Substrate processing apparatus using plasma phase shift
By generating plasma with a specific frequency and phase in a plasma generator and independently adjusting the plasma power phase in the reaction chamber using a control circuit, the instability problem caused by plasma wave interaction in traditional devices is solved, thereby improving plasma quality and substrate processing effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ASM IP HLDG BV
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
In traditional substrate processing devices, the interaction of plasma waves between reaction chambers leads to low plasma windows, unstable plasma, low repeatability, and reaction chamber mismatch, which affects processing quality.
By generating plasma with a certain frequency and phase in a plasma generator, and independently adjusting the plasma power phase of each reaction chamber using a control circuit, phase shift is achieved to eliminate constructive interference and form destructive interference.
It effectively reduces the formation of central plasma, improves plasma quality and the quality of the processed substrate, and ensures the stability and repeatability of the plasma.
Smart Images
Figure CN122117735A_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Cross-references to related applications
[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No. 18 / 674,057, filed May 24, 2024, entitled "WAFER PROCESSING APPARATUS USING PLASMA PHASE SHIFT". Application No. 18 / 674,057 claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 469,671, filed May 30, 2023, also entitled "WAFER PROCESSING APPARATUS USING PLASMA PHASE SHIFT", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field
[0003] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for processing a substrate using plasma, the apparatus having multiple reaction chambers in a platform. Background Technology
[0004] Some conventional substrate processing apparatuses share the same platform and bottom chamber within the reaction chambers. For example, an exemplary platform may include four reaction chambers.
[0005] Plasma in a reaction chamber can be generated by supplying radio frequency (RF) waves (i.e., plasma power) to or into the reaction chamber; the plasma power excites gas molecules within the reaction chamber to form plasma. The plasma power or plasma supplied to the reaction chamber has a specific frequency and phase. And because of this, each reaction chamber will affect other reaction chambers during operation. More specifically, due to the interaction between plasma waves in the reaction chambers, low plasma windows, unstable plasma, low repeatability, mismatch between reaction chambers (RCs), and central plasma may occur.
[0006] Figure 2 Some aspects of the problems with a conventional device having four chambers in a single platform are shown.
[0007] In part (a), Figure 2 The configuration of the reaction chamber is shown in cross-sectional view.
[0008] Normal plasma 201 can be formed between the upper electrode 205 and the substrate support 206 in the reaction chamber 200. However, bottom plasma 202 can be formed directly below the substrate support 206, and axial plasma 203 can also be formed below it.
[0009] In addition, Figure 2In part (b), central plasma 204 may also be generated at the center of platform (device) 215.
[0010] The central plasmas 204 and 215 are formed by constructive interference from reaction chambers RC1 211, RC2 212, RC3 213, and RC4 214 surrounding the center 215, and this constructive interference can be seen in wave “A” of Figure 260. The constructive interference is formed at point 215, the midpoint between reaction chambers RC1 and RC4 211, 212, 213, and 214.
[0011] exist Figure 2 Part (b) depicts the original wave “B”, and each RC is supplied with the same wave “B” (220, 230, 240, 250). The generated wave (i.e., the central plasma “A”) can have a much larger amplitude than the original wave “B”.
[0012] The central plasma is generated by waves supplied to the surrounding RC, and it will affect the plasma quality and ultimately the quality of the processed substrate.
[0013] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a device for minimizing central plasma. Summary of the Invention
[0014] This synopsis is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are further described in detail in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. This synopsis is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0015] According to one embodiment, a substrate processing system using plasma is provided, the system comprising: a first reaction chamber, a second reaction chamber, a third reaction chamber, and a fourth reaction chamber disposed on a platform, each of the reaction chambers being configured to process a substrate; a plasma generator or generator configured to generate plasma having a certain frequency and a certain phase, and further configured to provide the generated plasma or plasma power to the first reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber, the third reaction chamber, and the fourth reaction chamber; and a control circuit connected to the plasma generator or generator, and configured to adjust the phase of the plasma or plasma power generated by the plasma generator or generator; wherein the control circuit is further configured to independently phase-shift the phase of the generated plasma or plasma power provided to the first reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber, the third reaction chamber, and the fourth reaction chamber.
[0016] In at least one aspect, the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber is advanced by 90 degrees compared to the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber, and the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber is advanced by 90 degrees compared to the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber, and the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the fourth reaction chamber is advanced by 90 degrees compared to the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber.
