JP2020035753A - Plasma processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vacuum processing device in which processing efficiency is improved by improving maintenance work efficiency.SOLUTION: A plasma processing device comprises a vacuum container having a processing chamber in which a wafer is processed using plasma, and is configured so as to be removable when at least one member composing the vacuum container is moved horizontally with respect to a base plate. The plasma processing device has a lifter that is arranged at a side of the vacuum container with the vacuum container of the base plate between them, and connected to and mounted on an end part opposite a vacuum conveyance chamber in which the wafer is conveyed and that vertically moves the removable member having a vertical shaft. The plasma processing device comprises: a connection part by which the lifter is connected to the vertical shaft and to the removable member and moves along the vertical shaft; and a pivotal shaft which is a joint part arranged on this connection part and having a vertical rotation shaft, around which the removable member pivots horizontally.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus for processing a substrate-like sample such as a semiconductor wafer carried and placed in a decompressed processing chamber inside a vacuum vessel using plasma formed in the processing chamber, The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus including a plurality of members that are detachably arranged at a position and constitute a vacuum container.

  As a semiconductor wafer manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device from a substrate-like sample such as a semiconductor wafer, a plurality of masks including a mask pre-formed on the upper surface of a sample by arranging the sample in a decompressed processing chamber inside a vacuum vessel. It is generally known to subject a film layer to be processed having a film structure having a film layer to processing such as etching using plasma formed in the processing chamber. In such a plasma processing apparatus, for example, a plasma is generated by introducing a processing gas into a decompressed processing chamber inside a vacuum vessel and supplying an electric or magnetic field into the processing chamber to excite the processing gas. The film layer to be processed on the semiconductor wafer held by being electrostatically attracted and held on the sample table is used for the chemical reaction between particles having activity such as radicals contained in plasma and the material of the film layer to be processed. Processing is performed by an interaction including a physical reaction such as sputtering of charged particles such as ions.

  Particles of a reaction product formed in the processing chamber during processing of a sample such as a wafer float in the processing chamber and adhere to the inner wall surface. As the number of samples processed and the total time during which the processing is performed increase, the attached particles accumulate on the surface of the processing chamber to form a film. As a result, due to the interaction between the deposits of such deposits and the plasma formed in the processing chamber, the fragments and particles float again in the processing chamber, adhere to the surface of the sample, and adhere to the sample and the surface. A problem arises in that the formed film structure for the circuit of the semiconductor device is contaminated, the performance of the semiconductor device obtained as a result of the processing is impaired, defects are generated, and the yield is reduced. In addition, the amount of interaction between the plasma and the deposits on the surface of the processing chamber also affects the potential, density, and intensity of the plasma above the upper surface of the sample and its distribution. Due to the increase in the cumulative total, the increase in deposits affects the processing results of the samples, and the processing results fluctuate from the time when processing of multiple samples is started, and the expected shape of the processed shape that is the processing result The problem arises that the deviation from the object increases with the passage of time.

  In order to solve this, when it is determined that the total number of samples processed and the total time of processing have reached a predetermined value, the operation of the plasma processing apparatus is temporarily stopped and the processing chamber is stopped. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the surface of a processing chamber is recovered to the extent that an intended processing result can be obtained by performing cleaning for removing substances attached to the surface. As such cleaning, the processing chamber inside the vacuum chamber is set to the atmospheric (atmospheric) pressure and opened to the atmosphere, and the surfaces of the members inside the processing chamber are wiped with a cloth or the like using a chemical solution (wet cleaning). Has been done.

  In order to perform such cleaning, it is necessary to open the inside of the processing chamber to atmospheric pressure and open the processing chamber, and it is necessary to interrupt the processing of the sample every period. For this reason, it is important to shorten the time for performing such a cleaning operation as much as possible in order to increase the operation rate of the vacuum processing apparatus and improve the efficiency of processing as a whole. In addition, particles in the processing chamber such as reaction products adhere not only to the surface of a member surrounding the processing chamber but also to the surface of a sample stage that is placed in the processing chamber and holds a semiconductor wafer placed on its upper surface and holds the semiconductor wafer. At least the surface of the table other than the upper surface on which the sample is placed also needs to be subjected to an operation such as wet cleaning to remove extraneous matter.

  In order to reduce the time required to clean the surface of the components that make up the processing chamber, vacuum containers or parts that are exposed to the vacuum processing atmosphere and to which reaction products adhere can be removed and replaced with new or cleaned products. Becomes As such a conventional technique, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-252201 (Patent Document 1) is known. This prior art includes a vacuum processing apparatus including an upper inner cylinder chamber and a sample table that constitute a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed inside an outer chamber, and a lower inner cylinder chamber disposed on an exhaust unit side. It has been disclosed.

  According to this conventional technique, when performing maintenance of the apparatus, a discharge chamber base plate disposed above the upper inner cylindrical chamber and constituting a discharge chamber for generating plasma is rotated around a hinge portion disposed on the transfer chamber side as a fulcrum. There is disclosed a configuration in which the upper inner chamber is lifted upward so as to secure a working space for the upper inner chamber, thereby lifting the upper inner chamber upward and removing the upper inner chamber from the outer chamber. Further, a sample stage base plate to which a ring-shaped support base member (sample stage block) provided with a fixed support beam and fixed around the axis with the center in the vertical direction of the sample stage as an axis is arranged on the transfer chamber side. The lower inner chamber is lifted up by rotating it around the hinge part as a fulcrum, and the lower inner chamber is lifted up and taken out of the outer chamber by securing a working space for the lower inner chamber. A technique is described in which the members of the chamber that can be considered are replaced and mounted.

  In addition, the support beam is arranged axially symmetric with respect to the vertical center of the sample table as an axis (that is, the gas flow path shape is substantially coaxially symmetric with respect to the center axis of the sample table), so that the sample table in the upper inner cylinder chamber is formed. Gases and the like (processing gas, particles and reaction products in the plasma) in the upper space pass through the space between the support beams and are exhausted through the lower inner cylinder chamber. Accordingly, the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the workpiece becomes uniform, and uniform processing of the workpiece can be performed.

  On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-516379 (Patent Literature 2) discloses that an electrode provided in a side wall of a vacuum processing chamber can be attached to and detached from a chamber (in a horizontal direction) by passing through an opening (in a horizontal direction). A cantilevered substrate support on which a chuck assembly is mounted is disclosed. Since the substrate support including the sample stage can be taken out of the vacuum vessel, there is no need to open the inside of the processing chamber to clean the surface of the sample stage. Can be performed in parallel with the cleaning of the surface of the substrate supporting portion, thereby reducing the time required for the operation, reducing the non-operation time of the apparatus, and improving the overall processing efficiency.

JP 2005-252201 A JP 2005-516379 A

  In the above prior art, a problem has arisen because the following points are not sufficiently considered.

  That is, the above-described conventional technique has a configuration in which another chamber is multiplexed inside the vacuum chamber and a processing chamber in which plasma is formed in the innermost chamber is provided. The inner surface of the inner container faces the plasma, and particles such as reaction products formed during wafer processing adhere to the wafer. The work for cleaning to such an extent that it can be suppressed is shortened. However, in the configuration in which the inner and outer containers are arranged in a multiplex manner, a heavy load is required for the operator when removing the inner container.

