JP6750928B2 - Vacuum processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having a depressurized 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 the vacuum processing chamber in a depressurized state, and the introduced processing gas is turned into plasma to generate radicals. By means of the chemical reaction and the sputtering of electrons, an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer held on a sample stage equipped with an electrostatic chuck is processed.

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

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

A processing gas is used in the vacuum processing apparatus, and when the processing gas is turned into plasma to process an object to be processed (wafer), reaction products adhere to the inside of the vacuum processing chamber. When the reaction products adhere to the surface of the parts placed inside the processing chamber, the deterioration of the parts causes the reaction products to become fine particles and peel off from the surface, and they drop and adhere to the wafer as foreign matter to contaminate them. The problem arises that In order to suppress this, the parts inside the processing chamber are regularly replaced or cleaned to remove reaction products that cause foreign matter or to regenerate the surface of each part. (maintenance). During the maintenance, the inside of the processing chamber is opened to the atmosphere of atmospheric pressure, the processing cannot be performed, and the operation of the apparatus is stopped, so that the processing efficiency decreases.

Further, in recent years, the diameter of semiconductor wafers to be processed has been increased. Therefore, the vacuum processing apparatus also becomes large in size, and the individual parts constituting the vacuum processing apparatus also become large in size, and the weight thereof tends to increase, and it is not easy to remove, move, or install the parts, and the time required for maintenance becomes long. As expected, it is feared that the maintenance efficiency will drop further.

Therefore, the inventors examined whether the above-mentioned problems can be addressed by the conventional technique. Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum processing apparatus that includes an upper inner cylinder chamber and a sample stage, which form a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed, inside an outer chamber, and a lower inner cylinder chamber arranged on the exhaust side. It is disclosed. In this vacuum processing apparatus, at the time of maintenance, the discharge chamber base plate, which is disposed above the upper inner cylinder chamber and constitutes the discharge chamber for generating plasma, is rotated upward with the hinge portion arranged on the transfer chamber side as a fulcrum. The upper inner chamber is lifted upward by removing the upper chamber from the outer chamber by ensuring the working space of the upper inner chamber. Further, a ring-shaped support base member (sample table block) having fixed support beams arranged around the axis of the vertical center of the sample table is fixed, and a sample table base plate to which is fixed is arranged on the transfer chamber side. There is described a technique in which the lower inner chamber is lifted upward and taken out from the outer chamber by lifting the lower inner chamber upward so as to rotate about the hinge portion as a fulcrum and ensuring a working space of the lower inner chamber. In addition, by arranging the support beams axially symmetrically about the vertical center of the sample table (that is, the shape of the gas channel with respect to the central axis of the sample table is substantially coaxial axis symmetrical), the sample table in the upper inner cylinder chamber can be Gases (processing gas, particles in plasma, reaction products) in the upper space pass through the space between the support beams and are exhausted through the lower inner cylinder chamber. As a result, the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the object to be processed becomes uniform and the object to be processed can be uniformly processed.

When applying the technique of pulling up the discharge chamber base plate and the sample table base plate using the hinge as a fulcrum to the maintenance of the workpiece with a large diameter, the supporting beam to which the discharge base plate and the sample table are fixed becomes large and the weight increases. Therefore, it is difficult to manually pull them up, and it is feared that it is difficult to secure a working space for the upper inner cylinder chamber and the lower inner cylinder chamber. Further, maintenance of the exhaust part is performed by looking into the upper part of the outer chamber, but it is feared that sufficient cleaning or the like becomes difficult due to the large size of the device. Furthermore, it is feared that the scaffold becomes unstable during unsteady maintenance such as maintenance and replacement of the parts constituting the discharge base plate and the sample table that are pulled up. Even if the supporting beam to which the discharge base plate and the sample table are fixed is pulled up by a crane or the like, the latter two cannot be resolved.

Patent Document 2 discloses a cantilevered substrate support that can be attached/detached to/from the chamber by passing through an opening provided in a sidewall of a vacuum processing chamber (in a horizontal direction), and having an electrostatic chuck assembly mounted thereon. Parts are disclosed. When this technique is applied to the maintenance of a workpiece with a large diameter, the substrate support is vacuum-sealed at the opening of the chamber side wall, so the increase in weight increases the load load on the vacuum seal and increases the vacuum. It is feared that it will be difficult to hold. In addition, because of the cantilever, the shape of the gas flow path with respect to the center axis of the sample support is not axially symmetric, and the gas flow in the circumferential direction of the object to be processed becomes non-uniform and uniform with respect to the object to be processed. It seems difficult to perform such a process.

