Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate support section disposed in the plasma processing chamber, an annular baffle disposed so as to surround the substrate support section, having a plurality of openings, a first annular plate disposed below the annular baffle, having an inner end fixedly disposed to a side wall of the substrate support section, a movable structure disposed below the first annular plate, having a cylindrical wall disposed along a side wall of the plasma processing chamber in a longitudinal direction with a gap formed between the cylindrical wall and the side wall of the plasma processing chamber, and a second annular plate disposed to an inner wall of the cylindrical wall at an upper end, having an annular overlapping portion formed so as to overlap a portion of the first annular plate in the longitudinal direction, and an actuator that moves the movable structure in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a processing chamber for performing plasma processing on a substrate; an exhaust chamber communicating with the processing chamber; an exhaust plate having a plurality of first vent holes and separating the processing chamber from the exhaust chamber; and an exhaust regulating plate disposed within the exhaust chamber. According to the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the exhaust regulating plate has a plurality of second vent holes, configured to be able to contact the exhaust plate parallel to each other, and to be able to separate from the exhaust plate.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-15451. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The present invention relates to a plasma processing device that can control the internal pressure of the processing chamber in a short time.

[0008] Technical means for solving problems

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber; an annular baffle disposed surrounding the substrate support and having a plurality of openings; a first annular plate below the annular baffle, the inner end of which is fixedly disposed on the sidewall of the substrate support; a movable structure disposed below the first annular plate, having a cylindrical wall and a second annular plate, the cylindrical wall being disposed longitudinally along the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber and forming a gap therebetween with the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber, the second annular plate being disposed on the upper end of the inner wall of the cylindrical wall and forming an annular overlapping portion thereon in a longitudinally overlapping manner with a portion of the first annular plate; and an actuator for moving the movable structure longitudinally.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, a plasma processing apparatus is provided that can control the internal pressure of the processing chamber in a short time. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a plasma processing system.

[0013] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of the structure of a plasma processing device.

[0014] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of an example structure showing the main components of an exhaust system.

[0015] Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view schematically showing a structural example of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0016] Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0017] Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of the relationship between the interval in the second pressure regulating mechanism and the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber.

[0018] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the main parts of a modified example of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective sectional view showing a modified example of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0020] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the main parts of a modified example of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0021] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the main parts of a modified example of the second pressure regulating mechanism.

[0022] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of an embodiment of the technology of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a processing gas is supplied to a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate") to perform various plasma treatments such as etching, film deposition, and diffusion. These plasma treatments are carried out in a plasma processing apparatus having a processing chamber capable of maintaining a reduced-pressure atmosphere. In this plasma processing apparatus, it is important to precisely control the internal pressure of the processing chamber in order to properly perform plasma treatment on the substrate.

[0024] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus (plasma processing apparatus). To precisely control the internal pressure of the processing chamber, the apparatus includes: an exhaust plate separating the processing chamber from the exhaust chamber; and an exhaust regulating plate configured to be in contact with and separate from the exhaust plate. Both the exhaust plate and the exhaust regulating plate have multiple vent holes extending through the thickness direction. The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is configured to allow for fine pressure adjustments at relatively low and high pressures by adjusting the position of the exhaust regulating plate relative to the exhaust plate.

[0025] However, in recent years, the manufacturing processes of semiconductor devices have required increasingly finer patterns formed on the substrate surface, necessitating rapid pressure regulation of the processing chamber. However, processing chambers for plasma processing, for example, require plasma gas and high-capacity power supplies, resulting in larger capacities and sometimes making rapid pressure regulation difficult. This is especially true when the plasma processing apparatus has an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) generation unit, where the processing chamber capacity typically increases, making rapid pressure regulation of the internal pressure of this processing chamber a significant challenge.

[0026] The present invention addresses the above-described situation by providing a plasma processing apparatus capable of controlling the internal pressure of a processing chamber within a short time. Hereinafter, a plasma processing system having the plasma processing apparatus of this embodiment and a plasma processing method of one embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in this specification and the accompanying drawings, elements having substantially the same functional structure are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] <Structure of Plasma Processing System>

[0028] First, a plasma processing system according to one embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the structural outline of the plasma processing system.

[0029] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG1, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing device 1 and a control unit 2. The plasma processing device 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support 11, and a plasma generation unit 12.

[0030] The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space. Additionally, the plasma processing chamber 10 has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space; and at least one gas outlet for discharging gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to the gas supply unit 20 (described later), and the gas outlet is connected to the exhaust system 40 (described later). The substrate support unit 11 is disposed within the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate.

[0031] The plasma generation unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one process gas supplied to the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space can be capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), ECR plasma (Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance plasma), helicon wave plasma (HWP), or surface wave plasma (SWP), etc. Alternatively, various types of plasma generation units, including AC (Alternating Current) plasma generation units and DC (Direct Current) plasma generation units, can be used. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generation unit has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Therefore, the AC signal includes RF (Radio Frequency) signals and microwave signals. In one embodiment, the RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0032] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable commands that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. The control unit 2 can be configured to control various elements of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 is implemented, for example, by a computer 2a. The processing unit 2a1 can be configured to perform various control operations by reading a program from the storage unit 2a2 and executing the read program. The program may be pre-stored in the storage unit 2a2 or retrieved via a medium when needed. The retrieved program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read and executed by the processing unit 2a1 from the storage unit 2a2. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a, or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 2a2 may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may also communicate with the plasma processing device 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, the aforementioned storage medium may be temporary or non-temporary.

[0033] <Structure of Plasma Processing Device>

[0034] The following describes a structural example of an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus (ICP) as an example of plasma processing apparatus 1. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the schematic structure of plasma processing apparatus 1.

