Plasma etching apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a plasma etching apparatus, an embodiment of the plasma etching apparatus comprising: a chamber in which an etching process using plasma is performed, an interior of the chamber being coated with an insulating layer prior to the etching process, the insulating layer being removed after the etching process; a first antenna connected to a high frequency power source and positioned on the chamber; a second antenna connected to a low frequency power source and positioned around at least a portion of a perimeter of the first antenna; and a controller electrically connected to the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source to control the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0061371, filed on May 9, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a plasma etching apparatus and a method for operating the plasma etching apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] Currently used display devices can be flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), organic light-emitting diode devices (OLEDs), field emission displays (FEDs), and electrophoretic display devices. Such display devices can include multiple layers, such as light-emitting layers, and multiple layers forming signal lines and transistors. The stack of layers containing the signal lines can include metal layers etched to form the signal lines. Copper, with its low resistance, is commonly used as the metal layer; however, some reaction byproducts from copper etching are low in volatility, which can cause re-adsorption of these byproducts inside the etching chamber. In this case, if the etching process is further performed after the byproducts have been adsorbed inside the chamber, activated ions in the plasma state may react with the adsorbed byproducts, causing the byproducts to fall into the chamber, destabilizing the etching process or generating defects. Therefore, the interior of the chamber must be periodically cleaned to remove etching byproducts before performing further etching processes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments disclosed herein can provide an apparatus and method for removing unwanted byproducts from the chamber of a processing apparatus.

[0006] An embodiment of this disclosure provides a plasma etching apparatus comprising: a chamber in which an etching process using plasma is performed. Prior to the etching process, the interior of the chamber may be coated with an insulating layer, and after the etching process, the insulating layer may be removed. The etching apparatus may further comprise: a first antenna connected to a high-frequency power source and positioned on the chamber; a second antenna connected to a low-frequency power source and positioned around at least a portion of the perimeter of the first antenna; and a controller electrically connected to the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source to control the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source.

[0007] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an operating method for a plasma etching apparatus can be provided, the plasma etching apparatus comprising: a chamber in which an etching process using plasma is performed; a first antenna connected to a high-frequency power source and positioned on the chamber; a second antenna connected to a low-frequency power source and positioned around at least a portion of the perimeter of the first antenna; and a controller electrically connected to the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source. The operating method may include: coating the interior of the chamber with an insulating layer by applying low-frequency power to the second antenna; etching a target object to be etched by applying high-frequency power to the first antenna; and cleaning the interior of the chamber and removing the insulating layer by applying low-frequency power to the second antenna.

[0008] According to the embodiments, the facility operation rate for etching chambers can be improved, and the product defect rate due to defects can be minimized by effectively removing reaction byproducts inside the chamber and keeping the interior of the chamber clean. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 The diagram shows... Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of the first and second antennas of the plasma etching apparatus.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method for a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus having a chamber coated with an insulating layer in a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment having etching byproducts that adhere to the interior of the chamber due to the etching of an object in the plasma etching apparatus.

[0014] Figure 6 The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus after the insulation layer has been removed in the plasma etching apparatus to clean the interior of the chamber, according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0015] This disclosure describes specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like or similar components. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. For clarity in describing specific embodiments of the disclosure, descriptions of features, components, or parts unrelated to the description may be omitted.

[0016] The accompanying drawings are provided only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims, and are not to be construed as limiting the spirit of the disclosure herein. The scope of this disclosure is intended to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives.

[0017] For ease of illustration or description and for better understanding, the dimensions and thicknesses of the components shown in the accompanying drawings may be altered. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the dimensions and thicknesses shown. For example, in the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, areas, etc., may be exaggerated for clarity or for better understanding and description.

[0018] An element (such as a layer, film, region, or substrate) referred to herein as being "on" another element may be directly on the other element, or an intervening element may be present. Conversely, an element referred to as being "directly on" another element implies the absence of an intervening element. Furthermore, this specification uses terms such as "on" or "above" in a relative sense and does not necessarily indicate a position based on the direction of gravity.

[0019] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises, comprising” should be understood to imply inclusion of the stated element, but not to exclude any other element.

