KR102381838B1 - Measuring instrument for measuring electrostatic capacity and method of calibrating transfer position data in processing system by using measuring instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A measuring instrument for measuring capacitance is provided. The measuring device includes a base substrate having a disk shape, a plurality of first sensors each providing a plurality of side electrodes arranged along an edge of the base substrate, and at least one having a bottom electrode each provided along a bottom surface of the base substrate. A second sensor and a circuit board are provided. The circuit board applies a high-frequency signal to the plurality of side electrodes and the bottom electrode to generate a plurality of first measured values indicative of capacitance from each of voltage amplitudes at the plurality of side electrodes, and at the bottom electrode and generate a second measurement indicative of the capacitance from the voltage amplitude of .

Description

MEASURING INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITY AND METHOD OF CALIBRATING TRANSFER POSITION DATA IN PROCESSING SYSTEM BY USING MEASURING INSTRUMENT

Embodiment in this indication relates to the measuring instrument for electrostatic capacity measurement, and the method of calibrating the conveyance position data in a processing system using a measuring instrument.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART In manufacture of electronic devices like a semiconductor device, the processing system which processes a disk-shaped to-be-processed object is used. A processing system has a conveying apparatus for conveying a to-be-processed object, and a processing apparatus for processing a to-be-processed object. Generally, a processing apparatus has a chamber main body and the mounting table provided in the said chamber main body. The mounting table is comprised so that the to-be-processed object mounted on it may be supported. The conveying apparatus is comprised so that a to-be-processed object may be conveyed on a mounting table.

In the processing of the to-be-processed object in a processing apparatus, the position of the to-be-processed object on a mounting table is important. Therefore, when the position of the to-be-processed object on a mounting table deviate|deviates from a predetermined position, it is necessary to adjust a conveyance apparatus.

As a technique for adjusting a conveying apparatus, the technique described in Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 4956328 is known. In the technique described in this document, a recess is formed on the mounting table. Moreover, in the technique described in the said document, it has the same disk shape as a to-be-processed object, and the measuring instrument which has the electrode for electrostatic capacitance measurement is used. In the technique described in this document, a measuring instrument is conveyed on a mounting table by a conveying device, a measured value of the capacitance depending on the relative positional relationship between the recess and the electrode is acquired, and the workpiece is conveyed based on the measured value The conveying device is adjusted to correct the position.

As a processing apparatus of the above-mentioned processing system, a plasma processing apparatus is used in some cases. The plasma processing apparatus is provided with a chamber main body and a mounting table similarly to the processing apparatus mentioned above. Moreover, in the plasma processing apparatus, a focus ring is provided on the mounting table so that the edge of a to-be-processed object may be surrounded. The focus ring is an annular plate extending in the circumferential direction with respect to the central axis, and is made of, for example, silicon.

In the plasma processing of the workpiece using the plasma processing apparatus, the positional relationship between the focus ring and the workpiece is important. For example, if the position of the disk-shaped workpiece with respect to the focus ring is shifted and the size of the gap between the focus ring and the edge of the workpiece fluctuates in the circumferential direction, plasma is located in the portion where the large gap is generated. may invade and generate particles on the workpiece. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire highly reliable data reflecting the positional relationship between the focus ring and the workpiece conveyed by the conveying apparatus.

In one aspect, a measuring instrument for measuring capacitance is provided. The measuring instrument includes a base board, a plurality of first sensors, one or more second sensors, and a circuit board. The base substrate has a disk shape. The plurality of first sensors are arranged along the edge of the base substrate, and provide a plurality of side electrodes, respectively. Each of the one or more second sensors has a bottom electrode provided along the bottom surface of the base substrate. The circuit board is mounted on the base board, and is connected to each of a plurality of first sensors and one or more second sensors. The circuit board applies a high-frequency signal to the plurality of side electrodes and the bottom electrode to generate a plurality of first measured values indicative of capacitance from each of voltage amplitudes at the plurality of side electrodes, and at the bottom electrode and generate a second measurement indicative of the capacitance from the voltage amplitude of .

In the measuring instrument according to one aspect, a plurality of side electrodes provided by a plurality of first sensors are arranged along an edge of the base substrate. In a state where the measuring device is disposed in the region surrounded by the focus ring, the plurality of side electrodes face the inner edge of the focus ring. A plurality of first measured values generated from the voltage amplitudes at these side electrodes indicate capacitance reflecting the distance between each of the plurality of side electrodes and the focus ring. Accordingly, according to this measuring device, measurement data reflecting the relative positional relationship between the measuring device imitating the workpiece and the focus ring is obtained. Moreover, in this measuring device, each bottom electrode of one or more 2nd sensors is arrange|positioned along the bottom surface of a base board|substrate. The second measured value generated from the voltage amplitude at the bottom electrode represents the electrostatic capacitance between the bottom electrode and the object located below the measuring instrument. That is, the second measured value reflects the relative positional relationship between the bottom electrode and the object under the measuring device. Accordingly, according to the second measured value, it can be confirmed whether the measuring device is disposed on the mounting table in the area surrounded by the focus ring. By using this second measured value, it becomes possible to confirm the reliability of the above-described first measured value.

In one embodiment, each bottom electrode of the at least one second sensor has a circular shape. Each of the one or more second sensors further has a peripheral electrode disposed to surround the bottom electrode. The circuit board is further configured to apply a high frequency signal to the peripheral electrode to generate a third measured value indicative of the capacitance from the voltage amplitude at the peripheral electrode.

In one embodiment, the at least one second sensor is a plurality of second sensors. The plurality of second sensors are arranged along a circle sharing the central axis of the base substrate.

In one embodiment, each of the one or more second sensors further has a plurality of electrodes provided on the base substrate so as to extend from the upper surface of the base substrate in the plate thickness direction of the base substrate. Each bottom electrode of the one or more second sensors is constituted by a cross section on the bottom surface side of the plurality of electrodes.

In one embodiment, each of the one or more second sensors further has one or more through-electrodes penetrating the base substrate. Each bottom electrode of the at least one second sensor is connected to the circuit board through the at least one through electrode.

In one embodiment, the at least one second sensor is at least three second sensors. Each of the three or more second sensors is disposed along a circle sharing the central axis of the base substrate. A part of an edge of each bottom electrode of the three or more second sensors has an arc shape and extends on the circle.

In another one aspect, the method of calibrating the conveyance position data in a processing system using the said measuring device is provided. The processing system includes a processing apparatus and a conveying apparatus. The processing apparatus has a chamber body and an electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck is provided in a chamber provided by the chamber body. The electrostatic chuck has a mounting area having a circular edge. A workpiece is placed on the placement area. A conveying apparatus conveys a to-be-processed object on a mounting area based on conveyance position data. This method measures the electrostatic capacity of 3 or more by the process of conveying a measuring instrument using a conveying apparatus to the position on the mounting area specified by conveyance position data, and 3 or more 2nd sensors of the measuring instrument conveyed on the mounting area. a step of obtaining an error with respect to a predetermined conveyance position on the placement area of the position on the placement area to which the measuring device has been conveyed from the measured values of three or more capacitances; includes

In one embodiment, the curvature of the part of the edge of the bottom electrode coincides with the curvature of the edge of the mounting region.