[0035] The inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply unit 20, a power supply 30, an exhaust system 40, and a pressure detector 50. The plasma processing chamber 10 includes a dielectric window 101. Additionally, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate support 11, a gas inlet, and an antenna 14. The substrate support 11 is disposed within the plasma processing chamber 10. The antenna 14 is disposed above or above the plasma processing chamber 10 (i.e., above or above the dielectric window 101). The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the dielectric window 101, the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space 10s; and at least one gas outlet for discharging gas from the plasma processing space 10s. Furthermore, in one example, the volume of the plasma processing chamber 10 is 50 L or more.

[0036] The substrate support portion 11 includes a main body portion 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body portion 111 has a central region 111a for supporting a substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body portion 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body portion 111 when viewed from above. The substrate W is disposed on the central region 111a, and the ring assembly 112 is disposed on the annular region 111b in such a way that it surrounds the substrate W on the central region 111a. Therefore, the central region 111a is also referred to as a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also referred to as an annular support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0037] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base (not shown) and an electrostatic chuck (not shown). The base includes conductive components. The conductive components of the base can function as bias electrodes. The electrostatic chuck is disposed on the base. The electrostatic chuck includes electrostatic electrodes (not shown). The electrostatic chuck has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck also has an annular region 111b. Furthermore, other components surrounding the electrostatic chuck, such as the annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating component, may also have an annular region 111b. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be disposed on either the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating component, or on both the electrostatic chuck and the annular insulating component. Additionally, at least one RF / DC electrode coupled to the RF power supply 31 and / or DC power supply 32 (described later) may also be disposed within the electrostatic chuck. In this case, at least one RF / DC electrode functions as a bias electrode. Furthermore, the conductive components of the base and at least one RF / DC electrode may also function as multiple bias electrodes. In addition, the electrostatic electrode can also function as a bias electrode. Therefore, the substrate support portion 11 includes at least one bias electrode.

[0038] The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular components. In one embodiment, the one or more annular components include one or more edge rings and at least one cover ring. The edge rings are formed of a conductive or insulating material, and the cover rings are formed of an insulating material.

[0039] Additionally, although not shown in the figures, the substrate support 11 may also include a temperature control module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck, ring assembly 112, and substrate W to a target temperature. The temperature control module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow path, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows in the flow path. In one embodiment, the flow path is formed within a base, and one or more heaters are disposed within the electrostatic chuck. Furthermore, the substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply section configured to supply heat transfer gas between the back surface of the substrate W and the substrate support surface.

[0040] The gas inlet is configured to introduce at least one process gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. In one embodiment, the gas inlet includes a central gas injector (CGI) 13. The central gas injector 13 is disposed above the substrate support 11 and mounted on a central opening formed in the dielectric window 101. The central gas injector 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas flow path 13b, and at least one gas inlet port 13c. The process gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s through the gas flow path 13b and the gas inlet port 13c. Alternatively, the gas inlet may include, in addition to or in place of the central gas injector 13, one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) mounted on one or more openings formed in the sidewall 102.

[0041] The gas supply unit 20 may also include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one process gas from a corresponding gas source 21 to a gas inlet unit via a corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may, for example, include a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Furthermore, the gas supply unit 20 may also include at least one flow modulation device for modulating or pulsed the flow rate of the at least one process gas.

[0042] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply 31 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply 31 provides at least one RF signal (RF power) to at least one bias electrode and antenna 14. Plasma is thus formed by at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of the plasma generation unit 12. Furthermore, by supplying a bias RF signal to at least one bias electrode, a bias potential can be generated on the substrate W, introducing ions from the formed plasma into the substrate W.

[0043] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generation unit 31a and a second RF generation unit 31b. The first RF generation unit 31a is coupled to the antenna 14 via at least one impedance matching circuit and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) for plasma generation. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 10MHz to 150MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generation unit 31a may also be configured to generate multiple source RF signals with different frequencies. The generated one or more source RF signals are supplied to the antenna 14.

[0044] The second RF generation unit 31b is coupled to at least one bias electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit, and is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). The frequency of the bias RF signal may be the same as or different from the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency lower than that of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 60 MHz. In one embodiment, the second RF generation unit 31b may also be configured to generate multiple bias RF signals with different frequencies. The generated one or more bias RF signals are supplied to at least one bias electrode. In addition, in various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0045] Alternatively, the power supply 30 may also include a DC power supply 32 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The DC power supply 32 includes a bias DC generation unit 32a. In one embodiment, the bias DC generation unit 32a is connected to at least one bias electrode and is configured to generate a bias DC signal. The generated bias DC signal is applied to at least one bias electrode.

[0046] In various embodiments, the bias DC signal can also be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one bias electrode. The voltage pulses can have rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combinations thereof pulse waveforms. In one embodiment, a waveform generation unit for generating a sequence of voltage pulses based on the DC signal is connected between the bias DC generation unit 32a and at least one bias electrode. Thus, the bias DC generation unit 32a and the waveform generation unit constitute a voltage pulse generation unit. The voltage pulses can have positive or negative polarity. Furthermore, the sequence of voltage pulses can also include one or more positive voltage pulses and one or more negative voltage pulses within one cycle. In addition, the bias DC generation unit 32a can be provided based on the RF power supply 31, or it can be provided in place of the second RF generation unit 31b.

[0047] Antenna 14 includes one or more coils. In one embodiment, antenna 14 may also include an outer coil and an inner coil arranged coaxially. In this case, RF power supply 31 may be connected to both the outer coil and the inner coil, or to either the outer coil or the inner coil. In the former case, the same RF generating unit may be connected to both the outer coil and the inner coil, and additional RF generating units may be connected to the outer coil and the inner coil separately.

