Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

To efficiently remove a deposit depositing on an inner wall of a chamber.SOLUTION: A plasma processing device comprises: an electrode disposed in a chamber; a plurality of gas discharge ports disposed around the electrode so as to discharge gas toward radially outside the electrode; a gas supply part serving to supply a process gas to the plurality of gas discharge ports; an RF power source serving to supply the electrode with RF power which can make the process gas plasma; and a control part which performs control operations for supplying the electrode with RF power from the RF power source while supplying the process gas from the gas supply part to discharge the process gas from the gas discharge ports.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a cleaning method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of activating a cleaning gas with a plasma generator and introducing the activated cleaning gas from the side surface of a chamber to remove deposits on the chamber wall.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for efficiently removing deposits adhering to the inner wall of a chamber.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A plasma processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a chamber, an electrode, a plurality of gas discharge ports, a gas supply unit, a high-frequency power source, and a control unit. The electrode is disposed in the chamber. The plurality of gas discharge ports are disposed around the electrode and are arranged to discharge gas toward the electrode side. The gas supply unit supplies a processing gas to the plurality of gas discharge ports. The high-frequency power source supplies high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the processing gas to the electrode. The control unit controls to supply the processing gas from the gas supply unit and discharge the processing gas from the gas discharge ports while supplying high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source to the electrode.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, deposits adhering to the inner wall of the chamber can be efficiently removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the plasma processing apparatus and the cleaning method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the plasma processing apparatus and the cleaning method disclosed are not limited by this embodiment.

[0009] Incidentally, in a plasma processing apparatus, deposits accumulate on the inner wall of the chamber. As a technique for removing such deposits, Patent Document 1 discloses activating a cleaning gas with a plasma generator and introducing the activated cleaning gas from the side surface of the chamber. However, since the cleaning gas is activated by a plasma generator disposed outside the chamber and the activated cleaning gas is sent into the chamber through a pipe, the efficiency of divergence of the cleaning gas is not good, and the efficiency of removing deposits is low.

[0010] Therefore, a technique for efficiently removing deposits adhering to the inner wall of the chamber is expected.

[0011] [Embodiment] [Device Configuration] An example of the plasma processing apparatus of the present disclosure will be described. In the embodiment, a case where the plasma processing apparatus of the present disclosure is a plasma processing system in a system configuration will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a plasma processing system according to the embodiment.

[0012] A configuration example of a plasma processing system will be described below. The plasma processing system includes a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2. The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply unit 20, a power supply 30, and an exhaust system 40. Further, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate support unit 11 and a gas introduction unit. The gas introduction unit is configured to introduce at least one processing gas into the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas introduction unit includes a shower head 13. The substrate support unit 11 is disposed in the plasma processing chamber 10. The shower head 13 is disposed above the substrate support unit 11. In one embodiment, the shower head 13 constitutes at least a part of the ceiling of the plasma processing chamber 10. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the shower head 13, the side wall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support unit 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space 10s and at least one gas discharge port for discharging gas from the plasma processing space. The side wall 10a is grounded. The shower head 13 and the substrate support unit 11 are electrically insulated from the plasma processing chamber 10 housing. For example, the shower head 13 is supported by the plasma processing chamber 10 via an insulating member 14 such as ceramics. Thereby, the plasma processing chamber 101 and the shower head 13 are electrically insulated.

[0013] The substrate support portion 11 includes a main body portion 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body portion 111 has a central region (substrate support surface) 111a for supporting a substrate (wafer) W and an annular region (ring support surface) 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. The annular region 111b of the main body portion 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body portion 111 in a plan view. The substrate W is disposed on the central region 111a of the main body portion 111, and the ring assembly 112 is disposed on the annular region 111b of the main body portion 111 so as to surround the substrate W on the central region 111a of the main body portion 111. In one embodiment, the main body portion 111 includes a base and an electrostatic chuck. The base includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base functions as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck is disposed on the base. The upper surface of the electrostatic chuck has the substrate support surface 111a. The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular members. At least one of the one or more annular members is an edge ring. Also, although not shown, the substrate support portion 11 may include a temperature control module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate to a target temperature. The temperature control module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow path, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows through the flow path. Further, the substrate support portion 11 may include a heat transfer gas supply portion configured to supply a heat transfer gas between the back surface of the substrate W and the substrate support surface 111a.

[0014] The shower head 13 is configured to introduce at least one process gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The shower head 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and a plurality of gas introduction ports 13c. The process gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a passes through the gas diffusion chamber 13b and is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s from the plurality of gas introduction ports 13c. Further, the shower head 13 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the shower head 13 functions as an upper electrode. Note that the gas introduction unit may include, in addition to the shower head 13, one or more side gas injection parts (SGI: Side Gas Injector) attached to one or more openings formed in the side wall 10a.

