JP2019091918A - Vacuum processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vacuum processing device capable of efficiently performing normal/abnormal maintenance while making processing uniformity satisfactory even in a case where a diameter of a processed product is enlarged.SOLUTION: In a vacuum processing device, a vacuum processing chamber is configured by providing: multiple members which are disposed while being vertically overlapped at an upper side of a base plate; and a seal member which is disposed between the multiple members and seals a clearance between an internal space formed from the multiple members and the outside in an airtight manner. The multiple members include: an upper container where the inner wall has a cylindrical shape and the outer peripheral wall is connected with an end of a valve box in an airtight manner and which is positioned by being pushed down in relative to the base plate; and a ring-shaped member which is disposed at a lower side of the upper container. The vacuum processing device comprises a lifter including a shaft which is coupled with the ring-shaped member and moved in a horizontal direction by rotating the ring-shaped member around the shaft. The shaft of the lifter is provided in a location at an outer peripheral side of the base plate and father from the valve box than a center of the inner wall of the ring-shaped member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4B

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having a reduced pressure processing chamber.

  In a vacuum processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer, for example, a processing gas is introduced into the inside of a vacuum processing chamber while the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber is reduced, and the introduced processing gas is plasmatized to form radicals. The processing of an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer held on a sample stage equipped with an electrostatic chuck is performed by the chemical reaction or sputtering of electrons.

  The vacuum processing apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. An electrostatic chuck used in a vacuum processing chamber is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 2.

JP, 2005-252201, A JP, 2005-516379, A

  The vacuum processing apparatus uses a processing gas, and when the processing gas is plasmatized to process an object (wafer), reaction products adhere to the inside of the vacuum processing chamber. When a reaction product adheres to the surface of a component disposed inside the processing chamber, the reaction product from the surface of the component degrades and becomes detached as fine particles, and falls and falls on a wafer etc. as a foreign matter and contaminates it. It causes the problem of In order to suppress this, parts inside the processing chamber are periodically replaced or cleaned to remove reaction products that cause foreign substances, etc., and processes to regenerate the surface of each part are performed. (maintenance). During maintenance, the inside of the processing chamber is open to the atmosphere of atmospheric pressure, so that processing can not be performed and the operation of the apparatus is stopped, so the processing efficiency is reduced.

  Furthermore, in recent years, the diameter of semiconductor wafers, which are objects to be processed, has been increased. Therefore, the size of the vacuum processing apparatus is increased, the size of the individual parts constituting the apparatus is also increased, and the weight thereof tends to be increased, so that removal, movement, mounting, etc. of parts is not easy and the time required for maintenance may be long. It is anticipated that further reduction of maintenance efficiency is concerned.

Then, the inventors examined whether it was possible to cope with the above-mentioned subject by conventional technology.
Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum processing apparatus including an upper inner cylinder chamber and a sample table that constitute a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed inside the outer chamber, and a lower inner cylinder chamber disposed on the exhaust unit side. It is disclosed. In the present vacuum processing apparatus, at the time of maintenance, the discharge chamber base plate, which is disposed at the upper part of the upper inner cylinder chamber and constitutes the discharge chamber for generating plasma, is rotated upward with the hinge portion disposed on the transfer chamber side as a fulcrum. The upper inner chamber is lifted up out of the outer chamber by securing the upper inner chamber working space. Furthermore, a sample base base plate on which a ring-shaped support base member (sample table block) provided with a support beam arranged and fixed around an axis about the vertical center of the sample table is arranged on the transfer chamber side There is described a technique of lifting the lower inner chamber upward and taking it out of the outer chamber by raising the lower portion so as to rotate the hinge portion as a fulcrum and securing a working space of the lower inner chamber. In addition, the sample stand in the upper inner cylinder chamber is arranged by arranging the support beams in axial symmetry about the vertical center of the sample stand (that is, the gas flow path shape is substantially coaxial with the central axis of the sample stand). Gas and the like in the upper space (process gas, particles in plasma and reaction products) pass through the space between the support beams and are exhausted through the lower inner cylinder chamber. As a result, the flow of gas in the circumferential direction of the workpiece becomes uniform, and uniform treatment of the workpiece becomes possible.

