JP2016096357A - Plasma substrate processing apparatus, control program therefor, and computer readable storage medium recording the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make restoration from a power saving mode quicker than a conventional apparatus and achieve excellent substrate processing after the restoration.SOLUTION: A plasma substrate processing apparatus processing a substrate in a processing chamber 11 by plasma, comprises: the processing chamber 11; a gas supply unit 20 for supplying processing gas to inside the processing chamber 11; a pl inside plasma production part 25 for producing plasma from the processing gas supplied to the processing chamber 11; heaters 14a and 14b for heating the processing chamber 11; and a control unit 40. The control unit 40 includes: a power saving mode execution part 47 causing power supply to the heaters 14a and 14b to be in a reduced or stopped state and causing power supply to the plasma production part 25 to be in a stopped state; and a restoration mode execution part 48 for restoring power supply to the heaters 14a and 14b and causing power supply to be supplied to the plasma production part 25 to raise internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 to temperature suitable for substrate processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a vacuum chamber by plasma (for example, a plasma etching apparatus for etching a substrate surface such as a silicon substrate or a glass substrate), a control program thereof, and a computer readable recording thereof. The present invention relates to a recording medium.

  Conventionally, a plasma substrate processing apparatus has been used in a semiconductor factory or the like, and has been operated continuously for a long time. The plasma substrate processing apparatus is composed of a large number of members that consume a large amount of power, such as a heater system that warms the members, a chiller system that cools the members, a pump system that vacuums, and a plasma generation system that supplies high-frequency power that generates plasma. As a result, the power consumption of the entire apparatus has been enormous.

  From the viewpoint of energy saving and power saving, it is preferable to turn off the unused portion of the plasma substrate processing apparatus or the entire apparatus during the time zone or period when the substrate processing is not performed. However, once the plasma substrate processing apparatus is turned off, it takes a very long time to restore the state before turning off the power, such as the temperature of each component and the degree of vacuum in the chamber, even if the power is turned on again. This return time has caused a problem that the apparatus operating time is lost and the throughput is lowered.

  As a prior art for reducing the loss of apparatus operating time while suppressing power consumption of the plasma substrate processing apparatus, a technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-242854 has been proposed. In the prior art disclosed in the publication, it is proposed that the recovery time from the energy saving mode to the normal mode is stored in advance and the substrate processing apparatus is automatically switched between the normal mode and the energy saving mode.

  This technology focuses on the fact that the recovery time from the energy saving mode to the normal mode differs for each unit of the substrate processing apparatus. By starting the recovery operation from the unit that requires more time, While suppressing the return time, the energy saving mode is continued for as long as possible in each unit to save power in the entire substrate processing apparatus.

JP 2007-242854 A

  However, in the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-242854, although the recovery time is managed by controlling the recovery time from the energy saving mode to the normal mode for each unit, each recovery time is unique to each unit. Therefore, the recovery time of the entire apparatus is determined by the recovery time required for the unit that requires the longest recovery time.

  Usually, the time required for the recovery time is the heating of the vacuum chamber (for example, a recovery time of the order of several hours is required). In the control device disclosed in the above publication, the heating of the vacuum chamber is performed only by the temperature adjustment unit. (See paragraph [0025] of the same publication). The temperature adjustment unit is generally composed of a heater or the like. However, since the inside of the vacuum chamber is vacuum, the heat conductivity is extremely poor, and heating by the heater takes a long time. For this reason, even if heating of the vacuum chamber is first started when returning from the energy-saving mode, the time required for return in the entire apparatus has to be long.

  Further, in the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-242854, the plasma state in the vacuum chamber changes before and after the transition to the energy saving mode. After returning from the above, it has been necessary to re-establish stable process conditions by processing a dummy substrate. Stabilization of process conditions by processing such a dummy substrate leads to further time loss.

  Even if the dummy substrate is not processed, the stabilization of the process conditions often requires a lot of work and labor, which has been a cause of reluctance to adopt the power saving mode. As a result, even when the substrate is not being processed at all, the members of the plasma substrate processing apparatus are often left with the power on.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a plasma substrate processing apparatus that makes recovery from the power saving mode quicker than the conventional apparatus and realizes good substrate processing after returning from the power saving mode. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control program and a computer-readable recording medium on which the control program is recorded.

