JP7323779B2 - Antenna and plasma processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an antenna and the like installed in a plasma processing apparatus.

A plasma processing apparatus is used to plasma-process a substrate using an inductively coupled plasma. These plasma processing apparatuses use an antenna for generating plasma in a vacuum vessel.

The antenna has a length of several meters depending on the size of the substrate to be plasma-processed, so there is a problem that it bends due to its own weight.

A technique for solving the above problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cover member that covers an antenna main body is formed by connecting a plurality of insulating pipes, and a connecting portion that connects adjacent insulating pipes is connected to a vacuum vessel.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-63000

However, the technique of Patent Literature 1 has a problem that the manufacturing cost increases because it is necessary to connect a plurality of insulating pipes.

An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an antenna and a plasma processing apparatus that can suppress bending of the antenna and reduce manufacturing costs.

In order to solve the above problems, an antenna according to one aspect of the present invention is an antenna that is arranged in a vacuum vessel and generates plasma in the vacuum vessel, wherein the antenna generates plasma when a current flows. a conductor, a cover member having insulating properties and covering the antenna conductor, and a plurality of a plurality of antenna conductors having one end connected to a vertically upper side of the cover member and installed along the direction in which the antenna conductor extends. a connecting portion; and a supporting portion to which ends of the plurality of connecting portions opposite to the one end are connected and which supports the cover member via the connecting portions.

According to one aspect of the present invention, bending of the antenna can be suppressed, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the schematic which shows typically the structure of the plasma processing apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 shows the configuration of an antenna provided in the plasma processing apparatus. The figure indicated by reference numeral 1001 is an enlarged view of the area A surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. The figure 1003 shows the configuration of the antenna according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The figure 1003 is an enlarged view of the antenna of the area corresponding to the area A surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in the figure indicated by reference numeral 1003. FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that subjects a substrate S to plasma processing using inductively coupled plasma. Here, the processing applied to the substrate S by the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes, for example, film formation, etching, ashing, and sputtering by plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). The plasma processing apparatus 1 is also called a plasma CVD apparatus when forming a film by a plasma CVD method, a plasma etching apparatus when performing etching, a plasma ashing apparatus when performing ashing, and a plasma sputtering apparatus when performing sputtering. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a vacuum vessel 2 which is evacuated and into which gas is introduced through a gas inlet (not shown), an antenna 10, and plasma (fusion coupling) in the vacuum vessel 2. A high-frequency power supply (not shown) for supplying a high-frequency current for generating plasma) to the antenna 10 and a substrate holder 3 for fixing the substrate S are provided. In the plasma processing apparatus 1 , high-frequency current flows through the antenna 10 by supplying high-frequency power to the antenna 10 from the high-frequency power supply. As a result, an induced electric field is generated in the vacuum chamber 2 to generate plasma. The generated plasma diffuses to the vicinity of the substrate S placed on the substrate holder 3, and the substrate S is subjected to the above-described processing by the plasma.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the antenna 10. The figure indicated by reference numeral 1001 is an enlarged view of the area A surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. It is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB. An antenna 10 is arranged in the vacuum vessel 2 and generates plasma within the vacuum vessel 2 . As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 10 includes an antenna conductor 11, an antenna cover 12 (cover member), pins 13, and a plate 14 (support portion).

The antenna conductor 11 generates plasma when a high-frequency current flows from the above-described high-frequency power supply. The antenna conductor 11 has conductivity. The antenna conductor 11 is a hollow cylindrical metal pipe extending in the horizontal direction. As the material of the antenna conductor 11, for example, copper, aluminum, alloys thereof, stainless steel, or the like can be used. The horizontal length of the antenna conductor 11 may be, for example, 2000-3000 mm. Both ends of the antenna conductor 11 are supported by the vacuum vessel 2 .

The antenna cover 12 is a cover member that covers the antenna conductor 11 with the direction in which the antenna conductor 11 extends as an axis. The antenna cover 12 is made of an insulating member (for example, quartz). Antenna cover 12 is arranged such that its central axis is substantially aligned with the central axis of antenna conductor 11 .

In the present embodiment, the antenna cover 12 has an outer diameter of 25 mm and an inner diameter of 23 mm in a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the length direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. Both ends of the antenna cover 12 are supported by the vacuum vessel 2 .

The pin 13 is a cylindrical member extending vertically. The pin 13 is made of an insulating material (for example, quartz). The pin 13 has a lower end 13a connected to the vertically upper side of the antenna cover 12, and an upper end 13b connected to a plate 14 which will be described later. A plurality of pins 13 are provided along the direction in which the antenna conductor 11 extends.

The pins 13 can be installed such that the distance between adjacent pins 13 is, for example, 100-200 mm. The pin 13 in this embodiment has a vertical length of 10 mm and an outer diameter of 1 mm in a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the length direction of the pin 13, but is not limited thereto.

The plate 14 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the horizontal direction and has a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the plate 14 extends (in other words, the direction in which the antenna conductor 11 extends). . The plate 14 is made of an insulating member (quartz, for example). The plate 14 is installed above the antenna cover 12 . The upper ends 13b of the pins 13 are connected to the plate 14 as described above. Thereby, the plate 14 functions as a support portion that supports the antenna cover 12 via the pins 13 .