[0017] In at least one aspect, the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber lags behind the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber by 90 degrees, and the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber lags behind the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber by 90 degrees, and the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the fourth reaction chamber lags behind the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber by 90 degrees.
[0018] According to another embodiment, a substrate processing system using plasma can be provided, the system comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers disposed on a platform, each of the plurality of reaction chambers being configured to process a substrate; a plasma generator or generator respectively coupled to the plurality of reaction chambers and configured to generate plasma or plasma power having a specific frequency and a specific phase, and further configured to provide the generated plasma or plasma power to the plurality of reaction chambers; and a control circuit connected to the plasma generator or generator and configured to adjust the phase of the plasma or plasma power generated by the plasma generator; wherein the control circuit is further configured to independently phase-shift the phase of the generated plasma or plasma power provided to the plurality of reaction chambers.
[0019] In at least one aspect, the control circuit is also configured to phase shift the generated plasma or plasma power by (360 / n) degrees for each of the plurality of reaction chambers, where n is the number of reaction chambers.
[0020] In at least one aspect, the control circuit is also configured to change the phase of the generated plasma or plasma power supplied to the multiple reaction chambers in real time.
[0021] According to one embodiment, a substrate processing system may be provided, comprising: a plurality of reaction chambers disposed on a platform, each reaction chamber configured to process a substrate. In some embodiments, the system further includes at least one generator coupled to each reaction chamber and configured to provide plasma power, including frequency and phase, to each of the plurality of reaction chambers. In some embodiments, the at least one generator is electrically coupled to each of the plurality of reaction chambers.
[0022] The system is also configured to generate plasma in each of a plurality of reaction chambers. The system further includes at least one control circuit connected to at least one generator. In some embodiments, the system includes control circuitry for each of the plurality of reaction chambers. At least one control circuit is configured to independently control the phase of the plasma power supplied to each reaction chamber. Furthermore, the control circuit is configured to independently phase-shift or offset the phase of the plasma power supplied to each of the plurality of reaction chambers.
[0023] In some embodiments, the system includes a first reaction chamber, a second reaction chamber, a third reaction chamber, and a fourth reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the first / second / third / fourth reaction chambers are disposed on a platform and arranged in a square shape, such as... Figure 2 The configuration shown in part (b) is such that the first reaction chamber and the third reaction chamber are opposite each other.
[0024] In at least one aspect, the control circuit is configured to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber by approximately 90 degrees from the phase of the plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber, and to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber by approximately 90 degrees from the phase of the plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber, and to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the fourth reaction chamber by approximately 90 degrees from the phase of the plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber.
[0025] In at least one aspect, the system is configured to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber by approximately -90 degrees from the phase shift of the plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber, and to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber by approximately -90 degrees from the phase shift of the plasma power supplied to the second reaction chamber, and to shift the phase of the plasma power supplied to the fourth reaction chamber by approximately -90 degrees from the phase shift of the plasma power supplied to the third reaction chamber.
[0026] In at least one aspect, the phase of the plasma power in the third reaction chamber is within about 0 degrees of the phase of the plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber, and for each of the second and fourth reaction chambers, the system is configured to shift the phase of the plasma power by about 180 degrees from the phase of the plasma power supplied to the first reaction chamber.
[0027] In at least one aspect, the system is configured to phase the plasma power of the second reaction chamber by about 195 degrees, the plasma power of the third reaction chamber by about 22 degrees, and the plasma power of the fourth reaction chamber by about 198 degrees relative to the phase of the plasma power of the first reaction chamber.
[0028] According to another embodiment, a substrate processing system having n reaction chambers (RC) can be provided, wherein the reaction chambers are labeled RC. 1 RC 2 RC n-1 RC n , of which RC 1 and RC n Adjacent, and where RC x With RC x-1 and RC x+1 Adjacent, where x is a natural number from 2 to n-1. In at least one aspect, the system is configured to provide to RC y The phase of the plasma power supplied to RC y-1 The phase shift of the plasma power is approximately (360 / n) degrees, where y is a natural number from 2 to n.
[0029] In at least one aspect, the system is also configured to independently and in real time change each phase of the plasma power supplied to the multiple reaction chambers.
