Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Ohka Co., Ltd.

Kazuto Obuchi

Kaoru Mizutani

Akira Uehara

Atsushi Matsushita

Mitsuaki Minato

Yoshitsugu Kawamura

Hisashi Hori

Kazuhisa Takao

Kazutoshi Fujisawa

Satoshi Oya

An apparatus for plasma treatment comprises: an outer chamber for plasma generation, which is connected to a gas introduction portion for plasma generation; a coil for plasma generation, which is provided along the periphery of the outer chamber for plasma generation; and a treatment chamber, which is arranged below the outer chamber for plasma generation. In this apparatus for plasma treatment, inside the outer chamber for plasma generation, an inner chamber having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the outer chamber for plasma generation is provided coaxially with the outer chamber for plasma generation such that the area between the inner periphery of the outer chamber and the outer periphery of the inner chamber is a plasma generation zone.

Apparatus for plasma treatment

A method of processing a substrate resists unwanted generation of plasma within a waiting chamber of a processing apparatus. The waiting chamber and a processing chamber are depressurized, and an untreated substrate is placed into the processing chamber, by raising a mounting table. A lower opening of the processing chamber is air-tightly closed by an edge portion of the mounting table. Thereafter, gas is introduced into the waiting chamber to increase the pressure therein, and in parallel with this, reactive gas is introduced into the processing chamber, but at a much lower pressure than that of the waiting chamber. Under this condition, high frequency power is applied to electrodes of the processing chamber to generate plasma therein. The likelihood of unwanted plasma generation in the waiting chamber is significantly reduced by the higher pressure therein, relative to the processing chamber.

Processing method for substrate

For obtaining uniformity of processing by controlling difference in impedance between a plurality of processing chambers, in a plasma processing apparatus, a conductor of an attachment portion and a conductor of an attachment portion are connected via a small width portion , and therefore belt-like electrodes and are equal to each other in electrical potential. That is, the belt-like electrode and the belt-like electrode constitute a first electrode. Furthermore, to each of the belt-like electrodes and is applied high frequency power from a single high-frequency electric power supply through a cable , and the belt-like electrodes and are connected (or short-circuited) to each other by means of a belt-like conductor having a width substantially equal to that of the belt-like electrode

Plasma processing apparatus

For shortening the time for introducing an inactive gas, such as nitrogen gas, into a load lock chamber of a processing apparatus for substrates, a buffer tank 19 having a capacity larger than that of the load lock chamber 3 is provided in the path of a pipe for introducing the nitrogen gas into the load lock chamber 3 of the processing apparatus. During processing within the processing chamber 2, such as an ashing process and so on, the nitrogen gas is introduced into the load lock chamber 3 from the buffer tank 19 by operating a valve mechanism 21 to increase the pressure within the load lock chamber 3 up to atmospheric pressure.

Processing apparatus for substrates

An electron cyclotron resonance plasma chemical vapor deposition system has a reaction chamber for introducing a reaction gas therein, the reaction chamber housing a table for supporting a semiconductor wafer. A microwave oscillator is connected to the reaction chamber through a waveguide for generating and introducing a microwave into the reaction chamber to produce a plasma in the reaction chamber for activating the reaction gas to etch or deposit a film on the semiconductor wafer in the reaction chamber. A pair of upper and lower coils is disposed around the reaction chamber for generating respective magnetic fields in opposite directions in the reaction chamber. The magnetic fields cancel out each other creating a region with substantially no flux density in the magnetic fields between the coils. A bias voltage is applied to the table to attract the plasma to the table in a uniform manner.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Kazuto Obuchi