  In order to airtightly partition the inside and outside of the container arranged inside in this way, it is necessary to apply a load to the inner container in the vertical direction in order to deform a sealing member such as an O-ring that contacts the inner container. Therefore, in order to realize this, the inner container must be configured to be housed inside the vacuum container so that the load is transmitted from the outside while the device is movable. For this reason, in order to take out the inner container, it is necessary to move the inner container having a small weight to the operator in the vertical direction by keeping a distance from the inside of the outer vacuum container to the upper end of the side wall of the vacuum container. , Maintenance work took a long time. For this reason, a heavy burden was imposed on the worker. Further, the downtime of the apparatus has been prolonged, and the processing efficiency of the apparatus has been impaired.

  Furthermore, when the diameter of the wafer to be processed increases, the diameter of the outer vacuum container must be larger than that of the inner container that stores the wafer inside. For this reason, the area occupied by the floor of the building where the apparatus for processing wafers is installed further increases.

  According to the technique of Patent Literature 2, although there is no need to move the inner container upward and remove it from the outer vacuum container, the substrate support is vacuum-sealed at the opening in the side wall of the chamber. For this reason, when a substrate supporting part which is increased in weight as a result of supporting the wafer having a larger diameter is used, the load on the vacuum seal part is increased, and it may be difficult to maintain a vacuum. There was. In addition, in this conventional technique, the shape of the gas flow path with respect to the center axis of the sample supporting portion is not coaxially symmetric due to the cantilever, and the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the object to be processed becomes non-uniform. There was a possibility that a problem that it would be difficult to perform uniform processing on an object would occur.

  In the above-mentioned prior art, such a point was not sufficiently considered. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum processing apparatus in which the efficiency of maintenance work is improved and the efficiency of processing is improved.

  The above object is to provide a vacuum chamber having a processing chamber in which a wafer placed inside under reduced pressure is processed using plasma, and the vacuum chamber is mounted and gas from the processing chamber inside the vacuum chamber is exhausted. A base plate having an opening, wherein a plurality of members arranged vertically stacked to constitute the vacuum vessel are configured to be detachable with respect to the base plate, An outer wall of a member arranged at a middle position in the vertical direction among the plurality of detachable members, wherein the wafer is transferred inside the vacuum container with the vacuum container interposed therebetween. A valve box to be connected, an outer peripheral portion of the base plate, which is attached to an end opposite to the valve box across the vacuum vessel, and wherein the plurality of removable portions A lifter connected to each of the upper and lower members, wherein the upper and lower possible members connected to different positions in the vertical direction of the shaft having a vertical axis are connected to the shaft. A lifter that moves along the up-down direction, and at least one moving member that is provided on the lifter and moves along the up-down axis, wherein the plurality of members are stacked to form the vacuum container. After moving upward from a predetermined position on the shaft in the state and moving the upper member upward to separate the lower member by a first predetermined distance from the lower member, the lower member is moved upward. And a moving member for holding the upper and lower members at respective predetermined heights from the base plate by moving the member at a second predetermined distance from the base plate.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vacuum processing apparatus which improved the efficiency of the maintenance work and the processing efficiency was improved can be provided.

1 is a schematic top view (partially transparent) of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit in the vacuum processing apparatus concerning the Example of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a main part for explaining the transfer of the object to be processed in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (the gate valve is open, and the transfer robot loads the object into the vacuum processing unit; In a state of being carried out or in a state of about to be carried out). FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a main part for explaining the transfer of the object to be processed in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (in a state where the gate valve is closed and the object to be processed is loaded into the vacuum transfer chamber). is there. FIG. 3 is a top view (with a coil and a power supply removed) for describing a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 is a top view (with a quartz plate, a shower plate, and a quartz inner cylinder removed) for describing a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 5A. FIG. 4 is a top view (with a gas introduction ring removed) for describing a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a schematic sectional view of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 5 is a top view for explaining a maintenance procedure in the vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (in a state where the discharge block unit is lifted and swung by the swivel lifter). It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 4 is a top view for explaining a maintenance procedure in the vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (with an earth ring and an upper container removed). It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 3 is a top view for explaining a maintenance procedure in the vacuum processing unit of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (in a state where the sample stage unit is lifted and turned by the turning lifter). It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 9A. It is a top view (state with a lower container removed) for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing unit of a vacuum processing device concerning an example of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 10A.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same components.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment as viewed from above, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus 100.

  The vacuum processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes an atmospheric block 101 disposed on the front side (right side in the figure) and a vacuum block 102 disposed on the rear side (left side in the figure). The atmospheric block 101 is a portion where a substrate-like sample such as a semiconductor wafer is transported under atmospheric pressure and the storage is positioned and the like.The vacuum block 102 is where the sample is transported under reduced pressure from atmospheric pressure. Alternatively, it includes a part where processing or the like is performed and the pressure is increased or decreased while the sample is placed.

  The atmosphere block 101 is a rectangular parallelepiped or an atmosphere transfer chamber which is a space having an equivalent shape approximated to a degree that can be regarded as a rectangular parallelepiped and having an atmospheric pressure or an equivalent pressure approximated to a degree that can be regarded as an inside thereof. And a plurality of cassette tables on which a cassette containing a sample for processing or cleaning is mounted on an upper surface thereof. 107. In the atmospheric block 101, a wafer for processing or cleaning stored in each cassette on the cassette table 107 is exchanged between the cassette and the vacuum block 102 connected to the back of the atmospheric transfer chamber 106. In the atmosphere transfer chamber 106, an atmosphere transfer robot 109 provided with a wafer holding arm for transferring such a wafer is disposed.

  The vacuum block 102 includes a plurality of vacuum processing units 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, and 200-4 each having a vacuum container having a processing chamber in which a sample is processed under reduced pressure. And a vacuum container having vacuum transfer chambers 104-1 and 104-2, which are transfer spaces provided with vacuum transfer robots 110-1 and 110-2 connected with the vacuum transfer robots 110-1 and 110-2, respectively. A space for accommodating a wafer arranged and connected between a vacuum container for vacuum transfer (vacuum transfer container) and a housing of the atmosphere transfer chamber 106, and the vacuum transfer chamber 104-1 and the atmosphere transfer chamber 106 Vacuum container having a lock chamber 105 communicably arranged with the two vacuum transfer containers, and connected between these vacuum containers and between the vacuum transfer chamber 104-1 and the vacuum transfer chamber 104-2. And a vacuum vessel having a transfer intermediate chamber 108 is et a space communicable with the wafers accommodating therein. The vacuum block 102 is provided with a vacuum vessel whose inside is reduced in pressure and can be maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum.

