JP2008251967A - Substrate processing apparatus and status stabilization method in treatment chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save a time to be spent on the conveyance of a substrate for a non-product, and to improve the through-put of the treatment of a substrate for a product by executing the stabilization treatment of the inside state of a treatment chamber without using any substrate for a non-product. <P>SOLUTION: Prior to the start of the process treatment of a wafer W in a treatment chamber 202, the exhaust of the inside of the treatment chamber is carried out while predetermined gas is supplied to the inside of the treatment chamber in such a state that the wafer W is not placed on a susceptor 205, and a high frequency power is applied to the susceptor 205, and the stabilization treatment of the inside state of the treatment chamber is executed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a state stabilization method in the processing chamber.

  In general, in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “wafer”) has various processes such as plasma etching, sputtering, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and the like. Repeated times. Among such process processes, a plurality of process chambers that perform the same type or different types of processes can be combined, and wafers can be continuously processed by successively transferring wafers to each process chamber. In this way, a so-called cluster tool type (or multi-chamber type) substrate processing apparatus that can improve processing efficiency is known.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, the power is turned on to operate the apparatus to start the transfer of the wafer into each processing chamber, and the wafer processing process is continuously executed in each processing chamber. However, if wafer processing is continuously performed in each processing chamber, the processing chamber is contaminated with by-products and internal parts are consumed. For this reason, the substrate processing apparatus is temporarily stopped, maintenance such as cleaning of the processing chamber and replacement of consumables is performed, and the substrate processing apparatus is restarted after the maintenance is completed.

  In each processing chamber of such a substrate processing apparatus, if processing of a wafer for a product is immediately executed in the processing chamber at the start of the operation of the apparatus or at the time of re-operation after maintenance, the processing chamber is still in the processing chamber. Since the state is not stable, there is a possibility that the process characteristics (the film thickness of the thin film formed on the wafer, the shape of the element formed by etching, etc.) vary for the first plurality of wafers.

  In order to stabilize the initial characteristics of such a process, before processing wafers for products in each processing chamber, for example, the temperature of the internal parts of the processing chamber is set to a steady state or the inner wall surface state in the processing chamber (for example, The condition of the by-products accumulated on the inner wall of the processing chamber is adjusted and seasoning is applied to the product wafer process so that the processing chamber is in the optimum condition required for production of the product wafer. A state stabilization process (also referred to as conditioning) in the processing chamber to be stabilized is performed.

  Conventionally, in such a processing chamber state stabilization process, a dedicated dummy wafer (non-product substrate) is prepared separately from the product wafer, and the dummy wafer is processed in each process before the processing of the product wafer is started. Multiple steps that can be set for each of multiple steps (such as high-frequency power for plasma generation, pressure in the processing chamber, gas flow rate, temperature, etc.) that are the same as when processing wafers for product processing (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-121030 A

  However, such a conventional process chamber state stabilization process is carried out by transferring a dummy wafer prepared separately from the product wafer to the process chamber in the same manner as the product wafer and executing the dummy process. Only after the dummy wafer was taken out of the processing chamber could the product wafer be processed. For this reason, there has been a problem that the start of the process processing of the product wafer is delayed by the time taken to transfer the dummy wafer.

  In addition, in order to stabilize the processing chamber so as to be in an optimum state, it may be necessary to continuously process a plurality of dummy wafers, and as the number of dummy wafers required increases, the time required to transfer each dummy wafer also increases. As this increases, it takes time to complete the state stabilization process in the processing chamber, resulting in a decrease in throughput.

  Furthermore, since the dedicated dummy wafer is very expensive, there is a problem that the operation cost of the substrate processing apparatus increases as the number of dummy wafers necessary for the state stabilization process in the processing chamber increases.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object of the present invention is to make it possible to execute the state stabilization process in the processing chamber without using a non-product substrate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus and the like that can save time for transporting a product substrate and improve the throughput of processing the product substrate.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a processing unit including a processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and a substrate connected to the processing unit and storing the processing unit and the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a transfer unit for transferring a substrate to and from a storage container, the susceptor being placed in the processing chamber and mounting the substrate, and a high frequency power source for supplying high frequency power to the susceptor And a gas supply means for supplying a predetermined gas into the processing chamber, an exhaust means for exhausting the processing chamber, and the substrate on the susceptor prior to starting the processing of the substrate in the processing chamber. The high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source is removed by exhausting the exhaust gas while supplying a predetermined gas from the gas supply means into the processing chamber. Is applied to the serial susceptor, the substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a control unit for executing a process for stabilizing is provided a state of the processing chamber.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for stabilizing a state in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus including a processing chamber that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, the substrate A processing apparatus is disposed in the processing chamber, the susceptor on which the substrate is placed, a high-frequency power source that supplies high-frequency power to the susceptor, a gas supply unit that supplies a predetermined gas into the processing chamber, and the processing chamber And evacuating means for evacuating the substrate, and prior to starting the processing of the substrate in the processing chamber, the substrate is not placed on the susceptor, and the gas supply means in the processing chamber has a predetermined amount. A gas supply step; a step of exhausting the processing chamber by the exhaust means; and a step of applying high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source to the susceptor. State stabilizing method in the processing chamber of the processing apparatus is provided.

  According to the present invention, since the processing for stabilizing the state in the processing chamber prior to the processing processing of the product substrate can be executed without placing the substrate on the susceptor, it has been expensive in the past. A non-product substrate can be eliminated. As a result, the operating cost of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced, the time required for transporting the non-product substrate and the like can be saved, and the throughput of processing the product substrate can be improved. Even without using a non-product substrate, the exhaust gas is exhausted while supplying a predetermined gas from the gas supply means into the processing chamber, and the high frequency power from the high frequency power source is applied to the susceptor. The state in the processing chamber can be stabilized to a desired state.

  Further, the control unit may execute a state stabilization process in the processing chamber before the substrate is transferred from the substrate storage container to the processing chamber. According to this, since the state stabilization process in the processing chamber can be performed in parallel with the substrate transfer process, it is possible to shorten the time required for the processing of the product substrate.

  In addition, in the case where the substrate is continuously processed for each of a plurality of substrates, the control unit performs the process processing first before the start of the process processing of the substrate group to be continuously processed. You may make it perform the state stabilization process in the said process chamber before a board | substrate is conveyed from the said substrate storage container to the said process chamber. According to this, since the time required for the process of a group of substrates can be shortened, the throughput of the entire process can be improved.