  When applying this discharge chamber base plate and the sample stand base plate to the maintenance of the workpiece with a large diameter by using the technique of pulling up the hinge with the support as a fulcrum, the support beam on which the discharge base and the sample stand are fixed increases in size and weight. Therefore, it is difficult to manually pull them to the upper side, and it is feared that it becomes difficult to secure a working space for the upper inner cylinder chamber and the lower inner cylinder chamber. In addition, although maintenance of the exhaust part is performed by looking into the upper part of the outer chamber, it is feared that the apparatus can not be easily accessed due to the enlargement of the apparatus and it becomes difficult to perform sufficient cleaning and the like. Furthermore, unsteady maintenance such as maintenance and replacement of parts constituting the discharge base plate and the sample base which is pulled up to the upper part is feared that the scaffold becomes unstable. Even if the support beam on which the discharge base plate and the sample table are fixed is pulled up by a crane or the like, the latter two can not be solved.

  In Patent Document 2, a cantilever substrate support on which an electrostatic chuck assembly is mounted, which can be attached to and detached from the chamber by passing an opening provided in a side wall of a vacuum processing chamber (horizontally). Department is disclosed. When this technique is applied to the maintenance of a large-diameter workpiece, the substrate support is vacuum sealed at the opening of the chamber side wall, so if the weight increases, the load on the vacuum seal increases and the vacuum is reduced. It is feared that it will be difficult to hold. In addition, because of the cantilever, the gas flow path shape with respect to the central axis of the sample support portion is not coaxial axial symmetry, the flow of gas in the circumferential direction of the object becomes uneven, and the object is uniform with respect to the object It will be difficult to carry out the

  The object of the present invention is that even when the diameter of the object to be treated is increased, the uniformity of the treatment is good, and not only steady maintenance but also non-steady maintenance can be efficiently performed. It is in providing a vacuum processing apparatus.

  As one mode for achieving the above object, a vacuum processing chamber in which a wafer is carried from the vacuum transfer chamber into an internal space, and the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are disposed airtightly in the vacuum processing chamber. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a valve box having a valve connected inside and having a valve for opening and closing communication with the space of the vacuum processing chamber, wherein the vacuum processing chamber has an exhaust opening and a pedestal A base plate placed and held thereon, a plurality of members arranged vertically stacked above the base plate, whose inner walls surround the space on the inner side of the vacuum processing chamber, and disposed between each of the plurality of members A sealing member for hermetically sealing between the space of the vacuum processing chamber and the outside of the vacuum processing chamber, the plurality of members having a cylindrical inner wall and an outer peripheral side wall of the valve box end And an upper container which is airtightly connected and positioned by being pushed down to the base plate, and a ring-like member disposed below the upper container, the ring-like member being connected to the ring-like member A lifter having a vertical axis which is rotated around and moved horizontally, and the upper container is connected to the valve box, the shaft being an outer peripheral side of the base plate A lifter is provided at a location farther from the center of the inner wall of the ring-shaped member with respect to the valve box.

  According to the present invention, even when the diameter of the object to be treated is increased, the uniformity of the treatment is good, and it is possible to efficiently perform not only steady maintenance but also unsteady maintenance. A vacuum processing apparatus can be provided.

It is a schematic top view (partially transparent) of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum processing apparatus shown to FIG. 1A. The principal part schematic top view for demonstrating conveyance of the to-be-processed object in the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention (The gate valve is in the open state, A conveyance robot carries in to-be-processed object to a vacuum processing chamber, Or out of service). Main part schematic top view (The gate valve is closed and the object is carried into the vacuum transfer chamber) for explaining the transfer of the object in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is there. It is sectional drawing (state of a gate valve close) in the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing (state of a gate valve open) in the vacuum processing chamber in the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a top view (state from which the coil and the power supply were removed) for demonstrating the procedure of the maintenance in the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 4A. It is a top view (The state from which the quartz board, the shower plate, and the quartz inner cylinder were removed) for demonstrating the procedure of the maintenance in the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 5A. It is a top view (state from which the gas introduction ring was removed) for demonstrating the procedure of the maintenance in the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 6A. It is a top view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (a state where the discharge block unit is lifted and turned by a turning lifter). It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 7A. It is a top view (The earth ring, the state where the upper container was removed) for explaining the procedure of the maintenance in the vacuum processing room of the vacuum processing device concerning the example of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 8A. It is a top view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (a state in which a sample stage unit is lifted and turned by a turning lifter). It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 9A. It is a top view (state from which the lower container was removed) for demonstrating the procedure of the maintenance in the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the vacuum processing chamber shown to FIG. 10A.