[0015] The gas supply unit 20 may include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one process gas from the corresponding gas source 21 to the shower head 13 via the corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Further, the gas supply unit 20 may include one or more flow modulation devices that modulate or pulse the flow rate of at least one process gas.

[0016] The plasma processing chamber 10 is provided with a plurality of gas discharge ports 23 around the inner shower head 13. In the embodiment, the gas discharge ports 23 are provided in the insulating member 14 surrounding the shower head 13.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the gas discharge ports 23 according to the embodiment. The plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are arranged at intervals around the entire circumference of the shower head 13 so as to surround the shower head 13. In the embodiment, 24 gas discharge ports 23 are provided at equal intervals around the shower head 13. Each gas discharge port 23 is arranged toward the center so as to discharge gas toward the electrode side of the shower head 13.

[0018] Return to FIG. 1. The gas outlets 23 are respectively connected to the gas supply unit 20. The gas supply unit 20 supplies gas to each gas outlet 23. For example, the gas supply unit 20 supplies cleaning gas for cleaning to each gas outlet 23. The gas supply unit 20 is capable of controlling the flow rate of the gas supplied to each gas outlet 23. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is individually connected to each gas outlet 23 by a pipe 24. A flow controller 25 is provided in each pipe 24. The gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply cleaning gas from a corresponding gas source 21 to each gas outlet 23 via a corresponding flow controller 25. The gas supply unit 20 is capable of controlling the flow rate of the gas supplied to each gas outlet 23 by controlling the flow rate of the gas by the flow controller 25.

[0019] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply 31 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply 31 is configured to supply at least one RF signal (RF power) such as a source RF signal and a bias RF signal to the conductive member of the substrate support 11 and / or the conductive member of the shower head 13. Thereby, plasma is formed from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma from one or more processing gases in the plasma processing chamber 10. Also, by supplying a bias RF signal to the conductive member of the substrate support 11, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, and the ion component in the formed plasma can be drawn into the substrate W.

[0020] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generation unit 31a and a second RF generation unit 31b. The first RF generation unit 31a is coupled to the conductive member of the substrate support unit 11 and / or the conductive member of the shower head 13 via at least one impedance matching circuit, and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) for plasma generation. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 13 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generation unit 31a may be configured to generate a plurality of source RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more source RF signals are supplied to the conductive member of the substrate support unit 11 and / or the conductive member of the shower head 13. The second RF generation unit 31b is coupled to the conductive member of the substrate support unit 11 via at least one impedance matching circuit, and is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a lower frequency than the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz. In one embodiment, the second RF generation unit 31b may be configured to generate a plurality of bias RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more bias RF signals are supplied to the conductive member of the substrate support unit 11. Also, in various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0021] In addition, the power supply 30 may include a DC power supply 32 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The DC power supply 32 includes a first DC generation unit 32a and a second DC generation unit 32b. In one embodiment, the first DC generation unit 32a is connected to a conductive member of the substrate support 11 and is configured to generate a first DC signal. The generated first bias DC signal is applied to the conductive member of the substrate support 11. In one embodiment, the first DC signal may be applied to other electrodes such as the electrodes in the electrostatic chuck. In one embodiment, the second DC generation unit 32b is connected to a conductive member of the showerhead 13 and is configured to generate a second DC signal. The generated second DC signal is applied to the conductive member of the showerhead 13. In various embodiments, at least one of the first and second DC signals may be pulsed. Note that the first and second DC generation units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the RF power supply 31, or the first DC generation unit 32a may be provided in place of the second RF generation unit 31b.

[0022] The exhaust system 40 can be connected, for example, to a gas outlet 10e provided at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure in the plasma processing space 10s is adjusted by the pressure regulating valve. The vacuum pump may include a turbo molecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0023] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to execute various processes described in the present disclosure. The control unit 2 can be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to execute the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include, for example, a computer 2a. The computer 2a may include, for example, a processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 can be configured to perform various control operations based on a program stored in the storage unit 2a2. The storage unit 2a2 may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0024] Incidentally, as described above, in the plasma processing apparatus 1, deposits accumulate on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. The deposits include products generated by plasma processing, ash due to heat, and the like.