  In addition, the control unit adjusts a timing for starting execution of the state stabilization process in the processing chamber so that the state stabilization process in the processing chamber ends before the substrate is carried into the processing chamber. You may make it do. According to this, even in a processing chamber that takes time until a substrate is carried in, for example, the wafer process processing can be executed in an optimum state immediately after the completion of the indoor state stabilization processing. Can be further improved.

  Further, heat transfer gas supply means for discharging heat transfer gas from a plurality of jets formed on the substrate mounting surface of the susceptor and supplying the heat transfer gas between the substrate mounting surface and the substrate mounted thereon The control unit includes the heat transfer gas supply means from the ejection port even when the substrate is not placed on the substrate placement surface of the susceptor during the state stabilization process in the treatment chamber. It is preferable to eject the heat transfer gas. According to this, it is possible to prevent intrusion of particles or the like from each jet port that is exposed because there is no wafer on the susceptor during the state stabilization process in the processing chamber.

  The control unit includes storage means for presetting and storing a plurality of processing conditions for state stabilization processing in the processing chamber, and stores the processing conditions when performing the state stabilization processing in the processing chamber. It is preferable to read out from the means and execute the state stabilization process in the processing chamber based on the processing condition. In this case, the process for stabilizing the state in the processing chamber is composed of a plurality of steps, and the processing conditions can be set for each of the processes in the plurality of steps, so that the process is performed without using a non-product wafer. Even in the indoor state stabilization process, a plurality of processing conditions can be set in a plurality of steps as in the case of the product wafer, and the state of the processing chamber can be made more optimal.

  Further, the processing conditions include at least a set pressure of the heat transfer gas supplied from the heat transfer gas supply means, and the set pressure of the heat transfer gas is lower than the processing conditions for performing the substrate processing. It is preferable that it is set. According to this, even if the heat transfer gas is jetted into the processing chamber as it is from the jet port exposed on the susceptor surface during the state stabilization processing in the processing chamber, for example, the plasma generated in the processing chamber is affected. There is nothing.

  The processing conditions include at least set power of high-frequency power applied from the high-frequency power source, and the set power is preferably set lower than the processing conditions for performing the process processing of the substrate. In the processing chamber state stabilization process without the non-product substrate, the susceptor is exposed in the processing chamber. Therefore, when the same high frequency power as in the process processing of the product substrate is applied, for example, when plasma is generated This is because abnormal discharge may occur on the surface of the susceptor.

  According to the present invention, since the state stabilization process in the processing chamber can be performed without using the non-product substrate, it is possible to save time required for transporting the non-product substrate and to reduce the throughput of the product substrate processing. Can be improved.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(Configuration example of substrate processing equipment)
First, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 performs, for example, a film forming process (for example, plasma CVD process) or an etching process (for example, plasma processing) on a wafer W in a vacuum pressure atmosphere with respect to a substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also simply referred to as “wafer”) W. A processing unit 110 including a plurality of processing chambers for performing a predetermined process such as an etching process, and a transfer unit 120 for loading and unloading the wafer W into and from the processing unit 110. Here, a case where six plasma processing apparatuses 200 </ b> A to 200 </ b> F that perform etching processing on the wafer W are provided and these processing chambers 202 </ b> A to 202 </ b> F are connected around the common transfer chamber 150 will be described as an example.

  The transport unit 120 is configured as shown in FIG. The transfer unit 120 has a transfer chamber 130 for transferring the wafer W between a substrate storage container, for example, a cassette container 132 (132A to 132C) described later and the processing unit 110. The transfer chamber 130 is formed in a box shape having a substantially polygonal cross section. A plurality of cassette bases 131 (131A to 131C) are arranged in parallel on one side surface constituting the long side of the polygonal section in the transfer chamber 130. Each of the cassette bases 131A to 131C is configured to be able to place cassette containers 132A to 132C as an example of a substrate storage container.

In each cassette container 132 (132A to 132C), for example, by holding the end portion of the wafer W with the holding portion, for example, a maximum of 25 wafers W can be placed and accommodated in multiple stages at an equal pitch. The inside has a sealed structure filled with, for example, an N ₂ gas atmosphere. The transfer chamber 130 is configured such that the wafer W can be transferred into and out of the transfer chamber 130 via a gate valve 133 (133A to 133C). The number of cassette stands 131 and cassette containers 132 is not limited to the case shown in FIG.

  Positioning provided at the end of the transfer chamber 130, that is, on one side surface constituting a short side with a substantially polygonal cross section, is provided with a rotary mounting table 138 and an optical sensor 139 for optically detecting the peripheral edge of the wafer W. An orienter (pre-alignment stage) 136 as an apparatus is provided. In this orienter 136, for example, an orientation flat or notch of the wafer W is detected and alignment is performed.

  In the transfer chamber 130, a transfer unit side transfer mechanism (transfer chamber transfer mechanism) 170 for transferring the wafer W along the longitudinal direction (the arrow direction shown in FIG. 1) is provided. The base 172 to which the transport unit side transport mechanism 170 is fixed is supported so as to be slidable on a guide rail 174 provided along the length direction in the center of the transport chamber 130. The base 172 and the guide rail 174 are each provided with a mover and a stator of a linear motor. A linear motor drive mechanism (not shown) for driving the linear motor is provided at the end of the guide rail 174. A controller 300 is connected to the linear motor drive mechanism. Thus, the linear motor drive mechanism is driven based on the control signal from the control unit 300, and the transport unit side transport mechanism 170 moves in the direction of the arrow along the guide rail 174 together with the base 172.

  The transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170 is configured by a double arm mechanism having two picks 173A and 173B, and can handle two wafers W at a time. Thus, for example, when the wafer W is loaded / unloaded into / from the cassette container 132, the orienter 136, the load lock chambers 160M, 160N, the wafer W can be loaded / unloaded. Note that the number of picks of the transport unit side transport mechanism 170 is not limited to the above, and for example, a single arm mechanism having only one pick may be used.

  Next, a configuration example of the processing unit 110 will be described. For example, in the case of a cluster tool type substrate processing apparatus, the processing unit 110 includes six plasma processing apparatuses 200A to 200F around a common transfer chamber 150 formed in a polygon (for example, a hexagon) as shown in FIG. The processing chambers 202A to 202F and the load lock chambers 160M and 160N are hermetically connected.