  The inventors examined a method satisfying the following three in order to achieve the above object. (1) In order to ensure good processing uniformity, the processing chamber shape should be approximately coaxial axial symmetric with respect to the central axis of the sample stage on which the object to be processed is placed. (2) In order to enable easy steady maintenance, reaction products and the like can be quickly removed from the chamber member which is the target component of steady maintenance even if it is compatible with large diameter. Here, the fact that steady maintenance is easy includes making unnecessary the operation performed during unsteady maintenance, such as disconnecting the power cable or performing water cooling purge. (3) In order to enable easy unsteady maintenance, it is possible to easily withdraw the discharge electrode head and various sensors that are targets of unsteady maintenance even if they are compatible with large diameter.

  As a result, it was found that the following configuration was effective. For (1), at least the inner wall shape of the horizontal cross section of the vacuum processing chamber is circular, and the support beam for supporting the sample stage is arranged in axial symmetry with the vertical center of the sample stage as an axis Secure to the support base member of For (2), parts to be routinely maintained can be swapped. That is, instead of cleaning the parts to which the reaction product and the like are attached, it is possible to replace them with new parts or parts that have been cleaned. Furthermore, parts to be subjected to non-stationary maintenance can be assembled in a unit for each related part and can be moved horizontally in units to facilitate avoidance so that these do not become an obstacle to work during steady maintenance. As for (3), the unit, in which the parts subject to non-stationary maintenance are collected for each related part, is moved horizontally during maintenance to provide a work space around it.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same components.
(Example)
A vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1A to 10B. FIG. 1A is a schematic top view (partially transparent) of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of the vacuum processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1A. The plasma processing apparatus which is the vacuum processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has an atmosphere block 101 and a vacuum block 102. The atmosphere block 101 is a portion for transporting, storing and positioning an object (a sample) such as a semiconductor wafer under atmospheric pressure, and the vacuum block 102 transports a sample such as a wafer under a pressure reduced from the atmospheric pressure. Treatment, etc., to raise and lower the pressure while the sample is placed.

  The atmosphere block 101 includes an atmosphere transfer chamber 106 and a plurality of cassette tables 107 mounted on the front side of the atmosphere transfer chamber 106 and on which cassettes containing samples for processing or cleaning are placed. There is. The atmosphere block 101 is a place where a processing or cleaning wafer stored inside each cassette on the cassette table 107 is exchanged with the vacuum block 102 connected to the back of the atmosphere transfer chamber 106, An atmosphere transfer robot 109 having a wafer holding arm for transferring the wafer is disposed in the atmosphere transfer chamber 106.

  The vacuum block 102 is connected to a plurality of vacuum processing chambers 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, and 200-4 for processing the sample under reduced pressure and these vacuum processing chambers, and the sample is transported under reduced pressure in the inside thereof. Vacuum transfer chambers 104-1 and 104-2 including the vacuum transfer robots 110-1 and 110-2, the lock chamber 105 connecting the vacuum transfer chamber 104-1 and the atmosphere transfer chamber 106, and the vacuum transfer chamber 104- 1 and a transfer intermediate chamber 108 connecting the vacuum transfer chamber 104-2. The vacuum block 102 is composed of a unit capable of being internally depressurized and maintained at a high vacuum pressure. The operation of the atmosphere transfer robot and the vacuum transfer robot and the control of processing in the vacuum processing chamber are performed by a control device.

  FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A. In particular, FIG. 3A shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber in the vacuum processing chamber 200. Although the vacuum processing chamber of the same structure is arranged in the present embodiment, a vacuum processing chamber having another structure may be incorporated.

  The vacuum processing chamber shown in FIG. 3A includes a vacuum vessel including an upper vessel 230 and a lower vessel 250, a lower exhaust pump 270 connected to this and an upper first high frequency power supply 201 and a solenoid coil 206. Have. The upper container and the lower container have an inner wall having a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape, and a cylindrical sample base 241 is disposed at the center of the inside. The outer wall of the upper and lower containers constitutes a vacuum bulkhead. The sample table 241 is held by a support beam provided on the sample table base 242, and the support beam is arranged in axial symmetry about the vertical center of the sample table (that is, the gas flow path with respect to the central axis 290 of the sample table The shapes are substantially coaxial axis symmetrical). Since gas and the like (processing gas, particles in plasma and reaction products) in the space above the sample table 241 in the upper vessel 230 are exhausted through the lower vessel 250 through the space between the support beams, The flow of gas in the circumferential direction of the sample table 241 on which the object to be processed (sample) 300 is placed becomes uniform, and uniform processing on the object to be processed 300 becomes possible. The sample stand base 242 has a ring shape provided with a support beam, and the ring portion is held by the lower vessel, which is a vacuum vessel, and the upper periphery above and vacuum sealed, so the weight of the sample stand etc. Even if it increases, it can respond.

