Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Kunihiko Hinata

Akira Koshiishi

Chishio Koshimizu

Naoki Matsumoto

Yohei Yamazawa

Masashi Saito

Manabu Iwata

Masaru Sugimoto

Noriyuki Kobayashi

Daisuke Yano

Manabu Sato

Hidetoshi Hanaoka

Masahiro Yamada

Hiromi Sakima

Shigeru Tahara

Ryuji Ohtani

Kazuo Kibi

Hiroki Yamazaki

Toshihiro Hayami

Yoshinobu Ohya

Kouichiro Inazawa

Abron S Toure

Yoshinobu Ooya

Jun Ooyabu

Youbun Ito

Hideaki Tanaka

Mitsuru Hashimoto

A plasma processing method includes executing an etching process that includes supplying an etching gas into a process container in which a target substrate is supported on a second electrode serving as a lower electrode, and applying an RF power for plasma generation and an RF power for ion attraction to turn the etching gas into plasma and to subject the target substrate to etching. The etching process includes applying a negative DC voltage to a first electrode serving as an upper electrode during the etching to increase an absolute value of self-bias on the first electrode. The etching process includes releasing DC electron current generated by the negative DC voltage to ground through plasma and a conductive member disposed as a ring around the first electrode, by using a first state where the conductive member is connected to a ground potential portion.

Plasma processing apparatus and method

A plasma etching apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode, between which plasma of a process gas is generated to perform plasma etching on a wafer W. The apparatus further comprises a cooling ring disposed around the wafer, a correction ring disposed around the cooling ring, and a variable DC power supply directly connected to the correction ring, the DC voltage being preset to provide the correction ring with a negative bias, relative to ground potential, for attracting ions in the plasma and to increase temperature of the correction ring to compensate for a decrease in temperature of a space near the edge of the target substrate due to the cooling ring.

An apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supporting a wafer disposed opposite each other within a process chamber. A first RF power supply configured to apply a first RF power having a relatively higher frequency, and a second RF power supply configured to apply a second RF power having a relatively lower frequency is connected to the lower electrode. A variable DC power supply is connected to the upper electrode. A process gas is supplied into the process chamber to generate plasma of the process gas so as to perform plasma etching.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a first and second electrodes disposed on upper and lower sides and opposite each other within a process container, a first RF power application unit and a DC power supply both connected to the first electrode, and second and third radio frequency power application units both connected to the second electrode. A conductive member is disposed within the process container and grounded to release through plasma a current caused by a DC voltage applied from the DC power supply. The conductive member is supported by a first shield part around the second electrode and laterally protruding therefrom at a position between the mount face of the second electrode and an exhaust plate for the conductive member to be exposed to the plasma. The conductive member is grounded through a conductive internal body of the first shield part.

An apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supporting a wafer disposed opposite each other within a process chamber. A first RF power supply configured to apply a first RF power having a relatively higher frequency is connected to the upper electrode. A second RF power supply configured to apply a second RF power having a relatively lower frequency is connected to the lower electrode. A variable DC power supply is connected to the upper electrode. A process gas is supplied into the process chamber while any one of application voltage, application current, and application power from the variable DC power supply to the upper electrode is controlled, to generate plasma of the process gas so as to perform plasma etching.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing container, an exhaust unit, an exhaust plate, an RF power application unit connected to a second electrode but not connected to the first electrode and configured to apply an RF power with a single frequency, the second electrode being connected to no power supply that applies an RF power other than the RF power with the single frequency, a DC power supply connected to the first electrode but not connected to the second electrode, the first electrode being connected to no power supply that applies an RF power, and a conductive member within the process container grounded to release through plasma a current caused by the DC voltage, the conductive member supported by the first shield part and laterally protruding therefrom only at a position that is located, in a height-wise direction, between a mount face and the exhaust plate and below a bottom of a focus ring.

A ring mechanism, comprising a focus ring and divided cover rings surrounding a wafer W placed on a loading table (lower electrode) mounted in a processing chamber, wherein a ring-shaped clearance &#x3b4;is provided between the divided rings to spread plasma to the radial outside of the focus ring to allow plasma to get therein, whereby a potential difference between the wafer W and the focus ring can be eliminated to prevent arc discharge by plasma from occurring between the wafer W and the focus ring.

Ring mechanism, and plasma processing device using the ring mechanism

A method and system for processing a substrate in the presence of high purity C F . When processing oxides and dielectrics in a gas plasma processing system, C F is used in combination with a carrier gas (e.g., Ar) and one or more of CO and O . When using a silicon nitride (Si N ) layer as an etch stop, effective etching is performed due to the selectivity of oxides versus silicon nitride. The method is used when etching down to self-aligning contacts and other layers. The method may be practiced with or without using an anti-reflective coating underneath the photoresist layer.

Etchant for use in a semiconductor processing method and system

A method and system for processing a substrate in the presence of high purity C.sub.5 F.sub.8. When processing oxides and dielectrics in a gas plasma processing system, C.sub.5 F.sub.8 is used in combination with a carrier gas (e.g., Ar) and one or more of CO and O.sub.2. When using a silicon nitride (Si.sub.x N.sub.y) layer as an etch stop, effective etching is performed due to the selectivity of oxides versus silicon nitride. The method is used when etching down to self-aligning contacts and other layers. The method may be practiced with or without using an anti-reflective coating underneath the photoresist layer.

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Nirasaki, Japan

Kunihiko Hinata