Tokyo Electron Limited

Masato Horiguchi

Akira Koshiishi

Hiroshi Tsujimoto

Koji Maruyama

Shin Matsuura

Daiki Satoh

Hideyuki Kobayashi

Takashi Suzuki

Makoto Kobayashi

Tetsuji Sato

Takashi Kitazawa

Takashi Yamamoto

Akihiro Yoshimura

Jun Tamura

Nobuhiro Wada

Toshio Haga

Makoto Kato

Mamoru Naoi

Tetsuri Matsuki

Chikako Takahashi

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container; a placement table; a plurality of pins provided on the placement table configured to perform delivery of the substrate; a plurality of drivers configured to vertically drive the plurality of pins, respectively; a plurality of measuring devices each including an encoder configured to measure height positions of the plurality of pins, respectively. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a controller configured to: measure the height positions of the plurality of pins; select a reference pin; estimate a reference height position; calculate an adjustment speed for making the height positions of the pins other than the reference pin match with the estimated reference height position; and control the drivers, which drive the other pins, to adjust driving speeds of the other pins to an adjustment speed.

Pin control method and substrate processing apparatus

A pin control method includes: measuring respective height positions of a plurality of pins, which is vertically driven respectively by a plurality of driving units while supporting a substrate; selecting a reference pin, which serves as a reference for speed control, from the plurality of pins using the measured height positions of the plurality of pins; estimating, with respect to the selected reference pin, a reference height position, which is a height position after a predetermined time has passed since the height positions of the plurality of pins were measured; calculating an adjustment speed for making the height positions of the pins other than the reference pin match with the estimated reference height position; controlling the driving units, which drive the other pins, to adjust driving speeds of the other pins to the adjustment speed.

Pin control method

In a method of an embodiment, radicals, which are generated from a processing gas, is adsorbed to a layer to be etched without applying a high-frequency bias to a lower electrode, in an adsorption step. In the subsequent etching step, ions, which are generated from the processing gas, are drawn into the layer to be etched by applying a high-frequency bias to the lower electrode. The adsorption step and the etching step are alternately repeated. In the adsorption step, a density of radicals is 200 or greater times a density of ions. In the etching step, RF energy having a power density of 0.07 W/cmor less is supplied to the lower electrode or a high-frequency bias having a power density of 0.14 W/cmor less is supplied to the lower electrode for a period of 0.5 seconds or less.

Method for etching layer to be etched

A plasma processing apparatus includes a dielectric member having communication holes through which an internal space communicates with a processing space; a first electrode and a second electrode; a first gas supply device which supplies a first processing gas; a first high frequency power supply which supplies a first high frequency power to at least one of the electrodes to generate a first plasma of the first processing gas; a depressurizing device which introduces the first processing gas and radicals in the first plasma; a second high frequency power supply which supplies a second high frequency power to generate a second plasma of the first processing gas and to attract ions; and a control unit which adjusts, by controlling a total amount of the first high frequency powers, the radical amount in the second plasma and adjusts, by controlling a ratio therebetween, the ion amount therein.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

An electrode assembly of a plasma processing apparatus that enables damage to an electrode plate to be prevented, and enables an increase in the number of parts to be prevented, so that the ability to carry out maintenance can be easily maintained. An upper electrode assembly has an upper electrode plate, a cooling plate (C/P) and a spacer interposed between the upper electrode plate and the C/P. The upper electrode plate has therein electrode plate gas-passing holes that penetrate through the upper electrode plate. The C/P has therein C/P gas-passing holes that penetrate through the C/P. The spacer has therein spacer gas-passing holes that penetrate through the spacer. The electrode plate gas-passing holes, the C/P gas-passing holes and the spacer gas-passing holes are not disposed collinearly.

Electrode assembly and plasma processing apparatus

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of suppressing generation of plasma in the space between a moving electrode and an end wall at one side of a cylindrical chamber. The substrate processing apparatus includes a cylindrical chamber to receive a wafer, a shower head movable along a central axis of the chamber inside the chamber, a susceptor opposing the shower head in the chamber, and a flexible bellows connecting the shower head to a cover of the chamber, wherein a high frequency power is applied to a processing space presented between the shower head and the susceptor, processing gas is introduced into the processing space, the shower head and the side wall of the chamber are non-contact to each other, and a bypass member is installed electrically connecting the shower head and the cover or the side wall of the chamber.

Substrate processing apparatus

There is provided a plasma processing apparatus capable of easily exhausting a processing gas introduced in a space above a vertically movable upper electrode. The plasma processing apparatus includes a vertically movable upper electrodeinstalled at a ceiling wallof a processing chamberso as to face a lower electrodeand having a multiple number of discharge holesfor introducing the processing gas; a shield sidewallconfigured to surround the electrodes and a processing space between the electrodes; an inner gas exhaust pathformed at the inside of the shield sidewall and configured to exhaust the atmosphere in the processing space; and an outer gas exhaust pathinstalled at the outside of the shield sidewall and configured to exhaust the processing gas introduced into a space between the upper electrode and the ceiling wall.

Plasma processing apparatus

In a plasma etching apparatus for performing a plasma etching on a surface of a substrate mounted on a susceptor in a processing vessel, a focus ring is installed to surround the substrate and has a first region at an inner side on a surface thereof, in which an average surface roughness is small such that a reaction product produced during an etching processing is not captured to be deposited, and a second region at an outer side from the first region, in which an average surface roughness is large such that a reaction product produced during the etching process is captured to be deposited. A boundary between the first and the second region is a part where an etching amount is relatively significantly changed compared to other parts while the focus ring is equipped in the plasma etching apparatus and the plasma etching is performed on the substrate.

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Miyagi, Japan

Masato Horiguchi