  The vacuum processing chamber includes a cylindrical lower container 250 sequentially stacked on a base plate 260 in this embodiment, a ring-shaped sample table base 242 provided with a support beam, a cylindrical upper container 230, an earth ring 225, and a cylindrical shape. The discharge block 224 and the gas introduction ring 204 are composed of a plurality of members, each of which is vacuum sealed by an O-ring 207. Inside the discharge block 224, a cylindrical quartz inner cylinder 205 is disposed. Further, a sample table 241 having a sample table bottom cover 245 is fixed to the sample table base 242 to constitute a sample table unit, and a discharge block 224 attached with a heater 222 is fixed to the discharge block base 221 to be a discharge block unit Are configured. The upper container 230, the lower container 250, and the base plate 260 have flanges, and the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 are respectively screwed to the base plate 260 at the flanges. In the present embodiment, the member constituting the vacuum processing chamber has a cylindrical shape, but regarding the outer wall shape, the horizontal cross-sectional shape may be rectangular instead of circular, or may be another shape.

  Above the vacuum processing chamber, a lid member 202 having a disk shape that constitutes a vacuum vessel and a shower plate 203 having a disk shape that constitutes a ceiling surface of the vacuum processing chamber are disposed therebelow. The lid member 202 and the shower plate 203 are members made of a dielectric such as quartz, and are configured to be able to transmit high frequency electric fields such as microwaves, UHF and VHF waves, and are disposed above the first high frequency power supply. The electric field from the is supplied through these into the vacuum processing chamber. A magnetic field forming means (solenoid coil) 206 is disposed around the outer periphery of the outer side wall of the vacuum vessel so as to supply the generated magnetic field into the vacuum processing chamber.

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

  The processing gas introduced into the vacuum processing chamber is excited by supplying electromagnetic waves and a magnetic field generated by the first high frequency power supply 201 as an electric field forming unit and the solenoid coil 206 as a magnetic field forming unit into the vacuum processing chamber. As a result, plasma is generated in the space in the discharge block 224 above the sample table 241. At this time, the processing gas molecules are ionized into electrons and ions, or dissociated into radicals. A heater 222 connected to the first temperature controller 223 is attached to a region where the plasma is generated, and a discharge block 224 disposed on the discharge block base 221 is provided, and the plasma is in contact with the plasma. The tube 205 can be heated. Thereby, adhesion of reaction products to the quartz inner cylinder 205 and the discharge block 224 can be reduced. For this reason, these members can be removed from regular maintenance.

  The sample stage 241 on which the wafer is placed is disposed inside the vacuum processing chamber so as to coincide with the central axis 290 of the shower plate 203. When processing by plasma is performed, the wafer which is the object to be processed 300 is placed on the circular mounting surface which is the upper surface of the sample table 241 and held by adsorption of the dielectric of the film by electrostatic charge (electrostatic chuck Processing is performed in the state of In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the cylindrical vacuum processing chamber is set to 800 mm in consideration of using a semiconductor wafer as a sample having a diameter of 450 mm. However, it is also possible to set this dimension or less (about 600 mm).

  Further, a high frequency bias power supply (second high frequency power supply) 243 is connected to the electrode disposed inside the sample table 241, and the high frequency power supplied is supplied above the sample table 241 and the sample 300 placed thereon. The etching process proceeds by the interaction between the physical reaction by causing charged particles in the plasma to attract to the surface of the sample to collide with the surface of the sample by the high frequency bias formed and the chemical reaction between the radicals and the wafer surface. Further, the temperature of the sample stage can be controlled to a desired temperature by the second temperature controller 244. The application of the high frequency bias to the sample table 241 and the temperature control of the sample table 241 can be performed by using a power supply wiring cord, a temperature control wiring cord, or a refrigerant disposed in a cavity formed inside the sample support base 242 including the support beam. It will be done via piping. Although not shown, in addition to the wiring cord, a temperature sensor and a wiring cord for electrostatic chuck can also be included. The reaction product is likely to be attached to the upper container 230 disposed around the sample table 241, and therefore, it is a target member for steady maintenance.

