IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,764,082
Granted Patent B2
US 11,764,082 · App. 16/978,193 · Granted Sep 19, 2023

Control method and plasma processing apparatus

Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu (Miyagi, JP); Shinji Kubota (Miyagi, JP); Koji Maruyama (Miyagi, JP); Takashi Dokan (Miyagi, JP); Koichi Nagami (Miyagi, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01L21/67069H01J37/32045H01J37/32183H01J37/32697H01J2237/3347
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,764,082
App. No.
16/978,193
Granted
Sep 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode and a second electrode includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a negative DC voltage to the second electrode. The negative DC voltage periodically repeats a first state that takes a first voltage value and a second state that takes a second voltage value having an absolute value smaller than the first voltage value. The control method further includes a first control process of applying the first state of the negative DC voltage in a partial time period within each cycle of a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or in a partial time period within each cycle of a periodically varying parameter measured in a transmission path of the bias power, and applying the second state continuously with the first state.

Claims (31)

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a first electrode configured to dispose a workpiece thereon;

a second electrode configured to face the first electrode;

a source power supply configured to supply a source power to either the first electrode or the second electrode;

a bias power supply configured to supply a bias power having a frequency lower than a frequency of the source power to the first electrode;

a DC power supply configured to supply a negative DC voltage to the second electrode; and

a controller configured to control the source power supply, the bias power supply and the DC power supply,

wherein the controller controls such that the negative DC voltage periodically repeats a first state that takes a first voltage value and a second state that takes a second voltage value having an absolute value smaller than the first voltage value, and

the controller controls such that the first state of the negative DC voltage is applied to the second electrode in a partial time period within each cycle of a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power between two adjacent negative peaks of the bias power, or in a partial time period within each cycle of a periodically varying parameter measured in a transmission path of the bias power, and the second state of the negative DC voltage is applied to the second electrode continuously with the first state of the negative DC voltage.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller creates a signal that is synchronized with the cycle of the radio frequency of the bias power or a synchronization signal that is synchronized with the periodically varying parameter, generates a DC power supply control signal for outputting the DC voltage from the synchronization signal, and transmits the generated control signal to the DC power supply.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the periodically varying parameter is a voltage, a current, an electromagnetic field, a variation of light emission of generated plasma, or a variation of sheath thickness of plasma on the workpiece.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the partial time period includes a timing when the signal synchronized with the cycle of the radio frequency of the bias power or the periodically varying parameter becomes a positive peak.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller intermittently stops the negative DC voltage in an independent cycle from the cycle of the signal synchronized with the cycle of the radio frequency of the bias power or the periodically varying parameter.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller intermittently stops the bias power in an independent cycle from the cycle of the negative DC voltage.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller intermittently stops the negative DC voltage in an independent cycle from the cycle of the signal synchronized with the cycle of the radio frequency of the bias power or the periodically varying parameter,

intermittently stops the bias power in an independent cycle from the cycle of the negative DC voltage, and

synchronizes the intermittently stopping of the negative DC voltage and the intermittently stopping of the bias power.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bias power has a sine waveform, a pulse waveform or a tailored waveform.

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

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the two or more voltage values of the first state have different levels.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a voltage value of the second state is 0.

12. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a first electrode configured to dispose a workpiece thereon;

a second electrode configured to face the first electrode;

a source power supply configured to supply a source power to either the first electrode or the second electrode;

a bias power supply configured to supply a bias power having a frequency lower than a frequency of the source power to the first electrode;

a DC power supply configured to supply a negative DC voltage to the second electrode; and

a controller configured to control the source power supply, the bias power supply and the DC power supply,

wherein the controller controls such that the negative DC voltage periodically repeats a first state that takes a first voltage value and a second state that takes a second voltage value having an absolute value smaller than the first voltage value,

wherein the controller controls such that the first state of the negative DC voltage is applied to the second electrode in a partial time period within each cycle of a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or in a partial time period within each cycle of a periodically varying parameter measured in a transmission path of the bias power, and the second state of the negative DC voltage is applied to the second electrode continuously with the first state of the negative DC voltage, and

wherein the first state of the negative DC voltage overlaps with a positive peak of the bias power in the partial time period.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: KOSHIMIZU, CHISHIO; KUBOTA, SHINJI; MARUYAMA, KOJI; DOKAN, TAKASHI; NAGAMI, KOICHI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053692/0446 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2018-142855 · Jul 30, 2018 · national
JP 2019-108223 · Jun 10, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210043472A1 · Feb 11, 2021