The plate 14 has a horizontal length of 10 mm in a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the length direction of the pin 13 (length in the horizontal direction in the drawing indicated by reference numeral 1002 in FIG. 2), and the length of the pin 13 is 10 mm. The length in the vertical direction in a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction (length in the vertical direction in the drawing indicated by reference numeral 1002 in FIG. 2) is 4 mm, but it is not limited to these lengths. Both ends of the plate 14 are supported by the vacuum vessel 2 .

As described above, the antenna 10 of the present embodiment has (1) a plurality of pins 13 whose lower ends 13a are connected to the vertically upper side of the antenna cover 12 and which are installed along the direction in which the antenna conductor 11 extends. and (2) a plate 14 to which upper ends 13 b of the plurality of pins 13 are connected and which supports the antenna cover 12 via the pins 13 .

According to the above configuration, since the antenna cover 12 is supported by the plate 14 via the pins 13, it is possible to prevent the antenna cover 12 from bending. In other words, the rigidity of the antenna cover 12 can be improved. Further, even when the antenna conductor 11 is bent, the antenna cover 12 is not bent, so that the antenna cover 12 can prevent the antenna conductor 11 from being greatly bent. Furthermore, in the antenna 10, the antenna cover 12 can be constructed of one member without joining a plurality of members, so that the manufacturing cost of the antenna can be reduced.

Further, in the antenna 10 , the antenna cover 12 (in other words, the antenna conductor 11 ) is supported by the plate 14 via the elongated cylindrical pin 13 . As a result, uniform plasma can be generated by the antenna conductor 11 . Furthermore, since the pin 13 has an elongated cylindrical shape, the weight of the connecting portion connecting the antenna cover 12 and the plate 14 can be reduced.

Further, in the antenna 10, the pin 13 can be connected to the antenna cover 12 by spot welding. Therefore, for example, the antenna 10 can be easily manufactured, and the influence of welding distortion can be reduced compared to the case where reinforcing materials such as ribs are connected in all regions in the direction in which the antenna cover 12 extends. can do.

Also, in the antenna 10 , both ends of the antenna cover 12 and both ends of the plate 14 are supported by the vacuum vessel 2 . As a result, the antenna 10 can be supported more firmly than in the conventional case where only the antenna cover is supported by the vacuum vessel, and damage to the antenna cover 12 made of quartz is suppressed. It is possible to do so.

In addition, in the antenna 10 of the present embodiment, the pin 13 has a columnar shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the antenna of one aspect of the present invention, as a connection member that connects the antenna cover 12 and the plate 14, for example, an elongated rectangular parallelepiped pin may be used.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the invention are described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the antenna 10A in this embodiment, and the figure denoted by reference numeral 1003 is an enlarged view of the antenna 10A in the area corresponding to the area A surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in the drawing indicated by reference numeral 1003. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 10A includes an insulating pipe 20 (supporting portion) instead of the plate 14 in the first embodiment. Further, the antenna 10A includes a reinforcing member 21 in addition to the structure of the antenna 10 in the first embodiment.

The insulating pipe 20 is a hollow pipe extending horizontally. The insulating pipe 20 is made of an insulating member (for example, quartz). The insulating pipe 20 is installed above the antenna cover 12 . An upper end portion 13 b of the pin 13 is connected to the insulating pipe 20 . Thus, the insulating pipe 20 functions as a supporting portion that supports the antenna cover 12 via the pins 13 . Both ends of the insulating pipe 20 are supported by the vacuum vessel 2 .

The reinforcing member 21 is a member that reinforces the strength of the insulating pipe 20 . The reinforcing member 21 is cylindrical and made of metal (eg, titanium). The reinforcing member 21 is installed inside the insulating pipe 20 . The reinforcing member 21 is in a floating state independent of potential from other members.

As described above, in the antenna 10A of this embodiment, the antenna cover 12 is supported by the insulating pipe 20 through the pins 13, so that the antenna cover 12 can be prevented from bending.

Furthermore, in the antenna 10A, the reinforcing member 21 is inserted inside the insulating pipe 20, so that the insulating pipe 20 made of quartz can be prevented from being damaged.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims, and can be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 plasma processing apparatus 2 vacuum vessel 10, 10A antenna 11 antenna conductor 12 antenna cover (cover member)
13 pin (connection part)
14 plate (supporting part)
20 insulating pipe (supporting part)
21 reinforcing member (connection)

Claims (2)

An antenna disposed within a vacuum vessel for generating a plasma within the vacuum vessel,
an antenna conductor that generates plasma when current flows;
a cover member having insulating properties and covering the antenna conductor;
a plurality of connection portions, one end of which is connected to the vertically upper side of the cover member and which is installed along the direction in which the antenna conductor extends;
a support portion to which ends of the plurality of connection portions opposite to the one end are connected and which supports the cover member via the connection portions ;
The support portion is composed of a hollow insulating member extending in a direction in which the antenna conductor extends,
An antenna according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member containing metal is inserted into the insulating member . A plasma processing apparatus using the antenna according to claim 1 .

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