  Below the vacuum processing chamber, an exhaust pump 270 connected via a base plate 260 having its bottom and an exhaust opening is disposed. The exhaust opening provided in the base plate 260 is disposed immediately below the sample table 241, and the exhaust conductance is adjusted by moving the exhaust portion lid 261 having a substantially disc shape disposed above the exhaust opening up and down with the cylinder 262. The amount and speed of the internal gas and plasma discharged from the vacuum processing chamber by the exhaust pump 270 can be adjusted. The exhaust cover 261 is opened when processing an object to be processed, and the pressure in the space inside the vacuum processing chamber is desired by the balance with the operation of the exhaust means such as the exhaust pump 270 together with the supply of processing gas. The degree of vacuum is maintained. In the present embodiment, the pressure during treatment is adjusted to a predetermined value in the range of 0.1 to 4 Pa. A molecular turbo pump was used as an exhaust pump. In addition, the exhaust part cover 261 can be closed at the time of maintenance, and the exhaust pump can be vacuum sealed by an O-ring. Reference numeral 111 denotes a first gate valve, reference numeral 112 denotes a second gate valve, reference numeral 115 denotes a valve box, and reference numeral 280 denotes a support.

  The processing gas introduced into the vacuum processing chamber and the reaction product during plasma and processing pass through the space on the outer peripheral side of the sample table 241 from the upper portion of the vacuum processing chamber by the operation of the exhaust means such as the exhaust pump 270 and the lower container It moves to the opening provided in the lower base plate 260 via 250. The lower container 250 is a target member for steady-state maintenance because the reaction product easily adheres thereto.

  The pressure inside the vacuum processing chamber during the etching process is monitored by a vacuum gauge (not shown), and the pressure inside the vacuum processing chamber is controlled by controlling the exhaust speed with the exhaust unit lid 261. The supply of the processing gas, the electric field forming means, the magnetic field forming means, the high frequency bias, and the operation of the exhausting means are adjusted by a not-shown communicablely connected control device.

  As the processing gas used for the plasma processing, a single type of gas or a gas in which a plurality of types of gases are mixed at an optimal flow ratio is used for each process condition. The mixed gas is adjusted in flow rate by a gas flow rate controller (not shown) and connected to the gas introduction ring 204 to connect the shower plate 203 and the lid member 202 above the vacuum processing chamber at the top of the vacuum vessel. Into the space for gas retention between them. In this example, a stainless steel gas introduction ring was used.

  Next, procedures for carrying in and out the object to be processed from the vacuum processing chamber will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 3B. First, in the atmosphere block, the wafer taken out of the cassette by the atmosphere transfer robot is transferred to the vacuum transfer chamber 104 through the lock chamber. FIG. 2B shows a state in which the wafer 300 is carried into the vacuum transfer chamber 104. The vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are connected via a first gate valve 111 and a second gate valve. In this figure, both gate valves are closed and vacuum sealed with an O-ring 207. The code | symbol 115 is a valve box and the code | symbol 210 is a turning lifter (moving means). The swing lifter 210 will be described later. Next, after the pressures in the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are equalized, as shown in FIG. 2A, the wafer 300 is carried from the vacuum transfer chamber 104 to the vacuum processing chamber using the vacuum transfer robot 110 equipped with an arm. . At this time, the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are both open. Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, the wafer 300 is placed on the sample stage 241 in the vacuum processing chamber, the vacuum transfer robot returns to the vacuum transfer chamber, and the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are closed.

  When the processing on the wafer 300 is completed in the vacuum processing chamber, the pressures of the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are adjusted, and the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are opened as shown in FIG. 3B. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2A, the vacuum transfer robot 110 is used to remove the wafer 300 from the sample table 241. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2B, the wafer 300 is carried into the vacuum transfer chamber 104. Thereafter, the wafer 300 is transferred to the cassette via the lock chamber after being processed in another vacuum processing chamber or not processed.