It is an object of the present invention that even when the object to be processed has a large diameter, the uniformity of the processing is good, and not only the regular maintenance but also the irregular maintenance can be efficiently performed. It is to provide a vacuum processing apparatus.

The above-mentioned object constitutes a vacuum transfer chamber, a vacuum processing chamber connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, a base plate having an exhaust opening, and a space vertically stacked on the base plate and having a cylindrical shape inside. A vacuum processing chamber provided with a plurality of members, and a position between the vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber is fixed and attached to the base plate, and airtightly connected to an outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber. a vacuum processing apparatus comprising a valve box having a gate valve for opening and closing the placed gates on the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber therein, a plurality of containers of the vacuum processing chamber, placing an object to be processed A sample stage unit having a ring-shaped sample stage base provided with a sample stage and a support beam connected to and supporting the sample stage, and detachable on the sample stage unit with respect to the sample stage unit. An upper container that is disposed and has the gate and an outer wall of which is hermetically connected to the valve box, and one of the space that is removably disposed on the upper container and is configured to generate plasma. A plurality of discharge chambers surrounding the base plate, the sample stage unit, and the upper container to hermetically seal between the outside of the vacuum processing chamber and the inside of the space. The vacuum seal and the outer peripheral portion of the base plate are fixedly mounted on the outer periphery of the base plate, and the sample stage base and the discharge part container are connected to each other by having a shaft in the vertical direction to connect the sample stage unit and the sample stage unit. It is achieved by including at least one lifter configured to be capable of moving the discharge part container in the vertical direction along the axis and moving in the horizontal direction to move the discharge part container close to or away from the valve box.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if the to-be-processed object has a large diameter, the uniformity of processing is favorable and not only steady maintenance but also non-steady maintenance can be performed efficiently. A vacuum processing device can be provided.

It is a top view and a perspective view explaining an outline of composition of a vacuum processing apparatus concerning an example of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a main part for explaining the conveyance of an object to be processed in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the vacuum processing chamber of the Example shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the vacuum processing chamber of the Example shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a top view and a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a maintenance procedure in a vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on the modification of the Example shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the vacuum processing chamber of the vacuum processing apparatus which concerns on another modification of the Example shown in FIG.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the inventors examined a method satisfying the following three conditions. That is, (1) In order to ensure good processing uniformity, the shape of the processing chamber should be substantially coaxial with the central axis of the sample table on which the object is placed.

(2) In order to enable easy steady maintenance, it is possible to quickly remove reaction products and the like from the chamber member that is the target component of steady maintenance even if the diameter is increased. Note that, here, that “steady-state maintenance is easy” includes eliminating the work required for non-steady-state maintenance, such as disconnecting the power cable and performing water cooling purge. (3) In order to enable easy non-steady maintenance, the discharge electrode head and various sensors that are the subject of non-steady maintenance can be easily pulled out even if the diameter is large.

As a result, it has been found that the following configuration is effective.

Regarding (1), at least the inner wall shape of the horizontal cross section of the vacuum processing chamber is circular, and the supporting beams for supporting the sample stage are arranged in axial symmetry about the vertical center of the sample stage and have a ring shape. Fixed to the support base member of. With respect to (2), parts for which routine maintenance is performed can be swapped (replaced). That is, the parts to which the reaction products and the like are attached are not cleaned on the spot, but can be replaced with new parts or cleaned parts. Further, the non-steady-state maintenance target parts are grouped into a unit for each related part, and can be moved in the horizontal direction in units of units, so that they can be easily avoided so as not to hinder the work during the steady maintenance. As for (3), a unit in which unsteady maintenance target parts are grouped for each related part is moved horizontally during maintenance, and a work space is provided around the unit.

Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to examples. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same constituent elements.

A vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a top view and a perspective view illustrating the outline of the configuration of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The plasma processing apparatus, which is the vacuum processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, has an atmospheric block 101 and a vacuum block 102. The atmospheric block 101 is a portion for carrying a processing object (sample) such as a semiconductor wafer under the atmospheric pressure and for positioning and storing, and the vacuum block 102 is for carrying a sample such as a wafer under a pressure reduced from the atmospheric pressure. It is a part where the pressure is raised and lowered while the sample is placed by performing treatments and the like.

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 a cassette containing a sample for processing or cleaning is placed. There is. The atmosphere block 101 is a portion where wafers for processing or cleaning stored in each cassette on the cassette table 107 are exchanged with a vacuum block 102 connected to the back surface of the atmosphere transfer chamber 106. Inside the atmosphere transfer chamber 106, an atmosphere transfer robot 109 equipped with a wafer holding arm is arranged to transfer such a wafer.