  In addition, the operations of the vacuum processing apparatus 100 such as the operations of transferring the atmosphere transfer robot 109 and the vacuum transfer robot 110, processing the wafer in the vacuum processing unit, and sealing, opening, depressurizing, and increasing the pressure in the lock chamber 105 are described below. These components are adjusted by a control unit (not shown) connected to each part that executes the above and a signal transmission / reception via a communication path including a wired or wireless communication path. The control device includes an interface for transmitting and receiving signals to and from an external communication path, an arithmetic unit such as a microprocessor made of a semiconductor device, software describing an algorithm for the arithmetic operation of the arithmetic unit, a value of a signal to be communicated, and the like. And a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, and a removable disk for storing the above data, and a communication line for communicatively connecting these devices.

  The configuration of the plasma processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the vacuum processing unit of the embodiment shown in FIG. The vacuum processing units 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, and 200-4 of the present embodiment have the same structure or operation of the apparatus or are similar to each other and can be regarded as equivalent. Even if one of the three wafers is replaced with the other three wafers, the same or equivalent processing result can be obtained from the processing of the wafer. In this drawing, the vacuum processing unit 200 will be described as an example of one of the vacuum processing units 200-1 and 200-2 connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 104-1.

  The vacuum processing unit 200 shown in the figure includes a vacuum container including an upper container 230 and a lower container 250 having a processing chamber, which is a space where a wafer 300 is disposed and a plasma is formed and processed, and connected to the vacuum container. Pump 270 including a vacuum pump such as a turbo molecular pump disposed below the vacuum vessel, and a first high-frequency power supply 201 which is a device for forming an electric field for forming a plasma disposed above the vacuum vessel, and forms a magnetic field. And a solenoid coil 206 which is a device for performing the operation. The outer peripheries of the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 are exposed to the atmosphere (atmosphere) around the vacuum processing unit 200, and these containers constitute a vacuum partition that hermetically separates a processing chamber inside from the outside atmosphere. are doing.

  Each of the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 has a circular inner wall having a circular cross-sectional shape in the horizontal direction, and a cylindrical sample table 241 is disposed at a central portion inside the circular shape. The sample stage 241 is a beam-like member extending in the horizontal direction (left and right directions in the figure) and a sample stage base 242 which is a ring-shaped member arranged around the outer periphery of the sample stage 241. 246.

  The support beam 246 is axially symmetric about a vertical axis (central axis 290) passing through the center of the cylindrical shape of the sample table 241 around the central axis 290, that is, an equivalent angle around the central axis 290 which is the same or approximate to the extent that it can be regarded as this. And the flow rate and velocity of the gas in the processing chamber flowing downward through the periphery of the side wall of the sample stage 242 are prevented from becoming non-uniform around the central axis 290. The gas, plasma, or particles of the reaction product introduced into the processing chamber above the sample stage 241 in the upper container 230 is a space between the support beams 246, and is generated by the sample stage 241, the support beam 246, and the sample stage base 242. Since the gas passes through the enclosed space and flows into the space of the processing chamber surrounded by the lower container 250 below the sample stage 241, it is placed on the circular mounting surface of the dielectric film constituting the upper surface of the sample stage 241. The unevenness of the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the wafer 300 is suppressed, and the deviation and unevenness of the processing shape, which is the processing result of the wafer 300 in the circumferential direction, from the intended shape are reduced. The sample stage base 242 has a ring shape with a support beam, and this ring portion is held around the lower container, which is a vacuum container, and the upper portion, and is vacuum-sealed. Can be dealt with even if the number increases.

  The vacuum vessel of the vacuum processing unit 200 of this embodiment is mounted on and connected to the upper ends of a plurality of columns 280 arranged on the floor of a building such as a clean room where the vacuum processing apparatus 100 is installed. A cylindrical lower container 250 placed vertically on a base plate 260, a ring-shaped sample table base 242 with a support beam 246, a cylindrical upper container 230, an earth ring 225, and a cylindrical A plurality of members including a discharge block 224 and a gas introduction ring 204 are provided, and an O-ring 207 is sandwiched between members as a member for vacuum sealing, and a load is applied to these members. The inside and outside of the container are hermetically sealed.

  Further, inside the inner wall surface of the discharge block 224 having a cylindrical inner peripheral side wall surface, a quartz inner cylinder 205 having a cylindrical shape is disposed so as to cover the inner wall surface. A heater 222 is wound and attached around the cylindrical outer peripheral side wall of the discharge block 224. The discharge block 224 is connected to and attached to a discharge block base 221 having a ring shape disposed below the discharge block 224, and forms a discharge block unit 220 described later together with the heater 222.

  A sample table bottom cover 245 is disposed on the lower surface of the sample table 241 having a cylindrical shape, and is attached to the sample table 241 so as to hermetically seal a space between the internal atmospheric pressure and the processing chamber. And as part of this. The internal space is communicated with the atmosphere (atmosphere) outside the vacuum processing unit 200 via a passage disposed inside the support beam 246. The sample stage 241, the sample stage base 242 arranged in a ring shape on the outer peripheral side thereof, and a plurality of support beams 246 constitute a sample stage unit 240 described later.

  Each of the upper container 230, the lower container 250, and the base plate 260 has a flange portion, and each of the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 is screwed to the base plate 260 with a bolt or the like via the flange portion. Are fixed on the base plate 260. In the present embodiment, the members constituting the vacuum container of the vacuum processing unit 200 have a cylindrical shape, but the outer wall has a shape other than a horizontal cross-sectional shape which is not a circular shape but a rectangular shape. Is also good.

  At the upper part of the vacuum container of the vacuum processing unit 200, a disk-shaped lid member 202 constituting the vacuum container is arranged, and under the cover member 202, it faces and faces the mounting surface of the wafer 300 on the upper surface of the sample table 241. A shower plate 203 having a disk shape and constituting a ceiling surface of the processing chamber is disposed. The lid member 202 and the shower plate 203 are made of a dielectric material such as quartz, and are configured to transmit a high-frequency electric field such as a microwave, UHF, or VHF wave.

  In such a configuration, the electric field oscillated by the first high-frequency power supply 201 disposed above the lid member 202 is propagated to the lid member 202, and the electric field is transmitted to the lid member 202 and the shower plate disposed below the lid member 202. The sample table 241 is supplied from the upper side to the lower side through the 203 through the processing chamber. In addition, a solenoid coil 206 as a means for forming a magnetic field surrounding the vacuum vessel, particularly in the present example, on the outer peripheral side of the outer wall of the discharge block 224 and above the lid member, is disposed. The magnetic field generated at 206 is supplied into the processing chamber.

  The shower plate 203 is provided with a plurality of through-holes for processing gas introduction holes, and the processing gas introduced from the gas introduction ring 204 is supplied into the vacuum processing unit through the introduction holes. A plurality of introduction holes of the shower plate 203 are arranged in an axially symmetric region around the central axis 290 of the sample table 241 above the sample mounting surface, which is the upper surface of the sample table 241, and are uniformly arranged. A processing gas having a predetermined composition and composed of different gas components is introduced into the vacuum processing unit through the introduced introduction hole.

