Plasma control method, plasma processing device and plasma processing system

Abstract

To provide an art capable of varying a parameter value of a recipe based on a progress of deposition processing.SOLUTION: A plasma control method for a plasma processing device has a control part and a process part. The control part comprises: receiving input of a recipe where a plurality of parameter values for executing a film deposition processing in a process part are set for each processing step; deciding a variable parameter value on the basis of a progress of the film deposition processing if the variable parameter is included in the plurality of parameter of the recipe; and making the process part execute the film deposition processing on the basis of the plurality of parameter values set in the recipe and the decided variable parameter value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plasma control method, a plasma processing apparatus, and a plasma processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] A plasma processing apparatus including a rotary table rotatably installed in a vacuum chamber and on which a plurality of substrates are placed, a plasma processing gas supply unit that supplies a plasma processing gas to a processing region, and an antenna that generates plasma in the processing region has been conventionally known. The plasma processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 supplies a plasma processing gas into the vacuum chamber and supplies an RF power pulse to the antenna while rotating the rotary table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-180215 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can vary the values ​​of recipe parameters based on the progress of a film formation process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma control method for a plasma processing apparatus having a control unit and a process unit, wherein the control unit accepts input of a recipe in which values ​​of a plurality of parameters for performing a film formation process in the process unit are set for each process step, and if the plurality of parameters of the recipe include a variable parameter, determines a value of the variable parameter based on a progress status of the film formation process, and causes the process unit to perform the film formation process based on the values ​​of the plurality of parameters set in the recipe and the determined value of the variable parameter. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the values ​​of the parameters of the recipe can be changed based on the progress of the film forming process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a computer. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing an example of RF power output in the plasma power supply of the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of a control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process procedure in which the plasma processing apparatus according to the present embodiment performs a film forming process according to a recipe. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of a recipe setting screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an image diagram of an example of a recipe setting screen. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process procedure of step S12. [Figure 10] 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, illustrations and descriptions of parts that are not necessary for the description of the present embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0009] [Configuration example] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a plasma processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The plasma processing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 includes a vacuum vessel 1 having a generally circular planar shape, and a rotary table 2 that is provided in the vacuum vessel 1, has a center of rotation at the center of the vacuum vessel 1, and revolves a wafer W around the rotary table 2.

[0010] The vacuum vessel 1 is a processing chamber for accommodating a wafer W and performing a film forming process on the surface of the wafer W to deposit a thin film. The vacuum vessel 1 includes a top plate 11 provided at a position facing a recess 24 (described later) of the turntable 2, and a vessel body 12. A sealing member 13 is provided in an annular shape on the periphery of the upper surface of the vessel body 12.

[0011] The top plate 11 is configured to be detachable from the vessel body 12. The diameter dimension (inner diameter dimension) of the vacuum vessel 1 in a plan view is not limited. The diameter dimension of the vacuum vessel 1 may be, for example, about 1100 mm.

[0012] A separation gas supply pipe 51 is connected to the center of the upper surface side of the vacuum vessel 1 for supplying a separation gas to prevent different process gases from mixing with each other in a central region C of the vacuum vessel 1.

[0013] The turntable 2 is fixed at the center to a roughly cylindrical core portion 21, and is configured to be freely rotatable around a vertical axis (e.g., clockwise) by a drive portion 23 with respect to a rotation shaft 22 that is connected to the lower surface of the core portion 21 and extends vertically. The diameter of the turntable 2 is not limited. The diameter of the turntable 2 may be, for example, about 1000 mm.

[0014] The driving unit 23 is provided with an encoder 25 that detects the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 22. In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 22 detected by the encoder 25 is transmitted to the controller unit 120 and is used by the controller unit 120 to identify the position of the wafer W placed in each recess 24 on the turntable 2.

[0015] The rotating shaft 22 and the driving unit 23 are housed in a case body 20. A flange portion on the upper surface of the case body 20 is airtightly attached to the lower surface of the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum vessel 1. A purge gas supply pipe 72 is connected to the case body 20 to supply Ar gas or the like as a purge gas (separation gas) to the region below the turntable 2.

[0016] The outer periphery of the core portion 21 at the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum vessel 1 is formed in an annular shape so as to approach the turntable 2 from below, forming a protruding portion 12a.

[0017] A circular recess 24 is formed on the surface of the turntable 2, on which a wafer W having a diameter of, for example, 300 mm can be placed. The recesses 24 are provided at a plurality of locations, for example, six locations, along the rotation direction of the turntable 2. The recesses 24 have an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer W, specifically, about 1 mm to 4 mm. The depth of the recess 24 is configured to be approximately equal to or larger than the thickness of the wafer W. Therefore, when the wafer W is accommodated in the recess 24, the surface of the wafer W and the surface of the flat area of ​​the turntable 2 on which the wafer W is not placed are at the same height, or the surface of the wafer W is lower than the surface of the turntable 2. In addition, a through hole (not shown) is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 24, through which, for example, three lift pins pass to lift the wafer W from below.

