JP4951279B2 - Plasma processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma processing technique, and more particularly to a plasma processing technique capable of efficiently adjusting the temperature of an inner chamber in a plasma processing apparatus including an inner chamber and an outer chamber that accommodates the inner chamber.

  A plasma processing apparatus such as a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus forms a plasma in a processing chamber whose pressure is reduced to a vacuum state, and processes a sample.

  In the plasma processing apparatus, the temperature of the sample affects the processing speed and processing performance. For this reason, in order to eliminate the temperature variation (temperature unevenness) of the sample due to radiant heat from components facing the plasma in the plasma processing chamber, the components constituting the plasma processing chamber have an axisymmetric shape around the sample stage. Further, the part facing the plasma inside the plasma processing chamber has a function as a ground of the plasma formed inside the processing chamber. For this reason, the plasma density distribution on the sample stage can be made to be an axially symmetric distribution around the sample stage by forming the parts constituting the plasma processing chamber into an axially symmetric shape about the sample stage.

  When the plasma processing is continued, reaction products adhere to the parts facing the plasma inside the plasma processing chamber. When the reaction product adheres to the inner wall of the processing chamber, the function as the earth decreases, for example, the uniformity of the plasma density distribution decreases, or the reaction product peels off on the sample (becomes foreign matter) Product yield decreases.

  The amount of the reaction product adhering to the inner wall of the processing chamber increases as the temperature of the inner wall of the processing chamber decreases. For this reason, the adhesion amount of the reaction product can be suppressed by heating the components constituting the processing chamber with a heater and raising the temperature of the inner wall of the processing chamber.

  In this case, however, gas is released from the material constituting the inner wall of the processing chamber and the surface of the attached reaction product. The released gas increases as the temperature of the inner wall of the processing chamber increases, and the sample may be contaminated by the released gas, resulting in poor performance of the sample.

  As described above, the temperature of the side wall member that forms the plasma processing chamber greatly affects the performance and stability of the plasma processing. For this reason, it is necessary to optimally set the processing conditions, the material of the parts forming the chamber, the temperature, the distance from the sample stage, and the like.

  Further, the reaction product deposited on the inner wall of the processing chamber by the plasma processing is removed by performing a cleaning process called plasma cleaning every time the plasma processing is performed. However, as the number of plasma treatments (number of treatments) increases, products that cannot be removed by the plasma cleaning gradually accumulate. For this reason, the inside of the processing chamber is periodically opened to the atmosphere, and the components constituting the processing chamber are cleaned with a dedicated cleaning device, or hand-washed with pure water, an organic solvent, IPA (isopropyl alcohol), or the like.

  At this time, in order to reduce the downtime of the apparatus due to the hand cleaning, almost all the parts facing the plasma are structured to be removable and reassembled. There has been known an apparatus configuration that eliminates the need for hand-wiping cleaning by performing only the replacement work.

  In addition, a vacuum chamber (hereinafter referred to as an outer chamber) having a sufficient strength to withstand atmospheric pressure load in order to make a part that forms the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber into a structure that can be removed and reassembled, There is known a method of forming a dual structure chamber having a processing chamber (hereinafter referred to as an inner chamber) in which a plasma processing chamber is formed. In this case, only the inner wall of the inner chamber faces the plasma, and the outer chamber does not face the plasma. In this case, the parts that need to be replaced in the regular maintenance are only the parts that form the inner chamber and the parts that are installed inside the inner chamber.

  As described above, in a plasma processing apparatus having a dual-structure processing chamber, when the inner chamber is adjusted to a target temperature, if the heater is placed inside the inner chamber, the heater deteriorates due to the plasma. There is a concern that the gas discharged from the heater adversely affects the processing performance. In addition, if a heater is placed inside the outer chamber, even if it is outside the inner chamber, the degree of vacuum inside the outer chamber decreases, or the sample remains in the inner chamber when the sample is carried in and out of the inner chamber. There is a risk that a corrosive gas or the like enters the outer chamber and the heater deteriorates.

  Further, as the heater, for example, a heater made of ceramics having a small amount of released gas and having corrosion resistance can be used. However, in this case, it is difficult to heat the heater evenly over the entire circumference of the inner chamber, and it is difficult to make the temperature distribution of the inner chamber with respect to the sample stage position axisymmetric. For this reason, the plasma processing performance is not uniform in the sample plane.