  Next, the routine maintenance procedure will be described using FIGS. 4A to 10B. FIGS. 4A and 4B remove the solenoid coil 206 and the first high frequency power supply 201 from the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and remove the opening portion of the base plate 260 connected to the exhaust pump 270 with the exhaust portion lid. FIG. 4A shows a plan view and FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view. By vacuum sealing the exhaust pump 270 with the exhaust portion cover 261 and operating the exhaust pump 270, the start-up time of the vacuum processing chamber after maintenance can be shortened. In addition, in order to demonstrate the turning lifter 210, the sectional view shown to FIG. 4B differs in the direction to see with FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. That is, in the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, it is the view seen from the right side in the plan view shown in FIG. 4A, but in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4B, the view seen from the lower side in the plan view shown in FIG. It has become. The cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 5B to 10B are viewed from the same direction as the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4B.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the quartz plate 202, the shower plate 203 below it, and the quartz inner cylinder 205 are moved upward and removed. As a result, the gas introduction ring 204 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum processing chamber. In the inside of the vacuum processing chamber, the portions of the sample pedestal 241 and the support beam of the sample pedestal base 242 are exposed.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the gas introduction ring 204 is moved upward and removed.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the discharge block unit 220 including the discharge block base 221 fixed to the movable part of the swing lifter 210, the discharge block 224 and the heater 222 mounted thereon, is shown by the arrow 310. As shown in the figure, after moving upward around the pivot axis 211, the substrate is horizontally pivoted in the counterclockwise direction to move out of the area of the vacuum processing chamber as viewed from vertically above. In the present embodiment, the discharge block unit is turned counterclockwise, but the position of the turning lifter may be changed to the opposite side (right side arrangement in the figure as left side arrangement) to turn clockwise. The distance for moving the discharge block unit 220 upward is equal to or greater than the height beyond the projection of the earth ring 225. Although it was set to 5 cm in this example, it is not limited to this. When the height of the projection of the earth ring is low, the height at which the O-ring 207 is separated from the discharge block unit 220 or the earth ring 225 is several cm or more. Although the turning angle is 180 degrees, it can be 90 degrees or more and 270 degrees or less. However, in consideration of workability, 180 ° ± 20 ° is preferable. By turning together the discharge related members that are not targets of steady maintenance as the discharge block unit 220, these can be quickly and easily avoided from the top of the vacuum processing chamber. By avoiding the discharge block unit 220, the earth ring 225 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum processing chamber.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the earth ring 225 and the upper container 230, which is a main steady maintenance target member, are moved upward and removed. That is, the upper container 230 can be easily removed in a swappable state. In the present embodiment, the vacuum dividing wall itself (upper container) constituting the vacuum processing chamber can be replaced. Thus, the maintenance time of the upper container 230 after dismantling the vacuum processing chamber can be minimized. When maintenance is performed, the first gate valve is closed and the second gate valve is opened. By closing the first gate valve 111 and bringing the vacuum transfer chamber 104 into a vacuum sealed state, processing in another vacuum processing chamber becomes possible, and a drop in the operation rate of the vacuum processing apparatus can be minimized. . On the other hand, the upper container 230 and the valve box 115 can be separated by opening the second gate valve 112. The upper container 230 was removed after removing the screw that fixed the upper container 230 and the base plate 260 at the flanges. The movement of the discharge block unit was performed by the control device that controls the swing lifter. This control device may be dedicated to the swing lifter, or may be incorporated as part of the control device for the entire vacuum processing apparatus. By removing the upper container 230, the ring portion of the sample table base 242 is exposed in addition to the sample table 241 and the support beam.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sample table unit 240 including the sample table base 242 fixed to the movable portion of the swing lifter 210, the sample table 241 mounted thereon, and the sample table bottom lid 245 After being moved upward about the pivot axis 211 as shown by the arrow 320, by turning horizontally counterclockwise, it moves out of the area of the vacuum processing chamber as viewed from vertically above. In this embodiment, the sample stage unit is pivoted counterclockwise, but the position of the pivot lifter may be changed to the opposite side (rightward disposition in the figure to leftward disposition) to pivot clockwise. The distance for moving the sample stand unit 240 upward is equal to or more than the height at which the O-ring 207 is peeled off from the sample stand unit 240 or the lower container 250. Although it was set to 2 cm in this example, it is not limited to this. In addition, it is desirable that the turning angle be set to be the same as that of the discharge block unit 220. Thus, the total area of both the discharge block unit 220 and the sample table unit 240 can be reduced when viewed from above vertically. By rotating together the sample stage related members that are not targets of steady maintenance as the sample stage unit 240, these can be quickly and easily avoided from the top of the vacuum processing chamber. The movement of the sample stand unit 240 was performed by the control device that controls the swing lifter. This control device may be dedicated to the swing lifter, or may be incorporated as part of the control device for the entire vacuum processing apparatus. By avoiding the sample stand unit 240, the lower container 250 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum processing chamber. In addition, the entire surface of the exhaust cover 261 is exposed.

  Subsequently, after removing the screw fixing the lower container 250 and the base plate 260 at the flange portion, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, move the lower container 250 which is the main steady maintenance target member upward. Remove. That is, the lower container 250 can be easily removed in a swappable state. Thereby, the maintenance time of the lower container 250 after dismantling the vacuum processing chamber can be minimized. After the lower container 250 is removed, the surface of the base plate 260 and the surface of the exhaust cover 261 are inspected and maintained. Since the exposed portion of the base plate 260 is covered by the lower container 250, the reaction product is less attached, and the upper surface of the exhaust cover 261 is disposed under the sample table when processing the object to be treated. Although there is little adhesion of reaction products, they can be cleaned as needed. Since there is no wall or the like (obstruction obstacle for maintenance) constituting the vacuum processing chamber around the base plate 260, the work efficiency of maintenance of the worker 400 (not shown in FIG. 10B) can be improved.

  After cleaning, inspection / maintenance, and replacement (especially, upper and lower containers) of members to be regularly maintained, they are assembled in the reverse order of the above description and subjected to vacuum processing.

  Next, the procedure of non-stationary maintenance will be described. The target members of the unsteady maintenance are mainly the members constituting the discharge block unit 220 and the members constituting the sample stand unit 240. In the case of the members constituting the discharge block unit 220, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, after lifting the discharge block unit 220 upward and turning horizontally, inspection / replacement of the heater 222 from a desired direction , And maintenance such as inspection and cleaning of the inner wall of the discharge block 224 can be performed. Since the discharge block unit 220 is avoided from the other members constituting the vacuum processing chamber, the working efficiency can be improved.

  In the case of the members constituting the sample stand unit 240, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sample stand unit is lifted upward and turned horizontally, and then the lid of the sample stand bottom is removed as shown in FIG. 10B. It is possible to perform maintenance of various power cords, wiring of sensors, parts for temperature control, etc. from a desired direction. The internal space of the support beam is used to control the temperature of the wiring board used for electrostatically attracting the workpiece to the sample table, the wiring cord used for applying a high frequency bias to the sample table, and the temperature of the sample table And at least one of the wiring cords used for detecting the temperature of the sample table and the wiring cords for the refrigerant and the sample table, which are also targets for unsteady maintenance. In the case where the discharge block unit 220 is an obstacle to the operation, it can be turned clockwise in the area where the vacuum processing chamber is disposed or in the vicinity thereof as viewed from above vertically. Thereby, the working efficiency of the sample stand unit 240 can be improved. In addition, by appropriately shifting the swing angles of the discharge block unit and the sample table unit, both units can be simultaneously maintained, so that the working efficiency is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the discharge block unit and the sample stand unit are lifted upward and then turned horizontally, but may be lifted horizontally and drawn linearly in the horizontal direction. This allows the movement range to be minimized. In addition, the configuration of the moving mechanism can be simplified. However, turning in the horizontal direction is advantageous in securing a working space for maintenance.

  Further, in the present embodiment, not only the upper container but also the lower container is replaced, but a liner (cover) may be attached so as to cover the inner surface of the lower container, and the liner may be replaced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the swing lifter is one, and the discharge block unit and the sample stand unit are swung in the same direction. However, if the work area can be secured, two swing lifters are provided, respectively in different directions. It can also be turned. By providing a swing lifter for the discharge block unit and a swing lifter for the sample table unit, the height of each unit can be freely set. In addition, since more workers can be arranged, simultaneous progress of work can be easily performed, work can be completed in a short time, and work efficiency is improved.

  In the above embodiment, the components other than the discharge block unit and the sample table unit, which are moved using the swing lifter, are moved manually. However, a hoist or the like such as a crane may be used.