[0018] The vacuum vessel 1 is provided with a plurality of processing regions spaced apart from one another along the rotation direction of the turntable 2. At positions on the turntable 2 facing the passage region of the recess 24, a plurality of gas nozzles (e.g., gas nozzle 34, etc.) made of, for example, quartz are radially arranged at intervals from one another in the circumferential direction of the vacuum vessel 1. Each of the gas nozzles is arranged between the turntable 2 and the top plate 11. Each of the gas nozzles is attached, for example, so as to extend horizontally from the outer circumferential wall of the vacuum vessel 1 toward the central region C facing the turntable 2. The gas nozzles may be attached so as to extend from the outer circumferential wall of the vacuum vessel 1 toward the central region C, and then bend and extend linearly counterclockwise (opposite to the rotation direction of the turntable 2) along the central region C.

[0019] For example, in the vacuum vessel 1, a plasma processing gas nozzle, a separation gas nozzle, a first processing gas nozzle, a separation gas nozzle, and a second processing gas nozzle are arranged in this order from the transfer port clockwise (the direction of rotation of the turntable 2).

[0020] In addition, the gas supplied by the second processing gas nozzle is often a gas of the same quality as the gas supplied by the plasma processing gas nozzle, but if the plasma processing gas nozzle can supply a sufficient amount of gas, it does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0021] The gas nozzles are connected to respective gas supply sources (not shown) via flow rate control valves. Gas discharge holes for discharging each gas are formed at a plurality of locations, for example at equal intervals, along the radial direction of the turntable 2 on the lower surface side (the side facing the turntable 2) of the gas nozzles. The gas nozzles are arranged such that the distance between the lower edge of each gas nozzle and the upper surface of the turntable 2 is, for example, about 1 to 5 mm.

[0022] The region below the first process gas nozzle is a first process region for adsorbing the source gas onto the wafer W. The region below the second process gas nozzle is a second process region for supplying an oxidizing gas capable of oxidizing the source gas to generate an oxide to the wafer W. The region below the plasma process gas nozzle is a third process region for performing a modification process of a film on the wafer W.

[0023] The first process gas nozzle supplies a silicon-containing gas when forming a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film, and a metal-containing gas when forming a metal oxide film or a metal nitride film. The first process gas nozzle is a nozzle that supplies a source gas (precursor) containing a source material that is a main component of the thin film. The first process gas nozzle is also called a source gas nozzle. In addition, the first process region is also called a source gas adsorption region because it is a region where the source gas is adsorbed onto the wafer W.

[0024] The second process gas nozzle supplies an oxidizing gas such as oxygen, ozone, water, or hydrogen peroxide to the wafer W when forming an oxide film, and is therefore also called an oxidizing gas nozzle. The second process region is also called an oxidation region, since it is a region where an oxidizing gas is supplied to the wafer W to which the source gas has been adsorbed in the first process region, thereby oxidizing the source gas adsorbed on the wafer W. In the oxidation region, a molecular layer of an oxide film is deposited on the wafer W.

[0025] The third processing region is also called a plasma processing region because it is a region where the molecular layer of the oxide film formed in the second processing region is plasma-processed to modify the oxide film. In the embodiment, since an oxide film is formed, the plasma processing gas supplied from the plasma processing gas nozzle is, for example, a gas containing oxygen. However, when a nitride film is formed, the plasma processing gas supplied from the plasma processing gas nozzle is, for example, a gas containing nitrogen.

[0026] The separation gas nozzle is provided to form a separation region separating the first processing region from the second processing region and the third processing region from the first processing region. The separation gas supplied from the separation gas nozzle is an inert gas such as nitrogen, or a rare gas such as helium or argon. The separation gas also functions as a purge gas, and may be called a purge gas, and the separation gas nozzle is also called a purge gas nozzle. Note that a separation region D is not provided between the second processing region and the third processing region. This is because the oxidizing gas supplied in the second processing region and the mixed gas supplied in the third processing region both contain oxygen atoms in the mixed gas, and both function as oxidizing agents, and there is no need to separate the second processing region from the third processing region using a separation gas.

[0027] In addition, since the plasma processing gas nozzle is designed to supply gas to different regions on the turntable 2, the flow rate ratio of each component of the mixed gas may be made different for each region so that the modification process is performed uniformly throughout.

[0028] A plasma source 80 is provided above the plasma processing gas nozzle in order to convert the plasma processing gas discharged into the vacuum chamber 1 into plasma. The plasma source 80 generates an inductively coupled plasma by using an antenna.

[0029] The plasma source 80 is configured by winding an antenna made of a metal wire or the like in a coil shape, for example, three times around a vertical axis. The plasma source 80 is disposed so as to surround a band-shaped region extending in the radial direction of the turntable 2 in a plan view, and so as to straddle a diameter portion of the wafer W on the turntable 2.

