Substrate etching apparatus and substrate analysis method

1. An etching apparatus comprising a substantially cylindrical chamber having an upper portion, a bottom portion, and outer circumferential sides, in which a stationary substrate is arranged on the bottom portion, the etching apparatus comprising:

gas supply means for supplying etching gas to a substrate surface;

gas exhaust means for exhausting etched gas above substantially a center of the substrate; and

gas-flow adjusting means arranged on a substantially concentric circle above the substrate and allowing the etching gas to flow from a periphery of the substrate to substantially the center of the substrate,

wherein the gas-flow adjusting means is installed in a vertically movable manner, and substantially a center of the gas-flow adjusting means is connected with the gas exhaust means; and

wherein no inlets are present in the sides of the chamber.

2. The etching apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the gas-flow adjusting means has a disk shape or a substantially conical shape having an apex on a substrate side.

3. The etching apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the gas-flow adjusting means has a disk shape and is processed such that a thickness near an outer circumference decreases as the means gets closer to an outer circumferential end side.

4. The etching apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the upper portion of the chamber is closed by a lid, an exhaust pipe serving as the gas exhaust means is inserted into a through hole formed at a center of the lid, a leading end of the exhaust pipe is arranged above substantially the center of the substrate, a gas introduction section is positioned between an inner circumference of the through hole of the lid and an outer circumference of the exhaust pipe, and introduces the etching gas into the chamber, and the etching gas is introduced through the gas.

5. The etching apparatus according to claim 4 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

6. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 4 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

7. The etching apparatus according to claim 3 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

8. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 3 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

9. The etching apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the upper portion of the chamber is closed by a lid, an exhaust pipe serving as the gas exhaust means is inserted into a through hole formed at a center of the lid, a leading end of the exhaust pipe is arranged above substantially the center of the substrate, a gas introduction section is positioned between an inner circumference of the through hole of the lid and an outer circumference of the exhaust pipe, and introduces the etching gas into the chamber, and the etching gas is introduced through the gas.

10. The etching apparatus according to claim 9 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

11. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 9 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

12. The etching apparatus according to claim 2 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

13. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 2 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

14. The etching apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the upper portion of the chamber is closed by a lid, an exhaust pipe serving as the gas exhaust means is inserted into a through hole formed at a center of the lid, a leading end of the exhaust pipe is arranged above substantially the center of the substrate, a gas introduction section is positioned between an inner circumference of the through hole of the lid and an outer circumference of the exhaust pipe, and introduces the etching gas into the chamber, and the etching gas is introduced through the gas introduction section, flows from the outer circumference of the gas-flow adjusting means to the substrate surface, and can be exhausted from the leading end of the exhaust pipe.

15. The etching apparatus according to claim 14 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

16. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 14 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

17. The etching apparatus according to claim 1 comprising, a buffer chamber that renders the etching gas to be supplied to the substrate surface uniform.

18. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 17 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

19. A method of analyzing a stationary substrate by using the etching apparatus, the etching apparatus defined in claim 1 comprising: etching polysilicon on the substrate or bulk silicon of the substrate with ozone-containing etching gas.

20. The substrate analysis method according to claim 19 , wherein a ratio (H/D) of a distance (H) between a substrate surface and a lowest end of a gas-flow adjusting means to a diameter (D) of the substrate is 1/60 to 1/10.