The vacuum block 102 is connected to a plurality of vacuum processing chambers 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4 which process a sample under reduced pressure, and these vacuum processing chambers, and the sample is conveyed under reduced pressure therein. Vacuum transfer chambers 104-1 and 104-2 provided with vacuum transfer robots 110-1 and 110-2, a lock chamber 105 connecting the vacuum transfer chamber 104-1 and the atmospheric transfer chamber 106, and a vacuum transfer chamber 104-. 1 and a transfer intermediate chamber 108 that connects the vacuum transfer chamber 104-2. The vacuum block 102 is composed of a unit capable of maintaining a high degree of vacuum by reducing the pressure inside. The control device controls the operations of the atmosphere transfer robot and the vacuum transfer robot and controls the processing in the vacuum processing chamber.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber of the embodiment shown in FIG. In particular, FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber in the vacuum processing chamber 200. Although the vacuum processing chambers having the same structure are arranged in this embodiment, vacuum processing chambers having other structures may be incorporated.

The vacuum processing chamber shown in FIG. 3 includes a vacuum container including an upper container 230 and a lower container 250, a lower exhaust pump 270 connected to the vacuum container, an upper first high frequency power supply 201 and a solenoid coil 206. I have it. Each of the upper container and the lower container has an inner wall whose horizontal cross section is circular, and a cylindrical sample stand 241 is arranged in the center of the inner wall. The outer walls of the upper and lower containers form a vacuum partition. The sample table 241 is held by a support beam provided on the sample table base 242, and the support beam is arranged symmetrically with respect to 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 shape is approximately coaxial axis symmetry). Gases in the space above the sample table 241 in the upper container 230 (processing gas, particles in plasma, reaction products) are exhausted through the lower container 250 through the space between the support beams, The gas flow in the circumferential direction of the sample table 241 on which the object to be processed (sample) 300 is placed becomes uniform, and the object 300 to be processed can be uniformly processed. The sample table base 242 has a ring shape with a support beam, and this ring portion is held around the lower container, which is a vacuum container, and the upper part, and vacuum sealed. Can be dealt with even if the number increases.

In this embodiment, the vacuum processing chamber includes a cylindrical lower container 250 sequentially stacked on a base plate 260, a ring-shaped sample table base 242 provided with a supporting beam, a cylindrical upper container 230, an earth ring 225, and a cylindrical shape. It is composed of a plurality of members including the discharge block 224 and the gas introduction ring 204, and each member is vacuum-sealed by an O-ring 207. A cylindrical quartz inner cylinder 205 is arranged inside the discharge block 224. A sample table 241 having a sample table bottom lid 245 is fixed to the sample table base 242 to form a sample table unit, and a discharge block 224 to which a heater 222 is attached is fixed to the discharge block base 221 and a discharge block unit. Is composed of. Further, the upper container 230, the lower container 250, and the base plate 260 have a flange portion, and the upper container 230 and the lower container 250 are screwed to the base plate 260 at the flange portions, respectively. In addition, in the present embodiment, the member forming the vacuum processing chamber has a cylindrical shape, but the outer wall shape may have a rectangular horizontal sectional shape instead of a circular shape, or may have another shape.

Above the vacuum processing chamber, a disk-shaped lid member 202 forming a vacuum container and below the disk-shaped shower plate 203 forming a ceiling surface of the vacuum processing chamber are arranged. The lid member 202 and the shower plate 203 are members made of a dielectric material such as quartz, and are configured to be capable of transmitting a high frequency electric field such as microwaves, UHF, VHF waves, etc., and are arranged above the first high frequency power source. The electric field from is passed through these and supplied to the vacuum processing chamber. In addition, a magnetic field forming means (solenoid coil) 206 is arranged so as to surround the outer side wall of the vacuum container so as to be able to supply the generated magnetic field into the vacuum processing chamber.

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

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

The sample table 241 on which the wafer is placed is arranged inside the vacuum processing chamber so as to coincide with the central axis 290 of the shower plate 203. When performing processing by plasma, a wafer, which is the object to be processed 300, is placed on the circular mounting surface that is the upper surface of the sample table 241, and is held by being electrostatically attracted by the film of the dielectric film constituting this surface (electrostatic chuck). ) Is performed in the state described above. In this example, the inner diameter of the cylindrical vacuum processing chamber was set to 800 mm, considering that a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 450 mm was used as a sample. However, it may be smaller than this dimension (about 600 mm).