[0030] These and other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed. Attached Figure Description
[0031] It should be understood that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in understanding the embodiments shown in this disclosure.
[0032] Figure 1 An overview of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0033] Figure 2A cross-sectional view of a prior art reaction chamber and the location of plasma emergence within the reaction chamber are shown, and how the original wave “B” is supplied to four reaction chambers to form the final central plasma wave “A” in the prior art system is illustrated.
[0034] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates how plasma power is reflected in the four reaction chambers in a conventional setup, and demonstrates the plasma power obtained according to embodiments of the present disclosure and the advantages of the apparatus of the present disclosure.
[0035] Figure 4 An apparatus and plasma power phase shift phase are shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0036] Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention extends beyond the specific disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the invention, as well as their obvious modifications and equivalents. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the disclosed invention should not be limited to the specific disclosed embodiments described below.
[0037] As used herein, the term "substrate" can refer to any one or more underlying materials, including any one or more underlying materials that can be modified or on which devices, circuits, or films can be formed. A "substrate" can be continuous or discontinuous; rigid or flexible; solid or porous; and combinations thereof. A substrate can be in any form, such as powder, plate, or workpiece. Plate-type substrates can include wafers of various shapes and sizes. Substrates can be made of semiconductor materials, including, for example, silicon, silicon germanium, silicon oxide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide.
[0038] For example, substrates in powder form can have applications in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Porous substrates can contain polymers. Examples of workpieces may include medical devices (e.g., stents and syringes), jewelry, tooling equipment, components for battery manufacturing (e.g., anodes, cathodes, or separators), or components for photovoltaic cells, etc.
[0039] The continuous substrate can extend beyond the boundary of the processing chamber where the deposition process occurs. In some processes, the continuous substrate can move through the processing chamber, allowing the process to continue until the end of the substrate is reached. Continuous substrates can be supplied from a continuous substrate supply system to allow the fabrication and output of continuous substrates of any suitable form.
[0040] Non-limiting examples of continuous substrates may include sheets, nonwoven films, rolls, foils, meshes, flexible materials, continuous filaments, or fiber bundles (e.g., ceramic or polymer fibers). Continuous substrates may also include carriers or sheets on which non-continuous substrates are mounted.
[0041] As used herein, the term “about” in relation to degrees includes (i.e., plus or minus) the value within 10 degrees, or within 5 degrees, or within 2 degrees, or within 0 degrees.
[0042] The illustrations presented herein are not intended to be actual views of any particular material, structure, or device, but are merely idealized representations used to describe embodiments of this disclosure.
[0043] The specific embodiments shown and described are illustrative of the invention and its best mode, and are not intended to limit the scope of aspects and embodiments in any way. In fact, for the sake of brevity, conventional manufacturing, connection, fabrication, and other functional aspects of the system may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the figures are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical connections between various elements. Many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in the actual system, and / or may not exist in some embodiments.
[0044] It should be understood that the configurations and / or methods described herein are exemplary in nature, and these specific embodiments or examples should not be considered limiting, as many variations are possible. The particular procedures or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. Therefore, the various actions shown may be performed in the order shown, in other orders, or in some cases omitted.
[0045] The subject matter of this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of various processes, systems and configurations, as well as other features, functions, actions and / or properties disclosed herein, and any and all their equivalents.
[0046] Figure 1 An overview of the apparatus of this disclosure is shown.
[0047] Platform 100 may include four reaction chambers (RC) RC1 101, RC2 102, RC3 103 and RC4 104. The four reaction chambers 101, 102, 103 and 104 may be used to treat the substrate with plasma.
[0048] The exemplary platform and its constituent reaction chambers are commercially available from ASM International NV under the trade name XP8® QCM.
[0049] The plasma used in the RC can be generated in a generator or plasma generator 110. The generated plasma or plasma power can be transmitted to each of the RC via connecting lines. In some embodiments, the frequency of the plasma power in all reaction chambers is between about 40 MHz and 80 MHz, or between about 50 MHz and about 70 MHz, or about 60 MHz.
[0050] The control circuit 120 can be connected to the generator or plasma generator 110, and can also independently control the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to each reaction chamber.