[0048] The exhaust system 40 exhausts and depressurizes the interior of the plasma processing chamber 10 (plasma processing space 10s) via an exhaust path 10e formed around the substrate support portion 11 when viewed from above and a gas outlet 10f formed on the bottom surface of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 includes: an annular baffle 41 that divides the plasma processing space 10s from the exhaust path 10e; a first pressure regulating mechanism 42 that opens and closes the gas outlet 10f by an action of a drive mechanism 42a; and an exhaust mechanism 43 that exhausts the interior of the plasma processing space 10s via the first pressure regulating mechanism 42. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a second pressure regulating mechanism 60 for adjusting the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s for a short time is disposed downstream of the annular baffle 41 in the exhaust path 10e. The second pressure regulating mechanism 60 includes an upper side plate 61, a movable structure 62, and an actuator 63. The detailed structure of the exhaust system 40 including the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 will be described later.

[0049] The pressure detector 50 measures the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 (plasma processing space 10s) during plasma processing. The type of pressure detector 50 is not particularly limited, and can be arbitrarily determined as long as it can measure the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0050] <Structure of the Exhaust System>

[0051] Next, an example of the detailed structure of the exhaust system 40 will be described. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the exhaust system 40. Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view schematically showing the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 of the exhaust system 40.

[0052] As described above, the exhaust system 40 includes an annular baffle 41, a first pressure regulating mechanism 42, an exhaust mechanism 43, and a second pressure regulating mechanism 60.

[0053] The annular baffle 41 is configured to divide the plasma processing space 10s and the exhaust path 10e around the substrate support 11 in a top view. The annular baffle 41 is a ring-shaped plate-like component with multiple openings 41a that connect the plasma processing space 10s and the exhaust path 10e, and capture or reflect the plasma generated in the plasma processing space 10s to suppress leakage to the exhaust path 10e. Furthermore, the annular baffle 41 is configured parallel to the substrate W placed on the substrate support 11, and is positioned on the upper surface of the substrate W in the figure, more specifically, at a position lower than the substrate support surface. Therefore, the annular baffle 41 is configured horizontally to surround the sidewalls of the substrate support 11, and has multiple openings 41a formed to extend longitudinally through the annular baffle 41.

[0054] The first pressure regulating mechanism 42 regulates the pressure reduction action of the plasma processing space 10s performed by the exhaust mechanism 43, that is, it regulates the internal pressure (pressure reduction degree) of the plasma processing chamber 10. The first pressure regulating mechanism 42 can be, for example, a pressure control valve such as an APC (Adaptive Pressure Control) valve or a lift valve. Therefore, the pressure control valve is configured to control the pressure within the plasma processing chamber, and at least one of an APC valve and a lift valve can be selected.

[0055] The exhaust mechanism 43 depressurizes the interior of the plasma processing space 10s. The exhaust mechanism 43 may include, for example, a vacuum pump such as a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0056] As described above, the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 includes an upper side plate 61, a movable structure 62, and an actuator 63.

[0057] The upper side plate 61 is, for example, a first annular plate fixedly disposed on the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11 downstream of the annular baffle 41 in the exhaust path 10e. Thus, the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) is disposed below the annular baffle 41. In one embodiment, the upper side plate 61 is fixed to the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11 and extends horizontally outward from the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. Therefore, a first gap G1 is formed between the upper side plate 61 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, the distance H1 between the annular baffle 41 and the upper side plate 61 is 40 mm or more. In one embodiment, the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the annular baffle 41 completely overlap in the longitudinal direction. The upper side plate 61 is an annular, non-perforated plate-like component without openings, and the width L1 (see Figure 3) of the annular portion is formed to be smaller than the width L3 (see Figure 3) of the annular baffle 41. In other words, an exhaust flow path with a width of [L3-L1], i.e., a first gap G1, is formed between the outer end of the upper side plate 61 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. The width L1 of the upper side plate 61 can be arbitrarily designed. In this case, the width of the exhaust flow path [L3-L1] is preferably at least smaller than the width L1 of the upper side plate 61 (L3-L1 < L1). In other words, the width L1 of the upper side plate 61 is larger than half the width (L3 / 2) of the annular baffle 41. In addition, the width of the exhaust flow path [L3-L1] is larger than the width of the gap C described later.

[0058] Furthermore, the distance H1 between the annular baffle 41 and the upper side plate 61 (see Figure 3) can be designed arbitrarily, but from the viewpoint of properly adjusting the exhaust flow guide, it is preferable that the distance H1 is at least 40 mm or more.

[0059] The movable structure 62 is disposed, for example, downstream of the upper side plate 61 in the exhaust path 10e, on the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. Therefore, the movable structure 62 is disposed below the upper side plate 61. In one embodiment, the movable structure 62 includes a cylindrical wall 62a and a lower side plate 62b. The cylindrical wall 62a and the lower side plate 62b can be separate components or integrated. The movable structure 62 has a generally L-shaped cross-sectional shape formed by the cylindrical wall 62a and the lower side plate 62b. Therefore, in the following description, the movable structure 62 is sometimes referred to as an L-shaped structure.

[0060] A cylindrical wall 62a is arranged longitudinally along the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, slightly separated from the sidewall 102 in such a way that a gap C, serving as a bypass flow path, is formed between them. That is, the cylindrical wall 62a and the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10 are arranged concentrically, and the cylindrical wall 62a has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the sidewall 102. This forms an annular gap C between the sidewall 102, which constitutes the inner wall surface of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the cylindrical wall 62a of the movable structure 62. In one embodiment, the cylindrical wall 62a is formed from a non-porous component without openings and extends longitudinally along the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. This forms a second gap G2 between the cylindrical wall 62a and the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, the cylindrical wall has a longitudinal dimension H2 of 10 mm to 60 mm.