  Susceptors 205A to 205F are provided in the processing chambers 202A to 202F, respectively. The susceptors 205A to 205F function as a lower electrode and also function as a mounting table on which the wafer W is mounted. The plasma processing apparatuses 200 </ b> A to 200 </ b> F according to the present embodiment stabilize the state in each of the processing chambers 202 </ b> A to 202 </ b> F before performing the plasma etching process on the wafer W, so that the processing chambers are adapted to the processing of the wafer W. The state stabilization process is configured to be executable. Specific configuration examples of such plasma processing apparatuses 200A to 200F will be described later.

  The common transfer chamber 150 carries wafers W in and out between the processing chambers 202A to 202F as described above or between the processing chambers 202A to 202F and the first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N. It has a function. The common transfer chamber 150 is formed in a polygonal shape (for example, a hexagon), and the processing chambers 202A to 202F are connected to the periphery of the common transfer chamber 150 via gate valves 144A to 144F, respectively. The distal ends of the lock chambers 160M and 160N are connected via gate valves (vacuum pressure side gate valves) 154M and 154N, respectively. The base ends of the first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N are connected to other side surfaces constituting the long sides of the substantially polygonal cross section in the transfer chamber 130 through gate valves (atmospheric pressure side gate valves) 162M and 162N, respectively. Has been.

  The first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N have a function of temporarily holding the wafer W and adjusting the pressure to pass to the next stage. Delivery tables 164M and 164N on which the wafer W can be placed are provided in the first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N, respectively.

  In such a processing unit 110, as described above, between the common transfer chamber 150 and each of the process chambers 202A to 202F and between the common transfer chamber 150 and each of the load lock chambers 160M and 160N can be opened and closed in an airtight manner. It is configured as a cluster tool, and can communicate with the inside of the common transfer chamber 150 as necessary. The first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N and the transfer chamber 130 are also configured to be openable and closable.

  In the common transfer chamber 150, for example, a processing unit-side transfer mechanism (common transfer chamber transfer mechanism) 180 including an articulated arm configured to be able to bend, extend, move up and down, and turn is provided. The processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is rotatably supported by the base 182. The base 182 is configured to be slidable on a guide rail 184 disposed from the base end side to the tip end side in the common transfer chamber 150 by, for example, a slide drive motor (not shown). The base 182 is connected with a flexible arm 186 for passing wiring such as an arm turning motor. According to the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 configured as described above, the load lock chambers 160M and 160N and the processing chambers 202A to 202F are moved by sliding the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 along the guide rail 184. Can be accessed.

  For example, when the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is accessed to the load lock chambers 160M and 160N and the processing chambers 202A and 202F arranged to face each other, the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is moved along the guide rail 184 in the common transport chamber 150. Position it closer to the base end. Further, when the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 accesses the four processing chambers 202B to 202E, the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is positioned along the guide rail 184 closer to the front end side of the common transport chamber 150. Thereby, it is possible to access all the load lock chambers 160M and 160N and the processing chambers 202A to 202F connected to the common transfer chamber 150 by one processing unit side transfer mechanism 180. The processing unit side transfer mechanism 180 has two picks 183A and 183B, and can handle two wafers W at a time.

  Note that the configuration of the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is not limited to the above, and may be configured by two transport mechanisms. For example, a first transfer mechanism composed of an articulated arm configured to be able to bend, bend, lift, and swivel is provided near the base end side of the common transfer chamber 150, and can be bent, lifted, lifted, and swung near the tip side of the common transfer chamber 150 You may make it provide the 2nd conveyance mechanism which consists of an articulated arm comprised. Further, the number of picks of the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 is not limited to two, and for example, it may have only one pick.

  The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes the control of the plasma processing apparatuses 200A to 200F, the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170, the process unit side transfer mechanism 180, the gate valves 133, 144, 154, 162, the orienter 136, and the like. A control unit 300 that controls the operation of the entire processing apparatus is provided.

(Configuration example of control unit)
Here, a configuration example of the control unit 300 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 300 is used for various data processing performed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 310, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 320 that stores data for controlling each unit, and the like. A RAM (Random-Access Memory) 330 provided with a memory area, a display means 340 including a liquid crystal display for displaying an operation screen, a selection screen, and the like, and various data can be input and output by an operator. Stores various program data applied to the substrate processing apparatus 100, various input / output means 350, notification means 360 composed of an alarm device such as a buzzer, various controllers 370 for controlling each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 Program data storage means 380, and Comprising a setting information storage unit 390 for storing various setting information used when executing a program processing based on the program data. The program data storage unit 380 and the setting information storage unit 390 are composed of recording media such as a flash memory, a hard disk, and a CD-ROM, for example, and data is read by the CPU 310 as necessary.

  In the program data storage unit 380, for example, a transfer program 382 for controlling the operations of the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170 and the processing unit side transfer mechanism 180, and various processing programs 384 for performing processing of the processing chambers 202A to 202F, and the like. It is remembered. As various processing programs 384, for example, a process processing program for performing process processing (in this case, plasma etching processing) on the wafer W in each of the processing chambers 202A to 202F, a state in each of the processing chambers 202A to 202F described later is stabilized. There is a processing chamber state stabilization processing program for performing processing.

  In addition, the setting information storage unit 390 stores transfer setting information 392 necessary for carrying the wafer W, such as the position coordinates of the points accessed by the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 180 and the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170, for example. ing. In addition, various processing setting information 394 such as processing condition data (recipe data) necessary for various processing is stored. The various processing setting information 394 includes, for example, processing chamber pressure, gas flow rate, high-frequency power, heat transfer gas pressure, temperature, processing time, and other processing conditions in process processing, processing chamber pressure, gas flow rate in processing chamber state stabilization processing, Processing conditions such as high-frequency power, heat transfer gas pressure, temperature, and processing time are stored.

  These CPU 310, ROM 320, RAM 330, display means 340, input / output means 350, notification means 360, various controllers 370, program data storage means 380, and setting information storage means 390 are buses such as a control bus, system bus, and data bus. Are electrically connected by lines.

(Operation of substrate processing equipment)
Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described. For example, when processing the wafer W accommodated in the cassette container 132A, the wafer W is unloaded from the cassette container 132A by the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170. It is transported to the orienter 136 and transferred to the rotary mounting table 138 of the orienter 136, where it is positioned. The positioned wafer W is unloaded from the orienter 136 and loaded into the load lock chamber 160M or 160N. At this time, if the process completion wafer W in which all necessary processes have been completed is in the load lock chamber 160M or 160N, the process completion wafer W is unloaded and then the unprocessed wafer W is loaded.