[0020] Throughout the instruction manual, the phrase "in plan view" refers to the portion of the object viewed from above the main surface, and the phrase "in section view" refers to the portion of the object viewed after a section view has been obtained by cutting the object.

[0021] Throughout the specification, “connection” does not mean that two or more components are directly connected, but that two or more components can be indirectly connected by other components, physically connected, and electrically connected, or that two or more components are referred to by different names depending on their location or function but are considered as a whole.

[0022] Various embodiments and variations will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment is shown.

[0024] Reference Figure 1 The plasma etching apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include an antenna portion 100 and a chamber portion 110.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the antenna section 100 may include a first antenna 101, a second antenna 102, a first matching unit 103, a high-frequency power source 104, a second matching unit 105, a low-frequency power source 106, a controller 107, and an insulating plate 108. In some embodiments, the plasma etching apparatus may omit at least one of the above components or may additionally include other components.

[0026] According to an embodiment, controller 107 may be electrically connected to high-frequency power source 104 and low-frequency power source 106. According to an embodiment, controller 107 may control the on / off state of high-frequency power source 104 and / or low-frequency power source 106. Controller 107 may control the power applied to first antenna 101 and / or second antenna 102 by controlling high-frequency power source 104 and / or low-frequency power source 106. For example, controller 107 may control the power applied to first antenna 101 by controlling high-frequency power source 104. Furthermore, for example, controller 107 may control the power applied to second antenna 102 by controlling low-frequency power source 106. According to various embodiments, controller 107 may control the operation of the plasma etching apparatus by controlling at least one other component of the plasma etching apparatus connected to controller 107.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the first antenna 101 can be positioned above the chamber 116. Specifically, the first antenna 101 can be positioned on the central portion of the chamber 116 with the insulating plate 108 located between the first antenna 101 and the chamber 116. According to an embodiment, the first antenna 101, which can serve as an inductively coupled plasma antenna, can be formed from a conductor wound in a helical shape along a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. That is, the first antenna 101 can include a coil wound in a helical shape along a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the second antenna 102 can be positioned above the chamber 116. Specifically, the second antenna 102 can be positioned along at least a portion of the upper outer edge of the chamber 116 when the insulating plate 108 extends between the second antenna 102 and the chamber 116. Furthermore, the second antenna 102 can be positioned in or adjacent to the outer region of the first antenna 101. Specifically, the second antenna 102 can extend along at least a portion of the circumference or perimeter of the first antenna 101. Therefore, the second antenna 102 can be positioned along at least a portion of the upper outer edge of the chamber 116, thereby enabling the formation of an induced electric field extending into the interior of the chamber 116 in the outer region.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the first antenna 101 can be connected to a high-frequency power source 104 for supplying radio frequency (RF) power. More specifically, the end of the first antenna 101 located at the center of the helix can be connected to the high-frequency power source 104. For example, the high-frequency power source 104 can apply RF high-frequency power with a frequency of 13.56 MHz to the first antenna 101. When the controller 107 turns on the high-frequency power source 104, the RF power from the high-frequency power source 104 can be supplied to and radiated by the first antenna 101.

[0030] According to an embodiment, a first matching device 103 may be installed between a first antenna 101 and a high-frequency power source 104. The first matching device 103 may be positioned between the first antenna 101 and the high-frequency power source 104 to match the impedance of the first antenna 101 and the high-frequency power source 104.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the second antenna 102 can be connected to a low-frequency power source 106 and can be driven to supply RF power to the interior of the room 116. More specifically, one of the end portions of the second antenna 102, located at the edge of the second antenna 102, can be connected to the low-frequency power source 106. For example, the low-frequency power source 106 can apply RF low-frequency power with a frequency of 1 MHz or lower to the second antenna 102. When the controller 107 turns on the low-frequency power source 106, the RF power from the low-frequency power source 106 can be supplied to and radiated by the second antenna 102.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the second matching device 105 can be positioned between the second antenna 102 and the low-frequency power source 106. The second matching device 105 can be positioned between the second antenna 102 and the low-frequency power source 106 to match the impedance of the second antenna 102 and the low-frequency power source 106.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the insulating plate 108 can separate the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 102 from the chamber 116. The insulating plate 108 can reduce the capacitive coupling between the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 102 and the plasma 111 in the chamber 116, thereby helping to transfer energy from the high-frequency power source 104 and / or the low-frequency power source 106 to the plasma 111 via inductive coupling.