1 is a diagram illustrating a processing system.
2 is a perspective view illustrating an aligner.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus.
4 is a plan view illustrating an electrostatic chuck.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a measuring device.
Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the measuring device shown in Fig. 5 when viewed from the bottom side.
7 is a perspective view showing an example of the first sensor.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 .
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of Fig. 8 .
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 6 .
11 : is a figure which illustrates the structure of the circuit board of a measuring instrument.
12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the first sensor.
13 is a diagram illustrating another example of the second sensor.
Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13B.
15 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the second sensor.
16 is a diagram illustrating still another example of the second sensor.
17 : is a figure which shows the other example of a measuring device.
18 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an electrostatic chuck.
Fig. 19 is an enlarged view of the measuring device of Fig. 17;
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of the measuring device of FIG. 17 .
It is a flowchart which shows one Embodiment of the method of calibrating the conveyance position data in a processing system.
22 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance position of the measuring device with respect to the electrostatic chuck.

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 equivalent part.

First, the processing system which has a processing apparatus for processing a disk-shaped to-be-processed object, and the conveying apparatus for conveying a to-be-processed object to the said processing apparatus is demonstrated. 1 is a diagram illustrating a processing system. The processing system 1 includes: pedestals 2a to 2d, containers 4a to 4d, loader modules LM, aligners AN, load lock modules LL1, LL2, process modules PM1 to PM6; A transfer module TF and a control unit MC are provided. However, 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. may be the number of

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 therein. The to-be-processed object W has a substantially disk shape like a wafer.

The loader module LM has a chamber wall which partitions the conveyance space of an atmospheric pressure state inside it. In this conveyance space, conveyance apparatus TU1 is provided. The transfer device TU1 is, for example, an articulated robot, and is controlled by the control unit MC. The transfer device TU1 is disposed 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 LL1 to LL2. It is comprised so that the to-be-processed object W may be conveyed between 4a-4d).

The aligner AN is connected to the loader module LM. The aligner AN is comprised so that the position of the to-be-processed W may be adjusted (position correction). 2 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 vertical direction, and is comprised so that the to-be-processed object W may be supported on it. The support 6T is rotated by the driving device 6D. The drive device 6D is controlled by the control unit MC. When the support base 6T rotates by the power from the drive device 6D, the to-be-processed object W mounted on the support base 6T also rotates.

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 workpiece W with respect to the reference position. Detects the amount of deviation of the center position of . The sensor 6S outputs the amount of deviation of the angular position of the notch WN and the amount of deviation of the central position of the workpiece W to the control unit MC. The control unit MC calculates the amount of rotation of the support 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 the amount of rotation. Accordingly, the angular position of the notch WN can be corrected as the reference angular position. In addition, the control unit MC is configured to receive the work piece W from the aligner AN so that a predetermined position on an end effector of the conveying device TU1 and the center position of the work piece W coincide with each other. The position of the end effector of the conveying apparatus TU1 at this time is controlled based on the shift amount of the center position of the to-be-processed object W. As shown in FIG.

Returning to FIG. 1 , 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 preliminary decompression chamber.

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. A conveying device TU2 is provided in this decompression chamber. The transfer device TU2 is, for example, an articulated robot, and is controlled by the control unit MC. The conveying device TU2 is 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. WHEREIN: is configured to return

The process modules PM1 to PM6 are 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 such as plasma processing on the workpiece W. As shown in FIG.

In this processing system 1, a series of operation|movement when the to-be-processed object W is processed is illustrated as follows. The conveyance apparatus TU1 of the loader module LM takes out the to-be-processed object W from any one of the containers 4a-4d, and conveys the said to-be-processed object W to the aligner AN. Next, the conveying device TU1 takes out the position-adjusted workpiece W from the aligner AN, and transfers the workpiece W to one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. of the load lock module. Then, one load lock module reduces the pressure in the preliminary decompression chamber to a predetermined pressure. Next, the transfer device TU2 of the transfer module TF takes out the work piece W from one of the load lock modules, and transfers the work piece W to any one of the process modules PM1 to PM6. . In addition, one or more process modules among the process modules PM1 to PM6 process the workpiece W. Then, the transfer device TU2 transfers the processed workpiece W from the process module to one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. Next, 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 such as 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 control of each unit of the processing system 1 by the control unit MC according to the program stored in the storage device.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing apparatus that can be employed as any one of the process modules PM1 to PM6. The plasma processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3 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 an anodization treatment may be applied to the inner wall surface thereof. This chamber body 12 is grounded.

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

The mounting table PD includes 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.

An electrostatic chuck ESC is provided on the second plate 18b. 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 through a switch 23 . The electrostatic chuck ESC attracts the workpiece W to the electrostatic chuck ESC 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 to-be-processed object W. As shown in FIG.

A focus ring FR is provided on the peripheral portion 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 the 1st part P1 and the 2nd part P2 (refer 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 that of the inner edge P1i of the first portion P1. The workpiece W is mounted on the electrostatic chuck ESC such that its edge region is positioned 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 body 12 through a pipe 26a. The refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant passage 24 is returned to the chiller unit through 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.

The mounting table PD is provided with a plurality of (for example, three) through holes 25 penetrating the mounting table PD. A plurality of (for example, three) lift pins 25a are respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes 25 . In addition, in FIG. 3, one through-hole 25 into which one lift pin 25a was inserted is drawn.

4 is a plan view showing the electrostatic chuck ESC constituting the mounting table PD. As shown in FIG. 4 , the plurality of lift pins 25a form a plurality of straight lines perpendicular to a circle sharing the central axis of the electrostatic chuck ESC, that is, the central axis of the mounting table PD, and extending in the vertical direction. They are each arranged accordingly. The plurality of lift pins 25a may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to this central axis. These lift pins 25a are supported by, for example, a link that goes up and down by an actuator. The lift pin 25a supports the workpiece W at the tip of the lift pin 25a in a state in which the tip protrudes above the electrostatic chuck ESC. After that, as the lift pins 25a descend, the workpiece W is placed on the electrostatic chuck ESC. In addition, after the plasma processing of the workpiece W, the lift pins 25a rise to separate the workpiece W from the electrostatic chuck ESC. That is, the lift pins 25a are used for loading and unloading the workpiece W. As shown in FIG.

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.

