IP Library Granted Patent US 8,251,012
Granted Patent B2
US 8,251,012 · App. 11/885,483 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Substrate processing apparatus and semiconductor device producing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,251,012
App. No.
11/885,483
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus, including: a processing container; a gas supply section to supply a desired processing gas to the processing container; a gas exhaust section to exhaust a surplus of the processing gas from the processing container; a substrate placing member to place a plurality of substrates thereon in a stacked state in the processing container; and an electrode, to which high frequency electric power is applied, to generate plasma for exciting the processing gas, the electrode including two thin and long linear sections disposed in parallel and a short-circuit section to electrically short-circuit one ends of the linear sections, and the linear sections extending beside the substrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to main faces of the substrates.

Claims (21)

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing container having a substantially cylindrical shape;

a gas supply section to supply a desired processing gas to the processing container;

a gas exhaust section to exhaust a surplus of the processing gas from the processing container;

a substrate placing member to place a plurality of substrates thereon in a stacked state and in horizontal attitudes thereof in the processing container;

a substrate placing member rotating mechanism to rotate the substrate placing member; and

an electrode, to which high frequency electric power is applied, to generate plasma for exciting the processing gas, the electrode being arranged at a position different from the gas exhaust section when viewed from above of the processing container, the electrode including two thin and long linear sections disposed in parallel and a short-circuit section to electrically short-circuit one ends of the linear sections, and the linear sections being provided at a portion of an inner face of the processing container and extending beside the substrate placing member in a substantially vertical direction.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the short-circuit section and at least portions of the two linear sections of the electrode are disposed in the processing container,

the substrate processing apparatus further comprises an accommodating tube to air-tightly accommodate, with respect to the processing container, the electrode disposed in the processing container,

the accommodating tube accommodates the linear sections such that a portion of a space between the two linear sections is in communication with an atmosphere in the processing container.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the electrode including the linear sections and the short-circuit section is formed in a U-shaped configuration, and the accommodating tube is also formed in a U-shaped configuration.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

plasma is to be generated in a portion of a space between the two linear sections.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

at least portions of the two linear sections of the electrode are disposed in parallel to each other.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

a buffer chamber, which is a dispersion space for the processing gas, is provided to an inner wall of the processing container and in a space between the inner wall of the processing container and peripheral edges of the substrates along a stacking direction of the substrates,

the short-circuit section and at least portions of the two linear sections of the electrode are disposed in the buffer chamber, and

plasma is to be generated in the buffer chamber.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048008/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2008
From: ISHIMARU, NOBUO
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 020765/0993 →