  The processing gas introduced from a gas source such as a gas tank (not shown) into a gap between the lid member 202 and the shower plate 203 through a pipe and a passage inside the gas introduction ring 204 connected thereto is After being diffused and filled in the space, the gas flows into the processing chamber through gas introduction holes, which are a plurality of through holes disposed in the center of the shower plate 203. The atoms or molecules of the processing gas introduced into the processing chamber are excited by the interaction between the first high-frequency power supply 201 and the electric and magnetic fields supplied from the solenoid coil 206, and are generated in the discharge block 224 above the sample stage 241. It is turned into plasma in the space of the processing chamber.

  At this time, atoms and molecules of the processing gas in the plasma dissociate and change into charged particles such as ions or active species such as activated radicals whose energy levels are increased. In the present embodiment, a heater 222 connected to the first temperature controller 223 is wound around and attached to the outer peripheral side wall of the discharge block 224, and is contacted with plasma by heating by DC power supplied to the heater 222. The surface of the inner cylinder 205 is adjusted to a temperature value within a range suitable for processing.

  Thereby, the adhesion of the reaction product to the quartz inner cylinder 205 and the discharge block 224 is reduced. In this embodiment, these members can be excluded from regular maintenance.

  The sample table 241 on which the wafer 300 is placed is arranged inside the vacuum processing unit so as to coincide with the central axis 290 of the shower plate 203. When performing processing by plasma, the wafer 300 is placed on a circular mounting surface, which is the upper surface of the sample table 241, and is attracted and held (electrostatic chuck) by the static electricity of the dielectric film constituting the surface. Processing is performed.

  In addition, a high-frequency power for forming a bias potential above the wafer 300 mounted on the mounting surface of the sample stage 241 is supplied to a metal base having a disk or a cylindrical shape disposed inside the sample stage 241. A second high frequency power supply 243 is connected to the sample table 241 and a wafer placed thereon by high frequency power of a predetermined frequency lower than the frequency of the first high frequency power supplied to the base material as an electrode. Processing of a film structure having a plurality of film layers including a mask pre-formed on the surface of the wafer 300 by charging charged particles in the plasma in accordance with a potential difference between a high-frequency bias potential formed above the plasma 300 and a potential of the plasma An etching process is performed on the film layer to be processed by a physical reaction caused by attracting and colliding with the surface of the film layer to be processed and a mutual reaction between the radical and the chemical reaction between the wafer surface. It is.

  Further, inside the base material of the sample stage 241, a refrigerant flow path arranged concentrically or spirally around a vertical center axis 290 of the sample stage 241 is arranged, and a desired temperature is set by the second temperature controller 244. A heat exchange medium brought to a temperature within the range is supplied and flows. With this configuration, when the wafer 300 exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium, the temperatures of the sample stage 241 and the wafer 300 are adjusted to values within a range suitable for processing.

  A power supply wiring cord for supplying high-frequency bias power to the sample table 241, a pipe for a heat exchange medium (refrigerant) supplied for adjusting the temperature of the sample table 241, or a wiring code for temperature control are supported beams 246. Are arranged inside a sample stage base 242 including a pipe and communicated with the atmosphere outside the vacuum processing unit 200. Although not shown, a temperature sensor and a wiring cord for an electrostatic chuck other than such a wiring cord can be arranged in the pipeline. In addition, since the reaction product easily adheres to the upper container 230 disposed around the sample table 241, the upper container 230 is a member subject to regular maintenance.

  An exhaust pump 270 connected to the bottom of the vacuum chamber of the vacuum processing unit 200 and a base plate 260 having an exhaust opening 263 for exhausting gas and plasma particles in the processing chamber is arranged. The circular exhaust opening 263 provided in the base plate 260 is disposed at an equivalent position immediately below the sample table 241 such that the center thereof coincides with or can be regarded as the center axis 290.

  The exhaust opening 263 is formed in the vertical direction of the actuator 262 in which an exhaust cover 261 having a substantially disk shape and disposed above the exhaust opening 263 is connected to an arm extending horizontally (left and right in the drawing) on the outer peripheral side thereof. , The distance between the exhaust opening 263 and the exhaust cover 261 is increased or decreased, and the conductance of exhaust from the processing chamber is adjusted. During the processing of the wafer 300, the flow rate or speed of the internal gas, plasma or product discharged outside the vacuum processing unit is adjusted by the value of the conductance and the exhaust amount per unit time of the exhaust pump 270, and the exhaust is performed. The pressure of the processing chamber is adjusted to a desired degree of vacuum by the balance between the supply of the processing gas.

  The processing gas and plasma introduced into the processing chamber and reaction products generated during the processing are discharged from the upper portion of the vacuum processing chamber to the inner circumference of the sample table base 241 and the sample table base 242 by the operation of an exhaust unit such as an exhaust pump 270. It passes through the space between the wall and the wall, and is discharged through the lower exhaust opening 263 through the lower container 250. For this reason, since the lower container 250 is exposed to the gas flow of the exhaust gas from above the sample table 241, the reaction products are apt to adhere to the surface thereof. By rotating the 242 in the horizontal direction and moving it, the 242 can be removed from above the lower container 250, and its internal surface can be cleaned or replaced with a clean and clean one.

  In the above embodiment, the pressure inside the processing chamber during the etching process on the wafer 300 is detected by a control unit (not shown) communicably connected to the vacuum gauge using an output from a vacuum gauge (not shown). The flow rate and speed of the exhaust gas are adjusted by the vertical movement of the exhaust unit cover 261 due to the operation of the actuator 262 which receives the command signal calculated from the control unit and transmitted from the control unit based on the value of the applied pressure. The pressure inside the processing chamber is adjusted. In this embodiment, the pressure during the process is adjusted to a predetermined value in the range of 0.1 to 4 Pa.

  In addition, during the maintenance work performed by opening the inside of the vacuum processing unit 200 to the atmosphere, the exhaust unit cover 261 can hermetically close the exhaust opening 263 with an O-ring therebetween to seal the inlet of the exhaust pump 270 from the outside air. Is configured. The inner wall surface of the lower container 250 is a member to be subjected to regular maintenance because the reaction products formed in the upper processing chamber easily adhere thereto.

As the processing gas used for the plasma processing, a single type of gas or a gas in which a plurality of types of gases are mixed at an optimal flow ratio for each condition of a process of processing a film layer to be processed of the wafer 300 is used. Can be The flow rate of the mixed gas is adjusted by a gas flow controller (not shown), and is introduced into a space for gas retention between the shower plate 203 and the lid member 202 via a gas introduction ring 204 connected thereto. Is done. In this embodiment, a gas introduction ring 204 made of stainless steel is used.

  With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a mode of transferring the wafer 300 between the vacuum processing unit 200 and the vacuum transfer chamber 104 in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the operation of the vacuum transfer robot 110 carrying the sample W into and out of the vacuum processing unit in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG.

