Plasma treatment device and plasma treatment method

Abstract

The present invention achieves a technique for making plasma density uniform throughout the entirety of a vacuum chamber without reducing plasma density, by suppressing a decrease in plasma density at a portion close to the side wall of the vacuum chamber. A plasma treatment device (1) is provided with: a treatment chamber (64); a stage (30) that is disposed inside the treatment chamber (64) and on which an object to be processed is placed; and one or a plurality of antennas (20) that generate a magnetic field for producing plasma inside the treatment chamber (64). The antenna (20) has a structure in which, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the placement surface of the stage (30), the tip of the linear antenna (20) is curved or bent.

Description

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

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

[0002] Plasma processing apparatuses that generate plasma inside a vacuum chamber using an antenna are known. In recent years, plasma processing apparatuses using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) have become increasingly popular. Depending on the type of plasma processing apparatus, the generated plasma is used to perform a predetermined plasma processing on a workpiece.

[0003] In plasma processing apparatuses, the plasma density distribution inside a vacuum chamber may not be uniform. When the plasma density distribution is not uniform, there is a risk that the plasma processing of the workpiece may become non-uniform. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for achieving uniformity in the plasma density by making the induction electric field uniform (eliminating bias in the induction electric field distribution) in a multiplexed antenna.

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-229410

[0005] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have a problem in that they do not take into consideration the problem of reduced plasma density near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel. For example, if an attempt is made to solve this problem by making the overall plasma density uniform to match the plasma density near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel, there is a risk that the overall plasma density will decrease.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to realize a technology that can uniformize the plasma density without reducing the overall plasma density by suppressing a reduction in plasma density near the side wall of the vacuum vessel.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a plasma processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a processing chamber, a stage for placing an object to be processed thereon, which is disposed inside the processing chamber, and one or more antennas for generating a magnetic field for generating plasma inside the processing chamber, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end of a linear antenna is curved or bent when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the stage.

[0008] Furthermore, a plasma processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for plasma processing an object to be processed placed on a stage, and includes the steps of generating plasma by passing electricity through a linear antenna having a curved or bent end when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage, and moving the stage on which the object to be processed is placed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the linear portion of the antenna and parallel to the mounting surface.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, by suppressing a decrease in plasma density near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel, the overall plasma density can be made uniform without decreasing.

[0010] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a plasma processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the plasma processing apparatus 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an XZ cross section near the center of a vacuum vessel, viewed from the negative side of the Y axis; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the vacuum vessel and the antenna, viewed from above, i.e., the negative side of the Z axis; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram comparing the difference in plasma density at the ends of an antenna having curved ends and a straight antenna having neither curved ends; FIG. 6 is a plan view of a plasma processing apparatus in which an antenna having a shape in which a first end and a second end are bent, viewed from the Z axis direction; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus in which an antenna having ends also curved in the Z axis direction is arranged; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the degree of curvature or bending (angle θ) of the antenna end; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the degree of curvature when the antenna is bent in the Z axis direction; FIG. 10 is a plan view of a plasma processing apparatus 2 according to a second embodiment, viewed from the Z axis direction; FIG. 11 is a plan view of a plasma processing apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the Z axis direction; FIG. 12 is a plan view of a plasma processing apparatus 4 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the Z axis direction; and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a plasma processing method S1 according to a third embodiment.

[0011] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a plasma processing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the plasma processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a power supply 10, an antenna 20, a control unit 40, and a vacuum vessel 60. The vacuum vessel 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a processing chamber 64, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space, is provided inside a housing 61. In the drawings, the X axis indicates the long side direction of the vacuum vessel 60, the Y axis indicates the short side direction of the vacuum vessel 60, and the Z axis indicates the height direction of the vacuum vessel 60.

[0012] The processing chamber 64 is sealed by a radio frequency window 62. The radio frequency window 62 is made of, for example, a dielectric plate and a metal plate. The radio frequency window 62 introduces the magnetic field (radio frequency magnetic field) generated by the antenna 20 into the processing chamber 64. A gas that generates plasma is introduced into the processing chamber 64 (not shown). Inside the processing chamber 64, the introduced gas is converted into plasma by this magnetic field.

