KR102299122B1 - Method for acquiring data indicating electrostatic capacitance - Google Patents

Abstract

(Problem) Acquisition of measurement data indicating the electrostatic capacity between the measuring instrument and the focus ring WHEREIN: The power consumption of the power supply of a measuring instrument is suppressed.
(Solution means) The processor of the measuring instrument acquires one or more first data sets at preset time intervals. Each of the one or more first data sets includes a plurality of digital values indicative of a capacitance of a corresponding one of the one or more sensor electrodes of the meter. The processor acquires the plurality of second data sets in response to the average value of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets being equal to or greater than the first threshold. Each of the plurality of second data sets includes a plurality of digital values representing capacitance of a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor electrodes of the meter. The processor stores measurement data based on the plurality of second data sets in a storage device of the measuring device. Then, the measuring instrument is taken out from the chamber.

Description

METHOD FOR ACQUIRING DATA INDICATING ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITANCE

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of acquiring data indicative of an electrostatic capacitance between a focus ring and a measuring device carried in a chamber by a transport device of a processing system.

In the manufacture of an electronic device called a semiconductor device, a processing system having a process module for processing a workpiece is used. A process module generally has a chamber body and a mounting table. Moreover, the processing system is equipped with the conveying apparatus. A to-be-processed object is carried in by a conveyance apparatus into the chamber provided by the chamber main body, and is mounted on a mounting object. And the to-be-processed object is processed in a chamber.

The position of the workpiece on the target is an important factor in order to satisfy various demands such as in-plane uniformity of processing of the workpiece. Therefore, it is necessary for the conveying apparatus to convey a to-be-processed object to the appropriate position of a mounting object. When a workpiece is not conveyed to an appropriate position, coordinate information specifying the conveyance destination position of the conveying apparatus must be corrected.

In order to correct the coordinate information, it is necessary to detect the position of the workpiece on the mounting target. Conventionally, a measuring instrument for measuring an electrostatic capacity has been used to detect such a position. The detection of a position using such a measuring device is described, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. Moreover, the measuring device described in Patent Document 1 wirelessly transmits the measured capacitance to a control unit provided outside the chamber.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes a wireless sensor that is disposed in a chamber of a process module and wirelessly transmits data measured during the process to a receiver provided outside the chamber.

(Prior art literature)

(Patent Literature)

(Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent No. 4956328 Specification

(Patent Document 2) Japanese Patent No. 4251814 Specification

However, since the chamber body is generally made of metal, the measuring instrument placed in the chamber and the device placed outside the chamber cannot perform wireless communication. Therefore, it is necessary for the measuring instrument to autonomously acquire measurement data and store the measurement data while in the chamber. For autonomous operation of such a measuring device, the measuring device needs to be provided with a power source called a battery. It is necessary to suppress the power consumption of this power supply.

In one aspect, a method of obtaining data indicative of an electrostatic capacity is provided. In this method, the electrostatic capacitance between the focus ring and the measuring instrument conveyed in the chamber by the conveying apparatus of the processing system is acquired. The processing system includes a process module, a conveying device, and a control unit. The process module includes a chamber body and a mounting table. The chamber body provides a chamber. The mounting table is provided in the chamber, and the measuring instrument is mounted thereon. The control unit controls the conveying apparatus.

The measuring device includes a base board, a plurality of sensor units, and a circuit board. The base substrate has a disk shape. The plurality of sensor units are arranged along the edge of the base substrate. The circuit board is mounted on the base board. Each of the plurality of sensor units has a front surface extending along an edge of the base substrate. The circuit board includes a high-frequency oscillator, a plurality of C/V conversion circuits, an A/D converter, a processor, a storage device, a communication device, and a power supply. The high-frequency oscillator is configured to generate a high-frequency signal, and is electrically connected to each sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor units. Each of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits is configured to convert a voltage amplitude at a sensor electrode of a corresponding sensor portion among the plurality of sensor portions into a voltage signal indicating capacitance. The A/D converter is configured to convert a voltage signal output from each of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits into a digital value. The processor is connected to the A/D converter. The storage device is connected to the processor. The communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit data stored in the storage device. The power supply is configured to supply power to the processor, the high-frequency oscillator, and the communication device.

A method related to an aspect includes: (i) a processor acquiring, at a preset time interval, one or more first data sets, wherein each of the one or more data sets includes one or more data sets included in a plurality of sensor units. the above process comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring digital values representing the capacitance of a corresponding one of the sensor units at a first sampling period; (iii) at least one of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets, or an average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets; A process in which the processor acquires, in a measurement period, a plurality of second data sets in response to being equal to or greater than one threshold, wherein each of the plurality of second data sets includes a power failure of a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor units the process comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring a digital value representing capacity at a second sampling period within a measurement period; the data includes a plurality of second data sets or a plurality of average values obtained by obtaining an average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the plurality of second data sets; By this, the process of carrying out a measuring instrument from a chamber is included.

In the method related to one aspect, a measuring device provided with a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged along an edge of a disk-shaped base substrate is used, and the distribution in the circumferential direction of the interval between the inner edge of the focus ring and the edge of the measuring device Measurement data reflecting the In addition, the digital value representing the capacitance of each of the plurality of sensor electrodes increases when the measuring device is located in the area surrounded by the focus ring. In this method, measurement data is not always acquired, but in a period preceding the measurement period, one or more first data sets are acquired at preset time intervals. And, when the average value of one or more of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets or the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets is equal to or greater than the first threshold, in the measurement period In this case, the acquisition of the second data set is performed, and the storage of the measurement data is performed. In this way, in this method, in the period preceding the measurement period, intermittent operation is performed in the measuring instrument, so that power consumption of the power supply of the measuring instrument is suppressed.

In an embodiment, the method comprises: (vi) after the end of the measurement period, the processor acquires, at a preset time interval, one or more third data sets, each of the one or more data sets comprising: (vii) one or more third data, comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring, at a third sampling period, a digital value representing the capacitance of a corresponding one of the one or more sensor units included in the sensor unit; In response to an average value of at least one of the plurality of digital values included in each of the set or a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets being greater than or equal to a second threshold, the processor sends the measurement to the communication device. The method further includes a step of wirelessly transmitting data.

The measuring instrument taken out from the chamber is accommodated in a container called a FOUP. When in this container, the capacitance of the sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor portions increases. Accordingly, in response to an average value of at least one of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets or a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets being greater than or equal to a second threshold, the communication By wirelessly transmitting the measurement data to the device, the meter can autonomously wirelessly transmit the measurement data while outside the chamber. In addition, according to this embodiment, even after the measurement period, the intermittent operation is performed in the measuring device, so that the power consumption of the power supply of the measuring device is further suppressed.

In one embodiment, the power supply from the power supply to the high-frequency oscillator may be stopped between a period in which one or more first data sets are acquired and a period in which the next one or more first data sets are acquired. Further, in one embodiment, the power supply from the power supply to the high-frequency oscillator may be stopped between a period in which one or more third data sets are acquired and a period in which the next one or more third data sets are acquired. .

In one embodiment, in the process of conveying a measuring device, a control part controls a conveyance apparatus so that a measuring instrument may be conveyed to a conveyance destination position with preset coordinate information. The method of this embodiment further includes the step of the control unit correcting the coordinate information so that the difference in the circumferential direction of the interval between the focus ring and the edge of the measuring device, which is specified from the measurement data, is reduced.