Moreover, the plasma processing apparatus 10 is provided with the upper electrode 30 . The upper electrode 30 is disposed above the mounting table PD so as 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 ceiling plate 34 and a support body 36 . The ceiling plate 34 faces the chamber S. The top plate 34 is provided with a plurality of gas discharge holes 34a. The ceiling plate 34 may be formed of silicon or quartz. Alternatively, the ceiling plate 34 may be constituted by forming a plasma-resistant film such as yttrium oxide on the surface of a base material made of aluminum.

The support body 36 detachably supports the ceiling plate 34 . The support 36 may be made of a conductive material such as, for example, aluminum. The support 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 processing gas into the gas diffusion chamber 36a. 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. The flow controller group 44 includes a plurality of flow controllers such as a mass flow controller. 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 rate controller of the flow rate controller group 44 .

Further, in the plasma processing apparatus 10 , the shield 46 is detachably provided along the inner wall of the chamber body 12 . The shield 46 is also provided on the outer periphery of the support part 14 . The shield 46 prevents etching by-products from adhering to the chamber body 12 . The shield 46 may be constituted by coating an aluminum material with ceramics such as yttrium oxide.

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 can be constituted, for example, by coating an aluminum material with ceramics such as yttrium oxide. 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, so that the space in the chamber main body 12 can be reduced to a desired degree of vacuum. Moreover, the opening 12g for carrying in or taking out the to-be-processed object W is provided in the side wall of the chamber main body 12. As shown in FIG. The opening 12g can be opened and closed by the 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 that generates 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). In addition, the first high frequency power supply 62 may be connected to the lower electrode LE via the matching device 66 .

The second high frequency power supply 64 is a power source that generates a second high frequency for drawing ions into the workpiece W, and generates a high frequency 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 unit 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. In addition, the pressure of 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 high frequency wave from the first high frequency power supply 62 . This creates plasma. Then, the workpiece W is treated by the generated active species. In addition, ions may be drawn into the to-be-processed object W by the bias based on the 2nd radio frequency of the 2nd radio frequency power supply 64 as needed.

Hereinafter, the measuring device will be described. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a measuring device. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the measuring device shown in Fig. 5 when viewed from the bottom side. The measuring device 100 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 includes a base substrate 102 . The base substrate 102 is made of, for example, silicon, and has the same shape as that of the workpiece W, that is, a substantially disk shape. The diameter of the base substrate 102 is the same diameter as the diameter of the to-be-processed object W, and is 300 mm, for example. 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 the same shape as 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 first sensors 104A to 104D for measuring capacitance are provided in the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 . However, the number of the first sensors provided in the measuring device 100 may be any number of three or more. The plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D are arranged along the edge of the base substrate 102 at equal intervals, for example, around the entire periphery of the edge. Specifically, each front end surface 104f of the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D is provided so as to follow the edge of the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 .

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 from the central region 102c to above the region in which the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D are disposed in the radial direction with respect to the central axis line AX100. In the plurality of radiation regions 102h, wiring groups 108A to 108D are provided. The wiring groups 108A to 108D electrically connect the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D and the circuit board 106 , respectively. In addition, the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D may be provided in the upper portion 102b of the base substrate 102 .

In addition, a plurality of second sensors 105A to 105C for capacitance measurement are provided on the base substrate 102 . However, the number of second sensors provided in the measuring device 100 may be any number of 1 or more. In one embodiment, the three second sensors 105A to 105C are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction along a circle sharing the central axis AX100 of the base substrate 102 . In addition, the distance between the center axis line AX100 and the bottom electrode of each of the second sensors 105A to 105C, which will be described later, is the distance between the center axis line of the mounting table PD and each of the lift pins 25a and can roughly match.

Hereinafter, the first sensor will be described in detail. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a sensor. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7, showing the base substrate and focus ring of the measuring instrument together with the sensor. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of Fig. 8 . The 1st sensor 104 shown in FIGS. 7-9 is a sensor used as some 1st sensor 104A-104D of the measuring instrument 100, and is comprised as a chip-shaped component in an example. In addition, in the following description, reference is made to an XYZ rectangular coordinate system suitably. The X direction represents the front direction of the first sensor 104 , the Y direction represents the width direction of the first sensor 104 as one direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the Z direction is X The upward direction of the 1st sensor 104 is shown as a direction orthogonal to a direction and a Y direction.

7 to 9 , the first sensor 104 includes a front end surface 104f, an upper surface 104t, a lower surface 104b, a pair of side surfaces 104s, and It has a rear end surface 104r. The front end surface 104f constitutes the front surface of the first sensor 104 in the X direction. The first sensor 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 of the measuring instrument 100 so that the front end face 104f faces the radial direction with respect to the central axis AX100 (see FIG. 5 ). In the state where the first sensor 104 is mounted on the base substrate 102 , the front end surface 104f extends along the edge of the base substrate 102 . Accordingly, in the state where the measuring instrument 100 is disposed 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 first sensor 104 in the X direction. When the first sensor 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 first sensor 104 in the Z direction. The lower surface 104b constitutes the lower surface of the first sensor 104 in the Z direction. Moreover, a pair of side surface 104s comprises the surface of the 1st sensor 104 in a Y direction.

The first sensor 104 has an electrode (side electrode) 143 . The first sensor 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 first sensor 104 , the electrode 142 is insulated from the electrode 141 . 7 and 8 , the second part 142a extends in the X direction and the Y direction on the first part 141a.

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 first sensor 104 . The electrode 143 has a front surface 143f. The front surface 143f extends in a direction intersecting the first portion 141a and the second portion 142a. Further, the front surface 143f extends along the front end surface 104f of the first sensor 104 . In one embodiment, the front surface 143f constitutes a part of the front end surface 104f of the first sensor 104 . Alternatively, the first sensor 104 may have an insulating film covering the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 on the front side thereof.

7 to 9 , the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 are opened to the side (X direction) of the region where the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 is disposed, and the electrode 143 is further opened to the electrode 143 . It may be extended so that it may surround the periphery of. 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 first sensor 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. The curvature of the front end surface 104f may be the reciprocal of the distance between the central axis AX100 of the measuring instrument 100 and the front end surface 104f. The first sensor 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.

In addition, the first sensor 104 may further include a substrate portion 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 . 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 first sensor 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 this 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 via wiring 154 penetrating the insulating region 146 , the electrode 142 , the insulating region 147 , and the electrode 141 . there is. 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 second sensor will be described in detail. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 6 . In addition, in FIG. 10, the state in which the measuring instrument 100 is supported by the lift pin 25a is shown. Hereinafter, reference is made to FIGS. 5, 6, and 10 . Each of the second sensors 105A to 105C includes a bottom electrode 161 . In one embodiment, each of the second sensors 105A to 105C further includes peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d and through electrodes 165a to 165e. The bottom electrode 161 and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d are formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 . The through electrodes 165a to 165e penetrate the base substrate 102 . The bottom electrode 161, the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d, and the through electrodes 165a to 165e are formed of a conductor.