[0013] The antenna 20 is disposed directly above the radio frequency window 62, i.e., outside the vacuum vessel 60. The antenna 20 generates a magnetic field for generating plasma inside the processing chamber 64. The antenna 20 is linear except for its ends (the linear portions are also referred to as linear sections), and is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is along the X-axis direction. More specifically, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30, the antenna 20 has a structure in which the ends of the linear antenna are curved. The direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30 is, in other words, the direction along the Z-axis in FIG. 1. The direction along the Z-axis does not necessarily have to be strictly parallel to the Z-axis, but is a direction that is approximately parallel to it. Similarly, in the present disclosure, "orthogonal" does not necessarily have to be orthogonal in the strict sense, but may be approximately orthogonal to the extent that the effects of this embodiment can be obtained.

[0014] A power supply 10 applies a high-frequency voltage to one end of the antenna 20 via a matching box 11. The other end of the antenna 20 is connected to a ground impedance control unit 12, which controls the current balance between both ends of the antenna 20, and is then grounded. For example, current transformers (not shown) that detect the amount of current flowing through the connections between the antenna 20 and the matching box 11 and between the antenna 20 and the ground impedance control unit 12 can be provided in each connection. The current balance between both ends of the antenna 20 can be adjusted by controlling the ground impedance control unit so that the output values ​​of these two current transformers match. As a result, the symmetry of the antenna current and plasma density in the longitudinal direction of the antenna 20 can be improved around the longitudinal center of the antenna 20. This can further improve the uniformity of the generated plasma.

[0015] In Fig. 1, only one antenna 20 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there may be a plurality of antennas 20. Also, in Fig. 1, the antenna 20 is arranged outside the vacuum vessel 60. This configuration allows the structure of the vacuum vessel to be simplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the antenna 20 may be arranged inside the vacuum vessel 60 (not shown). Details of the shape of the antenna will be described later.

[0016] A stage 30 on which an object to be processed is placed is installed inside the processing chamber 64. The stage 30 may be provided with a drive unit 50 that swings or scans the stage 30 in the Y-axis direction in the figure. In other words, the drive unit 50 moves the stage 30 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the linear portion of the antenna 20 and along the mounting surface. By using the drive unit 50 to move the placed object to be processed, a large object to be processed can be uniformly processed even with a small number of antennas.

[0017] The control unit 40 controls the power supply 10 and the drive unit 50. The control unit 40 includes at least one processor 41 and at least one memory 42. The processor 41 can be configured using a general-purpose processor such as at least one MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 42 may include multiple types of memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). As an example, the processor 41 implements the functions of each unit by loading various control programs recorded in the ROM of the memory 42 into the RAM and executing them. The processor 41 may also include a dedicated processor configured, for example, as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or PLD (Programmable Logic Device).

[0018] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the XZ cross section near the center of the vacuum vessel 60, viewed in the negative direction of the Y axis. The housing 61 of the vacuum vessel 60 is closed by a high-frequency window 62 that closes the top surface. The interior of the housing 61 forms a processing chamber 64, which is sealed by an O-ring 63 and maintained in a vacuum state. A stage 30 on which an object to be processed is placed and a drive unit 50 are arranged in the processing chamber 64, but in FIG. 3, the drive unit 50 is omitted and only the stage 30 is shown.

[0019] The regions HR near both side walls in the X-axis direction of the illustrated processing chamber 64 also correspond to both ends of the antenna 20, and are therefore referred to as edge regions HR. In conventional technology using a linear antenna, the plasma density generated near the edge regions HR tends to be lower than in the central region. This is because the plasma is easily diffused at the edge of the plasma generation region, and because the edge regions HR are close to the inner wall surfaces of the housing 61 and are easily attracted to the charged inner wall surfaces, causing the plasma to disappear. This is referred to as plasma wall disappearance. In this embodiment, the shape of the antenna 20 is modified to suppress the decrease in plasma density near the edge regions HR. As shown in FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the antenna 20 has a structure in which the end portions are curved in a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the stage 30. The plane parallel to the mounting surface of the stage 30 is, in other words, a plane along the XY plane. In this disclosure, "parallel" does not necessarily mean parallel in the strict sense; it is sufficient to be approximately parallel to the extent that the effects of this embodiment can be obtained. This configuration makes it possible to make the plasma density uniform in the region parallel to the mounting surface of the stage 30 inside the processing chamber 64, and to uniformly process the object to be processed.

[0020] 4 is a schematic plan view of the vacuum vessel 60 and the antenna 20 viewed from above, i.e., in the negative direction of the Z axis. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, the linear antenna 20 has a curved structure at both ends ER. More specifically, the antenna 20 includes a linear portion LR extending linearly along the mounting surface of the stage 30, a first end ER1 which is the end of the antenna 20 on the power supply 10 side, and a second end ER2 which is the end of the antenna 20 on the ground side. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30 (the Z axis direction), the first end ER1 and the second end ER2 are curved relative to the linear portion LR.

