IP Library Granted Patent US 12,354,845
Granted Patent B2
US 12,354,845 · App. 18/270,235 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Active gas generation apparatus

Inventors: Kensuke Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Ren Arita (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TMEIC CORPORATION
H01J37/32541H01J37/32348H01J37/3244H01J37/3255H01J2237/327
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,354,845
App. No.
18/270,235
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

One direction discharge structure in an active gas generation apparatus satisfies arrangement conditions (a) to (c). The condition (a) is a condition that a region where a corresponding metal electrode and a corresponding metal electrode are overlapped with each other in a plan view serves as a corresponding discharge space in a corresponding gap region. The condition (b) is a condition that the corresponding gap region and a plurality of gas supply holes provided in a corresponding gas supply region are overlapped with each other in a plan view. The condition (c) is a condition that the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region and a plurality of gas ejection holes provided below the corresponding gap region sandwich the corresponding discharge space in a plan view, and are disposed to face each other on a one-to-one basis along a Y direction.

Claims (57)

1. An active gas generation apparatus generating active gas obtained by activating material gas supplied to a discharge space, comprising:

a first electrode constituting part; and

a second electrode constituting part provided on a lower side of the first electrode constituting part, wherein

the first electrode constituting part includes a first electrode dielectric film and a plurality of first metal electrodes formed on an upper surface of the first electrode dielectric film,

the second electrode constituting part includes a second electrode dielectric film and a plurality of second metal electrodes formed on a lower surface of the second electrode dielectric film,

alternating voltage is applied to the plurality of first metal electrodes, and the plurality of second metal electrodes are set to have reference potential,

the first electrode dielectric film includes a plurality of gas supply regions disposed along a first direction, the plurality of gas supply regions include a plurality of gas supply holes at regular intervals along a second direction, and the second direction intersects with the first direction,

the plurality of first metal electrodes are disposed along the first direction, and each of the plurality of first metal electrodes is formed to extend in the second direction,

the second electrode dielectric film includes a plurality of discharge area formation regions disposed along the first direction, each of the plurality of discharge area formation regions includes a concave region concaved from a surface of the second electrode dielectric film, and is provided to extend in the second direction, a plurality of gas ejection holes are provided on a lower side of each of the plurality of discharge area formation regions, and the plurality of gas ejection holes are provided at regular intervals along the second direction,

the plurality of second metal electrodes are disposed along the first direction, and each of the plurality of second metal electrodes is formed to extend in the second direction,

the discharge space includes a plurality of discharge spaces,

the plurality of first metal electrodes, the plurality of gas supply regions, the plurality of second metal electrodes, the plurality of discharge area formation regions, and the plurality of discharge spaces correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis,

a first metal electrode, a second metal electrode, a gas supply region, a discharge area formation region, and a discharge space corresponding to each other in the plurality of first metal electrodes, the plurality of second metal electrodes, the plurality of gas supply regions, the plurality of discharge area formation regions, and the plurality of discharge spaces are defined as a first corresponding metal electrode, a second corresponding metal electrode, a corresponding gas supply region, a corresponding discharge area formation region, and a corresponding discharge space, respectively,

the first corresponding metal electrode, the second corresponding metal electrode, the corresponding gas supply region, the corresponding discharge area formation region, and the corresponding discharge space constitute one direction discharge structure along the second direction, and

the one direction discharge structure satisfies arrangement conditions (a) to (c):

(a) a region where the first corresponding metal electrode and the second corresponding metal electrode are overlapped with each other in a plan view constitutes the corresponding discharge space in the corresponding discharge area formation region;

(b) the corresponding discharge area formation region and the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region are overlapped with each other in a plan view; and

(c) the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region and the plurality of gas ejection holes provided below the corresponding discharge area formation region sandwich the corresponding discharge space in a plan view, and are disposed to face each other on a one-to-one basis along the first direction.

2. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a mounting part in which a processing target substrate is mounted on a lower side of the second electrode dielectric film, wherein

the plurality of gas ejection holes provided on a lower side of each of the plurality of discharge area formation regions include a pair of end portion gas ejection holes located on both ends in the second direction, and the pair of end portion gas ejection holes are not overlapped with the processing target substrate in a plan view, but are disposed on an outer side of a surface of the processing target substrate in each of the plurality of discharge area formation regions.

3. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a plurality of auxiliary conductive films formed on the upper surface of the first electrode dielectric film, wherein the plurality of auxiliary conductive films are provided independently from the plurality of first metal electrodes, and are set to have the reference potential,

the plurality of auxiliary conductive films correspond to the plurality of discharge area formation regions on a one-to-one basis, and

the plurality of auxiliary conductive films are overlapped with the plurality of gas ejection holes provided in a corresponding discharge area formation region in the plurality of discharge area formation region in a plan view, respectively.

4. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the plurality of discharge area formation regions are a plurality of gap regions in which the concave region in each of the plurality of discharge area formation regions is continuously formed in the second direction, and

each of the plurality of gap regions has

a refining structure of leading a flow of the active gas to the pair of end portion gas ejection holes.

5. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of discharge area formation regions are a plurality of divisional gap region groups each including a plurality of divisional gap regions, each of the plurality of divisional gap regions includes a partial concave region concaved from a surface of the second electrode dielectric film, and the partial concave region includes a plurality of partial concave regions included in the plurality of divisional gap regions,

the plurality of divisional gap regions are provided separately from each other, and one divisional gap region in the plurality of divisional gap regions constitutes one unit discharge structure, and

the one unit discharge structure satisfies arrangement conditions (d) to (f):

(d) one unit gas ejection hole is provided on a lower side of the one divisional gap region, and the one unit gas ejection hole is one of the plurality of gas ejection holes provided on a lower side of the corresponding discharge area formation region;

(e) one unit gas supply hole is provided to be overlapped with the one divisional gap region in a plan view, and the one unit gas supply hole is one of the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region; and

(f) the one unit supply hole and the one unit gas ejection hole sandwich the corresponding discharge space in a plan view, and are disposed to face each other along the first direction.

6. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

each of the plurality of divisional gap regions has

a refining structure of leading a flow of the active gas to the one unit gas ejection hole.

7. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising

a plurality of auxiliary conductive films formed on the upper surface of the first electrode dielectric film, wherein the plurality of auxiliary conductive films are provided independently from the plurality of first metal electrodes, and are set to have the reference potential,

the plurality of auxiliary conductive films correspond to the plurality of discharge area formation regions on a one-to-one basis, and

the plurality of auxiliary conductive films are overlapped with the plurality of gas ejection holes provided in a corresponding discharge area formation region in the plurality of discharge area formation region in a plan view, respectively.

8. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the plurality of discharge area formation regions are a plurality of divisional gap region groups each including a plurality of divisional gap regions, each of the plurality of divisional gap regions includes a partial concave region concaved from a surface of the second electrode dielectric film, and the partial concave region includes a plurality of partial concave regions included in the plurality of divisional gap regions,

the plurality of divisional gap regions are provided separately from each other, and one divisional gap region in the plurality of divisional gap regions constitutes one unit discharge structure, and

the one unit discharge structure satisfies arrangement conditions (d) to (f):

(d) one unit gas ejection hole is provided on a lower side of the one divisional gap region, and the one unit gas ejection hole is one of the plurality of gas ejection holes provided on a lower side of the corresponding discharge area formation region;

(e) one unit gas supply hole is provided to be overlapped with the one divisional gap region in a plan view, and the one unit gas supply hole is one of the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region; and

(f) the one unit supply hole and the one unit gas ejection hole sandwich the corresponding discharge space in a plan view, and are disposed to face each other along the first direction.

9. The active gas generation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the plurality of discharge area formation regions are a plurality of divisional gap region groups each including a plurality of divisional gap regions, each of the plurality of divisional gap regions includes a partial concave region concaved from a surface of the second electrode dielectric film, and the partial concave region includes a plurality of partial concave regions included in the plurality of divisional gap regions,

the plurality of divisional gap regions are provided separately from each other, and one divisional gap region in the plurality of divisional gap regions constitutes one unit discharge structure, and

the one unit discharge structure satisfies arrangement conditions (d) to (f):

(d) one unit gas ejection hole is provided on a lower side of the one divisional gap region, and the one unit gas ejection hole is one of the plurality of gas ejection holes provided on a lower side of the corresponding discharge area formation region;

(e) one unit gas supply hole is provided to be overlapped with the one divisional gap region in a plan view, and the one unit gas supply hole is one of the plurality of gas supply holes provided in the corresponding gas supply region; and

(f) the one unit supply hole and the one unit gas ejection hole sandwich the corresponding discharge space in a plan view, and are disposed to face each other along the first direction.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 26, 2024
From: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: TMEIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067244/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2023
From: WATANABE, KENSUKE; ARITA, REN
To: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064107/0219 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240062994A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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