IP Library Granted Patent US 6,914,207
Granted Patent B2
US 6,914,207 · App. 10/688,991 · Granted Jul 5, 2005

Plasma processing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,914,207
App. No.
10/688,991
Granted
Jul 5, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a plasma processing method which comprises supplying a processing gas to a vacuum vessel forming a plasma production part, producing a plasma using an antenna and a Faraday shield which are provided at outer periphery of the vacuum vessel and to which a high-frequency electric power can be applied, and carrying out the processing, a voltage of at least 500 V is applied to the Faraday shield and a sample which is disposed in the vacuum vessel and which is a nonvolatile material as a material to be etched is etched.

Claims (22)

1. A plasma processing method comprising the steps of:

supplying a processing gas to a vacuum vessel forming a plasma production part, and having a sample disposed therein;

producing a plasma using an antenna and a Faraday shield arranged at outer periphery of the vacuum vessel and having a high-frequency electric power applied to the antenna and the Faraday shield; and

carrying out processing of the sample;

wherein a voltage of at least 500 V is applied to the Faraday shield, and the sample which is disposed in the vacuum vessel is a nonvolatile material as a material to be etched is etched.

2. A plasma processing method comprising the steps of:

supplying a processing gas to a vacuum vessel forming a plasma production part;

producing a plasma using an antenna and a Faraday shield arranged at outer periphery of the vacuum vessel and having a high-frequency electric power applied to the antenna and the Faraday shield and

carrying out processing;

wherein a voltage of at least 500 V is applied to the Faraday shield, and reaction products deposited on the inner wall of vacuum vessel are removed therefrom.

3. A plasma processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the processing gas is a mixed gas comprising boron trichloride and chlorine.

4. A plasma processing method according to claim 3 , wherein the processing gas is supplied so that the mixed gas comprises 20% of boron trichloride and 80% of chlorine, thereby cleaning the inner wall of the vacuum vessel to remove the reaction products deposited thereon.

5. A plasma processing method according to claim 2 , wherein a voltage of at least 1500 V is applied to the Faraday shield.

6. A plasma processing method comprising the steps of:

supplying a processing gas to a vacuum vessel forming a plasma production part;

producing a plasma using an antenna and a Faraday shield arranged at outer periphery of the vacuum vessel and having a high-frequency electric power applied to the antenna and the Faraday shield; and

carrying out processing,

wherein the method further comprises a first step of carrying a dummy wafer onto a sample stand, applying a voltage of at least 500 V to the Faraday shield and removing foreign matters in the vacuum vessel with a plasma using a gas containing chlorine, a second step of etching a sample which is disposed on the sample stand in the vacuum vessel and which is a nonvolatile material as a material to be etched after the first step, and a third step of applying a voltage of at least 1500 V to the Faraday shield after the second step, and removing reaction products in the vacuum vessel using a mixed gas comprising boron trichloride and chlorine.

7. A plasma processing method comprising the steps of:

supplying a processing gas to a vacuum vessel forming a plasma production part, producing a plasma using an antenna and a Faraday shield arranged at outer periphery of the vacuum vessel and having a high-frequency electric power applied to the antenna and the Faraday shield; and

carrying out processing of samples;

wherein the method further comprises detecting a number of foreign matters in the vacuum vessel in real time during the processing of the samples, applying a voltage of at least 500V to the Faraday shield when the number of foreign matters detected exceeds a given upper limit for cleaning of an inner wall of the vacuum vessel and terminating the cleaning when the number of foreign matters detected decreases below a given lower limit.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052259/0227 →