  In addition, the outer chamber can be heated by a heater, and the temperature of the inner chamber can be adjusted by heat transfer from the outer chamber to the inner chamber. In this method, compared with a method in which the inner chamber is directly heated by a heater, the efficiency is lowered by heat transfer from the outer chamber to the inner chamber inner wall, and the temperature adjustment range of the inner chamber is narrowed. Further, since the outer chamber is hotter than the inner chamber, there is a risk of injury such as burns when an operator touches the outer chamber. For this reason, it is necessary to affix a heat insulating material on the outer surface of an outer chamber, or to install a protective cover etc. so that an operator cannot touch an outer chamber.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and in a double-structured processing chamber having an inner chamber serving as a processing container inside the outer chamber, plasma capable of adjusting the temperature of the inner chamber with high heat transfer efficiency. Processing technology is provided.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.

A vacuum processing container, and a sample stage disposed in the processing chamber inside the vacuum processing container, supplying high-frequency power to the processing gas introduced into the processing chamber to generate plasma in the processing chamber above the sample stage, In the plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on the sample placed on the sample stage by the plasma, the vacuum processing container is disposed in the vacuum processing container so as to surround the processing chamber and to seal the inside thereof. An inner chamber that is removable upward from the inside, and is accommodated in the vacuum processing container, and an upper chamber disposed in the vacuum processing container via a vacuum gap between the vacuum processing container and the vacuum processing container between to the upper chamber sidewall surface in the outer periphery surrounds the periphery of the processing chamber mounted is disposed above the sample stage downward to the upward and the vacuum processing vessel An inner chamber and a lower chamber disposed across a space that is the atmospheric pressure is partitioned from the air gap of the vacuum surrounding the outer periphery of the side wall, the arranged has been space to the atmospheric pressure of the lower chamber And a heater attached to the outer peripheral wall.

  Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, the temperature of the inner chamber can be adjusted with high heat transfer efficiency in the dual-structure processing chamber having the inner chamber serving as a processing container inside the outer chamber.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 are a top view and a side view, respectively, showing the overall configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus. As shown in the figure, the vacuum treatment apparatus is roughly divided into an atmospheric block 101 and a processing block 102.

  The atmospheric block 101 is a part for carrying, storing, positioning and the like under atmospheric pressure, and the processing block 102 carries a sample such as a wafer under pressure reduced from the atmospheric pressure for processing. Moreover, it is a part which adjusts the pressure in a process chamber in the state which mounted the sample on the sample stand. The atmospheric block 101 includes a housing 107 having a transfer robot inside. The casing 107 includes a cassette 108 that stores a sample for processing or cleaning.

  The processing block 102 includes, for example, plasma etching apparatuses 103 and 103 ′ and plasma ashing apparatuses 104 and 104 ′ as plasma processing apparatuses that perform processing on a sample under reduced pressure by reducing the pressure inside the processing chamber. Further, these processing apparatuses are provided with a transfer chamber 105 (buffer chamber) for transferring a sample under reduced pressure, and lock chambers 106 and 106 ′ for connecting the transfer chamber 105 and the atmospheric block 101. The plasma processing apparatus can be maintained at a high degree of vacuum by reducing the pressure.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the details of the plasma processing apparatus 103 among the vacuum processing apparatuses shown in FIGS. In FIG. 3, the vacuum processing chamber 200 constituting the plasma processing apparatus 103 is connected to the transfer chamber 105, and the gate valve 224 disposed therebetween is opened / closed to communicate or block between them. With the gate valve 224 opened, the space inside the transfer chamber 105 communicates with the space between the processing chamber 200, and the pressures of both are substantially equal.

  In addition, when the gate valve 224 is opened, the sample is transferred from the transfer chamber 112 onto the sample table 201 disposed in the processing chamber 200 and placed. After detecting that the sample is placed on the sample table 201, the controller 228 closes the gate valve 224 to block between the processing chamber 200 and the transfer chamber 105 and seals the processing chamber 200, and then plasma processing. To start.