As described above, it is possible to suppress the power consumption of the power supply of the measuring device in acquisition of measurement data indicating the electrostatic capacity between the measuring device and the focus ring.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring capacitance according to an embodiment.
2 is a diagram illustrating a processing system.
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a container.
4 is a perspective view illustrating an aligner.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus.
6 is a perspective view illustrating a measuring device.
7 is a perspective view showing an example of a sensor unit.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 .
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8 .
10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of a measuring instrument.
Fig. 11 is a timing chart related to the method shown in Fig. 1;
12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of the sensor unit.
13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of the sensor unit.
14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of a measuring instrument according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol shall be attached|subjected about the same or corresponding part.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of measuring capacitance according to an embodiment. The method MT shown in FIG. 1 is a method of acquiring data indicating the electrostatic capacitance between the focus ring and the measuring device conveyed in the chamber by the conveying device of the processing system. In one embodiment, in the method MT, coordinate information of the transfer destination position of the transfer apparatus is corrected using the acquired data.

2 is a diagram illustrating a processing system. The processing system 1 shown in FIG. 2 is a processing system to which the method MT can be applied. The processing system 1 includes pedestals 2a to 2d, containers 4a to 4d, loader module LM, aligner AN, load lock modules LL1, LL2, process modules PM1 to PM6, transfer module TF, and control unit MC. is provided In addition, the number of pedestals 2a to 2d, the number of containers 4a to 4d, the number of load lock modules LL1 and LL2, and the number of process modules PM1 to PM6 are not limited, and may be one or more arbitrary numbers. can

The pedestals 2a to 2d are arranged along one edge of the loader module LM. The containers 4a to 4d are mounted on the pedestals 2a to 2d, respectively. Each of the containers 4a to 4d is, for example, a container called FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). Each of the containers 4a - 4d is comprised so that the to-be-processed object W may be accommodated. The to-be-processed object W has a substantially disk shape.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a container. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a container 4 which can be employed as each of the containers 4a to 4d. As shown in FIG. 3 , the container 4 includes a container body 4M and a pair of supporting members 4S. The container body 4M provides a space therein. The pair of supporting members 4S are provided along the pair of sidewalls of the container body 4M in the space provided by the container body 4M. The pair of support members 4S are provided with a plurality of slots 4L. The plurality of slots 4L are arranged in the vertical direction and extend in the depth direction of the space provided by the container body 4M (eg, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). A workpiece W can be accommodated in each of the plurality of slots 4L. The workpiece W accommodated in any one of the plurality of slots 4L is supported by a pair of supporting members 4S.

2, the loader module LM has a chamber wall which prescribes|regulates the conveyance space of an atmospheric pressure state therein. The conveying apparatus TU1 is provided in this conveyance space. The transfer device TU1 is, for example, an articulated robot, and is controlled by the control unit MC. The conveying device TU1 is a workpiece W between the containers 4a to 4d and the aligner AN, between the aligner AN and the load lock modules LL1 to LL2, and between the load lock modules LL1 to LL2 and the containers 4a to 4d. is configured to return

The aligner AN is connected to the loader module LM. The aligner AN is configured to adjust the position of the workpiece W (correction of the position). 4 is a perspective view illustrating an aligner. The aligner AN has a support base 6T, a drive device 6D, and a sensor 6S. The support base 6T is a base which is rotatable about the axis line extending in the said perpendicular direction, and is comprised so that the to-be-processed object W may be supported thereon. The support 6T is rotated by the driving device 6D. The drive device 6D is controlled by the control unit MC. When the support 6T is rotated by the power from the driving device 6D, the workpiece W mounted on the support 6T is also rotated.

The sensor 6S is an optical sensor and detects the edge of the workpiece W while the workpiece W is being rotated. The sensor 6S determines, from the detection result of the edge, the amount of deviation of the angular position of the notch WN (or other marker) of the workpiece W with respect to the reference angular position, and the deviation of the center position of the workpiece W with respect to the reference position. detect the amount. The sensor 6S outputs the amount of deviation of the angular position of the notch WN and the amount of deviation of the center position of the workpiece W to the control unit MC. The control unit MC calculates the amount of rotation of the support base 6T for correcting the angular position of the notch WN to the reference angular position based on the shift amount of the angular position of the notch WN. The control unit MC controls the driving device 6D to rotate the support 6T by this rotation amount. Thereby, the angular position of the notch WN can be corrected to the reference angular position. Further, the control unit MC determines the position of the end effector of the conveying device TU1 when receiving the workpiece W from the aligner AN so that the center position of the workpiece W coincides with a predetermined position on the end effector of the conveying device TU1. , control based on the shift amount of the center position of the workpiece W.

2 , each of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2 is provided between the loader module LM and the transfer module TF. Each of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2 provides a spare decompression chamber. A gate valve is provided between the load lock module LL1 and the loader module LM. The preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL1 and the conveyance space of the loader module LM are communicated by opening the gate valve, and are separated from each other by closing the gate valve. Further, another gate valve is provided between the load lock module LL2 and the loader module LM. The preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL2 and the conveyance space of the loader module LM are communicated by opening the gate valve, and are separated from each other by closing the gate valve.

The transfer module TF is connected to the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2 via a gate valve. The transfer module TF is providing the decompression chamber which can depressurize. In this decompression chamber, the conveying apparatus TU2 is provided. The transfer device TU2 is, for example, an articulated robot, and is controlled by the control unit MC. The conveying device TU2 is configured to convey the workpiece W between the load lock modules LL1 to LL2 and the process modules PM1 to PM6, and between any two process modules among the process modules PM1 to PM6.

Each of the process modules PM1 to PM6 is connected to the transfer module TF via a gate valve. Each of the process modules PM1 to PM6 is a processing apparatus configured to perform a dedicated processing called plasma processing on the workpiece W. Each chamber of the process modules PM1 to PM6 and the decompression chamber of the transfer module TF communicate with each other by opening the gate valve, and are separated from each other by closing the gate valve.

A series of operations when the processing of the workpiece W is performed in the processing system 1 is exemplified as follows. The conveyance apparatus TU1 of the loader module LM takes out the to-be-processed object W from either one of the containers 4a-4d, and conveys the said to-be-processed object W to the aligner AN. Next, the conveying apparatus TU1 takes out the workpiece W whose position has been adjusted from the aligner AN, and conveys the workpiece W to one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. Then, one of the load lock modules depressurizes the pressure in the preliminary decompression chamber to a predetermined pressure. Next, the transfer device TU2 of the transfer module TF takes out the workpiece W from one of the load lock modules, and transports the workpiece W to any one of the process modules PM1 to PM6. Then, one or more of the process modules PM1 to PM6 processes the workpiece W. Then, the transport device TU2 transports the processed workpiece W from the process module to one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. Then, the conveying apparatus TU1 conveys the to-be-processed object W from one load-lock module to any one of the containers 4a-4d.

This processing system 1 is equipped with the control part MC as mentioned above. The control unit MC may be a computer including a processor, a storage device called a memory, a display device, an input/output device, a communication device, and the like. The series of operations of the processing system 1 described above are realized by the control of each unit of the processing system 1 by the control unit MC according to the program stored in the storage device.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus that can be employed as any one of process modules PM1 to PM6. The plasma processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus 10 includes a chamber body 12 having a substantially cylindrical shape. The chamber body 12 is made of, for example, aluminum, and the inner wall surface thereof may be subjected to an anodization treatment. This chamber body 12 is securely grounded.

On the bottom of the chamber main body 12, a substantially cylindrical support portion 14 is provided. The support portion 14 is made of, for example, an insulating material. The support part 14 is provided in the chamber main body 12, and extends upward from the bottom of the chamber main body 12. As shown in FIG. In addition, in the chamber S provided by the chamber main body 12, a mounting table PD is provided. The mounting table PD is supported by the support 14 .

