The present invention disclosed herein relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus which provides uniform plasma density by using upper and side antennas.
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of layers on a silicon substrate. The layers are deposited on the substrate through a deposition process. The deposition process has several important issues. The issues are important in evaluating deposited layers and selecting a deposition method.
First, one of the important issues may be qualities of the deposited layers. This represents compositions, contamination levels, defect density, and mechanical and electrical properties of the deposited layers. The compositions of the deposited layers may be changed according to deposition conditions. This is very important for obtaining a specific composition.
Second, one of the important issues may be a uniform thickness crossing a wafer. Specifically, a thickness of a layer deposited on a pattern having a nonplanar shape in which a stepped portion is formed is very important. Whether the deposited layer has a uniform thickness may be determined through a step coverage which is defined as a value obtained by dividing a minimum thickness of a layer deposited on the stepped portion by a thickness of a layer deposited on a top surface of a pattern.
The other issue with respect to the deposition may be a filling space. This includes a gap filling in which an insulation layer including an oxide layer is filled between metal lines. The gap is provided for physically and electrically insulating the metal lines from each other.
Among the above-described issues, the uniformity may be one of important issues related to the deposition process. A non-uniform layer may cause high electrical resistance on a metal line to increase possibility of mechanical damage.
The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that is capable of improving process uniformity over an entire surface of a substrate.
The present invention also provides a substrate processing apparatus that is capable of improving density of plasma.
Further another object of the present invention will become evident with reference to following detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the present invention provide substrate processing apparatuses including: a chamber having an opened upper side, the chamber having a passage, through which a substrate is accessible, in a side thereof; a chamber cover covering the opened upper side of the chamber to provide an inner space in which a process with respect to the substrate is performed, the chamber cover having a gas supply hole passing through a ceiling wall thereof; an upper antenna disposed on an upper central portion of the chamber cover to generate an electric field in a central portion of the inner space, the upper antenna generating plasma by using a source gas supplied into the inner space; a side antenna disposed to surround a side portion of the chamber cover to generate an electric field in an edge portion of the inner space, the side antenna generating plasma by using the source gas supplied into the inner space; and a gas supply tube connected to the gas supply hole to supply the source gas into the inner space, wherein the gas supply hole is disposed outside the upper antenna.
In some embodiments, the substrate processing apparatuses may further includes a ring-shaped block plate that is closely attached to a ceiling surface of the chamber cover to diffuse the source gas toward the substrate, wherein the block plate may include: an opening defined in a center thereof to correspond to the upper antenna; a passage recessed from one surface thereof to face the ceiling surface; and a plurality of gas spray holes communicating with the passage to spray the source gas.
In other embodiments, the passage may include: an inner passage defined along a circumference of the opening to correspond to a central portion of the substrate; and a connection passage connecting the gas supply hole to the inner passage, wherein the gas spray holes may be defined in an inner circumferential surface of the block plate.
In still other embodiments, the passage may include: an inner passage defined along a circumference of the opening to correspond to a central portion of the substrate; and a connection passage connecting the gas supply hole to the inner passage, wherein the gas spray holes may be spaced apart from each other in the inner passage.
In even other embodiments, the gas spray holes may gradually increase in distribution density as the gas spray holes are away from the gas supply hole.
In yet other embodiments, the gas spray holes may gradually increase in diameter as the gas spray holes are away from the gas supply hole.
In further embodiments, the passage may include: an inner passage defined along a circumference of the opening to correspond to a central portion of the substrate; an outer passage defined outside the inner passage; and a plurality of connection passages connecting the inner passage to the outer passage, wherein the gas supply hole may be defined in the outer passage, and the gas spray holes may be respectively defined in the inner passage and the outer passage.
In still further embodiments, the connection passages may gradually increase in width as the connection passages are away from the gas supply hole.
In even further embodiments, the gas spray holes defined in the inner passage may have distribution densities greater than those of the gas spray holes defined in the outer passage.
In yet further embodiments, the gas spray holes defined in the inner passage may have diameters greater than those of the gas spray holes in the outer passage.
In much further embodiments, the passage may include: an inner passage defined along a circumference of the opening to correspond to a central portion of the substrate; an outer passage defined outside the inner passage; and a plurality of connection passages connecting the inner passage to the outer passage, wherein the gas supply hole may be defined in the outer passage, and the gas spray holes may be respectively defined in an inner circumferential surface of the block plate and the outer passage.
