WO2022163582A1

WO2022163582A1 - Plasma processing device

Info

Publication number: WO2022163582A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/002441
Authority: WO
Inventors: 信峰佐々木; 徹治佐藤; 伸松浦
Original assignee: 東京エレクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2021-01-29
Filing date: 2022-01-24
Publication date: 2022-08-04
Also published as: TW202247237A

Abstract

This plasma processing device is provided with: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate supporting portion disposed inside the plasma processing chamber; an annular member which is disposed on the substrate supporting portion in such a way as to surround a substrate on the substrate supporting portion, and which has a lower surface including a recessed portion that has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the vertical direction; a raising and lowering member which is disposed below the annular member and which is capable of coming into contact with the recessed portion of the annular member; a drive portion configured to move the raising and lowering member in the vertical direction relative to the substrate supporting portion; a first detecting portion configured to detect a first parameter relating to a load on the drive portion; a second detecting portion configured to detect a second parameter relating to an amount of movement of the raising and lowering member; and a control portion. The control portion is configured to: detect contact between the raising and lowering member and the recessed portion of the annular member on the basis of the first parameter; determine an elevation amount, from a reference height, of the raising and lowering member until contact is made with the recessed portion of the annular member, on the basis of the second parameter; and determine whether the annular member is positionally displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate supporting portion on the basis of the elevation amount and a threshold.

Description

Plasma processing equipment

The present disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate is placed in a processing chamber, a focus ring is placed so as to surround the substrate, and plasma processing is performed on the substrate. This substrate processing apparatus includes a mounting table provided with a susceptor having a substrate mounting surface on which a substrate is mounted and a focus ring mounting surface on which a focus ring is mounted. Further, the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes lifter pins and a transfer arm. The lifter pins are provided on the mounting table so as to protrude from the focus ring mounting surface, lift the focus ring together with the positioning pins, and detach from the focus ring mounting surface. The transfer arm is provided outside the processing chamber, and exchanges the focus ring with the positioning pin attached to and from the lifter pin through the loading/unloading port provided in the processing chamber.

JP 2011-054933 A

The technique according to the present disclosure determines the positional deviation of the annular member without increasing the size of the plasma processing apparatus.

One aspect of the present disclosure includes a plasma processing chamber, a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber, and an annular substrate disposed on the substrate support to surround a substrate on the substrate support and having a lower surface. an annular member, the lower surface of the annular member having a recess, the recess having an inclined surface inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction; an elevating member capable of contacting the recess; a driving unit configured to vertically move the elevating member relative to the substrate support; and configured to detect a first parameter related to the load of the driving unit. a first detection unit configured to detect a second parameter related to the movement amount of the lifting member; and a control unit, wherein the control unit detects the first parameter based on the first parameter. to detect contact between the elevating member and the recess of the annular member, and based on the second parameter, determine a lift amount of the elevating member from a reference height to contact with the recess of the annular member. and determining whether or not the annular member is misaligned with respect to the substrate support in a horizontal direction based on the amount of elevation and the threshold value.

According to the present disclosure, the positional deviation of the annular member can be determined without increasing the size of the plasma processing apparatus.

1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a plasma processing system according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the outline of a structure of a processing module. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the outline of a structure of a processing module. It is a top view of a wafer support. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of determination of positional deviation of edge rings; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a control device for determination of positional deviation of an edge ring; 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an edge ring mounting process including a positional deviation determination process of the edge ring. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the lifting member; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the lifting member; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the recess of the edge ring; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the recess of the edge ring; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of edge rings; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of edge rings; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the lifting member; FIG. 16 is a top view of the wafer support when using the elevating member of FIG. 15; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the fixing portion of the edge ring; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the fixing portion of the edge ring; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the fixing portion of the edge ring; It is a figure which shows the other example of an edge ring and a raising/lowering member. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration around the wafer support in the plasma processing apparatus according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration around the wafer support in the plasma processing apparatus according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration around a wafer support in a plasma processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration around a wafer support in a plasma processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment;

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, etc., plasma processing such as etching and film formation is performed using plasma on substrates such as semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers"). Plasma processing is performed in a state where a substrate is placed on a substrate support table in a decompressed processing chamber.

In addition, in order to obtain a good and uniform plasma processing result in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, an annular ring in plan view called a focus ring, edge ring, etc. is provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate on the substrate support table. A member (hereinafter referred to as "edge ring") may be placed.

By the way, when the edge ring is replaced by using a transport device for transporting the edge ring, the edge ring may be placed on the substrate support table by the transport device. For example, the transfer arm of the transfer device supporting the edge ring enters from outside the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus into the processing chamber, and the edge ring is placed on the lift pins rising above the substrate support table, After that, the transfer arm is withdrawn from the processing chamber. Then, the lifting pins are lowered and the edge ring on the lifting pins is placed on the substrate support.
Moreover, when using an edge ring, it is necessary to place the edge ring at a desired position on the substrate support table so as to obtain a uniform processing result in the peripheral direction of the substrate.

And there is a limit to the accuracy with which the edge ring can be conveyed by the conveying device. Therefore, when the edge ring is placed on the substrate support table by the transport device, a technique for confirming whether the edge ring is placed at a desired position on the substrate support table, that is, the edge ring on the substrate support table. There is a need for a technique for determining ring misalignment. As a method for determining such a positional deviation of the edge ring, for example, a method of mounting a camera on the plasma processing apparatus and using the camera is conceivable. However, the accuracy required for placing the edge ring on the substrate support is on the order of μm (for example, 50 μm to 200 μm), and a large optical system or the like is required to determine the positional deviation with this accuracy. necessary. Further, the method using a camera requires an illumination device or the like for illuminating the imaging area of the camera. Therefore, when using the positional deviation of the edge ring using the camera as described above, the plasma processing apparatus becomes large. As a method of determining the positional deviation of the edge ring, a method of disposing a sensor for the position of the edge ring on the substrate support and using this sensor is conceivable. As described above, the plasma processing apparatus may become large in size.

Also, during plasma processing, an annular member called a cover ring may be arranged to cover the circumferential outer surface of the edge ring, and the cover ring may be placed on the substrate support table by a transfer device. This case also has the same problem as the configuration using only the edge ring.

Therefore, the technique according to the present disclosure determines the positional deviation of the annular member without increasing the size of the plasma processing apparatus.

The plasma processing apparatus and method for determining positional deviation of the annular member according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

(First embodiment)
<Plasma processing system>
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of the configuration of the plasma processing system according to the first embodiment.
In the plasma processing system 1 of FIG. 1, plasma processing such as etching is performed on a wafer W as a substrate using plasma.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing system 1 has an atmosphere section 10 and a decompression section 11, and the atmosphere section 10 and the decompression section 11 are integrally connected via

load lock modules

20 and 21. The atmospheric part 10 includes an atmospheric module that performs desired processing on the wafer W under atmospheric pressure. The decompression unit 11 includes a processing module 60 that performs desired processing on the wafer W under a decompressed atmosphere (vacuum atmosphere).

The

load lock modules

20 and 21 are provided to connect the loader module 30 included in the atmosphere section 10 and the transfer module 50 included in the decompression section 11 via gate valves (not shown). The

load lock modules

20, 21 are configured to hold the wafer W temporarily. Further, the

load lock modules

20 and 21 are configured so that the inside can be switched between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a reduced pressure atmosphere.

The atmospheric part 10 has a loader module 30 equipped with a transport device 40, which will be described later, and a load port 32 on which FOUPs 31a and 31b are placed. A plurality of wafers W can be stored in the FOUP 31a, and a plurality of edge rings F can be stored in the FOUP 31b. The loader module 30 is connected to an orienter module (not shown) for adjusting the horizontal orientation of the wafer W and the edge ring F, a buffer module (not shown) for temporarily storing a plurality of wafers W, and the like. may have been

The loader module 30 has a rectangular housing, and the inside of the housing is maintained at atmospheric pressure. A plurality of, for example, five load ports 32 are arranged side by side on one side surface that constitutes the long side of the housing of the loader module 30 . Load-

lock modules

20 and 21 are arranged side by side on the other side surface constituting the long side of the housing of the loader module 30 .

A transport device 40 configured to transport both the wafer W and the edge ring F is provided inside the housing of the loader module 30 . The transfer device 40 has a transfer arm 41 that supports the wafer W or the edge ring F during transfer, a turntable 42 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 41, and a base 43 on which the turntable 42 is mounted. . A guide rail 44 extending in the longitudinal direction of the loader module 30 is provided inside the loader module 30 . The base 43 is provided on guide rails 44 , and the conveying device 40 is configured to be movable along the guide rails 44 .

The decompression unit 11 has a transfer module 50 for transferring the wafer W and the edge ring F, and a processing module 60 as a plasma processing apparatus for performing desired plasma processing on the wafer W transferred from the transfer module 50 . The interiors of the transfer module 50 and the processing module 60 (specifically, the interiors of the depressurized transfer chamber 51 and the plasma processing chamber 100 to be described later) are maintained in a depressurized atmosphere. A plurality of, for example eight, processing modules 60 are provided for one transfer module 50 . The number and arrangement of the processing modules 60 are not limited to those of this embodiment, and can be set arbitrarily.