[0051] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown in part (b), RC1 is supplied with plasma or plasma power having a 45° phase, and in the counterclockwise direction, RC4 is supplied with plasma or plasma power shifted by 135° and 90° from the plasma or plasma power of RC1, and RC3 is supplied with plasma or plasma power shifted by 225° and 90° from the plasma or plasma power of RC4, and RC2 is supplied with plasma or plasma power shifted by 315° and 90° from the plasma or plasma power of RC3.
[0052] By utilizing this phase shift between RC phases, destructive interference can be generated, thus eliminating the "central plasma" generated by constructive interference.
[0053] Although not shown, another example would be the case where RC1 is supplied with plasma or plasma power having a 0° phase and in a clockwise direction. RC2 is supplied with plasma or plasma power at a 90° phase shift (from the plasma or plasma power of RC1 by a 90° phase shift). RC3 is supplied with plasma or plasma power at a 180° phase shift (from the plasma or plasma power of RC2 by a 90° phase shift). RC4 is supplied with plasma or plasma power at a 270° phase shift (from the plasma or plasma power of RC3 by a 90° phase shift).
[0054] This exemplary phase shift between RC will result in no “central plasma” from constructive interference, because the phase difference will cause destructive interference at the location of the “central plasma”.
[0055] In another example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the plasma powers of RC1 and RC3 can be in phase with each other and out of phase by approximately 180 degrees with the plasma powers of RC2 and RC4. Similarly, the plasma powers of RC2 and RC4 can be in phase with each other and out of phase with the plasma powers of RC1 and RC3. In other words, RC1 and RC3 are supplied with plasma power without phase shift (within approximately 0°), while RC2 and RC4 are supplied with plasma power that is shifted approximately 180° from the plasma power of RC1 or RC3.
[0056] This phase shift will be applied to devices with more than 4 RCs.
[0057] For example, with 6 RCs instead of 4 RCs, the phase shift can be 60° instead of 90°. Typically, with n RCs set in the platform, the phase shift required to counteract the "central plasma" effect through destructive interference can be (360 / n)°.
[0058] The phase shift will be automatically calculated in the control circuit 120 using the number of RCs, or it will be fixed in hardware, and the plasma or plasma power for each phase shift will be transmitted to each RC, just like the example of 4 RCs.
[0059] like Figure 3 As shown in part (b), with Figure 3 Compared to part (a), the embodiments of this disclosure can exhibit better plasma performance.
[0060] like Figure 3 As shown in part (b) 320, the plasma or plasma power phase shifts by 90 degrees, and the initial phase in RC1 will be 45 degrees, and in the clockwise direction, RC can be supplied with a plasma or plasma power phase increase of 90 degrees from the previous RC.
[0061] like Figure 3 As shown in Table 311 of section (a), the plasma performance in each RC decreases in the absence of phase shift. Even "no-ignition" and "unstable" plasma conditions exist, and "central plasma" may exist across many power ranges, leading to instabilities within the plasma.
[0062] On the other hand, such as Figure 3 As shown in Table 321 of Part (b), even though about half of the states in the power range are “bottom / axis plasma”, the remaining states are “stable”.
[0063] Furthermore, due to the destructive interference between RCs, "central plasma", "no ignition" and "unstable" are not present in Table 321.
[0064] As shown in the figure, plasma efficiency and the quality of the processed substrate can be greatly improved simply by shifting the phase of the plasma or plasma power supplied to each RC.
[0065] When plasma or plasma power is supplied, the control circuit 120 can also change the plasma phase supplied to each reaction chamber. Figure 3When a 90-degree phase shift of the plasma or plasma power in part (b) may not produce the expected sufficient efficiency, the plasma phase shift or phase shift can be changed in real time during the operation of the reaction chamber, for example, the initial phase in RC1 is 60 degrees and the phase is increased by 90 degrees from the previous RC in a clockwise RC sequence.
[0066] The specific plasma power phase shift required to minimize parasitic or unwanted plasma and achieve plasma homogeneity can vary depending on the unique configuration of the platform and reaction chambers. Without being bound by theory, the specific optimal plasma power phase shift for each chamber can depend on the number and spatial configuration of the reaction chambers, the relative amplitude and frequency of the plasma power, and any phase delay in the RF delivery paths from the individual chambers.
