Plasma processing device and plasma processing method

Abstract

The disclosed plasma processing device comprises a chamber, a plasma generation unit, a substrate support unit, an upper assembly, a gas supply unit, and a control circuit. The upper assembly includes an upper electrode, an insulating ring, and a conductive ring. The upper electrode includes a plurality of first gas holes that open toward a plasma processing space in the chamber and is disposed above the substrate support unit. The insulating ring surrounds the upper electrode. The conductive ring includes a plurality of second gas holes, surrounds the insulating ring, and is disposed above a space between the substrate support unit and a side wall of the chamber. The gas supply unit is configured to supply a gas to the plurality of first gas holes and / or the plurality of second gas holes. The control circuit controls the gas supply unit and the plasma generation unit to generate plasma from a precoat gas in the chamber, thereby forming a precoat film.

Description

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method.

[0002] A capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support, and an upper electrode. The substrate support includes a lower electrode and is located within the chamber. The upper electrode is located above the substrate support. Patent Document 1, described below, discloses a plasma processing apparatus in which the upper electrode is divided into an inner upper electrode and an outer upper electrode, and a variable DC power supply for voltage application is connected to each of the inner and outer upper electrodes.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-141024

[0004] This disclosure provides a technology for protecting components of a plasma processing apparatus from plasma.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment, a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a plasma generation unit, a substrate support unit, an upper assembly, a gas supply unit, and a control circuit. The chamber has a plasma processing space. The plasma generation unit is configured to generate plasma within the chamber. The substrate support unit is located within the chamber. The upper assembly is positioned above the plasma processing space. The upper assembly includes an upper electrode, an insulating ring, and a conductive ring. The upper electrode has a plurality of first gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space and is positioned above the substrate support unit. The insulating ring surrounds the upper electrode. The conductive ring has a plurality of second gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, surrounds the insulating ring, and is positioned above the space between the substrate support unit and the side wall of the chamber. The gas supply unit is configured to supply gas to be discharged into the plasma processing space to a plurality of first gas holes and / or a plurality of second gas holes. The control circuit is configured to control the plasma generation unit and the gas supply unit to generate plasma from the precoat gas within the chamber, thereby forming a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma on at least a portion of the surface within the chamber, including the surface of the conductive ring defining the second gas hole.

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment, it is possible to protect components of a plasma processing apparatus from plasma.

[0007] This is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. This is a diagram of a plasma processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a diagram of a plasma processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of a plurality of second gas holes. This is a diagram showing an example of a gas supply unit that can be used in a plasma processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a precoat film is formed on the surface inside the chamber. This is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a precoat film is formed on the surface of a conductive ring. This is a flowchart showing a plasma processing method according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a diagram showing the simulation results. This is a graph showing the results of the first to fourth experiments. This is a diagram showing the results of the fifth experiment. Figure 12(a) shows the time change of the voltage of the upper electrode measured in the sixth experiment, and Figure 12(b) shows the time change of the voltage of the upper electrode measured in the seventh experiment. This is a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of realizing the various control modes described herein.

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0009] The following describes an example of a plasma processing system configuration. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing system configuration.

[0010] 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 system 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also 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 located inside the plasma processing chamber 10. The shower head 13 is located above the substrate support unit 11. In one embodiment, the shower head 13 constitutes at least a portion 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 walls 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 outlet for discharging gas from the plasma processing space. The plasma processing chamber 10 is grounded. The shower head 13 and the substrate support portion 11 are electrically insulated from the housing of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0011] 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 111a for supporting the substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. 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 placed on the central region 111a of the main body portion 111, and the ring assembly 112 is placed 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. Therefore, the central region 111a is also called the substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also called the ring support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0012] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 1110 and an electrostatic chuck 1111. The base 1110 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 1110 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 1111 is placed on the base 1110. The electrostatic chuck 1111 includes a ceramic member 1111a and an electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b placed within the ceramic member 1111a. The electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b is also called a clamping electrode. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b is electrically connected or coupled to a chuck power supply. The chuck power supply may be a DC power supply or an AC power supply. The ceramic member 1111a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 1111a also has an annular region 111b. Furthermore, other members surrounding the electrostatic chuck 1111, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member, may have an annular region 111b. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be placed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or it may be placed on both the electrostatic chuck 1111 and the annular insulating member. In addition, at least one bias electrode, which is electrically connected or coupled to the power supply 31 and / or power supply 32 described later, may be placed inside the ceramic member 1111a. In this case, at least one bias electrode functions as a lower electrode. Also, the conductive member of the base 1110 and the bias electrode inside the ceramic member 1111a may function as multiple lower electrodes. In one embodiment, the first voltage generation unit 32a, which functions as a voltage pulse generation unit described later, is electrically connected or coupled to the bias electrode inside the ceramic member 1111a, and the first RF generation unit 31a, described later, is electrically connected or coupled to the conductive member of the base 1110. Furthermore, the electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b may function as a lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support portion 11 includes at least one lower electrode.

[0013] The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular members. In one embodiment, the one or more annular members include one or more edge rings and at least one covering ring. The edge rings are formed of a conductive or insulating material, and the covering rings are formed of an insulating material.

[0014] The substrate support section 11 may also include a temperature control module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 1111, 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 1110a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows through the flow path 1110a. In one embodiment, the flow path 1110a is formed within the base 1110, and one or more heaters are arranged within the ceramic member 1111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111. The substrate support section 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply section configured to supply heat transfer gas to the gap between the back surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0015] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one processing gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The showerhead 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and a plurality of gas inlet ports 13c. The processing gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a passes through the gas diffusion chamber 13b and is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s through the plurality of gas inlet ports 13c. The showerhead 13 also includes at least one upper electrode. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas introduction unit may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the side wall 10a.

[0016] 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 processing gas to the shower head 13 from a corresponding gas source 21 via a corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Furthermore, the gas supply unit 20 may include one or more flow modulation devices that modulate or pulse the flow rate of at least one processing gas.

[0017] Power supply system 30 includes a power supply 31 that is electrically connected or coupled to plasma processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, power supply 31 is electrically connected or coupled to plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matcher. The impedance matcher may be a mechanically controlled matcher or an electronically controlled matcher. Power supply 31 is configured to supply at least one RF (Radio Frequency) signal (RF power) to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. Thereby, plasma is generated from at least one processing gas supplied to plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, 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 plasma processing chamber 10. Also, by supplying a bias RF signal to at least one lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on substrate W, and the ion component in the formed plasma can be drawn into substrate W.

[0018] Power supply 31 includes a first RF generation unit 31a and a second RF generation unit 31b. First RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected or coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode, and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) to generate plasma in plasma processing space 10s. In one embodiment, first RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected or coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode via at least one impedance matcher. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency within the range of 10 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, 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 at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode.

[0019] The second RF generation unit 31b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode and is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). In one embodiment, the second RF generation unit 31b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode via at least one impedance matcher. When the first RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected to or coupled to a lower electrode, the second RF generation unit 31b may be electrically connected to or coupled to the same lower electrode, or it may be electrically connected to or coupled to a different lower electrode. The frequency of the bias RF signal may be the same as or different from the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency lower than the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 60 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 at least one lower electrode. In various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0020] The power supply system 30 may also include a power supply 32 that is electrically connected to or coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The power supply 32 includes a first voltage generation unit 32a and a second voltage generation unit 32b. In one embodiment, the first voltage generation unit 32a is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode and is configured to generate a first voltage signal. The generated first voltage signal is applied to at least one lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second voltage generation unit 32b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one upper electrode and is configured to generate a second voltage signal. The generated second voltage signal is applied to at least one upper electrode.

