This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0131940, filed on Oct. 4, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Aspects of this disclosure relate to dimple plates, for example, for plasma processing apparatuses.
Electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, light-emitting diode (LED) devices, etc., may be manufactured using a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus may include a plasma film deposition device or a plasma etching device. In a plasma processing apparatus, an antenna electrode for generating plasma is used with a dimple plate for controlling plasma density.
Some aspects of this disclosure provide dimple plate precision adjustment devices capable of controlling plasma density by precisely adjusting a dimple plate coupled to an antenna electrode included in a plasma processing apparatus.
According to some implementations of the present disclosure, there is provided a dimple plate precision adjustment device including a dimple carrier assembled on a cylindrical dimple plate and capable of transporting the cylindrical dimple plate, a dimple spacer capable of mounting the dimple carrier assembled on the dimple plate, and a plurality of gap measurers installed on the dimple spacer to be spaced apart from each other. The dimple carrier assembled on the dimple plate, the dimple spacer, and the gap measurers are installed in a body of a chamber where an antenna electrode is installed, and the gap measurers measure a gap between the gap measurers and the dimple carrier.
According to some implementations of the present disclosure, there is provided a dimple plate precision adjustment device including a dimple carrier assembled on a cylindrical dimple plate and capable of transporting the cylindrical dimple plate, wherein the dimple carrier includes a cylindrical carrier body, a plurality of traction members installed on the cylindrical carrier body, and a plurality of protruding members protruding outward and downward from the cylindrical carrier body, wherein a front alignment hole and alignment guide holes are installed in the protruding members,
In some implementations, the dimple plate precision adjustment device includes a dimple spacer capable of mounting the dimple carrier assembled on the dimple plate, wherein the dimple spacer includes a cylindrical spacer body, and front alignment pins and alignment guide pins installed on the cylindrical spacer body, wherein the front alignment pin and the alignment guide pins are inserted into the front alignment hole and the alignment guide holes, respectively.
In some implementations, the dimple plate precision adjustment device includes a plurality of gap measurers installed on the dimple spacer to be spaced apart from each other, wherein the gap measurers include measuring bodies installed on the dimple spacer, control knobs installed on the measuring bodies, and gap adjustment pushers for adjusting a gap between the measuring body and the dimple carrier on the control knobs,
In some implementations, the dimple carrier, the dimple spacer, and the gap measurers assembled on the dimple plate are installed in a body of a chamber where the antenna electrode is installed, and the gap measurers measure a gap between the gap measurers and the dimple carrier and adjust a center of the dimple carrier mounted on the antenna electrode using the gap adjustment pushers.
According to some implementations of the present disclosure, there is provided a dimple plate precision adjustment device including a dimple carrier assembled on a cylindrical dimple plate and capable of transporting the cylindrical dimple plate, wherein the dimple carrier includes a cylindrical carrier body, a plurality of traction members installed on the cylindrical carrier body, and a plurality of protruding members protruding outward and downward from the cylindrical carrier body, wherein the protruding members are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the carrier body, and front alignment hole and alignment guide holes are installed in the protruding members, and the dimple carrier includes height adjustment pushers capable of adjusting a height of the dimple carrier on the protruding members on one side of the front alignment hole and the alignment guide hole.
In some implementations, the dimple plate precision adjustment device includes a dimple spacer capable of mounting the dimple carrier assembled on the dimple plate, wherein the dimple spacer includes a cylindrical spacer body, and front alignment pins and alignment guide pins installed on the cylindrical spacer body to correspond to the protruding members, wherein the front alignment pin and the alignment guide pin are inserted into the front alignment hole and the alignment guide hole, respectively.
In some implementations, the dimple plate precision adjustment device includes a plurality of gap measurers installed on the dimple spacer to be spaced apart from each other, wherein the gap measurers include measuring bodies installed on the dimple spacer in response to the protruding members, control knobs installed on the measuring bodies, and gap adjustment pushers on the control knobs that adjust a gap between the measuring body and the dimple carrier,
In some implementations, the dimple carrier, the dimple spacer, and the gap measurers assembled on the dimple plate are installed in a body of a chamber where the antenna electrode is installed, and the gap measurers measure a gap between the gap measurers and the dimple carrier and adjust a center of the dimple carrier mounted on the antenna electrode using the gap adjustment pushers.
Implementations according to the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Hereinafter, examples according to the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Implementations can correspond to one of the illustrated examples or combinations of multiple of the examples. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure should not be construed as being limited to any one example.
In this specification, singular forms of elements may include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, the drawings are exaggerated to more clearly explain the illustrated concepts.
In detail, as an example of a plasma processing apparatus PTA, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching or deposition device is presented. The plasma processing apparatus PTA includes a process chamber 10 in which a gas injector 16 and a gas discharger 18 are installed. The process chamber 10 may have an internal space 6 within a body 11. The internal space 6 may be a processing room for plasma processing.
The process chamber 10 may be grounded. A process gas, such as an etching gas or a deposition gas, may be introduced into the process chamber 10 through the gas inlet 16 and discharged to the outside of the process chamber 10 through the gas outlet 18. The process chamber 10 may be maintained at a high vacuum to prevent process defects that may be caused by contaminants such as particles during plasma reaction.