As shown in FIG. 3, a discharge chamber 210 is formed in the upper portion of the processing chamber 200. Further, above the discharge chamber 210, a lid member 206 constituting a lid of the vacuum processing container, an antenna 204 disposed inside the lid member 206, and so as to surround the discharge chamber on the side and above the antenna 204. A solenoid coil 207 that is arranged and a ceiling member that is arranged below the antenna 204 are provided. The solenoid coil 207 is located above a discharge chamber base plate 214 (to be described later). Above the solenoid coil 207, a high-frequency power source 208 for supplying a high frequency in the UHF band or VHF band supplied to the antenna is disposed. . The antenna 204 is disposed inside a lid member 206 made of a conductive member such as SUS. A dielectric 205 is disposed between the antenna 204 and the lid member 206. The dielectric 205 insulates between the antenna 204 and the lid member 206 and conducts the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 204 to the lower ceiling member side. The ceiling member includes a quartz plate 203 and a shower plate made of a dielectric such as quartz. 202, the processing process gas supplied between the quartz plate 203 and the shower plate 202 is distributed and supplied into the processing chamber through a number of holes formed in the shower plate.

  A discharge chamber 210 is formed above the sample table 201 below the shower plate 202. In this space, an electromagnetic wave introduced through the quartz plate 203 and a magnetic field generated by a solenoid coil are applied to the supplied process gas to generate plasma. The sample placed on the sample stage 201 is etched by the plasma formed in the discharge chamber. Further, as described above, a space with a minute gap is formed between the quartz plate 203 and the shower plate 202, and the process gas supplied to this space has a large number of holes formed in the shower plate 202. Through the discharge chamber 210. In this way, the space functions as a buffer chamber 209 that distributes the accumulated process gas through a plurality of holes and flows into the discharge chamber 210.

  A lower ring 211 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the quartz plate 203 and the shower plate 202 below the lid member 206. The lower ring 211 is provided with a gas passage for supplying a processing gas to the buffer chamber 209, and the process gas supplied via the gas valve 231 is supplied to the buffer chamber via the gas passage.

  Below the shower plate 202, a discharge chamber side wall member 213 is provided. The discharge chamber side wall member 213 is disposed in contact with the lower ring 211 and the lower surface of the shower plate 202, and faces the plasma generated in the vacuum processing vessel to partition the discharge chamber 210.

  A discharge chamber outer wall member 212 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 so as to surround it. Note that the outer wall surface of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 with good heat conduction.

  Below the discharge chamber outer member 212, an outer chamber 217 that is a vacuum processing vessel connected to the outer chamber member 217 is disposed. Inside the outer chamber 217, inner chambers 215 and 216 are arranged with a gap that is evacuated, and these surround the periphery of the processing chamber 200 on the side and lower side of the sample table 201. Yes. That is, the inner chambers 215 and 216 are containers that include the processing chamber 200 inside.

  In order to place the sample to be processed on the sample table 201 in the inner chambers 215 and 216, the gate for transporting the sample to the inner chamber 215 or 216 and the gate are opened and closed to open and close the inner and outer chambers. A gate valve that cuts off the space and communicates is required.

  In the example of FIG. 3, as the gate valve, the atmospheric gate valve 224 provided between the processing chamber 200 and the transfer chamber 105 and the inner and outer sides of the inner chamber 215 are opened or closed to communicate with each other. And a process gate valve 221 for blocking.

  The atmospheric gate valve 224 is disposed on the inner side wall of the transfer chamber 105 and configured to be movable in the vertical and horizontal directions by the driving means 223, and is closed to seal the gate on the inner side wall of the transfer chamber. Open. In addition, the outer chamber 217 constituting the vacuum processing container is provided with a gate at a position where it communicates with the gate on the transfer chamber 105 side when the transfer chamber 105 and the processing chamber 200 are connected. The position of the gate needs to be a position where the wafer and the robot arm do not come into contact with each other when the wafer transfer robot installed in the transfer chamber 105 transfers the wafer. The inner chamber 215 is provided with a process gate at a position facing the gate of the outer chamber or the gate of the transfer chamber 105 in a state where the inner chamber 215 is installed in the outer chamber 217. The wafer is transferred through.