[0025] Therefore, the deposits in the plasma processing chamber 10 are removed by the cleaning process of the cleaning method according to the embodiment. The plasma processing system according to the embodiment performs a cleaning process for removing deposits in the plasma processing chamber 10 under the control of the control unit 2. The timing for performing the cleaning process may be any timing during the substrate processing. For example, in the plasma processing system, after performing substrate processing on a certain number of substrates W, a process for restoring the state inside the plasma processing chamber 10, such as dry cleaning, may be performed. The control unit 2 may perform the cleaning process of the cleaning method according to the embodiment during or subsequent to the dry cleaning in the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0026] When performing the cleaning process of the cleaning method according to the embodiment, the control unit 2 controls the gas supply unit 20 to supply the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 to the plurality of gas discharge ports 23 and discharge the cleaning gas from the gas discharge ports 23. Further, the control unit 2 controls the first RF generation unit 31a and the second RF generation unit 31b in accordance with the supply of the cleaning gas, and controls to supply the source RF signal for plasma generation to the conductive member of the shower head 13. Note that the control unit 2 may further control to supply a bias RF signal to the conductive member of the substrate support unit 11.

[0027] Each gas discharge port 23 is arranged toward the center side. As a result, when the cleaning gas discharged from the gas discharge port 23 passes between the shower head 13 and the substrate support unit 11, it is plasmaized and activated. By passing the cleaning gas between the shower head 13 and the substrate support unit 11, many active species can be efficiently obtained from the cleaning gas. The activated cleaning gas reaches the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. As a result, many active species can be delivered to the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. As a result, the deposits attached to the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 can be efficiently removed.

[0028] The control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is discharged in order in units of one or a plurality of adjacent gas discharge ports 23. Further, the control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the gas discharge ports 23 from which the cleaning gas is discharged are switched in order along the periphery of the shower head 13. For example, the control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is discharged in order for a predetermined number of adjacent gas discharge ports 23 along the periphery of the shower head 13 among the plurality of gas discharge ports 23.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the order of discharging the cleaning gas according to the embodiment. In FIGS. 3(A) to 3(D), changes in the gas discharge ports 23 for discharging the cleaning gas are shown. In FIGS. 3(A) to 3(D), the cleaning gas is discharged from three adjacent gas discharge ports 23 each time. The discharged cleaning gas passes through the central shower head 13, is plasmaized and activated, and reaches the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 on the side opposite to the gas discharge port 23. Then, the cleaning gas changes its flow along the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the flow velocity of the gas increases. By increasing the flow velocity of the gas on the side opposite to the gas discharge port 23, the removal rate by the cleaning gas is improved, and the deposits adhering to the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0030] The control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the gas discharge ports 23 from which the cleaning gas is discharged are sequentially switched along the periphery of the shower head 13. As a result, as shown in the order of FIGS. 3(A) to 3(D), the gas discharge ports 23 from which the cleaning gas is discharged are sequentially switched along the periphery of the shower head 13. Thereby, a swirling flow in which the cleaning gas swirls along the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 can be generated, and the deposits adhering to the entire circumference of the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0031] The cleaning gas may be of any gas type as long as it can remove the deposits. For example, when the deposits are organic products generated from the etching gas during the etching process of the substrate W, examples of the cleaning gas include oxygen-containing gases such as O2, CO, and CO2. Also, when the deposits are an organic film containing metals such as W (tungsten) and Ti (titanium), the cleaning gas includes oxygen-containing gases such as O2, CO, and CO2, and gases obtained by adding a halogen-containing gas such as CF 4、 Cl2. Further, when the deposits are deposits in metal etching such as Ru (ruthenium) and Ta (tantalum), an example of the cleaning gas is methanol (CH3OH) gas.

