公开(公告)号：US20180190474A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-05

申请号：US15905908

申请日：2018-02-27

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32577

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, an operation unit configured to calculate a parameter including any one of a load impedance, a load resistance and a load reactance of a high frequency power supply and a reflection wave coefficient of a high frequency power, and a controller configured to sequentially perform multiple cycles, each having plural stages which are performed in sequence. The controller is configured to control a setting of the high frequency power supplied to an electrode to be changed at a time point when the parameter exceeds a threshold value after a processing gas is changed. The changing of the setting of the high frequency power includes changing a power level of the high frequency power and/or changing the high frequency power from one of a continuous wave and a pulse-modulated high frequency power to the other thereof.

公开(公告)号：US09824864B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-21

申请号：US15464739

申请日：2017-03-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami

IPC: H01J7/24 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32577 ,  H01J37/32697

Abstract: In a plasma processing of generating plasma of different processing gases within a processing vessel in sequence, a setting of a high frequency power can be changed at an appropriate time point after the processing gas output from a gas supply system is changed. A power level of a second high frequency power is increased at a time point when a first parameter which reflects impedance of plasma exceeds a first threshold value after the processing gas is changed while a first high frequency power is being supplied to a first electrode or a second electrode. Further, a power level of the first high frequency power is increased at a time point when a second parameter which reflects impedance of plasma exceeds a second threshold value after the processing gas is changed while the second high frequency power is being supplied to the second electrode.

公开(公告)号：US09805917B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-31

申请号：US15408733

申请日：2017-01-18

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183

Abstract: In a plasma processing method, first processes and second processes are performed alternately. In each first process, a first gas is supplied into a processing vessel from a gas supply system, and a first high frequency power is supplied from a first high frequency power supply. In each second process, the first high frequency power is supplied from the first high frequency power supply continuously from a first process which is performed just before the corresponding second process. In each second process, a gas switching signal for switching the gas from the first gas to the second gas is applied to the gas supply system. Further, a supply of a second high frequency power is begun by a second high frequency power supply when a parameter such as a load impedance exceeds a threshold value after the gas switching signal is applied to the gas supply system.

公开(公告)号：US09736921B2

公开(公告)日：2017-08-15

申请号：US15284681

申请日：2016-10-04

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami ,  Naoyuki Umehara ,  Norikazu Yamada

IPC: H01J7/24 ,  H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H05H2001/4682

Abstract: An output of a modulated high frequency power is started from a high frequency power supply of a plasma processing apparatus. Here, a first period and a second period are repeated alternately. A moving average value of a load impedance of the high frequency power supply in a first sub-period in the past first period and a moving average value of a load impedance of the high frequency power supply in a second sub-period in the past first period are acquired. A frequency of the modulated high frequency power in the first sub-period and a frequency of the modulated high frequency power in the second sub-period are set according to the moving average values such that the load impedance of the high frequency power supply in the first sub-period and the load impedance of the high frequency power supply in the second sub-period approximate to a matching point.

公开(公告)号：US20170099723A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-06

申请号：US15284681

申请日：2016-10-04

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami ,  Naoyuki Umehara ,  Norikazu Yamada

IPC: H05H1/46

CPC classification number: H05H1/46 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H05H2001/4682

Abstract: An output of a modulated high frequency power, which is set such that a power of the modulated high frequency power in a second period is smaller than a power of the modulated high frequency power in a first period, is started from the high frequency power supply of a plasma processing apparatus. Here, the first period and the second period are repeated alternately. A moving average value of a load impedance of the high frequency power supply in a first sub-period in the past first period and a moving average value of a load impedance of the high frequency power supply in a second sub-period in the past first period are acquired. A frequency of the modulated high frequency power in the first sub-period and a frequency of the modulated high frequency power in the second sub-period are set according to the moving average values.

公开(公告)号：US12154793B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-26

申请号：US16938552

申请日：2020-07-24

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Koichi Nagami ,  Kazuya Nagaseki

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/14 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: An etching apparatus includes: a placement table serving as a lower electrode and configured to place a workpiece to be subjected to an etching processing thereon; a DC power supply configured to generate a negative DC voltage applied to the placement table; and a controller configured to: periodically apply a negative DC voltage to the placement table from the DC power supply when the etching processing on the workpiece placed on the placement table is initiated, and decrease a frequency of the negative DC voltage applied to the placement table with an elapse of processing time of the etching processing.

公开(公告)号：US11170979B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-09

申请号：US16722248

申请日：2019-12-20

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Koichi Nagami ,  Kazunobu Fujiwara ,  Tatsuro Ohshita ,  Takashi Dokan ,  Koji Maruyama ,  Kazuya Nagaseki ,  Shinji Himori

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A decrease of an etching rate of a substrate can be suppressed, and energy of ions irradiated to an inner wall of a chamber main body can be reduced. A plasma processing apparatus includes a DC power supply configured to generate a negative DC voltage to be applied to a lower electrode of a stage. In a plasma processing performed by using the plasma processing apparatus, a radio frequency power is supplied to generate plasma by exciting a gas within a chamber. Further, the negative DC voltage from the DC power supply is periodically applied to the lower electrode to attract ions in the plasma onto the substrate placed on the stage. A ratio occupied, within each of cycles, by a period during which the DC voltage is applied to the lower electrode is set to be equal to or less than 40%.

公开(公告)号：US10707053B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-07

申请号：US15834528

申请日：2017-12-07

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Masafumi Urakawa ,  Koichi Nagami

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes applying a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for plasma generation and a pulse wave of high frequency electric power for bias whose frequency is lower than that of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation on the mounting table; and controlling the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias such that a predetermined phase difference is generated between the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation and the pulse wave of the high frequency electric power for bias, and a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for plasma generation becomes greater than or equal to a duty ratio of the high frequency electric power for bias.

公开(公告)号：US10593519B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-17

申请号：US15661052

申请日：2017-07-27

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Norikazu Yamada ,  Toshifumi Tachikawa ,  Koichi Nagami

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: At a time point T0 when starting a process, a duty ratio of a high frequency power RF1 to which power modulation is performed is set to be an initial value (about 90%) which allows plasma to be ignited securely under any power modulating conditions. At the substantially same time of starting the process, the duty ratio of the high frequency power RF1 is gradually reduced from the initial value (about 90%) in a regular negative gradient or in a ramp waveform. At a time point t2 after a lapse of a preset time Td, the duty ratio has an originally set value Ds for an etching process. After the time point t2, the duty ratio is fixed or maintained at the set value Ds until the end (time point T4) of the process.

公开(公告)号：US10431433B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US16003954

申请日：2018-06-08

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Koichi Nagami ,  Natsumi Torii

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a controller controls one or both of a first high frequency power supply and a second high frequency power supply to periodically stop the supply of one or both of the first high frequency power and the second high frequency power. The controller also controls a switching unit to apply a DC voltage to a focus ring from a first time after a predetermined period of time in which a self-bias voltage of a lower electrode is decreased from a start point of each period in which one or both of the first high frequency power and the second high frequency power are supplied and to stop the application of the DC voltage to the focus ring during each period in which the supply of one or both of the first high frequency power and the second high frequency power is stopped.