Decompression processing apparatus

• US 10,175,588 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Inventors: Iida, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Asfaw, Mesfin
• Application Number:
  US15/802,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a decompression processing apparatus for processing a wafer in a decompressed state including a chamber having a decompressing unit configured to decompress the inside of the chamber, an opening and closing door configured to open and close a carrying-in-and-out opening for carrying the wafer into and out of the chamber, and an inert gas supply source configured to supply an inert gas to the inside of the chamber. The inside of the chamber is maintained in a dry state by continuing to supply the inert gas in a state in which the opening and closing door is opened.

Claims

1. A decompression processing apparatus for processing a wafer in a decompressed state, the decompression processing apparatus comprising:

a holding table configured to hold the wafer;

a decompression chamber in which the holding table is disposed, the decompression chamber having an exhaust port;

an opening and closing door configured to open and close a carrying-in-and-out opening through which the wafer is carried into and carried out of the decompression chamber;

a reactant gas supply source for supplying reactant gas to the decompression chamber and a first supply valve;

an inert gas source for supplying an inert gas to the decompression chamber and a second supply valve;

decompressing means connected to the exhaust port for exhausting the inert gas from the decompression chamber; and

a processor programmed to maintain a positive pressure in the decompression chamber with respect to an outside air by supplying the inert gas to an inside of the decompression chamber by opening the second supply valve and closing the exhaust port, the opening and closing door being opened, and the inside of the decompression chamber being maintained in a dry state by continuing to supply the inert gas to the inside of the decompression chamber by the inert gas source until the opening and closing door is closed, the exhaust port being then opened to exhaust the inert gas.