The bottom electrode 161 may have a circular shape. The size of the bottom electrode 161 is, for example, approximately the same as the size of the top surface of the lift pin 25a. The peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d are arranged on a circle surrounding the bottom electrode 161 . Each of the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d has a planar shape defined by two arcs that share the center of the bottom electrode 161 and have different radii. In addition, the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d are arranged in the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the bottom electrode 161 . An insulating film 169 is formed on the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 . The insulating film 169 covers the bottom electrode 161 and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d. The insulating film 169 is made of, for example, SiO ₂ , SiN, Al ₂ O ₃ , or polyimide.

One end of the plurality of through electrodes 165a to 165e is respectively connected to the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d and the bottom electrode 161 . Further, the other end of each of the plurality of through electrodes 165a to 165e is electrically connected to the circuit board 106 (refer to FIG. 5 ). The plurality of through electrodes 165a to 165e may be formed using, for example, a through-silicon via (TSV) technology.

Hereinafter, the structure of the circuit board 106 is demonstrated. 11 : is a figure which illustrates the structure of the circuit board of a measuring instrument. 11 , the circuit board 106 includes a high-frequency oscillator 171 , a plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D, a plurality of C/V conversion circuits 180A to 180O, and an A/D converter. 173 , a processor 174 , a storage device 175 , a communication device 176 , and a power supply 177 .

Each of the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D is connected to the circuit board 106 via a corresponding wiring group among the plurality of wiring groups 108A to 108D. In addition, each of the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D is connected to a corresponding C/V conversion circuit among the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D via some wiring included in the corresponding wiring group. connected. In addition, each of the plurality of second sensors 105A to 105C is connected to a corresponding C/V conversion circuit (in one embodiment, from among the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 180A to 180O) via a plurality of wirings 184 . 5 C/V conversion circuits). Hereinafter, a first sensor 104 having one of the same configuration as each of the plurality of first sensors 104A to 104D, a wiring group 108 having one of the same configuration as each of the plurality of wiring groups 108A to 108D; C/V conversion circuit 172 having one of the same configuration as each of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D, and a second sensor having one of the same configuration as each of the plurality of second sensors 105A to 105C (105) and the C/V conversion circuit 180, which is one of the same configuration as each of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 180A to 180O, 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 . In addition, the wiring 181 may be connected to the ground potential line GL via the 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 172 . 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 172 .

The peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d and the bottom electrode 161 of the second sensor 105 are individually connected to the circuit board 106 . That is, the through electrodes 165a to 165d respectively connected to the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d and the through electrodes 165e connected to the bottom electrode 161 are connected to a plurality of C/V through individual wirings 184 . They are respectively connected to the conversion circuit 180 (five C/V conversion circuits in one embodiment).

The high frequency oscillator 171 is connected to a power source 177 such as a battery, and is configured to receive power from the power source 177 to generate a high frequency signal. The power supply 177 is also connected to the processor 174 , the storage device 175 , and the communication device 176 . The high frequency oscillator 171 has a plurality of output lines. The high frequency oscillator 171 applies the generated high frequency signal to the wiring 182 , the wiring 183 , and the wiring 184 via a plurality of output lines. Accordingly, the high-frequency oscillator 171 is electrically connected to the electrodes 142 and 143 of the first sensor 104 , and the high-frequency signal from the high-frequency oscillator 171 receives the electrodes 142 and the electrodes. (143) is to be given. Further, the high frequency oscillator 171 is electrically connected to the bottom electrode 161 and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d of the second sensor 105 , and the high frequency signal from the high frequency oscillator 171 is It is provided to the sub-electrode 161 and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d.

A wiring 182 and a wiring 183 are connected to the input of the C/V conversion circuit 172 . That is, the electrode 142 and the electrode 143 of the first sensor 104 are connected to the input of the C/V conversion circuit 172 . In addition, the bottom electrode 161 and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d are respectively connected to the inputs of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 180 . Each of the C/V conversion circuit 172 and the C/V conversion circuit 180 generates a voltage signal from the voltage amplitude at its input. The voltage signal represents the capacitance of the electrode connected to the input. Each of the C/V conversion circuit 172 and the C/V conversion circuit 180 outputs the voltage signal. In addition, as the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode connected to the C/V conversion circuit 172 increases, the magnitude of the voltage of the voltage signal output by the C/V conversion circuit 172 increases. Similarly, the larger the capacitance of the electrode connected to the C/V conversion circuit 180, the larger the voltage of the voltage signal output from the C/V conversion circuit 180 becomes.

The outputs of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D and the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 180A to 1800 are connected to the input of the A/D converter 173 . In addition, the A/D converter 173 is connected to the processor 174 . The A/D converter 173 is controlled by a control signal from the processor 174, and the output signals (voltage signals) of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D and the plurality of C/V conversion circuits ( The output signal (voltage signal) of 180A~180O) is converted into a digital value. That is, the A/D converter 173 generates a first measured value indicative of the capacitance of each electrode 143 of the first sensors 104A to 104D. In addition, the A/D converter 173 generates a second measured value indicative of the capacitance of each of the bottom electrodes 161 of the second sensors 105A to 105C, and the second sensors 105A to 105C. ) generate a plurality of third measurements indicative of the capacitance of each of the respective peripheral electrodes 162a - 162d. The A/D converter 173 outputs the first measured value, the second measured value, and the third measured value to the processor 174 .

A storage device 175 is connected to the processor 174 . The storage device 175 is a storage device such as a volatile memory, and is configured to store measurement data to be described later. In addition, another storage device 178 is connected to the processor 174 . The storage device 178 is a storage device such as a nonvolatile memory, and a program read and executed by the processor 174 is stored therein.

The communication device 176 is a communication device that complies with any radio communication standard. For example, the communication device 176 is compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication device 176 is configured to wirelessly transmit the measurement data stored in the storage device 175 .

The processor 174 is configured to control each part of the measuring instrument 100 by executing the above-described program. For example, the processor 174 supplies and stores a high frequency signal from the high frequency oscillator 171 to the electrode 142 , the electrode 143 , the bottom electrode 161 , and the peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d . and to control power supply from power source 177 to device 175 , power supply from power source 177 to communication device 176 , and the like. In addition, the processor 174 executes the above-described program, whereby the first to third measured values are acquired, the first to third measured values are stored in the storage device 175 , and the first to third measured values are acquired. transmission, etc.