[0021] In various embodiments, the first and / or second voltage signals may be pulsed. In this case, the first voltage generation unit 32a and / or the second voltage generation unit 32b function as a voltage pulse generation unit configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses. Accordingly, the sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. In one embodiment, the sequence of voltage pulses has a plurality of cycles, and each cycle includes a burst of voltage pulses in a first period and a constant reference voltage in a second period. That is, in the sequence of voltage pulses, the burst of voltage pulses is repeated. The absolute value of the voltage level of the voltage pulse is greater than the absolute value of the voltage level of the reference voltage. The voltage pulse may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or arbitrary waveform that is a combination thereof, and the arbitrary waveform may change over time. The voltage pulse may have a positive polarity or a negative polarity. Also, the sequence of voltage pulses may include one or more positive-polarity voltage pulses and one or more negative-polarity voltage pulses within one cycle. Note that the first and second voltage generation units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the power supply 31, or the first voltage generation unit 32a may be provided in place of the second RF generation unit 31b.

[0022] The exhaust system 40 can be connected to, for example, a gas discharge port 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 perform the various processes described herein. The control unit 2 may be configured to control the elements of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform 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 is implemented, for example, by a computer 2a. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The functions realized by the processing unit 2a1 described herein may be implemented in a circuit or processing circuit, including a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a conventional circuit, and / or a combination thereof, programmed to realize the described functions. The processor is considered to be a circuit or processing circuit, including transistors and other circuits. The processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in the storage unit 2a2. This program may be pre-stored in the storage unit 2a2 or retrieved via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 and executed by the processing unit 2a1. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a, or it may be a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The storage unit 2a2 may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing device 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).In this disclosure, circuits, units, and means are hardware programmed to perform or configured to perform the functions described. Such hardware may be any hardware described in this disclosure, or any hardware known to be programmed to perform or execute the functions described. If such hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuit, such circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to constitute such hardware and / or processor.

[0024] The following refers to Figures 2 and 3. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing a plasma processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10 and a substrate support 11.

[0025] The side wall 10a of the chamber 10 may provide a passage 10p. The passage 10p can be opened and closed by a gate valve 10g. The substrate W passes through the passage 10p when it is transported between the inside and outside of the chamber 10. The bottom of the chamber 10 also provides a gas outlet 10e. The exhaust system 40 described above is connected to the space inside the chamber 10 via the gas outlet 10e.

[0026] The substrate support section 11 is located within the chamber 10. The substrate support section 11 may include a base 1110 and an electrostatic chuck 1111. The electrostatic chuck 1111 is configured to support the substrate W and the edge ring ER. The edge ring ER is part of the ring assembly 112. The substrate W is placed on the substrate support section 11 within the region enclosed by the edge ring ER.

[0027] In one embodiment, the substrate support portion 11 may further include a support member 114, an insulating region 116, and a conductive region 118. The support member 114 extends upward from the bottom of the chamber 10 and supports the base 1110 and electrostatic chuck 1111, i.e., the main body portion 111 (see Figure 1), which are positioned thereon. The support member 114 is formed from an insulating material such as aluminum oxide or quartz. The support member 114 may have a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0028] The insulating region 116 is formed from an insulating material such as quartz and extends to surround the outer circumference of the support member 114 and the main body portion 111. The insulating region 116 may have a substantially cylindrical shape. The outer edge portion of the edge ring ER may be positioned on the insulating region 116.

[0029] The conductive region 118 is formed from a conductive material such as aluminum. The surface of the conductive region 118 may be formed from a plasma-resistant film. This film may be formed from aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, or yttrium fluoride. The conductive region 118 extends to surround the outer periphery of the insulating region 116. The conductive region 118 may have a substantially cylindrical shape. The conductive region 118 is electrically grounded.

[0030] In one embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 1 may further include a baffle member 10b. The baffle member 10b is positioned in the space between the substrate support 11 and the side wall 10a of the chamber 10, dividing the space into an upper space and a lower space of the baffle member 10b. The lower space is located between the baffle member 10b and the bottom of the chamber 10 and is connected to a gas outlet 10e. The baffle member 10b provides a plurality of through holes that connect the upper space and the lower space of the baffle member 10b to each other.

[0031] The baffle member 10b is formed from a conductive material such as aluminum. The surface of the baffle member 10b may be formed from a film of a plasma-resistant material. This film may be formed from aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, or yttrium fluoride. The baffle member 10b is electrically grounded.

[0032] In one embodiment, the inner edge of the baffle member 10b is sandwiched between the conductive region 118 and the bottom of the chamber 10. The outer edge of the baffle member 10b is fixed to a liner 10L that extends along the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 10a of the chamber 10. The liner 10L may have a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plasma processing apparatus 1 further includes an upper assembly 13A. The upper assembly 13A is positioned above the plasma processing space 10s and above the substrate support portion 11.

[0034] The upper assembly 13A includes the shower head 13 described above. The upper assembly 13A has a plurality of first gas holes 131 and a plurality of second gas holes 132. The plurality of first gas holes 131 and the plurality of second gas holes 132 constitute the plurality of gas inlets 13c (see Figure 1) described above. The plurality of first gas holes 131 open towards the plasma processing space 10s above the substrate support portion 11. The plurality of second gas holes 132 open towards the plasma processing space 10s outside the plurality of first gas holes 131 in the radial direction with respect to the central axis of the substrate support portion 11, i.e., axis AX. Note that axis AX may be the central axis of the chamber 10 and the plasma processing space 10s.

[0035] In the plasma processing apparatus 1, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply gas discharged into the plasma processing space 10s to a plurality of first gas holes 131 and a plurality of second gas holes 132. In the plasma processing apparatus 1, plasma is generated in the plasma processing space 10s from the gas supplied from each of the plurality of first gas holes 131 and the plurality of second gas holes 132. The gas supply unit 20 can supply a pre-coat gas used to form a pre-coat film PF (see Figures 6 and 7) on the surface inside the chamber 10 as the gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. The gas supply unit 20 can also supply a processing gas used for plasma processing (e.g., plasma etching) on ​​the substrate W as the gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. The pre-coat film PF protects the surface inside the chamber 10 from the plasma during plasma processing of the substrate W. The pre-coat gas and processing gas will be described in more detail later.

[0036] In one embodiment, the radial distance from the axis AX to the center point of each of the plurality of second gas holes 132 is 200 mm or more and 250 mm or less. The center point of each of the plurality of second gas holes 132 is the center point of the opening end on the plasma processing space 10s side of each of the plurality of second gas holes 132. In a plasma processing apparatus 1 having such an upper assembly 13A, a substrate W having a diameter of 300 mm can be processed. With such a plasma processing apparatus 1, the controllability of the plasma processing speed at the edge of the substrate W is enhanced by the gas supplied from the plurality of second gas holes 132.

[0037] In one embodiment, the upper assembly 13A includes the upper electrode 13E described above, and further includes an insulating ring 14 and a conductive ring 15. The upper electrode 13E, the insulating ring 14, and the conductive ring 15 share an axis AX as their central axis.