A high-frequency bias power source (second high-frequency power source) 243 is connected to the electrodes arranged inside the sample table 241, and is supplied above the sample table 241 and the sample 300 placed on the sample table 241 by the supplied high-frequency power. The etching process proceeds due to the interaction between the physical reaction caused by attracting and colliding the charged particles in the plasma with the surface of the sample by the high frequency bias formed and the chemical reaction between the radical and the wafer surface. Further, the temperature of the sample table can be controlled to a desired temperature by the second temperature controller 244. The application of a high frequency bias to the sample table 241 and the temperature control of the sample table 241 are performed by a power supply wiring code, a temperature control wiring code, or a coolant arranged in a cavity formed inside the sample table base 242 including a support beam. It is carried out through the piping for. Although not shown, in addition to the above wiring cord, a temperature sensor and an electrostatic chuck wiring cord may be included. Since reaction products easily adhere to the upper container 230 arranged around the sample table 241, it is a target member for steady maintenance.

An exhaust pump 270, which is connected to the bottom of the vacuum processing chamber via a base plate 260 having an exhaust opening, is disposed below the vacuum processing chamber. The exhaust opening provided in the base plate 260 is arranged directly below the sample table 241, and the exhaust conductance is adjusted by vertically moving a substantially disc-shaped exhaust portion cover 261 arranged on the exhaust opening by a cylinder 262. The exhaust pump 270 adjusts the amount and speed of the internal gas and plasma discharged from the vacuum processing chamber and the product. The exhaust part lid 261 is opened when processing the object to be processed, and the pressure in the space inside the vacuum processing chamber is desired due to the balance with the supply of the processing gas and the operation of the exhaust means such as the exhaust pump 270. Maintained at a vacuum level of. In this embodiment, the pressure during processing is adjusted to a predetermined value within the range of 0.1 to 4 Pa. A molecular turbo pump was used as the exhaust pump. The exhaust cover 261 can be closed during maintenance to vacuum seal the exhaust pump with an O-ring. Reference numeral 111 is a first gate valve, reference numeral 112 is a second gate valve, reference numeral 115 is a valve box, and reference numeral 280 is a support.

The processing gas introduced into the vacuum processing chamber, plasma, and reaction products at the time of processing pass through the space on the outer peripheral side of the sample stage 241 from the upper part of the vacuum processing chamber by the operation of the exhaust means such as the exhaust pump 270 and the lower container. It moves via 250 to the opening provided in the lower base plate 260. Since the reaction product easily adheres to the lower container 250, it is a target member for steady maintenance.

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 cover 261. The supply of these processing gases and the operations of the electric field forming means, the magnetic field forming means, the high frequency bias, and the exhaust means are adjusted by a controller (not shown) connected so as to be communicable.

As the processing gas used in the plasma processing, a single type of gas or a gas in which a plurality of types of gas are mixed at an optimum flow rate ratio is used for each process condition. The flow rate of this mixed gas is adjusted by a gas flow rate controller (not shown), and the shower plate 203 and the lid member 202 above the vacuum processing chamber above the vacuum container are connected via a gas introduction ring 204 connected thereto. Introduced into the space for gas retention in between. In this embodiment, a stainless gas introduction ring was used.

Next, a procedure for loading the workpiece into the vacuum processing chamber and unloading the workpiece from the vacuum processing chamber will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a main part for explaining the conveyance of an object to be processed in the vacuum processing apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the gate valve is open and the transfer robot is loading or unloading an object to be processed into the vacuum processing chamber). FIG. 2B shows a state where the wafer 300 is loaded into the vacuum transfer chamber 104, the gate valve is closed, and the object to be processed is loaded into the vacuum transfer chamber.

First, in the atmospheric block, the wafer taken out of the cassette by the atmospheric transfer robot is transferred to the vacuum transfer chamber 104 via the lock chamber. 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. Reference numeral 115 is a valve box, and reference numeral 210 is a swivel lifter (moving means). The swivel lifter 210 will be described later. Next, after making the pressures of the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber uniform, as shown in FIG. 2A, the wafer 300 is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 104 to the vacuum processing chamber by using the vacuum transfer robot 110 having an arm. Bring in. At this time, both the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are open. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the wafer 300 is placed on the sample table 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 in the vacuum processing chamber and the vacuum transfer chamber are adjusted, and then the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are opened as shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the vacuum processing chamber of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the first and second gate valves 111 and 112 are opened. There is.

From this state, the wafer 300 is removed from the sample table 241 by using the vacuum transfer robot 110 in the same manner as shown in FIG. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2B, the wafer 300 is loaded into the vacuum transfer chamber 104. After that, the wafer 300 is transferred to the cassette through the lock chamber after being processed in another vacuum processing chamber or without being processed.

Next, the routine maintenance procedure will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 5, the solenoid coil 206 and the first high-frequency power source 201 are removed from the structure of the vacuum processing chamber shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the opening of the base plate 260 connected to the exhaust pump 270 is closed by the exhaust cover 261 to create a vacuum. FIG. 5(a) is a plan view and FIG. 5(b) is a sectional view showing a sealed structure.

