Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1 , means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1 , an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5 A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O 2 or N 2 are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply; wherein 
 the apparatus further comprises a means for supplying mixed processing gases having different composition ratios or different flow ratios respectively to a center portion and an outer periphery portion of the object to be processed, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       2 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a means for controlling the plasma distribution at the center portion and at the periphery portion of the plane of the object to be processed, so as to control the uniformity of the critical dimension across the plane of the object without changing the uniformity of the process depth across the plane of the object.  
   
   
       3 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for controlling the plasma distribution is a means for controlling the ratio of power to be supplied to the center portion and to the periphery portion of the plane of the object, a means for controlling the magnetic field, or a means for controlling the power balance of RF powers having two different frequencies and applying them to the electrode, so as to control the uniformity of the critical dimension across the plane of the object without changing the uniformity of the process depth across the plane of the object.  
   
   
       4 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply; wherein 
 the apparatus further comprises supplying at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O 2  or N 2  or different flow ratios of O 2  or N 2  respectively to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the object to be processed, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       5 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electronic on which an object to be process is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, an electromagnetic radiation antenna, and a means for generating a magnetic field; wherein 
 the apparatus further comprises supplying at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O 2  or N 2  or different flow ratios of O 2  or N 2  respectively to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the object to be processed, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       6 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, and an electromagnetic radiation antenna; wherein 
 the apparatus further comprises a power distributing means for distributing and supplying power from the electromagnetic radiation power supply to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the electromagnetic radiation antenna; and    supplying at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios Of O 2  or N 2  or different flow ratios Of O 2  or N 2  respectively to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the object to be processed, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       7 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply; wherein 
 the electrode on which the object is placed has RF power of two different frequencies applied thereto; and    at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O 2  or N 2  or different flow ratios of O 2  or N 2  are supplied respectively to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the object to be processed, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       8 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, a means for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, an electromagnetic radiation antenna, and a means for generating magnetic field; wherein 
 a uniformity of a process depth across a plane of the object is controlled by controlling a plasma distribution mainly through the magnetic field, and at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of O 2  or N 2  or different flow ratios of O 2  or N 2  are supplied respectively to a center portion and to an outer periphery portion of the plane of the object to be processed so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       9 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet, and a second gas inlet; wherein 
 gases other than O 2  and N 2  are set as a first gas, the first gas is divided into plural predetermined flow ratios by a gas distributor, and O 2  or N 2  is supplied between the gas distributor and at least one of the first or second gas inlets.    
   
   
       10 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet, and a second gas inlet; wherein 
 a first gas is divided into plural predetermined flow ratios by a first gas distributor, and a second gas divided into plural predetermined flow ratios by a second gas distributor is supplied between the first gas distributor and the first gas inlet and between the first gas distributor and the second gas inlet.    
   
   
       11 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 the first gas is composed of gases other than O 2  and N 2 , and the second gas is composed of O 2  or N 2 .    
   
   
       12 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet, a second gas inlet, and a gas distributor; wherein 
 gas flow meters are disposed between the gas distributor and the first gas inlet and between the gas distributor and the second gas inlet.    
   
   
       13 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet, a second gas inlet, and a gas distributor; wherein 
 gas lines for evacuating the processing gas without passing through the processing chamber are disposed between the gas distributor and the first gas inlet and between the gas distributor and the second gas inlet.    
   
   
       14 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a gas dispersion plate, an O-ring for separating the gas dispersion plate into plural areas, a first gas inlet, and a second gas inlet; wherein 
 the gas distribution plate is screwed onto an antenna or a top panel so that the plate will not be lifted by the O-ring.    
   
   
       15 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas outlet, a second gas outlet, and an antenna; wherein 
 the antenna has a first gas flow path for a first processing gas to pass therethrough and a second gas flow path for a second gas to pass therethrough, and outlets of the first gas flow path or outlets of the second gas flow path are arranged substantially circumferentially around a substantial center of the antenna as the center point.    
   
   
       16 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a gas dispersion plate, first gas outlets for ejecting a first processing gas onto the gas dispersion plate, and second gas outlets for ejecting a second processing gas onto the gas dispersion plate; wherein 
 the first gas outlets or the second gas outlets are arranged substantially circumferentially around a center of the gas dispersion plate as the substantial center point.    
   
   
       17 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a gas dispersion plate, and a shower plate; wherein 
 gas holes formed to the shower plate are arranged concentrically around a substantial center of the shower plate.    
   
   
       18 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet, capable of introducing at least two kinds of processing gases having different flow rates or different composition ratios respectively through the different gas inlets into the processing chamber; wherein 
 in processing an SiOC film, a gas containing N 2  and CHF 3  or CF 4  is used, and at least two kinds of processing gases having different N 2  composition ratios or N 2  flow ratios are introduced respectively through different gas inlets into the processing chamber, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       19 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet and a second gas inlet, capable of introducing at least two kinds of processing gases having different flow rates or different composition ratios through the different gas inlets into the processing chamber; wherein 
 in processing an SiO 2  or SiOF film, a gas containing at least CF 4  or C 4 F 8  or C 4 F 6  or C 5 F 8  or CHF 3 , and Ar and O 2  is used, and at least two kinds of processing gases having different O 2  composition ratios or O 2  flow ratios are introduced respectively through different gas inlets into the processing chamber, so as to control a uniformity of a critical dimension across a plane of the object without changing a uniformity of a process depth across the plane of the object.    
   
   
       20 . A method for checking a gas distributor in a plasma processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber, an evacuation means for decompressing the processing chamber, an electrode on which an object to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic radiation power supply, a first gas inlet, a second gas inlet, and a gas distributor; the method comprising 
 providing gas lines between the gas distributor and the first gas inlet and between the gas distributor and the second gas inlet for evacuating a processing gas without passing through the processing chamber;    supplying one processing gas divided by the gas distributor into the processing chamber, evacuating the other processing gas without passing through the processing chamber, and calculating a flow rate of the one processing gas based on a capacity of the processing chamber and a pressure rising speed in the processing chamber;    supplying the other processing gas divided by the gas distributor into the processing chamber, evacuating the one processing gas without passing through the processing chamber, and calculating a flow rate of the other processing gas based on the capacity of the processing chamber and the pressure rising speed in the processing chamber; and    checking a normality of the gas distributor utilizing the ratio between the flow rate of the one processing gas and the flow rate of the other processing gas.