[0038] The upper electrode 13E has a substantially disc shape and is positioned above the substrate support portion 11. A second voltage generation unit 32b may be connected to the upper electrode 13E via a filter 32f. The filter 32f is an electrical filter configured to block or attenuate the above-mentioned RF signal.

[0039] The upper electrode 13E has a plurality of first gas holes 131. The plurality of first gas holes 131 are distributed across the upper electrode 13E so that gas can be discharged from them toward the entire upper surface of the substrate W. The upper electrode 13E has a gas diffusion chamber 321. The plurality of first gas holes 131 are connected to the gas diffusion chamber 321 and extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 321.

[0040] The insulating ring 14 is formed in a substantially ring shape and surrounds the upper electrode 13E. The insulating ring 14 is formed from one or more insulating materials. In one embodiment, the insulating ring 14 may include a first insulating ring 141 and a second insulating ring 142. The first insulating ring 141 defines the plasma processing space 10s from above. That is, the lower surface of the first insulating ring 141 is in contact with the plasma processing space 10s. The second insulating ring 142 is positioned on the first insulating ring 141. The first insulating ring 141 may be formed from quartz, and the second insulating ring 142 may be formed from aluminum oxide.

[0041] The conductive ring 15 is formed in a substantially ring shape and surrounds the insulating ring 14. In the illustrated example, the conductive ring 15 surrounds the first insulating ring 141. The conductive ring 15 is formed from a conductive material. The conductive ring 15 may be formed from a silicon-containing material, or from silicon. The conductive ring 15 may be electrically grounded.

[0042] The conductive ring 15 is positioned above the space between the substrate support portion 11 and the side wall 10a of the chamber 10. The conductive ring 15 has a plurality of second gas holes 132. The plurality of second gas holes 132 open towards the plasma processing space 10s above the space between the outer circumference of the substrate support portion 11 and the side wall 10a of the chamber 10. The plurality of second gas holes 132 are connected to a gas diffusion chamber 322 and extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 322. The gas diffusion chamber 322 may be provided within a cooling member 342, which will be described later.

[0043] The conductive ring 15 may be supported by a ring member 16. In this case, the ring member 16 extends between the side wall 10a of the chamber 10 and the conductive ring 15.

[0044] As described above, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply gas discharged into the plasma processing space 10s to a plurality of first gas holes 131 and a plurality of second gas holes 132. The gas supply unit 20 supplies gas to the plurality of first gas holes 131 via the gas diffusion chamber 321. The gas supply unit 20 supplies gas to the plurality of second gas holes 132 via the gas diffusion chamber 322. With such a plasma processing apparatus 1, the controllability of the plasma processing speed at the edge of the substrate W is improved by the gas supplied from the plurality of second gas holes 132. In the following description, the gas discharged from the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be referred to as side gas.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the conductive ring 15 has a gas pore formation region 15r. Multiple second gas pores 132 are formed in the gas pore formation region 15r. The gas pore formation region 15r is an annular region. The radius of the inner edge of the gas pore formation region 15r with respect to the axis AX is greater than or equal to the radius of the inner edge of the conductive ring 15. Also, the radius of the outer edge of the gas pore formation region 15r with respect to the axis AX may be less than or equal to half the sum of the radius of the inner edge of the conductive ring 15 and the radius of the outer edge of the conductive ring 15. In the plasma processing apparatus 1 having such an upper assembly 13A, a substrate W having a diameter of 300 mm can be processed. With such a plasma processing apparatus 1, the controllability of the plasma processing speed at the edge of the substrate W is enhanced by the side gas supplied from the multiple second gas pores 132.

[0046] In one embodiment, the conductive ring 15 does not need to have gas holes outside the gas hole formation region 15r. In this case, a relatively high concentration of side gas can be obtained at the edge of the substrate W.

[0047] The following reference is further to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of a plurality of second gas holes. The plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged along at least one circle centered on axis AX. That is, the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged such that their center points lie on at least one circle centered on axis AX. The center points of the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged at equal intervals on at least one circle. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged along a plurality of concentric circles 132c. That is, the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged such that their center points lie on a plurality of concentric circles 132c centered on axis AX. In each of the plurality of concentric circles 132c, the center points of the plurality of second gas holes 132 may be arranged at equal intervals. In the example shown in Figure 4, there are three concentric circles 132c, but the number of concentric circles 132c is not limited.

[0048] Furthermore, the radius of the inscribed circle 132i centered on the axis AX of one or more of the innermost second gas holes 132 is equal to the radius r of the outer circumference of the substrate support portion 11. １１ It is larger than (see Figure 2). The outer periphery of the substrate support portion 11 may be defined by an insulating region 116 and / or a conductive region 118.

[0049] In one embodiment, the plurality of first gas holes 131 may include a plurality of gas holes 311, a plurality of gas holes 312, and a plurality of gas holes 313. The plurality of gas holes 311 are formed in the central region of the upper electrode 13E. The central region of the upper electrode 13E is located above the central region of the substrate W. The plurality of gas holes 311 are distributed across the central region of the upper electrode 13E. The plurality of gas holes 313 are formed in the edge region of the upper electrode 13E. The edge region of the upper electrode 13E is located above the edge region of the substrate W. The plurality of gas holes 313 are distributed across the edge region of the upper electrode 13E. The plurality of gas holes 312 are formed in the intermediate region between the central region and the edge region of the upper electrode 13E. The intermediate region of the upper electrode 13E is located above the intermediate region between the central region and the edge region of the substrate W. The plurality of gas holes 312 are distributed across the intermediate region of the upper electrode 13E.

[0050] In one embodiment, the gas diffusion chamber 321 may include gas diffusion chambers 3211, 3212, and 3213. The gas diffusion chambers 3211, 3212, and 3213 are separated from each other. The gas diffusion chamber 3211 is formed in the central region of the upper electrode 13E. Multiple gas holes 311 are connected to the gas diffusion chamber 3211 and extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 3211. The gas diffusion chamber 3212 is formed in the intermediate region of the upper electrode 13E. Multiple gas holes 312 are connected to the gas diffusion chamber 3212 and extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 3212. The gas diffusion chamber 3213 is formed in the edge region of the upper electrode 13E. Multiple gas holes 313 are connected to the gas diffusion chamber 3213 and extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 3213.

[0051] Hereinafter, Figure 5 will be referenced along with Figure 3. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a gas supply unit that may be employed in a plasma processing apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, in one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 may include a first gas supply unit 201 and a second gas supply unit 202. The first gas supply unit 201 is configured to supply gas to a plurality of first gas holes 131. The second gas supply unit 202 is configured to supply gas to a plurality of second gas holes 132. In this embodiment, the side gas discharged from the plurality of second gas holes 132 into the plasma processing space 10s is controlled independently of the gas discharged from the plurality of first gas holes 131 into the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the independent controllability of the plasma processing speed at the edge of the substrate W is enhanced.

[0052] Alternatively, instead of the first gas supply unit 201 and the second gas supply unit 202, that is, two gas supply units, a single gas supply unit may be configured to distribute gas to a plurality of first gas holes 131 and a plurality of second gas holes 132.