[0061] The width L4 of the gap C (second gap G2) (see Figure 3) is determined to be such that it enables continuous flow of exhaust gas from the plasma processing space 10s via the exhaust mechanism 43, and does not affect the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s during plasma processing; preferably, it is 2.0 mm or less. In one embodiment, the annular gap C has the same width L4 over its entire circumference.

[0062] Furthermore, the length of the gap C, in other words, the longitudinal length H2 of the cylindrical wall 62a (refer to Figure 3), is determined in conjunction with the width L4 of the gap C, and is preferably 10 mm to 60 mm. Specifically, the longitudinal length H2 of the cylindrical wall 62a is determined such that the exhaust flow (hereinafter referred to as "exhaust flow") via the exhaust mechanism 43 through the gap C is a predetermined desired value. More specifically, in order to make the exhaust flow a desired value, the length H2 of the gap C is determined to be longer when the width L4 of the gap C is large, and shorter when the width L4 of the gap C is small.

[0063] The lower side plate 62b is a second annular plate that protrudes from the upper end of the inner wall side (radially inner side) of the cylindrical wall 62a toward the inner circumferential side (i.e., radially inner side) of the plasma processing chamber 10. The lower side plate 62b is disposed substantially parallel to the upper side plate 61, for example, downstream of the upper side plate 61 in the exhaust path 10e. Thus, the lower side plate 62b (the second annular plate) is positioned below the upper side plate 61 (the first annular plate). In one embodiment, the lower side plate 62b extends horizontally inward from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 62a. The lower side plate 62b has an annular overlapping portion 62c that overlaps longitudinally with the upper side plate 61. Therefore, a third gap G3 is formed between the lower side plate 62b and the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. In one embodiment, the first gap G1 is smaller than the width L1 of the upper side plate 61 and larger than the second gap G2. In one embodiment, the lower side plate 62b (the second annular plate) and the annular baffle 41 completely overlap in the longitudinal direction. The lower side plate 62b is an annular, non-perforated plate-like component without openings, and the width L2 of the movable structure 62 (refer to Figure 3: the sum of the width of the annular portion of the lower side plate 62b and the thickness of the cylindrical wall 62a) is formed to be smaller than the width L3 of the annular baffle 41. In other words, an exhaust flow path of width [L3-L2], i.e., a third gap G3, is formed between the outer end of the lower side plate 62b and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. The width L2 of the lower side plate 62b can be arbitrarily designed.

[0064] Furthermore, the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) do not have multiple openings extending longitudinally like the annular baffle 41. Therefore, in a top view, each of the multiple openings 41a of the annular baffle 41 is obscured by at least one of the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) (more specifically, the movable structure 62 including the cylindrical wall 62a). That is, each opening 41a of the annular baffle 41 can be selectively obscured by either the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) or the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) in a top view, or it can be obscured by both. Thus, when viewing downwards vertically from above the multiple openings 41a, no space below the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) is visible.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable structure 62 is configured to be movable in the near-far direction (vertical direction in the illustrated example) relative to the upper side plate 61 by the action of the actuator 63, for example. In other words, the movable structure 62 is configured to allow the distance H3 between the lower side plate 62b and the upper side plate 61 to be arbitrarily adjusted by the action of the actuator 63 (see Figure 3). The action of the actuator 63 is controlled, for example, by the control unit 2. The adjustment range of the distance H3 can be arbitrarily designed, but from the viewpoint of properly controlling the pressure of the plasma processing space 10s, it is preferable that the distance H3 can be adjusted at least between 5mm and 50mm. Thus, at least one actuator 63 is configured to move the movable structure 62 only in the longitudinal direction based on the pressure detected by the pressure detector 50. That is, at least one actuator 63 is configured to move the movable structure 62 in the longitudinal direction without moving the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate). That is, the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) functions as a fixed annular plate, and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) of the movable structure 62 functions as a movable annular plate. As a result, the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) can be changed.

[0066] Here, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b of this embodiment are configured to form an annular overlapping portion OV that overlaps at least a portion radially in the exhaust direction (vertical direction in the illustrated example) of the exhaust path 10e. In other words, the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b determine their respective widths L1 and L2 in such a way that they form the annular overlapping portion OV (L3 < L1 + L2) shown in Figures 3 and 5. The width of the annular overlapping portion OV can be arbitrarily designed, for example, it can be designed to be 5 to 10 mm. In one embodiment, the lower side plate 62b (the second annular plate) is disposed below the upper side plate 61 (the first annular plate) and has a second annular overlapping portion 62c. The second annular overlapping portion 62c overlaps longitudinally with a portion of the upper side plate 61 (the first annular plate) (i.e., the first annular overlapping portion 61c). Therefore, the annular overlapping portion OV of the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b is the portion in the longitudinal direction that overlaps with a part of the lower side plate 62b (the second annular plate) (i.e., the second annular overlapping portion 62c) and a part of the upper side plate 61 (the first annular plate) (i.e., the first annular overlapping portion 61c).

[0067] Furthermore, at this time, the relationship between the width L1 of the upper side plate 61 and the width L2 of the lower side plate 62b is not particularly limited. For example, either width L1 or width L2 can be larger, or width L1 and width L2 can be the same. However, from the viewpoint of properly adjusting the exhaust flow guide, it is preferable that width L1 is greater than width L2 (L1 > L2).