[0067] In some embodiments, for example Figure 1 In the configuration of the reaction chambers, or as part of a four-chamber module available commercially from ASM International NV under the trade name XP8® QCM, the optimal plasma phase shift may differ from the plasma phase shift disclosed above. In some of these embodiments, RC2 may have a plasma power phase shift of approximately 195° from the plasma power of RC1, RC3 may have a plasma power phase shift of approximately 22° from the plasma power of RC1, and RC4 may have a plasma power phase shift of approximately 198° from the plasma power of RC1.
[0068] The arrangement of the above-described apparatus is merely an illustration of the application of the principles of the present invention. Many other embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention should not be determined by reference to the above description, but rather by the full scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A substrate processing system, the system comprising: A first reaction chamber, a second reaction chamber, a third reaction chamber, and a fourth reaction chamber are disposed on a platform, wherein each of the reaction chambers is configured to process a substrate; At least one generator coupled to the first reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber, the third reaction chamber, and the fourth reaction chamber, wherein the system is configured to provide a first plasma power including a first phase to the first reaction chamber, a second plasma power including a second phase to the second reaction chamber, a third plasma power including a third phase to the third reaction chamber, and a fourth plasma power including a fourth phase to the fourth reaction chamber; and At least one control circuit connected to the at least one generator, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to independently control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase; Wherein, the first phase and the third phase are within 10 degrees, and wherein the second phase and the fourth phase are offset from the first phase by between 170 degrees and 190 degrees.
2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one control circuit is also configured to control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase in real time.
3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The reaction chambers are arranged in a square shape on the platform, wherein the first reaction chamber is adjacent to the second reaction chamber and the fourth reaction chamber.
4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The second phase and the fourth phase are offset from the first phase by 175 degrees and 185 degrees respectively.
5. A substrate processing system, the system comprising: A first reaction chamber, a second reaction chamber, a third reaction chamber, and a fourth reaction chamber are disposed on a platform, wherein each of the reaction chambers is configured to process a substrate; At least one generator coupled to the first reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber, the third reaction chamber, and the fourth reaction chamber, wherein the system is configured to provide a first plasma power including a first phase to the first reaction chamber, a second plasma power including a second phase to the second reaction chamber, a third plasma power including a third phase to the third reaction chamber, and a fourth plasma power including a fourth phase to the fourth reaction chamber; and At least one control circuit connected to the at least one generator, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to independently control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase; The second phase is offset from the first phase by 185 degrees to 205 degrees.
6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein, The third phase is offset from the first phase by 12 to 32 degrees.
7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein, The fourth phase is offset from the first phase by 188 degrees to 208 degrees.
8. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein, The at least one control circuit is also configured to control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase in real time.
9. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein, The reaction chambers are arranged in a square shape on the platform, wherein the first reaction chamber is adjacent to the second reaction chamber and the fourth reaction chamber.
10. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein, The second phase is offset from the first phase by 190 to 200 degrees.
11. The substrate processing system of claim 10, wherein the third phase is offset from the first phase by 17 to 27 degrees.
12. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein, The fourth phase is offset from the first phase by 193 degrees to 203 degrees.
13. A substrate processing system, the system comprising: A first reaction chamber, a second reaction chamber, a third reaction chamber, and a fourth reaction chamber are disposed on a platform, wherein each of the reaction chambers is configured to process a substrate; At least one generator coupled to the first reaction chamber, the second reaction chamber, the third reaction chamber, and the fourth reaction chamber, wherein the system is configured to provide a first plasma power including a first phase to the first reaction chamber, a second plasma power including a second phase to the second reaction chamber, a third plasma power including a third phase to the third reaction chamber, and a fourth plasma power including a fourth phase to the fourth reaction chamber; and At least one control circuit connected to the at least one generator, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to independently control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase; The second phase is offset from the first phase by 80 degrees and 100 degrees, the third phase is offset from the first phase by 170 degrees and 190 degrees, and the fourth phase is offset from the first phase by 260 degrees and 280 degrees.
14. The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein, The at least one control system is further configured to control the first phase, the second phase, the third phase, and the fourth phase in real time.
15. The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein, The reaction chamber is arranged in a square shape on the platform.
16. The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein, The second phase is offset from the first phase by 85 to 95 degrees, the third phase is offset from the first phase by 175 to 185 degrees, and the fourth phase is offset from the first phase by 265 to 275 degrees.