[0030] The antenna is connected to an RF power supply 85 having a frequency of, for example, 13.56 MHz via a matching box 84. The antenna is provided so as to be airtightly separated from the internal region of the vacuum vessel 1. A connection electrode 86 electrically connects the antenna to the matching box 84 and the RF power supply 85. The antenna may be configured to be bendable up and down, have a vertical movement mechanism that can automatically bend the antenna up and down, and a mechanism that can move a portion of the center side of the turntable 2 up and down, as necessary.

[0031] An opening 11a that is generally sector-shaped in plan view is formed in the top plate 11 above the plasma processing gas nozzle. The opening 11a has an annular member 82 that is airtightly provided on the opening 11a along the edge of the opening 11a. The housing 90 is airtightly provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the annular member 82. That is, the annular member 82 is airtightly provided with its outer peripheral side in contact with the inner peripheral surface 11b of the opening 11a of the top plate 11 and its inner peripheral side in contact with the flange portion of the housing 90.

[0032] A housing 90 made of a dielectric material such as quartz is provided in the opening 11a via the annular member 82 in order to position the antenna below the top plate 11. The bottom surface of the housing 90 forms the ceiling surface of the plasma processing region.

[0033] The housing 90 has an upper peripheral edge that extends horizontally in a flange-like shape around the circumferential direction to form a flange portion, and is formed such that the central portion is recessed downward toward the internal region of the vacuum vessel 1 in a plan view. When the wafer W is positioned below the housing 90, the housing 90 is disposed so as to straddle the diameter portion of the wafer W in the radial direction of the turntable 2. A seal member 11c such as an O-ring is provided between the annular member 82 and the top plate 11.

[0034] The internal atmosphere of the vacuum vessel 1 is set to be airtight via the annular member 82 and the housing 90. Specifically, the annular member 82 and the housing 90 are fitted into the opening 11a, and then the housing 90 is pressed downward in the circumferential direction by a pressing member 91 formed in a frame shape along the contact portion between the annular member 82 and the housing 90 on the upper surfaces of the annular member 82 and the housing 90. Furthermore, the pressing member 91 is fixed to the top plate 11 by bolts (not shown) or the like. This sets the internal atmosphere of the vacuum vessel 1 to be airtight.

[0035] A protrusion is formed on the lower surface of the housing 90, extending vertically toward the turntable 2 so as to circumferentially surround the plasma processing region below the housing 90. A plasma processing gas nozzle is housed in the region surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion, the lower surface of the housing 90, and the upper surface of the turntable 2. The protrusion at the base end (on the inner wall side of the vacuum vessel 1) of the plasma processing gas nozzle is cut out in a roughly arc shape to follow the outer shape of the plasma processing gas nozzle. A protrusion is formed circumferentially on the lower side (plasma processing region) of the housing 90.

[0036] The seal member 11c is not directly exposed to plasma by the protrusions, that is, it is isolated from the plasma processing region. Therefore, even if the plasma tries to diffuse from the plasma processing region toward the seal member 11c, it will go through the lower part of the protrusions, and the plasma will be deactivated before reaching the seal member 11c. In addition, a plasma processing gas nozzle is provided in the third processing region below the housing 90, and is connected to an argon gas supply source, a hydrogen gas supply source, an oxygen gas supply source, an ammonia gas supply source, and the like. However, it is sufficient to provide either the hydrogen gas supply source or the ammonia gas supply source, and it is not necessary to provide both.

[0037] Between the plasma processing gas nozzle and the argon gas supply source, the hydrogen gas supply source, the oxygen gas supply source, and the ammonia gas supply source, corresponding flow rate controllers are provided. The argon gas supply source, the hydrogen gas supply source, the oxygen gas supply source, and the ammonia gas supply source supply Ar gas, H2 gas, O2 gas, and NH3 gas, respectively, to the plasma processing gas nozzle. The flow rates of the Ar gas, the H2 gas, the O2 gas, and the NH3 gas are controlled by the respective flow rate controllers, and the Ar gas, the H2 gas, the O2 gas, and the NH3 gas are supplied to the plasma processing gas nozzle at a predetermined flow rate ratio (mixture ratio). However, when only one of the hydrogen gas supply source and the ammonia gas supply source is provided, a flow rate controller is provided for the one that is provided. For example, a mass flow controller may be used as the flow rate controller. When there is one plasma processing gas nozzle, for example, a mixed gas of the above-mentioned Ar gas, H2 gas or NH3 gas, and O2 gas is supplied to one plasma processing gas nozzle.

[0038] During plasma processing, the turntable 2 rotates clockwise, and Ar gas is accompanied by the rotation of the turntable 2 and attempts to infiltrate into the lower side of the housing 90 through the gap between the turntable 2 and the protrusion. Therefore, in order to prevent the Ar gas from infiltrating into the lower side of the housing 90 through the gap, gas is discharged from the lower side of the housing 90 into the gap.

