PLASMA ETCHING APPARATUS AND PLASMA ETCHING METHOD

• Main Authors: Yoneda, Shigeru, Koshiishi, Akira, Sugimoto, Masaru, Kobayashi, Noriyuki, Hanawa, Kenichi, Tahara, Shigeru
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 25.12.2019
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

There is provided a plasma etching apparatus comprising: a process container (10) configured to be vacuum-exhausted; a first electrode (34) disposed inside the process container; a second electrode (16) disposed opposite to the first electrode (34) and configured to support a target substrate thereon; a first radio frequency power supply unit (46, 48; 48', 89) connected to the first electrode or the second electrode and configured to apply a first RF power for plasma generation to the first or second electrode; a second RF power supply unit (88, 90) connected to the second electrode and configured to apply a second RF power for providing a bias for ion attraction to the second electrode; a process gas supply unit (66) configured to supply a process gas into the process container; and a control system including an RF controller (95) configured to control the first and second RF power supply units. The RF controller is configured to switch the second RF power supply unit between a continuous mode that executes continuous supply of the second RF power at a constant power level and a power modulation mode that executes modulation of the second RF power between a low-power-level first power larger than zero and a high-power-level second power. The RF controller is preset to control the second RF power supply unit such that the second RF power supply unit is first operated in the continuous mode for plasma ignition and then is switched into the power modulation mode.