  The processing gas supplied into the processing chamber 200 is converted into plasma and passes through the space surrounded by the side chamber of the sample table 201 and the inner chamber 216 below the sample table 201 together with the generated reaction product. The gas is discharged from an exhaust opening located below the cylindrical sample stage 201 on the central axis of the processing chamber 200. This discharge is adjusted by the operation of the substantially circular exhaust gate plate 225 that opens and closes the opening, the conductance variable valve 227 and the exhaust pump 226 on the passage communicating with the opening.

  When maintaining the inside of the outer chamber 217 that is a vacuum processing container, the atmospheric gate valve 224 is closed. Next, after confirming the closing, the process gate valve 221 is opened. In a state where the process gate is connected and the space inside and outside the inner chamber 215 is connected, the atmosphere release valve 230 is opened to increase the pressure in the outer chambers 217 and 218 to atmospheric pressure, that is, the atmosphere is released.

  After this atmosphere release, the processing chamber is opened. First, the lid member 203 disposed on the outer chamber 217 of the processing chamber and sealing the inside is lifted upward to be opened. At this time, it may be lifted upward by a crane or the like, but a hinge portion may be provided in advance, and the hinge may be lifted up and opened 180 degrees or more. Next, an operation for maintaining the inner chamber 215 is performed. During this maintenance work, the inner chambers 215 and 216 may be removed from the outer chamber 217 and removed in order to facilitate cleaning, replacement, repair, and the like.

  Thus, since maintenance is performed after the internal and external pressures of the inner chamber 215 are matched, the thickness of the members constituting the inner chamber can be suppressed. For this reason, the weight of the inner chambers 215 and 216 can be reduced. In addition, handling work such as removal is facilitated, working time is reduced, and the operating efficiency of the apparatus is improved.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a heating structure for heating the plasma processing apparatus (the vacuum processing chamber wall disposed above the sample stage). As described above, the temperature of the side wall member forming the vacuum processing chamber greatly affects the performance and stability of the plasma processing. For this reason, it is necessary to optimally set the processing conditions and the temperature of the parts forming the chamber.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the heater 301 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212, and the temperature of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 is adjusted, thereby making contact with good heat conduction. The surface temperature of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 is adjusted.

  The outer peripheral surface of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 is always in an atmospheric pressure state even during plasma processing, and the heater mounting portion is also in an atmospheric pressure state. For example, the heater is formed of an elastic member such as rubber, and is wound around the entire outer peripheral surface of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 so that the entire periphery of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 is interposed through the discharge chamber outer wall member 212. It can be adjusted to a uniform temperature.

  A discharge chamber base plate 214 is disposed in contact with the outer peripheral side of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212. Further, the lower surface of the discharge chamber base plate 214 is in contact with an inner chamber constituting a vacuum processing container disposed below the discharge chamber base plate 214. The discharge chamber side wall member 213 is also a member that acts as a ground electrode for the sample stage 210 serving as the plasma and the lower electrode inside the discharge chamber 210, and has an area necessary for stabilizing the plasma potential. Yes. For this reason, the discharge chamber side wall member 213 needs to ensure sufficient thermal conductivity and conductivity between the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 and the lid member 211.

  As described above, the discharge chamber side wall member 213, the discharge chamber outer wall member 212, and the lid member 211 are all composed of conductive members, and these members are exposed to the atmosphere side of the processing chamber and are used for grounding. The wiring is easily connected.

  Inside the discharge chamber base plate 214, a medium passage 302 through which a heat exchange medium flows is disposed, and a heat exchange medium such as water is circulated through the medium passage 302 to thereby flow through the discharge chamber base plate 214. Adjust the temperature. That is, the temperature of the inner chamber 215 is adjusted by heating the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 which is a member in contact with the discharge chamber base plate 214 and the inner chamber 215 and supplying a heat exchange medium to the discharge chamber base plate to adjust the temperature of the base plate. Can be adjusted.

  The discharge chamber outer wall member 212 includes a temperature measurement sensor 303. The temperature of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 can be adjusted by adjusting the temperature of the heat exchange medium circulating through the heater 301 and the medium flow path 302 while measuring the temperature of the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 by this sensor. .

