JP3356354B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing process, an object to be processed is mounted and fixed on a mounting table installed in an airtight processing chamber, and various processes such as film formation and etching are performed.
At that time, as shown in FIG.
The workpiece W is carried into the processing chamber 103 by the transfer arm 102 installed in the processing chamber 103, and is positioned above the mounting table 104. Then, the lifter pins 105 provided in the mounting table 104 are lifted, and the processing object W is removed. After supporting and moving the transfer arm 102 backward, the lifter pin 105 is lowered, or the mounting table 104 is raised, so that the object to be processed W is mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting table 104 and fixed by the chuck means. After that, predetermined processing is performed by the processing gas introduced into the processing chamber 103.

[0003]

However, in the conventional processing apparatus as described above, the mechanism 106 for driving the mounting table 104 up and down and the mechanism 1 for driving the lifter pin up and down.
07 was required separately. Therefore, actuators such as motors and air cylinders must be installed for each mechanism, and in order to secure space for mounting the actuators, problems such as the enlargement of the device, the complexity of the mechanism, and the complexity of development and management of the drive sequence are required. I was having.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to simplify and reduce the size of the apparatus by simplifying the drive mechanism for lifter pins. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved processing apparatus capable of reducing costs and improving reliability.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus, comprising: a processing unit configured to apply a plasma or heat to an object mounted on a mounting table provided in an airtight processing chamber; in the processing apparatus for performing processing by a table driving means and a target object carried into the mounting table in the process chamber is relatively moved installing the workpiece in the mounting table, is movable relative the mounting table, before SL and capable of supporting the lifter pins the object to be processed, and biasing means for biasing the lifter pins upwards, the lifter pin
Wherein a predetermined amount or more than the loading position of the object to be processed, a first limiting means for limiting so as not to protrude <br/> upward, the Li
Project the lid pin upward by more than a specified amount from the mounting table.
And a second restricting means for restricting the error from occurring.

Further processing equipment according to claim 2, wherein the processing
Said first limiting means fixedly attached to the laboratory,
The lifter pin and the first engaging portion that moves up and down integrally
When the lifter pin is
The movement is restricted, and the lifter pin is loaded into the workpiece.
Restrict so that it does not protrude upward by more than a predetermined amount from the position
It is characterized in that that. A processing device according to claim 3.
The second restricting means which moves up and down integrally with the mounting table;
And a second engaging portion that moves up and down integrally with the lifter pin.
By engaging with each other,
The lifter pin from the mounting table
Must not protrude upward beyond a predetermined amount.
Features. Further, the processing device according to claim 4 is
The object to be processed is moved into and out of the object by the transfer arm.
Can be held in place. Further, in the processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect , the mounting table may be a loading position of the processing target.
The object to be processed is held at a position above the placement .

[0007]

Next, the operation of the processing apparatus according to the above configuration will be described. First, the object to be processed is carried into the processing chamber by the transfer arm, and is positioned at a predetermined position. Next, when the mounting table is advanced in the direction of the object to be processed, the lifter pins urged in the direction of the object by the urging means also advance with the movement of the mounting table. At this time, the lifter pins are controlled by the second restricting means installed on the mounting table so as not to precede the movement of the mounting table by a predetermined amount or more. No damage to the body. Then, the tip of the lifter pin, which protrudes ahead of the mounting table by a predetermined amount, comes into contact with the object to be processed and supports the object, and then the movement of the mounting table is temporarily stopped. Next, after retracting the transfer arm supporting the object to be processed, the mounting table is advanced again. However, at this time, since the movement of the lifter pin is restricted by the first restricting means so as not to advance beyond the support position of the object, only the mounting table described above advances in the direction of the object, and The processing body can be supported on the mounting surface of the mounting table. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to transfer the object to be processed to the mounting table by bringing the mounting table and the processing object supported by the lifter pins close to each other with a simple structure. is there. If necessary, it is possible to further advance the mounting table to a predetermined processing position, stop the mounting table, and perform predetermined processing on the object.

After a series of processes is completed, the mounting table is retracted together with the object to be processed. In the meantime, the lifter pin is held at a predetermined position by the first restricting means, and the tip of the lifter pin comes into contact with the object to be processed as the mounting table is retracted, thereby supporting the object to be processed. Then, after the mounting table is further retracted by the predetermined amount, the mounting table is temporarily stopped. At this point, since the object to be processed is supported only by the lifter pins, it can be gripped by the transfer arm. After gripping the object to be processed by the transfer arm, when the mounting table is further retracted, the lifter pins are limited by the second limiting means so as not to be more than a predetermined amount ahead of the mounting table, The lifter pin retreats together with the mounting table against the urging force of the urging means, and releases the object. Thereafter, the workpiece is carried out of the processing chamber by the transfer arm, thereby completing a series of operations.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a processing apparatus constructed according to the present invention is applied to a plasma CVD apparatus will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A plasma CVD apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a processing chamber 2 formed of a cylindrical or rectangular shape made of a conductive material such as aluminum or the like. For example, a substantially cylindrical mounting table 3 for mounting the semiconductor wafer W is accommodated. The mounting table 3 can be configured by assembling a plurality of members made of aluminum or the like with bolts or the like, and has a heater or the like for heating the object to be processed to a predetermined temperature. Heating means 4 and mounting table 3
A cooling means 5 for preventing overheating is provided internally, and is configured to be able to be driven up and down by a drive mechanism 6 as described later.

As the heating means 4, for example, it is possible to adopt a structure in which a conductive resistance heating element such as tungsten is inserted into an insulating sintered body such as aluminum nitride. 7 receives heat from the power source 8 and generates heat, and the temperature of the processing surface of the semiconductor wafer W becomes a desired temperature, for example, 350 ° C.
It is configured so that it can be heated to 400 ° C. Further, as the cooling means 5, for example, a cooling jacket capable of circulating a coolant such as cold water can be employed, and the temperature can be adjusted so that the mounting table 3 is not overheated. It is configured.

The mounting table 3 has a disk shape with a central upper surface formed in a convex shape. On the central upper surface, for example, an electrostatic chuck 7 is provided as a chuck portion for holding an object to be processed. It is provided with a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W as a body, and preferably slightly smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. The electrostatic chuck 70 has a conductive film 71 such as a copper foil sandwiched between two films made of a polymer insulating material such as polybenzimidazole (PBI) resin as a surface on which the wafer W is placed and held. The conductive film 71 is connected to a variable DC voltage source 11 via a voltage supply lead 9 via a filter 10 that cuts off high-frequency waves, for example, a coil. Therefore, by applying a DC high voltage to the conductive film 71, the wafer W is placed on the upper surface of the upper film of the electrostatic chuck 70.
Is configured to be able to be sucked and held by Coulomb force.

The mounting table 3 further includes a power supply lead 12.
, A high-frequency power supply 14 is connected via a blocking capacitor 13 on the way, and during processing, for example, 13.56 MHz high-frequency power is supplied to the power supply lead 12.
Can be applied to the mounting table 3 via. With such a configuration, the mounting table 3 functions as a lower electrode,
A glow discharge is generated between the processing chamber 2 and the upper electrode 15 provided so as to face the processing target W, and a processing gas, for example, a TEOS gas introduced into the processing chamber 2 is turned into plasma.
The plasma particles can be subjected to a chemical vapor reaction on the processing surface of the processing object to form a SiO ₂ film.

The upper electrode 15 is disposed above the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 with a distance of about 10 to 20 mm therefrom. The upper electrode is formed to be hollow, and a processing gas supply pipe 16 is connected to the hollow portion.
It is possible to introduce a predetermined processing gas, for example, a processing gas such as TEOS gas, through a flow rate controller (MFC) 18. A large number of small holes 19 are formed in the lower surface of the upper electrode 15, and the processing gas can be uniformly diffused into the processing chamber 2 by ejecting the processing gas from the small holes 19. It is configured as follows.

Further, an exhaust port 20 communicating with an exhaust system such as a vacuum pump is provided below the processing chamber 2 so that the inside of the processing chamber 2 is maintained at a predetermined pressure, for example, 0.5 mm.
It is possible to evacuate to Torr. A baffle plate 21 having a plurality of baffle holes is arranged between the mounting table 3 and the inner wall of the processing chamber 2 so as to surround the mounting table 3. The baffle plate 21 is also called a protect ring or an exhaust ring, and is for adjusting the flow of the exhaust gas and uniformly exhausting the processing gas and the like from the processing chamber 2.

A processing object loading / unloading port 22 is provided at a side portion of the processing chamber 2. The loading / unloading port 22 communicates with a load lock chamber 24 via a gate valve 23 which is automatically opened and closed by a drive mechanism (not shown). I have. In the load lock chamber 24, a transfer arm 25 capable of inserting and removing the semiconductor wafers W to be processed into and out of the processing chamber 2 one by one.
Is provided.

Next, the configuration of the mounting table drive mechanism 6 configured according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in the figure, the mounting table driving mechanism 6
A lifter pin drive unit for driving lifter pins 30 for transferring the object to be processed between the transfer arm 25 and the mounting table 3, and a mounting table drive unit for driving the mounting table 3 itself.

The lifter pin drive section includes a plurality of lifter pins 30 that can move up and down in lifter pin holes 31 provided so as to penetrate the mounting table 3 and the electrostatic chuck 70, and support the lifter pins 30. And a supporting column 32. A projecting portion 33 projecting in the horizontal direction is provided in the middle of the column 32, and the upper surface of the projecting portion 33 and the lower surface of the mounting table 3 are connected by a lift pin portion bellows 34. Table 3
Even when the lifter pin 30 and the lifter pin 30 relatively move, the lifter pin drive unit can be kept airtight by the expansion and contraction operation.

A first limiting means 35 fixed to the bottom 2a of the processing chamber 2 is provided near the end of the overhanging portion 33. The first restricting means 35 has an upper end 35a projecting inward, and the projecting portion 35a
The upward movement of the lifter pin 30 can be restricted by engaging the lower surface of the lifter pin with the upper surface of the overhang portion 33 of the lifter pin. This first limiting means 35
Is set at a position where the tip of the lifter pin 30 supports the wafer W, the wafer W is transferred from the transfer arm 25 to the lifter pin 30 at the first limit position. And the wafer W can be supported only by the lifter pins 30.

A biasing means 38 such as a spring is provided on the lower surface of the overhang 33. This urging means 3
8 is for applying an urging force between the bottom portion 2a of the processing chamber 2 and the lower surface of the overhang portion 33.
The lifter pins 30 are biased so as to be separated from the bottom 2 a of the processing chamber 2.

Further, a horizontal projection 36 is provided at the lower end of the column 32 of the lifter pin. And
The upper surface of the overhang portion 36 engages with the lower surface of a protruding portion 37a which is configured as a second restricting means 37 that can move up and down together with the mounting table 3 and protrudes inward.
The movement of the lifter pin 30 can be restricted so that the tip of the lifter pin 30 does not protrude above the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 by a predetermined amount S or more.

The mounting table drive section includes a plurality of guide shafts 40 for supporting the mounting table 3 from below, a base 41 for supporting the guide shafts 40, and a drive shaft coupling 42 for connecting the base 41 to the drive shaft coupling 42. The motor 43 is driven up and down through the motor 43. The guide shaft 40 is disposed so as to be able to move up and down in a guide passage formed so as to penetrate the bottom portion 2a of the processing chamber 2 and the overhanging portion 38 of the lifter pin support 32. The lower surface of the mounting table 3 and the bottom 2a of the processing chamber 2 are connected to each other by the mounting table driving bellows 44 so that the lower surface of the mounting table 3 is connected to the bottom 2a of the processing chamber 2.
Even when the bottom part 2a of the processing chamber 2 relatively moves, the table drive unit can be kept airtight by the expansion and contraction operation. With this configuration, the driving force of the motor 43 is
By converting the power into lifting power through the base 41, the base 41
Can be driven up and down, and the base 41
The guide shaft 40 supported by the base 41 and the mounting table 3 described above can be driven up and down by a desired amount in accordance with the vertical movement.

Next, the operation of the processing apparatus according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to the schematic view of the apparatus in FIG. 1 and the operation explanatory views in FIGS.

First, the pressure in the load lock chamber 24 and the processing chamber 2 is reduced to a predetermined pressure, for example, 0.1 Torr.
5, the object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is transferred to the processing chamber 2
And positioned at a wafer transfer position as shown in FIG. In this position, the lifter pin 30
Is positioned by the second restricting means 37 so as to protrude from the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 by a predetermined amount S, and the urging means 3 pushes up the lifter pin 30.
8 is held in a compressed state by the projecting portion 3 3 of the lifter pins supporting columns 32.

Next, as shown in FIG.
When the mounting table 3 is driven upward through the guide shaft 40, the lifter pin 3 is moved.
0, while maintaining the state in which the second restricting means 37 protrudes from the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 by the predetermined amount S,
It is raised by the urging force of the urging means 38. However, as shown in FIG.
When 3 comes into contact with the first limiting means 35, the lifting movement of the lifter pin 30 stops. The movement of the lifter pin 30 causes the tip of the lifter pin 30 to push up and support the back surface of the workpiece W held by the transfer arm 25, and the lifter pin 30 is moved from the transfer arm 25.
The transfer of the workpiece W to the object is completed. Then, the transfer arm 25 is moved backward.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the motor 43 is further driven, and the mounting table 3 is further driven upward. At this time, since the upward movement of the lifter pins 30 is restricted by the first limiting means 35, only the mounting table 3 moves upward, and the lifter pins 30 are relatively moved into the mounting table 3. Since the operation is performed so as to be retracted, the processing target object W is transferred to the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 from the lifter pin 30 as a result. Then, the object to be processed W
The mounting table 3 is moved to a predetermined processing position while attracting and holding by the electrostatic chuck 70, and the setup is completed.

Next, a predetermined processing gas, for example, a TEOS gas, is introduced from the upper electrode 15 into the processing chamber 2 and, at the same time, 13.56 MH is supplied to the mounting table 3.
By applying a high frequency of z, the processing gas is turned into plasma, and a chemical vapor reaction is performed on the processing surface of the processing target W, so that a desired film forming process can be performed.

After a series of processes is completed, an unloading operation of the object to be processed is performed.
4 is carried out in reverse. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the mounting table 3 on which the workpiece W is mounted is lowered. At this time, since the lifter pins 30 are urged upward by the urging means 38, only the mounting table 3 is lowered, and as a result, only the lifter pins 30 protrude from the mounting surface of the mounting table 3. The workpiece W is supported by its tip, and the workpiece W is delivered from the mounting table 3 to the lifter pins 30.

When the mounting table 3 is further lowered, the lifter pins 30 are restricted by the second restricting means 37 so as not to protrude from the mounting surface of the mounting table 3 by a predetermined amount S or more. The workpiece W is lowered together with the table 3 while supporting the workpiece W at the tip. In this manner, the mounting table 3 is lowered to the position where the workpiece W is transferred to the transfer arm 25, and then temporarily stopped. Next, the transfer arm 25 is advanced into the processing chamber, and the workpiece W supported only by the lifter pins 30 is gripped. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting table 3 is further lowered together with the lifter pins 30 so that the lifter pins 3 are lowered.
0, the transfer of the workpiece W to the transfer arm 25 is completed. Then, the transfer arm 25 carries out the processed object W to the load lock chamber 24, thereby completing a series of operations.

Although the processing apparatus constructed based on one embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the plasma CVD apparatus has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to various semiconductor processing apparatuses, such as a thermal CVD apparatus, which perform processing by mounting an object on a mounting table or a susceptor, such as an etching apparatus, an ashing apparatus, and a sputtering apparatus.

In the present invention, various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. In particular, various changes and modifications can be made to the structure of the lifter pin. For example, a structure in which the object to be processed is grounded via the lifter pin can be adopted. Alternatively, in a configuration in which a heat transfer gas is supplied to a minute space formed between the object to be processed and the electrostatic chuck to improve the responsiveness of temperature control of the object to be processed, the lifter pin may be moved through the hole for raising and lowering the lifter pin. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the heat transfer gas is supplied by using a heat transfer gas. In addition to the semiconductor wafer, the present invention can be applied to a processing apparatus for forming, etching, and ashing a glass substrate on which a liquid crystal substrate is formed by plasma or heat.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The drive mechanism for lifting and lowering the lifter pins can be simplified, and the lifter pins can be moved up and down in conjunction with the lifting and lowering of the mounting table. In addition, simplification can be achieved, and cost can be reduced and reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which a processing apparatus configured according to the present invention is applied to a plasma CVD apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of a mounting table / lifter pin drive mechanism configured based on the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of a mounting table / lifter pin drive mechanism configured based on the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of a mounting table / lifter pin drive mechanism configured based on the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a conventional plasma CVD apparatus having a mounting table / lifter pin drive mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 processing apparatus 2 processing chamber 3 mounting table 30 lifter pin 32 lifter pin support 33 overhanging part 34 lifter pin bellows 35 first restricting means 36 overhanging part 37 second limiting means 40 mounting table guide shaft 41 base 42 coupling 43 motor 44 Bellows for mounting table

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mounting table provided in an airtight processing chamber.
Processed by plasma or heat
In the processing apparatus for performing, the mounting table and the processing chamberWithinCheck with the loaded workpiece
The object to be processed is set on the mounting table by moving the object in the opposite direction.
The mounting table driving means and the mounting table can be moved relative to each other.RecordProcessing body
A lifter pin capable of supporting the lifter pin;UpwardUrging means for urging, the lifter pinIs a predetermined amount more than the loading position of the object.
Above, project upwardThe first system to restrict not to
Means,Place the lifter pin above the mounting table by a predetermined amount or more.
Second restricting means for restricting from protruding;  A processing device comprising: 2. Before being fixedly attached to the processing chamber.
The first restricting means and the lifter pin move up and down integrally with the lifter pin.
By engaging the first engaging portion with each other,
Restricting the upward movement of the lifter pin,
Projecting upward by a predetermined amount or more from the loading position of the object.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
The processing device according to the above. 3. The second unit which moves up and down integrally with the mounting table.
And a second unit that moves up and down integrally with the lifter pin.
The lifter by engaging the engaging portions of the lifter with each other.
Limiting the upward movement of the pin
Restricted so that it does not protrude upward beyond the mounting table by a predetermined amount
3. The processing according to claim 1, wherein the processing is performed.
apparatus. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
Characterized by comprising a transfer arm for holding the loading position, the processing apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3. 5. The mounting table is characterized in that for holding the workpiece at the loading position by <br/> remote upper position of the object to be processed, according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 A processing device according to any one of the above.