  In this example, the vacuum processing unit 200 and the vacuum transfer chamber 104 are connected in the left-right direction in the drawing, and each of the upper container 230, the valve box 115, and the transfer chamber 104 that constitute the vacuum processing unit 200 is an O-ring or the like. The inside, which is connected with a sealing material interposed therebetween and reduced in pressure to a predetermined degree of vacuum, is hermetically sealed from the outside atmosphere. Inside the vacuum transfer chamber 104, a vacuum transfer robot 110 for transferring a sample is arranged. Each of the upper container 230, the valve box 115, and the transfer chamber 104 has a gate opening on a side surface, which is a passage through which the wafer 300 is transferred, and passes through the gate and the opening to transfer vacuum. The wafer 300 placed on the holding unit arranged at the tip of the arm of the robot 110 is transferred between the processing chamber inside the upper container 230 and the transfer chamber 104.

  In this embodiment, two gate valves that are driven to move in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing) to open or air-tightly close the gate openings of the vacuum transfer chamber 104 and the upper container 230 are provided. Are located. In the present embodiment, the first gate valve 111 disposed in the vacuum transfer chamber 104 and closing the opening of the gate facing the inside, and the first gate valve 111 disposed outside the gate of the upper container 230 and closing the opening of the gate are described. Two gate valves 112 are provided. The first gate valve 111 is disposed inside the transfer chamber 104, and the second gate valve is connected to the outer wall surface of the upper container 230 and disposed inside the valve box 115 connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 104. .

  When the first gate valve 111 and the second gate valve 112 are open, the vacuum transfer robot 110 is connected to both ends of the plurality of beam-shaped members by joints, and the entirety is rotated by rotation of the actuators and motors of the joints. When the arm is extended with the wafer 300 placed on a holding portion arranged at the tip of the arm that extends and contracts the wafer 300 in a specific direction, the wafer 300 passes through a plurality of gates and from inside the vacuum transfer chamber 104 to the upper container. It is carried in above the mounting surface of the sample table 241 in 230. Alternatively, the wafer 300 that has been processed by the contracting operation of the arm is unloaded into the vacuum transfer chamber 104 from above the sample table 241 in the upper container 230.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of the vacuum processing apparatus during processing of the sample W in the vacuum processing unit of the embodiment shown in FIG. In this drawing, while the sample W is being processed, the opening of the gate of the upper container 230 is airtightly closed by the second gate valve 1112 so that the inside of the processing chamber is closed to the inside of the valve box 115 and the vacuum transfer chamber 104. In this state, the sample W is processed using the plasma formed in the processing chamber. At this time, the first gate valve 111 may be open or closed.

  While the second gate valve 112 is closed, the valve element of the second gate valve 111 is disposed along the outer peripheral side wall of the upper container 230 around the opening of the upper container 230 and the outer peripheral edge on the contact surface of the valve element. The flow of gas through the gate is prevented by contact with the sealing means such as the O-ring. In this state, the upper surface of the convex portion arranged and surrounded by the center side of the O-ring of the valve body is provided with such a shape as to form an integral wall surface with the cylindrical inner wall surface of the upper container 230. I have.

  That is, the convex portion arranged at the center of the valve body of the second gate valve 112 on the sealing surface side has a cylindrical shape of the inner wall of the upper container 230 or the processing chamber in a state where the second gate valve 112 closes the gate. It is coaxial and has an arc shape with the same curvature. Accordingly, the shape of the processing chamber formed by the inner wall surface of the upper container 230 and the surface of the valve body of the second gate valve 112 facing the processing chamber at the end face of the valve body is coaxial with the central axis of the sample stage 241. Constitute the side of the cylinder. Accordingly, unevenness due to the valve body of the second gate valve 112 on the inner wall surface of the processing chamber is reduced, and the circumferential distribution of gas and plasma in the processing chamber is biased due to the presence of the unevenness due to the valve body. As a result, non-uniformity in the processing of the sample W is suppressed.

  With reference to FIGS. 5 to 14, a description will be given of a configuration of attaching and detaching the vacuum vessel during maintenance of the plasma processing apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the unit of the first high-frequency power supply 201 and the solenoid coil 206 is removed upward from the vacuum vessel during maintenance in the plasma processing apparatus according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. . FIG. 5A is a top view as viewed from above, and FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view.

  FIGS. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the plasma processing apparatus in a state where the upper member of the vacuum vessel is further removed from the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. In these figures, the direction of connection between the vacuum processing unit 103 and the vacuum transfer chamber 104 is the same as that shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5 shows that the solenoid coil 206 and the first high-frequency power supply 201 are removed from the configuration of the vacuum processing unit shown in FIG. 2, and the exhaust opening 263 of the base plate 260 connected to the exhaust pump 270 is hermetically closed by the exhaust cover 261. 3 shows a state of the vacuum processing unit 200 closed. In this example, the vacuum pump 270 is operated during the maintenance work by airtightly partitioning the inside of the processing chamber, which is opened to the atmosphere after the maintenance work is continuously performed, and the entrance of the exhaust pump 270 by the exhaust cover 261. By doing so, the time required for starting up the vacuum processing unit 200 after maintenance and enabling processing can be reduced.

  Next, a rare gas such as nitrogen is introduced into the processing chamber to increase the internal pressure to atmospheric pressure or a pressure slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. In this state, as shown in FIG. 6, the lid member 202 forming the upper part of the vacuum vessel of the vacuum processing unit 200, the shower plate 203 forming the ceiling surface of the processing chamber below the lid member 202, and the quartz inner cylinder 205 are connected to the discharge block 224. Then, it is moved above the gas introduction ring 204 and removed from the vacuum vessel.

  With the quartz inner cylinder 205 removed, the inner peripheral side wall surface of the gas introduction ring 204 is exposed to the inside atmosphere at the upper end of the vacuum processing unit. Further, the support beams 246 of the sample stage 241 and the sample stage base 242 are exposed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the gas introduction ring 204 is moved upward from the upper end of the discharge block 224 and removed from the vacuum vessel main body.

  Here, the configuration of the swivel lifter 210 included in the vacuum processing unit of the present embodiment will be described below. The swivel lifter 210 is a member having at least one axis connected to the base plate at the outer peripheral end of the base plate 260 and extending in the vertical direction. And a vacuum vessel connected so as to be able to pivot about it.

  The swivel lifter 210 according to the present embodiment includes a vertical shaft 211 for vertically moving the two containers constituting the vacuum container connected thereto and a horizontal container 211 for similarly connecting the two containers constituting the vacuum container thereto. And a turning shaft 212 for turning in the direction. The upper and lower shafts 211 are cylindrical or columnar members extending from the upper surface of the base plate 260 beyond the upper end of the gas introduction ring 204 constituting the upper end of the vacuum vessel, and each of the discharge block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 is They are connected at different heights in the vertical direction.

  Each end of the discharge block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 is a member provided with a through hole through which the upper and lower shafts 211 penetrate and is movable to different heights along the upper and lower shafts 211 through the through holes. The swing bases 214 and 215 are connected to the bases 214 and 215, and the height of the swing bases 214 and 215 can be changed up and down with the movement of the vertical shaft 211 in the central axis direction. Each of the revolving bases 214 and 215 is a revolving shaft 212-1 or 212-2 which is a joint having a cylindrical or columnar shape in a through-hole having a central axis parallel to the axis of the through-hole through which the vertical shaft 211 passes. It has.

  The swivel base 214 is connected to the discharge block unit 220 via the swivel shafts 212-1 and 212-2, and the swivel base 215 is connected to the sample stage unit. Then, the discharge block unit 220 rotates around the central axis of the pivot 212-1, and the sample stage unit 240 rotates around the central axis of the pivot 212-2.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the turning shafts 212-1 and 212-2 of the turning bases 214 and 215 are respectively disposed on the discharge block unit 220 on the left side of the vertical shaft 211 of the turning lifter 210 in the drawing. And a vacuum vessel including the sample stage unit 240 or the valve box 115 or a vacuum transfer chamber 104 (not shown). Since the axis in which these units rotate in the horizontal direction is located on the left and right sides with respect to the axis in the front-rear direction of the vacuum processing apparatus 100 with respect to the vertical axis 211 of the swivel lifter 210, a large swivel angle can be secured, The block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 can be moved to a position farther from the central axis 290 of the vacuum vessel of the vacuum processing unit 200, and a larger space for maintenance work of each unit is secured to facilitate the work. Efficiency can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, a traveling nut which is a member on a cylinder which is arranged below the turning base 214 of the vertical shaft 211 and penetrates the lower turning base 215 in the vertical direction, and the vertical shaft 211 penetrates the inside. 213 are provided. The traveling nut 213 is configured to be able to move up and down along the outer peripheral side wall of the cylindrical vertical shaft 211 in the direction of the central axis of the vertical shaft 211.

  Further, the traveling nut 213 has a ring-shaped flange portion extending to the outer peripheral side at upper and lower ends, and the traveling nut 213 moves upward by a predetermined value or more, so that the upper end portion including the flange portion is moved upward. It contacts the lower surface of the turning base 214. By moving the traveling nut 213 further upward, the turning base 214 and the discharge block unit 220 connected thereto can be moved upward.

  Then, as the traveling nut 213 further moves upward, the upper surface of the flange portion on the lower end side contacts the lower surface of the turning base 215. By moving the traveling nut 213 further upward from this state, both the pair of the swivel base 214 and the discharge block unit 220 and the pair of the swivel base 215 and the sample stage unit 240 can be moved upward.

  FIGS. 5 and 7 show a state in which the traveling nut 213 is positioned at the lower limit of the axial movement range of the vertical shaft 211. In this embodiment, in this state, the gap between the lower surface of the turning base 214 and the upper surface of the upper end of the traveling nut 213 that contacts the lower surface is 1 to 5 mm. In addition, a gap between the lower surface of the turning base 215 and the upper surface of the flange on the lower end side of the traveling nut 213 that is in contact with the turning base 215 is connected to the turning base 214 mounted on the upper end of the traveling nut 213 in a state where the two are in contact. The discharge block unit 220 is configured such that the lower end of the discharge block 224 or the lower end of the ring-shaped discharge block base 221 is higher than the upper end of the projection of the lower earth ring 225, and is set to 5 cm in this embodiment. But not limited to this.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the discharge block unit 220 is rotated around the turning shaft 212-1 and moved in the horizontal direction (left direction in the figure) to form the upper container 230 constituting the lower vacuum container. Remove from above. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of the plasma processing apparatus in a state where the discharge block unit 220 is further removed from the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a top view of the plasma processing apparatus schematically showing a state in which the discharge block unit 220 is turned, and FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section of the plasma processing apparatus schematically showing a state in which the discharge block unit 220 is turned. FIG.

  As shown in these figures, in the present embodiment, in the maintenance and inspection work of the vacuum container, the container connected to the swivel base 214 is connected to remove the container constituting the vacuum container opened to the atmosphere and to approach the operator. The discharge block unit 220 including the discharge block base 221 and the discharge block 224 and the heater 222 connected and mounted thereon is first moved upward along the central axis of the vertical shaft 211 as shown by an arrow 310 in FIG. Then, the sample is rotated horizontally counterclockwise about the rotation axis 212 so as to sandwich the rotation lifter 210 or the rotation axis 212-1 from above the sample table 241 or the center axis 290 of the vacuum vessel in the vertical direction. The sample table 241 or the vacuum processing unit 200 is moved to a position opposite to the main body.

  The upward movement of the vertical axis 211 of the discharge block unit 220 in the central axis direction moves the traveling nut 213 upward along the cylindrical side wall of the vertical axis 213, and moves the upper surface of the upper flange portion to the revolving base 214. This is carried out by moving the swivel base 214 upward by a predetermined distance and then lifting the swivel base 214 in contact with the lower surface of the base. At this time, since the traveling nut 213 and the swivel base 215 have a gap of 1 to 5 mm as described above, the sample stage unit 240 remains disposed on the lower container 250.

  In this embodiment, a position where the discharge block unit 220 can be turned counterclockwise at the end opposite to the valve box 115 or the vacuum transfer chamber 104 with the swivel lifter 210 sandwiching the vacuum vessel of the base plate 260 (see FIG. The discharge block unit 220 is moved by this rotation and removed from the upper portion of the vacuum vessel. However, the position where the rotation lifter 210 is arranged is not limited thereto. I can't. The arrangement may be such that the discharge block unit 220 can be turned clockwise to be removed by disposing the discharge block unit 220 clockwise by disposing it at the upper left position of the sample table 241 or the earth ring 225 in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the distance for moving the discharge block unit 220 upward in the direction of the central axis 290 as the first stage of removing the discharge block unit 220 should be equal to or greater than the height at which the lower end of the discharge block unit 220 exceeds the upper end of the projection of the earth ring 225. I do. In this embodiment, the distance is 5 cm, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In this embodiment, the angle at which the discharge block unit 220 is turned is 180 degrees, but is selected in a range of 90 degrees or more and 270 degrees or less in accordance with specifications required by an operator and a user. The inventors have determined that 180 ° ± 20 ° is preferable in consideration of the efficiency of maintenance work.

  In the above embodiment, the discharge block 224, the discharge block base 221, the heater 222, and the like are turned as one unit connected as the discharge block unit 220. This is because the amount of the reaction product attached to the discharge block unit 220 is relatively small, and the discharge block unit 220 is not subject to maintenance and inspection including replacement of other vacuum vessel parts. Due to the configuration of the connection with the swivel lifter 210 and the discharge block unit 220, these can be quickly and easily moved from the upper part of the vacuum processing unit 200, and the amount of maintenance work is reduced and the time is shortened.

  8 and 9, the discharge block unit 220 is removed from the upper portion of the vacuum vessel, and the earth ring 225 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum vessel of the vacuum processing unit 200.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the earth ring 225 and the upper container 230 are moved upward with respect to the lower member or the base plate 260 of the vacuum container and removed from the vacuum processing unit 200. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of the plasma processing apparatus in a state where the earth ring 225 and the upper container 230 are further removed from the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, when the control device determines that the number of processed wafers 300 or the cumulative time of the processing using the plasma exceeds a predetermined value, the start of the processing of the next wafer 300 is postponed once, and the vacuum processing unit 200 Start maintenance and inspection operations and operation. In this maintenance and inspection, the upper container 230, which constitutes the inner wall surface of the processing chamber and has a relatively large amount of reaction products formed during the processing and attached to the inner surface, was attached to the vacuum processing unit 200. In this state, the upper container 230 is swapped (replaced) with a new upper container 230 having the same configuration and having a clean inner wall surface, instead of a cleaning operation of wiping off the attached matter with a cloth or the like.