  The wafer W loaded into the load lock chamber 160M or 160N is unloaded from the load lock chamber 160M or 160N by the processing unit side transfer mechanism 180, and the wafer W is loaded into the processing chamber 202A of the plasma processing apparatus 200A, for example. The wafer W is placed on a susceptor 205A that functions as a lower electrode in the processing chamber 202A, and is subjected to a plasma etching process to be described later.

  The processed wafer W that has been processed in the processing chamber 202A is unloaded from the processing chamber 202A by the processing unit-side transfer mechanism 180 and returned to the load lock chamber 160M or 160N. Then, the wafer W in the load lock chamber 160M or 160N is unloaded by the transfer unit side transfer mechanism 170 and returned to the original cassette container 132A.

(Configuration example of plasma processing equipment)
Next, specific configuration examples of such plasma processing apparatuses 200A to 200F will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the plasma processing apparatuses 200A to 200F are exemplified in the same configuration, and therefore, the plasma processing apparatus 200 in which the symbols A to F are omitted will be representatively described below. explain. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of such a plasma processing apparatus 200. The plasma processing apparatus 200 is a parallel plate type plasma etching apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the processing chamber 202 of the plasma processing apparatus 200 is configured by a processing container formed into a cylindrical shape made of aluminum whose surface is anodized (anodized), for example. The processing chamber 202 is grounded. A substantially cylindrical susceptor support base 204 is provided on the bottom of the processing chamber 202 via an insulating plate 203 such as ceramic, and the susceptor 205 is provided on the susceptor support base 204. A high pass filter (HPF) 206 is connected to the susceptor 205. The susceptor 205 functions as a lower electrode and also functions as a mounting table on which the wafer W is mounted.

  Inside the susceptor support base 204, a temperature control medium chamber 207 is provided. Then, a temperature control medium (for example, a refrigerant) is introduced into the temperature control medium chamber 207 through the introduction pipe 208, circulated, and discharged from the discharge pipe 209. By such circulation of the temperature adjusting medium, the susceptor 205 can be adjusted to a desired temperature.

  The upper center portion of the susceptor 205 is formed into a convex disk shape, and an electrostatic chuck 211 having substantially the same shape as the wafer W is provided thereon. The electrostatic chuck 211 has a configuration in which an electrode 212 is interposed between insulating materials. A DC power source 213 is electrically connected to the electrode 212 via a switch 213a. According to the electrostatic chuck 211 configured as described above, the wafer W can be attracted and held on the susceptor 205 with a Coulomb force by a DC voltage (for example, 1.5 kV) from the DC power supply 213.

  The susceptor 205 has a heat transfer gas (for example, a backside gas such as He gas) between the substrate mounting surface and the wafer W mounted thereon from a plurality of ejection ports 214a formed on the substrate mounting surface. A heat transfer gas supply means is provided. The heat transfer gas supply means includes a gas passage 214 formed in the insulating plate 203, the support base 204, the susceptor 205, and the electrostatic chuck 211. The downstream side of the gas passage 214 communicates with the jet outlet 214a, and a heat transfer gas source (not shown) (for example, a chiller unit) is connected to the upstream side. The heat transfer gas from the heat transfer gas source is supplied to the back side of the wafer W from the jet outlet 214 a through the gas passage 214. Heat is transferred between the susceptor 205 and the wafer W through the heat transfer gas, and the wafer W is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

  An annular focus ring 215 is disposed at the upper peripheral edge of the susceptor 205 so as to surround the wafer W placed on the electrostatic chuck 211. The focus ring 215 is made of an insulating material such as ceramics or quartz, or a conductive material. By arranging the focus ring 215, the uniformity of etching is improved.

  A shower head 221 that functions as an upper electrode is provided above the susceptor 205 as a lower electrode so as to face the susceptor 205 in parallel. The shower head 221 also functions as a gas supply unit that introduces a predetermined gas into the processing chamber 202. The shower head 221 is supported inside the processing chamber 202 via an insulating material 222. The shower head 221 is configured by an electrode plate 224 that constitutes an upper electrode that forms a surface facing the susceptor 205 and has many discharge holes 223, and an electrode support 225 that supports the electrode plate 224. The electrode plate 224 is made of, for example, quartz, and the electrode support 225 is made of, for example, a conductive material such as aluminum whose surface is anodized. The distance between the susceptor 205 as the lower electrode and the shower head 221 as the upper electrode can be adjusted.

  A gas inlet 226 is provided at the center of the electrode support 225 in the shower head 221. A gas supply pipe 227 is connected to the gas introduction port 226. Further, a gas supply source 230 is connected to the gas supply pipe 227 via a valve 228 and a mass flow controller 229.

From this gas supply source 230, for example, a processing gas for an etching process or a processing gas for a processing chamber state stabilization process described later that is performed prior to the etching process is supplied. FIG. 3 shows only one gas supply system including a gas supply pipe 227, a valve 228, a mass flow controller 229, a gas supply source 230, and the like, but the plasma processing apparatus 200 includes a plurality of gas supply systems. I have. For example, gases such as CF ₄ , CHF ₃ , C ₄ F ₈ , Ar, N ₂ , and O ₂ are independently controlled in flow rate and supplied into the processing chamber 202. For example, CF ₄ , CHF ₃ , C ₄ F ₈ , Ar, N _{2 and the} like are used for the etching process, and O ₂ and Ar are used for the process chamber state stabilization process.

  An exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the bottom of the processing chamber 202, and an exhaust means 235 is connected to the exhaust pipe 231. The exhaust means 235 includes a vacuum pump such as a turbo molecular pump, and adjusts the inside of the processing chamber 202 to a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere.

  A shower head 221 that is an upper electrode is connected to a first high-frequency power source 240, and a first matching unit 241 is interposed in the power supply line. Further, a low pass filter (LPF) 242 is connected to the shower head 221. The first high frequency power supply 240 can output power having a frequency in the range of 50 to 150 MHz. By applying the high frequency first high frequency power to the shower head 221 as the upper electrode in this way, a high-density plasma can be formed in a preferable dissociated state in the processing chamber 202 under low pressure conditions. Plasma processing is possible. The frequency of the first high-frequency power of the first high-frequency power supply 240 is preferably 50 to 80 MHz, and typically, the illustrated frequency of 60 MHz or the vicinity thereof is used.