In still much further embodiments, the passage may further include a plurality of auxiliary connection passages connecting one side of the outer passage defined in a side opposite to the gas supply hole with respect to the opening to the other side of the outer passage adjacent to the gas supply hole, the plurality of auxiliary connection passages being defined parallel to each other, wherein the connection passages may be parallel to the auxiliary connection passages.
In even much further embodiments, the passage may include: an inner passage defined along a circumference of the opening to correspond to a central portion of the substrate, the inner passage having a semicircular shape and being defined in a side opposite to the gas supply hole with respect to the opening; an outer passage defined outside the inner passage, the outer passage having a semicircular shape and being defined in a side opposite to the inner passage with respect to the opening; a connection passage having one end connected to the gas supply hole and the other end connected to a central portion of the outer passage; and an auxiliary connection passage connecting both ends of the inner passage to both ends of the outer passage, wherein the gas spray holes may be spaced apart from each other in the inner passage and the outer passage.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the present invention. In the drawings:
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to
Although an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) type plasma process is described below as an example, the present invention is applicable to various plasma processes. Also, although a substrate is described as an example, the present invention is applicable to various objects to be processed.
The chamber cover 14 covers the opened upper side of the main chamber 10 to define an inner space blocked from the outside. The substrate W is loaded into the inner space through the passage 7. Processes with respect to the substrate W may be performed in the inner space.
A susceptor cover 20 is disposed to surround upper and side portions of a susceptor 30. While processes is performed, the substrate W is placed on an upper portion of the susceptor cover 20. The susceptor cover 20 has a ‘’ shape in section. A lower end of a side portion of the susceptor cover 20 extends toward a lower portion of the susceptor 30. The susceptor 30 has a shape corresponding to that (e.g., a circular shape) of the substrate W. A support shaft 42 is connected to the lower portion of the susceptor 30. Also, the support shaft 42 passes through a through hole 8 defined in a lower portion of the main chamber 10. Also, a fixing ring 45 is connected to a lower end of the support shaft 42. A driving part 40 is connected to the fixing ring 45 to elevate the fixing ring 45 and the support shaft 42. The susceptor 30 is elevated together with the support shaft 42.
A bellows 98 has an upper end connected to a bottom surface of the main chamber 10 and a lower end connected to the fixing ring 45. The support shaft 42 is connected to the fixing ring 45 through the inside of the bellows 98. The bellows 98 prevents a source gas supplied into the inner space from leaking to the outside through the through hole 8 as well as prevents a vacuum atmosphere formed in the inner space from being broken.
As shown in
As shown in
An upper antenna 80 is disposed on an upper central portion of the chamber cover 14, and a side antenna 85 is disposed to surround a side portion of the chamber cover 14. The upper antenna 80 may have a spiral shape and be disposed at substantially the same height. Also, the side antenna 85 may have a spiral shape and be disposed along a height direction of the chamber cover 14. A gas supply hole 65 passes through a ceiling wall of the chamber cover 14. Also, the gas supply hole 65 is defined outside the upper antenna 80 to prevent the gas supply hole 65 from interfering with the upper antenna 80. A gas supply tube 62 is connected to the gas supply hole 65. A gas storage tank 60 in which the source gas is stored is connected to the gas supply hole 65 through the gas supply tube 62. The source gas is supplied into the inner space through the gas supply hole 65. The upper antenna and the side antenna 85 form electric fields in the inner space to generate plasma by using the source gas.
An electric field generated through the upper antenna 80 is concentrated into a central portion B of the inner space, and an electric field generated through the side antenna 85 is concentrated into an edge portion A of the inner space. Thus, uniform electric fields may be generated within the inner space. Each of the upper and side antennas 80 and 85 may be changed in shape according to the electric fields formed in the central portion B and the edge portion A.
The upper antenna 80 and the side antenna 85 are connected to an RF generator through a matcher 95. Also, the upper and side antennas 80 and 85 form the electric fields by using RF current. The RF current supplied into the upper and side antennas 80 and 85 may vary according to the intensity of desired electric fields. Alternatively, different RF current may be supplied into the upper and side antennas 80 and 85, respectively. A housing 17 may be disposed above the main chamber 10. Also, the matcher 95 may be disposed above the housing 17.