In the measuring instrument 100 described above, the plurality of electrodes 143 (side electrodes) provided by the first sensors 104A to 104D are arranged along the edge of the base substrate 102 . In a state in which the measuring device 100 is disposed in a region surrounded by the focus ring FR, the plurality of electrodes 143 face the inner edge of the focus ring FR. The plurality of first measurement values generated from the voltage amplitudes in these electrodes 143 represent electrostatic capacitance reflecting the distance between each of the plurality of electrodes 143 and the focus ring. Incidentally, the capacitance C is expressed 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 electrode 143 It can be regarded as the distance between the front surface 143f and the inner edge of the focus ring FR. Therefore, according to the measuring device 100, measurement data reflecting the relative positional relationship between the measuring device 100 imitating the workpiece W and the focus ring FR is obtained. For example, the plurality of first measurement 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, in the measuring device 100 , the bottom electrode 161 of each of the second sensors 105A to 105C is disposed along the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 . The second measured value generated from the voltage amplitude at the bottom electrode 161 represents the electrostatic capacitance between the bottom electrode 161 and an object located below the measuring instrument 100 . That is, the second measured value reflects the relative positional relationship between the bottom electrode 161 and the object located below the measuring device 100 . In one embodiment, the second measured value reflects the relative positional relationship between the bottom electrode 161 and the lift pin 25a, which is an object under the measuring device 100 . Specifically, the second measured value increases when the bottom electrode 161 and the tip of the lift pin 25a face each other. On the other hand, the second measured value becomes small when the position of the bottom electrode 161 is deviated from the tip position of the lift pin 25a. As described above, the positional relationship between the bottom electrode 161 of each of the second sensors 105A to 105C and the central axis AX100 of the measuring instrument 100 is, each of the lift pins 25a and the mounting table (PD) approximately coincides with the positional relationship of the central axis. Accordingly, when the second measured value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it may be confirmed that the measuring device 100 is disposed in the area surrounded by the focus ring FR by the lowering of the lift pin 25a. Accordingly, according to the second measurement value, it may be confirmed whether the measuring device 100 is disposed on the mounting table PD within the area surrounded by the focus ring FR. By using this second measured value, it becomes possible to confirm the reliability of the above-described first measured value. Therefore, according to the measuring device 100, it becomes possible to acquire highly reliable data reflecting the positional relationship between the measuring device 100 and the focus ring FR imitating the workpiece W.

In addition, peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d are provided in each of the second sensors 105A to 105C so as to surround the bottom electrode 161 . By using a plurality of third measured values obtained from the voltage amplitudes in each of these peripheral electrodes 162a to 162d together with the second measured values, the measuring instrument 100 is placed in the region surrounded by the focus ring FR. Whether or not it is placed on the PD can be more accurately confirmed.

In addition, as described above, in the first sensor 104 mounted on the measuring device 100 , the electrode 143 (sensor electrode) is provided on the electrode 141 , and A second portion of the electrode 142 is interposed therebetween. When the first sensor 104 is used, the switch SWG is closed so that the potential of the electrode 141 is set to the ground potential. Then, 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 electrostatic capacitance from the direction in which the electrode 141 is provided with respect to the electrode 143 , that is, below the first sensor 104 , but in a specific direction, that is, It becomes the voltage amplitude reflecting the electrostatic capacitance in the direction (X direction) which the front surface 143f of the electrode 143 faces. Therefore, according to the first sensor 104, it becomes possible to measure the capacitance with high directivity in a specific direction.

Moreover, the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 are opened to 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 . Accordingly, by the electrode 141 and the electrode 142 , the electrode 143 is shielded in a direction other than a specific direction. Accordingly, in the measurement of the capacitance, the directivity of the first sensor 104 with respect to a specific direction is further improved.

Further, the front end surface 104f of the first sensor 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. Accordingly, 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 approximately equidistant. Accordingly, the precision of the measurement of the capacitance is further improved.

Hereinafter, another example of the first sensor that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 will be described. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the first sensor. 12 , a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first sensor 204 is shown, and the focus ring FR is shown together with the first sensor 204 .

The first sensor 204 includes an electrode 241 , an electrode 242 , and an electrode 243 . The first sensor 204 may further include a substrate portion 244 and an insulating region 247 . The board|substrate part 244 has the 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 below the lower surface 244b of the board|substrate part 244, and extends in the X direction and the Y direction. Moreover, the electrode 241 is provided below the electrode 242 through the insulating region 247, and extends in the X direction and the Y direction.

The front end surface 244c of the substrate portion 244 is formed in a stepped shape. The lower part 244d of the front end surface 244c protrudes toward the side of the focus ring FR rather than the upper part 244u of the said front end surface 244c. The electrode 243 extends along the upper portion 244u of the front end face 244c.

When the first sensor 204 is used as the sensor 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 first sensor 204 , the electrode 243 serving as the sensor electrode is shielded from the lower side of the first sensor 204 by the electrode 241 and the electrode 242 . Accordingly, according to the first sensor 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 faces.

Hereinafter, another example of the second sensor that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 instead of the second sensors 105A to 105C will be described. Fig. 13(a) is a plan view showing the plurality of electrodes of the second sensor of another example as viewed from the bottom side of the measuring instrument, and Fig. 13(b) is a plan view showing the second sensor as viewed from the top side of the measuring instrument. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV in Fig. 13B. In addition, in FIG. 14, the state in which the measuring instrument 100 is supported by the lift pin 25a is shown.

The second sensor 305 includes a plurality of electrodes 365 . The plurality of electrodes 365 are provided on the base substrate 102 so as to extend from the upper surface of the base substrate 102 in the plate thickness direction of the base substrate 102 . In the second sensor 305 , the plurality of electrodes 365 penetrate the base substrate 102 . Each of the plurality of electrodes 365 provides an end surface 365a on the side of the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 . End faces 365a of the plurality of electrodes 365 constitute a bottom electrode and a plurality of peripheral electrodes. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13A , among the cross-sections 365a of the plurality of electrodes 365 , the cross-sections 365a of some electrodes 365 existing in the central circular region 361 . is constituting the bottom electrode. In addition, end surfaces 365a of several electrodes 365 existing in each of the peripheral regions 362a to 362d surrounding the region 361 constitute a peripheral electrode. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 13, the number of the peripheral areas is four. These peripheral regions 362a to 362d are defined by two arcs having different radii, and are arranged in the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the region 361 . 14 , an insulating film 169 is formed on the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 . The insulating film 169 covers the end surfaces 365a of the plurality of electrodes 365 .

On the upper surface of the base substrate 102, pattern electrodes 366a facing the peripheral regions 362a to 362d and the region 361, respectively, and having substantially the same shape as the peripheral regions 362a to 362d and the region 361, respectively ~366e) is formed. The electrode 365 providing the cross section 365a in the peripheral region 362a is connected to the pattern electrode 366a. The electrode 365 providing the cross section 365a in the peripheral region 362b is connected to the pattern electrode 366b. The electrode 365 providing the cross section 365a in the peripheral region 362c is connected to the pattern electrode 366c. The electrode 365 providing the cross section 365a in the peripheral region 362d is connected to the pattern electrode 366d. In addition, the electrode 365 providing the end surface 365a in the area|region 361 is connected to the pattern electrode 366e. In each of the above-described second sensors 105A to 105C, a process of forming a bottom electrode and a peripheral electrode separately from the through electrodes 165a to 165e is required. Meanwhile, in the second sensor 305 , the plurality of electrodes 365 extending in the plate thickness direction of the base substrate 102 similarly to the through electrodes 165a to 165e provide a bottom electrode and a peripheral electrode, so that the second sensor In the manufacture of 305, a separate process of forming the bottom electrode and the peripheral electrode is unnecessary.