The transfer module 50 includes a reduced pressure transfer chamber 51 having a polygonal (pentagonal in the illustrated example) housing, and the reduced pressure transfer chamber 51 is connected to the

load lock modules

20 and 21 . The transfer module 50 transfers the wafer W loaded into the load lock module 20 to one processing module 60, and transfers the wafer W, which has undergone desired plasma processing in the processing module 60, through the load lock module 21. It is carried out to the atmospheric part 10 . Further, the transfer module 50 transfers the edge ring F carried into the load lock module 20 to one processing module 60, and transfers the edge ring F to be replaced in the processing module 60 to the atmosphere through the load lock module 21. It is carried out to the part 10.

The processing module 60 performs plasma processing such as etching on the wafer W, for example. Also, the processing module 60 is connected to the transfer module 50 via a gate valve 61 . The configuration of this processing module 60 will be described later.

Inside the reduced-pressure transfer chamber 51 of the transfer module 50, a transfer device 70 configured to transfer both the wafer W and the edge ring F is provided. The transfer device 70, like the transfer device 40 described above, includes a transfer arm 71 that supports the wafer W or the edge ring F during transfer, a turntable 72 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 71, and a base on which the turntable 72 is mounted. a platform 73; A guide rail 74 extending in the longitudinal direction of the transfer module 50 is provided inside the reduced-pressure transfer chamber 51 of the transfer module 50 . The base 73 is provided on guide rails 74 , and the transport device 70 is configured to be movable along the guide rails 74 .

In the transfer module 50 , the transfer arm 71 receives the wafer W or the edge ring F held in the load lock module 20 and carries it into the processing module 60 . Also, the transfer arm 71 receives the wafer W or the edge ring F held in the processing module 60 and unloads it to the load lock module 21 .

Furthermore, the plasma processing system 1 has a controller 80 . In one embodiment, controller 80 processes computer-executable instructions that cause plasma processing system 1 to perform various operations described in this disclosure. Controller 80 may be configured to control each of the other elements of plasma processing system 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, some or all of controller 80 may be included in other elements of plasma processing system 1 . Controller 80 may include computer 90, for example. The computer 90 may include a processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 91, a storage unit 92, and a communication interface 93, for example. The processing unit 91 can be configured to perform various control operations based on programs stored in the storage unit 92 . The storage unit 92 may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 93 may communicate with other elements of the plasma processing system 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

<Wafer Processing in Plasma Processing System 1>
Next, wafer processing performed using the plasma processing system 1 configured as described above will be described.

First, the wafer W is taken out from the desired FOUP 31 a by the carrier device 40 and carried into the load lock module 20 . After that, the inside of the load lock module 20 is sealed and the pressure is reduced. After that, the inside of the load lock module 20 and the inside of the transfer module 50 are communicated.

Next, the wafer W is held by the transfer device 70 and transferred from the load lock module 20 to the transfer module 50 .

Next, the gate valve 61 is opened, and the wafer W is carried into the desired processing module 60 by the transfer device 70 . After that, the gate valve 61 is closed, and the wafer W is subjected to desired processing in the processing module 60 . The processing performed on the wafer W in this processing module 60 will be described later.

Next, the gate valve 61 is opened, and the wafer W is unloaded from the processing module 60 by the carrier device 70 . After that, the gate valve 61 is closed.

Next, the wafer W is carried into the load lock module 21 by the carrier device 70 . When the wafer W is loaded into the load lock module 21, the inside of the load lock module 21 is sealed and opened to the atmosphere. After that, the inside of the load lock module 21 and the inside of the loader module 30 are communicated with each other.

Next, the wafer W is held by the transfer device 40 and returned from the load lock module 21 via the loader module 30 to the desired FOUP 31a for storage. A series of wafer processing in the plasma processing system 1 is now completed.

It should be noted that the transportation of the edge ring F between the FOUP 31b and the desired processing module 60 during the exchange of the edge ring F is the same as that between the FOUP 31a and the desired processing module 60 during the wafer processing described above. It is performed in the same manner as the transfer of the wafer W.

<Processing module 60>
Next, the processing module 60 will be explained using FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 and 3 are vertical cross-sectional views showing an outline of the configuration of the processing module 60. FIG. 2 shows a portion corresponding to the AA section of FIG. 4, and FIG. 3 shows a portion corresponding to the BB section of FIG. FIG. 4 is a top view of a wafer support table 101 which will be described later. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing module 60 includes a plasma processing chamber 100 as a processing container, a gas supply section 130, an RF (Radio Frequency) power supply section 140 and an exhaust system 150. Further, processing module 60 includes wafer support 101 and upper electrode 102 .

The wafer support table 101 is arranged in the lower region of the plasma processing space 100s in the plasma processing chamber 100 configured to be depressurized. A top electrode 102 is positioned above the wafer support 101 and may serve as part of the ceiling of the plasma processing chamber 100 .

The wafer support table 101 is configured to support the wafer W in the plasma processing space 100s. In one embodiment, the wafer support 101 includes a lower electrode 103, an electrostatic chuck 104 as a substrate support, an insulator 105, a lifter L1 and a lifter L2, as shown in FIG. Although not shown, in one embodiment, wafer support 101 may include a temperature control module configured to control at least one of electrostatic chuck 104 and wafer W to a target temperature. The temperature control module may include heaters, channels, or a combination thereof. A temperature control fluid such as a refrigerant or a heat transfer gas flows through the flow path.

The lower electrode 103 is made of a conductive material such as aluminum. In one embodiment, the temperature control module described above may be provided in the lower electrode 103 .

An electrostatic chuck 104 is provided on the lower electrode 103 . A wafer W is mounted on the electrostatic chuck 104, and an edge ring F as an annular member is mounted so as to surround the mounted substrate. Also, the electrostatic chuck 104 attracts and holds both the wafer W and the edge ring F by electrostatic force. In the electrostatic chuck 104, the upper surface of the central portion is formed higher than the upper surface of the peripheral portion. A central upper surface 104a of the electrostatic chuck 104 is a wafer mounting surface 104a on which the wafer W is mounted. An upper surface 104b of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 is a ring mounting surface 104b on which an edge ring F as an annular member is mounted.
The edge ring F is an annular member arranged on the electrostatic chuck 104 so as to surround the wafer W placed on the upper surface 104 a of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 . Further, Si or SiC, for example, is used as the material of the edge ring F. As shown in FIG.

An electrode 108 is provided at the center of the electrostatic chuck 104 to hold the wafer W by electrostatic attraction. An electrode 109 is provided on the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 as a fixing portion for fixing the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 . The electrode 109 holds the wafer W by electrostatic attraction. The electrostatic chuck 104 has a configuration in which

electrodes

108 and 109 are sandwiched between insulating materials made of an insulating material.

A DC voltage is applied to the electrode 108 from a DC power supply (not shown). The wafer W is attracted and held on the upper surface 104 a of the electrostatic chuck 104 at the central portion by the electrostatic force generated thereby. Similarly, electrode 109 is applied with a DC voltage from a DC power supply (not shown). The edge ring F is attracted and held on the upper surface 104b of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 by the electrostatic force generated thereby. The electrodes 109 are, for example, bipolar, including a pair of

electrodes

109a, 109b.
In this embodiment, the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 where the electrode 108 is provided and the peripheral portion where the electrode 109 is provided are integrated, but the central portion and the peripheral portion may be separate bodies. .
Further, in the present embodiment, the electrode 109 for attracting and holding the edge ring F is of the bipolar type, but may be of the unipolar type.

Further, the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 is formed, for example, to have a smaller diameter than the diameter of the wafer W, and as shown in FIG. A peripheral portion of W protrudes from the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 .
In addition, the edge ring F has a step formed on its upper portion, and the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion is formed higher than the upper surface of the inner peripheral portion. The inner peripheral portion of the edge ring F is formed so as to go under the peripheral portion of the wafer W projecting from the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 . That is, the edge ring F has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the wafer W. As shown in FIG.

Although not shown, gas supply holes are formed in the wafer mounting surface 104a of the electrostatic chuck 104 in order to supply a heat transfer gas to the back surface of the wafer W mounted on the wafer mounting surface 104a. there is A heat transfer gas is supplied from a gas supply section (not shown) through the gas supply holes. A gas supply may include one or more gas sources and one or more pressure controllers. In one embodiment, the gas supply is configured to supply heat transfer gas, for example from a gas source, to the heat transfer gas supply holes via a pressure controller.

The insulator 105 is a cylindrical member made of ceramic or the like, and supports the lower electrode 103 . The insulator 105 is formed, for example, to have an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the lower electrode 103 and supports the periphery of the lower electrode 103 .

The lifter L<b>1 is a member that moves up and down so as to project from the wafer mounting surface 104 a of the electrostatic chuck 104 . The lifter L1 has lifter pins 106 made of, for example, ceramics and formed in a columnar shape. As shown in FIG. 4, there are three or more lifter pins 106 spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 104, specifically along the circumferential direction of the wafer mounting surface 104a. books) are provided. The lifter pins 106 are provided, for example, at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. The lifter pins 106 are provided to extend vertically, as shown in FIG.

The lifter pins 106 are connected to an elevating mechanism 110 that elevates the lifter pins 106 . The elevating mechanism 110 has, for example, a support member 111 that supports the plurality of lifter pins 106, and a driving unit 112 that drives elevation of the plurality of lifter pins 106 (specifically, elevation of the support member 111). The drive unit 112 has, for example, a motor (not shown) as a drive unit that generates a driving force for the above-described elevation.

The lifter pins 106 are inserted through the through holes 113 extending downward from the wafer mounting surface 104 a of the electrostatic chuck 104 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 103 . In other words, the through hole 113 is formed so as to penetrate the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 103 .