By vacuum-sealing the exhaust pump 270 by the exhaust cover 261 and keeping the exhaust pump 270 in operation, it is possible to shorten the startup time of the vacuum processing chamber after maintenance. Note that the sectional view shown in FIG. 5B is different in viewing direction from FIGS. 3 and 4 in order to explain the swivel lifter 210. That is, in the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plan view shown in FIG. 5A is seen from the right side, but in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5B, it is shown in FIG. It is a view seen from the lower side in the plan view. The vertical sectional views shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 are views seen from the same direction as the sectional view shown in FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the quartz plate 202, the shower plate 203 therebelow, 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. Further, the support beams of the sample table 241 and the sample table base 242 are exposed in the vacuum processing chamber. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the gas introduction ring 204 is moved upward and removed.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the discharge block base 221 fixed to the movable portion of the swivel lifter 210, and the discharge block unit 220 including the discharge block 224 and the heater 222 mounted thereon are indicated by an arrow 310. After moving upward around the swivel axis 211, it is horizontally swung counterclockwise to move out of the region of the vacuum processing chamber as viewed from above vertically. In the present embodiment, the discharge block unit is turned counterclockwise, but it is also possible to change the position of the turning lifter to the opposite side (right side arrangement in the drawing is left side arrangement) and turn clockwise.

The distance for moving the discharge block unit 220 upward is not less than the height over the protrusion of the earth ring 225. In this embodiment, the length is 5 cm, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the height of the protrusion of the earth ring is low, the height (several cm) or more at which the O-ring 207 is separated from the discharge block unit 220 or the earth ring 225 is set. Further, although the turning angle is 180 degrees, it may be 90 degrees or more and 270 degrees or less. However, considering workability, 180°±20° is preferable. By collectively rotating the discharge-related members that are not the subject of regular maintenance as the discharge block unit 220, it is possible to quickly and easily avoid them from the upper part 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 FIG. 9, the earth ring 225 and the upper container 230, which is a main member subject to regular maintenance, are moved upward and removed. That is, the upper container 230 can be easily removed in a swappable (exchangeable) state.

In this embodiment, the vacuum partition wall (upper container) that constitutes the vacuum processing chamber can be replaced. Thereby, the maintenance time of the upper container 230 after dismantling the vacuum processing chamber can be minimized.

When performing maintenance, the first gate valve is closed and the second gate valve is open. By closing the first gate valve 111 and setting the vacuum transfer chamber 104 in a vacuum sealed state, it is possible to perform processing in another vacuum processing chamber, and it is possible to minimize a decrease in the operating rate of the vacuum processing apparatus. .. On the other hand, by opening the second gate valve 112, the upper container 230 and the valve box 115 can be separated.

The upper container 230 was removed after removing the screws that fixed the upper container 230 and the base plate 260 with the flange portion. 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 swivel lifter, or may be incorporated as a part of the control device of the entire vacuum processing apparatus. By removing the upper container 230, the ring part of the sample table base 242 is exposed in addition to the sample table 241 and the support beam.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the sample stage base 242 fixed to the movable part of the swivel lifter 210, the sample stage unit 240 including the sample stage 241 and the sample stage bottom lid 245 mounted thereon are attached to the arrow 320. As shown in FIG. 5, after moving upward around the swivel axis 211, it is horizontally swung counterclockwise to move out of the region of the vacuum processing chamber when viewed from vertically above. In the present embodiment, the sample stage unit is turned counterclockwise, but it is also possible to change the position of the turning lifter to the opposite side (right side arrangement in the drawing is left side arrangement) and turn clockwise.

The distance by which the sample stage unit 240 is moved upward is equal to or greater than the height at which the O-ring 207 is separated from the sample stage unit 240 or the lower container 250. In this embodiment, it is set to 2 cm, but it is not limited to this. Further, it is desirable that the turning angle be set to be the same as that of the discharge block unit 220. This makes it possible to reduce the total area of both the discharge block unit 220 and the sample stage unit 240 when viewed from above in the vertical direction.

By collectively turning the sample stage-related members that are not the subject of regular maintenance as the sample stage unit 240, these can be swiftly and easily avoided from the upper part of the vacuum processing chamber. The movement of the sample stage unit 240 was performed by the control device that controls the swing lifter. This control device may be dedicated to the swivel lifter, or may be incorporated as a part of the control device of the entire vacuum processing apparatus. By avoiding the sample stage unit 240, the lower container 250 is exposed at the upper end of the vacuum processing chamber. Further, the entire surface of the exhaust cover 261 is exposed.