[0053] In one embodiment, the first gas supply unit 201 may include a main gas supply unit 201m and an additive gas supply unit 201a. The additive gas supplied from the additive gas supply unit 201a is mixed with the main gas supplied from the main gas supply unit 201m. The mixed gas containing the main gas and the additive gas is discharged into the plasma processing space 10s from a plurality of first gas holes 131.

[0054] In one embodiment, the main gas supply unit 201m may be connected to the gas diffusion chambers 3211, 3212, and 3213 via a flow splitter 201s. That is, the main gas from the main gas supply unit 201m may be distributed to the gas diffusion chambers 3211, 3212, and 3213 by the flow splitter 201s. In this case, the additive gas supply unit 201a may be connected to three gas lines that connect the flow splitter 201s to the gas diffusion chambers 3211, 3212, and 3213, respectively.

[0055] In one embodiment, the main gas supply unit 201m may include a plurality of gas sources 211m and a plurality of flow controllers 212m. The plurality of gas sources 211m include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the processing gas that constitutes the main gas. The plurality of gas sources 211m may also include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the precoat gas that constitutes the main gas. The plurality of gas sources 211m are connected to a plurality of first gas holes 131 via a corresponding flow controller from among the plurality of flow controllers 212m. The plurality of gas sources 211m may be located outside the main gas supply unit 201m.

[0056] Furthermore, the additive gas supply unit 201a may include a plurality of gas sources 211a and a plurality of flow controllers 212a. The plurality of gas sources 211a include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the processing gas that constitutes the additive gas. The plurality of gas sources 211a may also include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the precoat gas that constitutes the additive gas. The plurality of gas sources 211a are connected to a plurality of first gas holes 131 via a corresponding flow controller from among the plurality of flow controllers 212a. Note that the plurality of gas sources 211a may be located outside the additive gas supply unit 201a.

[0057] Furthermore, the second gas supply unit 202 may include a plurality of gas sources 221 and a plurality of flow controllers 222. The plurality of gas sources 221 include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the processing gas. The plurality of gas sources 221 may also include at least one gas source for at least one gas in the precoat gas. The plurality of gas sources 221 are connected to a plurality of second gas holes 132 via a corresponding flow controller from among the plurality of flow controllers 222. Note that the plurality of gas sources 221 may be located outside the second gas supply unit 202.

[0058] In one embodiment, the processing gas can be used for plasma etching of a silicon-containing film on the substrate W. The silicon-containing film may be a single-layer film such as a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, or a polycrystalline silicon film. Alternatively, the silicon-containing film may be a laminated film including two or more silicon-containing films formed from different materials. For example, the silicon-containing film may include one or more silicon oxide films and one or more silicon nitride films laminated alternately or one or more silicon oxide films and one or more polycrystalline silicon films laminated alternately.

[0059] The main gas in the processing gas may include hydrogen fluoride gas as a halogen-containing gas. In the processing gas, the main gas may further include one or more of a halogen-containing gas other than hydrogen fluoride gas, a phosphorus-containing gas, a carbon-containing gas, and a metal-containing gas. The main gas may further include one or more of a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and a noble gas. The halogen-containing gas other than hydrogen fluoride gas may include one or more of HBr, Cl ２ , and NF ３ . The phosphorus-containing gas may include one or more phosphorus-containing substances. The one or more phosphorus-containing substances may include PF ３ . The one or more phosphorus-containing substances may include one or more other phosphorus-containing substances. The carbon-containing gas may include a fluorocarbon gas and / or a hydrofluorocarbon gas. The fluorocarbon gas may include one or more of CF ４ , C ４ F ８ , and C ４ F ６ . The hydrofluorocarbon gas may include one or more of C ４ H ２ F ６ and CH ２ F ２ . The metal-containing gas may include a metal such as tungsten or molybdenum. The metal-containing gas may include tungsten fluoride (WF ６ ). The hydrogen-containing gas may include H ２ . The oxygen-containing gas may include O ２It may contain argon. The noble gas may also contain argon. In addition, the additive gas in the processing gas may contain fluorocarbon gas. The fluorocarbon gas in the additive gas is C ４ F ８ and C ４ F ６ It may include one or more of the following.

[0060] Furthermore, in the processing gas, the side gas discharged from the second gas supply unit 202 through a plurality of second gas holes 132 may contain hydrogen fluoride gas as a halogen-containing gas. In the processing gas, the side gas may further contain one or more of the following: halogen-containing gases other than hydrogen fluoride gas, carbon-containing gases, phosphorus-containing gases, and metal-containing gases, similar to the main gas. Halogen-containing gases other than hydrogen fluoride gas include HBr and Cl ２ , and NF ３ It may contain one or more of the following. The phosphorus-containing gas may contain one or more phosphorus-containing substances. One or more phosphorus-containing substances are PF ３ It may contain. One or more phosphorus-containing substances may contain one or more other phosphorus-containing substances. The carbon-containing gas may contain fluorocarbon gas and / or hydrofluorocarbon gas. Fluorocarbon gas is C ４ F ８ and C ４ F ６ It may contain one or more of the following. Hydrofluorocarbon gas is C ４ H ２ F ６ and CH ２ F ２ It may contain one or more of the following. The metal-containing gas may contain metals such as tungsten or molybdenum. The metal-containing gas may contain tungsten fluoride (WF ６ ) may include.

[0061] Furthermore, the precoat gas includes a raw material gas. In one embodiment, the raw material gas may be a carbon-containing gas. In this case, the precoat film PF is a carbon-containing film. The carbon-containing gas may be a hydrocarbon gas such as methane.

[0062] Furthermore, the precoat gas may further contain a reforming gas. The reforming gas is a gas that imparts conductivity to the precoat film PF, for example, a carbon-containing film. When the precoat film PF is conductive, abnormal discharge caused by the charging of the precoat film PF is suppressed, thereby suppressing damage (e.g., cracking) to components of the plasma processing apparatus 1, such as the conductive ring 15. The reforming gas may also contain nitrogen and / or halogens. The reforming gas is N ２ It may contain gas. The reformed gas may contain halogen-containing gas. The halogen-containing gas in the reformed gas may also contain chlorine-containing gas. The chlorine-containing gas in the reformed gas may contain Cl ２ It may contain. The halogen-containing gas in the reformed gas is BCl. ３ CF ４ It may also contain other halogen-containing substances such as HBr.

[0063] When plasma is generated from the precoat gas in the chamber 10, a precoat film PF is formed on the surface inside the chamber 10, as shown in Figure 6. The precoat film PF contains chemical species (e.g., carbon species) from the plasma generated from the precoat gas. The surface inside the chamber 10 on which the precoat film PF is formed may include at least a portion of the surface of the side wall of the chamber 10 (e.g., the liner 10L) and / or the surface of the upper assembly 13A. The surface inside the chamber 10 on which the precoat film PF is formed may include at least a portion of the surface of the conductive ring 15, as shown in Figure 7. As described above, the conductive ring 15 contains a plurality of second gas holes 132. The surface inside the chamber 10 on which the precoat film PF is formed may include at least a portion of the surface of the conductive ring 15 that defines the plurality of second gas holes 132. In addition, the surface inside the chamber 10 on which the precoat film PF is formed may include at least a portion of the surface of the upper electrode 13E that defines a plurality of first gas holes 131.