[0032] In the above embodiment, 24 gas outlets 23 are provided around the shower head 13, and the case where the cleaning gas is discharged from four gas outlets 23 at a time has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of gas outlets 23 provided around the shower head 13 may be any number. Also, the number of gas outlets 23 that discharge the cleaning gas at one time may be any number. FIGS. 4A to 4C are diagrams showing another example of the arrangement of the gas outlets 23 according to the embodiment. In FIGS. 4A to 4C, eight gas outlets 23 are provided around the shower head 13. In FIG. 4A, the cleaning gas is discharged from each gas outlet 23 one by one. In FIG. 4B, the cleaning gas is discharged from two gas outlets 23 at a time. In FIG. 4C, the cleaning gas is discharged from three gas outlets 23 at a time.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the case where the gas discharge port 23 is provided in the insulating member 14 surrounding the shower head 13 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The gas discharge port 23 may be arranged anywhere. For example, the gas discharge port 23 may be provided on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. Further, the gas discharge ports 23 may be arranged at different heights on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing another example of the arrangement of the gas discharge port 23 according to the embodiment. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the gas discharge port 23 is provided on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. In FIG. 5A, the shower head 13 constitutes the top plate of the plasma processing chamber 10. Gas discharge ports 23a to 23d are arranged at different heights on the inner side wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. In FIG. 5B, the shower head 13 protrudes downward from the top plate of the plasma processing chamber 10. Gas discharge ports 23e to 23g are arranged at different heights on the inner side wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas discharge port 23 is preferably provided at a height between the shower head 13 and the substrate support portion 11 so that the discharged cleaning gas passes between the shower head 13 and the substrate support portion 11. For example, in FIG. 5A, it is preferable to arrange the gas discharge port 23 at the positions of the gas discharge ports 23a to 23c. In FIG. 5B, it is preferable to arrange the gas discharge port 23 at the position of the gas discharge port 23f. When a plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are arranged at different heights, the control unit 2 may control the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is discharged from each gas discharge port 23 in descending order or ascending order. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of the discharge order of the cleaning gas according to the embodiment. In FIG. 6, similar to FIG. 5A, gas discharge ports 23a to 23d are provided at different heights on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. The control unit 2 may control the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is discharged in the order of the gas discharge ports 23a to 23d. For example, the control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is sequentially discharged along the periphery of the shower head 13 in order from the gas discharge port 23 at the higher position for the gas discharge ports 23a to 23d provided around the shower head 13 at different heights.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the cleaning gas discharged from the gas discharge port 23 passes through the central shower head 13, is plasmaized and activated, and reaches the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 on the side opposite to the gas discharge port 23. At this time, along the gas flow, since the cleaning gas that has passed through the plasma directly reaches the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10, inactivation of the activated cleaning gas can be minimized. Therefore, not only does the gas flow rate increase, but more activated cleaning gas can be supplied, so the removal rate by the cleaning gas is improved, and the deposits attached to the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0035] Also, as described above, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1.

[0036] As described above, the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a plasma processing chamber 10 (chamber), a shower head 13 (electrode), a plurality of gas discharge ports 23, a gas supply unit 20, an RF power supply 31 (high-frequency power supply), and a control unit 2. The shower head 13 is disposed in the plasma processing chamber 10. The plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are arranged around the shower head 13 to discharge gas toward the shower head 13 side. The gas supply unit 20 supplies cleaning gas as a processing gas to the plurality of gas discharge ports 23. The RF power supply 31 supplies high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the shower head 13. The control unit 2 controls to supply high-frequency power from the RF power supply 31 to the shower head 13 while supplying the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge port 23 during cleaning. Thereby, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can improve the removal efficiency of deposits attached to the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0037] In addition, the control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the cleaning gas is discharged in units of one or a plurality of adjacent gas discharge ports 23 in sequence. Thereby, in the plasma processing apparatus 1, the flow rate of the gas on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 becomes faster on the side opposite to the gas discharge port 23, so that the removal rate by the cleaning gas is improved, and the deposits adhering to the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0038] In addition, the control unit 2 controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 so that the gas discharge ports 23 from which the cleaning gas is discharged are switched in sequence along the periphery of the shower head 13. Thereby, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can generate a swirling flow in which the cleaning gas swirls along the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the deposits adhering to the entire circumference of the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0039] In addition, the plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are provided along the periphery of the shower head 13. Thereby, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can efficiently obtain many active species from the cleaning gas, and can improve the removal efficiency of the deposits adhering to the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0040] In addition, the plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are arranged so that the discharged cleaning gas passes between the shower head 13 and the substrate support portion 11. In this way, by passing the cleaning gas between the shower head 13 and the substrate support portion 11, many active species can be efficiently obtained from the cleaning gas.

[0041] In addition, the plurality of gas discharge ports 23 are further arranged at different heights on the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. Thereby, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can also change the region where the flow rate of the gas becomes fast in the height direction of the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the deposits adhering to the inner wall can be removed more efficiently.

[0042] Also, while the dry cleaning is being performed inside the plasma processing chamber 10 or subsequent to the dry cleaning, the control unit 2 controls to supply high-frequency power from the RF power supply 31 to the shower head 13 while supplying a cleaning gas from the gas supply unit 20 and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge port 23. Thereby, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can remove deposits adhering to the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10 in accordance with the timing of the dry cleaning.

[0043] As described above, the embodiments have been described. However, the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In fact, the above-described embodiments can be embodied in various forms. Also, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims.

[0044] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where plasma processing is performed on a semiconductor wafer as the substrate W has been described as an example, but it is not limited thereto. The substrate W can be any one.

