Development of VHF Inductively

Coupled Plasma (ICP) Source using a

CST Microwave Studio

KAIST, Low-temperature plasma lab.

Samsung electronics, Etch process team

Hyun-su Jun

Electronic
Electronic mail:
mail: mtsconstant@kaist.ac.kr
mtsconstant@kaist.ac.kr

1 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 CONTENTS

1. Introduction
1.1. Inductively coupled plasma
1.2. Necessity for low-electron-temperature plasma
1.3. Problems in VHF-ICP operation
1.4. Antenna voltage and plasma uniformity

2. VHF-ICP source development

2.1. Antenna theory of VHF-ICP source

2.2. Capacitor Distributed Resonance Antenna (C.D.R.A.)
2.3. Plasma model setup in CST-MWS
2.4. Impedance matching in CST-MWS
2.5. Analysis of field simulation results

3. Experimental results
3.1. Structure of Capacitor Distributed Resonance Antenna
3.2. Plasma parameter measurements

4. Summary
2 2009 CST Korean user meeting
 1. Introduction

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP)

Vrf ~ ωL Antenna GND

Powered Grounded
I.M.B.
end end

Dielectric window

Eθ
Gas inlet
∂H
∇ × E = −µ0 Antenna
∂t Single Langmuir
Faraday’s law Probe

Plasma, ne~1011/cm3
13.56 MHz RF
Plasma medium
Gate Valve
ω p2
εr = ε∞ −
Ground
Turbo Rotary
ω (ω − iν c )
Pump Pump

Applications: Sheath layer

spacer etch, trench etch, contact etch… sm ~ 5( Debye length ) = 5(740 Te / ne ) cm Debye length

3 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 1. Introduction

Necessity for low-electron-temperature plasma

n e = 3 × 10 11 cm − 3

Electron High electron

Tail temp . Tt = 3 .5 eV temperature
bi − Maxwellian

Tail temp . Tt = 5 .0 eV
bi − Maxwellian Ion trajectory Low etch selectivity
Tb = 2 .75 eV bending Profile angle problem
Maxwellian

Radical density ratio [CFx/F] as a function Trench etch (0.2 mm wide by 4 mm deep)
of electron temperature in single-crystal silicon
H. Kokura, 2000 Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

4 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 1. Introduction

Necessity of low-electron-temperature plasma

Measured EEPFs Measured EEPFs

D. S. Lee, H. S. Jun Thin Solid Films, 2006 H. S. Jun Applied Physics Letters, 2007

→ The Electron temperature (Teff) decreased with an increase in the driving frequency.

5 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 1. Introduction

Problems in VHF-ICP operation

E-field distribution Antenna current -vector E-field distribution Antenna current -vector
at 13.56MHz at 13.56 MHz at 60 MHz at 60 MHz

→ Because of the node-effect in the VHF-ICP source, an inductive discharge(H-mode) is

practically impossible over the frequency of 60 MHz.
6 2009 CST Korean user meeting
 1. Introduction

Antenna voltage and plasma uniformity

Antenna’s
Antenna’s powered end
powered end

Sputtering map on dielectric window Azimuthal electric field distribution

→ Antenna voltage distribution is the key factor in uniform plasma generation.

7 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 2. VHF-ICP source development

Antenna theory of VHF-ICP source

IL LT ¾ Total antenna impedance

GND
2
2CT 2CT ⎛ 1 ⎞
IR LT / 2 LT / 2 VT = IZ L = I R + ⎜⎜ ωLT −
2
+ Ω ⎟⎟
GND ⎝ ωCT ⎠
4CT 4CT 4CT 4CT
IR LT / 4 LT / 4 LT / 4 LT / 4 X L = ωLT X C = 1 / ωCT
GND

V
¾ L-C series resonance condition
V = I LωLT
X L = X C at ω = ω R VT = I R Z L = I R R 2 + Ω 2
N =0

LT ¾ Local antenna voltage drop

N =2 V = I Rω
2

N =4 LT Ci = NCT X ic = 1 ωNCT Vic = I R X ic = I R ωNCT

V = I Rω
4
0 Li = LT / N X iL = ωLT / N ViL = I R X iL = I RωLT / N

→ The local voltage drop of each antenna segment is inversely proportional to

the number of segments N.
8 2009 CST Korean user meeting
 2. VHF-ICP source development

Capacitor Distributed Resonance Antenna (C.D.R.A.)