The lifter L2 is a member that moves up and down so as to protrude from the ring mounting surface 104b of the electrostatic chuck 104. As shown in FIG. The lifter L2 has lifter pins 107 made of, for example, alumina, quartz, SUS, or the like and formed in a columnar shape. As shown in FIG. 4, three or more lifter pins 107 are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 104, that is, along the circumferential direction of the wafer mounting surface 104a and the ring mounting surface 104b. Three in the example) are provided. The lifter pins 107 are provided, for example, at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. The lifter pins 107 are provided to extend vertically, as shown in FIG.

The lifter pins 107 are connected to an elevating mechanism 114 that elevates the lifter pins 107 . The elevating mechanism 114 has, for example, a support member 115 that supports the plurality of lifter pins 107, and a driving unit 116 that drives elevation of the plurality of lifter pins 107 (specifically, elevation of the support member 115). The drive unit 116 has, for example, a motor (not shown) as a drive unit that generates a driving force for the above-described elevation.

The lifter pins 107 are inserted through the through holes 117 extending downward from the ring mounting surface 104 b of the electrostatic chuck 104 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 103 . In other words, the through-hole 117 is formed so as to penetrate the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 103 .

The lifter pin 107 as described above is a transfer member that supports and raises and lowers the edge ring F in order to transfer the edge ring F between the processing module 60 and the transfer module 50 . The lifter pin 107 is configured to support the lower surface of the edge ring F with its upper end surface.

The wafer support table 101 further includes an elevating member 118, as shown in FIG.
The lifting member 118 is a member that moves up and down with respect to the electrostatic chuck 104 and whose upper end contacts the edge ring F mounted on the ring mounting surface 104b. Like the lifter pins 107, the elevating members 118 are separated from each other along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 104, that is, along the circumferential direction of the wafer mounting surface 104a and the ring mounting surface 104b, as shown in FIG. Three or more (three in the example in the figure) are provided at intervals. The elevating members 118 are, for example, provided at regular intervals along the circumferential direction. As will be described later, these elevating members 118 are used to determine the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 .

The elevating member 118 is connected to an elevating mechanism 119 that elevates the elevating member 118, as shown in FIG. The elevating mechanism 119 has, for example, a support member 120 provided for each elevating member 118 and supporting the elevating member 118 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. The support member 120 has, for example, a thrust bearing in order to support the lifting member 118 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. Also, the lifting mechanism 119 has a drive unit 121 . The drive unit 121 is configured to drive the elevation of the elevation member 118 (specifically, elevation of the support member 120), that is, to move the elevation member 118 in the vertical direction.

The drive unit 121 has, for example, a motor 122 as a drive unit that generates a driving force for the above-described elevation. The drive unit 121 also has an encoder 123 connected to the motor 122 . The encoder 123 is an example of a detection unit (second detection unit according to the present disclosure) configured to detect a parameter (second parameter according to the present disclosure) regarding the amount of movement of the lifting member 118 . The encoder 123 detects, as the parameter, the number of pulses according to the amount of movement of the lifting member 118 by the motor 122 . The encoder 123 then outputs the detection result to the control device 80 .

A torque detection unit 124 is provided for the drive unit 121 . The torque detection unit 124 is a detection unit ( It is an example of a first detection unit according to the present disclosure. The torque detection unit 124 detects, for example, a parameter related to the torque of the motor 122 as a parameter related to the load of the drive unit 121 . Torque detection unit 124 then outputs the detection result to control device 80 .

It should be noted that other known methods can also be applied to the detection of the parameters relating to the torque of the motor 122 by the torque detection unit 124. A torque sensor that actually detects the torque of the motor 122 may be used as the torque detection unit 124 . That is, the parameter related to the torque of the motor 122 may be the torque of the motor 122 itself. Furthermore, since the load acting on the lifting member 118 driven by the drive unit 121 corresponds to the load of the motor 122, a load sensor is provided to detect the load acting on the lifting member 118, and the detection result is used as the torque. may be used as a parameter detection result for

The elevating member 118 is inserted through an insertion hole 125 extending downward from the ring mounting surface 104 b of the electrostatic chuck 104 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 103 , for example. In other words, the insertion hole 125 is formed so as to penetrate the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 103 .
The insertion hole 125 is formed with a positional accuracy higher than at least the conveying accuracy of the edge ring F by the conveying device 70 .

In the illustrated example, since the lifting member 118 is an elongated columnar member, the insertion hole 125 penetrates the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 103 . However, depending on the shape of the lifting member 118 , the insertion hole 125 does not have to penetrate the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 103 .

The elevating member 118 is made of alumina, quartz, SUS, or the like, for example. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the elevating member 118 is formed in a cylindrical shape except for the upper end, and the upper end is formed in a shape that gradually tapers upward. The upper end of the lifting member 118 is formed, for example, in an n (n is an arbitrary integer equal to or greater than 2) rotational symmetry about an axis passing through the center of the top and the center of the bottom. It is formed in a straight cone shape as shown in . Note that depending on the shape of the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F, which will be described later, the upper end portion of the lifting member 118 may be formed in a columnar shape with a uniform thickness in the vertical direction, or may gradually become thicker upward. It may be shaped.

When the elevating member 118 is raised, its upper end abuts the lower surface of the edge ring F mounted on the ring mounting surface 104b. Concave portions F1 that are recessed upward are formed at positions corresponding to the respective lifting members 118 on the lower surface of the edge ring F. As shown in FIG. For example, when the edge ring F is positioned optimally on the electrostatic chuck 104, the edge ring F is adjusted such that the center of the concave portion F1 and the center of the upper end of the lifting member 118 are aligned in plan view. The concave portion F1 and the upper end portion of the lifting member 118 are formed.

The size D of the opening of the concave portion F1 of the edge ring F in plan view is a size through which at least the tip of the upper end portion of the lifting member 118 can pass. Specifically, in plan view, the size (diameter in this example) D of the opening of the recess F1 of the edge ring F is, for example, 0.5 to 3 mm.

In addition, the recess F1 has an inclined surface F1a that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The recess F1 is formed, for example, so as to be recessed in a shape that gradually tapers upward, thereby forming an inclined surface F1a. Specifically, the recess F1 is formed so as to be recessed in an n (n is an arbitrary integer of 2 or more) rotational symmetry about an axis passing through the center of the top and the center of the bottom. It is formed so as to be recessed in a right conical shape as shown in FIG. Depending on the shape of the upper end of the elevating member 118, the recess F1 may be formed so as to be recessed in a columnar shape with a uniform thickness in the vertical direction, or may be formed so as to gradually become thicker upward. It may be formed in any shape.

Returning to the description of FIG.
The upper electrode 102 also functions as a showerhead that supplies one or more processing gases from the gas supply section 130 to the plasma processing space 100s. In one embodiment, the top electrode 102 has a gas inlet 102a, a gas diffusion chamber 102b, and multiple gas outlets 102c. Gas inlet 102a is, for example, in fluid communication with gas supply 130 and gas diffusion chamber 102b. A plurality of gas outlets 102c are in fluid communication with the gas diffusion chamber 102b and the plasma processing space 100s. In one embodiment, the upper electrode 102 is configured to supply one or more process gases from a gas inlet 102a to the plasma processing space 100s via a gas diffusion chamber 102b and a plurality of gas outlets 102c.

The gas supply 130 may include one or more gas sources 131 and one or more flow controllers 132 . In one embodiment, gas supply 130 is configured, for example, to supply one or more process gases from respective gas sources 131 through respective flow controllers 132 to gas inlets 102a. be done. Each flow controller 132 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Additionally, gas supply 130 may include one or more flow modulation devices that modulate or pulse the flow of one or more process gases.

RF power supply 140 provides RF power, eg, one or more RF signals, to one or more electrodes, such as bottom electrode 103, top electrode 102, or both bottom electrode 103 and top electrode 102. configured to Thereby, plasma is generated from one or more processing gases supplied to the plasma processing space 100s. Accordingly, RF power supply 140 may function as at least part of a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma from one or more process gases in a plasma processing chamber. The RF power supply 140 includes, for example, two

RF generators

141a, 141b and two

matching circuits

142a, 142b. In one embodiment, RF power supply 140 is configured to supply a first RF signal from first RF generator 141a to bottom electrode 103 through first matching circuit 142a. For example, the first RF signal may have a frequency within the range of 27MHz-100MHz.

Also, in one embodiment, the RF power supply 140 is configured to supply a second RF signal from the second RF generator 141b to the lower electrode 103 via the second matching circuit 142b. For example, the second RF signal may have a frequency within the range of 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz. Alternatively, a DC (Direct Current) pulse generator may be used instead of the second RF generator 141b.

Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, other embodiments are conceivable in the present disclosure. For example, in an alternative embodiment, RF power supply 140 provides a first RF signal from an RF generator to bottom electrode 103, a second RF signal from another RF generator to bottom electrode 103, and A third RF signal may be configured to be supplied to the lower electrode 103 from yet another RF generator. Additionally, in other alternative embodiments, a DC voltage may be applied to the top electrode 102 .

Furthermore, in various embodiments, the amplitude of one or more RF signals (ie, first RF signal, second RF signal, etc.) may be pulsed or modulated. Amplitude modulation may involve pulsing the RF signal amplitude between an on state and an off state, or between two or more different on states.

The exhaust system 150 may be connected to an exhaust port 100e provided at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 100, for example. Exhaust system 150 may include a pressure valve and a vacuum pump. Vacuum pumps may include turbomolecular pumps, roughing pumps, or combinations thereof.

