US 12,488,961 B2
Ignition controlling method, film forming method, and film forming apparatus
Takeshi Kobayashi, Iwate (JP)
Assigned to TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/964,641.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-172297 (JP), filed on Oct. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0129976 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); C23C 16/34 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/505 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32091 (2013.01) [C23C 16/345 (2013.01); C23C 16/45544 (2013.01); C23C 16/505 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01J 37/32155 (2013.01); H01J 37/32183 (2013.01); H01J 37/32568 (2013.01); H01L 21/0217 (2013.01); H01L 21/02274 (2013.01); H01L 21/0228 (2013.01); H01J 37/3244 (2013.01); H01J 2237/024 (2013.01); H01J 2237/24578 (2013.01); H01J 2237/332 (2013.01); H01J 2237/3387 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ignition controlling method comprising:
providing a film forming apparatus including:
a processing container configured to accommodate a substrate;
a plasma box formed on the processing container;
a pair of electrodes arranged to sandwich the plasma box therebetween; and
an RF power supply connected to the pair of electrodes via a matching box including a variable capacitor,
detecting, in advance and in a state where no plasma discharge occurs in the plasma box and the processing container, a first voltage between the electrodes for each of a plurality of adjustment positions of the variable capacitor when a radio-frequency voltage with a first frequency is applied to the pair of electrodes from the RF power supply, and a second voltage between one of the electrodes and the substrate for each of the plurality of adjustment positions of the variable capacitor when the radio-frequency voltage with the first frequency is applied between the electrodes and the substrate from the RF power supply;
identifying, based on the first and second voltages, a first adjustment position of the plurality of adjustment positions of the variable capacitor at which plasma ignition occurs in the plasma box and a second adjustment position of the plurality of adjustment positions of the variable capacitor at which plasma ignition occurs in the processing container;
storing the first and second voltages and the first and second adjustment positions in a storage;
determining an initial position of the variable capacitor based on the first and second voltages and the first and second adjustment positions, by referring to the storage; and
selecting an area where a plasma ignition is to be performed from the plasma box and the processing container, by setting the adjustment positions of the variable capacitor to the initial position.