In order to solve the above problem, a plasma substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has a closed space, a vacuum chamber in which a substrate is accommodated, and gas supply means for supplying a processing gas into the vacuum chamber; A plasma generating means for converting the processing gas supplied into the vacuum chamber into a plasma by applying high-frequency power; a heater for heating the vacuum chamber;
A plasma substrate processing apparatus, comprising: at least the gas supply means, the plasma generation means, and a control means for controlling the operation of the heater, and processes the substrate in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generated by the plasma generation means,
The control unit is configured to reduce or stop power supply to the heater and to stop power supply to the plasma generation unit, and to supply power to the heater. And a return mode execution unit that supplies power to the plasma generation means and raises the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing.

  In the above configuration, examples of the plasma substrate processing apparatus include a plasma CVD apparatus and a plasma ashing apparatus in addition to a plasma etching apparatus. Further, the vacuum chamber is not limited to the one in which the inside is always a high vacuum, and may not be in a low vacuum or temporarily in a vacuum state depending on the use situation.

  According to said structure, the power supply to the said heater is reduced or stopped by the function of the said power saving mode execution part at the time of transfer to power saving mode. Specifically, the power supply to the heater provided inside or outside the vacuum chamber is reduced or stopped, so that the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber decreases so as to approach the ambient temperature, and the entire apparatus Power consumption is reduced. When power is switched to the power saving mode, the power supply to the plasma generating means is normally stopped. However, even if power is supplied, the power supply is stopped and the power supply to the plasma generating means is performed. The state in which is stopped is secured.

  Thereafter, the power supply to the heater is restored and the plasma generator is supplied with power when returning from the power saving mode by the function of the return mode execution unit, and the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber is set to the substrate. Raised to a temperature suitable for processing.

  As in the above configuration, when returning from the power saving mode, the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber is raised to a temperature suitable for substrate processing by using both heating by the heater and plasma generation inside the chamber. The inside of the high vacuum chamber can be raised to a temperature suitable for substrate processing in a short time. As a result, the return time from the power saving state can be shortened, and the loss of the apparatus operating time and the decrease in the throughput can be suppressed.

  Further, when returning from the power saving mode, the power supply to the heater is restored until the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber rises to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing, and power is supplied to the plasma generating means. Thus, when the return processing is completed, the plasma state inside the vacuum chamber is in a stable steady state, so that processing of the dummy substrate is not required, and processing failure due to an unstable plasma state is avoided. It becomes possible.

  In the above configuration, when the return mode execution unit raises the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing, the control unit causes the substrate to be accommodated in the vacuum chamber, and the plasma generation unit It is also preferable to start processing the substrate by the generated plasma.

  According to the above configuration, when returning from the power saving mode, the substrate is automatically accommodated or plasma processing is started in a state where the chamber is sufficiently warmed by the heater and the plasma generating means. Substrate processing can be performed without loss time without extra human work at the time of return.

  In the above configuration, the apparatus further includes a display unit, wherein the control unit is in a state where the power supply to the heater is reduced or stopped and the power supply to the plasma generation unit is stopped. It is also preferable to display on the display means that the power mode is being executed.

  According to the above configuration, the user is notified through the display on the display means that the power saving mode is currently being executed, so that the user can make an erroneous operation without knowing that the power saving mode is being executed. Can be prevented.

In the above configuration, the control unit preferably causes the gas supply unit to supply a gas containing oxygen gas into the vacuum chamber when returning from the power saving mode.
According to the above configuration, when returning from the power saving mode, gas containing oxygen gas is supplied into the chamber, so that deposits inside the vacuum chamber and its exhaust system can be cleaned and kept in good condition. it can. Thereby, it is possible to perform substrate processing in a favorable chamber state without being affected by the shift to the power saving mode or the return.

In order to realize the above configuration, a control program for a plasma substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a vacuum chamber having a closed space in which a substrate is accommodated, and a gas for supplying a processing gas into the vacuum chamber Supply means; plasma generating means for converting the processing gas supplied into the vacuum chamber into plasma by applying high frequency power; a heater for heating the vacuum chamber; and at least the gas supply means and plasma generating means , A control program for controlling the operation of the heater, and a control program used for the control means of the plasma substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate in the vacuum chamber by the plasma generated by the plasma generating means,
A power saving mode execution unit that puts the computer in a state where the power supply to the heater is reduced or stopped and the power supply to the plasma generating unit is stopped, and the power supply to the heater is restored. At the same time, power is supplied to the plasma generating means to function as a return mode execution unit that raises the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing.

