Method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate

Abstract

In a method of processing a semiconductor substrate, a source gas is primarily excited into a first plasma state having a first energy. The primarily excited source gas is provided to a process chamber. The excited source gas in the process chamber is secondarily excited into a second plasma state having a second energy higher than the first energy. The secondarily excited source gas contacts a semiconductor substrate to process the semiconductor substrate.

1 . A method of processing a substrate comprising: 
 providing a source in a first plasma state having a first energy to a process chamber;    exciting the source having the first energy in the process chamber into a second plasma state having a second energy higher than the first energy; and    applying the source having the second energy to the substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the process chamber is maintained at a temperature below about 600° C.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the process chamber is maintained at a temperature of about 200° C. to about 500° C.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the source is excited into the first plasma state having the first energy using a remote plasma-generating unit coupled to the process chamber, and the source having the first energy is excited using a direct plasma-generating unit within the process chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the source is excited into the first plasma state having the first energy by applying microwave energy to the source, and the source having the first energy is excited by applying a high frequency energy to the source having the first energy.  
   
   
       6 . A method of processing a substrate comprising: 
 providing a first source in a first plasma state having a first energy to a process chamber;    exciting the first source having the first energy in the process chamber into a second plasma state having a second energy higher than the first energy;    applying the first source having the second energy to the substrate;    providing a second source in a third plasma state having a third energy to a process chamber;    exciting the second source having the second energy in the process chamber into a fourth plasma state having a fourth energy higher than the third energy; and    applying the second source having the fourth energy to the substrate;    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein providing the first source, exciting the first source, applying the first source, providing the second source, exciting the second source and applying the second source are repeated.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first source is excited into the first plasma state having the first energy using a remote plasma-generating unit coupled to the process chamber, the first source having the first energy is excited using a direct plasma-generating unit, the second source is excited into the third plasma state having the third energy using the remote plasma-generating unit, and the second source having the third energy is excited using the direct plasma-generating unit.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first source is excited into the first plasma state having the first energy by applying a microwave energy to the first source, the first source having the first energy is excited by applying a high frequency energy to the first source having the first energy, the second source is excited into the third plasma state having the third energy by applying a microwave energy to the second source, and the second source having the third energy is excited by applying a high frequency energy to the second source having the third energy.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus to process a substrate comprising: 
 a process chamber having a space to process the substrate;    a source-supplying unit to supply a source to the process chamber;    a remote plasma-generating unit, arranged between the source-supplying unit and the process chamber, to excite the source into a first plasma state having a first energy; and    a direct plasma-generating unit arranged to excite in the process chamber the source having the first energy into a second plasma state having a second energy higher than the first energy.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the remote plasma-generating unit comprises: 
 a remote plasma-generating tube to receive the source from the source-supplying unit; and    a power source to apply energy to the remote plasma-generating tube to excite the source into the first plasma state having the first energy.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the power source comprises a microwave generator.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the direct plasma-generating unit comprises: 
 a showerhead arranged to receive the source having the first energy from the remote plasma-generating unit; and    a power source to apply an energy to the showerhead to excite the source having the first energy into the second plasma state having the second energy.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the power source comprises a radio frequency power source.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the source-supplying unit comprises: 
 a first source-supplying line to supply a first source; and    a second source-supplying line to supply a second source.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the remote plasma-generating unit is provided to at least one of the first and second source-supplying lines.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a second source-supplying unit, connected to the direct plasma-generating unit, to provide a second source to the process chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a heater to heat the substrate.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a chuck positioned in the process chamber to support the substrate.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a vacuum unit coupled to the process chamber to exhaust byproducts generated in processing the substrate.