As shown in
The auxiliary bar 27 has a stepped portion at a middle height thereof. A baffle 51 is disposed on a stepped portion disposed on the sidewall of the main chamber 10 and the stepped portion of the auxiliary bar 27. The baffle 51 is disposed in a substantially horizontal direction. Also, the baffle 51 has a plurality of exhaust holes 52. The main chamber 10 has an exhaust port 53, and the exhaust port 53 is disposed on the sidewall opposite to the passage 7. An exhaust line 54 is connected to the exhaust port 53, and an exhaust pump 58 is disposed on the exhaust line 54. The plasma and reaction byproducts generated within the inner space are exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 53 and the exhaust line 54. Here, the exhaust pump 58 forcibly exhausts the plasma and reaction byproducts. The plasma and reaction byproducts are introduced into the exhaust port 53 through exhaust holes 52 of the baffle 51.
Here, an exhaust space 50 is defined by being recessed from the bottom surface of the main chamber 10. Here, the exhaust space 50 is defined in a circular shape along a lower edge portion of the main chamber 10. Since the exhaust space 50 is defined by the sidewall of the main chamber 10, the baffle 51, and the auxiliary bar 27, a portion of the exhaust space 50 may be blocked from the outside. The plasma and reaction byproducts moves into the exhaust space 50 through the baffle 51 and then moves into the exhaust port 53 along the exhaust space 50. Thus, as shown in
A block plate 70 is closely attached to a ceiling surface of the chamber cover 14 to diffuse the source gas discharged through the gas supply hole 65 onto the surface of the substrate W. The block plate 70 has a plurality of gas spray holes 75. Thus, the source gas is diffused through the gas spray holes 75. As shown in
As shown in
Since the block plate 70 is closely attached to the ceiling surface of the chamber cover 14, the passage is blocked from the outside. Thus, the source gas supplied through the gas supply hole 65 flows along the passage. The gas spray holes 75 are spaced apart from each other above the inner passage 72. Also, the gas spray holes 75 may be inclined toward the central portion (or a center) of the substrate W. The source gas is sprayed through the gas spray holes 75. The sprayed source gas may move toward the central portion of the substrate W. As described above, since the flow direction of the plasma and reaction byproducts on the surface of the substrate W is radially formed from the central portion of the substrate W toward the edge portion, the sprayed source gas (or the plasma generated through the electric fields) flows from the central portion toward the edge portion on the surface of the substrate W. Thus, the plasma may uniformly react with the surface of the substrate W to deposit a uniform thin film on the substrate of the substrate W.
Unlike
Gas spray holes 75 are spaced apart from each other in the inner and outer passages 72 and 78. The gas spray holes 75 defined in the inner passage 72 may be inclined toward a central portion (or a center) of a substrate W. A source gas moves toward the central portion of the substrate W through the gas spray holes 75 defined in the inner passage 72. Also, the source gas may flow from the central portion toward an edge portion on a surface of the substrate W. Also, the source gas may move toward the edge portion of the substrate W through the gas spray holes 75 defined in the outer passage 75.
The inner passage 72 may have a width greater than that of the outer passage 78. Also, an amount of source gas supplied through the gas spray holes 75 defined in the inner passage 72 may be greater than that of source gas supplied through the gas spray holes 75 defined in the outer passage 72. Thus, an amount of source gas supplied toward the central portion of the substrate W may be compensated.
Also, the connection passage may have a width gradually increasing from a portion adjacent to the gas supply hole 65 toward a portion away from the gas supply hole 65. The gas spray holes 75 may have gradually increase in distribution density as the gas spray holes 75 are away from the gas supply hole 65. Also, the gas spray holes 75 may gradually increase in diameter as the gas spray holes 75 are away form the gas supply hole 65.
The gas spray holes 75 may have gradually increase in distribution density as the gas spray holes 75 are away from the gas supply hole 65. Also, the gas spray holes 75 may gradually increase in diameter as the gas spray holes 75 are away form the gas supply hole 65. Also, the inner passage 72 may have a width greater than that of the outer passage 78.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the process uniformity with respect to an entire surface of the substrate may be improved. Also, the plasma generated in the inner space may be improved in density by using the upper and side antennas.
Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments, the invention may be embodied in many different forms. Thus, technical idea and scope of claims set forth below are not limited to the preferred embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2012-0066080 | Jun 2012 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/KR2013/005263 | 6/14/2013 | WO | 00 |