An antenna electrode ANT, a dimple plate DIP, and an electrostatic chuck 14 may be installed in the process chamber 10. The antenna electrode ANT and the electrostatic chuck 14 may be used as a first electrode and a second electrode, respectively, and may be installed opposite to each other. A dimple plate DIP that may adjust plasma density may be coupled to (or assembled with) the antenna electrode ANT. Combination (or assembly) of the antenna electrode ANT and the dimple plate DIP may be performed using a dimple plate precision adjustment device as described below.
A high-frequency power source 30 that applies high-frequency power (e.g., radio frequency (RF) power) is connected to the antenna electrode ANT through an impedance matcher 28. The high frequency power applied through the high frequency power source 30 may be power having a frequency of about 27 MHz or higher. For example, the high frequency power applied by the high frequency power source 30 may be power with a frequency of about 60 MHz.
A substrate 12, for example, a wafer, may be mounted on the electrostatic chuck 14. The wafer may be a large wafer with a diameter of about 300 mm. The wafer may be a silicon wafer. A bias power source 34 that applies high-frequency power through an impedance matcher 32 may be connected to the electrostatic chuck 14.
The high frequency power applied by the bias power source 34 may be power having a frequency of about 100 KHz to about 10 MHz. For example, the high-frequency power applied by the bias power source 34 may be power with a frequency of about 2 MHz. Some implementations do not include one or both of the impedance matchers 28 and 32.
The process gas injected into the process chamber 10 may be turned into plasma by a plasma applicator 40. The plasma applicator 40 may include the high-frequency power source 30 electrically connected to the antenna electrode ANT.
When power is applied to the antenna electrode ANT by the high-frequency power source 30, the process gas injected into the process chamber 10 may be converted into plasma. When high-frequency or low-frequency power is applied to the electrostatic chuck 14 by the bias power source 34, the plasma generated in the process chamber 10 may be more effectively guided toward the substrate 12.
The dimple plate DIP may be coupled (or assembled) to a lower portion of the antenna electrode ANT. The lower portion of the dimple plate DIP may be supported by the body BD located on the sidewall of the chamber (10 in
As shown in
As shown in
For at least this reason, the relative position of the dimple plate DIP with respect to the antenna electrode ANT may be important. A dimple plate precision adjustment device may adjust the relative position of the dimple plate DIP mounted on the electrode ANT. In some cases, the dimple plate DIP is made of glass and may be broken or damaged if not properly adjusted or if not properly positioned, so the dimple plate precision adjustment device can improve reliability of the plasma processing apparatus.
A dimple plate precision adjustment device ALCS may be a dimple plate centering precision adjustment device (or dimple plate centering jig) that adjusts the center of the dimple plate DIP. As shown in
The dimple carrier assembly DIPCA, the dimple spacer DIPS, and the gap measurers MIC may be mounted on the body BD. An O-ring 80 may be located at the lower portion of the body BD. In
The dimple carrier assembly DIPCA may include a dimple plate DIP and a dimple carrier DIPC coupled to the dimple plate DIP. The dimple plate DIP may be made of glass so that the dimple pockets (e.g., dimple pockets 48 shown in
The dimple carrier DIPC may include a cylindrical carrier body 50, a plurality of traction members 52 installed on the carrier body 50, and a plurality of protruding members 55 (labeled in
The plurality of traction members 52, for example, two, may be arranged symmetrically to each other in the circumferential direction (e.g., may be evenly-spaced along the circumferential direction). The traction members 52 may be disposed to extend inside the disc-shaped dimple plate DIP, e.g., radially inward from the carrier body 50. A traction device is connected to the traction members 52 to move the dimple plate DIP, which may be heavy and fragile.
The plurality of protruding members 55, for example, three, may be arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The protruding members 55 may be configured to be T-shaped in cross-section. A front alignment hole 54 and a height adjustment pusher 56 on one side of the front alignment hole 54 may be installed in one or more protruding members 55, e.g., a protruding member 55 located on the front-left side as shown in
Alignment guide holes 58 may be formed in one or more protruding members 55, e.g., the protruding members 55 on the front right and rear sides as shown in
The dimple spacer DIPS may be combined with (e.g., installed with) the dimple carrier assembly DIPCA. The dimple spacer DIPS may include a cylindrical spacer body 60, a front alignment pin 66 installed on the spacer body 60, and a plurality of alignment guide pins 64.
The alignment guide pins 64 may be disposed on the front right and rear sides of the spacer body 60. The alignment guide pins 64 may be inserted into the alignment guide holes 58 installed in the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC. The front alignment pin 66 may be installed on the front left side of the spacer body 60.
The plurality of gap measurers MIC may be installed in the dimple spacer DIPS in the circumferential direction, e.g., at an outer circumference of the dimple spacer DIPS. The gap measurers MIC may be micrometer instruments that may precisely measure length using the principle of a screw. Three gap measurers MIC may be installed spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. The gap measurers MIC may measure a gap between the dimple spacer DIPS and the dimple carrier assembly DPICA. The gap measurers MIC may measure a gap between the dimple spacer DIPS and the dimple plate DIP. The gap measurers MIC may measure the gap between measuring bodies 62 and the dimple carrier DIPC.