Subsequently, after removing the screw that fixed the lower container 250 and the base plate 260 with the flange portion, as shown in FIG. 11, the lower container 250, which is a main member for regular maintenance, is moved upward and removed.

That is, the lower container 250 can be easily removed in a swappable (exchangeable) state. Thereby, the maintenance time of the lower container 250 after dismantling the vacuum processing chamber can be minimized.

After removing the lower container 250, 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 was covered with the lower container 250, the amount of reaction products attached was small, and the upper surface of the exhaust portion lid 261 was placed under the sample table when processing the object to be treated. However, the amount of the reaction product attached is small, but the product can be cleaned as necessary. Since there is no wall or the like (obstacles for maintenance) forming the vacuum processing chamber around the base plate 260 and it is flat, it is possible to improve the maintenance work efficiency of the worker 400 (not shown in FIG. 10B).

After cleaning, inspection/maintenance, and replacement (particularly, the upper container and the lower container) of the members subject to the regular maintenance, they are assembled in the reverse order of the above description and subjected to vacuum processing.

Next, the procedure of unsteady maintenance will be described. The members to be subjected to the non-steady state maintenance are mainly the members constituting the discharge block unit 220 and the member constituting the sample stage unit 240.

In the case of the members constituting the discharge block unit 220, as shown in FIG. 8, the discharge block unit 220 is lifted up and swung in the horizontal direction, and then the heater 222 is inspected/replaced from the desired direction, and the discharge block is replaced. Maintenance such as inspection and cleaning of the inner wall of 224 can be performed. The discharge block unit 220 can be improved in work efficiency because it is avoided from other members constituting the vacuum processing chamber.

In the case of the members constituting the sample stage unit 240, the sample stage unit is lifted up as shown in FIG. 10 and rotated horizontally, and then the sample stage bottom cover is removed as shown in FIG. 11(b). Thus, maintenance of various power cords, wiring of sensors, temperature control parts and the like can be performed from a desired direction. In the cavity inside the support beam, the wiring code used to electrostatically attract the object to be processed to the sample table, the wiring code used to apply a high frequency bias to the sample table, and used to control the temperature of the sample table. At least one of the wiring cords, the piping for the refrigerant, and the wiring cords used for detecting the temperature of the sample table is arranged, and these are also subject to non-steady maintenance.

When the discharge block unit 220 is an obstacle to the work, it can be swung clockwise to the region where the vacuum processing chamber is arranged or the vicinity thereof when viewed from above. Thereby, the work efficiency of the sample stage unit 240 can be improved. Further, by appropriately shifting the swivel angles of the discharge block unit and the sample stage unit, both units can be maintained at the same time, thus improving work efficiency.

In the present embodiment, the discharge block unit and the sample stage unit are lifted upward and then swung in the horizontal direction. However, the discharge block unit and the sample stage unit may be horizontally lifted and then pulled out linearly. Thereby, the moving range can be minimized. Further, the structure of the moving mechanism can be simplified. However, turning in the horizontal direction is more advantageous in securing a working space for maintenance.

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

Further, in the present embodiment, the number of swivel lifters is one, and the discharge block unit and the sample stage unit are swiveled in the same direction. However, if a work area can be secured, two swivel lifters are provided and they are provided in different directions. It can also be turned. By providing the swivel lifter for the discharge block unit and the swivel lifter for the sample stage unit, the height of each unit can be freely set. Further, since more workers can be arranged, it is possible to easily carry out the work simultaneously, the work can be completed in a short time, and the work efficiency is improved.

Further, in the above embodiment, the components other than the discharge block unit and the sample stage unit that are moved by using the swing lifter are manually moved, but a hoist such as a crane may be used.

Next, a modified example of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the components denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the embodiment have the same configuration as that of the embodiment and perform the same operation and function, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted unless particularly necessary.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a base plate 260 is fixed on a support 280, a cylindrical lower container 250 that is sequentially stacked on the base plate 260, a ring-shaped sample table base 242 including a support beam, a cylinder. The upper container 230 has a shape and is connected to the valve box 115 fixed on the support 280 with the O-ring 207 sandwiched therebetween, and between the inner space and the outside air. Is hermetically sealed. Further, the discharge block base 222 and the sample table base 242 that rise and swivel during maintenance are fastened to the movable part of the swivel lifter 210, and the swivel lifter 210 is fastened to the column 280 using bolts and screws. ..

That is, the upper container 230 is abutted to hermetically seal a space between the inner space and the outside air, and the outer wall of the upper container 230 having a cylindrical outer shape is abutted. When the valve box 115 having a curved surface portion that matches the central axis 290, the discharge block base 222, the upper container 230, and the sample stage base 242 are attached to the apparatus main body and their positions are fixed, The support 280 is a member that determines the position reference because the support 280 is fixed to these components either directly or by interposing them with the base plate 260 interposed therebetween and fixing the position.