[0068] The exhaust system 40 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 in this embodiment is configured as described above.

[0069] Here, when performing plasma processing using existing plasma processing equipment, it is necessary to supply processing gas to the entire interior of the plasma processing chamber, including the plasma processing space and the exhaust path, or to exhaust gas using an exhaust system. As a result, pressure control of the plasma processing chamber (plasma processing space) requires a significant amount of time.

[0070] In this respect, as described above, the upper side plate 61, which forms an annular overlapping portion OV at least in a radial direction, and the movable structure 62 (second pressure regulating mechanism 60) are arranged in the exhaust path 10e, and the lower side plate 62b of the movable structure 62 is configured to be movable relative to the upper side plate 61 in the near-far direction. Furthermore, no openings are formed in these upper side plates 61 and lower side plates 62b. Therefore, the upper side plates 61 and lower side plates 62b function as a second pressure regulating valve by reducing the distance H3 shown in FIG3.

[0071] In other words, by reducing the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b, the exhaust path 10e, which is downstream of the lower side plate 62b, can be separated from the plasma processing space 10s, effectively reducing the volume of the plasma processing chamber 10. Thus, by reducing the volume of the plasma processing chamber 10, the time required for pressure control in the plasma processing space 10s can be shortened.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 of this embodiment, as described above, the lower side plate 62b is configured to be movable relative to the upper side plate 61 in the near-far direction. This allows for arbitrary adjustment of the exhaust volume discharged from the plasma processing space 10s by the exhaust mechanism 43, thereby enabling precise control of the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s. Specifically, the exhaust volume from the plasma processing space 10s varies depending on the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b. Therefore, by adjusting the distance H3, for example, based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be appropriately controlled.

[0073] Specifically, for example, if the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s is lower than the set pressure, raising the lower side plate 62b reduces the distance H3, thereby reducing the exhaust volume and thus increasing the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s. Conversely, for example, if the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s is higher than the set pressure, lowering the lower side plate 62b increases the distance H3, thereby increasing the exhaust volume and thus reducing the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s.

[0074] In addition, at this time, in addition to the second pressure regulating mechanism 60, the first pressure regulating mechanism 42 disposed at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10 is also used to regulate the exhaust from the plasma processing space 10s in two stages, thereby enabling more precise control of the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s.

[0075] In addition, according to the plasma processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, in addition to the exhaust from the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b, a small continuous exhaust from the plasma processing space 10s is also performed from the gap C formed between the cylindrical wall 62a of the movable structure 62 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0076] The inventors conducted in-depth research and found that when no gap C is formed between the cylindrical wall 62a of the movable structure 62 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the plasma processing space 10s is vented only from the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b, it may be impossible to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate W. Specifically, as shown in FIG6, it was found that, especially when the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b is small, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s (in the example of FIG6, the value of the exhaust flow guide) changes a lot (drastically), and due to this pressure change, it is impossible to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate W.

[0077] In this regard, in the exhaust system 40 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by continuously exhausting the plasma processing space for 10 seconds from the gap C, even if the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b is reduced as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to suppress the increase (drastic) change in internal pressure and to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate W.

[0078] In particular, according to this embodiment, the width L4 and length H2 of the gap C are specified in such a way that they do not affect the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s during plasma processing. Specifically, the preferred width L4 of the gap C is 2.0 mm or less, as described above, and the preferred length H2 is 10 mm to 60 mm, as described above. This suppresses abrupt changes in the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s due to continuous venting from the gap C, and allows for appropriate plasma processing results on the substrate W.

[0079] <Variation Example>

[0080] Furthermore, in the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 of the above embodiments, the upper side plate 61 is disposed on the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11, and the movable structure 62 is disposed on the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, but their arrangement is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, for example, as shown in the second pressure regulating mechanism 200 of FIG7 and FIG8, the upper annular plate 201 can be fixedly disposed on the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the movable structure 202 can be disposed on the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. In this case, the gap C for continuous ventilation of the plasma processing space 10s is formed between the cylindrical wall 202a of the movable structure 202 and the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. In other words, the lower annular plate 202b of the movable structure 202 is integrally provided with the cylindrical wall 202a, protruding from the upper end of the outer wall side (radially outer side) of the cylindrical wall 202a towards the outer periphery (i.e., radially outer) of the plasma processing chamber 10. That is, in the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fixed upper side 201 is fixed to the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10 and extends horizontally inward from the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. Thus, a first gap G1′ is formed between the fixed upper annular plate 201 and the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. In addition, the movable structure 202 is disposed below the fixed upper annular plate 201. The movable structure 202 has a cylindrical wall 202a and a lower annular plate 202b, which can be separate components or integrated. A cylindrical wall 202a extends longitudinally along the sidewall 11a of the substrate support 11. A second gap G2′ is formed between the cylindrical wall 202a and the sidewall 11a of the substrate support 11. A lower annular plate 202b extends horizontally outward from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 202a. The lower annular plate 202b has an annular overlapping portion OV that overlaps longitudinally with the fixed upper annular plate 201. A third gap G3′ is formed between the lower annular plate 202b and the sidewall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. The actuator is configured to move the movable structure 202 longitudinally. The fixed upper annular plate 201 and the lower annular plate 202b are annular, non-perforated plate-like components without openings.

[0081] In this case, by adjusting the distance H3 between the upper annular plate 201 and the lower annular plate 202b based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be precisely controlled, and the pressure control time can be appropriately shortened. Thus, the upper annular plate 201 can also be fixed to the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. In this case, the movable structure 202 is disposed on or near the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11.