  In this way, by adjusting the temperature of the cylindrical walls (surfaces of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 and the inner chamber 215) constituting the vacuum processing chamber disposed above the sample stage, the wall surface and plasma (included in this) are adjusted. Interaction with particles, gases, reaction products). Thus, by appropriately adjusting the interaction between the plasma and the wall of the vacuum processing chamber in contact with the plasma, it is possible to adjust the plasma characteristics such as plasma density and composition to a desired state.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a heating structure for heating the plasma processing apparatus (the vacuum processing chamber wall disposed below the sample stage). As shown in FIG. 5, the heater 401 is also installed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner chamber 216 (lower inner chamber) disposed below the sample table 201 (sample table holding plate 220). Thereby, the surface temperature of the wall member which forms the vacuum processing chamber arrange | positioned below a sample stand can be adjusted. A temperature measurement sensor 403 is attached to the inner chamber 216 to measure the temperature of the inner chamber.

  The inner chamber 216 is detachably disposed inside the outer chamber 218 (lower outer chamber). When the processing chamber is serviced, the inner chamber 216 is moved upward to be removed and replaced. can do. The inner surfaces of the inner chambers 215 and 216 are formed as wall members that form a plasma processing chamber, and the outer surfaces are accommodated in the outer chambers 217 and 218.

  Here, a high vacuum space 305 is formed between the outer surface of the inner chamber 215 (upper inner chamber) and the outer chamber 217 (upper outer chamber). This space 305 is partitioned from the inner chamber 215 during processing of a wafer as a sample, and communicates with the inside of the transfer chamber 105. A space 404 isolated from the space 305 is formed between the outer surface of the inner chamber 216 and the outer chamber 218, and a heater 401 is disposed in the space 404. The heater 401 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the inner chamber 216, and the power cable of the heater 401 and the power cable of the temperature measurement sensor 403 are taken out through an opening 405 that connects the space 404 and the outside.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to dispose the heater component and the control component outside the vacuum processing chamber, and the wall member forming the vacuum processing chamber can be directly heated by the heater. .

  Further, a medium passage 402 through which the heat exchange medium flows is arranged inside the outer chamber 218, and the temperature of the inner chamber 216 is adjusted by circulating a heat exchange medium such as water through the medium passage 402. can do. That is, the outer side chamber 218 and the side wall member of the inner side chamber 216 are thermally connected, and heat is conducted between them to exchange heat. As long as heat exchange is possible as described above, another member may be disposed between the outer chamber 218 and the inner chamber 216.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when adjusting the temperature of the wall in the vacuum processing chamber, the temperature of the wall member disposed above the sample table is different from the temperature of the wall member disposed below the sample table. It can be adjusted individually by controlling the system. In this case, for example, the temperature of the wall member above the sample table is adjusted to a low temperature, and the temperature of the wall member disposed below the sample table is adjusted to a high temperature. It is possible to adjust the temperature of the wall member forming the vacuum processing chamber to an optimum temperature according to the above.

  In addition, when the wall member forming the vacuum processing chamber is formed by a large member that extends from above to below the sample stage, the upper and lower portions can be It is possible to form a temperature difference between them, or to control the upper side and the lower side to have a more uniform temperature distribution.

  Even when the inner chamber 216 is heated to a high temperature by the heater 401, the temperature of the outer chamber 218 is adjusted to a temperature at which there is no danger even if the operator touches it by cooling the outer chamber 218 with a heat exchange medium. be able to. When a heat insulating member is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer chamber 218 so that a protective member such as a cover covering the outer chamber 218 is not required, a relatively thin heat insulating material is used as the heat insulating material. be able to.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining procedures of plasma processing and maintenance work using the plasma processing apparatus of the present embodiment.

  In plasma processing, first, the inside of the inner chamber is evacuated, and plasma is generated inside the inner chamber to process the sample. For this reason, first, the inside of the inner chamber is evacuated by a vacuum pump (step 501). Next, the electric power supplied to the heaters 301 and 401 is adjusted, and the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the medium passages 302 and 402 is adjusted, so that each component constituting the inner chamber is brought to an optimum temperature for plasma processing. Adjust (step 502). Next, after introducing a processing gas for performing plasma processing (step 503), plasma is generated (step 504). Next, the pressure inside the plasma processing apparatus is adjusted (step 505), and plasma processing is performed (step 506). Next, the plasma processing is stopped and the sample is taken out from the processing chamber (step 507). The above processing is repeated for each sample, and when the processing of all the samples is completed, the plasma processing is ended.