Further, when the valve box 115 or the swivel lifter 210 is replaced due to a failure or the like, the maintenance work such as the replacement can be performed by disconnecting the valve box 115 and the swivel lifter 210 from the columns 280. In this example, the order of attaching the base plate 260, the valve box 115, and the swivel lifter 210 to the column 280 again does not matter.

On the other hand, in the modified example shown in FIG. 12, as a configuration different from that of the embodiment, the base plate 260 is connected to the support 280 and the position is fixed, and the cylindrical lower portion that is sequentially stacked on the base plate 260 to form a vacuum container is formed. The valve box 115 is provided with a container 250, a ring-shaped sample base 242 provided with a supporting beam, and a cylindrical upper container 230. The upper container 230 is connected to the base plate 260 by bolts, screws, or the like and fixed in position. The O-ring 207 is sandwiched between the two and abutted against each other to be connected, and the space between the inside and the outside air is hermetically sealed. Further, the swivel lifter 210 is similarly connected to the base plate 260 by bolts, screws or the like and fixed in position.

That is, the upper container 230 is abutted to hermetically seal a space between the inner space and the outside air, and the outer wall of the upper container 230 having a cylindrical outer shape is abutted. When the valve box 115 having a curved surface that matches the central axis 290, the discharge block base 222, the upper container 230, and the sample table base 242 are attached to the apparatus main body and their positions are fixed, the base plate 260 is fixed. Since they are connected and fixed in position, the base plate 260 serves as a reference member for these positions. In such a configuration, in the present example, only the upper end of the support column 280 and the base plate 260 are connected and fixed, and the structure including the support column 280 is simplified, so that the valve box 115, the discharge block base 222, and the upper part. Management of the mounting positions of the container 230 and the sample table base 242 is simplified, and as a result, it becomes easy to set the mounting tolerance of the components of the device within an allowable range, and the accuracy of assembly of the device and the work efficiency are improved. ..

Further, when the valve box 115 or the swivel lifter 210 is replaced due to a failure or the like, the connection can be released by removing each from the base plate 260, and the replacement can be performed. Further, when the second gate valve 112 or its driving means is replaced, the fastening portion between the second gate valve 112 and the valve box 115 is exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and the operator can connect the valve box 115 to the outside. The connection between the upper container 230 or the base plate 260 is easily accessible, and the replacement of the second gate valve is facilitated. In this example, after the base plate 260 is fastened and connected to the support column 280 on the support column 280, the valve box 115 and the swivel lifter 210 are attached to the base plate 260 to fix the positions.

Further, in another modified example shown in FIG. 13, as a configuration different from the modified example of FIG. 12, a valve box-equipped base plate 253 integrally formed with the valve box 115 and a base plate 260 is provided with a screw or a screw at the upper end of the column 280. The position is fixed by fastening with bolts and the like, and the cylindrical lower container 250, the ring-shaped sample table base 242 equipped with a support beam, and the cylindrical upper container 230 are sequentially stacked on the base plate 253 with the valve box. That is, the vacuum container is configured.

In this configuration, the cylindrical outer wall surface of the upper container 230 is in contact with the base plate with valve box 253 and the O-ring 207 so that they are connected to each other and hermetically seal between the inner space and the outer air. Has been done. Further, the swivel lifter 210 is fastened to the valve box-equipped base plate 253 and its position is fixed.

That is, when fixing the relative positions of the valve box-equipped base plate 253, the discharge block base 222, the upper container 230, and the sample base 242, the valve box-equipped base plate 253 serves as a reference. That is, the base plate 253 with a valve box is fastened to the upper end of the column 280 with a screw, a bolt, or the like to fix the positions of both, and the discharge block base 222, the upper container 230, and the sample table base 242 are attached to the base plate 253 with a valve box. It is not the configuration in which they are connected and are directly connected to the columns 280. Therefore, the structure of the support column 280 can be simplified, and this can be easily realized with dimensions within the allowable tolerance.

Further, when the second gate valve 112 is replaced, the fastening portion between the second gate valve 112 and the valve box-equipped base plate 253 is exposed to the operator, and the connecting portion or the connecting portion between them is accessed. It is easy to remove, and it is possible to easily perform work such as replacement of parts, maintenance and inspection. Furthermore, by integrally forming the base plate 260 and the valve box 115, the structure of the single component becomes complicated, but there are advantages such as improvement of the positional accuracy of each component and reduction of the number of components.

Further, in this embodiment, the ECR type vacuum processing apparatus is used as the vacuum processing apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention 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 system is used, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a cluster system apparatus.

