SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, POSITIONING METHOD AND FOCUS RING INSTALLATION METHOD
First Claim
1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber and surrounded by a focus ring, the apparatus comprising:
- a mounting table including a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which the focus ring is mounted; and
a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating,wherein each positioning pin is inserted into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor and into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring, andeach positioning pin is expanded in the diametric direction by heating and fitted into the positioning holes, thus allowing a position of the focus ring to be aligned.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Positioning accuracy of a component in a substrate processing apparatus can be improved higher than a conventional case without increasing the insertion accuracy of positioning pins into positioning holes. Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a mounting table 110 including a susceptor 114 having a substrate mounting surface 115 on which a wafer W is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface 116 on which a focus ring 124 is mounted; a plurality of positioning pins 200 made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating. Each positioning pin is inserted into a positioning hole (first reference hole) formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor and into a positioning hole (second reference hole) formed in the focus ring, and expanded in the diametric direction by heating and fitted into the positioning holes, thus allowing a position of the focus ring to be aligned.
61 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber and surrounded by a focus ring, the apparatus comprising:
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a mounting table including a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which the focus ring is mounted; and a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, wherein each positioning pin is inserted into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor and into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring, and each positioning pin is expanded in the diametric direction by heating and fitted into the positioning holes, thus allowing a position of the focus ring to be aligned. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber, the apparatus comprising:
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a mounting table including a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted; an upper electrode facing the susceptor and having an electrode plate to which a high frequency power for generating plasma is applied and an electrode support supporting the electrode plate; and a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, wherein each positioning pin is inserted into a positioning hole formed in the electrode support and into a positioning hole formed in the electrode plate, and each positioning pin is expanded in the diametric direction by heating and fitted into the positioning holes, thus allowing a position of the electrode plate to be aligned. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method for positioning a focus ring in a substrate processing apparatus that performs a plasma process on a substrate mounted on a mounting table in a processing chamber and surrounded by the focus ring,
wherein the mounting table includes: -
a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which the focus ring is mounted, and a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, each positioning pin being inserted into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor and into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring, and the method comprises; heating each positioning pin and allowing the positioning pin to be expanded so as to fill a gap within the positioning holes in a diametric direction and to be fitted into the positioning holes; and allowing centers of the positioning holes to be aligned on a substantially same line, and thus allowing the focus ring to be positioned at a preset position with respect to the susceptor. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method for positioning an electrode plate of a plasma processing apparatus that performs a process on a substrate mounted on a mounting table by plasma generated by applying a high frequency power to an electrode plate provided on an upper electrode facing the mounting table,
wherein the upper electrode includes: -
an electrode support that supports the electrode plate, and a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, each positioning pin being inserted into a positioning hole formed in the electrode support and into a positioning hole formed in the electrode plate, and the method comprises; heating each positioning pin and allowing the positioning pin to be expanded so as to fill a gap within the positioning holes in a diametric direction and to be fitted into the positioning holes; and allowing centers of the positioning holes to be aligned on a substantially same line, and thus allowing the electrode plate to be positioned at a preset position with respect to the electrode support. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
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determining whether or not the positioning pins are required to be heated by the electrode support temperature controller based on a processing condition of the plasma process; performing the plasma process after positioning the electrode plate by heating the positioning pins by the electrode support temperature controller if it is determined that heating by the electrode support temperature controller is required; and performing the plasma process if it is determined that the heating by the electrode support temperature controller is not required and positioning the electrode plate by heating the positioning pins by heat applied from the plasma.
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11. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber and surrounded by a focus ring, the apparatus comprising:
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a mounting table including a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which the focus ring is mounted; a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, each positioning pin being provided in the focus ring so as to be protruded from a bottom surface of the focus ring, inserted into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor, expanded in the diametric direction by heating, and fitted into the positioning hole, thus allowing a position of the focus ring to be aligned; first lifter pins provided in the mounting table so as to be protruded above or be retracted below the substrate mounting surface and configured to lift up the substrate and separate the substrate from the substrate mounting surface; second lifter pins provided in the mounting table so as to be protruded above or be retracted from the focus ring mounting surface and configured to lift up the focus ring together with the positioning pins and separate the focus ring from the focus ring mounting surface; and a transfer arm provided outside the processing chamber and configured to exchange the substrate with the first lifter pins via a loading/unloading port provided at the processing chamber, and configured to exchange the focus ring equipped with the positioning pins with the second lifter pins. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of installing a focus ring so as to surround a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus that performs a plasma process on the substrate,
wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes: -
a mounting table including a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which the focus ring is mounted; a susceptor temperature controller that controls a temperature of the susceptor; a plurality of positioning pins made of a material expandable in a diametric direction by heating, each positioning pin being inserted into the focus ring so as to be protruded from a bottom surface thereof and inserted into a positioning hole formed in the focus ring mounting surface of the susceptor; first lifter pins provided in the mounting table so as to be protruded above or retracted below the substrate mounting surface and configured to lift up the substrate and separate the substrate from the substrate mounting surface; second lifter pins provided in the mounting table so as to be protruded above or retracted from the focus ring mounting surface and configured to lift up the focus ring together with the positioning pins and separate the focus ring from the focus ring mounting surface; and a transfer arm provided outside the processing chamber, and configured to exchange the substrate with the first lifter pins via a loading/unloading port provided at the processing chamber, and configured to exchange the focus ring equipped with the positioning pins with the second lifter pins, and the method comprises; lifting up the focus ring equipped with the positioning pins by the second lifer pins to replace the focus ring; receiving the focus ring by the transfer arm and unloading the focus ring to an outside of the processing chamber through the loading/unloading port; transferring a new focus ring equipped with positioning pins before heating to the second lifter pins by the transfer arm; lowering the second lifter pins, and allowing the focus ring to be mounted on the focus ring mounting surface while the positioning pins are inserted into the positioning holes; and heating each of the positioning pins by heating the susceptor by the susceptor temperature controller, and allowing each of the positioning pins to be expanded in a diametric direction and aligning a position of the focus ring.
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Specification