Tokyo Electron Limited

Tohoku University

Future Vision Inc.

Takahiro Horiguchi

Masaki Hirayama

Tadahiro Ohmi

Naofumi Oda

Masayuki Kitamura

Wataru Okase

Shinsuke Oka

Takeshi Sakuma

Kazuaki Nishimura

Eiichiro Takanabe

Hiroshi Kaneko

Ryo Kuwajima

Kenji Homma

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber produced from a metal; a susceptor configured to mount a substrate; an electromagnetic wave source that supplies an electromagnetic wave; one or more dielectric member provided at an inner wall of the processing chamber, and configured to transmit the electromagnetic wave into an inside of the processing chamber; one or more metal electrode, wherein each metal electrode is installed on a bottom surface of each dielectric member such that a part of the each dielectric member is exposed to the inside of the processing chamber; and a surface wave propagating section which is a metal surface facing the susceptor, the surface wave propagating section being installed adjacent to the dielectric member and being exposed to the inside of the processing chamber. The surface wave propagating section and a bottom surface of the metal electrode are positioned on the same plane.

Plasma processing apparatus

Microwaves propagated through the waveguide, a plurality of slotsand the dielectric membersin this order are supplied into the processing chamber U where they are used to excite a gas to plasma to be used to process a substrate G. Aluminafills an area inside the waveguidenear an end surface C thereof, and the remaining area inside the waveguide is filled with Teflon. Since the aluminahas a smaller guide wavelength &#x3bb;g compared to the Teflon, the mechanical length measured from the end surface C of the waveguideto the center of the closest slot is reduced compared to the mechanical length of a waveguide filled only with Teflonwhile maintaining the physical characteristic length from the end surface C to the closest slot center at &#x3bb;g/4.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is aimed to stably and efficiently perform a deposition process on a substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus supports the substrate W in a position facing a heater portion and thus rotates a holding member holding the substrate W. Furthermore, the heating portion houses a SiC heater and a heat reflecting member in an internal portion of a quartz bell jar made of transparent quartz, and depressurizes an internal space of a processing vessel and an internal space of the quartz bell jar at the same time; thereby allowing the thickness of the quartz bell jar to be thinner, and thus improving thermal conductivity of heat from the SiC heater and preventing contamination by the SiC heater.

Substrate processing apparatus

The purpose of the present invention is to provide homogeneous plasma in longitudinal direction of a plasma processing apparatus applicable to multiple processes. A microwave waveguidewith a plurality of variable couplersis placed in a vacuum chamber. The microwave generated in a microwave generatoris introduced into the microwave waveguidevia a waveguide. And a plasmain the chamberis generated by the microwave. Intensity distribution of the microwavein the microwave waveguidecan be varied by moving a plurality of variable couplersindividually upward or downward as shown by two-way arrow.

At a framein a microwave plasma processing apparatus, numerous horizontal spray gas nozzlesformed therein injection holes A and numerous vertical gas nozzlesformed therein injection holes B are fixed. A first gas supply meansinjects argon gas through the injection holes A into an area near each dielectric parts. A second gas supply meansinjects silane gas and hydrogen gas through the injection holes B into a position at which the gases do not become over-dissociated. The gases injected as described above are raised to plasma with a microwave transmitted through each dielectric parts. Since the vertical gas nozzlesare mounted at positions at which they do not block the flow of plasma traveling toward a substrate G, ions and electrons do not collide with the vertical gas nozzlesreadily.

A microwave plasma processing apparatusallows microwaves, passed through a plurality of slots, to be transmitted through a plurality of dielectric partssupported by beams, raises a gas to plasma with the transmitted microwaves and processes a substrate G with the plasma. The beamsare made to project out toward the substrate so as to ensure that the plasma electron density Ne around the ends of the beamsis equal to or greater than a cutoff plasma electron density Nc. The projecting beamsinhibits interference attributable to surface waves generated with the electrical field energy of microwaves transmitted through adjacent dielectric partsand interference attributable to electrons and ions propagated through the plasma generated under a given dielectric partto reach the plasma generated under an adjacent dielectric part as the plasma generated under the individual dielectric partsis diffused.

A single-substrate-processing apparatus includes an airtight process chamber, in which a worktable is supported by a pedestal. A conduction structure is arranged to conduct static electricity generated on the worktable and a wafer thereon to a grounded portion outside the process chamber. The conduction structure has a conductive film formed on insulating surfaces of the worktable and the pedestal.

Single-substrate-processing apparatus for semiconductor process

A single-substrate-processing apparatus includes an airtight process chamber in which a ceramic worktable is supported by a ceramic pedestal. The bottom of the pedestal is provided with a flange, which is attached to the bottom of the process chamber by a flange holder. The flange holder has upper and lower frames sandwiching the flange therebetween. The flange holder is detachably fixed by fixing bolts to the bottom of the process chamber from outside the process chamber.

A higher-temperature heating zone and lower-temperature heating zone are set in a process chamber for a single-substrate-heat-processing apparatus in order to subject a wafer to two processes with different process temperatures. In the higher-temperature heating zone, the wafer is heated as it is placed on a worktable. In the lower-temperature heating zone, the wafer is heated with a smaller heat quantity as it floats above the worktable. In the lower-temperature heating zone, a heat ray reflector for compensating for heat dissipated from the peripheral portion of the wafer is disposed to surround the wafer.

Single-substrate-heat-processing apparatus for semiconductor process

A single-substrate-processing apparatus includes an airtight process chamber in which a worktable is supported by a pedestal. The worktable has a mount face on which a plurality of ventilation grooves are formed. A plurality of ventilation holes and three lifter holes for lifter pins are formed vertically through the worktable. The gap space between the wafer and the mount face communicates with the inner space of the process chamber around the worktable and the wafer, through the ventilation grooves, the ventilation holes, and the lifter holes.

In an annealing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers one by one, a hermetic process chamber has a work table having an upper surface on which a wafer is placed. A shower head is disposed to supply a process gas into the process chamber from a position opposing the upper surface of the work table. An exhaust chamber is connected to the bottom portion of the process chamber through an inlet opening below the work table. The inlet opening has a planar contour smaller than that of the work table. The planar contours of the work table and the opening are arranged almost concentrically with each other. An exhaust mechanism is connected to the exhaust chamber, so the process chamber is exhausted through the exhaust chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takahiro Horiguchi