[0082] Furthermore, in the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 of the above embodiment, the upper side plate 61 is disposed below the annular baffle 41, and the movable structure 62 is disposed below the upper side plate 61, but their arrangement is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, for example, as shown in FIG9, the second pressure regulating mechanism 300 may also be used, in which an L-shaped L-structure 302 is fixedly disposed below the annular baffle 41, and the movable lower side plate 301 is disposed below the upper side plate 302b of the L-structure 302. In this case, the L-structure 302 includes: a cylindrical wall 302a disposed along the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10; and an upper side plate 302b integrally provided with the cylindrical wall 302a in such a way that it protrudes from the upper end of the inner wall side of the cylindrical wall 302a toward the inner periphery side of the plasma processing chamber 10. Furthermore, in this case, the gap C for continuous ventilation of the plasma processing space 10s is formed between the cylindrical wall 302a of the L-shaped structure 302 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. Moreover, in this case, the L-shaped structure 302 is fixedly disposed near the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the movable lower side plate 301 is fixedly disposed on the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. Furthermore, the movable lower side plate 301 is configured to be movable relative to the upper side plate 302b in the near-far direction using an actuator 303.

[0083] In this case, by adjusting the distance H3 between the upper side plate 302b and the movable lower side plate 301 based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be precisely controlled, and the pressure control time can be appropriately shortened. Thus, the L-shaped structure 302 can also be fixed near the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. In this case, the movable lower side plate 301 is located below the L-shaped structure 302 and is longitudinally movable on or near the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11.

[0084] Furthermore, in the second pressure regulating mechanism 300 shown in FIG. 9, the L-shaped structure 302 is disposed on the side wall 102 side of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the movable lower side plate 301 is disposed on the side wall 11a side of the substrate support portion 11, but their arrangement is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, the L-shaped structure 402 with a generally L-shaped form can be disposed on the side wall 11a side of the substrate support portion 11, and the movable lower side plate 401 can be disposed on the side wall 102 side of the plasma processing chamber 10. In this case, the gap C for continuous ventilation of the plasma processing space 10s is formed between the cylindrical wall 402a of the L-shaped structure 402 and the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11.

[0085] In this case, by adjusting the distance H3 between the upper side plate 402b and the movable lower side plate 401 based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be precisely controlled, and the pressure control time can be appropriately shortened. Thus, the L-shaped structure 402 can also be fixed near the side wall 11a of the substrate support portion 11. In this case, the movable lower side plate 401 is arranged in a longitudinally movable manner on or near the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the position of the upper side plate 61 is fixed relative to the position of the annular baffle 41, allowing the position of the lower side plate 62b relative to the upper side plate 61 to move in the near-far direction (vertical direction). However, the structure of the exhaust system is not limited to this. That is, although not shown, the lower side plate 62b can be fixed relative to the annular baffle 41, and the upper side plate 61 (movable structure 62) can move between the annular baffle 41 and the lower side plate 62b. In other words, the upper side plate 61 (movable structure 62) can also be configured to be movable relative to the lower side plate 62b in the near-far direction. Thus, at least one actuator 63 is configured to move only the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) longitudinally based on the pressure detected by the pressure detector 50. That is, at least one actuator 63 is configured to move the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) longitudinally without moving the L-shaped structure. This allows the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) to be changed. In this case, by adjusting the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be precisely controlled, and the pressure control time can be appropriately shortened.

[0087] Furthermore, the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b (movable structure 62) can both be configured to move in directions (longitudinally) away from and towards each other. Therefore, at least one actuator 63 is configured to move the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the second annular plate longitudinally based on the pressure detected by the pressure detector 50. This allows the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 (first annular plate) and the lower side plate 62b (second annular plate) to be changed. In this case, by adjusting the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b based on the measurement results of the pressure detector 50, the internal pressure of the plasma processing space 10s can be precisely controlled, and the pressure control time can be appropriately shortened.

[0088] Furthermore, the construction that replaces the roughly L-shaped movable structure 62 or allows the upper side plate 61 to move longitudinally is not limited to the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 described above, and can also be applied to the second pressure regulating mechanisms 200, 300, and 400 shown in Figures 7 to 10. Thus, in any of the second pressure regulating mechanisms 60, 200, 300, and 400, the distance H3 between the first annular plate and the second annular plate is configured to be freely adjustable by the action of at least one actuator. Therefore, the plasma processing apparatus of the embodiment includes: a first annular plate disposed below an annular baffle; a second annular plate disposed longitudinally overlapping a portion of the first annular plate; a cylindrical wall disposed longitudinally from the radial end of either the first or second annular plate along the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber or the sidewall of the substrate support, forming a gap between the cylindrical wall and the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber or the sidewall of the substrate support; and at least one actuator that moves at least either the first or second annular plate relative to each other in the longitudinal direction.

[0089] <Plasma Treatment Methods>

[0090] Next, the plasma processing method using the plasma processing system configured as described above will be explained. Furthermore, in the following explanation, the case where the plasma processing apparatus 1 has the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 shown in Figures 3 and 4 will be used as an example. In the plasma processing apparatus 1, any plasma processing, such as etching, film formation, or diffusion, is performed on the substrate W.

[0091] In plasma processing, firstly, the substrate W is transported into the plasma processing chamber 10 and placed on the substrate support 11. Then, by supplying a DC voltage to the electrodes within the electrostatic chuck, the substrate W is attracted and held in the electrostatic chuck by Coulomb force. Furthermore, after transporting the substrate W into the plasma processing chamber 10, the interior of the plasma processing chamber 10 is depressurized to the required vacuum level using the exhaust system 40.

