PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber; a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma of a gas supplied into the processing chamber; a substrate mounting table, disposed in the processing chamber, for mounting a semiconductor substrate having a surface on which an etching and/or a film forming process is to be performed. The apparatus further includes a metal member disposed in the processing chamber and to be etched by the plasma generated in the processing chamber to release a precursor of a film to be formed by the film forming process into the processing chamber; a gas supply unit for supplying a first and a second gas into the processing chamber, wherein the second gas which includes halogen atoms and is different from the first gas; a first and a second wiring for supplying high frequency power to the metal member and the substrate mounting table, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 describes a perspective view of a holder 12 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an example of control performed by a controller shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating another example of control performed by the controller shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of a plasma processing apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 offers a view of an example of the configuration of a metal film forming system using the plasma processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 9 offers a view of a conventional metal formation system.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber;a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma of a gas supplied into the processing chamber;a substrate mounting table, disposed in the processing chamber, for mounting a semiconductor substrate having a surface on which a film is to be formed;a metal member disposed in the processing chamber to be etched by the plasma generated in the processing chamber to release a precursor of the film into the processing chamber;a gas supply unit for supplying a gas including halogen atoms into the processing chamber;a first wiring for supplying a first high frequency power to the metal member to attract the plasma generated in the processing chamber to the metal member; anda second wiring for supplying a second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table to attract the plasma generated in the processing chamber to the semiconductor substrate.

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit supplies a first gas and a second gas which includes the halogen atoms and is different from the first gas.

3. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber;a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma of a gas supplied into the processing chamber;a substrate mounting table, disposed in the processing chamber, for mounting a semiconductor substrate having a surface on which an etching and/or a film forming process is to be carried out;a metal member disposed in the processing chamber and to be etched by the plasma generated in the processing chamber to thereby release a precursor of a film to be formed by the film forming process into the processing chamber;a gas supply unit for supplying a first and a second gas into the processing chamber, wherein the second gas which includes halogen atoms and is different from the first gas;a first wiring for supplying a first high frequency power to the metal member to attract the plasma generated in the processing chamber to the metal member; anda second wiring for supplying a second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table to attract the plasma generated in the processing chamber to the semiconductor substrate.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a high frequency power supply, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are connected to the high frequency power supply through a switching device which connects the high frequency power supply to one of the first and the second wiring.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first and a second high frequency power supply, wherein the first wiring is connected to the first high frequency power supply and the second wiring is connected to the second high frequency power supply.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power application controller, wherein the power application controller includes a unit for sequentially performing:a first step of attracting the plasma to the metal member by supplying the first high frequency power to the metal member through the first wiring to etch the metal member by the plasma; anda second step of attracting the plasma including the precursor of the film to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring to adhere the precursor of the film onto the semiconductor substrate.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a power application and gas supply controller, which includes a unit for performing film forming control of forming the film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the film forming control sequentially performs: a first step of supplying the second gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber to generate a plasma of the second gas in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, and then attracting the plasma of the second gas to the metal member by supplying the first high frequency power to the metal member through the first wiring to thereby generate the precursor of the film by etching the metal member; anda second step of attracting the plasma including the precursor of the film to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring while maintaining the plasma in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, thereby adhering the precursor of the film onto the semiconductor substrate.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a power application and gas supply controller, which includes a unit for performing film forming control of forming the film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the film forming control sequentially performs: a first step of supplying the first gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber to generate a plasma of the first gas in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, and then attracting the plasma of the first gas to the metal member by supplying the first high frequency power to the metal member through the first wiring to thereby generate a first precursor of the film by performing the etching process of the metal member; anda second step of supplying the second gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber to generate a second precursor of the film by having the first precursor of the film to react with the second gas, and attracting the plasma including the second precursor of the film to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring while maintaining the plasma in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, thereby adhering the second precursor of the film onto the semiconductor substrate.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs etching process control of etching the surface of the semiconductor substrate before performing the film forming control, wherein the etching process control performs the steps of: supplying the first gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber to generate a plasma of the first gas in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit; andattracting the plasma of the first gas to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring to thereby etch the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal member is disposed to be spaced apart from the substrate mounting table.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a holder in the processing chamber for detachably holding the metal member.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the holder holds a plurality of metal members.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the holder is a ring shaped member for holding the metal member on its inner peripheral wall surface.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal member includes at least one selected from the group consisting of platinum, ruthenium, iridium, tantalum, germanium, tungsten, chromium, hafnium, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and titanium.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas including the halogen atoms is a hydrogen chloride gas, a chlorine gas, a fluoric gas, a fluorocarbon gas, or a hydrogen bromide gas.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shutter mechanism for controlling the contact between the metal member and the plasma.

17. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas supply unit further supplies a third gas to react with the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate, and the third gas is different from the second gas.

18. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the gas supply unit further supplies the third gas to react with the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate, the third gas being different from the second gas, and wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs, after the second step, a third step of generating a plasma of the third gas supplied from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, and attracting the plasma of the third gas to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring to process the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate by the plasma of the third gas.

19. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the third gas is a gas for reducing the precursor of the film.

20. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a heater for heating the semiconductor substrate, wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs, after the second step, a third step of processing the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate by heating the semiconductor substrate using the heater.

21. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs etching process control of etching the surface of the semiconductor substrate before performing the film forming control, wherein the etching process control performs the steps of: supplying the first gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber to generate the plasma of the first gas in the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit; andattracting the plasma of the first gas to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring to thereby etch the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

22. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when the gas supply unit further supplies the third gas to react with the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate, the third gas being different from the second gas, and wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs, after the second step, a third step of generating a plasma of the third gas supplied from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber by the plasma generating unit, and attracting the plasma of the third gas to the semiconductor substrate by supplying the second high frequency power to the substrate mounting table through the second wiring to process the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate by the plasma of the third gas.

23. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the third gas is a gas for reducing the precursor of the film.

24. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the third gas is a gas for reducing the precursor of the film.

25. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a heater for heating the semiconductor substrate, wherein the power application and gas supply controller further performs, after the second step, a third step of processing the precursor of the film adhered onto the semiconductor substrate by heating the semiconductor substrate using the heater.