Hereinafter, another example of the second sensor that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 instead of the second sensors 105A to 105C will be described. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of the second sensor.

The second sensor 405 shown in FIG. 15 has a plurality of electrodes 465 . The plurality of electrodes 465 are provided on the base substrate 102 so as to extend from the upper surface of the base substrate 102 in the plate thickness direction of the base substrate 102 . In the second sensor 405 , the plurality of electrodes 465 provides an end face 465a in the middle between the top and bottom surfaces of the base substrate 102 . Similar to the end faces 365a of the plurality of electrodes 365 of the second sensor 305 , the end faces 465a of the plurality of electrodes 465 constitute a bottom electrode and a plurality of peripheral electrodes. In the measuring instrument 100 on which the second sensor 405 is mounted, the base substrate 102 may be, for example, a glass substrate. Also in the manufacture of the second sensor 405 , the process of separately forming the bottom electrode and the plurality of peripheral electrodes is unnecessary.

Hereinafter, another example of the second sensor that can be mounted on the measuring device 100 instead of the second sensors 105A to 105C will be described. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of the second sensor.

The second sensor 505 shown in FIG. 16 has a plurality of electrodes 365 arranged in each of the region 361 and the peripheral regions 362a to 362d, similarly to the second sensor 305 . In addition, the second sensor 505 further includes surrounding electrodes 370a to 370e. The surrounding electrodes 370a to 370e are formed of a conductor and are insulated from the electrode 365 in the second sensor 505 . The enveloping electrode 370a is formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate so as to collectively surround the end surfaces 365a of the group of electrodes 365 disposed in the peripheral region 362a. A via electrode 371a penetrating through the base substrate is connected to the surrounding electrode 370a. In addition, the enveloping electrode 370b is formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate so as to collectively surround the end surfaces 365a of the group of electrodes 365 disposed in the peripheral region 362b. A via electrode 371b penetrating through the base substrate is connected to the surrounding electrode 370b. In addition, the enveloping electrode 370c is formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate so as to collectively surround the end surfaces 365a of the group of electrodes 365 arranged in the peripheral region 362c. A via electrode 371c penetrating through the base substrate is connected to the surrounding electrode 370c. In addition, the enveloping electrode 370d is formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate so as to enclose the end faces 365a of the group of electrodes 365 disposed in the peripheral region 362d at once. A via electrode 371d penetrating through the base substrate is connected to the surrounding electrode 370d. In addition, the enveloping electrode 370e is formed along the bottom surface of the base substrate so as to collectively surround the end surfaces 365a of the group of electrodes 365 arranged in the region 361 . A via electrode 371e penetrating through the base substrate is connected to the surrounding electrode 370e. A high-frequency oscillator 171 is electrically connected to each of the via electrodes 371a to 371e, and a high-frequency signal is applied to each of the surrounding electrodes 370a to 370e. In the second sensor 505 , the end face 365a of the group of electrodes 365 is formed by the surrounding electrode surrounding the end face 365a of the group of electrodes 365 among the surrounding electrodes 370a to 370e. It is shielded against the outside of the enveloping electrode. Accordingly, in the measurement of the capacitance, the directivity of the second sensor 505 is improved.

As mentioned above, although various embodiment was demonstrated, it is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, and various modified aspects can be comprised. 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-described plasma processing apparatus 10 is a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus that can be used as the process modules PM1 to PM6 is an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus using surface waves such as microwaves. It may be any plasma processing apparatus, such as a plasma processing apparatus.

Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, the positional relationship between the bottom electrode of a some 2nd sensor, and the central axis line AX100 of the measuring instrument 100 is the positional relationship between the center axis line of the mounting table PD, and the lift pin 25a. , but the positional relationship between the bottom electrodes of the plurality of second sensors and the central axis AX100 of the measuring device 100 is not limited thereto. For example, the distance between each of the bottom electrodes of the plurality of second sensors and the central axis AX100 of the measuring device 100 is approximately the same as the distance between the central axis of the mounting table PD and the edge of the electrostatic chuck may be doing

Hereinafter, the measuring device which concerns on such another embodiment is demonstrated. That is, a distance between each of the bottom electrodes of the plurality of second sensors and the central axis AX100 of the measuring device is approximately the same as the distance between the central axis of the mounting table PD and the edge of the electrostatic chuck. do. Moreover, the measuring device which concerns on the said other embodiment can also be used in the processing system shown in FIG. Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the measuring instrument when viewed from the bottom side. The measuring device 600 shown in FIG. 17 includes a base substrate 102 . Four first sensors 104A to 104D for capacitance measurement are provided in the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 . In addition, instead of the second sensors 105A to 105C shown in FIG. 6 , four second sensors 605A to 605D are provided in the lower portion 102a of the base substrate 102 . However, the number of second sensors provided in the measuring device 600 may be any number of 3 or more. The second sensors 605A to 605D are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction along a circle sharing the central axis AX100 of the base substrate 102 . Moreover, 2nd sensor 605A-605D and 1st sensor 104A-104D are arrange|positioned alternately in the circumferential direction. Each of the four second sensors 605A to 605D has a bottom electrode 606 provided along the bottom surface of the base substrate 102 .

18 is a cross-sectional view of the electrostatic chuck, showing a state in which a workpiece is placed on the electrostatic chuck. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck ESC has a structure in which the electrode E, which is a conductive film, is disposed between a pair of insulating layers or insulating sheets, and has a substantially disk shape. The electrostatic chuck ESC has a mounting area R on which the workpiece W and the measuring device 600 are mounted. The mounting area R has a circular edge. The to-be-processed object W and the measuring instrument 600 have an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mounting area|region R.

FIG. 19 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 17 , and shows one second sensor. The edge of the bottom electrode 606 is partially arc-shaped. That is, the bottom electrode 606 has a planar shape defined by two arcs 606a and 606b having different radii centered on the central axis AX100. A radially outer arc 606b in the bottom electrode 606 of each of the plurality of second sensors 605A to 605D extends on a common circle. Moreover, the radially inner arc 606a in the bottom electrode 606 of each of some 2nd sensor 605A-605D extends on another common circle. The curvature of a part of the edge of the bottom electrode 606 coincides with the curvature of the edge of the electrostatic chuck ESC (the mounting area R). In one embodiment, the curvature of the arc 606b forming the radially outer edge of the bottom electrode 606 coincides with the curvature of the edge of the mounting region R of the electrostatic chuck ESC. Further, the center of curvature of the arc 606b, that is, the center of the circle on which the arc 606b extends, shares the central axis AX100.