  A second high-frequency power source 250 is connected to the susceptor 205 which is the lower electrode, and a second matching unit 251 is inserted in the power supply line. The second high frequency power supply 250 can output electric power having a frequency in the range of several hundred kHz to several tens of MHz. By applying electric power having a frequency in such a range to the susceptor 205, an appropriate ion action can be given without damaging the wafer W, which is the object to be processed. The frequency of the output power of the second high-frequency power source 250 is typically adjusted to 2 MHz or 13.56 MHz as shown. In this embodiment, it is set to 2 MHz.

(Plasma processing equipment processing)
A process executed by the plasma processing apparatus 200 having such a configuration will be described. In the plasma processing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment, plasma etching processing of the wafer W is executed. The control unit 300 reads the etching process conditions (recipe) set in advance from the various process setting information 394 in the setting information storage unit 390 and the various processing programs 384 in the program data storage unit 380, and the etching process program is read out. An etching processing program is executed based on the processing conditions of the processing, and an etching process is performed on the wafer W.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, when the wafer W is loaded through the gate valve 144 and placed on the susceptor 205, the inside of the processing chamber 202 is maintained at a predetermined vacuum pressure, and the temperature of the susceptor 205 is increased. Is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjusting medium. In this state, when a predetermined processing gas (for example, CF ₄ , CHF _3, etc.) is introduced and predetermined high frequency power is applied to the shower head 221 as the upper electrode and the susceptor 205 as the lower electrode, Plasma is generated, and the wafer W is subjected to a process such as an etching process.

  Such process processing is executed by a plurality of steps as follows, for example. That is, an initial step for starting and stabilizing the plasma, an etching process step for performing etching for a predetermined time on the wafer W to be executed next, and an end step for adjusting the state in the processing chamber 202 after the execution of etching. . Note that the end step includes an end point process in which the etching process in the immediately preceding etching process ends at the end point.

In these steps, for example, the pressure in the processing chamber, the high frequency power applied to each electrode (here, the upper electrode and the lower electrode), the flow rate of each gas such as CF ₄ and CHF ₃ , the pressure of the heat transfer gas (here, He gas), Processing conditions such as susceptor temperature and processing time are set for each step.

  Note that the process processing steps are not limited to those described above, and each of the above steps (initial step, etching processing step, and end step) can be composed of a plurality of finer steps. Further, the processing conditions (recipe) of the process processing are not limited to the above.

  By the way, in such a plasma processing apparatus 200, if the processing of the product wafer W is immediately performed in the processing chamber 202 at the start of the operation of the apparatus or at the time of re-operation after the maintenance, the processing chamber is not yet processed. Since the state in 202 (for example, the state of plasma, the temperature of parts such as the susceptor in the processing chamber 202, the pressure in the processing chamber, the state of the inner surface of the processing chamber 202, etc.) is not stable in the optimum state, For a plurality of wafers, process characteristics (thickness of a thin film formed on the wafer, shape of an element formed by etching, etc.) may vary.

  In order to stabilize the initial characteristics of such a process, before processing the product wafer W in the processing chamber 202, for example, the temperature of internal components such as the susceptor 205 of the processing chamber 202 is set to a steady state, The condition in the processing chamber 202 is used for the product by adjusting the condition of the inner wall surface (for example, the state of by-products deposited on the inner wall of the processing chamber) and performing seasoning to adjust to the process processing of the product wafer. A state stabilization process (also referred to as conditioning) in the processing chamber is performed to stabilize the wafer in an optimum state required during wafer production.

  In the present embodiment, the process chamber state stabilization process by multi-steps can be performed in the same manner as in the conventional process even when the wafer W is not placed on the susceptor 205, as in the conventional case. This is characterized in that a special dummy wafer is not required.

  Conventionally, since dummy wafers were used, multiple setting conditions such as high-frequency power applied to the susceptor, pressure in the processing chamber, gas flow rate, and temperature can be set at multiple steps in the same way as when processing a product wafer. It was possible to perform processing room state stabilization processing by multistep.

  However, in the conventional plasma processing apparatus, in the state where the wafer W is not placed on the susceptor, it is not assumed that the multi-step processing similar to that for the product wafer is performed, and such multi-step processing can be performed. It was not like that. This is because when the wafer W is not placed on the susceptor, the state of the processing chamber is different from the state of placing the wafer W, for example, the surface of the susceptor is exposed in the processing chamber. If the multi-step process is performed in the same way as a product wafer, problems such as abnormal discharge when plasma is generated and particles entering from heat transfer gas holes exposed on the surface of the susceptor are caused. It is possible.

  Therefore, in the conventional plasma processing apparatus, even if the state stabilization process in the processing chamber is performed without the wafer W, the settable items such as the set temperature of the susceptor are extremely limited, and only a single step is required. Since it could only be set by processing, the optimal processing chamber state stabilization processing could not be performed without a dummy wafer.

  Therefore, in the plasma processing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment, even if there is no dedicated dummy wafer on the susceptor 205 as in the prior art, the process chamber state stabilization process is performed by multi-step as in the case of performing the process processing of the product wafer. Thus, a conventional dummy wafer is unnecessary. Further, in the processing chamber state stabilization processing according to the present embodiment, a state in which there is no wafer W on the susceptor 205 by changing a part of the processing conditions to the processing conditions for processing a product wafer. Therefore, it is possible to execute the optimum process chamber state stabilization process so that no problems occur when the process is executed.

(Specific example of processing chamber state stabilization processing)
A specific example of the processing chamber state stabilization processing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the plasma processing apparatus 200 in the processing chamber state stabilization processing according to the present embodiment. Note that FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the main part of the configuration of the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 for easy understanding, and a part of the configuration is omitted. Here, a case where the processing chamber state stabilization process is performed using a mixed gas of O ₂ gas and Ar gas as a processing gas will be described as an example. The processing conditions (recipe) of the processing chamber state stabilization processing set in advance from the various processing setting information 394 of the setting information storage unit 390 by the control unit 300 and the processing chamber state stabilization from the various processing programs 384 of the program data storage unit 380 The processing program is read, and the processing chamber state stabilization processing program is executed based on the processing condition of the processing chamber state stabilization processing, and the processing chamber state stabilization processing is performed.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the state where the wafer W is not placed on the susceptor 205, the inside of the processing chamber 202 is maintained at a predetermined vacuum pressure, and the temperature of the susceptor 205 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjusting medium. In this state, a predetermined processing gas (here, a mixed gas of O ₂ gas and Ar gas) is introduced, and predetermined high-frequency power is applied to the shower head 221 as the upper electrode and the susceptor 205 as the lower electrode, respectively. Then, plasma of the processing gas is generated, and the state in the processing chamber 202 is stabilized to the lowest state for performing the etching process of the product wafer.

