DECHUCK CONTROL METHOD AND PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A dechuck control method for dechucking a processing object from an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the processing object and includes a chuck electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
- performing a discharge process after a plasma process by introducing an inert gas into a processing chamber and maintaining a pressure within the processing chamber at a first pressure;
monitoring at least one of a pressure of a heat transmitting gas supplied to a rear face of the processing object that is placed on the electrostatic chuck and a leakage flow rate of the heat transmitting gas leaking from the rear face of the processing object;
obtaining an amount of residual electric charge of a surface of the electrostatic chuck and a polarity of the residual electric charge based on a monitoring result of the monitoring step, obtaining a voltage for supplying to the chuck electrode an electric charge that is of the same amount as the residual electric charge and of the opposite polarity with respect to the polarity of the residual electric charge, and applying the obtained voltage to the chuck electrode;
evacuating the inert gas within the processing chamber while applying the obtained voltage to the chuck electrode and reducing the pressure within the processing chamber to a second pressure; and
turning off the obtained voltage appliedto the electrostatic chuck and dechucking the processing object from the electrostatic chuck using a support pin.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dechuck control method includes performing a discharge process by introducing an inert gas into a processing chamber and maintaining the pressure within the processing chamber at a first pressure; monitoring the pressure of a heat transmitting gas supplied to the processing object rear face and/or the leakage flow rate of the heat transmitting gas; obtaining the amount and polarity of the residual electric charge of the electrostatic chuck surface and applying a voltage for supplying an electric charge that is of the same amount as the residual electric charge but of the opposite polarity to a chuck electrode; evacuating the inert gas from the processing chamber while applying the voltage to the chuck electrode and reducing the pressure within the processing chamber to a second pressure; and turning off the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck and dechucking the processing object from the electrostatic chuck.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A dechuck control method for dechucking a processing object from an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts the processing object and includes a chuck electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
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performing a discharge process after a plasma process by introducing an inert gas into a processing chamber and maintaining a pressure within the processing chamber at a first pressure; monitoring at least one of a pressure of a heat transmitting gas supplied to a rear face of the processing object that is placed on the electrostatic chuck and a leakage flow rate of the heat transmitting gas leaking from the rear face of the processing object; obtaining an amount of residual electric charge of a surface of the electrostatic chuck and a polarity of the residual electric charge based on a monitoring result of the monitoring step, obtaining a voltage for supplying to the chuck electrode an electric charge that is of the same amount as the residual electric charge and of the opposite polarity with respect to the polarity of the residual electric charge, and applying the obtained voltage to the chuck electrode; evacuating the inert gas within the processing chamber while applying the obtained voltage to the chuck electrode and reducing the pressure within the processing chamber to a second pressure; and turning off the obtained voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck and dechucking the processing object from the electrostatic chuck using a support pin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
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an electrostatic chuck that electrostatically attracts a processing object and includes a chuck electrode; a control unit that performs a discharge process after a plasma process by introducing an inert gas into a processing chamber and maintaining a pressure within the processing chamber to a first pressure; and a monitor that detects at least one of a pressure of a heat transmitting gas supplied to a rear face of the processing object that is placed on the electrostatic chuck and a leakage flow rate of the heat transmitting gas leaking from the rear face of the processing object; wherein the control unit performs the steps of applying a voltage obtained based on a monitoring result of the monitor to the chuck electrode, evacuating the inert gas within the processing chamber, and reducing the pressure within the processing chamber to a second pressure; and turning off the voltage applied to the chuck electrode and dechucking the processing object from the electrostatic chuck using a support pin.
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Specification