[0064] Furthermore, the gas supply unit 20 can supply the aforementioned processing gas used for plasma processing of the substrate W as the gas supplied into the plasma processing space 10s. When plasma is generated from the processing gas in the chamber 10, the substrate W is processed (plasma processed) by chemical species from the plasma. For example, the substrate W (e.g., its silicon-containing film) is etched by chemical species from the plasma. During plasma processing of the substrate W, the surface inside the chamber 10 is protected from the plasma by the pre-coat film PF.

[0065] In one embodiment, the raw material gas and reformed gas of the precoat gas may be supplied to the plasma processing space 10s from both the plurality of first gas holes 131 and the plurality of second gas holes 132. In this case, the plurality of gas sources 211m and / or the plurality of gas sources 211a include the raw material gas source and the reformed gas source. The plurality of first gas holes 131 are connected to the raw material gas source and the reformed gas source of the first gas supply unit 201. The plurality of gas sources 221 also include the raw material gas source and the reformed gas source. The plurality of second gas holes 132 are connected to the raw material gas source and the reformed gas source among the plurality of gas sources 221.

[0066] Alternatively, the raw material gas for the precoat gas may be supplied to the plasma processing space 10s from a plurality of first gas holes 131 among a plurality of second gas holes 132. The reformed gas for the precoat gas may also be supplied to the plasma processing space 10s from a plurality of second gas holes 132 among a plurality of first gas holes 131. In this case, the plurality of gas sources 211m and / or gas sources 211a include a gas source for the raw material gas. The plurality of first gas holes 131 are connected to the gas source for the raw material gas of the first gas supply unit 201. The plurality of second gas holes 132 are connected to the gas source for the reformed gas among the plurality of gas sources 221. In this case, conductivity can be selectively imparted to the precoat film PF formed on the surface of the conductive ring 15 and its vicinity.

[0067] In one embodiment, the upper electrode 13E may include a top plate 133 and a cooling member 341 (first cooling member). The top plate 133 has a substantially disc shape. The central axis of the top plate 133 is axis AX. The top plate 133 defines the plasma processing space 10s from above. That is, the top plate 133 is in contact with the plasma processing space 10s. The top plate 133 is formed from a conductive material. The top plate 133 may be formed from a silicon-containing material, or it may be formed from silicon.

[0068] The cooling member 341 is positioned on the top plate 133. The cooling member 341 may have a substantially disc shape. The cooling member 341 may support the top plate 133. The cooling member 341 is made of a metal such as aluminum. The cooling member 341 is electrically connected to the top plate 133. The cooling member 341 may have the gas diffusion chamber 321 described above within it.

[0069] The cooling member 341 provides a flow path 341f within it. The flow path 341f receives the refrigerant supplied from the chiller unit 18. The refrigerant flows through the flow path 341f and is returned to the chiller unit 18. The top plate 133 is cooled by heat exchange with the cooling member 341. In one embodiment, a heat transfer sheet 351 (first heat transfer sheet) may be sandwiched between the top plate 133 and the cooling member 341. The heat transfer sheet 351 further promotes heat exchange between the top plate 133 and the cooling member 341.

[0070] In one embodiment, the upper assembly 13A may further include a cooling member 342 (a second cooling member). The cooling member 342 is positioned on the conductive ring 15. The cooling member 342 is substantially ring-shaped and surrounds the insulating ring 14. The cooling member 342 is formed from a metal such as aluminum. The cooling member 342 may be electrically connected to the conductive ring 15. The cooling member 342 may have the gas diffusion chamber 322 described above within it.

[0071] The cooling member 342 provides a flow path 342f within it. The flow path 342f receives the refrigerant supplied from the chiller unit 18. The refrigerant flows through the flow path 342f and is returned to the chiller unit 18. The conductive ring 15 is cooled by heat exchange with the cooling member 342. In one embodiment, a heat transfer sheet 352 (a second heat transfer sheet) may be sandwiched between the conductive ring 15 and the cooling member 342. The heat transfer sheet 352 further promotes heat exchange between the conductive ring 15 and the cooling member 342.

[0072] In one embodiment, the outlet of the flow path 341f may be connected to the inlet of the flow path 342f via piping. In this case, the refrigerant from the chiller unit 18 flows through the flow path 341f from its inlet to its outlet, then flows through the flow path 342f from its inlet to its outlet, and is returned to the chiller unit 18 from the outlet of the flow path 342f. Alternatively, two chiller units 18 may be connected to the flow path 341f and the flow path 342f, respectively.

[0073] The following describes a plasma processing method according to one exemplary embodiment, with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a plasma processing method according to one exemplary embodiment. The plasma processing method shown in Figure 8 (hereinafter referred to as "Method MT") can be performed using a plasma processing apparatus 1. In each step of Method MT, each part of the plasma processing apparatus 1 can be controlled by the control unit 2.

[0074] Method MT begins in step STa. In step STa, a precoat gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 20 to the plasma processing space 10s. In the subsequent step STb, a precoat film PF is formed on the surface inside the chamber 10. In step STb, the power supply system 30 (for example, the first RF generation unit 31a) is controlled to form plasma from the precoat gas.

[0075] Method MT may further include step STc, which is performed after step STb. Step STc is performed with the surface inside the chamber 10 protected by a pre-coat film PF. In step STc, plasma treatment is performed on the substrate W on the substrate support 11, as described above in the description of the plasma processing apparatus 1. In step STc, the gas supply unit 20 is controlled to supply a processing gas into the chamber 10, and the power supply system 30 (e.g., the first RF generation unit 31a) is controlled to generate plasma from the processing gas inside the chamber 10. For details of the processing gas, please refer to the above description related to the plasma processing apparatus 1. In step STc, the second RF generation unit 31b or the first voltage generation unit 32a may be controlled to supply a sequence of bias RF signals or voltage pulses to the substrate support 11 (or lower electrode).

[0076] The following describes the simulations performed to evaluate the plasma processing apparatus 1. In the simulations, the controllability of the side gas flow rate and the concentration of the side gas at the edge of the substrate on the substrate support section 11 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 were determined. The side gas is the gas discharged from a plurality of second gas holes 132, as described above. The substrate was assumed to have a diameter of 300 mm. In the simulations, the controllability of the side gas flow rate and the concentration of the side gas were determined while changing the distance r from the axis AX to the center point of each of the plurality of second gas holes 132, that is, the radius of the circle along which the center points of each of the plurality of second gas holes 132 are arranged. The controllability of the side gas flow rate was determined as the ratio of the side gas flow rate at the edge of the substrate to the side gas flow rate at the center of the substrate. The concentration of the side gas was determined as the ratio (%) of the side gas flow rate at the edge of the substrate to the flow rate of all gases discharged from the plurality of first gas holes 131 and the plurality of second gas holes 132 at the edge of the substrate.

[0077] The simulation results are shown in Figure 9. In the graph in Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents the distance r from the axis AX to the center point of each of the multiple second gas holes 132, the left vertical axis represents the controllability of the side gas flow rate, and the right vertical axis represents the side gas concentration. As shown in Figure 9, it was confirmed that when the distance r is 200 mm or more, high controllability of the side gas flow rate can be obtained at the edge of the substrate. Furthermore, it was confirmed that when the distance r is 250 mm or less, a high concentration of side gas can be obtained at the edge of the substrate. Therefore, it was confirmed that when the radial distance from the axis AX to the center point of each of the multiple second gas holes 132 is between 200 mm and 250 mm, high controllability of the side gas flow rate and a high concentration of side gas can be obtained at the edge of the substrate.