  Such a processing chamber state stabilization process is executed by a plurality of steps as follows, for example. That is, an initial step for starting and stabilizing the plasma, a stabilization step for stabilizing each part such as the temperature of the susceptor 205 that is executed next, and a final step such as particle removal in the processing chamber 202 that is executed last. .

In these steps, for example, the pressure in the processing chamber, the high-frequency power applied to each electrode (here, the upper electrode and the lower electrode), the gas flow rates of O ₂ and Ar, the pressure of the heat transfer gas (He gas here), the susceptor temperature Processing conditions such as processing time are set for each step.

  Of the processing conditions of each step, the high frequency power applied to each electrode is preferably set lower than in the case of the product wafer process (here, etching). This is because the susceptor 205 is exposed in the processing chamber 202 as shown in FIG. 4 in the processing chamber state stabilization processing without a wafer according to the present embodiment. The reason for applying the high frequency power is to prevent abnormal discharge from occurring on the surface of the susceptor 205 when plasma is generated, for example.

  Further, in the processing chamber state stabilization processing according to the present embodiment, since the wafer W is not placed on the susceptor 205, it may be considered that there is no need to supply heat transfer gas onto the surface of the susceptor 205, but as shown in FIG. As described above, since the plurality of heat transfer gas jets 214a are exposed on the surface of the susceptor 205, the heat transfer gas is also supplied in order to prevent intrusion of particles and the like from the jets 214a.

  However, the pressure of the heat transfer gas is preferably set lower than that in the case of the etching process for the product wafer. This is because there is no wafer W, so it is not necessary to cool the wafer W with a heat transfer gas, for example, and the heat transfer gas is jetted into the processing chamber 202 as it is from the jet outlet 214a as shown in FIG. This is because it is sufficient to prevent intrusion of particles and the like from the jet outlet 214a so that the plasma generated in the chamber 202 is not affected.

  Note that the processing chamber state stabilization processing steps are not limited to those described above, and each of the above steps (initial step, stabilization step, end step) may be composed of a plurality of finer steps. it can. Further, the processing conditions (recipe) of the processing chamber state stabilization processing are not limited to the above.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the wafer W is not mounted on the susceptor 205, the dummy wafer W is used by enabling the processing chamber state stabilization processing by the same multi-step as the product wafer. Without any problem, the state in the processing chamber 202 can be stabilized to the optimum state for processing the product wafer.

  As a result, it is not necessary to use an expensive dummy wafer, so that the operating cost can be reduced. Further, since the dummy wafer transfer process can be omitted, the time required for the process chamber state stabilization process can be shortened, and the overall throughput can be improved. Further, since the processing chamber state stabilization processing according to the present embodiment does not require transfer processing of the dummy wafer W, the timing for executing the state stabilization processing of each processing chamber 202A to 202F is set in accordance with the operation of the processing chamber. It can be adjusted freely. For example, since it can be performed in parallel with the transfer of the wafer W before the wafer W is transferred from the cassette container 132 into the processing chamber 202, the time for finishing the processing of the product wafer can be shortened. Furthermore, immediately after the apparatus of the plasma processing apparatus 200 is operated (immediately after the start-up of the apparatus), the state stabilization process of each of the processing chambers 202A to 202F may be executed, and a group of wafers (one lot (for example, 25 sheets)). In the case where the process processing is continuously performed for each wafer), the state stabilization processing of each of the processing chambers 202A to 202F may be performed before the processing of the first product wafer for each lot. . According to this, since the time required for the process of the group of wafers W can be shortened, the throughput of the entire process can be improved.

(Specific example of processing chamber state stabilization processing execution timing)
Here, a specific example of the execution timing of the processing chamber state stabilization process performed without using such a dummy wafer will be described together with the operation of the entire substrate processing apparatus with reference to the drawings. Here, as an example, a case where the processing chamber state stabilization processing is executed before the processing of the first product wafer when processing a group of product wafers continuously will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of the wafer transfer sequence of the entire substrate processing apparatus when the processing chamber state stabilization process according to the present embodiment is performed. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is started up (at the time of power-on). Or when a group of product wafers are continuously processed.

In order to simplify the description here, only one of the processing chambers 202A to 202F shown in FIG. 1 (here, “PM1”) is operated, and the cassette chambers 132A to 132C are operated. one cassette container (here, "FOUP" to) sequentially one by one the contained group of product wafers a (e.g. a wafer _a 01 _{to a 25} for one lot 25 sheets of product) to retrieve the processing chamber PM1 An example will be given of the case where the etching process of the product wafer A is carried out continuously. The product wafer A taken out from the cassette container FOUP1 is carried into the common transfer chamber 150 from the transfer chamber 130 via the first load lock chamber 160M, and the product wafer A after the etching process in the processing chamber PM1 is completed. The common transfer chamber 150 is returned to the transfer chamber 130 via the second load lock chamber 160N. In this case, the first and second load lock chambers 160M and 160N are referred to as “LLM1” and “LLM2”, respectively. Further, the orienter 136, the transport unit side transport mechanism 170, and the processing unit side transport mechanism 180 are herein referred to as “ORT”, “LMA”, and “TMA”, respectively.

  The shaded portion shown in FIG. 5 indicates the time during which each part of the substrate processing apparatus 100 executes processing (for example, the time during which the wafer A for product is transferred during wafer transfer, the etching process for the product wafer A during the process). In the case of evacuation, the time during which the process module is evacuated), that is, the active time of each part. In FIG. 5, in order to simplify the description, the active time of each part is expressed using a square. The width of one square indicates a basic unit time T of a certain time (for example, 8 to 20 seconds), and the active time of each part (the length of the hatched portion) is expressed by an integral multiple of the basic unit time T. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the substrate processing apparatus 100 is started up, the state stabilization process of the processing chamber PM1 is started immediately after (t0). Transport of the first product wafer A ₀₁ is started concurrently with (t0). That is, the product wafer _{A 01} from the cassette container FOUP is picked by the transfer unit-side transfer mechanism LMA (t0 to t1), are conveyed to the orienter ORT (t1 to t2), the alignment is performed (t2 to t4). The product wafer A _{01 that} has been aligned is taken out from the orienter ORT by the transfer unit side transfer mechanism LMA (t4 to t5), and is transferred to the first load lock chamber LLM1 (t5 to t6).

