Tokyo Electron Limited

Masaki Kondo

Hiroaki Saeki

Takehiro Shindou

Teruo Asakawa

Teruyuki Hayashi

Toshiaki Hongoh

Misako Saito

Tomohiro Abe

Noboru Masuoka

Disclosed is an etching processing method using a bevel etching apparatus for etching a substrate by irradiating a laser beam, the bevel etching apparatus including a laser generator and an image capturing unit. The method includes a process, by the image capturing unit, of capturing an image of an inner part of a processing container by illuminating the inner part of the processing container by scattered light of the laser beam emitted from the laser generator; a process of calculating brightness of an image of a predetermined area out of the captured image of the inner part of the processing container; and a process of monitoring, based on data indicating a correlation between an output value of the laser beam output from the laser generator and the brightness, the output value of the laser beam with respect to the calculated brightness.

Method of monitoring output intensity of laser beam in bevel etching apparatus

An etching method using a bevel etching apparatus is provided. The bevel etching apparatus is configured to etch a substrate by emitting a laser beam and includes a laser generator and a power meter configured to measure the laser beam output from the laser generator. In the method, the power meter is irradiated with the laser beam for a predetermined period of time before etching the substrate by irradiating the substrate with the laser beam. An output value of the laser beam is measured by the power meter. It is determined whether the measured output value of the laser beam is in a range of predetermined thresholds with respect to an output setting value of the laser beam output from the laser generator.

Etching method and bevel etching apparatus

A substrate processing apparatus is provided that includes an ozonizer for generating ozone gas and an ozone sensor for detecting an ozone gas concentration. The substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate by using the ozone gas supplied from the ozonizer. The substrate processing apparatus includes a monitor unit for monitoring the ozone gas concentration detected by the ozone sensor and a control unit for detecting an abnormality of the ozone gas concentration based on the monitored ozone gas concentration and the monitored discharge power.

Substrate processing apparatus and method for detecting an abnormality of an ozone gas concentration

A polymer removing apparatus for use in removing polymer annularly adhered to a peripheral portion of a target substrate includes a processing chamber for accommodating the target substrate having the polymer annularly adhered to the peripheral portion thereof; a mounting table for mounting the target substrate thereon; and a laser irradiation unit for irradiating ring-shaped laser light at once to the whole polymer annularly adhered to the target substrate. The polymer removing apparatus further includes an ozone gas supply unit for supplying an ozone gas to the polymer annularly adhered to the target substrate and a gas exhaust unit for exhausting the ozone gas.

Polymer removing apparatus and method

A foreign substance removing apparatus includes a mounting table for mounting and rotating a substrate; and a laser beam irradiation unit for removing foreign substances attached to a surface of the substrate by irradiating foreign substance cleaning laser beam onto the substrate mounted and rotated on the mounting table. In the foreign substance removing apparatus, the laser beam irradiation unit irradiates laser beam having an elongate shaped irradiation cross section onto the surface of the substrate.

Foreign substance removing apparatus, foreign substance removing method, and storage medium

A gas exhaust unit evacuates the inside of a vacuum transfer chamber at a constant exhaust rate. An gas exhaust valve is kept normally open, and a purge gas (Ngas) is supplied from a purge gas supply source into the vacuum transfer chamber via a mass flow controller (MFC) and an opening/closing valve. A main control unit controls a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber to be within a specified range through a flow rate set value for the MFC while monitoring a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber via a vacuum gauge. The main control unit determines occurrence of abnormality when the pressure exceeds a specified upper limit and then takes such actions as changing a flow rate set value for the MFC, giving an alarm and stopping the operation of a vacuum processing apparatus.

Vacuum processing apparatus and method

Arm transferring substrate to be processed

A semiconductor processing system includes a transfer apparatus for transferring a wafer. The transfer apparatus has a pick arm member with wings. The reference distances between the wafer located at the normal position and the wings are stored in a memory of a CPU. Detection ranges of line sensors are set in a standby position in front of a process chamber in order to detect the distances between the wafer and the wings. In the CPU, the amount of positional shift of the wafer is detected based on the reference distances and the detected distances.

Transfer apparatus for semiconductor process

According to the present invention, there are provided a self-bias measurement method of measuring the self-bias voltage of an object when the object is subjected to a plasma process by using a plasma generated between a pair of electrodes, the object being held, by means of electrostatic chucking means having an electrostatic chucking electrode, on one of the pair of electrodes situated in a processing chamber, the method including the steps of detecting a leak current between the object and the electrostatic chucking electrode while varying the DC voltage applied to the electrostatic chucking electrode, and calculating the self-bias voltage of the object on the basis of the leak current detected, an apparatus for measuring the self-bias, and an electrostatic chucking apparatus having means capable of measuring the self-bias.

Self-bias measuring method, apparatus thereof and electrostatic chucking

The plasma etching apparatus for a semiconductor wafer includes a susceptor provided in the vacuum process chamber. An electrostatic chuck for attracting and holding the wafer is provided on the susceptor. The electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck electrode provided on the susceptor via an insulative layer. The chuck electrode is connected to the positive terminal of the DC power supply via a switch. The chuck electrode is coated with a resistive layer, and the wafer is placed directly on the resistive layer. The resistive layer exhibits an electric resistivity of 1.times.10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm to 1.times.10.sup.12 .OMEGA..multidot.cm in a temperature range for etching. The resistive layer is formed to have such a surface roughness that a center line average hight falls within a range of 0.1 to 1.5 .mu.m. When the potential of the positive terminal of the DC power supply is applied to the chuck electrode, and the wafer is grounded via plasma, a contact potential difference is created between the surface of the resistive layer and the rear surface of the wafer, generating an electrostatic attractive force, so that the wafer is attracted and held by the resistive layer.

Stage having electrostatic chuck and plasma processing apparatus using

The present invention provides an electrostatic chuck device with a strong chucking force for use in an ion injection apparatus, an etching apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, an CVD apparatus, etc., which require electrostatic chucking. The chuck device is capable of easily loading/unloading an object to be chucked and providing sure grounding for a semiconductor wafer. To this purpose, three-phase AC voltages of 1 Hz or less with different phases are applied, and contact pins with pointed tips are provided.

Growing community of inventors

Nirasaki, Japan

Masaki Kondo