  Moreover, although the ECR type vacuum processing apparatus was used as a vacuum processing apparatus in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to an ICP type apparatus and the like. Further, although the vacuum processing apparatus provided with the vacuum processing chambers arranged in the link method is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a cluster type device.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the object to be treated has a large diameter, the uniformity of the treatment is good (coaxial axisymmetric exhaust) and only by steady maintenance. Thus, it is possible to provide a vacuum processing apparatus capable of efficiently performing non-stationary maintenance.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace part of one configuration with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to one configuration.

100 ... vacuum processing apparatus, 101 ... atmosphere block, 102 ... vacuum block, 104, 104-1, 104-2 ... vacuum transfer chamber, 105 ... lock chamber, 106 ... atmosphere Transport chamber, 107: Cassette base, 108: Transport intermediate chamber, 109: Atmospheric transport robot, 110, 110-1, 110-2: Vacuum transport robot, 111: First gate valve 112: second gate valve 115: valve box 200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4: vacuum processing chamber 201: first high frequency power source 202: Lid member (quartz plate), 203: shower plate, 204: gas introduction ring, 205: quartz inner cylinder, 206: coil, 207: O ring, 210 ..・ Swirl lifter , 211: rotation axis, 220: discharge block unit, 221: discharge block base, 222: heater, 223: first temperature controller, 224: discharge block, 225: 225 Earth ring, 230: upper container, 240: sample stage unit, 241: sample stage, 242: sample base base, 243: second high frequency power source, 244: second temperature controller ,..., 245: lower part of sample stand, 250: lower container, 260: base plate, 261: exhaust part lid, 262: cylinder, 270: exhaust pump, 280: post, 290 ... central axis, 300 ... processing object (wafer, sample), 310 ... moving direction of discharge block unit 320 ... moving direction of sample table unit 400 .... Worker.

Claims (10)

A vacuum processing chamber in which a wafer is carried from the vacuum transfer chamber to an internal space, and the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are disposed airtightly connected to the vacuum processing chamber and are internally connected to the vacuum processing chamber. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a valve box having a valve for opening and closing communication with a space;
The vacuum processing chamber is provided with a base plate mounted and held on a pedestal with an exhaust opening, and a plurality of vertically disposed upper layers of the base plate are disposed to surround the space on the inner side of the vacuum processing chamber. And a seal member disposed between each of the plurality of members and hermetically sealing between the space of the vacuum processing chamber and the outside of the vacuum processing chamber;
The upper container has a cylindrical inner wall and the outer peripheral side wall is airtightly connected to the end of the valve box and pressed down with respect to the base plate; And an annular member disposed at
A lifter having a vertical axis connected to the ring-shaped member and rotating the ring-shaped member around the ring-shaped member to move it horizontally, wherein the upper container is connected to the valve box. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a lifter having the shaft at an outer peripheral side of the base plate and at a location farther from the valve box than a center of an inner wall of the ring-shaped member. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus, wherein the ring-shaped member is vertically moved along the axis before or after the horizontal movement of the lifter about the axis. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a lower container having a cylindrical shape, the plurality of members being disposed between the ring-shaped member and the base plate and having an inner wall surrounding the space, the lower container being positioned on the base plate. The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
A transfer path which is disposed inside the valve box and is a space in which the wafer is transferred, and an opening which is disposed on the side wall of the upper container and into which the wafer is carried into the space of the vacuum processing chamber through the inside. And the side wall of the upper container around the gate and the end of the valve box are connected to each other to connect the transfer path, the valve box, and A vacuum processing apparatus hermetically sealed with a space outside the upper container. The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus, comprising: a sample stage disposed so as to be connected to the ring-shaped member via a support beam at an inner central portion of the ring-shaped member and on which the carried-in wafer is placed. The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a lid member mounted above the upper container to constitute the vacuum processing chamber and to transmit an electric field for generating plasma in an upper portion of the space in the vacuum processing chamber inside the upper processing chamber. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a discharge block which constitutes the vacuum processing chamber, is disposed between the lid member and the upper member, and surrounds the space in which the plasma is formed. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
The vacuum processing apparatus, wherein the discharge block is connected to the shaft of the lifter and rotated about the shaft and moved in the horizontal direction. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The vacuum processing apparatus in which the discharge block is rotated about the axis of the lifter and moved horizontally to the upper part of the upper container and then moved downward along the axis and placed on the plurality of members . The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein
A vacuum processing apparatus in which the valve box is connected to and held by the pedestal.

Images