When the pressure adjusted from atmospheric pressure to a predetermined vacuum state by the first load lock chamber LLM1 (t6 to t8), the processing unit-side transfer mechanism TMA product wafers _{A 01} from the first load lock chamber LLM1 is takeout (T8 to t9) and carried into the processing chamber PM1 (t9 to t10). In this case, before the product wafer _{A 01} is loaded into the processing chamber PM1, the state stabilization of the processing chamber PM1 is completed (T0 to T9).

On the other hand, immediately after loading the product wafer _{A 01} to the first load lock chamber LLM1 (t6), the following product wafers _{A 02} from the cassette container FOUP is picked by the transfer unit-side transfer mechanism LMA (t6 to t7), It is conveyed to the orienter ORT (t7 to t8), and alignment is performed (t8 to t10). Thus, when the product wafer of the orienter ORT is loaded into the first load lock chamber LLM1, the transport unit side transport mechanism LMA goes to pick up the next product wafer into the cassette container FOUP. Thus, the product wafers in the cassette container FOUP are sequentially carried into the first load lock chamber LLM1.

Then, while the positioning of the product wafer _{A 02} in the orienter ORT is the completed (t8 to t10), the process processing product wafer _{A 01} in the processing chamber PM1 is being performed, carried into the first load lock chamber LLM1 (T13 to t14). Next, when the pressure adjustment from atmospheric pressure to a predetermined vacuum state by the first load lock chamber LLM1 (t14~t16), a product wafer _{A 02} from the first load lock chamber LLM1 by the processing unit-side transfer mechanism TMA is conveyed taken out with up to front of the process chamber PM1 (t16 to t17), the process processing product wafer _{a 01} is in a standby state until the end of the process chamber PM1. Thereafter, the process processing product wafer _{A 01} is completed (t19), the product wafer _{A 02} is loaded into the processing chamber PM1 in exchange for processed product wafer _{A 01 (t19~t21),} process the process It is started (t21).

The processed product wafer A ₀₁ is carried into the second load lock chamber LLM2 by the processing unit side transfer mechanism TMA (t23 to t24). Next, when the pressure is adjusted from the predetermined reduced pressure state to the atmospheric pressure state in the second load lock chamber LLM2 (t24 to t26), the second load lock chamber LLM2 is taken out from the second load lock chamber LLM2 (t26 to t27). ), Returned to the original cassette container FOUP. In this way, a group of product wafers A _{01 to} A ₂₅ are successively processed.

Thus, in this embodiment, since the state stabilization process can be performed without using a dummy wafer, the state stabilization process for the processing chamber PM1 can be started immediately after the substrate processing apparatus 100 is started up (t0). can, (t0~t10) while carrying the wafer _{a 01} for the first products to the processing chamber PM1, may terminate the state stabilization (t9). Thus, the first product wafer A ₀₁ is because it begins the process processing such as immediately etched is transported to the processing chamber PM1, it is possible to improve the throughput of the process.

For comparison with this, FIG. 6 shows a comparative example of the wafer transfer sequence of the entire substrate processing apparatus when the processing chamber state stabilization process is performed using the dummy wafer Wd. Here, it is assumed that the dummy wafer Wd is stored in the same cassette container FOUP as the product wafers A _{01 to} A ₂₅ .

When using a dummy wafer Wd, as shown in FIG. 6, carried before applying an etching process on a wafer _{A 01} for the first product, it is taken out of the dummy wafer Wd from the cassette container FOUP (t0 to t1), to the processing chamber PM1 Then (t1 to t10), the processing chamber state stabilization process is performed (t10 to t19). Therefore, the transport process of the first product wafer _{A 01} shown in FIG. 5 (t0~t10), the time for the process treatment (t10~t19), the carrying process of the dummy wafer Wd, the process chamber state stabilization treatment is carried out Therefore, it can be understood that the time for starting the process processing of the product wafers A _{01 to} A ₂₅ for one lot is delayed by that amount. In addition, since the process chamber state stabilization process cannot be started until the dummy wafer Wd is transferred into the process chamber PM1, it takes time to complete the process chamber state stabilization process. Therefore, if the processing chamber state stabilization process is performed using the dummy wafer Wd for each lot of product wafers, the dummy wafer Wd must be transported for each lot. It takes time to complete the process.

In contrast, in the case of not using the dummy wafer Wd, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to omit a process of transporting the dummy wafer Wd, the start of the transport process of a product wafer A ₀₁ (t0) at the same time processing The room state stabilization process can also be executed, and the process room state stabilization process can be completed while the first product wafer A ₀₁ is being transferred. The timing (t10) at which the process processing of the product wafers A _{01 to} A ₂₅ for the lot can be started is also early. Accordingly, by performing the process chamber state stabilization process without using the dummy wafer Wd for each product wafer of each lot, the process processing of the product wafer is performed for each lot as compared to the case shown in FIG. Time to complete can be shortened. Thereby, the throughput of processing the product wafer can be improved.

The processing chamber state stabilization processing time in FIG. 5 (T0 to T9), for example for the case where the same as the process processing the processing time of the product wafer _{A 01 (t10~t19)} has been described, the process process The processing time may be different. That is, the processing time of the processing chamber state stabilization processing may be longer or shorter than the processing time of the product wafer depending on, for example, the status of the processing chamber, the type of process processing of the product wafer and the recipe. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the processing chamber state stabilization processing is started immediately after the startup of the plasma processing apparatus is described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and each processing chamber 202 includes a wafer. The process start timing may be adjusted so that the process chamber state stabilization process is completed before the process is started after the process is carried. According to this, for example, even in a processing chamber that takes time until the wafer is carried in, the wafer processing can be executed in an optimum state immediately after the completion of the indoor state stabilization processing. Can be further improved.

  The present invention described in detail in the above embodiment may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of one device. A medium such as a storage medium storing a software program for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to the system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus is stored in the medium such as the storage medium. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be achieved by reading and executing the program.

