Preheating treatment method for frame components and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to provide a technique for improving the uniformity of substrate processing by appropriately preheating components disposed on a pedestal. A method for preheating a component involves preheating a component that is contactable and movable relative to a substrate mounting platform in a substrate processing apparatus. The method includes: positioning the component in a non-contact preheating position relative to the platform and preheating the component by radiative heat from the platform; and bringing the preheated component into contact with the platform. This allows for appropriate preheating of the component, thereby improving the uniformity of substrate processing.

Description

Preheating treatment method for parts and substrate processing apparatus This disclosure relates to a method for preheating a component and an apparatus for processing a substrate. Patent document 1 discloses a substrate heating device (substrate processing device) that heats the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate in a floating state before placing the substrate on the substrate support platform (base) to suppress the deformation of the substrate due to thermal strain. Furthermore, in order to suppress film formation at the periphery of a substrate processing apparatus, a frame-shaped component (frame member) may be disposed at the periphery of the substrate. The frame member is configured to be movable relative to the stage and to contact the stage and cover the periphery of the substrate during substrate processing. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-160046 This disclosure provides a technique for improving the uniformity of substrate processing by appropriately preheating components disposed on a pedestal. According to one aspect of this disclosure, a preheating treatment method for a component is provided, which is a preheating treatment method for a component that is accessible and movable relative to a substrate processing apparatus for placing a substrate; the method includes the following steps: positioning the component in a preheating position that is non-contact relative to the substrate, and preheating the component by means of radiant heat from the substrate; and bringing the component, which has been preheated by the preheating step, into contact with the substrate. Based on the same state, the parts arranged on the pedestal can be preheated appropriately to improve the uniformity of the substrate processing. The following description refers to the forms used to implement this disclosure. In each drawing, the same components may be given the same symbol and repeated descriptions may be omitted. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 related to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 related to an embodiment is an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) processing apparatus that performs various substrate processing on an FPD substrate (hereinafter referred to as substrate W). Examples of FPDs after substrate processing include Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), Electroluminescence (ELs), and Plasma Display Panels (PDPs). In this case, glass or synthetic resin is used as the substrate W material. The substrate W may include a substrate with circuits patterned on its surface, or a support substrate without circuits. The planar dimensions of the substrate W may be approximately 1800 mm to 3400 mm on the long side and approximately 1500 mm to 3000 mm on the short side. Furthermore, the thickness of the substrate W may be approximately 0.2 mm to 4.0 mm. Examples of substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 include film deposition processing using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or etching processing. The following description focuses on the substrate processing apparatus 1 for film deposition processing. The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a rectangular box-shaped processing container 10. The processing container 10 is formed of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the processing container 10 can be formed into an appropriate shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate W. For example, when the substrate W is a circular plate or an elliptical plate, the processing container 10 is preferably formed into a cylindrical or elliptical cylindrical shape. The processing container 10 has a square support frame 11 protruding into the inner side of the processing container 10 at a specific position in the vertical direction, which supports the dielectric plate 12 in the horizontal direction. The processing container 10 is divided into an upper chamber 13 and a lower chamber 14, which enclose the dielectric plate 12. An antenna chamber 13a is formed on the inner side of the upper chamber 13. The lower chamber 14 holds the substrate W and has a processing space 14a formed on its inner side for substrate processing. The side wall 15 of the lower chamber 14 has a transfer inlet 17 that is opened and closed by a gate valve 16. When the gate valve 16 is open, the substrate processing apparatus 1 transfers the substrate W in and out through the transfer inlet 17 by means of a conveying device (not shown). Furthermore, the sidewall 15 of the lower chamber 14 is grounded (connected to the ground potential) through the grounding wire 18. The four sidewalls 15 of the lower chamber 14 have an endless surrounding sealing groove 19 at the upper end. Since the sealing groove 19 is equipped with sealing components 20 such as O-rings, the support frame 11 and the lower chamber 14 will airtightly seal the processing space 14a. The support frame 11 is formed of a metal such as aluminum or aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the dielectric plate 12 is made of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). 2O 3) Formed from ceramics or quartz. A spray head 21 is provided on the inner side of the support frame 11, which is connected to the support frame 11 and sprays gas into the processing space 14a. The dielectric plate 12 is supported on the top of the spray head 21. The spray head 21 is made of a metal such as aluminum, and is preferably surface treated by anodizing. A gas flow channel 21a is formed in the interior of the spray head 21 along the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the spray head 21 has a plurality of gas ejection holes 21b that connect the gas flow channel 21a to the bottom of the spray head 21 (processing space 14a). The top of the spray head 21 is connected to a gas inlet pipe 22 that communicates with the gas flow channel 21a. The gas inlet pipe 22 extends upward within the upper chamber 13 and passes through the upper chamber 13 in an airtight manner, and is then connected to a gas supply section 23 provided outside the processing container 10. The gas supply unit 23 has a gas supply pipe 24 connected to the gas inlet pipe 22, and from upstream to downstream of the gas supply pipe 24 are a gas supply source 25, a mass flow controller 26, and an on / off valve 27. During substrate processing, gas is supplied from the gas supply source 25, and the flow rate is controlled by the mass flow controller 26, while the supply timing is controlled by the on / off valve 27. The gas flows from the gas supply pipe 24 through the gas inlet pipe 22 into the gas flow channel 21a, and is sprayed out into the processing space 14a through the gas ejection holes 21b. A high-frequency antenna 28 is installed inside the upper cavity 13 of the antenna chamber 13a. The high-frequency antenna 28 is formed by arranging antenna lines made of conductive metals such as copper into a loop or spiral shape. Alternatively, the high-frequency antenna 28 may also be an antenna with multiple loops of antenna lines. The terminals of the high-frequency antenna 28 are connected to a power supply component 29 that extends upwards within the upper cavity 13. The power supply assembly 29 has an upper end protruding to the outside of the processing container 10, which is connected to a power supply line 30. The power supply line 30 is connected to a high-frequency power supply 32 through an impedance matching device 31. The high-frequency power supply 32 applies high-frequency electrical power corresponding to the substrate processing frequency (e.g., 13.56MHz) to the high-frequency antenna 28. Thereby, the high-frequency antenna 28 forms an induced electric field in the lower chamber 14. The substrate processing apparatus 1 uses the induced electric field formed in the lower chamber 14 to plasmaize the gas supplied from the spray head 21 to the processing space 14a, and provides the precursor in the plasma to the substrate W. Furthermore, the bottom wall 33 of the lower chamber 14 is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 33a, each exhaust port 33a being provided with a gas exhaust section 34. The exhaust section 34 is provided with a gas exhaust pipe 35, and an exhaust mechanism 37 is provided on the gas exhaust pipe 35. The exhaust mechanism 37 is provided with an on / off valve 36 and a vacuum pump 38 in sequence from upstream to downstream of the gas exhaust pipe 35. The vacuum pump 38 can use a turbomolecular pump or the like, which will evacuate the lower chamber 14 to a preset vacuum level during substrate processing. Then, the processing container 10 is equipped with a platform 40 (platform) in the lower chamber 14 for holding the substrate W that is moved in from the loading port 17. The pedestal 40 has a pedestal body 41, an insulating component 42, a plurality of lifting pins 43, and a plurality of lifting pin lifting mechanisms 44. The substrate W, which is moved into the lower chamber 14, is transferred to each lifting pin 43 after being raised by each lifting pin lifting mechanism 44, and is placed on the pedestal body 41 by lowering each lifting pin 43. The pedestal body 41 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above and has a mounting surface 411 with planar dimensions similar to those of the substrate W. For example, the planar dimensions of the mounting surface 411 may be approximately 1800 mm to 3400 mm for the long side and approximately 1500 mm to 3000 mm for the short side. The pedestal body 41 has a step surface 412 on the outer side of the mounting surface 411 that is lower than the mounting surface 411. The step surface 412 surrounds the outer edge of the pedestal body 41 to support the frame member 50 described later. Furthermore, the pedestal body 41 has a side peripheral surface 413 that is slightly parallel to the vertical direction between the mounting surface 411 and the step surface 412. The base body 41 is formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and has a heating wire 45 inside that acts as a resistive element. The heating wire 45 is configured to uniformly heat the entire mounting surface 411. Preferably, the heating wire 45 is also positioned below the step surface 412 so that the temperature of the step surface 412 is the same as the temperature of the mounting surface 411. The heating wire 45 is formed of tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, or chromium, or a compound of any of these metals with aluminum oxide or titanium. Heating wire 45 is connected to heater drive unit 46 and heats up in response to power supply from heater drive unit 46. Heater drive unit 46 is connected to control unit 70 of substrate processing apparatus 1 and outputs power corresponding to temperature commands from control unit 70. For example, when substrate processing apparatus 1 performs substrate processing (film formation), it heats the mounting surface 411 of platform 40 to about 300°C and maintains that temperature. Through platform body 41, the substrate W mounted on mounting surface 411 is also heated to 300°C. In addition, substrate processing apparatus 1 can also replace heating wire 45 by having a meandering flow channel (not shown) inside platform body 41, through which temperature control medium flows, thereby performing temperature control including heating and cooling. The pedestal body 41 is equipped with a temperature sensor 47, such as a thermocouple, which transmits the measured temperature of the pedestal body 41 to the control unit 70 at any time. The control unit 70 adjusts the temperature of the pedestal body 41 to the target temperature based on the transmitted measured temperature. The insulating components 42 are formed of insulating material and are disposed at multiple locations on the bottom wall 33 of the lower chamber 14. The insulating components 42 fix and support the base body 41 in a state that causes the base body 41 to float slightly relative to the bottom wall 33. Then, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a frame member 50 around the base 40 that can contact the base 40 and move relative to it, and a frame member lifting part 60 that can raise and lower the frame member 50 relative to the base 40 in the vertical direction (height direction). Figure 2 is a diagram of the base 40 and the frame member 50 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the frame member 50 contacts the step surface 412 of the base 40. As shown in Figure 2, the frame member 50 is a component that prevents precursor film formation on the periphery wp of the substrate W and prevents the precursor from winding into the inner surface of the substrate W by non-contactly covering the upper part of the periphery wp of the substrate W. The frame member 50 is also called a shielding ring. The frame member 50 is formed into a rectangle that overlaps with the step surface 412 of the pedestal 40 when viewed from above. In addition, the frame member 50 can be formed into an appropriate shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate W, and can also be square, circular, etc. The frame member 50 is preferably made of materials such as aluminum or its alloys, ceramics such as alumina, or glass, with aluminum or its alloys being the lightest possible material and possessing both elasticity (flexibility) and rigidity. In the case of aluminum or its alloys, for corrosion countermeasures or to improve plasma resistance, the frame member 50 is preferably treated with acid-resistant aluminum or coated with a flame-sprayed film such as yttrium oxide. The frame member 50 has an outer periphery 51 surrounding the outer side of the frame, and an eave 52 protruding from the upper part of the inner side 512 of the outer periphery 51 to the inner side. Furthermore, the frame member 50 has a reinforcing portion 53 on the eave 52 at the corner where the long and short sides intersect, which reinforces the connection between the eaves 52. In this embodiment, the outer periphery 51 and the eave 52 are integrally formed from the same material. Alternatively, the outer periphery 51 and the eave 52 may be formed from different materials, and the frame member 50 may also be constructed without the reinforcing portion 53. As shown in Figure 2(b), when the outer peripheral portion 51 moves downward from the state shown in Figure 1 via the lifting portion 60 of the frame member, it contacts the step surface 412 of the pedestal body 41 and is supported by the step surface 412. With the outer peripheral portion 51 supported by the step surface 412, the eaves portion 52 is positioned further upward than the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 411 (not in contact with the substrate W). The eaves portion 52 overlaps the periphery wp of the substrate W by spreading along the entire periphery of the substrate W in the vertical direction, thereby preventing film formation at the periphery wp of the substrate W. The thickness T1 of the outer periphery 51 is greater than the distance D between the mounting surface 411 and the step surface 412 of the pedestal body 41. The thickness T1 of the body varies depending on the size of the frame member 50 (base plate W). For example, when the long side of the frame member 50 is 3000 mm or more, it is preferable to set it to 20 mm or more. This improves the rigidity of the frame member 50, and the frame member lifting part 60 linearly supports the frame member 50. To ensure that the lower surface 511 of the outer peripheral portion 51 is in surface contact with the step surface 412, it is formed to be flat. The inner surface 512 of the outer peripheral portion 51, supported by the step surface 412, faces the side peripheral surface 413 between the mounting surface 411 and the step surface 412 without contact. Conversely, the outer surface 513 of the outer peripheral portion 51, supported by the step surface 412, protrudes further outward in the horizontal direction than the step surface 412. The frame member lifting part 60 supports the lower surface 511 of the protruding portion of the outer peripheral portion 51. Furthermore, the upper surface 514 of the outer peripheral portion 51 is formed to be flat in the horizontal direction and smoothly continuous with the upper surface of the eaves 52 at the junction with the inner surface 512. The eaves 52 is very thin relative to the thickness T1 of the outer perimeter 51, and protrudes briefly from the outer perimeter 51 toward the inner side of the frame member 50. The ratio of the thickness T2 of the eaves 52 (the thickness of the root connected to the outer perimeter 51) to the thickness T1 of the outer perimeter 51 can be, for example, in the range of about 1 / 10 to 1 / 3. Furthermore, although the amount of protrusion of the eaves 52 relative to the outer perimeter 51 varies depending on the relative distance between the mounting surface 411 and the outer perimeter 51, it is preferably set to, for example, in the range of about 20mm to 50mm. The inner edge 523 of the upper part 521 of the eaves 52 is an inclined surface that gradually slopes inward in the horizontal direction to the lower side when the frame member 50 is positioned on the step surface 412. On the other hand, the lower part 522 of the eaves 52 is formed such that when the frame member 50 is positioned on the step surface 412, it is flat in the horizontal direction from the inner side 512 of the outer periphery 51 and reaches the inner edge 523. With the outer periphery 51 supported by the step surface 412, the lower part 522 of the eaves 52 is separated from the mounting surface 411 by a clearance C equal to the thickness of the substrate W plus a specific margin height. The clearance C can be set to, for example, about 0.3 mm to 5 mm. In this way, by having a clearance C (non-contact) and covering the periphery wp of the substrate W with an eave 52, the frame member 50 can avoid the eave 52 from interfering with the substrate W, and at the same time effectively suppress the precursor from moving toward the periphery wp of the substrate W. Returning to Figure 1, the frame member lifting unit 60 has a plurality of unit lifting mechanisms 61 that support the underside of the outer periphery 51 of the frame member 50. Under the control of the control unit 70, each unit lifting mechanism 61 is linked and actuated. In this way, the frame member lifting unit 60 can lift the frame member 50 in the vertical direction (height direction) while supporting it in a horizontal position. For example, since the frame member lifting unit 60 supports two locations on one long side of the frame member 50 at a specific distance and two locations on the other long side of the frame member 50 at a specific distance, it has a total of four unit lifting mechanisms 61. Each unit lifting mechanism 61 has a support column 62 (movable part) that can be detachably contacted with the frame member 50, a guide cylinder 63 that guides the lifting of the support column 62, and a mechanism body 64 that lifts the support column 62. The support column 62 has a support plate 65 at its upper end that contacts the lower part of the outer periphery 51 of the frame member 50. The support plate 65 is formed into a flat, disc-shaped surface that contacts the upper part of the frame member 50. The support plate 65 is raised and lowered by the mechanism body 64 between an upper limit position (moving in / out standby position) above the mounting surface 411 and close to the upper limit position (reference position) below the step surface 412 and close to the lower limit position (reference position) of the bottom wall 33. When the support plate 65 is moved to a position above the step surface 412, it supports the outer periphery 51 of the frame member 50. On the other hand, when it is moved to a position below the step surface 412, it separates from the frame member 50 supported on the step surface 412. The guide cylinder 63 is fixed to an opening 33b provided in the bottom wall 33 and guides the raising and lowering of the support column 62 on the inner wall on the axial side. The mechanism body 64 can utilize various mechanisms capable of raising and lowering the support column 62 (such as cylinder mechanisms, ball screw mechanisms, mechanisms consisting of motors and racks, etc.). For example, when a cylinder mechanism is used as the mechanism body 64, the rod (i.e., the support column 62) slides using a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. When a ball screw mechanism is used as the mechanism body 64, the ball screw rotates due to the drive of a motor, causing the support column 62, which is connected to the nut on the ball screw, to slide. When a mechanism consisting of a motor and rack is used as the mechanism body 64, the support column 62, which is formed by the rack, slides due to the drive of a motor. The lifting unit 60 of the frame components is electrically connected to each mechanism body 64 and the power distribution drive unit 66. The power distribution drive unit 66 supplies power pulses corresponding to the command signals from the control unit 70 to each mechanism body 64, thereby causing each mechanism body 64 to operate (interlock). Furthermore, the power distribution drive unit 66 identifies the height position of the frame components 50 (each support plate 65) by monitoring the power pulses supplied to each mechanism body 64, and moves the frame components 50 to the target position based on the identification results. The control unit 70 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is a control computer having one or more processors 71, memory 72, input / output interfaces, and electronic circuits (not shown). Furthermore, the control unit 70 includes an input device such as a keyboard or mouse for performing instruction input operations, a display device such as a monitor for visually displaying the operating status of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and a user interface (all not shown) for output devices such as a printer. The control unit 70 controls the operation of various components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (e.g., high-frequency power supply 32, gas supply unit 23, exhaust unit 34, lifting pin lifting mechanism 44, heater drive unit 46, frame member lifting unit 60, etc.) to perform substrate processing. One or more processors 71 are one or more processors that combine CPUs, ASICs, FPGAs, circuits composed of multiple discrete semiconductors, etc. The memory 72 is a memory unit of the control unit 70 that includes both non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Furthermore, a portion of the memory 72 may also be built into one or more processors 71. The processor 71 executes the preset processing according to the program and recipe (process recipe) stored in the memory 72. The recipe contains the control content of the substrate processing device 1 for the process conditions. The control content includes, for example, gas flow rate or pressure in the processing container 10, temperature in the processing container 10 or temperature of the platform body 41, process time, etc. In addition, the recipe, etc., can also be installed in the control unit 70 and read in the form of a memory medium that can be stored in a CD-ROM, DVD, memory card or other memory medium that can be read by a computer. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the frame member 50 positioned at the preheating position HP. The effects of the heat from the pedestal 40 on the frame member 50 will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The frame member 50, a component of the substrate processing apparatus 1, is affected by heat from the platform 40. For example, when the platform body 41 is heated by the heating wire 45, while the frame member 50 is at a lower temperature relative to the platform body 41, the frame member 50 (outer periphery 51 and eaves 52) will deform outward in a horizontal direction due to the heat from the platform 40. As a result, the shielding area of ​​the substrate W shielded by the frame member 50, which has a lower temperature and a larger temperature difference than the platform body 41, becomes uneven compared to the shielding area of ​​the substrate W shielded by the frame member 50, which has no temperature difference with the platform body. If the frame member 50 deforms on the platform 40 due to temperature changes, the film formation will become uneven due to the change in the shielding area, thus reducing the accuracy of the substrate processing. Furthermore, assuming that the frame member 50 deforms while in contact with the pedestal 40, friction will occur between the pedestal 40 and the frame member 50 due to the material difference between them. If this friction causes damage or unevenness to the pedestal 40 or the frame member 50, the relative position (e.g., clearance C) of the eaves 52 relative to the substrate W will change, potentially affecting the substrate processing. This could also become a major cause of the eaves 52 contacting the substrate W. Although placing the heater on the frame member 50 side has been considered, when the frame member 50 contacts the pedestal 40 and the support plate 65 is displaced below the step surface 412, the support plate 65 is designed to detach from the frame member 50, making it difficult to install the heater on the frame member 50 side. Therefore, the control unit 70 in this embodiment performs a preheating process, which involves positioning the frame member 50 at a preheating position HP that is not in contact with but close to the stage 40 before film formation in the substrate processing apparatus 1, and preheating the frame member 50 by means of the radiant heat from the stage 40. After preheating, the frame member 50 is forced to deform outward in the horizontal direction before contacting the stage 40, so as to avoid deformation after contact with the stage 40. The following description will focus on the functional units of the control unit 70 that implements this preheating treatment method, with reference to FIG4. FIG4 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks of the control unit 70 that implements the preheating treatment method. The control unit 70 includes a base temperature control unit 80, an initial control unit 81, a preheating condition determination unit 82, a preheating implementation unit 83, a preheating ineffective monitoring unit 84, an interlock unit 85, a substrate processing determination unit 86, and a substrate processing control unit 87. The base temperature control unit 80 adjusts the temperature of the base 40 according to the target temperature set by the user or in the recipe. At this time, the base temperature control unit 80 adjusts the power supply of the heater drive unit 46 according to the measured temperature obtained from the temperature sensor 47 so that the temperature of the base 40 is consistent with the target temperature. The initial control unit 81 is a functional unit that performs the initial operations of each component before substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. During the initial operation of the frame member 50 and the frame member lifting unit 60, the initial control unit 81 drives the mechanism body 64 of each unit lifting mechanism 61 to lower the support column 62 to the lower limit position (reference position) so that the height position of the support plate 65 is aligned with the reference position (zero point correction). Furthermore, after the support column 62 has reached the zero-point calibration at its lower limit position, the initial control unit 81 preferably causes the frame member 50 to rise immediately. Thus, during the initial operation of the frame member lifting unit 60, although the frame member 50 will contact the step surface 412 as the frame member lifting unit 60 descends, this initial operation is very brief. For example, approximately 3 seconds after contact, the initial control unit 81 will activate the frame member lifting unit 60 to raise the support column 62, thereby causing the frame member 50 to float off the step surface 412. In this way, during initial control, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can suppress deformation of the frame member 50 during the contact between the platform body 41 and the frame member 50, which has a temperature difference with the platform body 41. After zero-point calibration, during the initial operation of other components, the initial control unit 81 can position the frame member 50 at any height as long as it does not come into contact with the step surface 412. Alternatively, the initial control unit 81 can position the frame member 50 in the preheating position HP (see Figure 3) to put it into standby mode during the initial operation of other components. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can shorten the preheating process time. Furthermore, the control unit 70 can also perform zero-point calibration at the end of the initial operation and immediately switch to the operation of the preheating implementation unit 83 (preheating of the frame member 50) after zero-point calibration. The preheating condition determination unit 82 determines whether to preheat the frame member 50. For example, the control unit 70 outputs the frame member screen information 90 used to implement the preheating process of the frame member 50 to the display device of the control unit 70, and performs the preheating of the frame member 50 according to the user's manual operation. Figure 5 illustrates the frame component screen information 90 displayed on the display device. As shown in Figure 5, the frame component screen information 90 includes a button 91 for setting the operation of the frame component 50 during substrate processing, a button 92 for setting the move-in / out standby position, a button 93 for specifying various positions of the frame component 50, and a button 94 for manually performing preheating. When the button 93 for specifying the position of the frame component 50 is operated, the control unit 70 displays setting screen information such as the preheating position HP (not shown). Furthermore, when the button 94 for manually performing preheating is operated, the control unit 70 performs preheating of the frame component 50 under the control of the preheating implementation unit 83 described later. Returning to Figure 4, the preheating condition determination unit 82 pre-stores multiple preheating conditions for preheating the frame member 50. When any one of the multiple preheating conditions is met, the preheating of the frame member 50 will be automatically performed. When none of the multiple preheating conditions are met, the preheating of the frame member 50 will not be performed. Examples of multiple preheating conditions are as follows [a] to [c]. [a] The initial operation is performed when the operation of the substrate processing device 1 starts (starts up) or when the operation is restarted. [b]The temperature of the base 40 changes due to events such as user operation, operation of the substrate processing device 1, or malfunction. [c] The preheating failure of frame member 50 has been identified (the preheating failure flag F2 of the status register becomes 1). Furthermore, the preheating implementation unit 83 causes the frame member 50 to move relative to the step surface 412, thereby positioning the frame member 50 at the set preheating position HP (see also Figure 3). The preheating position HP is a position where even if the frame member 50 deforms, it will not interfere with the position of the pedestal 40, and the frame member 50 can effectively receive the radiant heat from the pedestal 40. The separation distance X of the preheating position HP relative to the step surface 412 of the pedestal body 41 is shorter than the interval D between the mounting surface 411 and the step surface 412. The actual separation distance X of the preheating position HP is preferably preset through experiments or simulations, and is preferably set to a range of approximately 0.3mm to 3mm. Alternatively, as described above, the separation distance X of the preheating position HP can be set by the user through the setting screen information. The preheating implementation unit 83 can also be configured to automatically change the preheating position HP according to the temperature of the base 40. For example, the preheating implementation unit 83 stores distribution information (not shown) that corresponds the temperature of the base 40 to the preheating position HP, and sets the preheating position HP by referring to the temperature and distribution information of the base 40 measured by the temperature sensor 47. That is, when the temperature of the base 40 is high, the preheating position HP will be moved away from the first distance relative to the step surface 412; on the other hand, when the temperature of the base 40 is low, the preheating position HP will be changed to be moved away from the second distance relative to the step surface 412, which is shorter than the first distance. The preheating implementation unit 83 automatically starts operating upon receiving the preheating condition determination unit 82's determination that the preheating conditions have been met (e.g., information indicating that the initial operation has ended), causing the frame member lifting unit 60 to operate and position the frame member 50 at the preheating position HP. At this time, the control unit 70 detects the current height position of the frame member 50 by obtaining the operating status of the frame member lifting unit 60. Then, the control unit 70 displays the position of the support plate 65 and the position of the frame member 50 relative to the step surface 412 in the position information area 95 of the frame member screen information 90 shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, in FIG. 5, the axis position column 951 of the position information area 95 shows the relative distance of the support plate 65 relative to the reference position, and the frame member position column 952 of the position information area 95 shows the relative distance of the frame member 50 relative to the step surface 412. After the frame member 50 is positioned at the preheating position HP, the preheating implementation unit 83 keeps the frame member 50 in the preheating position HP until the preheating completion time, which is sufficient for the frame member 50 to be sufficiently heated, has elapsed. The preheating completion time varies depending on the temperature of the pedestal 40 or the preheating position HP, but is preferably set to, for example, approximately 3 to 60 seconds. The preheating completion time can also be automatically changed according to the temperature of the pedestal 40 or the preheating position HP. For example, the preheating implementation unit 83 stores distribution information (not shown) that correlates the temperature of the pedestal 40 with the preheating position HP based on the preheating completion time, sets the preheating completion time based on this distribution information, and starts timing until the preheating completion time is reached. Furthermore, during the preheating of the frame component 50, the preheating