In one embodiment, each of the second sensors 605A-605D further includes an electrode 607 surrounding the bottom electrode 606 . The electrode 607 has a frame shape and surrounds the bottom electrode 606 over its entire circumference. The electrode 607 and the bottom electrode 606 are spaced apart from each other so that an insulating region 608 is interposed therebetween. Further, in one embodiment, each of the second sensors 605A to 605D further includes an electrode 609 surrounding the electrode 607 from the outside of the electrode 607 . The electrode 609 has a frame shape and surrounds the electrode 607 over its entire circumference. The electrode 607 and the electrode 609 are spaced apart from each other so that an insulating region 610 is interposed therebetween.

20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a circuit board of a measuring instrument. The measuring device 600 has a circuit board 106A. The circuit board 106A corresponds to the circuit board 106 in the measuring instrument 100 . As shown in Fig. 20, the circuit board 106A includes a high-frequency oscillator 171, a plurality of C/V conversion circuits 172A to 172D, a plurality of C/V conversion circuits 680A to 680D, and an A/D converter. 173 , a processor 174 , a storage device 175 , a communication device 176 , a power supply 177 , and a storage device 178 .

The bottom electrode 606 of the second sensors 605A to 605D is connected to the corresponding C/V conversion circuit among the C/V conversion circuits 680A to 680D via the corresponding wiring 681 . Further, each electrode 607 of the second sensors 605A to 605D is connected to a corresponding C/V conversion circuit among the C/V conversion circuits 680A to 680D via a corresponding wiring 682 . . The bottom electrode 606 and the electrode 607 of each of the second sensors 605A to 605D are electrically connected to the high frequency oscillator 171 so that a high frequency signal from the high frequency oscillator 171 is applied to them. . Each of the C/V conversion circuits 680A to 680D is configured to generate a voltage signal representing the capacitance of an electrode connected to the input from the voltage amplitude at the input, and output the voltage signal. Each electrode 609 of the second sensors 605A to 605D is connected to the ground potential line GL via a corresponding wiring 683 . In addition, the wiring 683 may be connected to the ground potential line GL via the switch SWG.

The outputs of the plurality of C/V conversion circuits 680A to 680D are connected to the input of the A/D converter 173 . Thereby, the A/D converter 173 generates a digital value (measured value) indicating the capacitance of the bottom electrode 606 . The A/D converter 173 outputs the generated digital value to the processor 174 .

Hereinafter, the method of calibrating the conveyance position data in the processing system 1 using the measuring instrument 600 is demonstrated. In addition, as mentioned above, the conveyance apparatus TU2 in the processing system 1 is controlled by the control part MC. In one embodiment, the conveyance apparatus TU2 conveys the to-be-processed object W and the measuring instrument 600 on the mounting area R of the electrostatic chuck ESC based on the conveyance position data transmitted from the control part MC. can do. It is a flowchart which shows the calibration method of the conveyance apparatus of the processing system which concerns on one Embodiment.

In the method MT shown in FIG. 21, first, step ST1 is executed. In process ST1, the measuring instrument 600 is conveyed by conveyance apparatus TU2 to the position on the mounting area|region R identified by conveyance position data. Specifically, the transport device TU1 transports the measuring device 600 to one of the load lock module LL1 and the load lock module LL2. Then, the transport device TU2 transports the measuring device 600 from one load lock module to any one of the process modules PM1 to PM6 based on the transport position data, and uses the measuring device 600 with an electrostatic chuck. It is mounted on the mounting area R of (ESC). The conveyance position data is coordinate data predetermined so that the position of the center axis line AX100 of the measuring instrument 600 may correspond to the center position of the mounting area|region R, for example.

In the subsequent step ST2, the measuring device 600 measures the electrostatic capacity. Specifically, the measuring device 600 includes a plurality of devices according to the magnitude of the capacitance between the mounting region R of the electrostatic chuck ESC and the bottom electrode 606 of each of the second sensors 605A to 605D. A digital value (measured value) is acquired, and the plurality of digital values are stored in the storage device 175 . Also, a plurality of digital values may be acquired at a predetermined timing under control by the processor 174 . In one embodiment, the measurement of the capacitance by the first sensors 104A to 104D may be performed at the timing of the measurement of the capacitance by the second sensors 605A to 605D.

In the subsequent step ST3, the measuring device 600 is taken out from the process module, and returned to any one of the transfer module TF, the load lock modules LL1 and LL2, the loader module LM, and the containers 4a to 4d. In subsequent process ST4, the error|error of the position on the mounting area|region R to which the measuring instrument 600 was conveyed, and the predetermined|prescribed conveyance position on the mounting area|region R are derived. However, the predetermined conveyance position may be the center position of the mounting area R. In step ST4 of the embodiment, first, a plurality of digital values stored in the storage device 175 are transmitted to the control unit MC. The plurality of digital values may be transmitted from the communication device 176 to the control unit MC according to a command from the control unit MC, or the control of the processor 174 based on the count of a timer provided on the circuit board 106A. may be transmitted to the control unit MC at a predetermined timing. Next, based on the plurality of digital values received by the control unit MC, an error in the conveyance position of the measuring device 600 is derived. In one Embodiment, control part MC has the data table which shows the relationship between the conveyance position of the measuring instrument 600 on the mounting area R, and the digital value acquired by 2nd sensor 605A-605D. In this data table, for example, the relationship between the position of the bottom electrode 606 in each radial direction of the mounting region R and the digital value indicating the capacitance of the bottom electrode 606 at the position is shown. is registered.

22 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance position of the measuring device with respect to the mounting area of the electrostatic chuck. Fig. 22(a) shows the positional relationship between the mounting area R and one bottom electrode 606 when the measuring instrument 600 is conveyed to a predetermined conveyance position. 22(b) and (c) show the positional relationship between the mounting area R and one bottom electrode 606 in a case where the measuring device 600 is conveyed out of a predetermined conveyance position. 22B, when the bottom electrode 606 shifts outward in the radial direction of the mounting region R with respect to the mounting region R, the electrostatic measured by the bottom electrode 606 is The capacitance becomes smaller than the capacitance in the case where the measuring device 600 is transported to a predetermined transport position (FIG. 22(a)). As shown in FIG.22(c), when the bottom electrode 606 shifts|deviates to the inside of the radial direction of the mounting area|region R with respect to the mounting area|region R, under the influence of the electrode E, a bottom The electrostatic capacity measured by the electrode 606 becomes larger than the electrostatic capacity when the measuring instrument 600 is conveyed to a predetermined conveying position (FIG. 22A). Therefore, each bottom part in each radial direction of the mounting area|region R by referring a data table using the digital value which shows the electrostatic capacity of each bottom electrode 606 of 2nd sensor 605A-605D. The shift amount of the electrode 606 can be calculated|required. And the error of the conveyance position of the measuring instrument 600 can be calculated|required from the shift|offset|difference amount of each bottom electrode 606 of 2nd sensor 605A-605D in each radial direction.

