Metal film production apparatus

Abstract

A source gas is supplied into a chamber through a nozzle, and electromagnetic waves are thrown from a plasma antenna into the chamber. The resulting Cl 2 gas plasma causes an etching reaction to a plurality of copper protrusions, which are arranged between a substrate and a ceiling member in a discontinuous state relative to the flowing direction of electricity in the plasma antenna, to form a precursor (Cu x Cl y ). The precursor (Cu x Cl y ) transported toward the substrate controlled to a lower temperature than the temperature of an etched member is converted into only Cu ions by a reduction reaction, and directed at the substrate to form a thin Cu film on the surface of the substrate. The speed of film formation is fast, the cost is markedly decreased, and the resulting thin Cu film is of high quality.

1 .- 4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . An apparatus for forming a metal film, comprising:
 a reaction vessel configured and positioned to house a substrate and a plate made of metal;   an inlet configured and positioned to feed a gas comprising a halogen into a space between the substrate and the plate within the reaction vessel;   an outlet configured and positioned to exhaust said reaction vessel; and   a plasma generator configured and positioned to generate a plasma containing the halogen, to etch said plate by the plasma, thereby reacting the metal of said plate with the halogen, and forming a reaction product comprising the metal and the halogen.   
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said gas comprises a halogen gas and He or Ar. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said halogen gas comprises a chlorine gas. 
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said metal comprises Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ta, Ti or W. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a heater configured and positioned to heat said substrate at a temperature controlled to deposit the metal on said substrate. 
   
   
       10 . A method for forming a metal film, comprising the steps:
 housing a substrate and a plate made of metal in a reaction vessel;   feeding a gas comprising a halogen in a space between the substrate and the plate within the reaction vessel;   exhausting an atmosphere of said reaction vessel; and   generating a plasma containing the halogen, to etch said plate by the plasma, thereby reacting the metal of said plate with the halogen, and forming a reaction product comprising the metal and the halogen.   
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein said gas comprises a halogen gas and He or Ar. 
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein said halogen gas comprises a chlorine gas. 
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein said metal comprises Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ta, Ti or W. 
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising a step of heating said substrate at a temperature controlled to deposit the metal on said substrate. 
   
   
       15 . A metal film production apparatus, comprising:
 a chamber accommodating a substrate and having an upper portion open;   source gas supply means for supplying a source gas containing a halogen into the chamber;   a ceiling member made of an insulating material for closing an opening of the upper portion of the chamber;   an antenna member provided outwardly of the ceiling member and adapted to convert an atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma by supply of power;   an etched member made of a metal and comprising a plurality of segments, which are arranged between the substrate and the ceiling member in a discontinuous state relative to a flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member;   plasma generation means, which supplies power to the antenna member to generate on a substrate side of the etched member a flow of electricity in the same direction as the flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member, thereby converting the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma and generating a source gas plasma so that the etched member is etched with the source gas plasma to form a precursor of a metal component contained in the etched member and the source gas; and   temperature control means for controlling a temperature of the substrate to be lower than a temperature of the etched member to deposit the metal component of the precursor on the substrate as a film.   
   
   
       16 . A metal film production apparatus, comprising:
 a cylindrical chamber accommodating a substrate and open at one end;   a disk-shaped ceiling member made of an insulating material for closing an opening of the chamber;   source gas supply means for supplying a source gas containing a halogen into the chamber;   an antenna member of a planar ring shape provided outwardly of the ceiling member and adapted to convert an atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma by supply of power;   an etched member made of a metal and comprising a plurality of segments, which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the chamber and extend in a diametrical direction of the chamber between the substrate and the ceiling member, and which are in a discontinuous state relative to a flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member;   plasma generation means, which supplies power to the antenna member to generate on a substrate side of the etched member a flow of electricity in the same direction as the flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member, thereby converting the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma and generating a source gas plasma so that the etched member is etched with the source gas plasma to form a precursor of a metal component contained in the etched member and the source gas; and   temperature control means for controlling a temperature of the substrate to be lower than a temperature of the etched member to deposit the metal component of the precursor on the substrate as a film.   
   
   
       17 . A metal film production apparatus, comprising:
 a cylindrical chamber accommodating a substrate and open at one end;   an outwardly curved convex ceiling member made of an insulating material for closing an opening of the chamber;   source gas supply means for supplying a source gas containing a halogen into the chamber;   an antenna member of a conical ring shape provided in surroundings outward of the ceiling member and adapted to convert an atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma by supply of power;   an etched member made of a metal and comprising a plurality of segments, which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the chamber and extend in a diametrical direction of the chamber between the substrate and the ceiling member, and which are in a discontinuous state relative to a flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member;   plasma generation means, which supplies power to the antenna member to generate on a substrate side of the etched member, a flow of electricity in the same direction as the flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member, thereby converting the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma and generating a source gas plasma so that the etched member is etched with the source gas plasma to form a precursor of a metal component contained in the etched member and the source gas; and   temperature control means for controlling a temperature of the substrate to be lower than a temperature of the etched member to deposit the metal component of the precursor on the substrate as a film.   
   
   
       18 . A metal film production apparatus, comprising:
 a cylindrical chamber accommodating a substrate and open at one end;   a disk-shaped ceiling member made of an insulating material for closing an opening of the chamber;   a tubular portion made of an insulating material, which is provided on the one end of the chamber;   source gas supply means for supplying a source gas containing a halogen into the chamber;   an antenna member of a planar ring shape provided outwardly of the ceiling member and adapted to convert an atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma by supply of power;   a coil antenna member of a cylindrical coil shape provided around the tubular portion and adapted to convert the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma by supply of power;   an etched member made of a metal and comprising a plurality of segments, which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the chamber and extend in a diametrical direction of the chamber between the substrate and the ceiling member, and which are in a discontinuous state relative to a flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member and the coil antenna member;   plasma generation means, which supplies power to the antenna member and the coil antenna member to generate on a side of the etched member opposite to the antenna member a flow of electricity in the same direction as the flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member, thereby converting the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma and generating a source gas plasma so that the etched member is etched with the source gas plasma to form a precursor of a metal component contained in the etched member and the source gas; and   temperature control means for controlling a temperature of the substrate to be lower than a temperature of the etched member to deposit the metal component of the precursor on the substrate as a film.   
   
   
       19 . A metal film production method involving converting an atmosphere within a chamber accommodating a substrate into a plasma by supply of power from an antenna member, comprising:
 disposing an etched member made of a metal and comprising a plurality of segments, which are arranged in a discontinuous state relative to a flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member;   supplying power to the antenna member to generate on a substrate side of the etched member a flow of electricity in the same direction as the flowing direction of electricity in the antenna member, thereby converting the atmosphere within the chamber into a plasma and generating a source gas plasma so that the etched member is etched with the source gas plasma to form a precursor of a metal component contained in the etched member and a source gas; and   controlling a temperature of the substrate to be lower than a temperature of the etched member to deposit the metal component of the precursor on the substrate as a film.