Method for suppressing charging of component in vacuum processing chamber of plasma processing system and plasma processing system
First Claim
1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method using a plasma processor, wherein said plasma processor includes:
- a vacuum processing chamber in which plasma is generated to plasma-process an object to be processed;
a block having a flow path of a heat medium in an inner part thereof; and
a component in the vacuum processing chamber disposed to be in contact with the block and made at least partly of an insulative material, andwherein said plasma processor controls a temperature of the component in the vacuum processing chamber by circulating an insulating fluid as the heat medium in the flow path, andsaid method comprising;
carrying the object to be processed into the vacuum processing chamber, generating plasma to plasma-process the object to be processed, and carrying the object to be processed that has undergone the processing out of the vacuum processing chamber;
between said processing of the object to be processed and processing of a subsequent object to be processed, circulating the insulating fluid in the flow path while the object to be processed is not in the vacuum processing chamber and no plasma is generated, and controlling pressure in the vacuum processing chamber to a predetermined pressure while supplying inert gas as a purging gas into the vacuum processing chamber; and
determining and applying a pressure of said inert gas on a Paschen'"'"'s curve so that electrical charging of the component in the vacuum processing chamber is suppressed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
When the state of the vacuum processing chamber is switched to an idle state in which an insulating fluid is circulated while a semiconductor wafer W is not placed in the vacuum processing chamber and no plasma is generated in the vacuum processing chamber, nitrogen gas purging (N2 purging) of the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is started, and the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber is controlled to a predetermined level, for example, about 27 Pa (200 mTorr). This makes it possible to prevent a component in the vacuum processing chamber of a plasma processor from being charged to high voltage, so that an insulative material can be protected against breakdown caused by electric discharge or the like.
9 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method using a plasma processor, wherein said plasma processor includes:
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a vacuum processing chamber in which plasma is generated to plasma-process an object to be processed; a block having a flow path of a heat medium in an inner part thereof; and a component in the vacuum processing chamber disposed to be in contact with the block and made at least partly of an insulative material, and wherein said plasma processor controls a temperature of the component in the vacuum processing chamber by circulating an insulating fluid as the heat medium in the flow path, and said method comprising; carrying the object to be processed into the vacuum processing chamber, generating plasma to plasma-process the object to be processed, and carrying the object to be processed that has undergone the processing out of the vacuum processing chamber; between said processing of the object to be processed and processing of a subsequent object to be processed, circulating the insulating fluid in the flow path while the object to be processed is not in the vacuum processing chamber and no plasma is generated, and controlling pressure in the vacuum processing chamber to a predetermined pressure while supplying inert gas as a purging gas into the vacuum processing chamber; and determining and applying a pressure of said inert gas on a Paschen'"'"'s curve so that electrical charging of the component in the vacuum processing chamber is suppressed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification