Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080203925 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber encased in a vacuum vessel equipped with an evacuator; a sample stage located in the processing chamber and having an upper surface on which a sample as an object to be processed rests; a gas feeding unit for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber; a plurality of refrigerant ducts which are laid out in the internal of the sample stage and through which liquid refrigerant flows and can be evaporated; a cooling circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and a set of pipelines to connect the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve in this order; and a selecting unit for selectively feeding the refrigerant through the plural refrigerant ducts in the different steps of the processing. The sample is processed by using plasma while the temperature of the sample stage is being controlled by the cooling circuit. | 08-28-2008 |
20080210376 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING PLASMA EMISSION INTENSITY - An antenna electrode having a substantially circular shape, is arranged on a plane of a processing vessel, which is located opposite to a stage for mounting a sample within the processing vessel, and positioned parallel to the stage. An emission monitor monitors emission intensity of plasma present in at least 3 different points along a radial direction of the antenna electrode. A control unit adjusts an energizing current supplied to an external coil for forming a magnetic field within the processing vessel. The control unit adjusts the energizing current supplied to the external coil based upon the monitoring result obtained from the emission monitor so as to control the emission intensity of the plasma to become uniform emission intensity. | 09-04-2008 |
20080216959 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus which has the function of removing a deposit adhering to the periphery of the backside of a sample and has high throughput and low cost. That is, a deposit removal unit for removing the deposit on the periphery of the backside of the sample by pulsed laser irradiation is connected to an atmosphere-side transfer chamber of the plasma processing apparatus. | 09-11-2008 |
20080223522 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - The present invention provides a plasma processing chamber mounted with a function capable of determining the state of a temperature rise in a processing chamber even if a thermometer is not mounted in the processing chamber. In a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber for subjecting a sample to be processed to plasma processing; means for supplying the processing chamber with gas; exhaust means for reducing pressure in the processing chamber; a high-frequency power source for generating plasma; and an electrode on which the sample to be processed is placed, there is provided a plasma emission monitor for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge and means for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge, both of which are used for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge performed before the plasma processing. | 09-18-2008 |
20080236748 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber, a high-frequency power supply needed for plasma production, a unit that feeds a gas to the processing chamber, a shower plate, an exhausting unit that depressurizes the processing chamber, a stage on which a sample to be processed is placed, and a focus ring, the temperature of the focus ring can be regulated. A unit that measures a gas temperature distribution in the processing chamber is included. Based on the result of measurement of the gas temperature distribution, the temperature of the focus ring is controlled so that the gas temperature in the surface of the sample to be processed will be uniform. | 10-02-2008 |
20080277061 | WAFER EDGE CLEANER - An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer edge cleaner which is capable of removing an undesired material that adheres to an outer periphery of an object to be processed at the low costs and with high throughput. The wafer edge cleaner according to the present invention irradiates a deposited material that has adhered to the rear surface outer periphery of the object to be processed with a laser beam that is at least 30 kW/mm | 11-13-2008 |
20080289767 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - The present invention provides a temperature control unit for an electrostatic adsorption electrode that is capable of controlling the wafer temperature rapidly over a wide temperature range without affecting in-plane uniformity while high heat input etching is conducted with high wafer bias power applied. A refrigerant flow path provided in the electrostatic adsorption electrode serves as an evaporator. The refrigerant flow path is connected to a compressor, a condenser, and a first expansion valve to form a direct expansion type refrigeration cycle. A second expansion valve is installed between the electrostatic adsorption electrode and the compressor to adjust the flow rate of a refrigerant. This makes it possible to compress the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path of the electrostatic adsorption electrode and adjust the wafer temperature to a high level by raising the refrigerant evaporation temperature. Further, a thin-walled cylindrical refrigerant flow path is employed so that the thin-walled cylinder is deformed only slightly by the refrigerant pressure. | 11-27-2008 |
20090183683 | Plasma Processing Apparatus and Method for Venting the Same to Atmosphere - In a plasma processing apparatus provided with control means, gas supply means includes a first gas supply path for supplying a vent gas into a processing chamber by way of a shower plate and a second gas supply path for supplying a vent gas into the processing chamber without via the shower plate, and the control means is capable of adjusting a flow rate of the vent gas of at least one of the first and second gas supply paths in such a manner that a pressure on a back side of the shower plate becomes a pressure that is a positive pressure relative to a pressure in the processing chamber and less than a withstand pressure of the shower plate. | 07-23-2009 |
20090250000 | VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS - A vacuum processing apparatus capable of attaining compatibility between the decrease for the number of foreign particles deposited on a sample in a lock chamber and improvement of the throughput, in which an open speed controllable valve is disposed and the depressurization speed can be controlled automatically by a controlling computer. | 10-08-2009 |
20090277883 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD - The present invention provides means for controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer rapidly and uniformly in plane during etching processing by a large quantity of input heat by use of a refrigerating system by the heat of evaporation. A ring-shaped refrigerant passage is formed in a sample stand. Since the heat transfer rate and pressure loss of a refrigerant increase from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant ejection port as dryness degrees increase, these must be restricted. Therefore, constructionally, a supply refrigerant quantity is controlled to prevent the refrigerant from completely evaporating within the refrigerant passage, and the sectional areas of the refrigerant passage increase successively from a first passage to a third passage. | 11-12-2009 |
20090294060 | Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Apparatus Capable Of Reducing Particle Contamination - A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a process chamber, a conveyance chamber, a conveyance robot, a lock chamber, and a heating unit or temperature adjusting unit for reducing adherence of particles onto a substance to be processed by a thermo-phoretic force. The heating unit enables control of a temperature of the substance to be processed to be higher than a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the conveyance robot or the lock chamber, in conveying the substance to be processed. The temperature adjusting unit enables adjustment of a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the lock chamber to be lower than a temperature of the substance to be processed, in conveying the substance to be processed. | 12-03-2009 |
20090301392 | VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS - There is a vacuum processing apparatus which can reduce the amount of foreign particle occurrence by enhancing the ease of maintenance of a gas diffuser installing portion in the vacuum processing apparatus. A gas diffuser chamber for accommodating a gas diffuser is installed in the vacuum processing apparatus. | 12-10-2009 |
20100126666 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - In a plasma processing apparatus; a refrigerant flow passage being formed in the sample table and constituting an evaporator of a cooling cycle and the in-plane temperature of the sample to be processed is controlled uniformly by controlling the enthalpy of the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant flow passage and thereby keeping the flow mode in the refrigerant flow passage, namely in the sample table, in the state of a gas-liquid two-phase. If by any chance dry out of the refrigerant occurs in the refrigerant flow passage because the heat input of plasma increases with time or by another reason, it is possible to increase speed of a compressor and inhibit the dry out from occurring in the refrigerant flow passage. Further, if the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant flow passage is liquefied, it is kept in the gas-liquid two-phase state. | 05-27-2010 |
20100163187 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a sample table that places the sample in the vacuum chamber, and a gas supply unit faced to the sample table and having a gas supply surface with a diameter larger than that of the sample, wherein gas injection holes each having identical diameter are provided concentrically on the gas supply surface, a hole number density of the gas injection holes present in an outer diameter position of the sample or in an outside of the outer diameter position is made higher than that of the gas injection holes present inside the outer diameter position of the sample, and a diameter of the gas injection holes present in the outer diameter position of the sample or in the outside from the outer diameter position is larger than that of the gas injection holes present inside the diameter of the sample. | 07-01-2010 |
