Processing apparatus with a chamber having therein a high-corrosion-resistant sprayed film

Abstract

A processing apparatus of the present invention has a mounted chamber holding a semiconductor wafer and having members for work-processing the substrate under any of heating, plasma and process gas or a combination of them, in which a film of Al 2 O 3 and Y 2 O 3 is formed on an inner wall surface of the chamber and on those exposed surface of the members within the chamber and has a high-corrosion resistance and insulating property and, when the process gas is introduced onto a processing surface of a semiconductor wafer and diffused into it, any product is less liable to be deposited on a plasma generation area and on those members held within the chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A processing apparatus comprising: 
 a chamber for holding a substrate that is to be processed;    a sprayed film formed on an inner surface of the chamber and containing a compound of a III-a element of the periodic table; and    a processing mechanism for processing a substrate held in the chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the sprayed film contains Al 2 O 3 .  
     
     
         3 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the sprayed film comprises Al 2 O 3  and Y 2 O 3 .  
     
     
         4 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the weight ratio of Al 2 O 3  to Y 2 O 3  is  0 . 5  or more in the sprayed film.  
     
     
         5 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein a sprayed film containing a III-a element of the periodic table is formed on a part of the processing mechanism, which is exposed to the chamber.  
     
     
         6 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the sprayed film is made of Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , Sc 2 F 3 , YF 3 , La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Eu 2 O 3 , or DyO 3 .  
     
     
         7 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 4   , wherein the sprayed film is made of Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , Sc 2 F 3 , YF 3 , La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Eu 2 O 3 , or DyO 3 .  
     
     
         8 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the processing mechanism performs plasma process on the substrate.  
     
     
         9 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the processing mechanism processes the substrate, while applying a corrosive gas into the chamber.  
     
     
         10 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein the processing mechanism performs a heating process on the substrate.  
     
     
         11 . A processing apparatus comprising: 
 a lower chamber containing a susceptor for holding a substrate that is to be processed;    an upper chamber provided above the lower chamber;    antenna means arranged around the upper chamber, for generating an induction magnetic field in the upper chamber and on the substrate;    high-frequency wave applying means for applying high-frequency power to the antenna means;    gas-supplying means for supplying a plurality of process gases onto the substrate in the lower chamber;    gas-exhausting means for exhausting the process gases from the upper and lower chambers; and    a film formed by sprayed on an inner surface of the upper chamber and containing a compound of a III-a element of the periodic table, for preventing corrosion from taking place while the substrate is being processed,    wherein an induction electromagnetic field is generated in the upper and lower chambers, generating a plasma, and the plasma is applied to the substrate, thereby to process the substrate.    
     
     
         12 . A processing apparatus comprising: 
 a lower chamber containing a susceptor for holding a substrate that is to be processed;    an upper chamber provided above the lower chamber;    antenna means arranged around the upper chamber, for generating an induction magnetic field in the upper chamber and on the substrate;    high-frequency wave applying means for applying high-frequency power to the antenna means;    a gas-supplying means for shaped like a ring, surrounding an upper part of the lower chamber, and supplies the process gases and a plasma-generating gas into the lower chamber so that the gases may mix at a position above the substrate held on the susceptor; and    gas-exhausting means for exhausting the process gases from the upper and lower chambers,    wherein an induction electromagnetic field is generated in the upper chamber, generating a plasma, and the plasma is applied to the substrate, thereby to process the substrate.    
     
     
         13 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 9   , wherein the gas-supplying means comprises a plurality of annular layers mounted one upon another, each having a gas-inlet port in the outer circumfrential surface and an inner passage connected to the gas-inlet port, one of the annular layers has a row of gas-outlet ports in the inner circumferential surface, every other gas-outlet port is connected to the inner passage of said one of the annular layers, and the remaining gas-outlet port are connected to the inner passages of the other annular layers alternately.  
     
     
         14 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 9   , wherein the gas-supplying means comprises a plurality of annular layers mounted one upon another, each having a gas-inlet port made in the outer circumfrential surface, an inner passage connected to the gas-inlet port, and a plurality of gas-outlet holes made in the inner circumferntial surface and connected to the inner passage, and the gas-outlet holes are arranged in staggered fashion in the inner circumferential surface of the gas-supplying means.  
     
     
         15 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the sprayed film comprises an Al 2 O 3  film and a Y 2 O 3  film.  
     
     
         16 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the weight ratio of the Al 2 O 3  film to the Y 2 O 3  film is 0.5 or more in the sprayed film.  
     
     
         17 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein the weight ratio of the Al 2 O 3  film to the Y 2 O 3  film is 0.5 or more in the sprayed film.  
     
     
         18 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 6   , wherein the weight ratio of the Al 2 O 3  film to the Y 2 O 3  film is 0.5 or more in the sprayed film.  
     
     
         19 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the upper chamber has a base made of material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, alloy containing the metal and hard plastic.  
     
     
         20 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 19   , wherein the ceramic is one selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2  and AlN.  
     
     
         21 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the sprayed film has a thickness of 50 μm or more.  
     
     
         22 . The processing apparatus according to    claim 8   , which further comprises a coolant source for decreasing a temperature in the upper chamber, and in which the lower chamber and the upper chamber are connected in airtight fashion, the induction electromagnetic field generates a plasma above the susceptor, the gas-supplying means supplies process gases to the plasma, thereby forming a film on the substrate.  
     
     
         23 . The process apparatus according to    claim 8   , which further comprises a power supply for applying a high-frequency voltage between the lower and upper chambers, and in which the induction electromagnetic filed generates a plasma above the susceptor, the gas-supplying means supplies the process gases, and the high-frequency voltage is applied between the lower and upper chambers, thereby etching a surface of the substrate.  
     
     
         24 . The process apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the upper chamber is a semi-spherical one, a dome-shaped one, or a thin-type one shorter in height than a plasma-generating area.  
     
     
         25 . The process apparatus according to    claim 12   , wherein a weight ratio between Al 2 O 3  to Y 2 O 3  is 5:3 in the sprayed film.  
     
     
         26 . The process apparatus according to    claim 21   , wherein the film containing Y 2 O 3  is YAG.  
     
     
         27 . The process apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein the lower chamber is connected to the upper chamber and used as a heating chamber for performing heat processing on the substrate, an ashing chamber for removing a resist mask from the substrate or an etching chamber for etching the substrate.