  The control program for the plasma substrate processing apparatus may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer readable recording media include tape systems such as magnetic tapes and cassette tapes, optical disk systems including magnetic optical disks such as optical disks / hard optical disks, and optical disks such as CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. Further, a card system such as an IC card (including a memory card) / optical card or a semiconductor memory system such as a mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM can be used.

  According to the plasma substrate processing apparatus, the control program thereof, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the plasma substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is recorded, the recovery from the power saving mode is made quicker than the conventional apparatus, and after the return from the power saving mode. Good substrate processing can be realized.

It is sectional drawing which showed the plasma etching apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the transfer flow to the power saving mode (power saving state) which a control apparatus performs. It is a flowchart which shows the return flow from power saving mode to normal mode which a control apparatus performs. It is a graph which shows the example of the time-temperature curve in the member inside a chamber.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[1. Configuration example of plasma processing apparatus]

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma etching apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a processing chamber 11 (vacuum chamber) having a closed space, an upper chamber heater 14a and a lower chamber heater 14b for heating the inside of the processing chamber 11, and a processing chamber. 11, a base 16 on which a substrate K to be etched is placed, a gas supply device 20 that supplies an etching gas (processing gas) into the processing chamber 11, and a gas that is supplied into the processing chamber 11. A plasma generation unit 25 that converts the etching gas into plasma, a high-frequency power source 28 that supplies high-frequency power to the base 16, an exhaust device 29 that reduces the pressure in the processing chamber 11, and a control device that performs overall control of these operations. 40.

  The processing chamber 11 is formed in an upper and lower two-part configuration by an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber 13, and the upper chamber 12 and the lower chamber 13 are each composed of a cylindrical container-like member. Further, the lower surface of the upper chamber 12 is opened, the upper surface of the lower chamber 13 is provided with an opening, and the internal spaces of the upper chamber 12 and the lower chamber 13 communicate with each other.

  The upper chamber 12 has an outer diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower chamber 13, and is disposed in the center of the upper surface of the lower chamber 13. Further, an opening 13 a for carrying in and out the substrate K is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower chamber 13, and this opening 13 a is opened and closed by a shutter 15. .

  The top plate 12a and the side wall lower portion 12c of the upper chamber 12 and the top plate (annular plate) 13b of the lower chamber 13 are made of metal such as aluminum, for example, and the side wall upper portion 12b and the lower chamber of the upper chamber 12 are formed. For example, the side wall 13c of the upper chamber 12 and the top plate 13b of the lower chamber 13 are grounded.

  An upper chamber heater 14a is provided inside the top plate 12a of the upper chamber 12, while a lower chamber heater 14b is provided as a block heater inside the side wall 13c (including the lower portion of the opening 13a) of the lower chamber. ing. This block heater is formed, for example, by incorporating a heating element into a block body made of aluminum.

  The base 16 includes an upper member 17 and a lower member 18 and is disposed in the lower chamber 13. A substrate K is placed on the upper member 17, and an elevating cylinder 19 for elevating the base 16 is connected to the lower member 18.

The gas supply device 20 includes a supply unit 21 for supplying an etching gas (for example, SF ₆ gas) and a cleaning gas (for example, O ₂ gas), one end connected to the supply unit 21, and the other end at the top of the upper chamber 12. An etching gas and a cleaning gas are supplied from the supply unit 21 into the upper chamber 12 through the supply pipe 22.

  On the inner side of the side wall 13c of the lower chamber 13, an adhesion preventing plate 23 for preventing unnecessary accumulation on the side wall 13c or the like is provided as appropriate, and the lower surface of the top plate 13b of the lower chamber 13 is made of aluminum having a funnel cross section. An internal member 24 is provided, and the density of the plasma generated in the upper chamber is adjusted by the internal member 24 and guided to the substrate K. Although the deposition plate 23 is optional, reaction products are likely to be deposited near the substrate K. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the deposition plate 23 to improve maintainability.

  The plasma generation unit 25 includes a plurality of annular coils 26 that are arranged in parallel on the outer periphery of the upper chamber 12, and a high-frequency power source 27 that supplies high-frequency power to each coil 26.

  In the plasma generator 25, when a high frequency power is supplied to the coil 26 by the high frequency power source 27, a magnetic field is formed in the chamber 12, and the etching gas in the chamber 12 is converted into plasma by the electric field induced by the magnetic field. Radicals, ions, electrons, and the like are generated.

