IP Library Granted Patent US 12,744,182
Granted Patent B2
US 12,744,182 · App. 18/170,289 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device and plasma generating apparatus

Inventors: Tsuyoshi Takeda (Toyama, JP); Daisuke Hara (Toyama, JP)
Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
H01J37/3211H01J37/32119H01J37/32174H01J37/32568H01J37/32651H01J37/321H01J37/32183H01J37/3244H10P72/7612
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,744,182
App. No.
18/170,289
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a gas supplier through which a process gas is supplied to the process chamber; a plasma generator provided so as to protrude into the process chamber, constituted by a coil and an insulator, and configured to generate a plasma of the process gas in the process chamber; and an adjuster capable of adjusting a gap distance between the coil and the insulator.

Claims (47)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a process chamber in which a substrate is processed;

a gas supplier through which a process gas is supplied to the process chamber;

a plasma generator including an insulator provided with a curved surface so as to protrude into the process chamber, and a coil having a shape that approximately fits into the curved surface of the insulator, and configured to generate a plasma of the process gas in the process chamber;

an adjuster capable of adjusting a gap distance between the coil and the insulator; and

a shield arranged above the coil to cover the coil, wherein the shield comprises:

a first shield arranged so as to cover an upper side of the coil; and

a second shield provided inside the plasma generator, wherein the second shield is provided between opposite ends of the coil.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coil is provided with a spiral-shaped portion of at least 0.5 winding turn.

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is provided so as to protrude into the process chamber, and is of a hemispherical shape or a semi-spheroid shape.

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second shields comprises a conductive metal plate of a cylindrical shape or of a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjuster comprises a moving structure capable of vertically moving the coil.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the moving structure comprises a micrometer, and

wherein the coil is vertically moved by rotating the micrometer.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the coil is fixed to a fixing structure, and

wherein the moving structure is configured to vertically move the fixing structure.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 ,

wherein the coil and the adjuster are arranged inside the shield.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fixing structure is made of an insulating material, and fixes both ends of the coil.

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generator is provided above the process chamber.

11 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more plasma generators,

wherein each of the one or more plasma generators is provided so as to protrude into the process chamber, constituted by a coil and an insulator and configured to generate the plasma of the process gas in the process chamber.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the coil is connected to a matcher and a high frequency power supply, and a second end of the coil is connected to a ground.

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shield is connected to a ground.

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an efficiency of generating the plasma is capable of being changed by adjusting the gap distance between the coil and the insulator by using the adjuster.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generator comprises a reinforcing member,

wherein ends of the coil are fixed by the reinforcing member.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one end of the coil is connected to a ground, and

wherein the first shield and the second shield are connected to the ground.

17 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap distance between the coil and the insulator is adjusted by the adjuster such that a plasma distribution in the process chamber becomes uniform in a horizontal direction on the substrate.

18 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

(a) loading a substrate into a process chamber of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:

the process chamber in which the substrate is processed;

a gas supplier through which a process gas is supplied to the process chamber;

a plasma generator including an insulator provided with a curved surface so as to protrude into the process chamber, and a coil having a shape that approximately fits into the curved surface of the insulator, and configured to generate a plasma of the process gas in the process chamber;

a shield arranged above the coil to cover the coil, wherein the shield comprises:

a first shield arranged so as to cover an upper side of the coil; and

a second shield provided inside the plasma generator, wherein the second shield is provided between opposite ends of the coil; and

an adjuster capable of adjusting a gap distance between the coil and the insulator; and

(b) generating the plasma of the process gas in the process chamber by the plasma generator.

19 . A plasma generating apparatus comprising:

a plasma generator including an insulator provided with a curved surface so as to protrude into a process chamber in which a substrate is processed, and a coil having a shape that approximately fits into the curved surface of the insulator, and configured to generate a plasma of a process gas in the process chamber;

a shield arranged above the coil to cover the coil, wherein the shield comprises:

a first shield arranged so as to cover an upper side of the coil; and

a second shield provided inside the plasma generator, wherein the second shield is provided between opposite ends of the coil; and

an adjuster capable of adjusting a gap distance between the coil and the insulator.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2023
From: TAKEDA, TSUYOSHI; HARA, DAISUKE
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062729/0892 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020034472 · Sep 11, 2020
Related Publication 20230197408A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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