[0034] According to an embodiment, chamber 110 may include a gas inlet 112, a fluid outlet 115, and a chamber 116.

[0035] Inside chamber 116, plasma reaction chamber 117 and substrate support member 113 can be positioned. The substrate support member 113 can be used to position substrate 114, etc., on the substrate support member 113. For example, the substrate support member 113 can be an electrostatic chuck (ESC) that supports the substrate 114 and uses electrostatic force to attract and fix the substrate 114. Optionally, the substrate support member 113 can include a vacuum chuck for attaching the substrate 114 using a mechanical clamping method or for attracting and supporting the substrate 114 by vacuum pressure.

[0036] Gas inlet 112 supplies the reaction gas to plasma reaction chamber 117, and fluid outlet 115 is used to maintain plasma reaction chamber 117 in chamber 116 in a vacuum and to discharge the reaction gas from chamber 116 when the reaction (e.g., etching) is complete.

[0037] According to an embodiment, an etching process using plasma can be performed inside chamber 116. Specifically, within chamber 116, an etching gas (e.g., boron trichloride (BCl3), hydrogen (H2), or argon (Ar)) can be supplied through gas inlet 112, wherein high-frequency electricity can convert the etching gas into a plasma state, allowing the etching process of substrate 114 to proceed. Furthermore, a cleaning process using plasma can be performed inside chamber 116. Specifically, a cleaning gas (e.g., nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) or oxygen (O2)) can be supplied to chamber 116 through gas inlet 112, wherein low-frequency electricity converts the cleaning gas into a plasma state, allowing the cleaning process to proceed after the etching process.

[0038] The following will refer to Figures 3 to 6 Further details are provided on how the etching and cleaning processes are performed in a plasma etching apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 The diagram shows Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of the first antenna 101 and the second antenna 102 of the plasma etching apparatus.

[0040] Reference Figure 2 Also refer to Figure 1 The first antenna 101 has a planar shape including a spiral formed by straight conductive portions. This planar shape may correspond to the box-shaped interior of the plasma reaction chamber 117, but the first antenna 101 may have a planar shape that is symmetrical in all directions. According to an embodiment, the shape of the first antenna 101 is configured to generate an induced electric field of uniform intensity throughout the interior space of the plasma reaction chamber 117.

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, when viewed from the top of chamber 116, the first antenna 101 may have a quadrilateral helical coil planar shape. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the planar shape of the first antenna 101 may be provided in various planar shapes depending on the planar structure of chamber 116, plasma reaction chamber 117, substrate support member 113, and substrate 114.

[0042] The first antenna 101 may have multiple curved portions and a helical winding shape. According to an embodiment, the curved portions of the first antenna 101 may be bent at a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees). For example, the first antenna 101 may be bent at a predetermined angle in a corner region. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the corners of the first antenna 101 may be bent into a circular shape with a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0043] The spiral portions of the first antenna 101 can be parallel to each other and spaced apart by a predetermined distance to maintain an appropriate distance within the range of avoiding current interference.

[0044] According to an embodiment, the first antenna 101 can be connected to the high-frequency power source 104 via a first matching device 103. The first matching device 103 can be positioned between the first antenna 101 and the high-frequency power source 104 to match the impedance of the first antenna 101.