[0045] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the case where high-frequency power is supplied from the RF power supply 31 to the shower head 13 while discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge port 23 during cleaning has been described. However, it is not limited thereto. The plasma processing apparatus 1 can supply high-frequency power from the RF power supply 31 to the shower head 13 while discharging various gases such as a process gas used for plasma processing as a processing gas from the gas discharge port 23, and plasmaize the processing gas to perform plasma processing or cleaning. For example, the control unit 2 may supply power from the RF power supply 31 to the shower head 13 while supplying a processing gas from the gas supply unit 20 and discharging the processing gas from the gas discharge port 23.

[0046] Also, in the above embodiment, the case where plasma etching is performed as plasma processing has been described as an example, but it is not limited thereto. The plasma processing may be any processing using plasma.

[0047] It should be noted that all aspects of the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. In fact, the above-described embodiments can be embodied in various forms. Also, the above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0048] 1 Plasma processing apparatus 2 Control unit 2a Computer 2a1 Processing unit 2a2 Storage unit 2a3 Communication interface 10 Plasma processing chamber 11 Substrate support unit 13 Shower head 14 Insulating member 20 Gas supply unit 21 Gas source 22 Flow controller 23, 23a~23f Gas discharge ports 24 Pipe 25 Flow controller 30 Power supply 31 RF power supply

Claims

1. A chamber, an electrode disposed within the chamber, a plurality of gas outlets disposed toward the central side of the electrode in an insulating member surrounding the electrode, and discharging gas supplied through a pipe passing through the insulating member, a gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to the plurality of gas outlets through the pipe, a high-frequency power supply for supplying high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the electrode, and a control unit for controlling to supply high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply to the electrode while supplying the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas outlets. A plasma processing apparatus having the above components.

2. A chamber, an electrode disposed within the chamber, a plurality of gas outlets disposed at intervals along the periphery of the electrode so as to surround the electrode, and discharging gas toward the electrode side, a gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to the plurality of gas outlets, a high-frequency power supply for supplying high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the electrode, and a control unit for controlling to supply high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply to the electrode while controlling the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the cleaning gas is discharged in sequence from a predetermined number of adjacent gas outlets along the periphery of the electrode. A plasma processing apparatus having the above components.

3. A chamber, an electrode disposed within the chamber, a plurality of gas outlets disposed toward the central side of the electrode around the electrode and discharging supplied gas, a gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to the plurality of gas outlets, a high-frequency power supply for supplying high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the electrode, and a control unit for controlling to supply high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply to the electrode while supplying the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas outlets so that the cleaning gas reaches the inner wall of the chamber on the side opposite to the gas outlets. The plasma processing apparatus having the above components, wherein the control unit controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the cleaning gas is discharged in sequence in units of one or a plurality of adjacent gas outlets. A plasma processing apparatus.

4. A chamber, an electrode disposed within the chamber, a plurality of gas outlets disposed toward the central side of the electrode around the electrode and discharging supplied gas, A gas supply unit that supplies cleaning gas to the plurality of gas discharge ports; A high-frequency power supply that supplies high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the electrode; A control unit that controls the supply of high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply to the electrode while supplying the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge port so as to reach the inner wall of the chamber on the side opposite to the gas discharge port; It has, The control unit controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the gas discharge ports from which the cleaning gas is discharged are sequentially switched along the periphery of the electrode Plasma processing apparatus.

5. A chamber, An electrode disposed in the chamber, A plurality of gas discharge ports disposed at different heights on the inner wall of the chamber and facing the center side of the electrode, respectively, for discharging the supplied gas; A gas supply unit that supplies cleaning gas to the plurality of gas discharge ports; A high-frequency power supply that supplies high-frequency power capable of plasmaizing the cleaning gas to the electrode; A control unit that controls the supply of high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply to the electrode while supplying the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge port; It has, The control unit controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the cleaning gas is discharged sequentially in units of one or a plurality of adjacent gas discharge ports Plasma processing apparatus.

6. The control unit controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the cleaning gas is discharged sequentially in units of one or a plurality of adjacent gas discharge ports The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The control unit controls the supply of the cleaning gas from the gas supply unit so that the gas discharge ports from which the cleaning gas is discharged are sequentially switched along the periphery of the electrode The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The plurality of gas discharge ports are provided around the electrode The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The electrode is disposed above a substrate support unit that supports a substrate, and is a shower head that discharges a process gas for substrate processing The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The plurality of gas discharge ports are arranged such that the discharged gas passes between the shower head and the substrate support portion. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9.

11. The plurality of gas discharge ports are further arranged at different heights on the inner wall of the chamber. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

12. During dry cleaning in the chamber or following the dry cleaning, the control unit controls to supply high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source to the electrode while supplying a cleaning gas from the gas supply unit and discharging the cleaning gas from the gas discharge ports. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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