US-12620553-B2 - Remote surface wave propagation for semiconductor chambers

US12620553B2US 12620553 B2US12620553 B2US 12620553B2US-12620553-B2

Abstract

Apparatus provide plasma to a processing volume of a chamber. The Apparatus may comprise a plurality of plasma sources, each with at least a dielectric tube inlet which is at least partially surrounded by a conductive tube which is configured to be connected to RF power to generate plasma and a gas inlet positioned opposite the dielectric tube inlet for a process gas and a dielectric tube directly connected to each of the plurality of plasma sources where the dielectric tube is configured to at least partially contain plasma generated by the plurality of plasma sources and to release radicals generated in the plasma via holes in the dielectric tube.

Inventors

Yang Yang
Fernando Silveira
Kartik Ramaswamy
Yue Guo
A N M Wasekul AZAD
Imad Yousif

Assignees

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220419

Claims (20)

1 . An apparatus, comprising: a chamber with a bottom, a lid, and walls that provide a processing volume above a substrate support; and a plurality of plasma sources directly interconnected via a dielectric tube and each encompassing a portion of the dielectric tube with a conductive tube, wherein the dielectric tube has ends that are connected together and the dielectric tube extends at least partially extends into the processing volume, and wherein the plurality of plasma sources is configured to generate surface waves in walls of the dielectric tube by energizing the conductive tube that support plasma generation within the dielectric tube, and wherein the dielectric tube is configured to act as a vacuum boundary between plasma formed within the dielectric tube by the surface waves and the processing volume.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned within the walls of the chamber and partitioned from the processing volume.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of plasma sources has one or more gas inlets configured to provide process gas or reactive gas inside of the dielectric tube.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more gas inlets is located at an opposite end of the one or more of the plurality of plasma sources to an end of which the dielectric tube extends from.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube has one or more gas inlets configured to provide process gas or reactive gas inside of the dielectric tube.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube has a plurality of holes or nozzles directed at the substrate support and wherein the plurality of holes or nozzles is configured to release radicals from within the dielectric tube towards the substrate support.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube has an overall circular shape that mimics an outer perimeter of the processing volume.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube has concentric circular portions and radial extensions that connect the concentric circular portions.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric tube has an outer diameter of less than approximately 0.5 inches and inner diameter of less than approximately 0.3 inches.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is an etch chamber or a deposition chamber.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of plasma sources is a surfatron with a length and width of less than three inches.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned externally around the walls of the chamber.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned above and external to the lid of the chamber.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of plasma sources is connected to at least one RF power source which provides RF power directly to the respective conductive tube surrounding the portion of the dielectric tube.
15 . An apparatus that provides plasma to a chamber, comprising: a plurality of plasma sources, each with a conductive tube and a gas inlet, wherein the respective conductive tube surrounds a portion of a dielectric tube and the respective conductive tube configured to be directly connected to RF power to generate surface waves in walls of the dielectric tube which form plasma within the dielectric tube, and wherein the gas inlet is connected to the dielectric tube near one end of the conductive tube; and the dielectric tube directly connected through each of the plurality of plasma sources and is configured to act as a vacuum boundary between plasma generated within the dielectric tube and a processing volume of the chamber to contain plasma generated by the plurality of plasma sources and is configured to release radicals generated in the plasma via holes or nozzles in the dielectric tube and wherein the holes or nozzles in the dielectric tube are positioned in a portion of the dielectric tube which is configured to be inserted into the chamber.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric tube has an overall circular shape that mimics an outer perimeter of an inner volume of the chamber.
17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric tube has concentric circular portions and radial extensions that connect the concentric circular portions.
18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric tube has an outer diameter of less than approximately 0.5 inches and inner diameter of less than approximately 0.3 inches.
19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of plasma sources is a surfatron with a length and width of less than three inches.
20 . An apparatus, comprising: a chamber with a bottom, a lid, and walls that provide a processing volume above a substrate support; a plurality of plasma sources with inlets and outlets for a dielectric tube to pass through, wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned within the walls of the chamber and partitioned from direct exposure to the processing volume, and wherein each of the plurality of plasma sources is a surfatron with a length, width, and height of less than three inches, wherein each plasma source has a conductive tube which surrounds a portion of the dielectric tube; and the dielectric tube directly connected to each of the plurality of plasma sources, wherein the dielectric tube at least partially extends into the processing volume wherein the dielectric tube has one or more gas inlets for a gas that forms plasma within the dielectric tube, and wherein the dielectric tube is configured to act as a vacuum boundary between plasma generated within the dielectric tube and the processing volume.

