Plasma process apparatus

Abstract

A disclosed a plasma process apparatus includes a process chamber that houses a substrate subjected to a predetermined plasma process and may be evacuated to a reduced pressure; a microwave generator that generates microwaves for generating plasma; a waveguide pipe that transmits the microwaves from the microwave generator to the process chamber; a waveguide pipe/coaxial pipe converter connected to one end of the waveguide pipe; and a coaxial pipe that forms a line through which the microwaves are transmitted from the waveguide pipe-coaxial pipe converter to the process chamber. An inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe has a hollow portion; and a first process gas supplying portion that supplies a process gas into the process chamber through the hollow portion of the inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe.

1 . A plasma process apparatus that processes a substrate utilizing plasma, the plasma process apparatus comprising:
 a process chamber that houses the substrate subjected to a predetermined plasma process and may be evacuated to a reduced pressure;   a microwave generator that generates microwaves for generating plasma;   a waveguide pipe that transmits the microwaves from the microwave generator to the process chamber;   a waveguide pipe/coaxial pipe converter connected to one end of the waveguide pipe;   a coaxial pipe that forms a line through which the microwaves are transmitted from the waveguide pipe-coaxial pipe converter to the process chamber, wherein an inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe has a hollow portion; and   a first process gas supplying portion that supplied a process gas into the process chamber through the hollow portion of the inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe.   
   
   
       2 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a susceptor on which the substrate is placed in the process chamber, and   a dielectric window for introducing the microwaves into the process chamber,   wherein the dielectric window serves as a ceiling surface opposing the susceptor.   
   
   
       3 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric window is provided with a gas ejection opening that is in communication with the hollow portion of the inner conductive body. 
   
   
       4 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric window is one of constituent elements of a planar antenna. 
   
   
       5 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the planar antenna is electromagnetically coupled to one end of the coaxial pipe. 
   
   
       6 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the planar antenna is a slot antenna. 
   
   
       7 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the slot antenna is a radial line slot antenna. 
   
   
       8 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the planar antenna is provided around the inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe. 
   
   
       9 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the waveguide pipe-coaxial pipe converter converts a transmission mode in the waveguide pipe to a TEM mode in the coaxial pipe. 
   
   
       10 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the waveguide pipe is square-shaped, and wherein one end portion of the inner conductive body protrudes into the square-shaped waveguide pipe, the protruding end portion being thicker along the protruding direction in the waveguide pipe-coaxial pipe converter. 
   
   
       11 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the hollow portion penetrates the inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe so as to allow a process gas to enter the hollow portion from an inlet opening made in the protruding end portion of the inner conductive portion and to be ejected from a hole directed toward an interior of the process chamber. 
   
   
       12 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inner conductive body of the coaxial pipe includes a coolant conduit through which a coolant may flow. 
   
   
       13 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second process gas supplying portion that introduces a process gas into the chamber. 
   
   
       14 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second process gas supplying portion includes a side wall eject hole from which the process gas is ejected toward a center portion of the process chamber. 
   
   
       15 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a first flow rate control portion that control a flow rate of the process gas introduced into the process chamber through the first process gas supplying portion; and   a second flow rate control portion that control a flow rate of the process gas introduced into the process chamber through the second process gas supplying portion.   
   
   
       16 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a radio frequency wave generator that applies radio frequency waves to the susceptor in order to generate a self bias voltage in the susceptor. 
   
   
       17 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic field producing portion that surrounds the process chamber so as to produce a magnetic field around the process chamber, thereby causing electron cyclotron resonance in the plasma in the process chamber. 
   
   
       18 . A plasma process apparatus in which a substrate subjected to a predetermined plasma process is housed in a process chamber that may be evacuated to a reduced pressure, and a process gas and microwaves are introduced into the process chamber so as to generate plasma from the process gas so as to perform the predetermined plasma process on the substrate, the plasma process apparatus comprising:
 a microwave transmission line that transmits the microwaves from a microwave generator to the process chamber,   wherein a predetermined section of the microwave transmission line, the section including one end portion of the microwave transmission line, is formed of a coaxial line, and   wherein an inner conductive body of the coaxial line is formed of a hollow pipe through which the process gas is introduced into the process chamber.   
   