  Further, when high frequency power is supplied to the base 16 by the high frequency power supply 28, a potential difference (bias potential) is generated between the base 16 and the plasma guided into the lower chamber 13.

  The exhaust device 29 includes an exhaust pump 30 and an exhaust pipe 31 that connects the exhaust pump 30 and the lower chamber 13. The exhaust pump 30 exhausts the gas in the lower chamber 13 through the exhaust pipe 31. The inside of the processing chamber 11 is reduced to a predetermined pressure.

  According to the plasma etching apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, after the substrate K is placed on the base 16 in the lower chamber 13, the coil 26 and the base are placed by the high frequency power sources 27 and 28. 16 is supplied with high frequency power, the inside of the processing chamber 11 is decompressed by the exhaust device 29, and the etching gas is supplied into the processing chamber 11 by the gas supply device 20. A part of the supplied etching gas is turned into plasma and flows from the upper chamber 12 into the lower chamber 13, and is guided to the substrate K by the internal member 24.

  On the other hand, the substrate K placed on the base 16 in the lower chamber 13 chemically reacts with radicals in the plasma in the lower chamber 13, or ions in the plasma enter the substrate K by a bias potential. It is etched by this. The plasma etching apparatus 1 may include a refrigerant circulation device (not shown) by refrigerant circulation for cooling the base 16.

  The control device 40 is a control device that comprehensively controls the overall operation of the plasma etching apparatus 1, and includes, as representative functional blocks, a gas supply control unit 41, a plasma generation control unit 42, a heater control unit 43, a base An electric power control unit 44 and an exhaust control unit 45 are provided, and these functional blocks are the gas supply device 20, the plasma generation unit 25, the heaters 14a and 14b, the high frequency power supply 28, and the exhaust device 29, respectively. The operation is controlled (in FIG. 1, each functional block and the controlled object part are connected by a one-dot chain line. However, the heater control part 43 is connected to the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b. The configuration is not shown). Moreover, the control apparatus 40 is connected with the display means (display) 50 for performing the information display with respect to a user, and is controlling the screen display.

  The control device 40 includes a normal operation control unit 46 that performs overall control of each functional block during normal operation, and controls each functional block when shifting to the power saving mode and when returning from the power saving mode. A power saving mode execution unit 47 and a return mode execution unit 48 to be controlled are provided. The functions of these functional blocks will be described in the next section.

[2. Transition flow to power saving mode)
With reference to FIG. 2, a transition flow to the power saving mode executed by the control device 40 will be described. In this embodiment, the power saving mode execution unit 47 (see FIG. 1) in the control device 40 controls the plasma etching apparatus 1 to shift to the power saving state (power saving mode) instead of the normal operation control unit 46. is there.

  First, in response to an input instruction from the user, a transition start from the normal mode to the power saving mode is accepted outside the processing time of the substrate K (step 21; hereinafter abbreviated as “S21”). This input instruction may be performed from an appropriate input interface provided in the control device 40, or the mode shift may be automatically started when the control device 40 reaches a predetermined date and time. Moreover, the user may make a reservation input in advance for such automatic transition.

  Next, the gas supply control unit 41 of the control device 40 supplies oxygen gas (or a cleaning gas containing oxygen gas) into the processing chamber 11 and executes a cleaning process (S22). Thereafter, the plasma generation control unit Then, the power supply to the high frequency power supply 27 is turned off to turn off the plasma generation (S23). In the flow so far, the cleaning process in S22 may be omitted as appropriate.

  At the time of shifting to the power saving mode, the power supply to the high frequency power supply 27 is normally stopped. However, even if the power supply is performed, the power supply is stopped and the power supply to the high frequency power supply 27 is stopped. Is ensured. In addition, the base power control unit 44 turns off the supply power of the high frequency power supply 28 and turns off the supply of the high frequency power to the base 16.

  Then, the heater control unit 43 of the control device 40 stops the operation of the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b, and stops the temperature control function of the processing chamber 11 (S24). As a result, the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 that is normally used at a temperature higher than the normal temperature is lowered, and the power for keeping the processing chamber 11 warm is reduced.