implementation unit 83 marks the preheating incomplete flag F1 in the status register displaying the status information of the frame component 50 (changing the preheating incomplete flag F1 from 0 to 1). On the other hand, after the preheating of the frame component 50 is completed, the preheating incomplete flag F1 is changed from 1 to 0. Further, during preheating, the preheating implementation unit 83 detects the preheating status (elapsed time) and displays the elapsed time in the preheating information area 96 of the frame component screen information 90 shown in Figure 5, for example. The preheating information area 96 includes a status bar 961 displaying the current status such as in progress (preheating incomplete), preheating complete, and preheating not implemented; a preheating time bar 962 displaying the elapsed time of preheating of the frame component 50; and a cooling time bar 963 displaying the elapsed time of temperature reduction of the frame component 50. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may also include a detection unit (not shown) that detects the temperature of the frame member 50, and determines whether preheating of the frame member 50 is to be carried out or terminated based on the temperature detected by the detection unit. Also, when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is in operation (during production), if the substrate W is not being moved towards the platform 40, the control unit 70 preferably keeps the frame member 50 positioned at the preheating position HP in standby mode even after the preheating completion time has elapsed. That is, even if the preheating incomplete flag F1 is 0, the frame member 50 is still positioned at the preheating position HP. This prevents the unexpected drop in temperature of the frame member 50 after preheating is completed. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is operated, the preheating failure monitoring unit 84 monitors the frame member 50 after temporary preheating to detect preheating failure when the temperature drops. The preheating failure monitoring unit 84 obtains the height position (vertical position) of the frame member 50 from, for example, the power distribution drive unit 66, and measures the time when the frame member 50 is located at a position HP higher than the preheating position relative to the pedestal 40, and thus the temperature of the frame member 50 drops (e.g., when it is moved to or from the standby position). Figure 6 illustrates the location information area and preheating information when monitoring preheating is ineffective. In the location information area 95 shown in Figure 6, the frame member location column 952 becomes a large value, indicating the location where the frame member 50 experiences a temperature drop. Furthermore, the cooling time column 963 in the preheating information area 96 shown in Figure 6 represents the measured preheating ineffectiveness time. When the preheating failure monitoring unit 84 detects that the elapsed time has exceeded the preset preheating failure time, it determines that the temperature of the frame component 50 has decreased, that is, the preheating of the frame component 50 has become ineffective. The preheating failure time varies depending on the temperature within the processing space 14a (the temperature of the platform 40), but is set to a value of, for example, 3 minutes or more. Furthermore, the preheating failure time can also be automatically changed according to the temperature within the processing container 10 or the platform 40. When the preheating failure monitoring unit 84 determines that the preheating of the frame component 50 has become ineffective, it will mark the preheating failure flag F2 (changing the preheating failure flag F2 from 0 to 1). When the preheating invalid flag F2 becomes 1, the control unit 70 switches the preheating completed status display to the preheating not implemented status display in the status bar 961 of the preheating information area 96. Then, the control unit 70 re-operates the preheating implementation unit 83 to re-preheat the frame member 50. For example, at the time when the substrate W has not been moved in or out, the control unit 70, under the control of the preheating implementation unit 83, operates the frame member lifting unit 60 to position the frame member 50 in the preheating position HP. Then, after the preheating implementation unit 83 starts preheating, the preheating invalid monitoring unit 84 changes the preheating invalid flag F2 from 1 to 0. On the other hand, the preheating implementation unit 83 changes the preheating incomplete flag F1 from 0 to 1. Returning to Figure 4, when the preheating incomplete flag F1 or the preheating invalid flag F2 becomes 1 (preheating incomplete, preheating invalid, etc.), the interlocking unit 85 of the control unit 70 will implement a preheating interlock. For example, in the preheating interlock, the interlocking unit 85, except for the initial operation, will prevent the frame member 50 from contacting the step surface 412 of the base 40. For example, the interlocking unit 85 prevents the frame member 50 from contacting the step surface 412 by stopping the operation of functional units other than the preheating implementation unit 83 in the software. Alternatively, the interlocking unit 85 may also allow the interfacing component or the like to contact the frame member 50 to mechanically prevent the frame member 50 from contacting the step surface 412. Furthermore, if the preheating incomplete flag F1 or the preheating invalid flag F2 has become 1, the interlock unit 85 will prohibit substrate processing (formula implementation). For example, in the prohibition of substrate processing, the substrate processing apparatus 1 will prohibit the loading of substrate W, prohibit the supply of gas into the processing container 10, and prohibit the operation of the high-frequency power supply 32, etc. Furthermore, the interlocking part 85 can be interlocked when the