magnetic flux of the magnetic field generated by the antenna 430 at the corresponding position may be changed, and thus, the plasma distribution characteristics at the corresponding position may be changed. The first ring segment 442a can affect the plasma distribution at the 12 o'clock position, the second ring segment 442b can affect the plasma distribution at the 3 o'clock position, the third ring segment 442c can affect the plasma distribution at the 6 o'clock position, and the fourth ring segment 442d can affect the plasma distribution at the 9 o'clock position. Each of the ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d can be respectively coupled to a vertical drive shaft and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering. The ring segment located between the antenna 430 and the wall 410A of the housing 410 can be determined from the plurality of ring segments 442a, 442b, 442c, and 442d based on the plasma distribution in the edge region of the process chamber 100.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal ring 442 can be made of a highly conductive metal to achieve coupling with the antenna 430. For example, the metal ring 442 can be made of permalloy, which is an alloy of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni).

[0085] As is apparent from the above description, according to the present disclosure, the plasma characteristics in the edge region of the processing space in the process chamber can be controlled by a metal ring assembly disposed between the housing and the antenna.

[0086] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0087] The scope of the present disclosure should be defined only by the appended claims, and all technical concepts within the scope of the equivalents of the claims should be construed as falling within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A plasma generation module for generating plasma in a substrate processing device, the substrate processing device being configured to process a substrate using plasma, the plasma generation module comprising: a housing disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate; an antenna disposed in the processing space in the housing, the antenna being configured to apply radio frequency (RF) power to the processing space; an RF power supply configured to supply the RF power to the antenna; as well as A metal ring assembly is configured to control the flux linkage of a magnetic field generated by the antenna.

2. The plasma generation module of claim 1, wherein the metal ring assembly comprises: a metal ring having a diameter greater than that of the antenna, the metal ring being located between the antenna and a wall of the housing; a vertical drive shaft connected to an upper end of the metal ring; as well as A drive mechanism is configured to move the metal ring in a vertical direction via the vertical drive shaft.

3. The plasma generation module according to claim 2, wherein the vertical drive shaft extends upward from the upper surface of the metal ring to pass through the top plate of the housing, and Wherein the driving mechanism is coupled to an upper surface of the top plate of the housing. 4 . The plasma generation module according to claim 3 , wherein the driving mechanism is implemented as a motor or a cylinder. 5 . The plasma generating module according to claim 2 , wherein the metal ring comprises a plurality of metal rings which are concentrically disposed with each other while having different diameters. 6 . The plasma generation module according to claim 5 , wherein the metal ring to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from among the plurality of metal rings based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber. 7 . The plasma generating module according to claim 2 , wherein the metal ring comprises a plurality of ring segments separated from each other in a horizontal direction. 8 . The plasma generation module according to claim 7 , wherein a ring segment to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from among the plurality of ring segments based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber.

9. The plasma generation module of claim 2, wherein the metal ring is made of Permalloy.

10. A method of operating a plasma generation module for generating plasma in a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate using plasma, wherein the plasma generation module comprises: a housing disposed on an upper portion of a process chamber having a processing space for processing the substrate; an antenna disposed in the processing space in the housing, the antenna being configured to apply RF power to the processing space; an RF power supply configured to supply the RF power to the antenna; as well as a metal ring assembly configured to control the flux linkage of a magnetic field generated by the antenna, The metal ring assembly comprises: a metal ring having a diameter greater than that of the antenna, the metal ring being located between the antenna and a wall of the housing; a vertical drive shaft connected to an upper end of the metal ring; and a drive mechanism configured to move the metal ring in a vertical direction via the vertical drive shaft, and The method comprises: placing the metal ring between the antenna and the wall of the housing; and The RF power is applied to the antenna.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the vertical drive shaft extends upward from the upper surface of the metal ring to pass through the top plate of the housing, and Wherein the driving mechanism is coupled to an upper surface of the top plate of the housing.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the driving mechanism is implemented as a motor or a cylinder. 13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the metal ring comprises a plurality of metal rings disposed concentrically with each other while having different diameters. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a metal ring to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from among the plurality of metal rings based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the metal ring comprises a plurality of ring segments spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a ring segment to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from the plurality of ring segments based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the metal ring is made of Permalloy.

18. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate using plasma, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a process chamber including a body defining a processing space and a sealing cover covering an open top of the body; a substrate support member disposed in the body, the substrate support member configured to support the substrate; a gas supply module configured to supply process gas to the processing space; as well as a plasma generation module configured to apply RF power to the processing space to excite the process gas supplied to the processing space, The plasma generating module comprises: a housing disposed on an upper portion of the process chamber; an antenna disposed in the housing, the antenna being configured to apply the RF power to the processing space; an RF power supply configured to supply the RF power to the antenna; and a metal ring assembly configured to control the flux linkage of a magnetic field generated by the antenna, The metal ring assembly comprises: a metal ring having a diameter greater than that of the antenna, the metal ring being located between the antenna and a wall of the housing; a vertical drive shaft connected to an upper end of the metal ring; and a driving mechanism configured to move the metal ring in a vertical direction via the vertical driving shaft, wherein the vertical drive shaft extends upward from the upper surface of the metal ring to pass through the top plate of the housing, wherein the drive mechanism is coupled to an upper surface of the top plate of the housing, wherein the driving mechanism is implemented as a motor or a cylinder, and The metal ring is made of Permalloy.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the metal ring comprises a plurality of metal rings disposed concentrically with each other while having different diameters, and Therein, a metal ring to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from the plurality of metal rings based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber.

20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the metal ring includes a plurality of ring segments separated from each other in a horizontal direction, and Therein, a ring segment to be located between the antenna and the wall of the housing is determined from the plurality of ring segments based on a plasma distribution in an edge region of the process chamber.

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