IP Library Granted Patent US 10,672,589
Granted Patent B2
US 10,672,589 · App. 16/597,193 · Granted Jun 2, 2020

Plasma processing apparatus and control method

Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu (Miyagi, JP); Shin Hirotsu (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01J37/32027H01J37/04H01J37/16H01J37/32642H01J37/241H01J37/32082
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,672,589
App. No.
16/597,193
Granted
Jun 2, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container; an electrode that places a workpiece thereon; a plasma generation source that supplies plasma into the processing container; a bias power supply that supplies a bias power to the electrode; an edge ring disposed at a periphery of the workpiece; a DC power supply that supplies a DC voltage to the edge ring; a controller that executes a first control procedure in which the DC voltage periodically repeats a first state having a first voltage value and a second state having a second voltage value, the first voltage value is supplied in a partial time period within each period of a potential of the electrode, and the second voltage value is supplied such that the first and second states are continuous.

Claims (47)

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container;

an electrode configured to place a workpiece thereon in the processing container;

a plasma generation source configured to supply plasma into the processing container;

a bias power supply configured to supply a bias power to the electrode;

an edge ring disposed at a periphery of the workpiece;

a DC power supply configured to supply a DC voltage to the edge ring; and

a controller configured to execute a first control procedure in which the DC voltage periodically repeats a first state having a first voltage value and a second state having a second voltage value higher than the first voltage value, the first voltage value is supplied in a partial time period within each period of a potential of the electrode, and the second voltage value is supplied such that the first state and the second state are continuous.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the potential of the electrode is determined by a periodically varying parameter measured in a transmission path of the bias power or a signal synchronized with a period of a radio-frequency or pulse wave of the bias power, and

the periodically varying parameter is a voltage, a current, an electromagnetic field, a variance of light emission of generated plasma, or a variance of a sheath thickness of plasma above the workpiece.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the partial time period includes a timing when the potential of the electrode becomes a positive peak.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes a second control procedure of intermittently stopping the DC voltage in an independent period from the potential of the electrode.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes a third control procedure of intermittently stopping the bias power in an independent period from the period of the DC voltage.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller executes a second control procedure of intermittently stopping the DC voltage in an independent period from a period of the periodically varying parameter, and a third control procedure of intermittently stopping the bias power in the independent period from the period of the DC voltage in synchronization with the second control procedure.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first state takes two or more voltage values.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first state repeats the two or more voltage values.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second state takes two or more voltage values.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a voltage value of the second state is zero.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first voltage value is corrected according to a degree of consumption of the edge ring.

12. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a processing container;

an electrode configured to place a workpiece thereon in the processing container;

a plasma generation source configured to supply plasma into the processing container;

a bias power supply configured to supply a bias power to the electrode;

an edge ring disposed at a periphery of the workpiece;

a radio-frequency power supply configured to supply a radio-frequency voltage having a same frequency as a frequency of a voltage of the bias power to the edge ring; and

a controller configured to execute a first control procedure of applying the radio-frequency voltage to generate a predetermined phase difference with respect to a phase of a potential of the electrode.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller executes a second control procedure of intermittently stopping the radio-frequency voltage in an independent period from the potential of the electrode.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller executes a third control procedure of intermittently stopping the bias power in an independent period from the period of the radio-frequency voltage.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller executes a second control procedure of intermittently stopping the radio-frequency voltage in the independent period from the potential of the electrode, and a third control procedure of intermittently stopping the bias power in the independent period from the period of the radio-frequency voltage in synchronization with the second control procedure.

16. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the predetermined phase difference is 90° to 270°.

17. A method of controlling a plasma processing apparatus that includes:

a processing container;

an electrode configured to place a workpiece thereon in the processing container;

a plasma generation source configured to supply plasma into the processing container;

a bias power supply configured to supply a bias power to the electrode;

an edge ring disposed at a periphery of the workpiece; and

a power supply configured to supply a DC voltage to the edge ring or a radio-frequency voltage having a same frequency as a frequency of a voltage of the bias power to the edge ring,

the method comprising:

when the power supply supplies the DC voltage, controlling the DC voltage such that a first state having a first voltage value and a second state having a second voltage value higher than the first voltage value are periodically repeated, and applying the first voltage value in a partial time period within each period of the potential of the electrode, and applying the second voltage value such that the first state and the second state are continuous, and

when the power supply supplies the radio-frequency voltage, applying the radio-frequency voltage such that a predetermined phase difference is generated with respect to a phase of a potential of the electrode.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

generating a synchronization signal to be synchronized with the potential of the electrode, generating a control signal for the DC power supply that is output from the synchronization signal, and transmitting the generated control signal to at least one of the DC power supply and a phase shift circuit, and

supplying a DC voltage to the edge ring from at least one of the DC power supply and the phase shift circuit.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

generating a control signal for the radio-frequency voltage that is output from the bias power supply, and transmitting the generated control signal to a phase shift circuit; and

supplying the radio-frequency voltage to the edge ring from the phase shift circuit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: KOSHIMIZU, CHISHIO; HIROTSU, SHIN
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050666/0511 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2018-191735 · Oct 10, 2018 · national
JP 2019-156107 · Aug 28, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200118794A1 · Apr 16, 2020
Cited By (17)
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