[0078] The following describes the first to fourth experiments conducted to evaluate the plasma processing apparatus 1. In the first to fourth experiments, plasma etching of the resist film on a sample substrate was performed using the plasma processing apparatus 1. In the first to fourth experiments, H was released from each of the multiple gas holes 311, multiple gas holes 312, and multiple gas holes 313. ２ A processing gas containing gas, halogen-containing gas, and hydrofluorocarbon gas was supplied into the chamber 10 as a gas for plasma etching. In the first experiment, C was injected from multiple gas holes 313. ４ F ８ Further gas was supplied as a sedimentary gas. In the second experiment, C was supplied from multiple second gas holes 132. ４ F ８ Further gas was supplied as a sedimentary gas. In the third experiment, C was supplied from multiple gas holes 313. ４ F ６ Further gas was supplied as a sedimentary gas. In the fourth experiment, C was supplied from multiple second gas holes 132. ４ F ６ Further gas was supplied as a deposition gas. In the first to fourth experiments, the flow rate of the deposition gas was adjusted so that the etching rate of the resist film at the center of the sample substrate was the same for all of them.

[0079] In the first to fourth experiments, the etching rate of the resist film was determined at multiple positions radially from the center of the sample substrate. The results are shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, the horizontal axis represents the radial distance from the center of the sample substrate for each of the multiple positions, and the vertical axis represents the normalized etching rate. The normalized etching rate is the value obtained by normalizing the etching rate at each of the multiple positions by the etching rate at the same position in the first experiment. As can be seen from the comparison between the first and second experiments, and between the third and fourth experiments, it was confirmed that the etching rate at the edge of the sample substrate can be greatly adjusted by supplying the deposition gas from multiple second gas holes 132 compared to supplying the deposition gas from multiple gas holes 313. Therefore, it was confirmed that the plasma processing apparatus 1 allows for improved controllability of the plasma processing speed at the edge of the substrate.

[0080] The following describes the fifth experiment conducted to evaluate the plasma processing apparatus 1. In the fifth experiment, a precoat film was formed on a sample substrate placed on the substrate support section 11 by generating plasma from a precoat gas using the plasma processing apparatus 1. The precoat gas consisted of methane gas as the raw material gas and Cl as the reforming gas. ２ It contained gas. In the fifth experiment, Cl in precoat gas ２ The resistance values ​​of each precoat film obtained using several different gas flow rates were determined.

[0081] Figure 11 shows the results of the fifth experiment. In Figure 11, the horizontal axis represents the reformed gas (Cl) in the precoat gas. ２ The graph shows the flow rate of the gas, and the vertical axis shows the resistance of the precoat film. As shown in Figure 11, in the fifth experiment, the resistance of the precoat film at the center of the sample substrate (resistance value of "R0" in the figure) and the resistance of the precoat film at a position 135 mm radially from the center of the sample substrate (resistance value of "R135" in the figure) were determined. As shown in Figure 11, the reformed gas (Cl) in the precoat gas ２It was confirmed that the resistance of the precoat film decreased as the flow rate of the gas increased. Therefore, Cl ２ It was confirmed that by including a modified gas, such as a gas, in the precoat gas, conductivity can be imparted to the precoat film, and its resistance can be adjusted.

[0082] The sixth and seventh experiments conducted to evaluate the plasma processing apparatus 1 are described below. In the sixth and seventh experiments, the plasma processing described above was performed on a sample substrate using the plasma processing apparatus 1. During the plasma processing, a negative DC voltage was applied to the upper electrode from the second voltage generation unit 32b. Before the plasma processing in the sixth experiment, methane gas was used as the raw material gas and Cl was used as the reforming gas. ２ A precoat film was formed on the surface inside chamber 10 by generating plasma from a precoat gas containing gas. In addition, prior to the plasma treatment in the seventh experiment, a precoat film was formed on the surface inside chamber 10 by generating plasma from a precoat gas containing methane gas but not reformed gas.

[0083] In the sixth and seventh experiments, the voltage of the upper electrode was measured while plasma treatment was being performed on the sample substrate. Figure 12(a) shows the time change of the voltage of the upper electrode measured in the sixth experiment, and Figure 12(b) shows the time change of the voltage of the upper electrode measured in the seventh experiment. The fluctuation of the voltage measured in the sixth experiment (see Figure 12(a)) was significantly suppressed and stable compared to the fluctuation of the voltage measured in the seventh experiment (see Figure 12(b)). From this, it was confirmed that by including a reformed gas in the precoat gas, the charging of the precoat film on the surface defining the multiple second gas holes 132 is suppressed, and abnormal discharge of the upper electrode is suppressed.

[0084] The following describes an example of a circuit that can constitute the control unit 2 (i.e., the control circuit).

[0085] Figure 13 illustrates a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of implementing the various control modes described herein. Furthermore, the control modes of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, and / or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable program instructions causing one or more processing units to execute the modes of this embodiment are recorded.

[0086] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of storing instructions used by an instruction execution device (processor). A computer-readable storage medium may, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not exhaustive, flexible disks, hard disks, solid-state drives (SSDs), random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), static random-access memory (SRAM), compact disks (CDs or CD-ROMs), digital multipurpose disks (DVDs), memory cards or memory sticks (and suitable combinations thereof). In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium should not be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as, for example, radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., optical pulses passing through optical fiber cables), or electrical signals transmitted via wires.

[0087] The computer-readable program instructions described in this disclosure can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a suitable computing device or processing device, or they can be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a global network (i.e., the Internet), a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. Networks include transmission copper wires, optical fiber, wireless communications, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface of each computing device or processing device can receive computer-readable program instructions from the network, transfer those computer-readable program instructions, and store them in a computer-readable storage medium within the computing device or processing device.

[0088] Computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the Disclosure may include machine language instructions and / or microcode. These instructions can be compiled or interpreted from source code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembly language, Basic, Fortran, Java®, Python, R, C, C++, C#, etc. Computer-readable program instructions can be fully executed on a user's personal computer, notebook computer, tablet, or smartphone, or may be fully executed on a remote computer or computer server, or on any combination of these computing devices. The remote computer or computer server may be connected to one or more of the user's devices via a computer network, including a local area network, a wide area network, or a global network (i.e., the Internet). Alternatively, electronic circuits, including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), may be configured or customized to execute computer-readable program instructions using information from the computer-readable program instructions and implement embodiments of the Disclosure.

[0089] This specification will describe aspects of the present disclosure with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that each block in the flowcharts and block diagrams, as well as combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0090] Computer-readable program instructions capable of implementing the systems and methods described in this disclosure may be supplied to one or more processors (and / or one or more cores within a processor) of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions executed via the processors of the computer or other programmable device. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct the computer, programmable device, and / or other device to function in a particular manner. The computer-readable storage medium storing the instructions is a product containing instructions that implement the embodiments of the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure.

[0091] Furthermore, computer-readable program instructions can be loaded into a computer, another programmable device, or other device, and a series of operations can be executed on that computer, other programmable device, or other device to realize a computer implementation process. Therefore, the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure can be realized by instructions executed on a computer, another programmable device, or other device.

[0092] Figure 13 is a functional block diagram showing a network system 800 in which one or more computers and servers are connected to a network. In one embodiment, the hardware and software environments illustrated in Figure 13 may serve as an exemplary platform for implementing the software and / or methods relating to this disclosure.