  The upper container 230 can be removed by removing the screws of the upper container 230 which have been fastened and fixed to the base plate 260 by means of screws such as bolts through a flange portion arranged on the outer peripheral side wall, and the operator lifts the upper container 230 upward. The lifting is done. In a state where the upper container 230 is attached, the load applied between the lower surface of the lower end portion of the upper container 230 and the upper surface of the upper end portion of the outer peripheral ring-shaped portion of the sample stage base 242 facing the upper container 230 due to a load applied in the vertical direction. Since the ring 207 is sandwiched, the worker needs to deform and remove the O-ring 207 attached to one of the upper and lower surfaces when the upper container 230 is removed. Is located in the working space between the base plate 260 or the adjacent vacuum processing apparatus on the opposite side of the vacuum vessel above the base plate 260 with the swivel lifter 210 interposed between the swivel axis 212 of the swivel base 214. However, there is enough space to carry out the work. For this reason, it is possible to suppress an increase in the amount and time of the operation of removing the upper container 230 requiring cleaning or attaching and replacing another upper container 230, thereby improving the operation efficiency.

  In this embodiment, the movement of the discharge block unit 220 is performed by adjusting the operation of the swivel lifter 210 according to a command from the control device. Such a control device may be dedicated to the adjustment of the operation of the swivel lifter 210, but the function is provided to a part of the control device that adjusts the overall operation of the vacuum processing unit 200 or the vacuum processing device 100. It may be provided. As described above, by removing the upper container 230 shown in FIG. 10, the sample stage base 242 including the sample stage 241, the support beam 246, and the ring-shaped portion arranged on the outer peripheral side thereof is exposed.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the sample stage unit 240 including the sample stage base 242 connected and connected to the swivel base 215 of the swivel lifter 210 and the sample stage 241 and the sample stage bottom cover 245 connected thereto. Is pivoted counterclockwise horizontally around the pivot axis 212-2 as shown by the arrow 320, and is removed from the vacuum vessel or the vacuum processing unit 200 main body. 11 and 12 are diagrams schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the plasma processing apparatus in a state where the sample stage unit 240 is further removed from the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a top view of the plasma processing apparatus schematically showing a state where the sample stage unit 240 is turned, and FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plasma processing apparatus schematically showing a state where the sample stage unit 240 is turned. It is.

  In the vacuum processing unit 200 of this embodiment, the sample stage unit 240 is first moved upward by a predetermined distance along the central axis 290 as shown by an arrow 320 in FIG. Is rotated counterclockwise around the pivot 212-2, removed from above the lower container 250 left below, and moved to a region outside the base plate 260. At this time, the swivel base 215 connected and connected to the sample stage unit 240 comes into contact with the upper surface of the flange portion at the lower end of the traveling nut 213 that moves upward along the outer peripheral side wall of the vertical shaft 211 of the swivel lifter 210. It moves upward by a predetermined distance together with the traveling nut 213 and stops.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a configuration is provided in which the sample stage unit 240 is rotated counterclockwise. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the position at which the rotary lifter is disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the base plate 260 is changed to rotate clockwise. It can also be. Further, the distance for moving the sample stage unit 240 upward is determined by the O-ring 207 sandwiched between the sample stage unit 240 and the lower container 250 on which the sample stage unit 240 is placed. It should be higher than the peeling height. Such a height is set to 1 cm in the present embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

  It is desirable that the angle at which the sample stage unit 240 is turned be set to be the same as that of the discharge block unit 220. This makes it possible to reduce the total area occupied by both the discharge block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 when viewed from above during the maintenance work. As a result, an increase in work space between adjacent vacuum processing apparatuses is suppressed, and the number of vacuum vessels that can be installed in a building where a plurality of vacuum processing apparatuses are arranged on the floor surface is increased. As a result, manufacturing efficiency can be increased.

  Further, the structure including the sample stage 241 is collectively swung and moved as one unit as the sample stage unit 240, thereby facilitating the work of removing a portion constituting the vacuum vessel such as the sample stage 241 from the vacuum processing unit 200. And can be executed in a short time. Since the wafer 300 is mounted on the mounting surface on the upper surface of the sample stage 241 during processing, the reaction products are relatively hard to adhere to the mounting surface. Therefore, maintenance including replacement of the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 is performed. When the inspection is performed, the maintenance and inspection work is not always performed. Therefore, by collecting and moving such components including the sample stage 241 from above the lower container 250 as the sample stage unit 240, the amount and time of maintenance and inspection work of the lower container 250 may be increased. Is suppressed.

  The movement of the sample stage unit 240 is also performed by a control device that controls the swivel lifter 210. By rotating the sample stage unit 240 around the rotation axis 212-2 and moving it to a region outside the base plate 260, the lower container 250 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum container left in the vacuum processing unit 200. In addition, the entire circular upper surface of the exhaust cover 261 is exposed.

  Next, after the screws that fasten the lower container 250 and the base plate 260 with the flange portion are removed, the lower container 250 is moved upward and removed as shown in FIG. When the lower container 250 is attached to the vacuum processing unit 200, an O-ring 207 deformed by applying a load from above is applied between the lower surface of the lower container 250 and the upper surface of the base plate 260, which is in contact with the lower container 250. It is arranged sandwiched.

  When removing the lower container 250, it is necessary to apply a force enough to peel off the O-ring 207 that has been deformed and adhered, and lift it. As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, the sample stage unit 240 and the discharge block unit 220, which are members constituting the vacuum vessel disposed above the lower vessel 250, are swiveled around the swivel lifter 210 to form a planar shape. Is moved to a region outside the base plate 260 having a rectangular shape, and a space is formed around the base plate 260 where the turning lifter 210 is not disposed and a worker can stand and work. For this reason, it is possible to easily exert the external force necessary to lift the lower container 250, remove the lower container 250, and perform a swap (replacement) operation with another new or cleaned lower container 230. With such a configuration, the amount of maintenance work for the lower container 250 and the time required for the maintenance work are reduced, and an increase in the so-called non-operation time when the vacuum processing unit 200 is not processing the wafer 300 is suppressed.

  When the lower container 250 is removed, the upper surface of the base plate 260 or the upper surface of the exhaust unit cover 261 is exposed to the atmosphere, so that maintenance and inspection can be performed on these as shown in FIG. Since the exposed portion of the base plate 260 is covered by the lower container 250, the reaction products are relatively little attached. In addition, the upper surface of the exhaust cover 261 having a circular shape is disposed at a position where the center axis of the exhaust unit cover 261 is coincident with or at a position equivalent thereto, and the diameter thereof exceeds the diameter of the sample stage 241 having a cylindrical shape. Since the reaction products formed during the processing of the wafer 300 are relatively small, they can be cleaned if necessary. As described above, after the members constituting the vacuum container that is removed from the vacuum processing unit 200 and subjected to maintenance and inspection work are cleaned and replaced, the vacuum processing unit 200 is removed in the reverse order of the removal. The vacuum vessel is mounted on the base plate 260 and assembled.