<Positional deviation detection principle>
Next, the principle of determining the positional deviation of the edge ring F will be described. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining the principle of determining the positional deviation of the edge ring F. FIG.
The bottom surface of the edge ring F is formed with the concave portion F1 as described above. Therefore, depending on the degree of displacement of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104, the height of the lifting member 118 when the upper end portion of the lifting member 118 contacts the lower surface of the edge ring F (hereinafter referred to as "edge ring F) is different.

For example, when the edge ring F is placed at the optimum position on the electrostatic chuck 104, the contact height of the elevating member 118 with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring F is the maximum, as indicated by symbol H1 in FIG. When the edge ring F is placed at a position deviated from the optimum position, the contact height is lowered as indicated by H2. Then, when the edge ring F is placed at a further displaced position, the contact height becomes lower as indicated by symbol H3. That is, the contact height of the lifting member 118 with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring F changes according to the amount of deviation of the edge ring F from the optimum position on the electrostatic chuck 104 .

Therefore, in the present embodiment, positional deviation of the edge ring F is determined based on the contact height of the lifting member 118 with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring F, as described below.

<Control device 80>
FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the control device 80 regarding determination of positional deviation of the edge ring F. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 80 includes a fixed control unit 81, a drive control unit 82, a detection unit 83, and a determination unit, which are implemented by a processor such as a CPU reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit. A portion 84 is provided.

The fixing control unit 81 controls fixing of the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 . In this embodiment, the fixation controller 81 controls the electrostatic adsorption of the edge ring F by the electrode 109 . For example, when the positional deviation of the edge ring F is determined, the fixing control unit 81 controls a DC power supply (not shown) that applies a DC voltage to the electrode 109, and holds the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 by electrostatic force. Adsorb and fix.

The drive control unit 82 controls the drive unit 121 that drives the lifting member 118 to move up and down. For example, when determining the positional deviation of the edge ring F, the drive control unit 82 controls the drive unit 121 to raise the elevating member 118 from the reference height while the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104. I will let you. The reference height is, for example, the position where the tip of the lifting member 118 and the ring mounting surface 104b match, or may be the height at which the lifting member 118 is most lowered, that is, the lowest height.

As described below, the detection unit 83 and the determination unit 84 determine whether the edge ring F moves relative to the electrostatic chuck 104 in the horizontal direction based on parameters related to the load of the drive unit 121 and parameters related to the movement amount of the lifting member 118 . and is configured to determine if there is misalignment.

The detection unit 83 detects contact between the lifting member 118 and the lower surface of the edge ring F (specifically, the recess F1). For example, when the detection unit 83 determines the positional deviation of the edge ring F, when the drive control unit 82 lifts the lifting member 118 while the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104, the driving Contact between the lifting member 118 and the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F is detected based on the detection result of the parameter related to the load of the portion 121 . The parameters related to the load of the drive unit 121 are parameters related to the torque of the motor 122 detected by the torque detection unit 124, for example. More specifically, when the torque value indicated by the torque parameter detected by the torque detection unit 124 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the detection unit 83 detects that the lifting member 118 is in contact with the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F. It is determined that contact has occurred. The threshold is stored in the storage unit 92 .
When contact is detected based on parameters related to the load of the drive unit 121 as in the present embodiment, erroneous detection can be suppressed by fixing the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 .

The determining unit 84 determines the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 based on information corresponding to the contact height of the lifting member 118 with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring F. determines whether there is misalignment with respect to electrostatic chuck 104 .
Specifically, based on a parameter relating to the amount of movement of the lifting member 118, the determining unit 84 determines whether the lifting member 118 is at a height corresponding to the contact height of the lifting member 118 with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring F from the above-described reference height. The amount of elevation of the lifting member 118 until it contacts the lower surface of the edge ring F (specifically, the concave portion F1) is determined. The parameter related to the amount of movement of the lifting member 118 is, for example, the output (number of pulses) of the encoder 123 .
Then, the determination unit 84 determines whether or not the edge ring F is misaligned with respect to the electrostatic chuck 104 in the horizontal direction based on the amount of rise and the predetermined threshold value. More specifically, when the amount of rise is less than the threshold, the determination unit 84 determines that the edge ring F is misaligned on the electrostatic chuck 104 (that is, the edge ring F is not mounted on the electrostatic chuck 104). position is not appropriate). The threshold value is calculated based on, for example, the shape of the concave portion F1 of the edge ring F, the shape of the upper end portion of the lifting member 118, and information on the reference height, and is stored in the storage section 92.

<Wafer Processing in Processing Module 60>
Next, an example of wafer processing performed using the processing module 60 will be described. In the processing module 60, the wafer W is subjected to processing such as etching processing.

First, the wafer W is loaded into the plasma processing chamber 100 and placed on the electrostatic chuck 104 by raising and lowering the lifter pins 106 . After that, a DC voltage is applied to the electrode 108 of the electrostatic chuck 104, whereby the wafer W is electrostatically attracted to and held by the electrostatic chuck 104 by electrostatic force. After loading the wafer W, the inside of the plasma processing chamber 100 is depressurized to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust system 150 .

Next, a processing gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 130 to the plasma processing space 100 s through the upper electrode 102 . In addition, high-frequency power HF for plasma generation is supplied from the RF power supply unit 140 to the lower electrode 103, thereby exciting the processing gas and generating plasma. At this time, high-frequency power LF for attracting ions may be supplied from the RF power supply unit 140 . Then, the wafer W is subjected to plasma processing by the action of the generated plasma.

During plasma processing, a heat transfer gas such as He gas or Ar gas is passed through a heat transfer gas supply path (not shown) toward the bottom surface of the wafer W and the edge ring F attracted and held by the electrostatic chuck 104 . Gas is supplied.

When the plasma processing ends, the supply of high-frequency power HF from the RF power supply unit 140 and the supply of processing gas from the gas supply unit 130 are stopped. If the high-frequency power LF is being supplied during the plasma processing, the supply of the high-frequency power LF is also stopped. Next, the electrostatic chuck 104 stops holding the wafer W by attraction. Also, the supply of the heat transfer gas to the bottom surface of the wafer W may be stopped.

After that, the wafer W is lifted by the lifter pins 106 and detached from the electrostatic chuck 104 . During this detachment, the wafer W may be subjected to static elimination processing. Then, the wafer W is unloaded from the plasma processing chamber 100, and a series of wafer processing is completed.

<Mounting process of edge ring F>
Subsequently, a process of mounting the edge ring F in the processing module 60 performed using the plasma processing system 1 described above, which includes a process of determining the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104. An example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of this attachment process. Note that the following processing is performed under the control of the control device 80 .

(Step S1: Conveyance and Placement of Edge Ring F)
First, the edge ring F is transported to the processing module 60 to which the edge ring F is to be attached and placed on the electrostatic chuck 104 .
Specifically, a loading/unloading port (not shown) is provided from the transfer module 50 in the vacuum atmosphere of the plasma processing system 1 into the depressurized plasma processing chamber 100 of the processing module 60 to which the edge ring F is attached. The transfer arm 71 holding the edge ring F is inserted through the hole. Then, the edge ring F held by the transfer arm 71 is transferred to the transfer position above the ring mounting surface 104 b of the electrostatic chuck 104 . The edge ring F is held by the transfer arm 71 with its circumferential orientation adjusted so that the concave portion F1 and the lifting member 118 can be aligned in a plan view. Next, the lifter pins 107 are lifted, and the edge ring F is transferred from the transfer arm 71 to the lifter pins 107 . After that, the transfer arm 71 is extracted from the plasma processing chamber 100 and the lifter pins 107 are lowered, whereby the edge ring F is placed on the ring placement surface 104 b of the electrostatic chuck 104 .

(Step S2: Determination of positional deviation of edge ring F)
After that, the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 is determined.

(Step S2a: Fixing edge ring F)
Specifically, first, a DC voltage is applied to the electrode 109 under the control of the fixing control unit 81, and the edge ring F is attracted and fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 by the electrostatic force generated thereby.
After that, the following steps S2b to S2e are performed for each elevating member 118. FIG. The processes of steps S2b to S2e described below may be performed simultaneously for all the lifting members 118, or may be performed for the lifting members 118 at different timings.

(Step S2b: Start of lifting of lifting member 118)
As described above, with the edge ring F fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 , all the lifting members 118 start to rise from the reference height under the control of the drive control unit 82 .

(Step S2c: Acquisition of torque of motor 122)
During the ascent, the detection unit 83 acquires a parameter related to the torque of the motor 122 detected by the torque detection unit 124 .

(Step S2d: contact detection determination)
Then, based on whether or not the torque value indicated by the acquired parameter related to the torque of the motor 122 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the detection unit 83 detects the difference between the lifting member 118 and the lower surface of the edge ring F (specifically, the concave portion). It is determined whether contact with F1) has been detected.
If the torque value of the motor 122 does not exceed the threshold, it is determined that contact between the lifting member 118 and the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F has not been detected. In this case (NO), steps S2c and S2d are repeated.

(Step S2e: Stop lifting the lifting member 118)
When the torque value of the motor 122 exceeds the threshold, it is determined that contact between the lifting member 118 and the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F has been detected. In this case (if YES), the elevation of the lifting member 118 is stopped under the control of the drive control section 82 .