Description

FIELD Embodiments of the present principles generally relate to semiconductor processing of semiconductor substrates. BACKGROUND Semiconductor processing may require plasma generation for deposition, oxidation, etching, and other processes. The plasma may be generated directly inside of a processing volume of a chamber or generated remote from the chamber with resulting radicals and the like directed into the chamber. Traditional remote plasma sources require an igniting sequence and then proper conditions to maintain the plasma each time the plasma is needed within the process. The inventors have observed that the process may impact processing yields due to the delays in igniting the plasma to produce required outputs such as radicals. The inventors have also observed that the cycling of the plasma impacts the efficiency of the process and requires increased power to ignite the plasma each time. Accordingly, the inventors have provided methods and apparatus that provides an efficient and constant remote plasma source that produces higher radical densities. SUMMARY Methods and apparatus for a remote plasma source with high efficiency and increased uniformity of process on a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus with a plasma source may comprise a chamber with a bottom, a lid, and walls that provide a processing volume above a substrate support and a plurality of plasma sources directly interconnected via a dielectric tube, wherein the dielectric tube at least partially extends into the processing volume and wherein the plurality of plasma sources is configured to generate surface waves in walls of the dielectric tube that support plasma generation within the dielectric tube. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned within the walls of the chamber and partitioned from the processing volume, wherein one or more of the plurality of plasma sources has one or more gas inlets configured to provide process gas or reactive gas inside of the dielectric tube, wherein at least one of the one or more gas inlets is located at an opposite end of the one or more of the plurality of plasma sources to an end of which the dielectric tube extends from, wherein the dielectric tube has one or more gas inlets configured to provide process gas or reactive gas inside of the dielectric tube, wherein the dielectric tube has a plurality of holes or nozzles directed at the substrate support and wherein the plurality of holes or nozzles is configured to release radicals from within the dielectric tube towards the substrate support, wherein the dielectric tube has an overall circular shape that mimics an outer perimeter of the processing volume, wherein the dielectric tube has concentric circular portions and radial extensions that connect the concentric circular portions, wherein the dielectric tube has an outer diameter of less than approximately 0.5 inches and inner diameter of less than approximately 0.3 inches, wherein the chamber is an etch chamber or a deposition chamber, wherein at least one of the plurality of plasma sources is a surfatron with a length and width of less than three inches, wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned externally around the walls of the chamber, wherein the plurality of plasma sources is positioned above and external to the lid of the chamber, and/or wherein each of the plurality of plasma sources is connected to at least one RF power source which provides RF power to a circular conductive tube surrounding a portion of the dielectric tube. In some embodiments, an apparatus that provides plasma to a chamber may comprise a plurality of plasma sources, each with at least a dielectric tube inlet which is at least partially surrounded by a conductive tube which is configured to be connected to RF power to generate plasma and a gas inlet positioned opposite the dielectric tube inlet and a dielectric tube directly connected to each of the plurality of plasma sources, the dielectric tube configured to at least partially contain plasma generated by the plurality of plasma sources and configured to release radicals generated in the plasma via holes or nozzles in the dielectric tube, wherein the holes or nozzles in the dielectric tube are positioned in a portion of the dielectric tube which is configured to be inserted into the chamber. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include wherein the dielectric tube has an overall circular shape that mimics an outer perimeter of an inner volume of the chamber, wherein the dielectric tube has concentric circular portions and radial extensions that connect the concentric circular portions, wherein the dielectric tube has an outer diameter of less than approximately 0.5 inches and inner diameter of less than approximately 0.3 inches, and/or wherein at least one of the plurality of plasma sources is a surfatron with a length and width of less than three inc