  In the present embodiment, the lid member 202, the shower plate 203, the gas introduction ring 204, the quartz inner cylinder 205, the discharge block unit 220, the earth ring 225, the upper container 230, the sample table unit 240, and the lower container In the work of removing the traveling nut 250 from the main body of the vacuum processing unit 200, the traveling nut 213 stops at three height positions which are next to the cylindrical upper and lower shafts 211 which move along the outer peripheral side wall. That is, (1) a lower limit position (a period during which the lid member 202, the shower plate 203, the gas introduction ring 204 and the quartz inner cylinder 205 are removed, FIGS. 5 to 7), and (2) an intermediate position (the discharge block unit 220, the ground). 8 to 10), (3) Upper end position (period during removal of sample stage unit 240 and lower container 250, FIGS. 11 to 14). In the present embodiment, the three positions of the traveling nut 213 are configured so that an operator can grasp the position by a position sensor, a scale, or the like in conjunction with a not-shown indicator light.

  In this embodiment, not only the upper container 230 but also the lower container 250 are replaced. However, a configuration may be adopted in which a liner (cover) is attached so as to cover the inner surface of the lower container 250 and the liner is replaced. In the embodiment, the components other than the discharge block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 which are moved by using the swivel lifter 210 in the maintenance work are moved by the worker himself / herself. May be used.

  Further, in this embodiment, an ECR type vacuum processing apparatus is used as the vacuum processing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to an ICP type apparatus and the like. In addition, although a vacuum processing apparatus having a vacuum processing unit arranged in a link system is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a cluster system apparatus.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the diameter of the object to be processed is large, the uniformity of the processing is good (coaxial axisymmetric exhaust), and only regular maintenance is required. In addition, it is possible to provide a vacuum processing apparatus capable of efficiently performing irregular maintenance.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described above. Further, a part of a certain configuration can be replaced with another configuration, and another configuration can be added to a certain configuration.

100: vacuum processing device,
101 ... atmospheric block,
102 ... vacuum block,
104, 104-1, 104-2: vacuum transfer chamber,
105 ... lock room,
106 ... Atmosphere transfer chamber,
107 ... cassette stand,
108: intermediate transfer chamber
109 ... Atmospheric transfer robot,
110, 110-1, 110-2 ... vacuum transfer robot,
111 ... first gate valve,
112 ... second gate valve,
115 ... valve box,
200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4 ... vacuum processing unit,
201: first high-frequency power supply,
202 ... lid member,
203 ... shower plate,
204 ... gas introduction ring,
205 ... quartz inner cylinder,
206 ... solenoid coil,
207 ... O-ring,
210: swivel lifter,
211 ... vertical axis,
212, 212-1, 212-2 ... turning axis,
213: Traveling nut 214: Swivel base (for discharge block unit)
215: Rotating base (for sample stage unit)
220 ... discharge block unit,
221 ... discharge block base,
222 ... heater,
223 a first temperature controller;
224 ... discharge block,
225… Earth ring,
230: upper container,
240 ... sample stage unit,
241, a sample table,
242: sample stage base,
243 ... second high frequency power supply,
244 ... second temperature controller,
245 ... Bottom lid of sample table,
246 ... support beam,
250 ... lower container,
260 ... base plate,
261 ... Exhaust unit lid,
262 ... actuator,
270 ... exhaust pump,
280 ... post,
290: central axis,
300 ... wafer,
310 ... moving direction of the discharge block unit,
320: the direction in which the sample stage unit moves,
400 ... worker.

Claims (9)

A vacuum chamber having a processing chamber in which a wafer placed inside the depressurized chamber is processed using plasma, and an opening on which the vacuum chamber is mounted and gas from the processing chamber inside the vacuum chamber is discharged. A plasma processing apparatus comprising a base plate and a plurality of members arranged in the vertical direction to constitute the vacuum vessel and configured to be detachable with respect to the base plate,
Outer wall of a member that is disposed on the side of the vacuum container with the wafer being conveyed therein and that is disposed at an intermediate position in the vertical direction among the plurality of removable members A valve box connected to the
A lifter attached to an outer peripheral portion of the base plate and opposite to the end of the valve box with the vacuum vessel interposed therebetween, and connected to each of upper and lower members of the plurality of removable members. A lifter having a vertical axis, wherein the upper and lower possible members connected to different positions in the vertical direction of the axis move in the vertical direction along the axis,
At least one moving member that is provided on the lifter and moves along the up-down axis, from a predetermined position on the axis in a state where the plurality of members are stacked to form the vacuum container. After moving upward, the upper member is moved upward and separated from the lower member by a first predetermined distance, and then the lower member is moved upward to move the second member from the base plate. A moving member that is separated by a predetermined distance and holds the upper and lower members at respective predetermined heights from the base plate. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The plurality of detachable members constitute the vacuum container with a seal member interposed therebetween, and a load is applied to the seal member in a vertical direction in a state where the seal member is attached to the inside and outside of the vacuum container. Plasma processing device that hermetically seals The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
With the movement of the moving member, each of the upper and lower members sequentially moved upward and was kept away from the valve box above the base plate from a position above the base plate while being held at the respective predetermined heights. A plasma processing apparatus that is configured to be removable by moving horizontally to a position. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The lifter has two connecting portions that connect different portions in the vertical direction of the shaft and each of the upper and lower members,
Due to the upward movement of the moving member, after the moving member and each of the two connecting portions sequentially come into contact with each other, each of the upper and lower members and each of the connecting portions connected thereto are sequentially moved upward. In a state where the joints are moved and held at the respective predetermined heights, from a point above the base plate to a position away from the valve box, a vertical direction of a joint disposed at each of the connecting parts is determined. A plasma processing apparatus that is configured to be able to pivot around an axis in a horizontal direction, move, and be detachable. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The lifter has two connecting portions that connect different portions in the vertical direction of the shaft and each of the upper and lower members,
By the downward movement of the moving member, each of the connecting portions held above the base plate at a predetermined height from the base plate and each of the upper and lower members connected thereto along the axis are moved along the axis. A plasma processing apparatus configured to be capable of being moved downward and sequentially separated from each of the two connecting portions so that the upper and lower members can be sequentially stacked and mounted above the base plate. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the lower member is a unit including a sample stage that supports the wafer mounted on the upper surface thereof. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The plasma processing apparatus, wherein the upper member includes a discharge block that forms an upper portion of the vacuum vessel and surrounds a space where the plasma is formed inside. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A plasma processing apparatus, wherein the removable lower member is a unit including a sample stage that supports the wafer mounted on the upper surface thereof. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
A plasma processing apparatus, wherein the member disposed at the intermediate position constitutes a ring-shaped member for grounding the plasma inside the processing chamber.

Images