(Step S2f: Determination of misalignment)
When all the lifting members 118 stop rising, the determination unit 84 determines the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 .
Specifically, the determining unit 84 outputs the amount of elevation of each lifting member 118 from the reference height until it contacts the concave portion F1 of the edge ring F from the encoder 123 corresponding to the lifting member 118. determined based on the number of pulses generated. Then, the determining unit 84 determines for each lifting member 118 whether or not the amount of rise is below a predetermined threshold value. When the number of pulses for at least one elevating member 118 is less than the threshold value, it is determined that the edge ring F is out of position on the electrostatic chuck 104 .
If it is determined that the positional deviation has not occurred (in the case of NO), the mounting process of the edge ring F ends.

(Step S3: Position adjustment and re-mounting of edge ring F)
On the other hand, if it is determined that the positional deviation has occurred (YES), the position of the edge ring F is adjusted and then placed on the electrostatic chuck 104 again.
After the process of step S3, the process of step S2 may be performed again.

<Specific example 1 of position adjustment of edge ring F>
For example, first, under the control of the fixation controller 81, the application of the DC voltage to the electrode 109 is stopped, and the fixation of the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 by electrostatic attraction is released.

Next, the mounting position of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 is adjusted.
For example, all the lifting members 118 are lifted under the control of the drive control unit 82 , and the edge ring F is transferred from the electrostatic chuck 104 onto the lifting members 118 . After that, under the control of the drive control unit 82, all or some of the lifting members 118 are finely moved up and down, or the lifter pins 107 are lowered at different speeds, thereby adjusting the position of the edge ring F on the lifting member 118. is corrected.
After correction, all the lifting members 118 are lowered under the control of the drive control unit 82, and the edge ring F is placed on the electrostatic chuck 104 again. Thereby, the mounting position of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 can be adjusted.

In the case of this specific example 1, the steps S2 and S3 may be repeated until it is determined in step S2f that the position of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 has not occurred. If it is not determined in step S2f that the positional deviation has not occurred even after performing steps S2 and S3 a predetermined number of times, an error is reported via display means (not shown). can be

<Specific example 2 of position adjustment of edge ring F>
The position adjustment of the edge ring F is not limited to the first specific example described above.
For example, after releasing the fixing of the edge ring F, the edge ring F is once returned from the electrostatic chuck 104 to the transfer arm 71 via the lifter pin 107, and then the transfer arm 71 is returned to the previous transfer. It is moved to a new transfer position shifted by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction from the position. After that, the edge ring F is returned from the transfer arm 71 to the electrostatic chuck 104 via the lifter pins 107 . Also by this, the mounting position of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 can be adjusted.

Even when position adjustment is performed in step S3 as in this specific example 2, the process of step S2 may be performed again after the process of step S3. In this case, for example, when it is determined that there is a positional deviation in step S2f performed again and the amount of elevation of the lifting member 118 acquired in step S2f has increased, the degree of positional deviation of the edge ring F is improved, step S3 may be performed again and the transfer position may be shifted again by a predetermined amount in the same direction as step S3 previously performed. Then, step S2 may be further performed.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2f performed again that a positional deviation has occurred and the amount of elevation of the lifting member 118 obtained in step S2f has decreased, the degree of positional deviation of the edge ring F deteriorates. Therefore, the position adjustment of the edge ring F may be terminated, or the following may be performed. That is, if the transfer position P1 is displaced from the original transfer position _P0 by a predetermined amount Δp in the previous step S3, then in the next step S3, the transfer position P2 is shifted from the original transfer position It may be shifted from the position P0 by a predetermined amount _Δp in a direction different from the predetermined direction (for example, the opposite direction).

In this way, the transfer position of the edge ring F from the transfer arm 71 to the electrostatic chuck 104 is adjusted based on the determination result in step S2 using the parameter regarding the load of the drive unit 121 and the parameter regarding the movement amount of the lifting member 118. You may That is, the transport device 70 may be configured to adjust the position of the edge ring F with respect to the electrostatic chuck 104 based on the parameter regarding the load of the drive unit 121 and the parameter regarding the movement amount of the lifting member 118 .

<How to obtain the reference height>
In addition, when the above-mentioned reference height for the lifting member 118 is set to the position where the tip of the lifting member 118 and the ring mounting surface 104b match, the reference height is acquired as follows. That is, first, the edge ring F is placed on the electrostatic chuck 104 from the transfer arm 71 . At this time, by adjusting the circumferential orientation of the edge ring F before holding the edge ring F on the transfer arm 71, the concave portion F1 of the edge ring F and the lifting member 118 do not coincide with each other in plan view. and the upper end of the insertion hole 125 is closed with the edge ring F. Next, the elevating member 118 is raised from the lowermost height while the edge ring F is fixed. Then, when contact with the lower surface of the lifting member 118 is detected by the detection unit 83 based on the parameter related to the torque of the motor 122, it corresponds to the amount of movement of the lifting member 118 from the lowest lowered height to this contact height. The output of the encoder 123 is acquired by the control device 80 and stored as the reference height.

The process of removing the edge ring F is carried out in reverse order to the process of step S1 in the process of attaching the edge ring F described above.
When removing the edge ring F, the edge ring F may be carried out from the plasma processing chamber 100 after the edge ring F is cleaned.

<Main effects of the first embodiment>
As described above, according to the positional deviation determination method of the edge ring F according to the present embodiment, a camera or the like is not used. can be determined for the misalignment of the edge ring F at .
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 when determining the positional deviation of the edge ring F, the lifting member 118 and the lower surface of the edge ring F ( Specifically, erroneous detection of contact with the concave portion F1) can be suppressed. Therefore, the positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 can be determined more accurately.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 when the positional deviation of the edge ring F is determined. can be prevented from shifting horizontally.
Further, according to this embodiment, the positional deviation of the edge ring F can be determined without opening the plasma processing chamber 100 to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the throughput of the processing module 60 from decreasing due to the determination of the positional deviation of the edge ring F. FIG.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lifting member 118 is supported by the support member 120 so as to be horizontally movable. Therefore, when the electrostatic chuck 104 is deformed due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction, the elevating member 118 can move horizontally according to the deformation. Therefore, when the electrostatic chuck 104 is deformed due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the drive unit 121 due to the deformation when the lifting member 118 is to be lifted. . As a result, erroneous detection of contact of the edge ring F of the lifting member 118 with the concave portion F1 can be suppressed, and positional deviation of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104 can be determined more accurately.

<Modified Example of First Embodiment>
In the above example, an elevating mechanism for elevating the elevating member 118 is provided for each elevating member 118 , but a common elevating mechanism may be provided for a plurality of elevating members 118 .

In addition, when the lifting member 118 is further driven to rise after the lifting member 118 contacts the recessed portion F1 of the edge ring F, the lifting member 118 moves along the lower surface of the edge ring F (specifically, the concave surface forming the recessed portion F1). In order to suppress the sliding of the lifting member 118, a guide (not shown) may be provided in the insertion hole 125 to regulate the moving direction of the lifting member 118 in the vertical direction. In order to suppress the sliding described above, at least one of the tip of the lifting member 118 and the concave surface forming the concave portion F1 may be roughened.

In the above example, the contact between the lifting member 118 and the edge ring F when the lifting member 118 is lifted while the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 is used as a parameter related to the load of the driving unit 121. It is detected based on the detection result (specifically, the detection result of the parameter related to the torque of the motor 122). The contact detection method is not limited to this. For example, a contact sensor for detecting contact with the lower surface of the edge ring F is provided at the upper end of the elevating member, and the contact between the elevating member 118 and the edge ring F is detected based on the detection result of this contact sensor. contact may be detected.

<Another example of lifting member>
9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining another example of the lifting member.
In the above example, the upper end portion of the elevating member 118 is formed in the shape of a right cone. It may be formed in a hemispherical shape (including a semi-elliptical spherical shape) like the elevating member 118b.
Both the truncated cone and the hemisphere have n (n is an arbitrary integer equal to or greater than 2) rotational symmetry about the axis passing through the center of the top and the center of the bottom, like the right cone.
Although illustration is omitted, the upper end portion of the lifting member 118 may be formed in a cone shape other than a right cone shape, a truncated cone shape other than a regular truncated cone shape, or a pyramid shape or a truncated pyramid shape. may be formed.

<Another example of the concave portion of the edge ring>
11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining another example of the recess of the edge ring.
In the above example, the recess F1 of the edge ring F is formed so as to be recessed in the shape of a right cone. However, like the recess Fa1 of the edge ring Fa in FIG. Alternatively, it may be recessed in a hemispherical shape like the recess Fb1 of the edge ring Fb in FIG.
Although not shown, the recess F1 of the edge ring F may be recessed into a conical shape other than a right conical shape, a truncated conical shape other than a normal truncated conical shape, or a pyramid shape. Alternatively, it may be formed to be recessed like a truncated pyramid.