[0045] The first antenna 101 is positioned such that its first end portion, located at the center of the spiral, can be connected to a high-frequency power source 104. The second end portion of the first antenna 101 can be grounded.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the high-frequency power source 104 can supply RF power. For example, when the high-frequency power source 104 is turned on, it can apply RF high-frequency power with a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to the first antenna 101. In this case, the RF power from the high-frequency power source 104 can be distributed and supplied to the first antenna 101.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the second antenna 102 may extend in the outer region of the first antenna 101 to the outside of at least a portion of the circumference or perimeter of the first antenna 101 and extend along at least a portion of the circumference or perimeter of the first antenna 101. Specifically, when the first antenna 101 has a quadrilateral helical coil planar shape, the second antenna 102 may extend along at least one side of the first antenna 101. For example, when the first antenna 101 has a quadrilateral helical coil planar shape, the second antenna 102 may extend along three sides of the first antenna 101.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the second antenna 102 may have multiple corners or curved portions. According to an embodiment, the curved portions of the second antenna 102 may be bent at a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees). For example, the second antenna 102 may be bent at a predetermined angle adjacent to a corner region of the first antenna 101. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the second antenna 102 may be bent into a circular shape or an arc shape with a predetermined radius.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the second antenna 102 can be connected to a low-frequency power source 106 via a second matching device 105. The second matching device 105 can be positioned between the second antenna 102 and the low-frequency power source 106 to impedance match the low-frequency power source 106 with the second antenna 102. The low-frequency power source 106 can be specifically connected to a first terminal of the second antenna 102. The second terminal of the second antenna 102 can be grounded.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the low-frequency power source 106 can supply RF power. For example, when the low-frequency power source 106 is turned on, it can supply RF low-frequency power of about 1 MHz or lower to the second antenna 102. In this case, the RF power of the low-frequency power source 106 can be distributed and supplied to the second antenna 102.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method for a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0052] Figure 3 The operations shown can be performed sequentially, but not necessarily in that order. For example, the order of operations can be changed, and at least two operations can be performed in parallel. In some embodiments, operations can be omitted. Figure 3 Some of the operations shown can be combined with other operations, the order of some operations can be changed, or additional operations can be added.

[0053] Reference Figure 3 In operation 310, the plasma etching apparatus can be powered by a low-frequency power source (e.g., Figure 1 The low-frequency power source 106 in the middle applies low-frequency power to the second antenna (e.g., Figure 1 The second antenna 102 in the chamber is used to coat the interior of the chamber with an insulating layer, while the plasma etching apparatus contains a gas suitable for forming the insulating layer.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can control the low-frequency power source 106 to be in an on state during operation 310. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can switch the low-frequency power source 106 from an off state to an on state. Optionally, for example, the plasma etching apparatus can continuously keep the low-frequency power source 106 in the on state. In this case, the high-frequency power source (e.g., Figure 1 The high-frequency power source 104 can be in a closed or open state.

[0055] The plasma etching apparatus can apply low-frequency power to the second antenna 102 via a low-frequency power source 106 to perform etching in a room (e.g., Figure 1 Plasma discharge is generated inside chamber 116. For example, a plasma etching apparatus (i.e., a low-frequency power source 106) can apply low-frequency RF power with a frequency of about 1 MHz or lower to a second antenna 102 located on an outer region of chamber 116. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plasma etching apparatus can vary the RF power applied to the second antenna 102 in various ways.

[0056] The plasma etching apparatus can generate a plasma discharge inside chamber 116, and then coat the interior of chamber 116 with an insulating layer. For example, an insulating layer comprising a nitride layer or an oxide layer can be generated using a gas mixture of silane (SiH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).

[0057] As described above, according to embodiments of this disclosure, by applying power to a second antenna located at the edge region of the upper portion of the chamber, the insulation layer can be effectively coated onto the outer region of the chamber interior. Furthermore, as described above, by applying low-frequency power instead of high-frequency power, the insulation layer can be coated onto the interior of the chamber to improve power efficiency.

[0058] According to an embodiment, in operation 320, the plasma etching apparatus (e.g., via...) Figure 1 The high-frequency power source 104 in the middle can apply high-frequency power to the first antenna (e.g., Figure 1 The first antenna 101 in the chamber, while a suitable etching gas is present in the chamber to etch the target object to be etched. For example, the target object to be etched may include a substrate (e.g., Figure 1 The copper layer in or on the substrate 114. More specifically, the target object may correspond to the copper layer to be etched in or on the substrate 114 to form a circuit or device including wiring, electrodes, etc.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can control the high-frequency power source 104 to be turned on. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can switch the high-frequency power source 104 from a turned-off state to an turned-on state. Optionally, for example, the plasma etching apparatus can continuously keep the high-frequency power source 104 in the turned-on state. In this case, the low-frequency power source 106 can be in a turned-off state or a turned-on state.