When the error of the conveyance position of the measuring instrument 600 is larger than a predetermined|prescribed threshold value, it is determined in continuing process ST5 that the calibration of conveyance position data is necessary. In this case, in process ST6, the conveyance position data is corrected by control part MC so that an error|error may be eliminated. And in step ST7, the measuring device 600 is conveyed again to the same process module as the process module to which the measuring device 600 was conveyed immediately before, and steps ST2 to ST5 are executed again. On the other hand, when the error of the conveyance position of the measuring instrument 600 is smaller than a predetermined|prescribed threshold value, in process ST5, it is determined that the calibration of conveyance position data is unnecessary. In this case, in step ST8, it is determined whether or not to transfer the measuring device 600 to another process module to which the measuring device 600 is to be transported next. Next, when another process module to which the measuring device 600 is to be transported remains, in the subsequent step ST9, the measuring device 600 is transported to the other process module, and steps ST2 to ST5 are executed. On the other hand, if there are no other process modules left to which the measuring instrument 600 is to be transferred next, the method MT ends.

According to the method MT using the measuring device 600 in this way, the measuring device 600 provides a plurality of digital values usable in calibration of the transport position data used for transport by the transport device TU2. By using such a plurality of digital values, it becomes possible to correct the transport position data as necessary. By using the conveyance position data corrected in this way for conveyance of the to-be-processed object W by conveyance apparatus TU2, it becomes possible to convey the to-be-processed object W to a predetermined conveyance position.

Further, in one embodiment, the bottom electrode 606 of each of the second sensors 605A to 605D is arranged along a circle sharing the central axis AX100 of the base substrate 102 . When the measuring instrument 600 is conveyed so that the center axis line AX100 of the base substrate 102 may coincide with the center of the mounting area R which is a predetermined conveyance position, the bottom electrode of each of 2nd sensor 605A-605D The digital value representing the capacitance of 606 would ideally be the same. Therefore, the error of the conveyance position of the measuring device 600 can be calculated|required easily.

In addition, a part of the edge of the bottom electrode 606 of each of the second sensors 605A to 605D has a circular arc shape and extends on a circle having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the mounting region R. . Moreover, the curvature of the said part of the edge of the bottom electrode 606 coincides with the curvature of the edge of the mounting area|region R. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the shift|offset|difference amount in each radial direction between the conveyance position of the measuring instrument 600 and a predetermined|prescribed conveyance position can be measured accurately.

Claims (9)

A measuring instrument for measuring capacitance, comprising:
A base substrate having a disk shape, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface;
a plurality of first sensors arranged along the side surface of the base substrate, each providing a plurality of side electrodes;
One or more second sensors each having a bottom electrode provided along the bottom surface of the base substrate;
An oscillator mounted on the upper surface of the base substrate and connected to each of the plurality of first sensors and the one or more second sensors, the oscillator providing a high-frequency signal to the plurality of side electrodes and the bottom electrode and generating a plurality of first measured values indicative of capacitance from each of the voltage amplitudes at the plurality of side electrodes, and generating a second measured value indicative of capacitance from the voltage amplitudes at the bottom electrodes. process, wherein the first measurement reflects a relative positional relationship between the side electrode and a first object facing the side of the base substrate, and wherein the second measurement value comprises: and a second object facing the bottom surface of the base substrate to reflect a relative positional relationship, the measuring device having the circuit board. The method according to claim 1,
each said bottom electrode of said at least one second sensor has a circular shape,
Each of the one or more second sensors further has a peripheral electrode disposed to surround the bottom electrode,
The circuit board is further configured to apply the high-frequency signal to the peripheral electrode to generate a third measured value indicative of the capacitance from the voltage amplitude at the peripheral electrode. The method according to claim 1,
The one or more second sensors are a plurality of second sensors,
The plurality of second sensors are arranged along a circle sharing a central axis of the base substrate. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Each of the one or more second sensors further has a plurality of electrodes provided on the base substrate so as to extend from the upper surface of the base substrate in the plate thickness direction of the base substrate,
each said bottom electrode of said at least one second sensor is constituted by a cross section on a side of said bottom surface of said plurality of electrodes. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Each of the one or more second sensors further has one or more through-electrodes penetrating the base substrate,
and the bottom electrode of each of the at least one second sensor is connected to the circuit board through the at least one through electrode. The method according to claim 1,
The one or more second sensors are three or more second sensors,
Each of the three or more second sensors has a bottom electrode provided along a bottom surface of the base substrate and is disposed along a circle sharing a central axis of the base substrate,
a portion of an edge of the bottom electrode of each of the three or more second sensors has an arc shape and extends on the circle. A method of calibrating conveyance position data in a processing system using the measuring device according to claim 6, comprising:
The processing system is
A processing apparatus comprising: a chamber body and an electrostatic chuck provided in a chamber provided by the chamber body, the electrostatic chuck having a mounting area having a circular edge, and on which a workpiece is placed on the mounting area;
A conveying apparatus which conveys the to-be-processed object on the said mounting area based on conveyance position data, the said method comprising:
The process of conveying the said measuring instrument to the position on the said mounting area specified by the said conveyance position data using the said conveyance apparatus;
measuring the electrostatic capacity of 3 or more by the 3 or more second sensors of the measuring device conveyed on the mounting area;
a step of obtaining an error of a position on the mounting area to which the measuring device has been conveyed with respect to a predetermined conveying position on the mounting area from the measured values of the three or more capacitances;
and calibrating the transport position data using the error. 8. The method of claim 7,
The curvature of the part of the edge of the said bottom electrode coincides with the curvature of the edge of the said mounting area|region. a base substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface;
a plurality of first sensors mounted on the side surface of the base substrate and disposed at an edge of the base substrate, each first sensor including at least one first electrode;
a plurality of second sensors mounted on the bottom surface of the base substrate and arranged on the bottom of the base substrate, wherein each second sensor includes at least one second electrode;
A circuit mounted on the upper surface of the base substrate, wherein the circuit is electrically connected to the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors, the circuit including an oscillator and a processor, the oscillator comprising: respectively connected between the processor and the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors, wherein the oscillator includes the at least one first electrode and the plurality of second sensors in each of the plurality of first sensors. and supply a high-frequency signal to the at least one second electrode in each of two sensors, wherein the processor is configured to: supply the high-frequency signal to the at least one first electrode in each of the plurality of first sensors by the oscillator acquiring at least one first measurement value from the at least one first electrode while supplying a signal, and by means of the oscillator the high frequency signal to the at least one second electrode in each of the plurality of second sensors and obtain at least one second measurement value from the at least one second electrode while supplying reflects the relative positional relationship between the first object and the at least one second measurement value, A measuring instrument, comprising the circuit, reflecting

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