  Thereafter, the exhaust control unit 45 of the control device 40 shifts the exhaust device 29 to the low power consumption operation (S25). Specifically, the exhaust pump 30 is operated in an inverter state, or the evacuation cycle time is lengthened to reduce the exhaust frequency so that the exhaust pump 30 is intermittently operated. Note that if the vacuum state in the processing chamber 11 is broken, the inside of the processing chamber 11 may be fouled and hinder good process processing, so it is preferable not to completely stop the exhaust device 29. .

  With the above processing, the plasma etching apparatus 1 completes the transition operation to the power saving mode (power saving state), and the power consumption depends on the power consumption state of each part, but is, for example, less than half of that during normal operation. can do. The control device 40 displays on the display means 50 that it has shifted to the power saving mode, and notifies the user that it is currently operating in the power saving mode. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from operating incorrectly without knowing that the power saving mode is being executed.

[3. (Return flow to normal mode)

  Next, a return flow from the power saving mode to the normal mode executed by the control device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the control device 40 returns the plasma etching apparatus 1 from the power saving state (power saving mode) to the normal mode under the instruction of the return mode execution unit 48.

  First, in response to an input instruction from the user, a return start from the power saving mode to the normal mode is accepted (S31). This input instruction may be performed from an appropriate input interface provided in the control device 40, or the mode shift may be automatically started when the control device 40 reaches a predetermined date and time. Moreover, the user may make a reservation input in advance for such automatic transition.

  For example, the transition flow to the power saving mode described above is performed at a predetermined time on the night before the holiday, and the return flow from the power saving mode to the normal mode is reserved at the predetermined time in the morning the day after the holiday. For example, during the holidays, the plasma etching apparatus 1 can be set in the power saving mode to reduce power consumption during that period.

  When the return to the normal mode is determined, the return mode execution unit 48 of the control device 40 starts an operation for shifting the plasma etching apparatus 1 from the power saving mode to the normal power consumption state. Specifically, first, the cooling system based on the refrigerant circulation is turned on (S32). Then, the operation of the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b is started by the heater control unit 43, and the temperature control of the processing chamber 11 is started (S33). The reason why the cooling system by circulating the refrigerant is turned on prior to the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b is to prevent the cooling system from being overheated or boiling of the refrigerant.

  Then, the exhaust control unit 45 operates the exhaust device 29 that has been shifted to the low power consumption operation in the normal mode (S34). For example, the intermittent operation of the exhaust device is stopped to shift to continuous operation, or the exhaust frequency is increased.

  Thereafter, the gas supply control unit 41 of the control device 40 supplies oxygen gas as the cleaning gas into the processing chamber 11 to execute the cleaning process (S35), and the plasma generation control unit 42 of the control device 40 performs the high frequency power supply 27. Electric power is supplied to start plasma generation (S36). The base power control unit 44 supplies power to the high frequency power supply 28 to turn on the supply of high frequency power to the base 16.

  As a result, the inside of the processing chamber 11 can be warmed by the effect of plasma while cleaning the processing chamber 11 (wafer rescreening) without the substrate K, so that only the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b. As compared with the case where the processing chamber 11 is heated, the member temperature in the chamber can be returned to a temperature suitable for substrate processing in a short time.

  In addition, since the plasma state in the processing chamber 11 can be stabilized, a stable substrate with good reproducibility can be obtained without leaving the influence of lowering the internal temperature of the chamber and interrupting plasma generation in the power saving mode. Processing is possible.

  Then, the return mode execution unit 48 of the control device 40 determines whether or not the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 (member temperature in the chamber) has increased to a temperature suitable for substrate processing (S37), and is suitable for substrate processing. If the temperature is sufficiently close (YES in the arrow in the figure), the plasma processing of the substrate is started. On the other hand, if the temperature is not sufficiently close to the temperature suitable for the substrate processing (NO in the arrow in the figure), the inside of the processing chamber 11 It waits until temperature (member temperature inside a chamber) approaches the temperature before return.

  In the plasma processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, in order to accurately measure the internal temperature of the processing chamber, it is necessary to measure the member temperature inside the chamber, such as the peripheral member of the base 16, the deposition plate 23, and the internal member 24. preferable. For example, an appropriate thermocouple thermometer is provided on a member inside the chamber, and it is determined whether the temperature has reached a specified substrate processing temperature, or a member inside the chamber when returning from the power saving mode in advance. The temperature change state (time-temperature curve) may be examined, and it may be determined from the state of the temperature change whether the member temperature inside the chamber has reached a temperature suitable for substrate processing.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of a time-temperature curve in a member inside the chamber. In the graph of the figure, the initial temperature of the chamber internal member (power saving mode, temperature in the time range from 0 to T ₀ ) is stable at 53 ° C. Therefore, at the timing of time T ₀ , the return operation from the power saving mode to the normal mode is started by the procedure of S31 to S36, and the processing chamber 11 is heated by the upper chamber heater 14a, the lower chamber heater 14b, and plasma generation. However, until the time Tp, the temperature of the chamber internal member continued to rise and reached 182 ° C.