[0092] Next, processing gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 20 to the plasma processing space 10s via the central gas injection unit 13. Additionally, high-frequency power (HF) for plasma generation is supplied to the antenna 14 using the first RF generation unit 31a, generating plasma from the processing gas within the plasma processing space 10s. The generated plasma then applies the required plasma processing to the substrate W on the substrate support unit 11. That is, plasma processing is performed on the substrate W by exposing the generated plasma to the substrate W. The internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 during plasma processing is measured (detected) over time by the pressure detector 50.

[0093] Here, the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 is adjusted to the required set pressure by supplying processing gas to the plasma processing space 10s. At this time, as described above, by reducing the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b, the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b act as a second pressure regulating valve, thus effectively reducing the volume of the plasma processing chamber 10, thereby enabling control of the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 in a short time.

[0094] Furthermore, as described above, continuous exhaust of the plasma processing space 10s is performed using the gap C formed between the cylindrical wall 62a of the movable structure 62 and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10. Thus, even when the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b decreases, the abrupt change in internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 can be suppressed.

[0095] Furthermore, as described above, in order to properly perform plasma treatment on the substrate W, it is important to precisely control the internal pressure of the plasma treatment chamber 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b in the exhaust system 40 is controlled based on the internal pressure of the plasma treatment chamber 10 measured by the pressure detector 50. Specifically, when the measurement result of the pressure detector 50 is lower than the set pressure for plasma treatment, the lower side plate 62b is raised to decrease the distance H3, thereby increasing the internal pressure of the plasma treatment chamber 10. Conversely, when the measurement result of the pressure detector 50 is higher than the set pressure for plasma treatment, the lower side plate 62b is lowered to increase the distance H3, thereby decreasing the internal pressure of the plasma treatment chamber 10. Thus, the control unit 2 compares the pressure detected by the pressure detector 50 with the predetermined set pressure and determines whether the detected pressure is higher or lower than the set pressure. The control unit 2 controls at least one actuator 63 such that when the detected pressure is higher than the set pressure, the distance H3 is increased, and when the detected pressure is lower than the set pressure, the distance H3 is decreased. For example, in the example of FIG3, the control unit 2 lowers the movable structure 62 when the detected pressure is higher than the set pressure, and raises the movable structure 62 when the detected pressure is lower than the set pressure.

[0096] When plasma processing of substrate W is completed, the supply of high-frequency power HF and high-frequency power LF from RF power supply 31 and the supply of processing gas from gas supply unit 20 are stopped. Additionally, if high-frequency power LF is supplied during plasma processing, this supply is also stopped. Next, the processing gas is exhausted from the interior of plasma processing chamber 10 using exhaust system 40. Then, the supply of heat transfer gas to the back surface of substrate W is stopped, and the electrostatic chuck's hold on substrate W is stopped.

[0097] Subsequently, the substrate W, which has undergone plasma treatment, is transported from the plasma treatment chamber 10 to external devices such as the transport chamber by a substrate transport mechanism (not shown), thus completing a series of plasma treatments on the substrate W.

[0098] Furthermore, in the plasma processing of the above embodiment, the lower side plate 62b is appropriately moved based on the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 measured by the pressure detector 50 during the plasma processing. However, the control method of the lower side plate 62b is not limited to this. For example, instead of feedback control of the movement of the lower side plate 62b based on the internal pressure measured by the pressure detector 50 during the plasma processing, the distance H3 can be changed for each process based on the preset pressure of various processes before the plasma processing begins.

[0099] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0100] For example, in the above embodiments, the case where the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes an inductively coupled plasma generation unit was described as an example, but the structure of the plasma generation unit is not limited to this. That is, by applying the technology of the present invention to various plasma processing apparatuses that require shortening the time for pressure control, the time for pressure control can be appropriately shortened.

[0101] Example

[0102] The following describes embodiments of the technology of the present invention, but the technology is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0103] The inventors measured the time taken to control the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber in two cases: one where the volume of the plasma processing chamber is effectively reduced by decreasing the distance H3 using the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 (Example), and the other where the volume of the plasma processing chamber includes the exhaust path 10e but does not include the second pressure regulating mechanism 60 (Comparative Example).

[0104] Specifically, in the respective cases of the embodiments and comparative examples, a processing gas is supplied to the plasma processing space, and the time until the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber rises to the required set pressure is measured.

[0105] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the results of this embodiment. It is a graph showing the relationship between the flow rate of the processing gas supplied to the plasma processing chamber (horizontal axis) and the time required to reach the set pressure (vertical axis). In this embodiment, the set pressure is set to 100 mT, and the supply flow rate of the processing gas is set to 100 sccm, 500 sccm, and 1000 sccm. Furthermore, in the figure, solid lines represent the embodiment, and dashed lines represent comparative examples.

[0106] As shown in Figure 11, it can be seen that by controlling the internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber 10 while reducing the distance H3 between the upper side plate 61 and the lower side plate 62b, the time required for the internal pressure to reach the set pressure is shortened. Specifically, the inventors have conducted research and found that, compared to the case without the second pressure regulating mechanism 60, the time required to reach the set pressure can be shortened to approximately 30% to 40% in this embodiment.

[0107] Furthermore, it can be confirmed that by continuously venting air from the gap C formed between the cylindrical wall 62a and the side wall 102 of the plasma processing chamber 10, the change in internal pressure of the plasma processing chamber can be made gradual.

[0108] Based on the above results, it can be seen that by arranging the upper side plate 61, which functions as a second pressure regulating valve, and the movable structure 62 in the plasma processing device 1, the pressure control time of the plasma processing chamber 10 can be appropriately shortened. Furthermore, by simultaneously smoothing out the internal pressure changes of the plasma processing chamber 10 (suppressing abrupt changes in internal pressure), appropriate plasma processing results for the substrate W can be obtained.