20100193130 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - In a plasma processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber, a sample table for mounting a member to be processed thereon, the sample table having a coolant path to control a temperature of the member to be processed, an electrostatic chuck power supply for electrostatically adsorbing the member to be processed on the sample table, and a plurality of gas hole parts provided in the sample table to supply heat transfer gas between the member to be processed and the sample table and thereby control a temperature of the member to be processed, each of the gas hole parts includes a boss formed of a dielectric, a sleeve, and a plurality of small tubes, and the small tubes are arranged in a range of 10 to 50% of a radius when measured from a center of the gas hole part toward outside. | 08-05-2010 |
20100203736 | Plasma Processing Method - There is provided a plasma processing method which controls a bias power to be constant without affecting the bias power supplied to a wafer, even if a part of a bias power supplied to a wafer is divided and supplied to a focus ring, and does not change the etching characteristic of the entire substrate to be processed. A high-frequency bias power supplied to a focus ring is changed by controlling the impedance control circuit according to the waste quantity of the focus ring that is wasted by the plasma processing. On the other hand, the high-frequency bias power supplied to the specimen support is controlled to the given high-frequency bias power by controlling the output of the high-frequency bias power supply. | 08-12-2010 |
20100319854 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - In a plasma processing apparatus conducting surface processing on a sample to be processed with plasma, an upper electrode includes a shower plate having first gas holes bored through it, a conductor plate disposed at back of the shower plate and having second gas holes bored through it, an insulation plate disposed in a center part of the conductor plate and having third gas holes bored through it, and an antenna basic member unit disposed at back of the conductor plate and having a temperature control function unit and a gass distribution unit. First and second minute gaps are formed in a radial direction at an interface between the shower plate and the insulation plate, and at an interface between the insulation plate and the conductor plate, respectively. Centers of the first gas holes are shifted from centers of the third gas holes in a circumference or radial direction. | 12-23-2010 |
20100326957 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD - An electrostatic adsorption layer, an electrode layer, and an insulating layer are provided in a lower portion of a focus ring disposed in an outer periphery of a substrate stage. A high frequency bias is applied to the focus ring by applying a high frequency electric power to the electrode layer. Further, the focus ring is electrostatically chucked to the electrostatic chucking layer and a heat transfer gas is provided between the focus ring and the electrostatic adsorption layer. Thus, the focus ring can be cooled and the temperature of the focus ring is controlled to a predetermined value. With this structure, an etching characteristic at a wafer edge portion can be maintained favorably for a long time. Also, a yield rate at the edge portion can be favorably maintained for a long time, a wet period can be prolonged, and the device operation rate can be improved. | 12-30-2010 |
20110030899 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS USING TRANSMISSION ELECTRODE - At least a part of a discharging electromagnetic wave is introduced into a processing chamber via a transmission electrode which has characteristics to behave as a dielectric (electric insulator) for the discharging electromagnetic wave, and to behave as a material with electric conductivity for RF bias electromagnetic wave of electromagnetic wave of ion plasma oscillation. | 02-10-2011 |
20110100555 | Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Apparatus Capable Of Reducing Particle Contamination - A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a process chamber, a conveyance chamber, a conveyance robot, a lock chamber, and a heating unit or temperature adjusting unit for reducing adherence of particles onto a substance to be processed by a thermo-phoretic force. The heating unit enables control of a temperature of the substance to be processed to be higher than a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the conveyance robot or the lock chamber, in conveying the substance to be processed. The temperature adjusting unit enables adjustment of a temperature of an inner wall or structural body of the process chamber or the conveyance chamber or the lock chamber to be lower than a temperature of the substance to be processed, in conveying the substance to be processed. | 05-05-2011 |
20110207243 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD - There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased. Further, the cross section of the channel structure is structured so as to be reduced from the second channel areas towards a third channel areas, and thereby the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from decreasing. Accordingly, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant can be uniformed in the channel structure. | 08-25-2011 |