The gap measurers MIC may be installed close to the front alignment pin 66 and the alignment guide pins 64. The gap measurers MIC may include the measuring bodies 62 and control knobs 68. The measuring bodies 62 may include a main portion 62m (labeled in
The measuring bodies 62 may be installed in contact with the spacer body 60. The shelf portions 62a of the measuring bodies 62 on the spacer body 60 may contact the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC.
A plurality of gap adjustment pushers 70 may be installed on the measuring bodies 62 below the control knobs 68. The gap adjustment pushers 70 may adjust the gap between the measuring bodies 62 of the gap measurers MIC and the dimple carrier DIPC, e.g., between the measuring bodies 62 and the protruding members 55. The gap adjustment pushers 70 may adjust a horizontal distance (or horizontal gap) between the measuring bodies 62 of the gap measurers MIC and the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC.
When adjusting the gap between the measuring body 62 and the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC using gap adjustment pushers 70, the center of the dimple plate DIP on the body BD may be precisely controlled. In this case, as described above, the antenna electrode ANT and the dimple pockets 48 of the dimple plate DIP may be aligned. Accordingly, the slits 44 of the antenna electrode (e.g., ANT shown in
First, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In example, the dimple plate DIP may be spaced apart in the vertical direction from the body (BD shown in
In addition, in some implementations, when the dimple plate DIP is spaced vertically from the body (BD shown in
As shown in
In addition, when mounting the dimple spacer DIPS and dimple carrier assembly DIPCA, the alignment guide holes 58 of the dimple carrier DIPC are aligned with the alignment guide pins 64 of the dimple spacer DIPS, as shown in
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
In addition, the height adjustment pushers 56 described with reference to
In reference to
Referring to
The height adjustment pusher 56 installed within the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC may be seated on the shelf portion 62a of the measuring body 62 of the gap measurers MIC to space the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple spacer DIPS apart from each other.
In this way, damage to the dimple plate DIP may be avoided when vertically coupling the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple spacer DIPS or when adjusting (or moving) the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple spacer DIPS horizontally. In addition, damage to the O-ring may be prevented by securing free space for the O-ring located below the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple plate DIP.
Accordingly, the front alignment pin 66 may be inserted into the front alignment hole 54. In addition, the front alignment hole 54 extends in the Y direction, allowing the relative position in the Y direction between the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple spacer DIPS to be adjusted.
In some implementations, the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC and the gap measurers MIC may be installed at intervals of about 75 degrees or about 142.5 degrees in the circumferential direction. For example, as shown in
As shown in
As described previously, when the dimple plate DIP is spaced vertically apart from the body BD, damage to the O-ring may be reduced or prevented by securing free space for the O-ring located under the dimple carrier DIPC and the dimple plate DIP, and damage to the dimple plate DIP may be reduced or prevented when adjusting the gap between the dimple spacer DIPS and the dimple plate DIP.
Further, as described previously, the front alignment hole 54 is installed in the protruding members 55, and the front alignment pin 66 is installed in the dimple spacer DIPS. The gap measurers MIC includes the measuring bodies 62 and control knobs 68. The gap GAP between the measuring bodies 62 and the protruding members 55 of the dimple carrier DIPC is adjusted using the gap adjustment pushers 70.
The control knobs 68 may be installed to extend through the main portion 62m and the cap portion 62b. The gap measurers MIC may measure the gap between the main part 62m and the dimple carrier DIPC, and the gap between the cap portion 62b and the dimple carrier DIPC. The gap measurers MIC may measure the gap between a dimple spacer DIPS and a dimple plate DIP. As a result, gap measurers MIC may be used to adjust the centering of the dimple plate DIP within the dimple spacer DIPS.
The dimple plate precision adjustment device ALCS-1 of
The dimple plate precision adjustment device ALCS-1 may include the gap measurers MIC and the digital gap measurers MIC-1 and MIC-2. The gap measurers MIC and digital gap measurers MIC-1 and MIC-2 may be installed on the dimple spacer DIPS. The gap measurers MIC and the digital gap measurers MIC-1 and MIC-2 may include a measuring body 62 and control knobs 68, 68-1, and 68-2. The gap measurers MICs may be analog gap meters.
The gap measurers MIC and the digital gap measurers MIC-1 and MIC-2 may measure the gap between the dimple spacer DIPS and a dimple plate DIP and/or the gap between measuring bodies 62 and a dimple carrier DIPC.
When the dimple plate precision adjustment device ALCS-1 includes the digital gap measurers MIC-1 and MIC-2, the dimple plate precision adjustment device ALCS-1 may be used as process data for the plasma processing process by transmitting previously measured gap data to a controller of the plasma processing device.
While this disclosure contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed. Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
While various examples have been described, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2023-0131940 | Oct 2023 | KR | national |