IP Library Granted Patent US 10,192,718
Granted Patent B2
US 10,192,718 · App. 15/132,701 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Inventors: Michikazu Morimoto (Tokyo, JP); Naoki Yasui (Tokyo, JP); Yasuo Ohgoshi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
H01J37/32082H01J37/3244H01J37/32165H01J37/32183H01J37/32192H01J2237/334H01L21/3065H01L21/67069
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,192,718
App. No.
15/132,701
Granted
Jan 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a plasma processing apparatus including a first radio-frequency power supply which supplies first radio-frequency power for generating plasma in a vacuum chamber, a second radio-frequency power supply which supplies second radio-frequency power to a sample stage on which a sample is mounted, and a matching box for the second radio-frequency power supply, the matching box samples information for performing matching during a sampling effective period which is from a point of time after elapse of a prescribed time from a beginning of on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power until an and of the on-state and maintains a matching state attained during the sampling effective period from after the end of the on-state until a next sampling effective period.

Claims (23)

1. A plasma processing method to perform plasma processing using a plasma processing apparatus having a vacuum chamber; a first radio-frequency power supply which supplies first radio-frequency power for generating plasma in the vacuum chamber; a sample stage disposed in the vacuum chamber on which a sample is mounted; a second radio-frequency power supply which supplies second radio-frequency power to the sample stage; and a matching box which performs matching for suppressing reflection of the second radio-frequency power, the method comprising the steps of:

time-modulating the first radio-frequency power and the second radio-frequency power;

acquiring with the matching box information being used for performing the matching during a sampling effective period which is from a point of time after elapse of a prescribed time until an end of on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power; and

matching with the matching box using the acquired information to suppress reflection of the second radio-frequency power,

wherein the prescribed time starts from a beginning of an on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power and the information being used for performing the matching is not acquired during the prescribed time.

2. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the prescribed time is determined based on a density of the plasma generated with the time-modulated first radio-frequency power.

3. The plasma processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the sampling effective period is obtained based on a frequency of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power, a duty ratio of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power, and the prescribed time.

4. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the sampling effective period is obtained based on a frequency of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power, a duty ratio of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power, and the prescribed time.

5. The plasma processing method according to claim 4 , wherein the frequency is an integral multiple of a period of performing the matching.

6. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the prescribed time is obtained based on a time required to stability Vpp which is a peak-to-peak value of the second radio-frequency power.

7. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the prescribed time is obtained based on a time required to stabilize emission intensity of the plasma.

8. The plasma processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the matching is performed from after an end of the sampling effective period until a next sampling effective period based on the information acquired during the sampling effective period.

9. A plasma processing method to perform plasma processing using a plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber; a first radio-frequency power supply which supplies first radio-frequency power for generating plasma in the vacuum chamber; a sample stage disposed in the vacuum chamber on which a sample is mounted; a second radio-frequency power supply which supplies second radio-frequency power to the sample stage; and a matching box which performs matching for suppressing reflection of the second radio-frequency power, the method comprising the steps of:

time-modulating the first radio-frequency power and the second radio-frequency power;

acquiring with the matching box information being used for performing the matching during a sampling effective period which is from a point of time after elapse of a prescribed time until an end of on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power, the prescribed time being a time period during which the information being used for performing the matching is not acquired; and

matching with the matching box using the acquired information to suppress reflection of the second radio-frequency power.

10. The plasma processing method according to claim 9 ,

wherein the sampling effective period is determined in advance, and

wherein the prescribed time starts from a beginning of on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power and is obtained by subtracting the sampling effective time from a time of the on-state of the time-modulated second radio-frequency power obtained from a frequency of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power and a duty ratio of time-modulation of the second radio-frequency power.

11. The plasma processing method according to claim 10 , wherein the frequency is an integral multiple of a period of performing the matching.

12. The plasma processing method according to claim 11 , wherein the matching is performed from after an end of the sampling effective period until a next sampling effective period based on the information acquired during the sampling effective period.

13. The plasma processing method according to claim 10 , wherein the matching is performed from after an end of the sampling effective period until a next sampling effective period based on the information acquired during the sampling effective period.

14. The plasma processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the matching is performed from after an end of the sampling effective period until a next sampling effective period based on the information acquired during the sampling effective period.

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 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-119396 · Jun 6, 2013 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 14183556 · Feb 19, 2014
Related Publication 20160233057A1 · Aug 11, 2016