As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the diameter of the object to be processed is large, the uniformity of the processing is good (coaxial axisymmetric exhaust), and only regular maintenance is required. Thus, it is possible to provide a vacuum processing apparatus that can efficiently perform non-steady maintenance.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been 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. Further, it is possible to replace a part of a certain configuration with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to a certain configuration.

100... Vacuum processing device, 101... Atmosphere block, 102... Vacuum block, 104, 104-1, 104-2... Vacuum transfer chamber, 105... Lock chamber, 106... Atmosphere Transfer chamber, 107... Cassette stand, 108... Transfer intermediate chamber, 109... Atmosphere transfer robot, 110, 110-1, 110-2... Vacuum transfer robot, 111... First gate valve , 112... Second gate valve, 115... Valve box, 200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3, 200-4... Vacuum processing chamber, 201... First high frequency power supply, 202... Lid member (quartz plate), 203... Shower plate, 204... Gas introduction ring, 205... Quartz inner cylinder, 206... Coil, 207... O ring, 210... -Swivel lifter, 211... Swivel axis, 220... Discharge block unit, 221... Discharge block base, 222... Heater, 223... First temperature controller, 224... Discharge block, 225 ...Earth ring, 230...Upper container, 240...Sample stage unit, 241...Sample stage, 242...Sample stage base, 243...Second high frequency power supply, 244... 2 temperature controller, 245... sample base bottom cover, 250... lower container, 260... base plate, 261... exhaust cover, 262... cylinder, 263... valve box base plate 270... ..Exhaust pumps, 280... Posts, 290... Central axis, 300... Objects (wafer, sample), 310... Discharge block unit moving direction, 320... Sample stand unit Moving direction, 400... Worker.

Claims (7)

A vacuum transfer chamber, a vacuum processing chamber connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, a base plate having an exhaust opening, and a plurality of members that are vertically stacked on the base plate to form a space having a cylindrical shape inside. A vacuum processing chamber provided with the vacuum processing chamber, the position of which is fixed and attached to the base plate between the vacuum transfer chamber and the vacuum processing chamber, the vacuum processing chamber being airtightly connected to the outer wall of the vacuum processing chamber. a vacuum processing apparatus comprising a valve box having therein a gate valve for opening and closing the disposed outer wall gate,
A plurality of vessels in the vacuum processing chamber, a sample stage unit having a ring-shaped sample stage base provided with a sample stage on which an object to be processed is mounted and a support beam connected to and supporting the sample stage, An upper container that is removably arranged on the sample table unit and has the gate, and the outer wall of which is connected to the valve box in an airtight manner, and an upper container on which the upper container is attached. And a discharge part container surrounding a part of the space in which plasma is formed so as to be detachably disposed,
A plurality of vacuum seals arranged between the base plate, the sample stage unit, and the upper container to hermetically seal between the outside of the vacuum processing chamber and the inside of the space, and an outer peripheral portion of the base plate. The sample stand base and the discharge part container are connected to each other with their axes fixed in the vertical direction, and the sample stand unit and the discharge part container are vertically moved along the axis. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising at least one lifter configured to be movable in a direction and movable in a horizontal direction to move toward or away from the valve box.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A horizontal direction in which the lifter is rotated around the axis after being vertically moved to move any of the connected sample stage base or the discharge unit container upward along the axis, and is separated from the valve box. A vacuum processing apparatus configured to be movable.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
In a state where the sample stage unit is horizontally moved to a position close to the valve box by the lifter, the upper container makes its outer wall abut against the valve box and is positioned with respect to the valve box and the base plate. The vacuum processing device where is fixed.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:
In a state in which the discharge container is horizontally moved to a position close to the valve box above the upper container by the lifter, and then the upper container is positioned with respect to the valve box and the base plate. A vacuum processing apparatus that moves downward along the axis of the lifter with respect to the upper container, is stacked above the upper container, and is positioned with respect to the valve box and the base plate to form the space.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The vacuum transfer chamber has another gate for transferring the object to be processed with the vacuum processing chamber and another gate valve for opening and closing the other gate, and the valve box is for the gate of the upper container. In a state where it is connected to a side wall on the outside of the surrounding upper container and hermetically seals between the inside and the outside, the space of the inside is the gate of the upper container and another gate of the vacuum transfer chamber. A vacuum processing device that connects the two .
The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A vacuum including a lower container in which the plurality of containers are arranged between the base plate and the sample table base of the sample table unit so as to be capable of hermetically sealing the inside and the outside and are also detachably arranged with respect to the base plate. Processing equipment.
The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The vacuum processing apparatus , wherein the exhaust opening is arranged directly below the sample stage .

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