Plasma Reactor

1. Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to a plasma reactor for treating an object such as a semiconductor wafer or the like through an etching process or the like.

2. Description of the Relevant Art:

There are known various apparatus for treating objects in different ways through plasma reaction as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 50-9545, 53-34462, 53-44795, and 59-39508, for example. In these known apparatus, a plasma is subjected to an electromagnetic field to generate a high density, high-energy plasma even in a low-gas-pressure region. An object can be etched, for example, in the thus generated plasma for anisotropic etching with less side etch or undercut.

The etching rate is higher and side etch or undercut is less with the disclosed apparatus than other conventional apparatus where no electromagnetic field is applied to the plasma. There is however a demand for apparatus which can treat objects at a higher etching rate and with less side etch.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma reactor for treating an object efficiently.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plasma reactor comprising a chamber, means for generating a plasma in the chamber, means for generating a magnetic field in the chamber, and support means disposed in the chamber for supporting a specimen to be treated, parallel to the generated magnetic field.

The above and further objects, details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the plasma reactor shown in FIG. 1 operates;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of plasma reactors according to other embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows in cross section a plasma reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The plasma reactor includes a chamber 3 made of synthetic quartz or the like and disposed in a waveguide 1 associated with a microwave oscillator 2 which generates a microwave having a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The waveguide 1 and the chamber 3 are closed on one side by a head 4 in which there are mounted a discharge pipe 5 connected to a vacuum source and a gas inlet pipe 6 connected to a reaction gas source. The head 4 has a through opening 7 through which a support 8 is horizontally movable into and out of the chamber 3. A specimen W such as a silicon wafer is placed on the support 8.

The support 8 is electrically connected to a high-frequency power supply 10 which produces electric energy having a frequency of 13.56 MHz. An electromagnetic coil 9 is disposed around the waveguide 1 in coaxial relation to the waveguide 1 and the chamber 3, such that a magnetic field generated in the chamber 3 by the electromagnetic coil 9 extends parallel to the specimen W on the support 8. As shown the support 8 and the workpiece W are disposed directly within the central opening of the electromagnetic coil 9.

In operation, the chamber 3 is evacuated by the vacuum source through the discharge pipe 5 and a reaction gas such as an etching gas is introduced into the chamber 3 from the reaction gas source through the gas inlet pipe 6. The microwave oscillator 2 is energized to apply a microwave to the chamber 3 and the high-frequency power supply 10 is energized to apply high-frequency electric power to the support 8. At the same time, the electromagnetic coil 9 is energized to generate a static magnetic field in the chamber 3. Then, a high-density and high-energy plasma is generated in the chamber 3, and electrons spin about magnetic lines of force as shown in FIG. 2. The spinning motion of the electrons cause active electrons and ions in the plasma to collide perpendicularly to the surface of the specimen W for thereby etching the specimen W or depositing a film on the specimen W highly efficiently.

FIG. 3 shows a plasma reactor according to another embodiment of the present invention. The plasma reactor shown in FIG. 3 includes three electromagnetic coils 9 disposed around a waveguide 1 for uniformly treating a specimen W placed on a support 8 in a chamber 3. The number of electromagnetic coils 9 may freely be selected.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plasma reactor according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The plasma reactor shown in FIG. 4 employs no waveguide, but has an upper electrode 11 disposed in and attached to an upper wall of a chamber 3, the electrode 11 being grounded. A support 8 disposed in the chamber 3 serves as a lower electrode. A plasma is generated between the upper and lower electrodes 11, 8 in the chamber 3.

The plasma reactors shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 operate in substantially the same manner as the plasma reactor illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Also, as again shown in FIGS. 3-4, the support 8 and the workpiece W are disposed directly within the central opening of an electromagnetic coil 9.

Table 1 below shows the results of experiments conducted on conventional plasma reactors and the plasma reactor shown in FIG. 1, and Table 2 below shows the results of experiments conducted on conventional plasma reactors and the plasma reactor illustrated in FIG. 4.

Although there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all aspects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.