<Other examples of edge rings>
13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining other examples of edge rings.
The portions of the lower surfaces of the edge rings F, Fa, and Fb in the above examples corresponding to the lifting member 118 are concave surfaces that form the concave portions F1, Fa1, and Fb1. It has both a surface that rises radially outward and a surface that rises radially inward when placed on the ring mounting surface 104b. The shape of the portion corresponding to the lifting member 118 on the lower surface of the edge ring is not limited to the above example. The shape of the portion corresponding to the lifting member 118 on the lower surface of the edge ring is such that the height of the lifting member 118 when the lifting member 118 abuts against the portion corresponds to the degree of misalignment of the edge ring on the electrostatic chuck 104 . may be formed differently depending on the By doing so, the degree of misalignment of the edge ring can be estimated from the lift amount of the elevating member 118 until it contacts the lower surface of the edge ring.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the portion of the lower surface of the edge ring Fc that corresponds to the lifting member 118 extends radially outward while the edge ring Fc is mounted on the ring mounting surface 161 of the electrostatic chuck 160. It is not necessary to have the inclined surface Fc1 that rises toward the inner side in the same radial direction. In addition, the ring mounting surface 161 of the electrostatic chuck 160 is formed so as to be in close contact with, for example, a portion other than the portion corresponding to the lifting member 118 on the lower surface of the edge ring Fc.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14 , the portion of the lower surface of the edge ring Fd corresponding to the lifting member 118 is radially inward when the edge ring Fd is mounted on the ring mounting surface 171 of the electrostatic chuck 170 . It may have the inclined surface Fd1 that rises toward the outer side in the radial direction and not have the inclined surface that rises toward the outer side in the radial direction. In addition, the ring mounting surface 171 of the electrostatic chuck 170 is formed so as to be in close contact with, for example, a portion other than the portion corresponding to the lifting member 118 on the lower surface of the edge ring Fd.

<Specific example 3 of edge ring position adjustment>
When using the edge ring as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the edge ring position adjustment (specifically, placement position adjustment) in step S3 described above may be performed as follows.

For example, the control device 80 controls the edge ring on the electrostatic chuck based on the amount of elevation until the edge ring lower surface of each lifting member 118 contacts the lower surface of the edge ring acquired in step S2f performed before this position adjustment. positional deviation direction and positional deviation amount are estimated. Based on these estimation results, the control device 80 adjusts and determines the transfer position, that is, the placement position of the transfer arm 71 so as to eliminate the positional deviation. Specifically, for example, if only one of the three elevating members 118 has a small amount of elevation obtained in step S2, the transfer position is adjusted so as to move away from the one elevating member 118. , if it is large, the transfer position is adjusted so as to approach the one lifting member 118 concerned. The amount of adjustment can be calculated based on the information about the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the lower surface of the edge ring (the inclined surfaces Fc1, Fd1, etc. in FIG. 13 or FIG. 14) and the amount of rise.

After placing the edge ring after such position adjustment, step S2 may or may not be performed again.

In the case of edge rings as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the position adjustment of the edge ring in step S3 may be performed as in specific examples 1 and 2 described above. Also, in the case of edge rings other than the edge rings shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the position adjustment of the edge ring in step S3 may be performed as in the above specific example 3.

<Another example of lifting member>
FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of the lifting member. FIG. 16 is a top view of the wafer support when using the elevating member of FIG. 15. FIG.
The elevating member in the above example is provided separately from the lifter pin 107 that transfers the edge ring F to and from the transfer arm 71 . On the other hand, the lifting member 180 in FIG. 15 also serves as the lifter pin 107 described above, and transfers the edge ring F to and from the transfer arm 71 .

In this case also, as shown in FIG. 16, the elevating member 180 is spaced three times along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 104, that is, along the circumferential direction of the wafer mounting surface 104a and the ring mounting surface 104b. More than this (three in the example of the figure) are provided.
Note that only some of the plurality of lifting members 180 may also serve as the lifter pins 107 .

Like the elevating member 180, the elevating member also serves as a lifter, so that the processing module 60 can be manufactured at low cost.
On the other hand, by separately providing the lifting member and the lifter, such as the lifting member 118 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the following effects can be obtained. That is, even if the lifter, which has a high probability of failure due to a larger load than the lifter, fails, the lifter can still be used. It is possible to adopt an operation such as only replacing the edge ring using a lifter without performing the replacement. In addition, by separately providing the lifting member and the lifter, the lifting member and its lifting mechanism adopt the optimum shape and configuration for judging the positional deviation of the edge ring, while the lifter and its lifting mechanism are used to transfer the edge ring. Optimum and configuration can be adopted.

<Another example of fixing portion of edge ring>
17 to 19 are diagrams for explaining other examples of the fixing portion of the edge ring.
In the above example, the edge ring F is fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 by electrostatic force generated by applying a DC voltage to the electrode 109 . In other words, in the above example, the electrode 109 is used as a fixing portion for fixing the edge ring F to the electrostatic chuck 104 .
The fixing portion for electrically fixing the edge ring F is not limited to fixing by electrostatic force, and may be fixed by Johnsen-Rahbek force.

Further, the fixing portion is not limited to the one that electrically fixes as described above, and may be one that physically fixes, such as the clamp 190 in FIG. 17, for example. The clamp 190 is fixed by sandwiching the edge ring F between the clamp 190 and the electrostatic chuck 104 . Also, the clamp 190 is configured to be movable between a clamping position and a retracted position described below. The clamp position is the position where the edge ring F is sandwiched as described above, and the retracted position is the retracted position so as not to interfere with the transfer of the edge ring F between the transfer arm 71 and the electrostatic chuck 104 . position.

For example, an adhesive sheet having adhesiveness is attached to at least one of the lower surface of the edge ring F and the ring mounting surface 104b of the electrostatic chuck 104, and the edge ring F is attached to the electrostatic chuck 104 by adhesive force. May be fixed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18, as a fixing portion for fixing the edge ring Fh to the electrostatic chuck 104, an exhaust hole 191 for exhausting air between the edge ring Fh and the electrostatic chuck 104 may be provided. Vent 191 is connected to an exhaust system (not shown). This evacuation system includes, for example, a pressure valve and a vacuum pump, which includes, for example, a turbomolecular pump. In one embodiment, the insertion hole through which the lifting member 118 is inserted also serves as the exhaust hole 191 . However, an exhaust hole 191 may be provided in the wafer support 101 in addition to the insertion hole.

The edge ring Fh can be fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 by exhausting through the exhaust hole 191 so that the pressure between the edge ring Fh and the electrostatic chuck 104 is lower than the pressure in the plasma processing space 100s. .

When the exhaust holes 191 are provided, an annular groove Fh1 may be provided in a portion corresponding to the exhaust holes 191 on the lower surface of the edge ring Fh. The annular groove Fh1 is, for example, recessed upward and formed in an annular shape in plan view. The cross-sectional shape of the annular groove Fh1 is, for example, rectangular. Further, the recess F1 with which the lifting member 118 contacts is formed, for example, so as to be recessed upward from the top of the annular groove Fh1. In this case, the depth D1 of the recess F1 is, for example, 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Also, the depth D2 of the annular groove Fh1 is, for example, 50 μm to 120 μm, more preferably 80 to 120 μm.
By providing the annular groove Fh1 in the lower surface of the edge ring Fh, the edge ring Fh can be fixed to the electrostatic chuck 104 more strongly.

The shape of the annular groove Fh1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, like the annular groove Fh2 in FIG. 19, it may have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

In the case where the insertion hole through which the elevating member 118 is inserted also serves as the exhaust hole 191, or in the case where the exhaust hole 191 is provided separately from the insertion hole, when the wafer W is actually subjected to the etching process or the like, the exhaust gas is exhausted. A heat transfer gas such as He gas may be supplied from the hole 191 between the edge ring Fh and the electrostatic chuck 104 .

Note that the fixing aspect of the edge ring Fh described above may also be used. For example, fixing via the exhaust hole 191 and another form of fixing (for example, electrostatic adsorption using the electrode 109) may be used together.

<Other examples of edge ring and elevating member>
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing another example of the edge ring and the elevating member.
In the above example, the elevating member 118 contacts the lower surface of the edge ring F when protruding from the ring mounting surface 104b of the electrostatic chuck 104 .
On the other hand, in the edge ring Fe of FIG. 20, a convex portion Fe1 projecting downward is formed in a portion corresponding to the lifting member on the lower surface thereof. It abuts on the lower surface of the edge ring F without protruding from the mounting surface 104b. The convex portion Fe1 is formed, for example, in the shape of a right cone. Also in this case, the positional deviation of the edge ring Fe can be determined based on the contact height of the lifting member with respect to the lower surface of the edge ring Fe.
When the edge ring Fe is formed with the convex portion Fe1, the upper end portion of the lifting member may have a thin conical shape like the lifting member 118 shown in FIG. As shown, a concave portion 118c1 that is recessed downward may be formed on the upper surface.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 21 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration around the wafer support 200 in the plasma processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the edge ring F is a replacement target and a positional deviation determination target, but in the present embodiment, the cover ring C is a replacement target and a positional deviation determination target. The cover ring C is an annular member that covers the circumferential outer surface of the edge ring Ff.

A wafer support 200 in FIG. 21 has a lower electrode 201 , an electrostatic chuck 202 , a support 203 , an insulator 204 and an elevating member 205 .
The lower electrode 103 and electrostatic chuck 104 shown in FIG. do not have. In this respect, the lower electrode 201 and electrostatic chuck 202 are different from the lower electrode 103 and electrostatic chuck 104 .

The support 203 is a member made of, for example, quartz and formed in a ring shape in a plan view, supports the lower electrode 201, and has the cover ring C mounted thereon. An upper surface 203a of the support 203 serves as an annular member mounting surface on which a cover ring C as an annular member to be replaced and to be subjected to positional deviation determination is mounted. That is, the support 203 forms part of the substrate support. In this embodiment, the electrostatic chuck 202 and the support 203 constitute a substrate support.

The insulator 204 is a cylindrical member made of ceramic or the like, and supports the support 203 . The insulator 204 is formed, for example, to have an outer diameter equal to that of the support 203 and supports the periphery of the support 203 .