20110284506 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus that performs activation annealing or defect repair annealing and surface oxidization which succeed impurity doping intended to control the conductive property of a semiconductor substrate. In the present invention, a sample to be heated is placed on a lower electrode in a plasma treatment chamber. A gap between an upper electrode and the lower electrode is filled with a gap whose main raw material is a rare gas (helium, argon, krypton, xenon, or the like) having a pressure close to the atmospheric pressure. A power fed from a high-frequency power supply is applied to the upper electrode in order to induce an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge. Gas heating in the gap between the electrodes, which depends on the glow discharge, is used to heat-treat the sample to be heated. | 11-24-2011 |
20120003837 | Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Apparatus Capable Of Reducing Particle Contamination - A plasma processing method of subjecting a substance to plasma processing by using a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus including a process chamber, a unit for supplying gas to the process chamber, an exhausting unit to reduce pressure in the process chamber, a high frequency power source for plasma generation, a coil for generating a magnetic field, and a mounted electrode for mounting the substance to be processed. The method includes steps of subjecting the substance to a predetermined plasma processing, changing the magnetic field distribution, so as to make a plasma distribution of the process chamber with respect to the surface of the substance to be processed, in a convex form, at a time of igniting the plasma and after completion of the predetermined plasma processing, as compared with a plasma distribution with respect to the surface of the substance to be processed during the predetermined plasma processing. | 01-05-2012 |
20120055915 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - Provided is a heat treatment apparatus that even when annealing SiC at high temperature, can exhibit a low heat capacity and perform uniform heating. The heat treatment apparatus includes a pair of parallel plate electrodes, high-frequency power supply that applies a high-frequency voltage to the pair of parallel plate electrodes so as to discharge between the pair of parallel plate electrodes, a temperature measurement instrument that measures the temperature of a sample to be heated which is disposed in the pair of parallel plate electrodes, a gas introduction unit that introduces a gas to the pair of parallel plate electrodes, reflection mirrors that surround the pair of parallel plate electrodes, and a control unit that controls the output of the high-frequency power supply. Heating of a gas due to discharge between the pair of parallel plate electrodes is used to thermally treat the sample to be heated. | 03-08-2012 |
20120285935 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - Provided is a heat treatment apparatus in which a heat treatment apparatus in which the thermal efficiency is high, the maintenance expense is low, the throughput is high, the surface roughness of a sample can be reduced, and the discharge uniformity is excellent, although the heat treatment is performed at | 11-15-2012 |
20130087285 | PLASMA ETCHING APPARATUS - A plasma etching apparatus of an electrodeless system can uniformize a radical density, and improve the uniformity of etching. The plasma etching apparatus of the electrodeless system includes a decompression chamber, a gas supply mechanism, a dielectric window, a plasma generation unit, a stage on which a sample is placed, and a first RF power supply connected to the stage. The plasma etching apparatus further includes a gas introduction mechanism for supplying a second gas, and a second RF power supply for inputting a RF power that allows radicals to be generated in an outer periphery of the sample. | 04-11-2013 |
20130112669 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - The present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus which can reduce a surface roughing of a processed substrate while keeping a heat efficiency high, even in the case of heating a sample to be heated to 1200° C. or higher. The present invention is a heat treatment apparatus carrying out a heat treatment of a sample to be heated, wherein a plasma generated by a glow electric discharge is used as a heating source, and the sample to be heated is indirectly heated. | 05-09-2013 |
20130112670 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - Provided is a heat treatment apparatus that is high in thermal efficiency and can reduce surface roughness of a substrate to be treated even when a specimen is heated at 1200° C. or higher. | 05-09-2013 |
20130277354 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLASMA HEAT TREATMENT - There is provided a method for plasma heat treatment that can suppress the degradation of thermal efficiency even in the case where plasma is used to heat a sample at a temperature of 1,200° C. or more. In a method for plasma heat treatment that a sample to be processed is heated by plasma, the method including the steps of: preheating in which a heat treatment chamber is exhausted while preheating an upper electrode and a lower electrode using plasma generated between the upper electrode and the lower electrode; and heat treatment in which the sample to be processed is heated after the preheating step. The upper electrode and the lower electrode are electrodes containing carbon. | 10-24-2013 |