US-20260128257-A1 - PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS

US20260128257A1US 20260128257 A1US20260128257 A1US 20260128257A1US-20260128257-A1

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a substrate support provided in the chamber; an excitation electrode provided above the substrate support; an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves to a plasma generation space below the excitation electrode; and a resonator provided above the excitation electrode, wherein the resonator includes first and second ends and a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in a circumferential direction along the second end, and wherein a length of each of the plurality of slots in a longitudinal direction, which is the circumferential direction, is changeable.

Inventors

Masaki Hirayama

Assignees

TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260102
Priority Date: 20230707

Claims (7)

1 . A plasma processing apparatus, comprising: a chamber configured to provide a processing space in the chamber; a substrate support provided in the processing space; an excitation electrode having a central axis and provided above the substrate support; an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves to a plasma generation space below the excitation electrode, and extending in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis to surround the plasma generation space; and a resonator provided above the excitation electrode, wherein the resonator includes first and second ends configured to resonate the electromagnetic waves between the first end and the second end, and a plurality of slots configured to supply the electromagnetic waves from the plurality of slots to the emitter, wherein the plurality of slots are arranged in the circumferential direction along the second end, and wherein a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of slots is the circumferential direction, and a length of each of the plurality of slots in the longitudinal direction is changeable.
2 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resonator further includes a plurality of short-circuiting members, and wherein each of the short-circuiting members is configured to change the length of a corresponding slot among the plurality of slots by short-circuiting a pair of edges of the corresponding slot extending in the circumferential direction.
3 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the resonator further includes a plurality of screw hole groups, each of which has a plurality of screw holes, wherein the plurality of screw holes in each of the plurality of screw hole groups penetrate one of the pair of edges of a corresponding slot among the plurality of slots, and are arranged in the circumferential direction along the corresponding slot, and wherein each of the plurality of short-circuiting members is a screw, and is configured to short-circuit the pair of edges via the corresponding slot and a selected one of the plurality of screw holes that penetrate the one of the pair of edges of the corresponding slot.
4 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of screw holes in each of the plurality of screw hole groups penetrate the one of the pair of edges at locations between an end of the corresponding slot in the longitudinal direction and a center of the corresponding slot in the longitudinal direction.
5 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resonator further includes: a first conductor plate, a longitudinal direction of which is the circumferential direction, and in which a plurality of first slots arranged along the circumferential direction are formed; and a second conductor plate, a longitudinal direction of which is the circumferential direction, and in which a plurality of second slots arranged along the circumferential direction are formed, the second conductor plate being disposed below the first conductor plate, wherein each of the plurality of slots is formed as one of the plurality of first slots and one of the plurality of second slots, and wherein the first conductor plate and the second conductor plate are configured to change the length of each of the plurality of slots by adjusting a positional relationship between the plurality of first slots and the plurality of second slots in the circumferential direction.
6 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first conductor plate or the second conductor plate is configured to be rotatable in the circumferential direction.
7 . The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the resonator further includes: inner and outer portions extending coaxially with respect to the central axis; and a plurality of conductor plates arranged parallel to one another along a vertical direction, which is a direction in which the central axis extends, wherein the resonator provides a waveguide, which extends between the outer portion and the inner portion and includes a plurality of layers arranged alternately with the plurality of conductor plates, wherein each of the plurality of layers is connected to a layer, which is one among the plurality of layers disposed directly above the each of the plurality of layers, at one of a plurality of folded portions arranged along the inner portion or the outer portion, wherein the first end extends to surround an uppermost layer among the plurality of layers, and wherein the second end extends to surround a bottommost layer among the plurality of layers.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The application is a Bypass Continuation Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP 2024/023004, filed on Jun. 25, 2024 and designating the United States, the international application being based upon and claiming the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-112344, filed on Jul. 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus. BACKGROUND Plasma processing apparatuses are used in processing substrates. As a type of plasma processing apparatuses, a known apparatus excites a gas using radio-frequency waves such as very high frequency (VHF) waves or ultra high frequency (UHF) waves. A plasma processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a processing container, a stage, an upper electrode, an introduction part, and a waveguide part. The stage is provided in the processing container. The upper electrode is provided above the stage via a space in the processing container. The introduction part is an introduction part for radio-frequency waves. The introduction part is provided at a lateral end portion of the space and extends circumferentially around a central axis of the processing container. The waveguide part is configured to supply the radio-frequency waves to the introduction part. The waveguide part includes a resonator configured to provide a waveguide. The waveguide of the resonator extends circumferentially around the central axis, extends in an extension direction of the central axis, and is connected to the introduction part. PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-92031. SUMMARY One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support, an excitation electrode, an emitter, and a resonator. The chamber provides a processing space in the chamber. The substrate support is provided in the chamber. The excitation electrode has a central axis and is provided above the substrate support. The emitter is configured to emit electromagnetic waves to a plasma generation space below the excitation electrode. The emitter extends in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis to surround the plasma generation space. The resonator is provided above the excitation electrode. The resonator includes first and second ends configured to resonate the electromagnetic waves between the first end and the second end, and a plurality of slots configured to supply the electromagnetic waves from the plurality of slots to the emitter. The plurality of slots are arranged in the circumferential direction along the second end. A longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of slots is the circumferential direction, and a length of each of the plurality of slots in the longitudinal direction is changeable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a view showing a plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view showing a plasma processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a positional relationship between a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots. FIG. 8 is a view showing another example of the positional relationship between the plurality of first slots and the plurality of second slots. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, systems, and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the various embodiments. Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a view showing a plasma processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-se