  In this way, in the processing chamber in which the plasma processing is repeated, reaction products or the like adhere to the side walls, and the plasma processing performance changes with time. Therefore, a cleaning operation (maintenance operation) using plasma is performed.

  In the maintenance work, first, the power supplied to the heaters 301 and 401 is adjusted, the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the medium passages 302 and 402 is adjusted, and each component constituting the inner chamber is subjected to plasma cleaning. The temperature is adjusted to an optimum temperature (step 502). For example, the surface of the discharge chamber wall member 213 is adjusted to 100 ° C., and the surface of the inner chamber 216 is adjusted to 100 ° C. As a result, the inner chamber is brought to an intermediate temperature zone.

  After performing the plasma cleaning operation (step 510), heating by the heater is stopped (step 511), and the inside of the plasma processing chamber is opened to the atmosphere. After the processing chamber is sufficiently cooled, the lid member at the top of the processing chamber is removed. At this time, parts that can be taken out of the outer chamber are taken out, washed, and dried (step 515). Parts that cannot be taken out of the outer chamber are hand-washed with pure water or ethanol (step 514).

  Next, after the parts taken out, cleaned and dried are returned to their original positions and reassembled, the heater is heated (step 517), and the inside of the plasma processing chamber is evacuated (step 518). After evacuation, it is confirmed by a leak test that there is no vacuum leak (step 519), and the maintenance work is finished.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the inner chambers 215 and 216 serving as processing containers are disposed inside the outer chambers 217 and 218 to form a dual-structure processing chamber. At this time, a vacuum space 305 surrounding the outer periphery of the inner chamber 215 is disposed between the outer chamber 217 and the inner chamber 215. In addition, a heater 301 for heating the discharge chamber wall members 212 and 213 is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical discharge chamber wall members 212 and 213 connecting the inner chamber 215 and the lid member 206.

  Accordingly, the heater 301 can adjust the temperature of the inner chamber with high heat transfer efficiency without adversely affecting the vacuum environment inside the inner chamber or the outer chamber. In addition, the temperature adjustment range of the inner chamber can be expanded with a minimum heater capacity.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the heater 301 that heats the discharge chamber wall members 212 and 213, a heater 216 that heats the inner chamber is provided on the outer periphery of the inner chamber 216. In this case, the temperature of the heater 301 can be adjusted by the controller 228, and the temperature of the heater 401 can be adjusted by the controller 228. That is, the heaters 301 and 401 can be adjusted to different temperatures. For this reason, it is possible to adjust each component forming the inner chamber to an optimum temperature in accordance with the material, the distance from the sample table 201, the plasma processing conditions, and the like.

  The discharge chamber wall member cools the discharge chamber outer wall member by contacting the discharge chamber side wall member 213 facing the discharge chamber portion, the discharge chamber outer wall member 212 in contact with the inner wall member, and the discharge chamber outer wall member. A discharge chamber base plate 214 is provided. The discharge chamber base plate 214 and the outer chamber 218 are provided with heat medium passages 302 and 402 for supplying a refrigerant, for example. For this reason, it is possible to set the temperature of the outer chamber to be lower than the temperature of the inner chamber, and it is possible to reduce the risk of burns to the operator.

  Further, the temperature of the inner chamber 216 having a large distance from the discharge chamber 210 or the sample stage 201 can be adjusted to a temperature range in which the influence on the wafer processing is suppressed. For example, by setting the temperature of the inner chamber 216 to be equal to that of the discharge chamber side wall member 213 or higher than that of the sample on the sample table 201, the reaction generated by the processing in the discharge chamber 210 on the surface of the inner chamber 216 is generated. The adhesion of things can be suppressed.