In the plasma etching apparatus 1 used for the verification of the present embodiment, it has been known in advance that the temperature of the member inside the chamber in a state suitable for substrate processing is about 110 ° C. Therefore, when the elapsed time Tp is reached. Heating was interrupted and then the member temperature inside the chamber was stabilized at about 110 ° C. From the time-temperature curve of FIG. 4, the time required to raise the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 from the temperature in the power saving mode (53 ° C.) to the temperature suitable for substrate processing (about 110 ° C.) is (T ₁ -T ₀ ). In the experimental machine used by the inventors for verification of this example, (T ₁ -T ₀ ) was about 30 minutes.

Referring to this data, in S37 of FIG. 3, the member temperature inside the chamber is directly measured and waits until it reaches about 110 ° C., or the procedure of S31 to S37 is started from the power saving mode state. Until about 30 minutes elapse, the upper chamber heater 14a, the lower chamber heater 14b and the plasma generation are kept on, so that the member temperature inside the chamber is set to a temperature suitable for substrate processing (about 110 ° C.). Can be raised. Of course, when the initial temperature of the member inside the chamber (temperature at time T ₀ ) is higher than 53 ° C., the member temperature inside the chamber is changed to a temperature suitable for substrate processing (about 110 ° C.) in a time shorter than 30 minutes. ) Can be raised.

  If YES in S37 of FIG. 3, it means that the internal temperature in the processing chamber 11 has already risen to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing. Plasma processing may be started (S38). In the present embodiment, when the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 rises to a temperature suitable for substrate processing, the control means 40 accommodates the substrate K in the processing chamber 11, and the substrate K is generated by the plasma generated by the plasma generation unit 25. Start processing.

  And the control apparatus 40 notifies a user that the power saving mode was complete | finished by displaying on the display means 50 that it returned to normal mode. Thereafter, each operation of the gas supply control unit 41, the plasma generation control unit 42, the heater control unit 43, the base power control unit 44, and the exhaust control unit 45 is comprehensively controlled by the normal operation control unit 46. The driving operation is in the normal mode.

  As described above, the power supply to the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b is stopped by the function of the power saving mode execution unit 47 when shifting to the power saving mode. And even if the power supply to the plasma generation means is made, the power supply is stopped, and the state where the power supply to the plasma generation means is stopped is secured.

  Thereafter, the upper chamber heater 14a is operated until the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 returns to a temperature suitable for the processing of the substrate K (for example, about 110 ° C.) when returning from the power saving mode by the action of the return mode executing unit 48 , Power supply to the lower chamber heater 14b is restored, and plasma generation by the plasma generation unit 25 is started.

  As described above, when returning from the power saving mode, heating by the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b and plasma generation inside the processing chamber 11 are used in combination, so that the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 is used for processing the substrate K. Since the temperature is raised to a suitable temperature, the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 11 having high heat insulation can be raised to a temperature suitable for substrate processing in a short time. As a result, the return time from the power saving state can be shortened, and the loss of the apparatus operating time and the decrease in the throughput can be suppressed.

  When returning from the power saving mode, the power supply to the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b is restored until the internal temperature of the processing chamber 11 rises to a temperature suitable for the processing of the substrate K. When the return process is completed by supplying power to the plasma generation unit 25, the plasma state in the processing chamber 11 is in a stable steady state, so that processing of a dummy substrate or the like is not required. It is possible to avoid a processing failure caused by an unstable plasma state.

  In the above description, the power supply to the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b is stopped when shifting to the power saving mode. However, the supply power is reduced without completely stopping the power supply. Just be fine. Even in such a case, it is possible to obtain a power saving effect by reducing the supplied power.

  In order to verify the effect of the present invention, when about 30 minutes have elapsed in the transition from the power saving mode to the normal mode in the above-described verification experimental machine (the upper chamber heater 14a and the lower chamber heater 14b, and the plasma The power supply to the generation unit 25 was made the same conditions as in FIG. 4), and when the processing of the substrate K was started, all the items of the etching shape, the etching rate, and the mask selection ratio were the same as before the shift to the power saving mode. The result was obtained.