[0039] Hereinafter, for ease of distinction, the plasma processing gas nozzles may be referred to as a gas nozzle (base nozzle) for supplying the plasma processing gas to the entire surface of the wafer W, a gas nozzle (outer nozzle) for supplying the plasma processing gas primarily to the outer region of the wafer W, and a gas nozzle (axis-side nozzle) for supplying the plasma processing gas primarily to the central region close to the axis side of the turntable 2 of the wafer W. When only one plasma processing gas nozzle is required, it is sufficient to provide only the base nozzle.

[0040] A side ring 100, which is a cover body, is disposed on the outer periphery of the turntable 2 at a position lower than the turntable 2. Exhaust ports 62 are formed on the upper surface of the side ring 100 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0041] The exhaust ports 62 are exhaust ports for exhausting gases such as a processing gas, a plasma processing gas, or a separation gas. Each exhaust port 62 is connected to a vacuum exhaust mechanism, such as a vacuum pump 64, by an exhaust pipe 63 having a pressure adjustment unit 65 such as a butterfly valve interposed therein. A groove-shaped gas flow path 101 for gas flow is formed on the upper surface of the side ring 100 on the outer circumferential side of the housing 90.

[0042] A protrusion 5 is provided in the center of the underside of the top plate 11, which is formed in a generally annular shape in the circumferential direction, continuing from the central region C side part of the convex portion, and whose underside is formed at the same height as the underside of the convex portion. A labyrinth structure 110 is disposed above the core portion 21 on the rotation center side of the turntable 2 closer to the protrusion 5 than the core portion 21, for preventing various gases from mixing with each other in the central region C.

[0043] Since the housing 90 is formed up to a position close to the central region C, the core portion 21 supporting the center of the turntable 2 is formed on the rotation center side so that the upper portion of the turntable 2 avoids the housing 90. Therefore, on the central region C side, various gases tend to mix more easily than on the outer edge side. Therefore, by forming the labyrinth structure portion 110 on the upper side of the core portion 21, a gas flow path is created and mixing of the gases can be prevented.

[0044] A heater unit 7, which is a heating mechanism, is provided in the space between the turntable 2 and the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum vessel 1. The heater unit 7 is configured to heat the wafer W on the turntable 2 via the turntable 2 to, for example, a temperature between room temperature and about 700° C.

[0045] The heater unit 7 is provided with cover members 71 on the lateral sides thereof and with a covering member 7a covering the upper side thereof. In addition, purge gas supply pipes 73 for purging the arrangement space of the heater unit 7 are provided at a plurality of locations around the circumferential direction on the bottom surface 14 of the vacuum vessel 1 below the heater unit 7.

[0046] A transfer port for transferring the wafer W between the transfer arm and the rotary table 2 is formed in the side wall of the vacuum vessel 1. The transfer port is configured so as to be airtightly opened and closed by a gate valve G.

[0047] The wafer W is transferred between the transfer arm and the recess 24 of the turntable 2 at a position facing the transfer opening. Therefore, a lift pin and a lift mechanism (not shown) for penetrating the recess 24 and lifting the wafer W from the backside are provided at a position corresponding to the transfer position on the lower side of the turntable 2.

[0048] The plasma processing apparatus of this embodiment is also provided with a controller unit 120 having a computer that controls the operation of the entire apparatus. A storage unit of the controller unit 120 stores a program for performing a film forming process, which will be described later. The program is installed in the controller unit 120 from a storage medium 121, such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, or a flexible disk.

[0049] [Plasma Control] The plasma control method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the configuration diagram of Fig. 2, which shows the plasma processing apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the plasma processing apparatus of this embodiment. Note that the block diagram of Fig. 2 appropriately omits parts that are not necessary for the description of the plasma processing method of this embodiment.

[0050] The plasma processing apparatus 200 shown in Fig. 2 includes a controller unit 210 and a process unit 220. The controller unit 210 may be provided outside the plasma processing apparatus 200 and connected via a communication path. The controller unit 210 corresponds to the controller unit 120 in Fig. 1. The process unit 220 corresponds to a configuration excluding the controller unit 120 and the recording medium 121 in Fig. 1.

[0051] The controller section 210 includes a memory section 212, a control section 214, and a user interface 216. The process section 220 includes a plasma unit 222, a plasma power supply 224, and a process chamber 226.

[0052] A program for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus is stored in the storage unit 212. By executing the program, the control unit 214 transmits control signals to each unit for performing a film forming process in the process unit 220 to control the operation of each unit.

[0053] The user interface 216 displays a screen for accepting information input from an operator, and displays a screen for outputting information such as results to the operator. For example, the user interface 216 displays a screen for accepting information input from an operator, and accepts input of a recipe in which values ​​of multiple parameters for executing a film formation process in the process unit 220 are set for each processing step.

[0054] The recipe is an example of information in which a process sequence and control parameters of the plasma processing apparatus 200 are set. For example, the recipe sets control target values ​​such as temperature, pressure, type of gas, gas flow rate, processing step time, and RF (Radio Frequency) power. The control unit 214 transmits a control signal to the process unit 220 to perform a film formation process according to the input recipe.

