Plasma processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus and method is equipped with a vacuum chamber, helmholtz coils, a microwave generator and gas feeding systems. An auxiliary magnet is further provided in order to strengthen the magnetic field in the vacuum chamber to produce centrifugal drifting force which confine the plasma gas about the center position of the vacuum chamber.

1 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber; and    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein the substrate is located distant from a resonance space.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the microwaves have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1500 cm −1 .  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         7 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber; and    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein a bias voltage is applied to the plasma.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the bias voltage is a DC voltage.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the microwaves have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1500 cm − .  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber;    introducing a hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber wherein the hydrogen gas is excited by a cyclotron resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field whereby a surface of the substrate is cleaned;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein the substrate is located distant from a resonance space.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising a step of applying a bias voltage to the plasma of the reactive gas.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1500 cm −1 .  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectrum in a vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance selected from the group consisting of an electron cyclotron resonance, an whistler mode resonance and a mixture thereof using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber; and    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein the substrate is located distant from a resonance space.    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the microwaves have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1500 cm −1 .  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein the film exhibits a halo pattern observed in an electron beam diffraction analysis.  
     
     
         27 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance selected from the group consisting of an electron cyclotron resonance, an whistler mode resonance and a mixture thereof using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber; and    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein a bias voltage is applied to the plasma.    
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the microwaves have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1500 cm −1 .  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the film exhibits a halo pattern observed in an electron beam diffraction analysis.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein the bias voltage is a DC voltage.  
     
     
         35 . A method of forming a film having an amorphous structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 introducing microwaves into a reaction chamber having an inner wall;    forming a magnetic field in the reaction chamber;    placing a substrate in the reaction chamber;    introducing a hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber wherein the hydrogen gas is excited by a cyclotron resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field whereby a surface of the substrate is cleaned;    introducing a reactive gas containing a carbon compound into the reaction chamber wherein the reactive gas is converted into a plasma by a resonance using the microwaves and the magnetic field;    depositing the film having the amorphous structure on the substrate,    wherein the substrate is located distant from a resonance space.    
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the microwaves have a frequency of 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1500 cm −1 .  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the film exhibits a peak of a Raman spectra in the vicinity of 1333 cm −1 .  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein a strength of the magnetic field is greater in a position close to the inner wall than in a position distant from the inner wall.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the carbon compound is CH 4  or C 2 H 2 .  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the film exhibits a halo pattern observed in an electron beam diffraction analysis.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 35  further comprising a step of applying a bias voltage to the plasma of the reactive gas.