The mounting table PD has a lower electrode LE and an electrostatic chuck ESC. The lower electrode LE includes a first plate 18a and a second plate 18b. The first plate 18a and the second plate 18b are made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum, and have a substantially disk shape. The second plate 18b is provided on the first plate 18a and is electrically connected to the first plate 18a.

On the second plate 18b, an electrostatic chuck ESC is provided. The electrostatic chuck ESC has a structure in which an electrode, which is a conductive film, is disposed between a pair of insulating layers or insulating sheets, and has a substantially disk shape. A DC power supply 22 is electrically connected to the electrode of the electrostatic chuck ESC via a switch 23 . The electrostatic chuck ESC attracts the workpiece W by an electrostatic force such as a Coulomb force generated by a DC voltage from the DC power supply 22 . Thereby, the electrostatic chuck ESC can hold the workpiece W.

A focus ring FR is provided on the periphery of the second plate 18b. The focus ring FR is provided so as to surround the edge of the workpiece W and the electrostatic chuck ESC. The focus ring FR has a first portion P1 and a second portion P2 (see Fig. 8). The first part P1 and the second part P2 have an annular plate shape. The second part P2 is provided on the first part P1. The inner edge P2i of the second portion P2 has a larger diameter than the diameter of the inner edge P1i of the first portion P1. The workpiece W is mounted on the electrostatic chuck ESC so that its edge region is located on the first portion P1 of the focus ring FR. The focus ring FR may be formed of any one of various materials such as silicon, silicon carbide, and silicon oxide.

A refrigerant passage 24 is provided inside the second plate 18b. The refrigerant passage 24 constitutes a temperature control mechanism. A refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerant passage 24 from a chiller unit provided outside the chamber main body 12 through a pipe 26a. The refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant passage 24 is returned to the chiller unit via the pipe 26b. In this way, the refrigerant circulates between the refrigerant passage 24 and the chiller unit. By controlling the temperature of this refrigerant, the temperature of the workpiece W supported by the electrostatic chuck ESC is controlled.

In addition, the plasma processing apparatus 10 is provided with a gas supply line 28 . The gas supply line 28 supplies a heat transfer gas, for example, He gas, from the heat transfer gas supply mechanism between the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck ESC and the back surface of the workpiece W.

In addition, the plasma processing apparatus 10 includes an upper electrode 30 . The upper electrode 30 is disposed above the mounting table PD to face the mounting table PD. The upper electrode 30 is supported on the upper part of the chamber body 12 via the insulating shield member 32 . The upper electrode 30 may include a top plate 34 and a support body 36 . The top plate 34 faces the chamber S, and the top plate 34 is provided with a plurality of gas discharge holes 34a. The top plate 34 may be formed of silicon or quartz. Alternatively, the top plate 34 may be constituted by forming a plasma-resistant film called yttrium oxide on the surface of a base material made of aluminum.

The support body 36 is for freely supporting the top plate 34, and may be comprised with the electroconductive material called aluminum, for example. This support body 36 may have a water cooling structure. A gas diffusion chamber 36a is provided inside the support body 36 . A plurality of gas flow holes 36b communicating with the gas discharge holes 34a extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 36a. In addition, the support body 36 is provided with a gas inlet 36c that guides the process gas into the gas diffusion chamber 36a, and a gas supply pipe 38 is connected to the gas inlet 36c.

A gas source group 40 is connected to the gas supply pipe 38 via a valve group 42 and a flow rate controller group 44 . The gas source group 40 includes a plurality of gas sources for a plurality of types of gases. The valve group 42 includes a plurality of valves, and the flow controller group 44 includes a plurality of flow controllers called mass flow controllers. The plurality of gas sources of the gas source group 40 are respectively connected to the gas supply pipe 38 via a corresponding valve of the valve group 42 and a corresponding flow controller of the flow rate controller group 44 .

In addition, in the plasma processing apparatus 10 , the deposit shield 46 is freely provided along the inner wall of the chamber main body 12 . The deposit shield 46 is also provided on the outer periphery of the support part 14 . The deposit shield 46 prevents etching by-products (deposits) from adhering to the chamber body 12 , and can be configured by coating an _{aluminum material with ceramics such as Y 2} O _{3 .}

An exhaust plate 48 is provided on the bottom side of the chamber body 12 and between the support 14 and the side wall of the chamber body 12 . The exhaust plate 48 may be constituted by _{, for example, coating an aluminum material with ceramics such as Y 2} O _{3 .} The exhaust plate 48 is provided with a plurality of holes penetrating in the plate thickness direction. An exhaust port 12e is provided below the exhaust plate 48 and in the chamber main body 12 . An exhaust device 50 is connected to the exhaust port 12e via an exhaust pipe 52 . The exhaust device 50 includes a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump such as a turbo molecular pump, and can decompress the space in the chamber body 12 to a desired degree of vacuum. Further, on the side wall of the chamber main body 12, a carry-in/outlet 12g for the workpiece W is provided, and the carry-in/outlet 12g is opened and closed by a gate valve 54 .

In addition, the plasma processing apparatus 10 further includes a first high frequency power supply 62 and a second high frequency power supply 64 . The first high frequency power supply 62 is a power supply for generating a first high frequency wave for plasma generation, and generates a high frequency wave having a frequency of, for example, 27 to 100 MHz. The first high frequency power supply 62 is connected to the upper electrode 30 via a matching device 66 . The matching device 66 has a circuit for matching the output impedance of the first high frequency power supply 62 with the input impedance of the load side (upper electrode 30 side). Further, the first high frequency power supply 62 may be connected to the lower electrode LE via a matching unit 66 .

The second high frequency power supply 64 is a power supply that generates a second high frequency for attracting ions to the workpiece W, and generates a high frequency wave having a frequency within the range of 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz, for example. The second high frequency power supply 64 is connected to the lower electrode LE via a matching device 68 . The matching device 68 has a circuit for matching the output impedance of the second high frequency power supply 64 with the input impedance of the load side (lower electrode LE side).

In the plasma processing apparatus 10, gas from one or more gas sources selected from among a plurality of gas sources is supplied to the chamber S. Further, the pressure in the chamber S is set to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust device 50 . In addition, the gas in the chamber S is excited by the first radio frequency from the first radio frequency power supply 62 . Thereby, plasma is generated. And the to-be-processed object W is processed by the generated active species. In addition, ions may be attracted to the workpiece W by a bias based on the second high frequency of the second high frequency power supply 64 as needed.

Hereinafter, the measuring device used in method MT is demonstrated. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a measuring device. The measuring device 100 shown in FIG. 6 includes a base substrate 102 . The base substrate 102 is made of, for example, silicon, and has a shape similar to that of the workpiece W, that is, a substantially disk shape. The diameter of the base substrate 102 is the same as that of the workpiece W, for example, 300 mm. The shape and dimensions of the measuring device 100 are defined by the shape and dimensions of the base substrate 102 . Therefore, the measuring device 100 has a shape similar to the shape of the to-be-processed object W, and has the same dimension as the dimension of the to-be-processed object W. As shown in FIG. In addition, a notch 102N (or another marker) is formed in the edge of the base substrate 102 .

The base substrate 102 has a lower portion 102a and an upper portion 102b. The lower portion 102a is a portion located closer to the electrostatic chuck ESC than the upper portion 102b when the measuring device 100 is disposed above the electrostatic chuck ESC. A plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H for capacitance measurement are provided in the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 . In addition, the number of sensor units provided in the measuring device 100 may be any number of three or more. The plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H are arranged along the edge of the base substrate 102 at equal intervals, for example, around the entire periphery of the edge. Specifically, the front end face 104f of each of the plurality of sensor portions 104A to 104H is provided along the edge of the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 . Moreover, in FIG. 6, sensor part 104A-104C is shown among several sensor part 104A-104H.