   
       19 . A plasma process apparatus in which a substrate subjected to a predetermined plasma process is housed in a process chamber that may be evacuated to a reduced pressure, and a process gas and microwaves are introduced into the process chamber so as to generate plasma from the process gas so as to perform the predetermined plasma process on the substrate, the plasma process apparatus comprising:
 a microwave transmission line that transmits the microwaves from a microwave generator to the process chamber, wherein a predetermined section of the microwave transmission line, the section including one end portion of the microwave transmission line, is formed of a coaxial line whose inner conductive body is formed of a hollow pipe; and   a monitor portion that monitors through the hollow pipe the plasma process performed in the process chamber.   
   
   
       20 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the monitor portion includes a plasma emission measurement portion that spectroscopically measures emission of the plasma in the process chamber. 
   
   
       21 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the monitor portion includes an optical thickness measurement portion that measures a thickness of a film on the substrate held on a susceptor in the process chamber. 
   
   
       22 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the monitor portion includes a temperature sensor that measures temperature inside the process chamber. 
   
   
       23 . A plasma process apparatus that utilizes plasma so as to perform a predetermined process on a substrate, the plasma process apparatus comprising:
 a process chamber that houses a substrate subjected to the predetermined plasma process and may be evacuated to a reduced pressure;   a microwave generator that generates microwaves for generating plasma;   a dielectric window through which the microwaves are introduced to the process chamber;   a microwave transmission line that transmits the microwaves from the microwave generator to the dielectric window; and   a first process gas supplying portion including a gas conduit that penetrates the dielectric window to the process chamber in order to supply a process gas into the process chamber, the gas conduit being electrically conductive and grounded.   
   
   
       24 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the gas conduit penetrates one portion of the dielectric window. 
   
   
       25 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the gas conduit penetrates substantially a center of the dielectric window. 
   
   
       26 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein plural of the gas conduits penetrate corresponding plural portions of the dielectric window, the plural portions being located symmetrically in relation to substantially a center of the dielectric window. 
   
   
       27 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein a gas ejection portion of the gas conduit protrudes into the process chamber from the dielectric window. 
   
   
       28 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the gas ejection portion of the gas conduit is at a distance 10 mm or more from the dielectric window. 
   
   
       29 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a susceptor on which the substrate is placed in the process chamber, wherein the dielectric window serves as a ceiling surface opposing the susceptor. 
   
   
       30 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising a radio frequency wave generator in order to apply radio frequency waves in order to generate a self bias voltage in the susceptor. 
   
   
       31 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the dielectric window is one of constituent elements of a planar antenna. 
   
   
       32 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the planar antenna includes a radial line slot antenna. 
   
   
       33 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the microwave transmission line includes a coaxial pipe whose end portion is connected to the planer antenna. 
   
   
       34 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the gas conduit is formed in an inner conductive body. 
   
   
       35 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the inner conductive body includes a hollow portion that may be used to allow gas to flow therethrough, the hollow portion extending along a center axis of the inner conductive body. 
   
   
       36 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the gas conduit is in communication with the hollow portion and extends into the process chamber through a through hole made in the dielectric window. 
   
   
       37 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the microwave transmission line includes
 a waveguide pipe whose one end is connected to the microwave generator;   a waveguide pipe/coaxial pipe converter that couples another end of the waveguide pipe with one end of the coaxial pipe in order to convert one transmission mode of electromagnetic waves in the waveguide pipe to another transmission mode in the coaxial pipe.   
   
   
       38 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a second process gas supplying portion that introduces the process gas into the chamber. 
   
   
       39 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the second process gas supplying portion includes a side wall eject hole from which the process gas is ejected toward a center portion of the process chamber. 
   
   
       40 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 a first flow rate control portion that controls a flow rate of the process gas introduced into the process chamber by the first process gas supplying portion; and   a second flow rate control portion that controls a flow rate of the process gas introduced into the process chamber by the second process gas supplying portion.   
   
   
       41 . A plasma process apparatus that utilizes plasma so as to perform a predetermined process on a substrate, the plasma process apparatus comprising:
 a process chamber that houses a substrate subjected to the predetermined plasma process;   an evacuation portion that evacuates the process chamber to a reduced pressure;   a gas supplying line for supplying a process gas into the process chamber, the gas supplying line being electrically conductive and grounded;   a microwave generator that generates microwaves for generating plasma;   a dielectric window through which the microwaves are introduced to the process chamber, the dielectric window extending around the gas supplying line; and   a microwave transmission line that transmits the microwaves from the microwave generator to the dielectric window.   
   
   
       42 . The plasma process apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein a gas ejection portion of the gas supplying line protrudes into the process chamber from the dielectric window.