[0109] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0110] 1. Plasma processing device

[0111] 10. Plasma processing chamber

[0112] 11. Substrate support

[0113] 11a (Substrate support) sidewall

[0114] 41 Annular baffle

[0115] 41a Opening

[0116] 61 Upper side panel

[0117] 62 Movable Structures

[0118] 62a Cylindrical wall

[0119] 62b lower side plate

[0120] 63 Actuator

[0121] 102 (Side wall of the plasma processing chamber)

[0122] C gap

[0123] OV circumferential overlapping portion

[0124] W substrate.

Claims

1. A plasma processing device, characterized in that, include: Plasma processing chamber; A substrate support is disposed within the plasma processing chamber; an annular baffle is disposed surrounding the substrate support and has multiple openings; a fixed upper annular plate is disposed below the annular baffle and extends outward from the side wall of the substrate support, forming a first gap between the fixed upper annular plate and the side wall of the plasma processing chamber; a movable structure is disposed below the fixed upper annular plate and has a cylindrical wall and a lower annular plate, the cylindrical wall extending longitudinally along the side wall of the plasma processing chamber, forming a second gap between the cylindrical wall and the side wall of the plasma processing chamber, the lower annular plate extending inward from the upper end of the cylindrical wall and having an annular overlapping portion that overlaps with the fixed upper annular plate longitudinally, forming a third gap between the lower annular plate and the side wall of the substrate support; and an actuator configured to move the movable structure longitudinally.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A pressure detector detects the pressure within the plasma processing chamber; and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on the detected pressure to change the relative distance between the fixed upper annular plate and the movable structure.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit is configured to: control the actuator to increase the distance when the detected pressure is higher than the set pressure, and control the actuator to decrease the distance when the detected pressure is lower than the set pressure.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second gap is less than 2.0 mm.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The annular overlapping portion has a width of 5mm to 10mm.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first gap is smaller than the width of the fixed upper annular plate and larger than the second gap.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The distance between the annular baffle and the fixed upper annular plate is more than 40mm.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cylindrical wall has a longitudinal dimension of 10 mm to 60 mm.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The width of the fixed upper annular plate is greater than the width of the lower annular plate.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The plasma processing chamber has a volume of 50L or more.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that: It also has a pressure control valve configured to control the pressure within the plasma processing chamber, the pressure control valve being selectable from at least one of an APC (Adaptive Pressure Control) valve and a lifting valve.

12. A plasma processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Plasma processing chamber; A substrate support is disposed within the plasma processing chamber; an annular baffle is disposed surrounding the substrate support and has multiple openings; a fixed upper annular plate is disposed below the annular baffle and extends inwardly from the side wall of the plasma processing chamber, forming a first gap between the fixed upper annular plate and the side wall of the substrate support; a movable structure is disposed below the fixed upper annular plate and has a cylindrical wall and a lower annular plate, the cylindrical wall extending longitudinally along the side wall of the substrate support and forming a second gap between the cylindrical wall and the side wall of the substrate support, the lower annular plate extending outwardly from the upper end of the cylindrical wall and having an annular overlapping portion that overlaps with the fixed upper annular plate longitudinally, forming a third gap between the lower annular plate and the side wall of the plasma processing chamber; and an actuator configured to move the movable structure longitudinally.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, Also includes: A pressure detector detects the pressure within the plasma processing chamber; and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on the detected pressure to change the relative distance between the fixed upper annular plate and the movable structure.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that: The control unit is configured to: control the actuator to increase the distance when the detected pressure is higher than the set pressure, and control the actuator to decrease the distance when the detected pressure is lower than the set pressure.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The second gap is less than 2.0 mm.

16. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that: The annular overlapping portion has a width of 5mm to 10mm.

17. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that: The cylindrical wall has a longitudinal dimension of 10 mm to 60 mm.

18. A plasma processing apparatus, characterized in that, include: Plasma processing chamber; A substrate support portion disposed within the plasma processing chamber; An annular baffle, configured to surround the substrate support portion, has multiple openings; a first annular plate, disposed below the annular baffle, extending outward from the sidewall of the substrate support portion, forming a first gap between the first annular plate and the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber; a structure, disposed below the first annular plate, having a cylindrical wall and a second annular plate, the cylindrical wall extending longitudinally along the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber, forming a second gap between the cylindrical wall and the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber, the second annular plate extending inward from the upper end of the cylindrical wall, having an annular overlapping portion that overlaps with the first annular plate longitudinally, forming a third gap between the second annular plate and the sidewall of the substrate support portion; and at least one actuator configured to move at least one of the first annular plate and the structure longitudinally.

19. A plasma processing method using a plasma processing apparatus, characterized in that: The plasma processing apparatus includes: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber; an annular baffle disposed surrounding the substrate support and having multiple openings; a first annular plate located below the annular baffle, its inner end fixedly disposed on the sidewall of the substrate support; and a movable structure disposed below the first annular plate, having a cylindrical wall and a second annular plate, the cylindrical wall being longitudinally disposed along the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber and forming a gap with the sidewall of the plasma processing chamber, the second annular plate being... The movable structure is positioned on the upper end of the inner wall of the cylindrical wall body and forms an annular overlapping portion in a longitudinal direction, overlapping with a portion of the first annular plate; an actuator that moves the movable structure in a longitudinal direction; and a pressure detector that detects the pressure within the plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing method comprising the steps of: (a) performing plasma processing on a substrate supported on the substrate support; (b) detecting the pressure within the plasma processing chamber; and (c) moving the movable structure in a longitudinal direction relative to the first annular plate based on the detected pressure.

Images