[0055] The plasma power source 224 of the process section 220 is communicatively connected to the control section 214 of the controller section 210 by wire or wirelessly. The plasma power source 224 supplies pulses of RF power to the plasma unit 222 under the control of the control section 214. The plasma unit 222 generates plasma inside the process chamber 226 in accordance with the pulses of RF power supplied from the plasma power source 224.

[0056] Specifically, control unit 214 controls, according to the recipe, the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse of RF power supplied by plasma power supply 224 to plasma unit 222. Details of the process in which control unit 214 controls the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse of RF power from plasma power supply 224 according to the recipe will be described later.

[0057] The controller unit 210 of the plasma processing apparatus 200 is realized by, for example, a computer 500 having a hardware configuration shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer.

[0058] 3 includes an input device 501, an output device 502, an external I / F (interface) 503, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 504, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 505, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 506, a communication I / F 507, and an auxiliary storage device 508, all of which are connected to each other via a bus B. The input device 501 and the output device 502 may be connected and used when necessary. The auxiliary storage device 508 is, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0059] The input device 501 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by an operator to input various operation signals. The output device 502 is a display, etc., and displays the results of processing by the computer 500. The communication I / F 507 is an interface that connects the computer 500 to a network, etc. The auxiliary storage device 508 is an example of a non-volatile recording unit that stores programs and data.

[0060] The external I / F 503 is an interface with an external device. The computer 500 can read and / or write data from and to a recording medium 503a such as a Secure Digital (SD) memory card via the external I / F 503. The ROM 505 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage unit) in which programs and data are stored. The RAM 504 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage unit) that temporarily holds programs and data.

[0061] The CPU 506 is a calculation device that reads out programs and data from a storage unit such as the ROM 505 or the auxiliary storage device 508 onto the RAM 504 and executes processing, thereby realizing overall control and functions of the computer 500 .

[0062] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the output of RF power in the plasma power supply of this embodiment. In Fig. 4, the horizontal axis represents time. In Fig. 4, the vertical axis represents the output of RF power output by plasma power supply 224. The solid line represents forward power Pf sent from plasma power supply 224 to a plasma load including an antenna. The dashed line represents reflected power Pr from the plasma load toward plasma power supply 224.

[0063] In the pre-treatment of the film formation process, the wafer W is heated to a predetermined temperature while the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is controlled to a predetermined pressure. At this time, gas is supplied from a plurality of gas nozzles. The control unit 214 performs a series of controls.

[0064] The plasma unit 222 of the process section 220 ignites plasma (plasma ignition step S1). In the plasma ignition step S1, RF power is supplied from the plasma power source 224 to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 to ignite the plasma and generate the plasma.

[0065] 4, continuous wave (CW) RF power is supplied from plasma power source 224 to the antenna of plasma unit 222 without pulse-modulating the RF power. By supplying continuous wave RF power from plasma power source 224 to the antenna of plasma unit 222 when igniting plasma, it becomes easier to ignite the plasma.

[0066] Next, the process chamber 226 of the process unit 220 performs a process (process treatment step S2). The process treatment step S2 is performed after the plasma ignition step S1. The timing t1 at which the process treatment step S2 starts is determined based on at least one of the forward power Pf and the reflected power Pr. For example, the process treatment step S2 may be started after the forward power Pf reaches a predetermined set value and stabilizes, or the process treatment step S2 may be started after the reflected power Pr reaches a predetermined value (e.g., 100 W) or less.

[0067] In the process step S2, as the turntable 2 rotates, for example, a silicon-containing gas is adsorbed on the surface of the wafer W in a first processing region, and then the silicon-containing gas adsorbed on the wafer W is oxidized by ozone in a second processing region. As a result, one or more molecular layers of SiO2, which is a thin film component, are formed and deposited on the wafer W. The wafer W then reaches a plasma processing region, where a modification process of the silicon oxide film is performed by plasma processing. In the plasma processing region, a plasma processing gas is supplied from a base nozzle, an outer nozzle, and an axis-side nozzle.

[0068] If necessary, the flow rate of oxygen may be lowered so that the modifying power is weaker than that of the plasma processing gas supplied from the base nozzle in the region on the central axis side where the angular velocity is slow and the amount of plasma processing is likely to be large, based on the supply from the base nozzle. Also, the flow rate of oxygen may be increased so that the modifying power is stronger than that of the plasma processing gas supplied from the base nozzle in the region on the outer periphery side where the angular velocity is fast and the amount of plasma processing is likely to be insufficient. This allows the effect of the angular velocity of the turntable 2 to be appropriately adjusted.

[0069] In this state, by continuing to rotate the turntable 2, the adsorption of the silicon-containing gas onto the surface of the wafer W, the oxidation of the silicon-containing gas components adsorbed onto the surface of the wafer W, and the plasma modification of the silicon oxide film, which is the reaction product, are performed multiple times in the process chamber 226. In this manner, in the process chamber 226, the film formation process by the ALD method and the modification process of the formed film are performed multiple times by the rotation of the turntable 2.