[0060] According to an embodiment, a plasma etching apparatus (e.g., via a high-frequency power source 104) can apply RF high-frequency power to a first antenna 101 positioned at the center of chamber 116. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can operate the high-frequency power source 104 to apply RF high-frequency power with a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to the first antenna 101. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plasma etching apparatus can vary the RF power applied to the first antenna 101 in various ways.

[0061] According to an embodiment, RF high-frequency power is applied to a first antenna 101 to form an oscillating magnetic field around the first antenna 101. The magnitude and direction of the magnetic field oscillate at the frequency of the RF high-frequency power, and an induced electric field is generated inside the chamber 116. The oscillation of the induced electric field heats electrons to generate inductively coupled plasma. In the plasma 111 state, electrons can collide with surrounding neutral gas particles to generate ions and free radicals, and the generated ions and free radicals can etch the substrate 114.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can use an inert gas to etch the etch target object of the substrate 114. For example, the inert gas may include at least one of BCl3, H2, and Ar. According to an embodiment, the target object can be etched, and etching byproducts may adhere to the interior of the chamber. For example, etching byproducts from the copper layer may deposit (or adhere) on an insulating layer coated inside the chamber.

[0063] As described above, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the etch rate can be improved by etching the target object to be etched using a first antenna connected to a high-frequency power source.

[0064] According to an embodiment, in operation 330, a plasma etching apparatus (e.g., via a low-frequency power source 106) can apply low-frequency power to the second antenna 102 to clean the interior of chamber 116 and remove the insulating layer. Specifically, the plasma etching apparatus can operate the low-frequency power source 106 to apply RF low-frequency power having a frequency of about 1 MHz or lower to the second antenna 102 located on an outer region of chamber 116.

[0065] According to an embodiment, during the cleaning operation, the plasma etching apparatus can control the low-frequency power source 106 to be turned on. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can switch the low-frequency power source 106 from an off state to an on state. Optionally, for example, the plasma etching apparatus can keep the low-frequency power source 106 in the on state. In this case, the plasma etching apparatus can control the high-frequency power source 104 to be turned off. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can switch the high-frequency power source 104 from an on state to an off state. Optionally, for example, the plasma etching apparatus can keep the high-frequency power source 104 in the off state. That is, the cleaning operation inside the chamber 116 can be performed with the low-frequency power source 106 on and the high-frequency power source 104 off.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can clean the interior of chamber 116 using a supplied cleaning gas. For example, the cleaning gas may include at least one of NF3 and O2, but this is an example and the disclosure is not limited thereto. The plasma etching apparatus may apply low-frequency electricity to antenna 102 to convert the introduced cleaning gas into a free radical form. For example, if the cleaning gas is NF3, the cleaning gas can be ionized into a plasma state by reacting with free radicals (such as NF2, NF, F, N, etc.). The free radicals of the cleaning gas inside chamber 116 can react with the insulating layer and / or etching byproducts of the target object, causing the insulating film and / or etching byproducts of the target object to be converted into a gaseous state, and the gaseous byproducts are discharged from chamber 116, cleaning the interior of chamber 116. That is, the plasma etching apparatus can clean the interior of chamber 116 to remove the insulating layer. Therefore, the plasma etching apparatus can remove etching byproducts attached to the insulating layer while removing the insulating layer.

[0067] The plasma etching apparatus according to embodiments of this disclosure can repeatedly perform the operations 310, 320, and 330 described above. As described above, according to the embodiments, the plasma etching apparatus can repeatedly perform the operations described above to perform the etching process and keep the interior of the chamber clean, thereby improving facility uptime and minimizing product defect rates due to defects.

[0068] Figures 4 to 6 Cross-sectional views of the plasma etching apparatus are shown during different stages of the conditioning, etching, and cleaning operations. According to... Figures 4 to 6 The plasma etching apparatus of the embodiment shown is consistent with that according to Figure 1 The plasma etching apparatus of the illustrated embodiment has many of the same components, and redundant descriptions of the components already described above may be simplified or omitted below. The same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or similar to those described above.