The upper surface of the upper portion 102b of the base substrate 102 is provided with a concave portion 102r. The recessed portion 102r includes a central region 102c and a plurality of radiation regions 102h. The central region 102c is a region that intersects the central axis AX100. The central axis AX100 is an axis passing through the center of the base substrate 102 in the plate thickness direction. A circuit board 106 is provided in the central region 102c. The plurality of radiation regions 102h extend in the radial direction with respect to the central axis line AX 100 from the central region 102c to above the region where the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H are arranged. In the plurality of radiation regions 102h, wiring groups 108A to 108H for electrically connecting the plurality of sensor portions 104A to 104H and the circuit board 106, respectively, are provided. In addition, the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H may be provided in the upper portion 102b of the base substrate 102 .

Hereinafter, the sensor unit will be described in detail. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a sensor unit. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 and shows a base substrate and a focus ring of the measuring device together with the sensor unit. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8 . The sensor part 104 shown in FIGS. 7-9 is a sensor part used as some sensor part 104A-104H of the measuring instrument 100, and is comprised as a chip-shaped component in an example. In addition, in the following description, the XYZ rectangular coordinate system is suitably referred. The X direction represents the front direction of the sensor unit 104 , the Y direction represents the width direction of the sensor unit 104 as one direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the Z direction is the X direction and the Y direction. As a direction orthogonal, the upward direction of the sensor part 104 is shown.

7 to 9 , the sensor unit 104 has a front end surface 104f, an upper surface 104t, a lower surface 104b, a pair of side surfaces 104s, and a rear end surface 104r. . The front end face 104f constitutes the front surface of the sensor unit 104 in the X direction. The sensor unit 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 of the measuring instrument 100 such that the front end face 104f faces radially with respect to the central axis AX 100 (see FIG. 6 ). Further, in the state where the sensor unit 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 , the front end face 104f extends along the edge of the base substrate 102 . Accordingly, when the measuring instrument 100 is placed on the electrostatic chuck ESC, the front end face 104f faces the inner edge of the focus ring FR.

The rear end surface 104r constitutes the rear surface of the sensor unit 104 in the X direction. In a state in which the sensor unit 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 , the rear end face 104r is located closer to the central axis AX100 than the front end face 104f . The upper surface 104t constitutes the upper surface of the sensor unit 104 in the Z direction, and the lower surface 104b constitutes the lower surface of the sensor unit 104 in the Z direction. In addition, a pair of side surface 104s comprises the surface of the sensor part 104 in the Y direction.

The sensor unit 104 has an electrode 143 . The sensor unit 104 may further include an electrode 141 and an electrode 142 . The electrode 141 is formed of a conductor. The electrode 141 has a first portion 141a. 7 and 8 , the first portion 141a extends in the X direction and the Y direction.

The electrode 142 is formed of a conductor. The electrode 142 has a second portion 142a. The second portion 142a extends above the first portion 141a. In the sensor unit 104 , the electrode 142 is insulated from the electrode 141 . 7 and 8 , the second part 142a extends above the first part 141a in the X direction and the Y direction.

The electrode 143 is a sensor electrode formed of a conductor. The electrode 143 is provided on the first portion 141a of the electrode 141 and the second portion 142a of the electrode 142 . The electrode 143 is insulated from the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 in the sensor unit 104 . The electrode 143 has a front surface 143f. This front surface 143f extends in a direction crossing the first part 141a and the second part 142a. Further, the front surface 143f extends along the front end surface 104f of the sensor unit 104 . In one embodiment, the front surface 143f constitutes a part of the front end surface 104f of the sensor unit 104 . Alternatively, the sensor unit 104 may have an insulating film covering the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 in front of the front surface 143f.

7 to 9 , the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 are opened from the side (X direction) of the region where the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 is disposed, and the electrode 143 ) may be extended so as to surround the periphery. That is, the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 may extend above, behind, and on the side of the electrode 143 so as to surround the electrode 143 .

Also, the front end surface 104f of the sensor unit 104 may be a curved surface having a predetermined curvature. In this case, the front end face 104f has a constant curvature at an arbitrary position in the front end face, and the curvature of the front end face 104f is the central axis AX 100 of the measuring instrument 100 and the front end face. It may be the reciprocal of the distance between (104f). This sensor unit 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 so that the center of curvature of the front end face 104f coincides with the central axis AX100.

Also, the sensor unit 104 may further include a substrate unit 144 , insulating regions 146 to 148 , pads 151 to 153 , and via wiring 154 . The board|substrate part 144 has the body part 144m and the surface layer part 144f. The body portion 144m is made of, for example, silicon. The surface layer portion 144f covers the surface of the main body portion 144m. The surface layer portion 144f is made of an insulating material. The surface layer portion 144f is, for example, a thermally oxidized film of silicon.

The second portion 142a of the electrode 142 extends below the substrate portion 144 , and an insulating region 146 is provided between the substrate portion 144 and the electrode 142 . The insulating region 146 is formed of, for example, SiO ₂ , SiN, Al ₂ O ₃ , or polyimide.

The first portion 141a of the electrode 141 extends below the substrate portion 144 and the second portion 142a of the electrode 142 . An insulating region 147 is provided between the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 . The insulating region 147 is formed of, for example, SiO ₂ , SiN, Al ₂ O ₃ , or polyimide.

The insulating region 148 constitutes the upper surface 104t of the sensor unit 104 . The insulating region 148 is formed of, for example, SiO ₂ , SiN, Al ₂ O ₃ , or polyimide. Pads 151 to 153 are formed in the insulating region 148 . The pad 153 is formed of a conductor and is connected to the electrode 143 . Specifically, the electrode 143 and the pad 153 are connected to each other by the insulating region 146 , the electrode 142 , the insulating region 147 , and the via wiring 154 penetrating the electrode 141 . has been An insulator is provided around the via wiring 154 , and the via wiring 154 is insulated from the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 . The pad 153 is connected to the circuit board 106 via a via wiring 123 provided in the base substrate 102 and a wiring 183 provided in the radiation region 102h of the recessed portion 102r. The pad 151 and the pad 152 are also formed of a conductor. The pads 151 and 152 are respectively connected to the electrodes 141 and 142 via corresponding via wirings. Further, the pad 151 and the pad 152 are connected to the circuit board 106 via the corresponding via wiring provided in the base substrate 102 and the corresponding wiring provided in the radiation region 102h of the recessed portion 102r. do.

Hereinafter, the structure of the circuit board 106 is demonstrated. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of a measuring instrument. As shown in FIG. 10 , the circuit board 106 includes a high-frequency oscillator 161 , a plurality of C/V conversion circuits 162A to 162H, an A/D converter 163 , a processor 164 , and a storage device 165 . ), a communication device 166 , and a power supply 167 .

Each of the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H is connected to the circuit board 106 via a corresponding wiring group among the plurality of wiring groups 108A to 108H. In addition, each of the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H is connected to a corresponding C/V conversion circuit among the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 162A to 162H via some wiring included in the corresponding wiring group. has been Hereinafter, one sensor unit 104 having the same configuration as each of the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H, one wiring group 108 having the same configuration as each of the plurality of wiring groups 108A to 108H, and a plurality of One C/V conversion circuit 162 having the same configuration as each of the C/V conversion circuits 162A to 162H will be described.

The wiring group 108 includes wirings 181 to 183 . One end of the wiring 181 is connected to the pad 151 connected to the electrode 141 . This wiring 181 is connected to the ground potential line GL connected to the ground GC of the circuit board 106 . Note that the wiring 181 may be connected to the ground potential line GL via a switch SWG. Further, one end of the wiring 182 is connected to the pad 152 connected to the electrode 142 , and the other end of the wiring 182 is connected to the C/V conversion circuit 162 . Further, one end of the wiring 183 is connected to the pad 153 connected to the electrode 143 , and the other end of the wiring 183 is connected to the C/V conversion circuit 162 .