[0070] In the process step S2, a pulse (pulse wave) is supplied by pulse-modulating the RF power supplied from the plasma power source 224 to the antenna. When a pulse of RF power is supplied from the plasma power source 224 to the antenna, the energy distribution of ions and radicals generated by decomposing the plasma processing gas can be changed by changing the on / off ratio (duty ratio) or frequency of the pulse modulation.

[0071] For example, the duty ratio is expressed as the ratio of the on-time Ton to the total time (Ton+Toff) of the on-time Ton during which the plasma power supply 224 supplies RF power to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 and the off-time Toff during which it does not supply RF power, that is, Ton / (Ton+Toff). The frequency is expressed as 1 / (Ton+Toff).

[0072] When changing the duty ratio, for example, the off time Toff may be changed while the on time Ton is fixed, the on time Ton may be changed while the off time Toff is fixed, or both the on time Ton and the off time Toff may be changed. In the process treatment step S2, after a time according to the recipe setting has elapsed (time t2), the supply of RF power from the plasma power source 224 to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 is stopped.

[0073] 4 changes the duty ratio or frequency of the RF power pulse supplied from the plasma power source 224 to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 for each process step of the recipe during the process step S2. As an example, the RF power pulse may be supplied at a first duty ratio in the first half of the process step S2, the RF power pulse may be supplied at a second duty ratio different from the first duty ratio in the middle of the process step, and the RF power pulse may be supplied at a third duty ratio different from the second duty ratio in the latter half of the process step.

[0074] In the plasma control method of this embodiment, a plasma processing gas is supplied into the vacuum chamber 1 while rotating the turntable 2, and the RF power pulse supplied to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 is controlled according to a recipe. The plasma control method of this embodiment can change the energy distribution of ions and radicals generated by decomposing the plasma processing gas by changing the duty ratio or frequency of the RF power pulse supplied to the antenna of the plasma unit 222 for each processing step according to the recipe.

[0075] The control unit 214 of the plasma processing apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2 can realize various functions shown in FIG. 5 by the computer 500 having the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3 executing processes according to a program.

[0076] Fig. 5 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of a control unit according to this embodiment. The control unit 214 shown in Fig. 5 has an input receiving unit 300, a recipe storage unit 302, a determination unit 304, and an execution control unit 306. The recipe storage unit 302 may be realized by an auxiliary storage device 508, or may be realized by a recording device connected so as to be able to communicate via a network or the like.

[0077] The input receiving unit 300 receives from an operator an input of a recipe in which values ​​of a plurality of parameters are set for each processing step for executing a film forming process in the process unit 220. The recipe storage unit 302 stores the recipe inputted by the input receiving unit 300 from the operator.

[0078] The determination unit 304 reads out a recipe from the recipe storage unit 302. If a variable parameter is included in multiple parameters of the recipe, the determination unit 304 determines the value of the variable parameter based on the progress of the film formation process, as described below. The progress of the film formation process is, for example, an estimated cumulative film thickness of the wafer W calculated from the flow rate of gas supplied to the process unit 220. The determination unit 304 may determine the value of the variable parameter so that, for example, the uniformity of the estimated cumulative film thickness within the surface of the wafer W is improved.

[0079] The variable parameters include setting items related to pulses of the plasma power supply 224 that supplies pulses of RF power to the plasma unit 222 that generates plasma inside the process chamber 226 of the process section 220. Setting items related to the pulses include a duty ratio or a frequency of the pulses of RF power that the plasma power supply 224 supplies to the plasma unit 222. The variable parameters include setting items related to the time of a processing step.

[0080] The execution control unit 306 causes the process unit 220 to execute a film forming process based on the values ​​of a plurality of parameters other than the variable parameters set in the recipe and the values ​​of the variable parameters determined by the determination unit 304 .

[0081] [process] The plasma processing apparatus 200 according to this embodiment executes a film formation process, for example, in the procedure shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of a process procedure in which the plasma processing apparatus according to this embodiment performs a film formation process according to a recipe. In step S10, the input receiving unit 300 of the control unit 214 displays recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002, for example, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, to receive recipe input from an operator. The recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002 are examples of screens for receiving recipe input from an operator.

[0082] Recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002 receive from an operator the setting of multiple parameter values ​​for performing a film forming process in the process section 220 for each process step. The recipe setting screen 1000 in Fig. 7 is an example of a screen for setting the value of a setting item related to the flow rate of gas supplied to the process chamber 226, which is an example of multiple parameters, for each process step. The recipe setting screen 1002 in Fig. 8 is an example of a screen for setting the value of a setting item related to the pulse of RF power supplied by the plasma power source 224 to the plasma unit 222, which is an example of multiple parameters, for each process step.