  In this case, the program itself read from the medium such as a storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the medium such as the storage medium storing the program constitutes the present invention. Examples of the medium such as a storage medium for supplying the program include a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RAM. , DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, ROM, or network download.

  Note that by executing the program read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS or the like running on the computer is part of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program. Alternatively, the case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by performing all the processing and the processing is included in the present invention.

  Furthermore, after a program read from a medium such as a storage medium is written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function is determined based on the instructions of the program. The present invention also includes a case where the CPU or the like provided in the expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, the present invention is not limited to the cluster tool type substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but can be applied to various types of substrate processing apparatuses. Further, the processing chamber provided in the substrate processing apparatus may be not only the processing chamber of the plasma etching processing apparatus but also the processing chamber of another apparatus such as a film forming apparatus or a heat treatment apparatus. Moreover, the plasma processing apparatus does not necessarily have to apply separate high frequency power to the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and may apply high frequency power only to the lower electrode, for example.

  The present invention is applicable to a substrate processing apparatus and a method for stabilizing a state in the processing chamber.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the substrate processing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control part concerning this embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the plasma processing apparatus provided in the substrate processing apparatus concerning this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement in the case of performing the process chamber state stabilization process concerning this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the wafer conveyance sequence of the whole substrate processing apparatus in the case of performing the process chamber state stabilization process which does not use the dummy wafer concerning this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the comparative example of the conveyance sequence of the wafer of the whole substrate processing apparatus in the case of performing the process chamber state stabilization process using a dummy wafer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Substrate processing apparatus 110 Processing unit 120 Transfer unit 130 Transfer chamber 131 (131A-131C) Cassette stand 132 (132A-132C) Cassette container 133 (133A-133C) Gate valve 136 Orienter 138 Rotation mounting stand 139 Optical sensor 144 (144A- 144F) Gate valve 150 Common transfer chamber 154M, 154N Gate valve 162M, 162N Gate valve 160 (160M, 160N) Load lock chamber 164 (164M, 164N) Delivery table 170 Transfer unit side transfer mechanism 172 Base 173A, 173B Pick 174 Guide Rail 180 Processing unit side transport mechanism 182 Base 183A, 183B Pick 184 Guide rail 186 Flexible arm 200 (200A to 200F) Plasma processing apparatus 02 (202a-202f) processing chamber 203 insulating plate 204 susceptor support 205 (205A～205F) susceptor (lower electrode)
206 High-pass filter 207 Temperature control medium chamber 208 Inlet pipe 209 Discharge pipe 211 Electrostatic chuck 212 Electrode 213 DC power supply 213a Switch 214 Gas passage 214a Spout 215 Focus ring 221 Shower head 222 Insulating material 223 Discharge hole 224 Electrode plate 225 Electrode support 226 Gas inlet 227 Gas supply pipe 228 Valve 229 Mass flow controller 230 Gas supply source 231 Exhaust pipe 235 Exhaust means 240 First high frequency power supply 241 First matching device 242 Low pass filter 250 Second high frequency power supply 251 Second matching device 300 Controller 310 CPU
320 ROM
330 RAM
340 Display means 350 Input / output means 360 Notification means 370 Various controllers 380 Program data storage means 382 Transfer program 384 Various processing programs 390 Setting information storage means 392 Transfer setting information 394 Various processing setting information W, A Wafer Wd Dummy wafer

Claims (10)

A processing unit including a processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on the substrate, and a transfer unit connected to the processing unit and transferring the substrate between the processing unit and the substrate storage container for storing the substrate are provided. A substrate processing apparatus,
A susceptor disposed in the processing chamber for mounting the substrate;
A high frequency power supply for supplying high frequency power to the susceptor;
Gas supply means for supplying a predetermined gas into the processing chamber;
Exhaust means for exhausting the processing chamber;
Prior to starting the processing of the substrate in the processing chamber, the substrate is not placed on the susceptor and exhausted by the exhaust unit while supplying a predetermined gas from the gas supply unit into the processing chamber. Performing a process of applying a high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source to the susceptor to stabilize the state of the processing chamber;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes a state stabilization process in the processing chamber to be executed before the substrate is transferred from the substrate storage container to the processing chamber. . In the case where the substrate is continuously processed for each of a plurality of substrates, the control unit is configured to start a process group of the substrate group to be continuously processed before the first substrate to be processed in the substrate group. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a state stabilization process in the processing chamber is performed before the substrate storage container is transported into the processing chamber. The controller adjusts a timing for starting execution of the state stabilization process in the processing chamber so that the state stabilization process in the processing chamber ends before the substrate is carried into the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. A heat transfer gas that ejects heat transfer gas from a plurality of jets formed on the substrate mounting surface of the susceptor and supplies the heat transfer gas between the substrate mounting surface and the substrate mounted thereon A supply means,
During the state stabilization process in the processing chamber, the control unit causes the heat transfer gas to be transferred from the jet port by the heat transfer gas supply means even when the substrate is not mounted on the substrate mounting surface of the susceptor. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is ejected. The control unit includes storage means for presetting and storing a plurality of processing conditions for state stabilization processing in the processing chamber, and the processing conditions are stored from the storage means when performing the state stabilization processing in the processing chamber. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a state stabilization process in the processing chamber is executed based on the reading and the processing conditions. The process of stabilizing the state in the processing chamber consists of a plurality of steps.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processing condition can be set for each of the plurality of steps. The processing conditions include at least a set pressure of the heat transfer gas supplied from the heat transfer gas supply means,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a set pressure of the heat transfer gas is set lower than a processing condition when the substrate is processed. The processing conditions include at least set power of high frequency power applied from the high frequency power source,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the set power is set to be lower than a processing condition when performing a process of the substrate. A method for stabilizing a state in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus including a processing chamber for executing a predetermined process on a substrate,
The substrate processing apparatus is disposed in the processing chamber and has a susceptor on which the substrate is placed, a high-frequency power source that supplies high-frequency power to the susceptor, a gas supply unit that supplies a predetermined gas into the processing chamber, An exhaust means for exhausting the processing chamber,
Supplying a predetermined gas from the gas supply means into the processing chamber without placing the substrate on the susceptor prior to starting the processing of the substrate in the processing chamber;
Exhausting the processing chamber with the exhaust means;
Applying high frequency power from the high frequency power source to the susceptor;
A method for stabilizing a state in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

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