[0021] 3 and 4, antenna 20 has a structure in which ends ER1 and / or ER2 of the linear antenna are curved outside processing chamber 64 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of stage 30. However, antenna 20 may have a structure in which ends ER1 and / or ER2 of the linear antenna are curved inside processing chamber 64 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of stage 30.

[0022] By curving the first end ER1 and / or the second end ER2 (both ends or one end may also be simply referred to as "end ER") of the linear antenna 20, it is possible to reduce the decrease in plasma density at the position in the processing chamber 64 corresponding to the position of the end ER. The reason for this is that by curving the end ER, the length of the antenna at that end can be made longer compared to an antenna consisting of only linear portions.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram comparing the difference in plasma density at the end of an antenna 20 with both curved ends ER and a straight antenna with neither curved end. The top diagram in FIG. 5 is the same as the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3. The bottom graph in FIG. 5 shows the plasma density in the processing chamber 64 at the position corresponding to the top cross-sectional view. The dotted line represents the plasma density when a straight antenna with neither curved end is used. As shown by the dotted line, near the end region HR, the plasma density rapidly decreases toward the inner wall surface of the housing 61. On the other hand, the solid line represents the plasma density when an antenna 20 with both curved ends ER is used. As shown by the solid line, using an antenna 20 with both curved ends ER increases the induced electric field strength in the end region HR, thereby increasing the amount of plasma generated. Therefore, the decrease in plasma density near the end region HR is smaller. In other words, using the antenna 20 allows for a more uniform plasma density distribution. In other words, the range in which the plasma density is uniform can be wider.

[0024] In the above example, the antenna 20 is formed with a curved end ER. However, in the above example, instead of curving the end ER, the end ER may be bent. FIG. 6 is a plan view, viewed from the Z-axis direction, of a plasma processing apparatus 1 in which an antenna 20 having a shape in which the first end ER1 and the second end ER2 are bent is disposed. The antenna 20 shown in FIG. 6 has a bent end ER. The bent end ER is a shape that extends linearly from the bent position to the tip. Even with such a shape instead of a curve, it is possible to reduce the decrease in plasma density near the end region HR.

[0025] 3, in this embodiment, the antenna 20 has a structure in which the end portion is curved in a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the stage 30. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the antenna 20 may have a structure in which, when viewed from a direction along the mounting surface of the stage 30 (Y-axis direction), it is further curved or bent in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30 (Z-axis direction).

[0026] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus 1 in which an antenna 20 is disposed, the end ER of which is also curved in the Z-axis direction. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum vessel 60 as viewed from the negative side of the Y-axis. In the antenna 20 shown in Fig. 7, the end ER1 and the end ER2 are curved in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the angle of curvature of the end ER may be smaller than the angle of curvature in the Y-axis direction.

[0027] In the examples described so far, both ends ER of the antenna 20 are curved, but this is not limiting and the antenna 20 may have a shape in which only one end is curved. Also, an antenna 20 that is a combination of curved and bent may be used.

[0028] The angle of curvature or bending is arbitrary. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the degree of curvature or bending (angle θ) of the end ER of the antenna. The angle θ is the angle between the line segment connecting the start point of the curvature and the tip and the straight portion of the antenna. The curvature angle θ1 of the end ER of antenna 1101 is smaller than the curvature angle θ2 of the end ER of antenna 1102. The curvature angle θ3 of the end ER of antenna 1103 is smaller than the curvature angle θ4 of the end ER of antenna 1104. The angle θ may be in the range of 1° to 179°. However, to increase the induced electric field strength in the end region HR, a value of 45° or greater is preferable. Considering ease of connection to the matching box 11 and the ground impedance control unit 12, a range of 45° to 90° is more preferable. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the degree of curvature when the antenna is bent in the Z-axis direction. In this way, multiple antennas with different degrees of curvature or bending may be arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of the stage 30. For example, the antennas 1101 to 1104 shown in FIG. 8 may be arranged in the direction along the mounting surface of the stage 30 in the arrangement shown in the figure.

[0029] In this embodiment, the "end ER" of the antenna refers to the range extending from the position where the straight portion of the antenna begins to curve or bend toward the tip. The length E of the end ER (the length from the position where the curve or bend begins in the X-axis direction to the tip, see antenna 1104 in FIG. 8 ) is not particularly limited, but may be 3% to 20% of the total length L of the antenna (the length between both ends in the X-axis direction, see antenna 1104 in FIG. 8 ). Alternatively, it may be 5% to 20%, 5% to 15%, or 5% to 10% of the total length. Furthermore, the absolute value of the length E of the end ER may be 5 cm to 50 cm, 5 cm to 30 cm, 10 cm to 50 cm, or 10 cm to 30 cm, depending on the overall length.

