Plasma processing apparatus and plasma generating apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides an ICP source plasma processing apparatus having improved the uniformity and ignition property of plasma. A plasma processing apparatus for generating plasma in a vacuum processing chamber to subject a sample to plasma processing, comprising multiple sets ( 7 - 1 through 7 - 4 and 7 ′- 1 through 7 ′- 4 ) of high frequency induction antennas for forming an induction electric field rotating in a right direction on an ECR plane of the magnetic field formed in the vacuum processing chamber, wherein the phases of currents supplied to the respect sets of high frequency induction antenna elements 7 - 1 through 7 - 4 and 7 ′- 1 through 7 ′- 4 are controlled so that the corresponding elements are provided with currents of the same phase, according to which plasma is generated via electron cyclotron resonance (ECR).

1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a vacuum reactor constituting a vacuum processing chamber for housing a sample, a gas supply port for introducing a processing gas into the vacuum processing chamber, a high frequency induction antenna for forming an induction electric field into the vacuum processing chamber, a magnetic field coil for forming a magnetic field within the vacuum processing chamber, a plasma generating high frequency power supply for supplying high frequency current to the high frequency induction antenna, and a power supply for supplying power to the magnetic field coil, wherein high frequency current from the high frequency power supply is supplied to the high frequency induction antenna so as to turn the gas supplied to the vacuum processing chamber into plasma for subjecting the sample to plasma processing, wherein
 the vacuum processing chamber comprises a vacuum processing chamber top member composed of dielectric material fixed air-tightly to an upper portion of the vacuum reactor; and   the high frequency induction antenna is divided into n (n being an integer of n≧2) high frequency induction antenna elements, the divided high frequency induction antenna elements being arranged tandemly, wherein multiple sets of tandemly arranged high frequency induction antenna elements are provided, high frequency currents sequentially delayed in a fixed direction by λ (wavelength of the high frequency power supply)/n are supplied to the respective high frequency induction antenna elements included in the respective sets of high frequency induction antennas, so as to form via the high frequency currents a rotating induction electric field E rotating in a right direction with respect to a direction of line of magnetic force of a magnetic field B formed by supplying power to the magnetic field coil, the rotating induction electric field E having a rotation frequency corresponding to an electron cyclotron frequency of the magnetic field B, and the multiple sets (number of sets being a natural number of m≧1) of high frequency induction antennas and the magnetic field are arranged so that the induction electric field E and the magnetic field B satisfy a relationship of E×B≠0 so as to generate plasma, the plasma being used to subject the sample to plasma processing.   
   
   
       2 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vacuum processing chamber top member has a planar shape, a hollow semispherical shape, a rotated trapezoidal shape, or a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and   the multiple sets of high frequency induction antenna elements are all disposed outside the vacuum processing chamber top member.   
   
   
       3 . A plasma generating apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber having a vacuum processing chamber top member formed of insulating material on the upper portion thereof, multiple sets (number of sets being a natural number of m≧1) of a plurality of high frequency induction antenna elements through which high frequency for forming an induction electric field in the vacuum processing chamber is supplied, the plurality of respective high frequency induction antenna elements of the plurality of sets of high frequency induction antenna elements are arranged on a single plane and symmetric with respect to an axis orthogonal to said plane, a magnetic field distribution having a symmetric distribution with respect to an axis crossing said plane and orthogonal to said plane, the axes of the respective plurality of sets of the multiple high frequency induction antennas corresponding to the axis of the magnetic field distribution, wherein the multiple antennas and the magnetic field are arranged so that the rotation frequency of said rotating induction electric field E formed by the multiple sets f high frequency induction antenna elements is set to correspond to the electron cyclotron frequency of the magnetic field B so that the induction electric field distribution formed in the vacuum processing chamber rotates in a fixed direction, and the induction electric field E formed by the multiple sets of the plurality of high frequency induction antenna elements and the magnetic field B satisfy a relationship of E×B≠0. 
   
   
       4 . The plasma generating apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the vacuum processing chamber top member has a planar shape, a rotated trapezoidal shape, a hollow semispherical shape, or a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and   the multiple sets of high frequency induction antenna elements are all disposed outside the vacuum processing chamber top member.   
   
   
       5 . The plasma generating apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the rotating direction of the induction electric field distribution rotating in a fixed direction is a right direction with respect to the direction of the line of magnetic force of the magnetic field.   
   
   
       6 . The plasma generating apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the rotation frequency of the rotating induction electric field E formed via the multiple sets of a plurality of high frequency induction antenna elements being is set to correspond to the electron cyclotron frequency of the magnetic field B.   
   
   
       7 . The plasma generating apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 a variation frequency fB of the magnetic field B is set to satisfy a relationship of 2πfB<<ωc with respect to a rotation frequency (electron cyclotron frequency ωc) of Larmor motion.