IP Library Granted Patent US 10,825,664
Granted Patent B2
US 10,825,664 · App. 16/110,081 · Granted Nov 3, 2020

Wafer processing method and wafer processing apparatus

Inventors: Tomoyuki Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Yutaka Kouzuma (Tokyo, JP); Takumi Tandou (Tokyo, JP); Kenetsu Yokogawa (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Ito (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
H01J37/32724H01J37/321H01J37/32449H01L21/67069H01L21/67109H01L21/67115H01L21/67248H01L21/6831H01L21/6833H01L21/68735H01L21/68742H01J37/32963H01J2237/002H01J2237/3341H01L22/26
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,825,664
App. No.
16/110,081
Granted
Nov 3, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber; a sample stage placed inside the processing chamber; a processing gas supply unit which supplies processing gas into the processing chamber; a high-frequency power supply which supplies an electric field inside the processing chamber; an electrostatic chuck unit disposed on the sample stage in which openings to flow heat transfer gas are formed; a refrigerant supply unit which supplies a refrigerant inside the sample stage; and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls a heat transfer gas supply unit to control the temperature of a wafer depending on a plurality of processes for processing the wafer by switching a flow rate of the heat transfer gas or the type of the heat transfer gas flowing out of the openings between a concave portion formed in the electrostatic chuck unit and the wafer attracted to the electrostatic chuck unit.

Claims (14)

1. A method of processing a wafer in which a process target wafer is placed on a sample stage disposed in a processing chamber inside a vacuum chamber, the method comprising:

supplying an electric field from a high-frequency power supply into the vacuum chamber to form plasma using processing gas introduced into the vacuum chamber from a processing gas supply unit;

while causing a refrigerant supplied from a refrigerant supply device to a refrigerant flow passage disposed inside the sample stage to circulate, holding the wafer on an electrostatic chuck disposed on an upper portion of the sample stage and including a central portion formed in a concave shape with respect to a peripheral portion thereof to attract the wafer by an electrostatic force;

while supplying a plurality of heat transfer gases having thermal conductivity from the heat transfer gas supply unit between the wafer and the central portion formed in the concave shape of the electrostatic chuck unit from a plurality of openings arranged on a top surface of the electrostatic chuck unit, processing the wafer according to a plurality of processes comprising a reaction step and a desorption step; and

in the plurality of processes, controlling the heat transfer gas supply unit to adjust the amount or pressure of at least one of the plurality of heat transfer gases introduced from the opening in a state in which the wafer is held above the electrostatic chuck unit in a non-contact manner to adjust the height of or a pressure in a gap between the wafer and the top surface of the electrostatic chuck unit to a predetermined value of in the plurality of processes, thereby processing the wafer, while controlling the temperature of the wafer depending on the plurality of processes for processing the wafer,

wherein each of said plurality of heat transfer gases has a respectively different heat transfer rate.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of processes for processing the wafer while controlling the temperature of the wafer by the control unit include a step of forming the electric field by the high-frequency power supply to form a reaction layer on the surface of the wafer using the plasma generated inside the processing chamber, and a step of heating the wafer by a heating unit to desorb the reaction layer.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein

in the step of heating the wafer by the heating unit to desorb the reaction layer, the wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck unit is heated from above the wafer by a first heating lamp unit of the heating unit, and heating the wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck unit by a second heating lamp unit of the heating unit in the vicinity of the outer circumferential portion of the wafer.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat transfer gas supply unit is controlled by the control unit to control the temperature of the wafer, by switching the flow rate of the plurality of heat transfer gases flowing out of the plurality of openings between the central portion formed in the concave shape of the electrostatic chuck unit and the wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck unit to cause the wafer to float from the electrostatic chuck unit, and by changing a floating amount of the wafer from the electrostatic chuck unit, depending on the plurality of processes for processing the wafer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat transfer gas supply unit is controlled by the control unit to control the temperature of the wafer, by switching a type of at least one of said plurality of heat transfer gases flowing out of the plurality of openings between the central portion formed in the concave shape of the electrostatic chuck unit and the wafer placed on the electrostatic chuck unit depending on the plurality of processes for processing the wafer.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2020
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052225/0894 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2018
From: WATANABE, TOMOYUKI; KOUZUMA, YUTAKA; TANDOU, TAKUMI; YOKOGAWA, KENETSU; ITO, HIROSHI
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047053/0219 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-251101 · Dec 27, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190198299A1 · Jun 27, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,272,585