The high frequency oscillator 161 is connected to a power source 167 called a battery, and is configured to receive power from the power source 167 to generate a high frequency signal. The power supply 167 is also connected to the processor 164 , the storage device 165 , and the communication device 166 . The high frequency oscillator 161 has a plurality of output lines. The high frequency oscillator 161 applies the generated high frequency signal to the wiring 182 and the wiring 183 via a plurality of output lines. Accordingly, the high-frequency oscillator 161 is electrically connected to the electrodes 142 and 143 of the sensor unit 104, and the high-frequency signal from the high-frequency oscillator 161 receives the electrodes 142 and the electrodes ( 143) is to be given.

A wiring 182 and a wiring 183 are connected to the input of the C/V conversion circuit 162 . That is, the electrode 142 and the electrode 143 of the sensor unit 104 are connected to the input of the C/V conversion circuit 162 . The C/V conversion circuit 162 is configured to generate a voltage signal representing the capacitance of an electrode (electrode 143) connected to the input from the voltage amplitude at the input, and output the voltage signal, have. In addition, the larger the capacitance of the electrode connected to the C/V conversion circuit 162, the larger the voltage of the voltage signal output from the C/V conversion circuit 162 becomes.

The outputs of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 162A to 162H are connected to the input of the A/D converter 163 . In addition, the A/D converter 163 is connected to the processor 164 . The A/D converter 163 is controlled by a control signal from the processor 164 and converts the output signals (voltage signals) of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 162A to 162H into digital values. That is, the A/D converter 163 generates a digital value indicating the capacitance of the electrode 143 , and outputs the digital value to the processor 164 .

A storage device 165 is connected to the processor 164 . The storage device 165 is a storage device called a volatile memory, and is configured to store measurement data to be described later. In addition, another storage device 168 is connected to the processor 164 . The storage device 168 is a storage device referred to as a non-volatile memory, and a program read and executed by the processor 164 is stored therein. In addition, in the storage device 168, parameters to be described later can also be stored.

The communication device 166 is a communication device that complies with any radio communication standard. For example, the communication device 166 is compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication device 166 is configured to wirelessly transmit the measurement data stored in the storage device 165 .

The processor 164 is configured to control each part of the measuring instrument 100 in the method MT by executing the above-described program. For example, the processor 164 supplies the high frequency signal from the power source 167 to the electrodes 142 and the electrode 143 , supplies power from the power source 167 to the storage device 165 , and the communication device 166 . ) to control the power supply from the power source 167 and the like. In addition, the processor 164 executes the above-described program to obtain a digital value in the method MT, store the measurement data in the storage device 165, and transmit the measurement data. .

In the measuring instrument 100 , the sensor portions 104A to 104H are arranged along the edge of the base substrate 102 . Accordingly, when the measuring device 100 is disposed on the electrostatic chuck ESC, a digital value indicating the capacitance between the focus ring FR and each of the sensor units 104A to 104H can be acquired. In addition, the electrostatic capacitance C is represented by C=εS/d. ε is the dielectric constant of the medium between the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 and the inner edge of the focus ring FR, S is the area of the front surface 143f of the electrode 143, and d is the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 ) and the inner edge of the focus ring FR. Accordingly, the plurality of digital values acquired by the measuring device 100 becomes smaller as the distance between the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 and the inner edge of the focus ring FR increases.

In addition, as described above, in the sensor unit 104 mounted on the measuring instrument 100 , the electrode 143 (sensor electrode) is provided on the first portion 141a of the electrode 141 , and the electrode 141 is ), a second portion 142a of the electrode 142 is interposed between the first portion 141a and the electrode 143 . When the sensor unit 104 is used, the switch SWG is closed, the potential of the electrode 141 is set to the ground potential, and a high-frequency signal is supplied to the electrode 142 and the electrode 143 . At this time, the voltage amplitude of the electrode 143 is not affected by the capacitance from the direction in which the first portion 141a of the electrode 141 is provided with respect to the electrode 143 , that is, the lower portion of the sensor unit 104 . Instead, it becomes the voltage amplitude reflecting the electrostatic capacity in a specific direction, ie, the direction (X direction) toward which the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 is facing. Therefore, according to the sensor unit 104, it is possible to measure the capacitance with high directivity in a specific direction. In addition, when the switch SWG is opened when the sensor unit 104 is used, the C/V conversion circuit 162 generates a voltage having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of the combined capacitance of the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode 143 and the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode 142 . to output a voltage signal with

In addition, the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 are opened from the side (X direction) of the area|region where the front surface of the electrode 143 is arrange|positioned, and extend so that it may surround the periphery of the electrode 143 . Therefore, by the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 , the electrode 143 is shielded with respect to a direction other than a specific direction. Therefore, in the measurement of the capacitance, the directivity of the sensor unit 104 with respect to a specific direction is further improved.

Further, the front end surface 104f of the sensor unit 104 is configured as a curved surface having a predetermined curvature, and the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 extends along the front end surface 104f. Therefore, the distance in the radial direction between each position of the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 and the inner edge of the focus ring FR can be set to be substantially equidistant. Therefore, the precision of the measurement of the capacitance is further improved.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 again, the method MT will be described in detail. In addition, in the following description, reference is made to FIG. 11 together with FIG. Fig. 11 is a timing chart related to the method shown in Fig. 1; 1 , in the method MT, first, step ST1 is executed. In step ST1, the power supply 167 of the measuring instrument 100 is set to ON. Then, the processor 164 starts execution of the program stored in the storage device 168 . In subsequent step ST2, the measuring device 100 is accommodated in one of the slots of the containers 4a to 4d.

In the subsequent step ST3, parameters are input to the measuring device 100 . The parameter may be wirelessly transmitted from the control unit MC to the measurement device 100 . The measuring device 100 stores the received parameter in the storage device 168 . The parameters are: time length TA of the first monitoring period, time interval IA, first sampling period, time length TM of measurement period, second sampling period, time length TB of second monitoring period, time interval IB, third sampling period , a first threshold Th1, and a second threshold Th2. Further, the time length TA, the time interval IA, and the first sampling period may be the same as the time length TB, the time interval IB, and the third sampling period, respectively. In this case, the parameters do not include the time length TB, the time interval IB, and the third sampling period. Thereafter, in the method MT, processing proceeds in parallel. In addition, in FIG. 1, the flow of two processes drawn between two double lines is a flow of a process performed in parallel.

In step ST4 following step ST3, the measuring device 100 is conveyed to the aligner AN by the conveying device TU1 under the control by the control unit MC. And in the aligner AN, under the control by the control part MC, adjustment of the position of the measuring instrument 100, ie, correction of a position, is performed similarly to adjustment of the position of the to-be-processed object W mentioned above.

In the subsequent step ST5, the measuring device 100 is conveyed on the mounting table PD in an area surrounded by the focus ring FR. Specifically, under the control of the control unit MC, the measuring device 100 is conveyed from the aligner AN to one of the load-lock module LL1 and the load-lock module LL2 by the conveying device TU1. Then, it is conveyed from one load lock module into the chamber of one of the process modules PM1 - PM6 by the conveying apparatus TU2. In the chamber, the measuring instrument 100 is placed in an area surrounded by the focus ring FR on the mount PD. In addition, the transport destination position (position on the mounting base PD) of the measuring device 100 by the transport device TU2 is specified by preset coordinate information. After that, the gate valve between the one process module and the transfer module TF is closed.