Main purpose of CST-MWS simulation
¾ Verification of the azimuthal E&H field distribution at the antenna resonance freq.
¾ Analysis of the impedance match condition

Power input Antenna ground

Antenna L-C series resonance

capacitors
Low antenna voltage & high antenna current

High density & low electron temperature plasma

9 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 2. VHF-ICP source development

Plasma model setup in CST-MWS

Plasma dielectric constant

ω p2
εr = ε∞ −
ω (ω − iν c )
ε∞ = 1
e 2 ne
ωp =
ε 0 me Electron plasma
frequency
ν c = ng K (Te )

Ref. Michael A. Lieberman “Principles of plasma

discharges and materials processing”.
10 2009 CST Korean user meeting
 2. VHF-ICP source development

Impedance matching in CST-MWS

Direct calculation: MWS stand-alone type
Lumped
elements

Load impedance
1.1
1.0
0.9

S11 parameter
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
13.56 MHz
0.3 Impedance matching point

0 20 40 60 80
Driving frequency (MHz)
Load impedance calculation Matching condition analysis
from MWS simulation

Indirect calculation: MWS-DS co-simulation type

11 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 2. VHF-ICP source development

Analysis of field simulation results

Magnetic field amplitude

Electric field amplitude

Evaluate field on
predefined curve

Single turn 13.56 MHz 5.5

5000 Azimuthal Magnetic field [A/m]
Azimuthal Eelectric field [V/m]

Single turn 27.12 MHz

5.0
Single turn 40.68 MHz
4000 C.D.R.A. 61.40 MHz 4.5
4.0
3000
3.5 According to the field simulation
results, the C.D.R.A. gives a uniform
2000 3.0
distribution in the electric and magnetic
2.5
Single turn 13.56 MHz fields.
1000 Single turn 27.12 MHz
2.0
Single turn 40.68 MHz
0 1.5 C.D.R.A. 61.40 MHz
1.0
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 0 60 120 180 240 300 360
Azimuthal angle [degree] Azimuthal angle [degree]

12 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 3. Experimental results

Structure of Capacitor Distributed Resonance Antenna

Power port

Convection cooling system

Antenna ground
C.D.R.A. base-PCB

Diameter = 450 mm

Cooling fan

Capacitor Top plate

Base plate
Plasma discharge at 40 MHz

Capacitor connection

Capacitance uncertainty is
100 pF ± 1 pF for 12 capacitors

Ref. H. S. Jun, H. Y. Chang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 041501 (2008).

13 2009 CST Korean user meeting
 3. Experimental results

Plasma parameter measurements

Power input
Single turn antenna C.D.R.A.
12 12
1.6x10 1.6x10 rf power 1.6 KW
1.4x10
12
1.4x10
12 5 mTorr
Electron density (cm-3)

10 mTorr

Electron density (cm )

-3
12 rf power 1.6 KW δ=-7.12E9 12
1.2x10 1.2x10 30 mTorr
5 mTorr
12
10 mTorr
12 Probe
1.0x10 1.0x10
11 30 mTorr 11
scanning
8.0x10 8.0x10 direction
11 11
6.0x10 6.0x10
δ=-4.35E9 δ=2.32E9
11 11
4.0x10 4.0x10
δ=6.02E8
11 11
2.0x10 2.0x10
δ=-9.21E8 δ=1.19E8
0.0 0.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Position (cm) Position (cm)
The worst radial plasma
uniformity exists at the powered
Single turn antenna C.D.R.A. end of the antenna.
11 11
8x10 10 mTorr Ar plasma 8x10
11 11
7x10 7x10
Electron density (cm )

Electron density (cm )

11 11 10 mTorr Ar plasma
-3

-3

6x10 6x10
0.8 KW δ=4.29E8
11
5x10 11
5x10 1.0 KW δ=4.75E8
1.2 KW δ=3.88E8
11
4x10 11
4x10 1.4 KW δ=5.91E8 Symmetric
1.6 KW δ=6.02E8
11
3x10
11
0.8 KW δ=-2.12E9
11
3x10
11
plasma density
2x10 1.0 KW δ=-2.93E9 2x10
1.2 KW δ=-3.66E9
11 11
1x10 1.4 KW δ=-4.13E9 1x10
1.6 KW δ=-5.14E9
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Position (cm) Position (cm)

14 2009 CST Korean user meeting

 Summary

“CST-MWS” based plasma source development

¾ Plasma uniformity prediction through the E/H-field and power loss distribution.
¾ Plasma source S-parameter analysis.
¾ Impedance-matching-network design for different antenna types.
¾ High-frequency & large-area plasma source analysis.

See also…
Wave-cutoff
probe

Wave-cutoff probe simulation

H. S. Jun, B. K. Na, H. Y. Chang, and J. H. Kim, Phys. Plasmas 14, 093506 (2007).
15 2009 CST Korean user meeting