  The inner chamber 216 is disposed in the vicinity of the exhaust gate below the sample stage, and it is difficult for plasma to reach. For this reason, the yield of sample processing and the processing efficiency can be improved by reducing the deposits by setting the temperature as described above. On the other hand, the inner chamber 215 is easily brought into contact with plasma and is disposed close to the sample stage 201. For this reason, from the viewpoint of suppressing the peeling of the deposits, the temperature is adjusted to a temperature lower than that of the inner chamber 216, the discharge chamber side wall member 213, and the sample table 201 during the sample processing or cleaning.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the whole vacuum processing apparatus. It is a side view which shows the structure of the whole vacuum processing apparatus. It is a figure explaining the detail of the plasma processing apparatus 103. FIG. It is a figure explaining the heating structure of a plasma processing apparatus (vacuum processing chamber wall arrange | positioned above a sample stand). It is a figure explaining the heating structure of a plasma processing apparatus (vacuum processing chamber wall arrange | positioned below a sample stand). It is a figure explaining the procedure of a plasma processing and a maintenance operation | work.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Atmosphere block 102 Processing block 103,104 Plasma processing apparatus 105 Transfer chamber 106 Lock chamber 107 Atmosphere transfer chamber housing 108 Cassette 200 Vacuum processing chamber 201 Processing stand 202 Shower plate 203 Quartz plate 204 Antenna 205 Dielectric 206 Lid member 207 Solenoid coil 208 High-frequency power supply 209 Buffer chamber 210 Discharge chamber 211 Ring 212 Discharge chamber outer wall member 213 Discharge chamber side wall member 214 Discharge chamber base plate 215 Inner chamber (upper inner chamber)
216 Inner chamber (lower inner chamber)
217 outer chamber (upper outer chamber)
218 Outer chamber (lower outer chamber)
219 Base plate 220 Processing stand holding plate 221 Process gate valve (valve element)
222 Process Gate Valve Drive Unit 223 Atmosphere Gate Valve Drive Unit 224 Atmosphere Gate Valve (Valve)
225 Exhaust gate plate 226 Exhaust pump 227 Conductance variable valve 228 Controller 230 Atmospheric release valve 301, 401 Heater 302, 402 Heat exchange medium flow path 303, 403 Temperature measurement sensor 305 Outside chamber internal vacuum chamber 404 (atmospheric pressure) space 405 Opening 406 connector

Claims (4)

A vacuum processing container, and a sample stage disposed in the processing chamber inside the vacuum processing container, supplying high-frequency power to the processing gas introduced into the processing chamber to generate plasma in the processing chamber above the sample stage, In the plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on the sample placed on the sample table by the plasma,
An inner chamber which is disposed in the vacuum processing vessel and surrounds the periphery of the processing chamber to seal the inside thereof and is removable upward from the inside of the vacuum processing vessel;
An upper chamber disposed in the vacuum processing container via a vacuum gap between the vacuum processing container and the upper chamber housed in the vacuum processing container and placed on the upper chamber. Surrounding the periphery of the processing chamber below the sample stage and surrounding the outer periphery of the side wall between the outer peripheral side wall surface and the vacuum processing vessel, and sandwiching a space that is partitioned from the vacuum gap and brought to atmospheric pressure. An inner chamber having a lower chamber disposed therein ;
The plasma processing apparatus characterized by comprising said been disposed has been space to atmospheric pressure attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lower chamber heater. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the vacuum processing container includes a medium passage through which a heat medium flows and is thermally connected to the inner chamber. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The vacuum processing container includes a lid member that covers an upper opening of the vacuum processing container, a cylinder that surrounds the discharge chamber in which the inner chamber and the lid member are combined to form an upper part of the processing chamber and plasma is formed therein. A discharge chamber wall member,
The discharge chamber wall member includes a discharge chamber side wall member facing the discharge chamber, and a discharge chamber outer wall member in thermal conductive contact with the discharge chamber side wall member and the upper chamber of the inner chamber, and the outer periphery of the discharge chamber outer wall member A heating means for heating the discharge chamber side wall member and the inner chamber provided via an elastic body in contact with the outer peripheral wall surface,
The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the heating temperature by the heater disposed around the outer periphery of the lower chamber and the heating means disposed on the discharge chamber wall member can be set to different temperatures. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The inner chamber includes an upper chamber disposed in the vacuum processing container through the vacuum gap, and a lower chamber disposed in the vacuum processing container with the space at atmospheric pressure interposed therebetween, The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the upper chamber and the lower chamber are removable from the vacuum processing container.

Images