[0030] The plasma processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration uses an antenna 20 having a curved or bent end ER of the linear antenna when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30. The curved or bent end ER of the antenna has a higher induced electric field density than the linear portion of the antenna. Therefore, the generated plasma density is also higher, compensating for the decrease in plasma density due to wall loss in the end ER region, and bringing the plasma density closer to the linear portion of the antenna. This configuration suppresses the decrease in plasma density near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel 60 and homogenizes the plasma density within the processing chamber 64 without reducing the overall plasma density. Therefore, the object to be processed in the plasma processing apparatus 1 can be processed uniformly. Furthermore, because the uniformity of the plasma processing is ensured even near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel, the distance from the end of the stage to the sidewall of the vacuum vessel can be relatively small even if the width of the plasma processing in the longitudinal direction of the antenna is the same. As a result, the apparatus can be made more compact and the cost reduced.

[0031] [Embodiment 2] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. In the second embodiment, an embodiment including multiple antennas will be described.

[0032] 10 is a plan view of the plasma processing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment as viewed from the Z-axis direction. The plasma processing apparatus 2 differs from the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes two antennas 20, antenna 20a and antenna 20b. Other configurations are similar to those of the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The antennas 20a and 20b are curved in different directions. Specifically, the antenna 20a is curved in the negative direction of the Y-axis, while the antenna 20b is curved in the positive direction of the Y-axis. In this manner, multiple antennas with different curvatures or bending directions may be arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of the stage 30.

[0033] 11 is a plan view of the plasma processing apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the Z-axis direction. The plasma processing apparatus 3 includes three antennas 20: antenna 20c, antenna 20d, and antenna 20e. In this example, antenna 20c is curved in the negative direction of the Y-axis, antenna 20d is a straight antenna with no curve, and antenna 20e is curved in the positive direction of the Y-axis. In this manner, a straight antenna is placed in the center, and curved or bent antennas are placed on both sides of it. This allows the plasma density in the end region HR of the antenna group to be uniform over a wide area.

[0034] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the plasma processing apparatus 4 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the Z-axis direction. The plasma processing apparatus 4 includes four antennas 20, antennas 20f to 20i. Each of the four antennas has a bent end ER, and the bending direction and angle are the same for all four antennas. By arranging multiple antennas with the same curved or bent direction and angle at equal intervals, the plasma density in the end region HR of the antenna group can be made uniform over a wide range. By making the plasma density in the end region HR of the antenna group uniform over a wide range, a wide area of ​​the processing object can be uniformly processed when the processing object is processed while being moved in the sample scan direction shown in FIG. 12 .

[0035] As described above, the number of antennas and the combination of the direction and angle of curvature or bending of the multiple antennas are arbitrary. Therefore, depending on the size and output of the antennas, the optimal arrangement conditions for uniform plasma generation can be found by changing the arrangement of multiple antennas with curved or bent ends. The antenna according to this embodiment has a relatively simple structure in which the end of a linear antenna is simply curved or bent. By simply arranging multiple antennas with such a structure, it is possible to provide a plasma processing apparatus capable of uniform plasma processing at a relatively low cost.

[0036] Third Embodiment Next, a description will be given of a plasma processing method for an object to be processed using the plasma processing apparatuses 1 to 4 described in the first and second embodiments. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a plasma processing method S1 according to this embodiment.

[0037] 13, the plasma processing method S1 includes steps S11 and S12. Step S11 is a step of generating plasma by passing electricity through the antenna 20, which has a linear shape with a curved or bent end when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage 30. Step S11 is executed by the control unit 40 of the plasma processing apparatus.

[0038] Step S12 is a step of moving the stage 30 on which the object to be processed is placed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the linear portion of the antenna 20 and parallel to the placement surface. Step S12 is executed by the control unit 40 of the plasma processing apparatus.

[0039] According to the above-described plasma processing method S1, it is possible to suppress a decrease in plasma density near the sidewall of the vacuum vessel 60, and to make the plasma density uniform within the processing chamber 64 without decreasing the overall plasma density. Therefore, the processing object to be processed by the plasma processing method S1 can be processed uniformly.

[0040] [Example of implementation by software] The functions of the plasma processing apparatuses 1 to 4 (hereinafter referred to as "apparatus") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the apparatus, and a program for causing a computer to function as the control unit 40 of the apparatus.