[0093] Referring to Figure 13, the network system 800 may include, but is not limited to, a computer 805, a network 810, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, and a computer server 830. In some embodiments, one or more examples of the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 13 may be used.

[0094] Further details of computer 805 are shown in Figure 13. The functional blocks illustrated within computer 805 are merely illustrative examples for constructing exemplary functions and do not encompass all of its functions. Details of the remote computer 815, web server 820, cloud storage server 825, and computer server 830 are not shown, but these computers and devices may also include functions similar to those shown for computer 805.

[0095] Computer 805 may be a personal computer (PC), desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer, personal data device (PDA), smartphone, or other programmable electronic device capable of communicating with other devices on the network 810.

[0096] The computer 805 may include a processing unit 835, a bus 837, a memory 840, a non-volatile storage device 845, a network interface 850, a peripheral device interface 855, and a display device interface 865. In some embodiments, these functions may be implemented as individual electronic subsystems (integrated circuit chips or combinations of chips and associated devices), while in other embodiments, some of the combinations of functions may be implemented on a single chip (also known as a system-on-a-chip or SoC).

[0097] The processing unit 835 may be one or more single-chip or multi-chip microprocessors designed and / or manufactured by Intel Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), Arm Holdings, Apple Computer, etc. Examples of microprocessors include Intel Corporation's Celeron, Pentium®, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7; AMD's Opteron, Phenom, Athlon, Turion, Ryzen; and Arm's Cortex-A, Cortex-R, Cortex-M, etc.

[0098] Bus 837 may be a proprietary or industry-standard high-speed parallel or serial peripheral interconnect bus such as ISA, PCI, PCI Express (PCI-e), or AGP.

[0099] The memory 840 and the non-volatile storage device 845 may be computer-readable storage media. The memory 840 may include any suitable volatile storage device such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM). The non-volatile storage device 845 may include one or more of the following: flexible disk, hard disk, solid-state drive (SSD), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), compact disc (CD or CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), memory card, or memory stick.

[0100] The program 848 may be a collection of machine-readable instructions and / or machine-readable data stored in at least one memory, such as a non-volatile storage device 845, and used to create, manage, and control specific software functions as described in detail and illustrated in the drawings of this disclosure. In some embodiments, memory 840 may be much faster than the non-volatile storage device 845. In that case, the program 848 may be transferred from the non-volatile storage device 845 to memory 840 and then executed by the processing unit 835. The program 848 includes computer program code. In one implementation, at least one memory storing the computer program code comprises at least one processing unit (such as a processing circuit described later) for carrying out the control process and claimed advanced embodiments of this disclosure.

[0101] Computer 805 may communicate and interact with other computers via network 810 using network interface 850. Network 810 may be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination thereof, and may include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network 810 can be any combination of connections and protocols that support communication between two or more computers and associated devices.

[0102] The peripheral interface 855 may enable data input and output via other devices that can be locally connected to the computer 805. For example, the peripheral interface 855 may enable connection to an external device 860. The external device 860 may include devices such as a keyboard, mouse, keypad, touchscreen, and / or other suitable input devices. The external device 860 may also include portable computer-readable storage media such as a thumb drive, portable optical or magnetic disk, and memory card. Software and data used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., program 848) may be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media. In this case, the software may be loaded into the non-volatile storage device 845, or directly into memory 840 via the peripheral interface 855. The peripheral interface 855 may use industry-standard connections such as RS-232 or Universal Serial Bus (USB) to connect to the external device 860.

[0103] The computer 805 may be connected to the display device 870 via the display device interface 865. In one embodiment, the display device 870 may be used to present a command line or a graphical user interface to the user of the computer 805. The display device interface 865 may be connected to the display device 870 using one or more proprietary or industry standard connections such as VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI®, etc.

[0104] As described above, the network interface 850 enables communication with other computing systems or storage systems or computing devices or storage devices outside of the computer 805. The software programs and data described herein may be downloaded to the non-volatile storage device 845 via the network interface 850 and network 810 from, for example, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830. Furthermore, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computers connected to the computer 805 via the network interface 850 and network 810. For example, in one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by a combination of a remote computer 815, a computer server 830, or computers interconnected on network 810.

[0105] The data, datasets, and / or databases used in the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be stored in or downloaded from a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830.

[0106] The circuits used in this application can be defined as one or more of the following: electronic components (such as semiconductor devices), a plurality of electronic components directly connected to each other or interconnected via electronic communication, a computer, a network of computer devices, a remote computer, a web server, a cloud storage server, or a computer server. For example, each of the one or more of the computer, remote computer, web server, cloud storage server, and computer server may be included as a component of the circuit, or may include the circuit. In some embodiments, one or more examples of these components may be used, and each of the one or more examples of these components may also be included in the circuit, or may include the circuit. In some embodiments, a circuit represented by a network system may include a serverless computing system that corresponds to virtualized hardware resources. A circuit represented by a computer may be a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal data device (PDA), a smartphone, or other programmable electronic device that can communicate with other devices on a network. The circuit may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device described herein that includes one or more processing units. Each processing unit may be one or more single-chip microprocessors or multi-chip microprocessors. One or more processing units are considered processing circuits or circuits because they incorporate transistors and other circuits. The circuits can implement the systems and methods described in this disclosure based on computer-readable program instructions. These program instructions are supplied to one or more processing units (and / or one or more cores within processing units) of one or more general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, or other programmable devices described herein. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions contained within the circuits or executed via one or more processing units of a programmable device containing the circuits.Alternatively, a circuit may be a pre-programmed structure, such as a programmable logic device or an application-specific integrated circuit. A circuit is considered a circuit whether it is used alone or in combination with other programmable circuits or other pre-programmed circuits.

[0107] In light of the above teachings, it is clear that numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be implemented in forms other than those specifically described herein.

[0108] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, it is possible to combine elements from different embodiments to form other embodiments.

[0109] Herein, various exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure are described in [E1] to [E21] below.

[0110] [E1] A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a plasma processing space; a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber; a substrate support unit in the chamber; an upper assembly disposed above the plasma processing space, having a plurality of first gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, and an upper electrode disposed above the substrate support unit; an insulating ring surrounding the upper electrode; a conductive ring having a plurality of second gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, surrounding the insulating ring, and disposed above the space between the substrate support unit and the side wall of the chamber; a gas supply unit configured to supply gas discharged into the plasma processing space to the plurality of first gas holes and / or the plurality of second gas holes; and a control circuit configured to control the plasma generation unit and the gas supply unit to generate plasma from a precoat gas in the chamber, and to form a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma on at least a portion of the surface in the chamber, including the surface of the conductive ring defining the plurality of second gas holes.

[0111] [E2] The plasma processing apparatus according to E1, wherein the precoat gas contains a carbon-containing gas as a raw material gas.

[0112] [E3] The plasma apparatus according to E2, wherein the carbon-containing gas is a hydrocarbon gas.

[0113] [E4] The plasma apparatus according to E3, wherein the hydrocarbon gas is methane gas.

[0114] [E5] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E2 to E4, wherein the precoat film includes a carbon-containing film.

[0115] [E6] The plasma apparatus according to any one of E2 to E4, wherein the precoat gas further comprises a reformed gas, and the reformed gas comprises nitrogen and / or halogen.