[0069] Figure 4The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment, in which a chamber coated with an insulating layer is shown. Figure 5 The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment having etching byproducts that adhere to the interior of the chamber due to the etching of an object in the plasma etching apparatus. Figure 6 The illustration shows a plasma etching apparatus after the insulation layer has been removed in the plasma etching apparatus to clean the interior of the chamber, according to an embodiment.

[0070] Reference Figure 4 According to an embodiment, the reaction gas required for generating the insulating layer 410 can be injected into the chamber 116 through the gas inlet 112. For example, the reaction gas may include a mixture of SiH4 and N2O.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can apply low-frequency power to the second antenna 102 via a low-frequency power source 106 to generate a plasma discharge inside the chamber 116. Specifically, the plasma etching apparatus can use the low-frequency power source 106 to apply RF low-frequency power with a frequency of about 1 MHz or lower to the second antenna 102 located in or above the chamber 116.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can generate a plasma discharge inside chamber 116, which then results in the interior of chamber 116 being coated with an insulating layer 410. For example, the plasma etching apparatus can use a mixture of SiH4 and N2O gases to coat the interior of chamber 116 with a nitride layer or an oxide layer.

[0073] In this specification, applying an insulating layer 410 to the interior of chamber 116 can refer to the insulating layer 410 being applied to components inside chamber 116 exposed to plasma or to the surface of the inner wall of chamber 116. For example, the insulating layer 410 may be applied to the surface of plasma reaction chamber 117, the surface of substrate 114, and the surface of substrate support member 113 for positioning substrate 114, which may be inside chamber 116. In some embodiments, in addition to the components described above, the insulating layer 410 may also be applied to the surfaces of other components inside chamber 116.

[0074] As described above, according to the embodiments, power efficiency can be improved by applying low-frequency power instead of high-frequency power during the coating operation.

[0075] Furthermore, as described above, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the second antenna in the area above the edge of the chamber allows the insulating layer to be uniformly coated not only in the central area of ​​the chamber but also in the edge area of ​​the chamber. That is, the second antenna in the area above the edge of the chamber allows the insulating layer to be uniformly coated on all inner surfaces of the chamber 116, and not just on the surface near the center of the chamber 116.

[0076] Reference Figure 5 The plasma etching apparatus can use a high-frequency power source 104 to apply high-frequency power to the first antenna 101 to etch the target object (e.g., substrate 114). For example, the plasma etching apparatus can operate the high-frequency power source 104 to apply RF high-frequency power with a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to the first antenna 101. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plasma etching apparatus can vary the RF power applied to the first antenna 101 in various ways.

[0077] According to an embodiment, when RF power from a high-frequency power source 104 is applied to the first antenna 101, the current flowing along the first antenna 101 generates an oscillating magnetic field in the space inside the plasma reaction chamber 117. An induced electric field is generated due to the change in the magnetic field over time, and the reactant gas supplied to the plasma reaction chamber through the gas inlet 112 obtains sufficient energy from the induced electric field to generate plasma ionization. According to an embodiment, the reactant gas supplied to the plasma reaction chamber 117 through the gas inlet 112 may include an inert gas. For example, the inert gas corresponding to neutral gas particles may include at least one of BCl3, H2, and Ar in an etching gas.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can use a first antenna 101 to generate an induced electromagnetic field in chamber 116. The plasma etching apparatus can use the plasma 111 generated by the induced electromagnetic field to perform an etching process on an object to be etched (e.g., substrate 114). For example, the target object to be etched may include a copper layer contained in substrate 114.

[0079] According to an embodiment, etching byproduct 510 can be generated by the etching reaction of the target object to be etched using plasma 111. For example, when the target object to be etched is a copper layer, etching byproduct 510 may include CuCl generated by a free radical reaction between copper and chlorine. x Alternatively, for example, etching byproduct 510 may include CuH generated by a radical reaction between copper and hydrogen.