In step ST6 following step ST5, the measuring device 100 is taken out from the chamber. Specifically, under the control by the control unit MC, after that, the gate valve between the one process module and the transfer module TF is opened, and then, the measuring device 100 is transferred to the chamber by the transfer device TU2. It is taken out from and conveyed to the load lock module of one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. In the subsequent step ST7, the measuring device 100 is accommodated in a slot of one of the containers 4a to 4d. Specifically, under the control by the control unit MC, the measuring device 100 is conveyed from one load lock module to the slot of one container by the conveying device TU1.

On the other hand, after step ST3, in step ST11, the processor 164 of the measuring device 100 acquires one or more first data sets. This step ST11 is executed in the first monitoring period of the time length TA. The time length TA is, but not limited to, for example, 1 second. In each of the one or more first data sets acquired in step ST11, the processor 164 first outputs a digital value representing the capacitance of the electrode 143 of the corresponding sensor unit among the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H. It is obtained by acquiring in a sampling period. The first sampling period is not limited, but is, for example, 0.1 second. In addition, the sensor unit used in step ST11 may be all of the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H, or may be one or more sensor units designated in the above-mentioned parameters.

In the subsequent step ST12, the processor 164 determines whether or not the average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets acquired in the step ST11 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value Th1. In addition, when the measuring instrument 100 is disposed in the region surrounded by the focus ring FR, the capacitance of the electrodes 143 of the one or more sensor units described above increases. Accordingly, by comparing the first threshold value Th1 with the average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more data sets, it is possible to determine whether or not the measuring device 100 is disposed in the area surrounded by the focus ring FR. If the processor 164 determines in step ST12 that the average value is not equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, in subsequent step ST13, it is determined whether or not the time interval IA has elapsed from the end of step ST11. The time interval IA is, but is not limited to, for example, 29 seconds. If the time interval IA has not elapsed since the end of step ST11, the processor 164 determines step ST13 again. On the other hand, when the time interval IA has elapsed since the end of step ST11, the processor 164 again acquires one or more first data sets in step ST11. In addition, in the time interval IA, the processor 164 may stop the supply of power from the power supply 167 to the high frequency oscillator 161 .

In step ST12, if the processor 164 determines that the average value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th1, the processing proceeds to step ST14. Further, in step ST12, one or more of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets may be compared with the first threshold value Th1 rather than the average value.

In step ST14, the processor 164 acquires a plurality of second data sets. This step ST14 is executed in the measurement period of the time length TM. The time length TM is, but not limited to, for example, 1 second. In each of the plurality of second data sets acquired in step ST14, a digital value representing the capacitance of the electrode 143 of the corresponding sensor portion among the plurality of sensor portions 104A to 104H is set at the second sampling period within the measurement period. It contains a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring. The second sampling period is not limited, for example, 0.1 second.

In the subsequent step ST15, the processor stores the measurement data in the storage device 165 . The measurement data may be a plurality of second data sets. Alternatively, the measurement data may be a plurality of average values obtained by obtaining an average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the plurality of second data sets.

In the subsequent step ST16, the processor 164 acquires one or more third data sets. This step ST16 is executed in the second monitoring period of the time length TB. The time length TB of the second monitoring period may be the same as the time length TA as described above. Each of the one or more third data sets acquired in step ST16 is, by the processor 164, the capacitance of the electrode 143 of the corresponding sensor unit among the one or more sensor units included in the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H. is obtained by acquiring a digital value representing In addition, the sensor unit used in step ST16 may be all of the plurality of sensor units 104A to 104H, or may be one or more sensor units designated in the above-mentioned parameters. In addition, the 3rd sampling period may be common with the 1st sampling period.

In the subsequent step ST17, the processor 164 determines whether or not the average value of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets obtained in the step ST16 is equal to or greater than a second threshold value Th2. In addition, when the measuring device 100 is accommodated in the slot of any one of the containers 4a to 4d, the capacitance of the electrodes 143 of the one or more sensor units described above increases. Therefore, by comparing the second threshold Th2 with the average of a plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets, the measuring instrument 100 is accommodated in any one slot of the containers 4a to 4d. It can be determined whether or not In addition, the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode 143 when the measuring device 100 is accommodated in the slot of the container is smaller than the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode 143 when the measuring device 100 is disposed in the region surrounded by the focus ring FR. . Accordingly, the second threshold Th2 is a value smaller than the first threshold Th1.

When it is determined in step ST17 that the average value is not equal to or greater than the second threshold value Th2, the processor 164 determines whether or not the time interval IB has elapsed from the end of step ST16 in the subsequent step ST18. If the time interval IB has not elapsed since the end of step ST11, the processor 164 determines step ST18 again. On the other hand, when the time interval IB has elapsed since the end of step ST16, the processor 164 again acquires one or more third data sets in step ST16. In addition, in the time interval IB, the processor 164 may stop the supply of power from the power supply 167 to the high frequency oscillator 161 . Further, the time interval between the second monitoring period and the next second monitoring period may not be the time interval IB but the time interval IA.

In step ST17, if the processor 164 determines that the average value is equal to or greater than the second threshold value Th2, the processing proceeds to step ST19. Further, in step ST17, one or more of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets may be compared with the second threshold value Th2 rather than the average value.

In step ST19, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits the measurement data stored in the storage device 165 to a reception unit connected to the control unit MC. When the control unit MC receives the measurement data, in step ST8, the control unit MC corrects the coordinate information of the transport destination position of the transport device TU2. Specifically, the coordinate information is corrected so that the difference in the circumferential direction of the interval between the focus ring FR and the edge of the measuring device 100 specified from the measurement data is reduced. When the execution of this step ST19 is completed, the method MT ends.

As described above, in the method MT, the measuring instrument 100 provided with a plurality of electrodes 143 (sensor electrodes) arranged along the edge of the disk-shaped base substrate 102 is used, and the inner edge of the focus ring FR and the Measurement data reflecting the distribution in the circumferential direction of the interval between the edges of the measuring device 100 is obtained. In addition, the digital value representing the capacitance of each of the plurality of electrodes 143 increases when the measuring device 100 is positioned in the region surrounded by the focus ring FR. In the method MT, measurement data is not always acquired, but in a period preceding the measurement period, one or more first data sets are acquired at the time interval IA. And, when the average value of one or more of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets or the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value Th1, the measurement period In , acquisition of the second data set is performed, and measurement data is stored. In this way, in the method MT, intermittent operation is performed in the measuring device 100 in the period before the measurement period, so that the power consumption of the power supply 167 of the measuring device 100 is suppressed.

Further, in response to the average value of at least one of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets or the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets being equal to or greater than the second threshold Th2, By wirelessly transmitting the measurement data to the communication device 166 , the meter 100 can autonomously wirelessly transmit the measurement data while outside the chamber of the process module. Therefore, even after the measurement period, since the intermittent operation is performed in the measuring device 100 , the power consumption of the power supply 167 of the measuring device 100 is further suppressed.

Hereinafter, another example of the sensor unit that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 will be described. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of the sensor unit. The sensor unit 104A shown in FIG. 12 is a modified form of the sensor unit 104 , and is different from the sensor unit 104 in that it has a substrate unit 144A instead of the substrate unit 144 . The substrate portion 144A is made of an insulating material. For example, the substrate portion 144A is made of borosilicate glass. Further, the substrate portion 144A may be formed of silicon nitride.