[0041] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., processor 41) and at least one storage device (e.g., memory 42) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using the control device and storage device.

[0042] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0043] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, integrated circuits in which logic circuits that function as each of the control blocks are formed are also included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0044] (Summary) In order to solve the above problems, the plasma processing apparatus of the first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a processing chamber, a stage for placing an object to be processed, which is disposed inside the processing chamber, and one or more antennas for generating a magnetic field for generating plasma inside the processing chamber, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end of a linear antenna is curved or bent when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the stage.

[0045] According to the above configuration, by suppressing a decrease in plasma density near the side wall of the vacuum vessel, the plasma density can be made uniform without decreasing overall.

[0046] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the antenna includes a straight portion extending linearly along the support surface of the stage, a first end portion which is the power supply side end of the antenna, and a second end portion which is the ground side end of the antenna, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the stage, the first end portion and the second end portion are curved or bent relative to the straight portion.

[0047] According to the above configuration, by suppressing a decrease in plasma density in areas close to the opposing side walls of the vacuum vessel, the plasma density can be made uniform without decreasing overall.

[0048] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end of the linear antenna is curved or bent outside the processing chamber when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage.

[0049] According to the above configuration, the antenna is disposed outside the vacuum vessel, thereby simplifying the structure of the vacuum vessel.

[0050] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the antenna has a structure in which an end portion thereof is curved or bent within a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the stage.

[0051] According to the above configuration, the plasma density can be made uniform in the region parallel to the stage mounting surface inside the processing chamber, and the processing object can be processed uniformly.

[0052] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the antenna has a structure that, when viewed from a direction along the mounting surface of the stage, is curved or bent in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage.

[0053] According to the above configuration, the plasma density can be made uniform in the region parallel to the stage mounting surface inside the processing chamber, and the processing object can be processed uniformly.

[0054] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which a plurality of antennas having different degrees of curvature or bending are arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of the stage.

[0055] According to the above configuration, the plasma density can be made uniform in the region parallel to the stage mounting surface inside the processing chamber, and the processing object can be processed uniformly.

[0056] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a plurality of the antennas having different curvatures or bending directions are arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of the stage.

[0057] According to the above configuration, the plasma density can be made uniform in the region parallel to the stage mounting surface inside the processing chamber, and the processing object can be processed uniformly.

[0058] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, further comprising a drive unit that moves the stage in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the straight portion of the antenna and along the mounting surface.

[0059] According to the above configuration, by moving the object to be processed, a large object to be processed can be uniformly processed with a small number of antennas.

[0060] A plasma processing method according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for plasma processing an object to be processed placed on a stage, and includes the steps of generating plasma by passing electricity through a linear antenna having a curved or bent end when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage, and moving the stage on which the object to be processed is placed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the linear portion of the antenna and parallel to the mounting surface.

[0061] According to the above configuration, by suppressing a decrease in plasma density near the side wall of the vacuum vessel, the plasma density can be made uniform without decreasing overall.

[0062] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2, 3, 4... plasma processing apparatus 10... power supply 11... matching box 20... antenna 30... stage 40... control section 50... driving section 60... vacuum vessel 61... housing 62... high frequency window 63... O-ring 64... processing chamber

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber; a stage disposed inside the processing chamber for placing an object to be processed thereon; and one or more antennas for generating a magnetic field for generating plasma inside the processing chamber, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end of a linear antenna is curved or bent when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna includes a straight portion extending linearly along the mounting surface of the stage, a first end portion which is the power supply side end of the antenna, and a second end portion which is the ground side end of the antenna, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage, the first end portion and the second end portion are curved or bent relative to the straight portion.

3. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end of a linear antenna is curved or bent outside the processing chamber when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage.

4. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the antenna has a structure in which the end is curved or bent in a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the stage.

5. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the antenna has a structure that is curved or bent in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage when viewed from a direction along the mounting surface of the stage.

6. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of said antennas having different degrees of curvature or bending are arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of said stage.

7. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of said antennas, each having a different curvature or bending direction, are arranged in a direction along the mounting surface of said stage.

8. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a drive unit that moves the stage in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the straight portion of the antenna and in a direction along the mounting surface.

9. A method for plasma processing an object to be processed placed on a stage, comprising the steps of: generating plasma by passing electricity through a linear antenna having a curved or bent end when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage; and moving the stage on which the object to be processed is placed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the linear portion of the antenna and parallel to the mounting surface.

Images