The elevating member 118 shown in FIG. 3 and the like is inserted through the insertion hole 125 vertically penetrating the lower electrode 103 and the electrostatic chuck 104, whereas the elevating member 205 vertically moves the support 203 from the upper surface 203a. It is inserted through the through-hole 206 . In this respect, the lifting member 205 and the lifting member 118 are different. However, depending on the shape of the lifting member 205 , the insertion hole 206 may not pass through the support 203 .

The elevating member 205 is, for example, similar to the elevating member 180 in FIG. 15, a member used for determining positional deviation, and also serves as a lifter pin for transferring the cover ring C to and from the transport arm 71 when the cover ring C is replaced.
Similarly to the lifting member 118 , three or more lifting members 205 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 202 .

Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, the lifting member 205 is provided with a lifting mechanism having a drive unit for driving the lifting member 205 to move up and down, like the lifting member 118. The lifting mechanism includes a drive unit such as a motor. and an encoder are provided, and a torque detector is also provided.

The upper end of the elevating member 205 is formed in the same shape as the elevating member exemplified above, such as a hemispherical shape. The upper end of the lifting member 205 supports the lower surface of the cover ring C when the cover ring C is replaced. Further, the upper end of the elevating member 205 abuts on the lower surface of the cover ring C when the elevating member 205 is lifted during the determination of the positional deviation of the cover ring C. As shown in FIG. Concave portions C<b>1 that are recessed upward are formed at positions corresponding to the lifting members 205 on the lower surface of the cover ring C. As shown in FIG.

The size of the opening of the concave portion C1 of the cover ring C in plan view is such that at least the tip of the upper end portion of the lifting member 205 can pass through.
The concave portion C1 is formed in the same shape as the concave portion of the edge ring exemplified above, for example, a right conical shape.
In this embodiment, the lower surface of the edge ring Ff is a flat surface that is entirely horizontal when the edge ring Ff is mounted on the ring mounting surface 104b, unlike the edge ring F described above. good too.

Also, a clamp 210 is provided as a fixing part for the wafer support table 200 . The clamp 210 fixes the cover ring C by sandwiching the cover ring C between the clamp 210 and the support 203 . Also, the clamp 210 is configured to be movable between a clamp position and a retracted position.

Since the mounting process (including the positional deviation determination process of the covering C on the support 203) and the removing process of the covering C are the same as the mounting process and the removing process of the edge ring F according to the first embodiment, The explanation is omitted.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 22 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration around the wafer support table 300 in the plasma processing apparatus according to the third embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the edge ring F is the object of replacement and the object of positional deviation determination, and in the second embodiment, the cover ring C is the object of replacement and the object of positional deviation determination. , and the covering C are both replacement targets and position deviation determination targets.

In this embodiment, the edge ring F and the cover ring C are replaced separately and the positional deviation is determined.
For this reason, for example, the edge ring F is provided with an elevating member 118 and an insertion hole 125 , and the cover ring C is provided with an elevating member 205 and an insertion hole 206 . Further, the recesses F1 and C1 described above are formed in the bottom surface of the edge ring F and the bottom surface of the cover ring C, respectively.
Further, the elevating member 118 is provided with the elevating mechanism 119 having the drive unit 121 for driving the elevation of the elevating member 118, as described with reference to FIG. The lifting mechanism 119 is provided with an encoder 123 as a detection unit (second detection unit according to the present disclosure) configured to detect a parameter (second parameter according to the present disclosure) related to the amount of movement of the lifting member 118. ing. Further, the drive unit 121 includes a torque detection unit 124 as a detection unit (first detection unit according to the present disclosure) configured to detect a parameter (first parameter according to the present disclosure) related to the load of the drive unit 121. is provided.

Although not shown, the elevating member 205 is provided with an elevating mechanism having a drive unit that drives the elevating member 205 to move up and down, like the elevating member 118 . The lifting mechanism includes an encoder similar to the encoder 123 as a detection unit (fourth detection unit according to the present disclosure) configured to detect a parameter (fourth parameter according to the present disclosure) related to the movement amount of the lifting member 205. is provided. Further, in the driving unit for the lifting member 205, a torque A torque detector similar to detector 124 is provided.

Furthermore, the control device 80 detects contact between the lifting member 205 and the concave portion C1 of the cover ring C based on a parameter (third parameter according to the present disclosure) related to the load of the drive unit on the lifting member 205 . Further, the control device 80 determines the amount of elevation of the lifting member 205 from the reference height until it contacts the concave portion C1 of the cover ring C, based on a parameter (fourth parameter according to the present disclosure) related to the amount of movement of the lifting member 205. decide. Then, the control device 80 determines whether or not the cover ring C is misaligned with respect to the wafer support 300 in the horizontal direction based on the amount of rise and the threshold value.

In the present embodiment, the edge ring F attachment processing (including the positional deviation determination processing of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104) and removal processing, the cover ring C attachment processing (cover ring C attachment processing on the support 203) (including positional deviation determination processing) and removal processing are the same as the attachment processing (including positional deviation determination processing of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104) and removal processing of the edge ring F according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration around the wafer support 400 in the plasma processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the edge ring F, in the second embodiment, the cover ring C, and in the third embodiment, both the edge ring F and the cover ring C are to be replaced. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the cover ring supporting the edge ring (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "ring set") is to be replaced.

A wafer support table 400 in FIG.

The lower electrode 401 and the electrostatic chuck 402 are provided with an insertion hole 406 through which the elevating member 405 is inserted. The insertion hole 406 is formed, for example, so as to extend downward from the upper surface 402 a of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 402 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 401 . In other words, the insertion hole 406 is formed so as to penetrate the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 104 and the lower electrode 401 . However, depending on the shape of the lifting member 405 , the insertion hole 125 does not have to penetrate the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 402 and the lower electrode 401 .

The support 403 is a member made of, for example, quartz and formed in a ring shape in plan view, and supports the lower electrode 401 .

A cover ring Ca supporting an edge ring Fg, which is an annular member to be replaced according to the present embodiment, is placed on the upper surface 403a of the support 403 and the upper surface 402a of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 402. It becomes an annular member mounting surface.

The insulator 404 is a cylindrical member made of ceramic or the like, and supports the support 403 . The insulator 404 is formed, for example, to have an outer diameter equal to that of the support 403 and supports the periphery of the support 403 .

In this embodiment, the cover ring Ca is configured to support the edge ring Fg, and is formed so as to at least partially overlap the edge ring Fg in plan view. The cover ring Ca supports, for example, the edge ring Fe substantially concentrically with the cover ring Ca. In one embodiment, the diameter of the innermost peripheral portion of the cover ring Ca is smaller than the diameter of the outermost peripheral portion of the edge ring Fg, and when the cover ring Ca and the edge ring Fg are arranged substantially concentrically, in plan view The inner peripheral portion of the cover ring Ca at least partially overlaps the outer periphery of the edge ring Fg. For example, in one embodiment, the edge ring Fg has a radially inwardly recessed recess Fg1 on the outer circumference of the bottom, and the cover ring Ca has a radially inwardly protruding protrusion Ca1 on its bottom. The edge ring Fg is supported by engagement between the projection Ca1 and the recess Fg1.

In the present embodiment, the edge ring Fg is formed with a step at its upper portion, similar to the edge ring F in FIG. is smaller than the outer diameter of the wafer W.

The elevating member 405 is, for example, similar to the elevating member 180 in FIG. 15, and is a member used for determining positional deviation, and also serves as a lifter for transferring the ring set to and from the transport arm 71 when the ring set is replaced. . The elevating member 405 ascends and descends so as to protrude from, for example, a position overlapping the cover ring Ca in plan view on the upper surface 402a of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 402 (specifically, a position overlapping the convex portion Ca1).

Similarly to the lifting member 180 , three or more lifting members 405 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 402 .
Furthermore, although illustration is omitted, the lifting member 205 is provided with a lifting mechanism having a drive unit for driving the lifting member 205 to move up and down, like the lifting member 118. The lifting mechanism includes a drive unit such as a motor. and an encoder are provided, and a torque detector is also provided.

The upper end of the elevating member 405 is formed in the same shape as the elevating member exemplified above, such as a hemispherical shape. The upper end of the lifting member 405 supports the lower surface of the projection Ca1 of the cover ring Ca, for example, when replacing the ring set. Further, the upper end of the elevating member 405 abuts on the lower surface of the convex portion Ca1 of the cover ring Ca when the elevating member 405 is lifted during determination of positional deviation of the ring set. Concave portions Ca2 that are concave upward are formed at positions corresponding to the lifting members 405 on the bottom surface of the convex portion Ca1 of the cover ring Ca.

The size of the opening of the concave portion Ca2 of the cover ring Ca in plan view is such that at least the tip of the upper end portion of the lifting member 405 can pass through.
The concave portion Ca2 is formed in the same shape as the concave portion of the edge ring or cover ring exemplified above, for example, a right conical shape.

The mounting process (including the process of determining positional deviation of the ring set on the annular member mounting surface) and the removing process of the cover ring Ca supporting the edge ring Fg, that is, the ring set, are performed by the edge ring F according to the first embodiment. (including the positional deviation determination process of the edge ring F on the electrostatic chuck 104) and the removal process, the description thereof will be omitted.

It should be noted that at least the covering Ca needs to be fixed during the process of determining the positional deviation of the ring set. For example, the cover ring Ca may be fixed by the clamp 210, or the cover ring Ca may be fixed by applying a DC voltage to the electrode 109 to fix the edge ring Fg.