[0080] According to embodiments, etching byproducts 510 may adhere to components inside chamber 116 or to the inner wall of chamber 116. Specifically, etching byproducts 510 may adhere to an insulating layer 410 coated on the surface of a component or on the inner wall of chamber 116. According to various embodiments, the amount of etching byproducts 510 adhered to at least one component inside chamber 116 and the inner wall of chamber 116 after the etching process may vary.

[0081] Reference Figure 6 Clean gas can be supplied to chamber 116 through gas inlet 112. For example, the clean gas may include at least one of NF3 and O2, but this is just an example and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus can use a supplied cleaning gas to clean the interior of chamber 116. The plasma etching apparatus can apply low-frequency electricity to antenna 102 to convert the introduced cleaning gas particles into free radicals. For example, if the cleaning gas is molecular NF3, it can be ionized into a plasma state and generate free radicals such as NF2, NF, F, N, etc. These free radicals can react with the insulating layer 410 and / or etching byproducts 510 inside chamber 116 to convert them into a gaseous state or gas molecules. The gaseous byproducts can be discharged through fluid outlet 115, and cleaning of the interior of chamber 116 can be performed. That is, the plasma etching apparatus can remove the insulating layer 410 to clean the interior of chamber 116. Therefore, the plasma etching apparatus can remove the etching byproducts 510 attached to the insulating layer 410 while removing the insulating layer 410. Specifically, as the cleaning of the interior of chamber 116 proceeds, the insulating layer 410 can be peeled off, and thus the etching byproducts 510 attached to the insulating layer 410 can also be removed.

[0083] As described above, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, by positioning the second antenna in the area above the edge of the room, not only the center of the room can be cleaned, but also the edge areas of the room can be cleaned.

[0084] Furthermore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the plasma etching apparatus may include a first antenna connected to a high-frequency power source and a second antenna connected to a low-frequency power source to maximize process efficiency by using the second antenna for processes with sufficient low-frequency power and the first antenna for processes requiring high-frequency power.

[0085] While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with embodiments now considered to be actual embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0086] <Description of reference numerals in the attached figures>

[0087] 100: Antenna section

[0088] 101: First Antenna

[0089] 102: The Second Line

[0090] 103: First Matcher

[0091] 104: High-frequency power source

[0092] 105: Second Matcher

[0093] 106: Low-frequency power source

[0094] 107: Controller

[0095] 108: Insulation board

[0096] 110: Room section

[0097] 111: Plasma

[0098] 112: Gas Inlet

[0099] 113: Base support components

[0100] 114: Base

[0101] 115: Fluid outlet

[0102] 116: Room

[0103] 117: Plasma Reaction Chamber

[0104] 410: Insulation layer

[0105] 510: Etching byproducts

Claims

1. A plasma etching apparatus, wherein, The plasma etching apparatus includes: A plasma etching process is performed in a chamber, the interior of which is coated with an insulating layer before the etching process and the insulating layer is removed after the etching process. The first antenna is connected to a high-frequency power source and positioned on the floor; A second antenna is connected to a low-frequency power source and positioned around at least a portion of the perimeter of the first antenna; and The controller is electrically connected to the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source to control the high-frequency power source and the low-frequency power source.

2. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to apply low-frequency power to the second antenna via the low-frequency power source to generate a plasma discharge inside the room, thereby coating the insulating layer inside the room.

3. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The insulating layer is a nitride layer or oxide layer generated using a mixture of SiH4 and N2O gases.

4. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to apply high-frequency power to the first antenna via the high-frequency power source to etch the target object to be etched.

5. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to apply low-frequency power to the second antenna via the low-frequency power source to clean the interior of the chamber and remove the insulation layer.

6. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The low-frequency power applied to the first antenna by the low-frequency power source has a frequency of 1 MHz or lower.

7. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to shut down the high-frequency power source when low-frequency power is applied to the second antenna to remove the insulating layer.

8. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first antenna is formed of a conductor wound in a spiral shape.

9. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The first antenna has a quadrilateral spiral coil planar shape.

10. The plasma etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second antenna extends along at least a portion of the outer edge of the upper part of the chamber.

Images