  That is, according to the present invention, not only the temperature return of the processing chamber 11 can be shortened but also the substrate processing after returning from the power saving mode is excellent in both stability and reproducibility by stabilizing the plasma state. And was able to.

  Each block of the control device 40 may be configured by hardware logic, or may be realized by software using a CPU as follows.

  That is, the control device 40 is a storage device (recording device) such as a CPU that executes instructions of a control program for realizing each function, a ROM that stores the program, a RAM that expands the program, a memory that stores the program and various data, and the like. Medium). The object of the present invention is to supply the control device 40 with a recording medium in which the program code of the control program of the plasma substrate processing apparatus, which is software that realizes the above-described functions, is readable by the computer. This can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code recorded on the recording medium.

  As described above, the present invention can be suitably used for a plasma substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate in a vacuum chamber with plasma, a control program therefor, and a computer-readable recording medium that records the control program.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plasma etching apparatus 11 Processing chamber 14a Upper chamber heater 14b Lower chamber heater 20 Gas supply apparatus 25 Plasma generation apparatus 40 Control apparatus 41 Gas supply control part 42 Plasma generation control part 43 Heater control part 44 Base power control part 45 Exhaust control part 45 46 Normal Operation Control Unit 47 Power Saving Mode Execution Unit 48 Return Mode Execution Unit 50 Display Means

Claims (10)

A vacuum chamber having a closed space and containing a substrate therein;
Gas supply means for supplying a processing gas into the vacuum chamber;
Plasma generating means for converting the processing gas supplied into the vacuum chamber into plasma by applying high-frequency power;
A heater for heating the vacuum chamber;
At least the gas supply means, the plasma generation means, and a control means for controlling the operation of the heater,
A plasma substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in the vacuum chamber with plasma generated by the plasma generating means,
The control means includes
A power saving mode execution unit that reduces or stops power supply to the heater and stops power supply to the plasma generating unit;
A return mode execution unit that returns power supply to the heater and raises the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing,
The plasma substrate processing apparatus further includes a cooling unit,
The return mode execution unit returns the power supply to the heater after operating the cooling means when returning from the power saving mode.   The return mode execution unit, after returning the power supply to the heater, sets the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing, and supplies gas to the gas supply means to the vacuum chamber The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein plasma generation of the gas is started.   The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the return mode execution unit starts plasma generation of the gas without a substrate in the vacuum chamber.   4. The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the return mode execution unit supplies a gas containing oxygen gas into the vacuum chamber.   The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the return mode execution unit performs a wafer rescreening process on the vacuum chamber with the generated plasma.   When the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber is raised to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing, the return mode execution unit stores the substrate in the vacuum chamber, and processes the substrate by the plasma generated by the plasma generation unit. 6. The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plasma substrate processing apparatus is started. Furthermore, a display means is provided,
The display means that the control means is in a state where the power supply to the heater is reduced or stopped and the power supply to the plasma generation means is stopped. 7. The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plasma substrate processing apparatus is displayed.   The return mode execution unit acquires in advance a relationship between temperature and time in the vacuum chamber when returning from the power saving mode, and based on the acquired relationship between temperature and time, the vacuum chamber The plasma substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the internal temperature of the substrate has increased to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing. A vacuum chamber having a closed space and containing a substrate therein;
Gas supply means for supplying a processing gas into the vacuum chamber;
Plasma generating means for converting the processing gas supplied into the vacuum chamber into plasma by applying high-frequency power;
A heater for heating the vacuum chamber;
At least the gas supply means, the plasma generation means, and a control means for controlling the operation of the heater,
A control program used for the control means of a plasma substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in the vacuum chamber by plasma generated by the plasma generation means,
Computer
A power saving mode execution unit that reduces or stops power supply to the heater and stops power supply to the plasma generating unit;
Returning the power supply to the heater, causing the internal temperature of the vacuum chamber to increase to a temperature suitable for the substrate processing, functioning as a return mode execution unit,
The plasma substrate processing apparatus further includes a cooling unit,
The return mode execution unit, when returning from the power saving mode, operates the cooling means and then returns the power supply to the heater. A computer-readable recording medium having the control program according to claim 9 recorded thereon.

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