The substrate portion 144A is a polyhedron and has a surface including a front surface 144a and a lower surface 144b. In one example, the surface of the substrate portion 144A further includes an upper surface 144c, a rear surface 144d, and a pair of side surfaces. The lower surface 144b and the upper surface 144c extend in the X direction and the Y direction, and are opposed to each other. The front surface 144a constitutes a front end surface of the substrate portion 144A in the X direction, and extends in a direction intersecting the lower surface 144b. The front surface 144a may have a predetermined curvature. This curvature is the reciprocal of the distance between the central axis AX 100 and the front surface 144a when the sensor unit 104A is mounted on the base substrate 102 . The rear surface 144d constitutes a rear end face of the substrate portion 144A in the X direction, and faces the front surface 144a. Further, the pair of side surfaces is between one edge of the front surface 144a in the Y direction and one edge of the rear surface 144d in the Y direction, and the front surface 144a in the Y direction. It extends between the other edge and the other edge of the rear surface 144d in the Y direction.

The electrode 143 extends along the front surface 144a and the upper surface 144c of the substrate portion 144A. The insulating region 146 covers the lower surface 144b, the upper surface 144c, the rear surface 144d, and the pair of side surfaces of the substrate 144A and the electrodes 143 extending from the upper surface 144c. The catalog is extended. The electrode 142 is provided so as to cover the insulating region 146 . Further, the second portion 142a of the electrode 142 extends along the lower surface 144b of the substrate portion 144A with the insulating region 146 interposed therebetween. In addition, the insulating region 147 extends so as to cover the electrode 142 . Further, the electrode 141 is provided so as to cover the insulating region 147 . In addition, the first portion 141a of the electrode 141 extends below the second portion 142a of the electrode 142 with the insulating region 147 interposed therebetween.

When the body portion 144m of the substrate portion 144 of the sensor portion 104 described above is made of silicon, the sensor portion 104 has an internal capacitance. Because of this internal capacitance, it is necessary to set the output of the high frequency oscillator 161 to a large output. On the other hand, in the sensor part 104A, since the board|substrate part 144A is formed of the insulating material, internal capacitance is very small. Therefore, in the measuring instrument 100 having the sensor unit 104A, the output of the high frequency oscillator 161 can be reduced.

In addition, since the measuring device 100 can be used in a temperature range including a high temperature (eg, 20° C. to 80° C.), and a reduced pressure environment (eg, 1 Torr (133.3 Pa) or less), from the substrate portion 144A It is necessary to suppress the generation of gas. For this reason, the substrate portion 144A can be formed of borosilicate glass, silicon nitride, quartz, or aluminum oxide. According to such a substrate part 144A, generation of gas can be suppressed.

In addition, since the measuring device 100 can be used in a temperature range including a high temperature (eg, 20°C to 80°C), the substrate portion 144A has a linear expansion close to the linear expansion coefficient of the constituent material of the base substrate 102 . It is desirable to have a coefficient. For this reason, when the base substrate 102 is formed of silicon, the substrate portion 144A can be formed of, for example, borosilicate glass or silicon nitride. Such a coefficient of linear expansion of the substrate portion 144A is close to that of the base substrate 102 . Accordingly, damage to the sensor unit 104A and peeling of the sensor unit 104A from the base substrate 102 due to the difference between the linear expansion coefficient of the substrate portion 144A and the linear expansion coefficient of the base substrate 102 are prevented. can be suppressed

In addition, it is preferable that the weight of the measuring device 100 is small. Accordingly, the density (mass per unit volume) of the substrate portion 144A is preferably close to the density of the base substrate 102 or smaller than the density of the base substrate 102 . For this reason, when the base substrate 102 is formed of silicon, the substrate portion 144A can be formed of, for example, borosilicate glass.

Hereinafter, another example of the sensor unit that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 will be described. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another example of the sensor unit. 13 , a longitudinal sectional view of the sensor unit 204 is shown, and the focus ring FR is shown together with the sensor unit 204 .

The sensor unit 204 includes an electrode 241 , an electrode 242 , and an electrode 243 . The sensor unit 204 may further include a substrate unit 244 and an insulating region 247 . The board|substrate part 244 has the main-body part 244m and the surface layer part 244f. The body portion 244m is made of, for example, silicon. The surface layer portion 244f covers the surface of the body portion 244m. The surface layer portion 244f is made of an insulating material. The surface layer portion 244f is, for example, a thermally oxidized film of silicon.

The substrate portion 244 has an upper surface 244a, a lower surface 244b, and a front end surface 244c. The electrode 242 is provided under the lower surface 244b of the substrate part 244 and extends in the X and Y directions. Further, the electrode 241 is provided below the electrode 242 with the insulating region 247 interposed therebetween, and extends in the X and Y directions.

The front end face 244c of the substrate portion 244 is formed in a step shape. The lower portion 244d of the front end face 244c protrudes toward the focus ring FR from the upper portion 244u of the front end face 244c. The electrode 243 extends along the upper portion 244u of the front end face 244c.

When the sensor unit 204 is used as the sensor unit of the measuring instrument 100 , the electrode 241 is connected to the wiring 181 , the electrode 242 is connected to the wiring 182 , and the electrode 243 is connected to the wiring 182 . connected to the wiring 183 .

In the sensor unit 204 , an electrode 243 serving as a sensor electrode is shielded from the lower side of the sensor unit 204 by the electrodes 241 and 242 . Therefore, according to this sensor unit 204, it is possible to measure the capacitance with high directivity in a specific direction, that is, in the direction (X direction) toward which the front surface 243f of the electrode 243 is facing.

Hereinafter, the measuring device which concerns on another embodiment is demonstrated. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of a measuring instrument according to another embodiment. The measuring device 100A shown in FIG. 14 includes, in addition to the same components as those of the measuring device 100 , an acceleration sensor 171 , a temperature sensor 172 , a humidity sensor 173 , and a pressure sensor 174 . have more The acceleration sensor 171 , the temperature sensor 172 , the humidity sensor 173 , and the pressure sensor 174 are connected to the processor 164 . The acceleration sensor 171 outputs acceleration data representing the measured acceleration of the measuring device 100A to the processor 164 . The temperature sensor 172 outputs to the processor 164 temperature data indicating the measured ambient temperature of the measuring device 100A. The humidity sensor 173 outputs to the processor 164 humidity data indicating the measured humidity around the measuring device 100A. The pressure sensor 174 outputs to the processor 164 pressure data indicating the measured pressure around the measuring device 100A.

The processor 164 performs abnormality detection processing based on acceleration data, temperature data, humidity data, and pressure data. The processor 164 compares the acceleration of the measuring device 100A specified from the acceleration data with a threshold of acceleration, and when the acceleration of the measuring device 100A is greater than the threshold of the acceleration, an abnormality occurs during transport of the measuring device 100A. It is determined that it has occurred, and the first signal is wirelessly transmitted to the control unit MC. In addition, when it is determined from the acceleration of the measuring device 100A that abnormal vibration is occurring in the measuring device 100A, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits the second signal to the control unit MC. When the control unit MC receives the first signal or the second signal, the conveyance of the measuring instrument 100A is stopped. Moreover, the abnormality related to a 1st signal may generate|occur|produce when the conveying apparatus TU1 or the conveying apparatus TU2 comes into contact with another tool. In addition, an abnormality related to the second signal may occur when an operation failure of the carrier device TU1 or the carrier device TU2 occurs.

In addition, when the angle of the measuring device 100A specified from the acceleration data is larger than the threshold of the angle, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits the third signal to the control unit MC. The angle of the measuring device 100A is a scale indicating the horizontality of the measuring device 100A, and is calculated based on the acceleration of the measuring device 100A specified from, for example, acceleration data. When receiving the 3rd signal, control part MC performs control for collection|recovery to any one of containers 4a-4d of measuring instrument 100A. Incidentally, an abnormality related to the third signal may occur when a part of the measuring device 100A sits on the focus ring FR.