[0083] 7 and 8 include options 1010 that allow the operator to set the type of film formation process for each process step. For the process step for which a variable parameter is selected, the operator can set the type of film formation process from the options 1010 on the recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002 shown in Fig. 7 and 8. The types of film formation process include film formation and cleaning.

[0084] 7 and 8, a variable parameter 1012 can be selected from a plurality of parameters for each processing step. An operator may select a variable parameter from options, or may select a variable parameter by inputting, for example, "variable" as the parameter value. Note that the parameters included in the recipe may include setting items that cannot be selected as variable parameters.

[0085] The variable parameters 1012 are parameters whose values ​​change based on the progress of the film formation process after the film formation process is started according to the recipe. For example, in the recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002 shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, setting items related to the time of the processing step and some of setting items related to the pulse of the RF power supplied by the plasma power source 224 to the plasma unit 222 are selected as the variable parameters 1012.

[0086] The recipe storage unit 302 of the control unit 214 displays recipe setting screens 1000 and 1002 as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, for example, and stores the recipe input by the operator. Returning to step S12 in Fig. 6, the determination unit 304 and execution control unit 306 of the control unit 214 cause the process unit 220 to perform a film formation process as shown in Fig. 9, for example, in accordance with the recipe stored in the recipe storage unit 302.

[0087] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process procedure of step S12. In step S100, the determination unit 304 of the control unit 214 assigns "1" to a variable x for sequentially reading out process steps from the recipe stored in the recipe storage unit 302. The variable x indicates the order of the process steps of the recipe to be executed or the process steps of the recipe being executed, and is an example of information indicating the progress of the film formation process.

[0088] In step S102, the determination unit 304 reads out values ​​of a plurality of parameters of the x-th processing step of the recipe stored in the recipe storage unit 302.

[0089] In step S104, the determination unit 304 determines whether or not a variable parameter is included in the multiple parameters read in step S102. If a variable parameter is included in the multiple parameters read in step S102, the determination unit 304 proceeds to the process of step S106.

[0090] In step S106, the determination unit 304 reads out the type of film formation process from the multiple parameters read out in step S102. In addition, in step S108, the determination unit 304 calculates an estimated cumulative film thickness of the wafer from the flow rate of gas supplied to the process chamber 226 and the type of film formation process in the process steps up to the variable x-1. A method of calculating the estimated cumulative film thickness of the wafer from the flow rate of gas supplied to the process chamber 226 and the type of film formation process is an existing technology, so a description thereof will be omitted. The estimated cumulative film thickness of the wafer is an example of information indicating the progress of the film formation process.

[0091] In step S110, the determination unit 304 determines the values ​​of the setting items selected as the variable parameters based on the type of the film formation process read out in step S106 and the progress of the film formation process calculated in step S108. Note that the determination unit 304 may use other values ​​that can be obtained during the execution of the film formation process according to the recipe to determine the values ​​of the variable parameters.

[0092] For example, the determination unit 304 may determine the value of the variable parameter using a table in which the type of film formation read out in step S106 and the progress status of the film formation calculated in step S108 are associated with the value of the variable parameter. Alternatively, the determination unit 304 may determine the value of the variable parameter using calculations based on the type of film formation read out in step S106 and the progress status of the film formation calculated in step S108.

[0093] Furthermore, the determining unit 304 may determine the value of the variable parameter so as to improve the uniformity of the estimated accumulated film thickness within the surface of the wafer W. For example, if the variable parameter is a setting item related to the pulse of the RF power supplied to the antenna of the plasma unit 222, the determining unit 304 determines the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse of the RF power as the value of the variable parameter so as to improve the uniformity of the estimated accumulated film thickness within the surface of the wafer W.

[0094] After step S110, the determining unit 304 proceeds to the process of step S112. If the multiple parameters read out in step S102 do not include a variable parameter, the determining unit 304 proceeds to the process of step S112 after step S104.

[0095] In step S112, the execution control unit 306 causes the process unit 220 to execute the film forming process of the x-th processing step based on the values ​​of the multiple parameters read in step S102 and the values ​​of the variable parameters determined in step S110.

[0096] In step S114, the determination unit 304 determines whether or not the execution of all the processing steps of the recipe has been completed.

[0097] If the execution of all the processing steps of the recipe has not been completed, the determination unit 304 proceeds to the process of step S116, where it adds "1" to the variable x for sequentially reading out the processing steps from the recipe stored in the recipe storage unit 302, and then returns to the process of step S102. If the execution of all the processing steps of the recipe has been completed, the determination unit 304 ends the process shown in FIG.

[0098] As described above, according to the plasma processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, a variable parameter whose value changes based on the progress of the film formation process can be set in a recipe in which the values ​​of multiple parameters are set for each processing step. For example, by selecting a setting item related to the pulse of the RF power of the plasma power source 224 included in the recipe as a variable parameter, the plasma processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment can finely control the pulse of the RF power of the plasma power source 224 based on the progress of the film formation process. Therefore, the plasma processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment can adjust the amount of energy to an appropriate amount according to the progress of the film formation process while reducing damage to the process unit 220 when plasma is used, and can reduce particles and improve the uniformity of the film formation.