According to this embodiment, the edge ring Fg and the cover ring Ca can be replaced at the same time, so the time required for replacement of them can be further shortened. Moreover, since it is not necessary to separately provide a lifter for the edge ring Fg and a lifter for the cover ring Ca, cost reduction can be achieved.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 24 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration around the wafer support table 500 in the plasma processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment.

A wafer support table 500 in FIG. 24 has a lower electrode 501, an electrostatic chuck 502, a support 503, and an elevating member 504 as an example of a lifter.

The support 503 is a member made of, for example, quartz and formed in a ring shape in a plan view, similar to the support 403 in the example of FIG. However, in the example of FIG. 23, the support 403 is thicker than the lower electrode 401, and the upper surface of the support 403 is positioned higher than the upper surface of the lower electrode 401. In the example of FIG. Its thickness is the same as that of the electrode 501 and the height of its upper surface is also the same as that of the lower electrode 501 .

Further, in the example of FIG. 23, the insertion hole 406 through which the elevating member 405 is inserted is provided so as to penetrate the lower electrode 401 and the electrostatic chuck 402 . On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 23, the insertion hole 505 through which the elevating member 504 is inserted is provided so as to penetrate only the lower electrode 501 . The through hole 505 is formed to vertically penetrate the lower electrode 501 .

In the present embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the cover ring Cb is configured to be able to support the edge ring Fa, and when concentric with the edge ring Fa, at least a portion of the edge ring Fa in plan view. formed to overlap. In one embodiment, the diameter of the innermost peripheral portion of the cover ring Cb is smaller than the diameter of the outermost peripheral portion of the edge ring Fa, and when the cover ring Cb and the edge ring Fa are arranged to overlap over the entire circumference, The inner peripheral portion of the cover ring Cb at least partially overlaps the outer peripheral portion of the edge ring Fa in plan view. For example, in one embodiment, the cover ring Cb has a protrusion Cb1 that protrudes radially inward at its bottom, and supports the edge ring Fa by the protrusion Cb1.

The cover ring Cb is placed across the upper surface 503 a of the support 503 and the upper surface of the lower electrode 501 . On the other hand, the edge ring Fa is mounted on the upper surface 502 a of the peripheral edge portion of the electrostatic chuck 502 so that the outer peripheral portion of the edge ring Fa extends outside the electrostatic chuck 104 . Then, the edge ring Fa is supported by the cover ring Cb at the outer peripheral portion projecting to the outside of the electrostatic chuck 502 during transportation.

On the bottom surface of the outer peripheral portion of the edge ring Fa, recesses Fa1 are provided at positions corresponding to the lifting members 504 respectively. The shape of the concave portion Fa1 is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and may be, for example, the shape shown in FIG. The elevating member 504 can penetrate the inner peripheral portion of the cover ring Cb, ie, the convex portion Cb1, and contact the concave portion Fa1 of the edge ring Fa.

The cover ring Cb has through holes Cb2 at positions corresponding to the elevating members 504, which reach the concave portions Fa1 of the edge ring Fa, through which the elevating members 504 are inserted. The through hole Cb2 is provided in the inner peripheral portion (specifically, for example, the convex portion Cb1) of the cover ring Cb overlapping the outer peripheral portion of the edge ring Fa in plan view.

The elevating member 504 is a member that is used to determine positional deviation, similar to the elevating member 118 and the like in FIG. This elevating member 504 elevates so as to protrude from the upper surface 501 a of the outer peripheral portion of the lower electrode 501 . Specifically, the lifting member 504 is configured to protrude from a position overlapping the edge ring Fa and the cover ring Cb in plan view on the upper surface 501a of the outer peripheral portion of the lower electrode 501 . The insertion hole 505 through which the elevating member 504 is inserted is formed at a position overlapping the edge ring Fa and the cover ring Cb in plan view.

In addition, three or more elevating members 504 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 502 in the same manner as the elevating member 118 and the like in FIG.
The shape of the upper end portion of the lifting member 504 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be, for example, the shape shown in FIG. 5 or the like.

In one embodiment, the elevating member 504 also serves as a lifter pin that supports and elevates the edge ring Fa and the cover ring Cb for delivery to and from the transfer arm 71 .

In this case, the upper end of the lifting member 504 constitutes an edge ring supporting portion that engages with the concave portion Fa1 of the edge ring Fa and supports the edge ring Fa. When the elevating member 504 is raised, its upper end passes through the through hole Cb2 of the cover ring Cb and contacts the recess Fa1 on the lower surface of the edge ring Fa, thereby supporting the edge ring Fa from the lower surface. It is configured.
The lifting member 504 has a cover ring support portion 504a that supports the cover ring Cb below the upper end that constitutes the edge ring support portion. The cover ring support portion 504a is configured to contact the lower surface of the cover ring Cb without passing through the through hole Cb2 of the cover ring Cb, thereby supporting the cover ring Cb from the lower surface.

Although illustration is omitted, the elevating member 504 is provided with an elevating mechanism having a driving unit for driving the elevating member 504 to move up and down, like the elevating member 118. The elevating mechanism includes a drive unit such as a motor. and an encoder are provided, and a torque detector is also provided.
Therefore, also in this embodiment, it is possible to determine the positional deviation of the edge ring Fa in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without being limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Also, elements from different embodiments can be combined to form other embodiments.

60 processing module 80 control device 100

plasma processing chambers

104, 202, 402, 502

electrostatic chucks

118, 118a, 118b, 118c, 180, 205, 405, 504 lifting member 121 driving unit 123 encoder 124

torque detecting unit

203, 403 support Body C, Ca, Cb Covering F, Fa, Fb, Fc, Fd, Fe, Fg, Fh Edge ring W Wafer

Claims

a plasma processing chamber;
a substrate support positioned within the plasma processing chamber;
An annular member disposed on the substrate support so as to surround the substrate on the substrate support and having a lower surface, the lower surface of the annular member having a recess, the recess extending in the longitudinal direction an annular member having an angled surface;
a lifting member disposed below the annular member and capable of coming into contact with the recess of the annular member;
a drive unit configured to vertically move the elevating member with respect to the substrate support;
a first detector configured to detect a first parameter related to the load of the drive;
a second detection unit configured to detect a second parameter related to the amount of movement of the lifting member;
a control unit;
The control unit
detecting contact between the lifting member and the recess of the annular member based on the first parameter;
Based on the second parameter, determine the amount of elevation of the lifting member from a reference height to contact with the recess of the annular member;
A plasma processing apparatus configured to determine whether the annular member is misaligned with respect to the substrate support in a horizontal direction based on the amount of elevation and a threshold.
2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first parameter is the load of said drive unit.
3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second detection section is an encoder disposed within said drive section, and said second parameter is the number of pulses.
4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode disposed within said substrate support and configured to electrostatically attract said annular member to said substrate support.
5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate supporting portion is formed with an exhaust hole for exhausting air between said substrate supporting portion and said annular member.
a plurality of lifter pins configured to support the annular member;
and at least one additional drive configured to vertically move the plurality of lifter pins relative to the substrate support. .
6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elevating member is a lifter pin configured to support said annular member.
8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said annular member is an edge ring made of Si material or SiC material.
9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a cover ring arranged on said substrate support so as to surround said edge ring.
10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said elevating member can penetrate said cover ring and come into contact with said recess of said edge ring.
The cover ring has a lower surface, the lower surface of the cover ring has a recess, the recess of the cover ring has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction,
an additional elevating member disposed below the cover ring and capable of contacting the recess of the cover ring;
an additional drive configured to vertically move the additional lifting member relative to the substrate support;
a third detector configured to detect a third parameter related to the load of the additional drive;
a fourth detection unit configured to detect a fourth parameter related to the amount of movement of the additional lifting member;
The control unit
detecting contact between the additional lifting member and the recess of the cover ring based on the third parameter;
Determining the amount of elevation of the additional lifting member from a reference height to contacting the recess of the cover ring based on the fourth parameter;
11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, configured to determine whether the cover ring is misaligned with respect to the substrate support in a horizontal direction based on the amount of elevation of the additional elevating member and a threshold value. The plasma processing apparatus described.
8. The annular member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the annular member is a cover ring covering an outer surface of an edge ring arranged on the substrate support so as to surround the substrate on the substrate support. Plasma processing equipment.
13. The plasma processing apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the cover ring is configured to support the edge ring.
14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cover ring is secured to the substrate support by securing the edge ring to the substrate support.
a plasma processing chamber;
a substrate support positioned within the plasma processing chamber;
an annular member arranged on the substrate support so as to surround the substrate on the substrate support;
a lifting member disposed below the annular member and capable of coming into contact with the annular member;
a drive unit configured to vertically move the elevating member with respect to the substrate support;
a first detection unit configured to detect a first parameter relating to contact/non-contact between the annular member and the elevating member;
a second detection unit configured to detect a second parameter related to the amount of movement of the lifting member;
a controller configured to determine whether the annular member is misaligned relative to the substrate support in a horizontal direction based on the first parameter and the second parameter. Device.
a plasma processing chamber;
a substrate support positioned within the plasma processing chamber;
an annular member arranged on the substrate support so as to surround the substrate on the substrate support;
a lifting member disposed below the annular member and capable of coming into contact with the annular member;
a drive unit configured to vertically move the elevating member with respect to the substrate support;
a first detection unit configured to detect a first parameter relating to contact/non-contact between the annular member and the elevating member;
a second detection unit configured to detect a second parameter related to the amount of movement of the lifting member;
a transport apparatus configured to adjust the position of the annular member relative to the substrate support based on the first parameter and the second parameter.