In addition, when the temperature around the measuring device 100A specified from the temperature data is higher than the temperature threshold, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits the fourth signal to the control unit MC. When the control unit MC receives the fourth signal, the control unit MC performs control for collecting the measuring device 100A. In addition, an abnormality related to the fourth signal may be caused by an abnormality in the process module providing the chamber into which the measuring instrument 100A is loaded.

In addition, when the humidity around the measuring device 100A specified from the humidity data is higher than the humidity threshold, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits a fifth signal to the control unit MC. When receiving the fifth signal, the control unit MC executes a spin-drying sequence. The dewatering sequence can be realized, for example, by evacuation. Incidentally, an abnormality related to the fifth signal may be caused by moisture absorption in the containers 4a to 4d, the loader module LM, the loadlock module LL1, or the loadlock module LL.

In addition, when the pressure around the measuring device 100A specified from the pressure data is higher than the pressure threshold, the processor 164 wirelessly transmits the sixth signal to the control unit MC. Upon receiving the sixth signal, the control unit MC executes control for exhaust treatment, purge treatment, or recovery of the measuring device 100A. In addition, an abnormality related to the sixth signal may be caused by insufficient decompression in the preliminary decompression chamber of the load lock module LL1, the preliminary decompression chamber of the load lock module LL2, the decompression chamber of the transfer module, or the chamber of the process module. . Also, an abnormality related to the sixth signal may occur when gas remains in the chamber of the process module.

In one embodiment, the method MT may further include the above-described abnormality detection processing. The abnormality detection processing can be executed in parallel with the flow of the two processes between the double lines shown in FIG. 1 after the execution of step ST3. In this abnormality detection process, for the transmission of the above-mentioned 1st - 6th signals, it is necessary that the measuring instrument 100A and the control part MC are in a state in which wireless communication is possible. For this reason, each of the containers 4a-4d, the loader module LM, the load-lock module LL1, the load-lock module LL2, and the transfer module TF can have the window area|region which can transmit an electric wave. Alternatively, each of the internal space of each of the containers 4a to 4d, the transport space of the loader module LM, the preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL1, the preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL2, and the pressure reduction chamber of the transfer module TF, It communicates with a window area that can transmit radio waves. The measuring device 100A includes an internal space of each of the containers 4a to 4d, a transport space of the loader module LM, a preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL1, a preliminary pressure reduction chamber of the load lock module LL2, and a pressure reduction chamber of the transfer module TF. It is possible to communicate wirelessly with the control unit MC through the window area regardless of which side of the MC. In addition, if the gate valve between the process module and the transfer module TF is open, the measuring device 100A can communicate wirelessly with the control unit MC through the window area even if it is disposed in the chamber of the process module.

In addition, in the abnormality detection process, at least one abnormality among all the abnormalities mentioned above should just be detected. Accordingly, the measuring device 100A may include only the sensors necessary for detecting abnormality among the acceleration sensor 171 , the temperature sensor 172 , the humidity sensor 173 , and the pressure sensor 174 .

As mentioned above, although various embodiments have been described, various modifications are possible without being limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, although a plasma processing apparatus is exemplified as an example of the process modules PM1 to PM6, the process modules PM1 to PM6 may be any processing apparatus as long as they use an electrostatic chuck and a focus ring. In addition, although the above-mentioned plasma processing apparatus 10 is a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus usable as the process modules PM1 to PM6 are inductively coupled plasma processing apparatuses and plasma processing using surface waves such as microwaves. It may be any plasma processing apparatus, such as the apparatus.

1: processing system
LM: loader module
AN: aligner
LL1, LL2 : load lock module
TF : transfer module
TU1, TU2: transport device
PM1~PM6 : Process module
MC: Control
10: plasma processing device
12: chamber body
30: upper electrode
40: gas source group
50: exhaust device
62: first high-frequency power source
64: second high-frequency power source
PD: mount
LE: lower electrode
ESC: electrostatic chuck
FR: focus ring
P1: 1st part
P2: second part
100: measuring instrument
102: base substrate
104: sensor unit
104A~104H : Sensor part
104f: front section
141: electrode
141a: first part
142: electrode
142a: second part
143: electrode
143f: front
106: circuit board
108, 108A~108H: wiring group
161: high frequency oscillator
162: C/V conversion circuit
162A~162H : C/V conversion circuit
163: A/D converter
164: processor
165: memory
167: power
GL : ground potential line

Claims (5)

A method of acquiring data indicative of an electrostatic capacitance between a focus ring and a measuring device carried in a chamber by a transport device of a processing system, the method comprising:
The processing system is
a process module having a chamber body providing the chamber, and a mount provided in the chamber and on which the measuring device is mounted;
the conveying device;
a control unit for controlling the conveying device
to provide
The meter is
a base substrate having a disk shape;
a plurality of sensor units arranged along an edge of the base substrate;
circuit board mounted on the base board
to provide
Each of the plurality of sensor units has a sensor electrode having a front surface extending along an edge of the base substrate,
The circuit board is
A high-frequency oscillator for generating a high-frequency signal, the high-frequency oscillator electrically connected to each of the sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor units;
a plurality of C/V conversion circuits, each of which converts a voltage amplitude at the sensor electrode of a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor units into a voltage signal representing an electrostatic capacity;
an A/D converter for converting the voltage signal output from each of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits into a digital value;
a processor connected to the A/D converter;
a storage device connected to the processor;
a communication device for wirelessly transmitting data stored in the storage device;
A power supply for supplying power to the processor, the high-frequency oscillator, and the communication device
have,
The method is
a process in which the processor acquires, at a preset time interval, one or more first data sets, each of the one or more first data sets: a digital value representing the capacitance of a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor units; the process comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring at a first sampling period;
conveying the measuring device by the conveying device to an area surrounded by a focus ring on the mounting table;
responsive to at least one of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets or an average value of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more first data sets becomes greater than or equal to a first threshold , wherein, in the measurement period, the processor acquires a plurality of second data sets, wherein each of the plurality of second data sets generates a digital value representing the capacitance of a corresponding sensor unit among the plurality of sensor units. the process comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring at a second sampling period within the measurement period;
a step in which the processor stores measurement data in the storage device, wherein the measurement data is an average value of the plurality of digital values included in the plurality of second data sets or each of the plurality of second data sets The process comprising a plurality of average values obtained by obtaining
The process of carrying out the said measuring instrument from the said chamber by the said conveyance apparatus
containing
How to obtain data representing capacitance.
The method of claim 1,
After the end of the measurement period, the processor acquires, at a preset time interval, one or more third data sets, wherein each of the one or more third data sets includes one or more of the one or more third data sets included in the plurality of sensor units. the process comprising a plurality of digital values obtained by acquiring digital values indicative of the capacitance of a corresponding one of the sensor units at a third sampling period;
responsive to an average value of at least one of the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets or the plurality of digital values included in each of the one or more third data sets is greater than or equal to a second threshold; , a process in which the processor wirelessly transmits the measurement data to the communication device
A method of acquiring data representing capacitance further comprising:
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Between a period in which the one or more first data sets are acquired and a period in which the one or more first data sets are next acquired, the power supply from the power supply to the high-frequency oscillator is stopped.
How to obtain data representing capacitance.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
between a period in which the one or more third data sets are acquired and a period in which the one or more third data sets are next acquired, wherein the power supply from the power supply to the high-frequency oscillator is stopped.
How to obtain data representing capacitance.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
In the step of transporting the measuring device, the control unit controls the transporting device to transport the measuring device to a transport destination position specified by preset coordinate information,
a step of correcting, by the control unit, the coordinate information such that a difference in the circumferential direction of an interval between the focus ring and an edge of the measuring device, which is specified from the measurement data, is reduced
How to obtain data representing capacitance.

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