[0116] [E7] The plasma apparatus according to E6, wherein the reformed gas contains a halogen-containing gas.

[0117] [E8] The plasma apparatus according to E7, wherein the halogen-containing gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.

[0118] [E9] The chlorine-containing gas is Cl ２ A plasma processing apparatus as described in E8, including the one described above.

[0119] [E10] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E6 to E9, wherein the precoat film includes a conductive carbon-containing film.

[0120] [E11] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E6 to E10, wherein the plurality of first gas holes are connected to the gas source of the raw material gas and the gas source of the reformed gas, and the plurality of second gas holes are connected to the gas source of the reformed gas and the gas source of the reformed gas.

[0121] [E12] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E1 to E10, wherein the plurality of first gas holes and the plurality of second gas holes are connected to a gas source of a processing gas containing hydrogen fluoride gas, and the control circuit is configured to control the gas supply unit and the plasma generation unit to generate another plasma from the processing gas in the chamber after the precoat film has been formed, thereby performing plasma processing on the substrate with chemical species from the other plasma.

[0122] [E13] The plasma apparatus according to E12, wherein the processing gas further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-containing gas, carbon-containing gas, halogen-containing gas, and metal-containing gas.

[0123] [E14] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E1 to E13, wherein the radial distance from the central axis of the conductive ring and the substrate support to the center point of each of the plurality of second gas holes is 200 mm or more and 250 mm or less.

[0124] [E15] The plasma processing apparatus according to E14, wherein the radius of the inscribed circle centered on the central axis of one or more of the innermost second gas holes among the plurality of second gas holes is greater than the radius of the outer circumference of the substrate support portion.

[0125] [E16] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E1 to E15, wherein the conductive ring is grounded.

[0126] [E17] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E1 to E16, wherein the conductive ring is formed of silicon.

[0127] [E18] The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of E1 to E17, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plasma generation unit and the gas supply unit to further form a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma on the surface of the upper electrode defining the plurality of first gas holes.

[0128] [E19] A plasma processing method comprising: a step of supplying a precoat gas from a gas supply unit to a plasma processing space in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber; a substrate support unit in the chamber; an upper assembly disposed above the plasma processing space, the upper electrode having a plurality of first gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space and disposed above the substrate support unit; an insulating ring surrounding the upper electrode; a conductive ring having a plurality of second gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, surrounding the insulating ring and disposed above the space between the substrate support unit and the side wall of the chamber; the gas supply unit configured to supply the gas discharged into the plasma processing space to the plurality of first gas holes and / or the plurality of second gas holes; and a step of forming a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma generated from the precoat gas in the chamber on at least a portion of the surface in the chamber, including the surface of the conductive ring defining the plurality of second gas holes.

[0129] [E20] The plasma treatment method according to E19, wherein the precoat gas contains a carbon-containing gas as a raw material gas, the precoat gas further contains a reformed gas, and the reformed gas contains nitrogen and / or halogen.

[0130] [E21] The plasma treatment method according to E19 or E20, further comprising the steps of connecting the plurality of first gas holes and the plurality of second gas holes to a gas source of a treatment gas containing hydrogen fluoride gas, and after forming the precoat film, performing plasma treatment on the substrate with chemical species from the plasma generated from the treatment gas in the chamber.

[0131] From the above description, it will be understood that the various embodiments of this disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the scope and spirit, and the true scope and spirit are shown by the appended claims.

[0132] 1...Plasma processing apparatus, 10...Chamber, 11...Substrate support part, 13A...Upper assembly, 13E...Upper electrode, 14...Insulating ring, 15...Conductive ring, 131...First gas hole, 132...Second gas hole, 20...Gas supply part.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a plasma processing space; a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber; a substrate support unit in the chamber; an upper assembly disposed above the plasma processing space, having a plurality of first gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, and an upper electrode disposed above the substrate support unit; an insulating ring surrounding the upper electrode; a conductive ring having a plurality of second gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, surrounding the insulating ring, and disposed above the space between the substrate support unit and the side wall of the chamber; a gas supply unit configured to supply gas discharged into the plasma processing space to the plurality of first gas holes and / or the plurality of second gas holes; and a control circuit configured to control the plasma generation unit and the gas supply unit to generate plasma from a precoat gas in the chamber, and to form a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma on at least a portion of the surface in the chamber, including the surface of the conductive ring defining the plurality of second gas holes.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the precoat gas includes a carbon-containing gas as a raw material gas.

3. The plasma apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the carbon-containing gas is a hydrocarbon gas.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hydrocarbon gas is methane gas.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the precoat film includes a carbon-containing film.

6. The plasma apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the precoat gas further comprises a reformed gas, and the reformed gas comprises nitrogen and / or halogen.

7. The plasma apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reformed gas includes a halogen-containing gas.

8. The plasma apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the halogen-containing gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.

9. The chlorine-containing gas is Cl ２ The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8, including the following:

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the precoat film includes a conductive carbon-containing film.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of first gas holes are connected to the gas source of the raw material gas and the gas source of the reformed gas, and the plurality of second gas holes are connected to the gas source of the reformed gas and the gas source of the reformed gas.

12. The plasma apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first gas holes and the plurality of second gas holes are connected to a gas source of a processing gas containing hydrogen fluoride gas, and the control circuit is configured to control the gas supply unit and the plasma generation unit to generate another plasma from the processing gas in the chamber after the precoat film has been formed, and to perform plasma processing on the substrate with chemical species from the other plasma.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processing gas further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-containing gas, carbon-containing gas, halogen-containing gas, and metal-containing gas.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radial distance from the central axis of the conductive ring and the substrate support to the center point of each of the plurality of second gas holes is 200 mm or more and 250 mm or less.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the radius of the inscribed circle centered on the central axis of one or more of the innermost second gas holes among the plurality of second gas holes is greater than the radius of the outer circumference of the substrate support portion.

16. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive ring is grounded.

17. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive ring is formed of silicon.

18. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the plasma generation unit and the gas supply unit to further form a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma on the surface of the upper electrode defining the plurality of first gas holes.

19. A plasma processing method comprising: a step of supplying a precoat gas from a gas supply unit to a plasma processing space in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the chamber; a substrate support unit in the chamber; an upper assembly disposed above the plasma processing space, the upper electrode having a plurality of first gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space and disposed above the substrate support unit; an insulating ring surrounding the upper electrode; a conductive ring having a plurality of second gas holes opening toward the plasma processing space, surrounding the insulating ring and disposed above the space between the substrate support unit and the side wall of the chamber; the gas supply unit configured to supply the gas discharged into the plasma processing space to the plurality of first gas holes and / or the plurality of second gas holes; and a step of forming a precoat film containing chemical species from the plasma generated from the precoat gas in the chamber on at least a portion of the surface in the chamber, including the surface of the conductive ring defining the plurality of second gas holes.

20. The plasma treatment method according to claim 19, wherein the precoat gas contains a carbon-containing gas as a raw material gas, the precoat gas further contains a reformed gas, and the reformed gas contains nitrogen and / or halogen.

21. The plasma treatment method according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising the steps of connecting the plurality of first gas holes and the plurality of second gas holes to a gas source of a treatment gas containing hydrogen fluoride gas, and after forming the precoat film, performing plasma treatment on the substrate with chemical species from the plasma generated from the treatment gas in the chamber.

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