[0099] [Other embodiments] The plasma processing apparatus 200 according to this embodiment can also be realized by, for example, a plasma processing system 2000 shown in FIG.

[0100] Fig. 10 is a configuration diagram of an example of a plasma processing system according to this embodiment. The plasma processing system 2000 in Fig. 10 is configured such that one or more plasma processing apparatuses 200 installed in a manufacturing factory 2002, a server device 250, and an operator terminal 260 are communicatively connected to each other via a network 230 such as a LAN and a network 240 such as the Internet as communication paths.

[0101] 10 shows a plasma processing apparatus 200 having a built-in controller unit 210 and a plasma processing apparatus 200 having an external controller unit 210. The server apparatus 250 may have the functional configuration shown in Fig. 5. The server apparatus 250 may control a film forming process of the plasma processing apparatus 200 in the manufacturing factory 2002 according to the processes of the flowcharts shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

[0102] 10 shows an example of one server device 250, but may be multiple server devices 250. The functions of the server device 250 may be distributed among multiple computers, or may be provided in a cloud computer.

[0103] The operator terminal 260 is an information processing terminal operated by an operator. The information processing terminal is, for example, a PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc. The operator may remotely connect the operator terminal 260 to the controller unit 210 or the server device 250 of the plasma processing apparatus 200 and input a recipe.

[0104] As described above, according to this embodiment, a setting item for the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse of RF power supplied to the plasma unit 222 can be added to the setting items of the recipe for executing processing in the process part 220. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a setting item (variable parameter) whose value changes based on the progress of processing being executed according to the recipe (e.g., estimated cumulative film thickness, etc.) can be selected from the setting items of the recipe for executing processing in the process part 220.

[0105] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in this embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 200 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. This embodiment can also be applied to processing apparatuses such as semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, substrate processing apparatuses, and heat processing apparatuses that perform processing according to the values ​​of multiple parameters included in a recipe. In addition, in this embodiment, the single-wafer type plasma processing apparatus 200 has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to batch-type processing apparatuses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 200 Plasma processing device 210 Controller section 220 Process Section 214 Control Unit 222 Plasma Unit 224 Plasma power source 226 Process Chamber 300 Input reception section 304 Decision Section 306 Execution Control Unit 2000 Plasma Processing System

Claims

1. A plasma control method for a plasma processing apparatus having a control unit and a process unit, comprising: The control unit is receiving an input of a recipe in which values ​​of a plurality of parameters for performing a film forming process in the process unit are set for each processing step; if the plurality of parameters of the recipe includes a variable parameter, determining a value of the variable parameter based on a progress status of the film forming process; causing the process unit to execute a film forming process based on the values ​​of the plurality of parameters set in the recipe and the determined values ​​of the variable parameters; The plasma control method includes the steps of:

2. The variable parameters include setting items related to pulses of a plasma power source that supplies pulses of RF (Radio Frequency) power to a plasma unit that generates plasma inside a process chamber of the process section. The method of claim 1 .

3. Determining values ​​of the variable parameters includes: determining values ​​of the setting items related to the pulses so as to improve uniformity of the estimated cumulative film thickness within the surface of the wafer. The method of claim 2 .

4. The setting items related to the pulse include the duty ratio or frequency of the pulse. The method of claim 3 .

5. The variable parameters include a setting item related to the time of the processing step. The method of claim 2 .

6. The progress of the film formation process is an estimated cumulative film thickness of the wafer calculated from the flow rate of the gas supplied to the process section and the type of film formation process, or the order of the process steps of the recipe being executed. The method of claim 1 .

7. Receiving input of the recipe includes: displaying a screen for receiving input of the recipe from an operator; receiving from the operator settings of the plurality of parameters displayed on the screen and selection of the variable parameters; receiving a selection of a type of the film formation process from the operator; The method for controlling plasma according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

8. A plasma processing apparatus having a control unit and a process unit, The control unit is an input receiving unit that receives an input of a recipe in which values ​​of a plurality of parameters for performing a film forming process in the process unit are set for each processing step; a determination unit that determines a value of a variable parameter based on a progress status of the film forming process if the plurality of parameters of the recipe includes a variable parameter; an execution control unit that causes the process unit to execute a film forming process based on the values ​​of the plurality of parameters set in the recipe and the determined values ​​of the variable parameters; A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

9. A plasma processing system having a control unit and a process unit, The control unit is an input receiving unit that receives an input of a recipe in which values ​​of a plurality of parameters for performing a film forming process in the process unit are set for each processing step; a determination unit that determines a value of a variable parameter based on a progress status of the film forming process if the plurality of parameters of the recipe includes a variable parameter; an execution control unit that causes the process unit to execute a film forming process based on the values ​​of the plurality of parameters set in the recipe and the determined values ​​of the variable parameters; A plasma processing system comprising:

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