frame member 50 is in contact with the platform 40, in a manner that prevents temperature changes in the platform 40. Examples of temperature changes in the platform include stopping the heating wire 45 or creating a vacuum inside the processing container 10. This prevents deformation of the frame member 50 when in contact with the step surface 412 of the platform 40 due to temperature changes received by the frame member 50 from the step surface 412. Furthermore, when the temperature of the pedestal 40 needs to be changed, the control unit 70 can first perform a dodging action that causes the frame member 50 to float from the step surface 412, and then implement the temperature change of the pedestal 40. Through this dodging action, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reliably avoid friction between the pedestal 40 and the frame member 50, and smoothly perform the temperature change of the pedestal 40. The substrate processing determination unit 86 of the control unit 70 determines whether the implementation conditions for substrate processing are met or not, thereby determining whether substrate processing is to be implemented. For example, the substrate processing determination unit 86 may use the fact that the interlocking unit 85 has not performed interlocking (the preheating incomplete flag F1 is 0 and the preheating invalid flag F2 is 0) as the implementation condition for substrate processing. Other examples of implementation conditions for substrate processing include that substrate processing has been performed in the formula, the substrate W is ready for transport by the transport device, and no abnormal events have occurred. When the conditions are met by the substrate processing determination unit 86, the substrate processing control unit 87 of the control unit 70 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform substrate processing. Specifically, the substrate processing control unit 87 raises the preheated frame member 50 to a standby position, and after the substrate W is moved toward the mounting surface 411, it lowers the frame member 50 to contact the step surface 412 of the stage 40. Then, the substrate processing control unit 87 creates a pre-set vacuum atmosphere inside the processing container 10 and supplies gas to the processing space 14a for plasma treatment, thereby performing actual substrate processing in which the precursor in the plasma is supplied to the substrate W. This substrate processing includes film deposition processing or etching processing using CVD methods. The substrate processing apparatus 1, which is related to the implementation type, is basically configured as described above. Hereinafter, its operation will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the preheating process of the frame member 50. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing procedure. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is in operation (e.g., during startup or operation), it performs a preheating process to preheat the frame member 50. During the implementation of the preheating process, the platform temperature control unit 80 of the control unit 70 controls the heater drive unit 46 to adjust the temperature of the platform 40 so that the platform 40 reaches the target temperature set by the user or in the formula (step S1). Furthermore, the initial control unit 81 of the control unit 70 controls the initial operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (step S2). During the initial operation of the frame member lifting unit 60, the initial control unit 81 lowers the support column 62 of each unit lifting mechanism 61 to the lower limit position, thereby aligning the zero point position of the support plate 65. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can perform initial operation control (step S2) and temperature adjustment of the platform 40 (step S1) at the same time. Then, the preheating condition determination unit 82 of the control unit 70 will check the preheating conditions for preheating the frame member 50 to determine whether the preheating conditions are met (step S3). If the preheating conditions are not met in step S3 (step S3: NO), steps S4 to S9 will be skipped and the process will proceed to step S10, so that the preheating of the frame member 50 is not performed. In step S3, if the preheating condition is met (step S3: YES), the preheating implementation unit 83 of the control unit 70 will set the preheating incomplete flag F1 to 1 (step S4). After the interlocking unit 85 detects that the preheating incomplete flag F1 is 1, it will perform a preheating interlock. During the preheating interlock, the interlocking unit 85 will perform interlocks to prevent the frame member 50 from contacting the base 40 and to prevent the processing of the substrate W, etc., as a restriction on the above-mentioned operations (step S5). Furthermore, the preheating implementation unit 83 controls the operation of the frame member lifting unit 60 to position the frame member 50 at the preheating position HP on the step surface 412 away from the pedestal 40 (step S6). Then, the preheating implementation unit 83 preheats the frame member 50 by maintaining the frame member 50 in the preheating position HP, thereby supplying heat from the base 40 to the frame member 50 (step S7). In step S7, the preheating implementation unit 83 starts timing from the time the frame member 50 is positioned at the preheating position HP, and determines whether the standby time at the preheating position HP has reached the preheating completion time (step S8). Then, if the standby time has not reached the preheating completion time (step S8: NO), the preheating implementation unit 83 returns to step S7 to continue preheating the frame member 50. On the other hand, if the standby time has reached the preheating completion time (step S8: YES), the preheating implementation unit 83 identifies that there is no temperature difference between the platform 40 and the frame member 50, and sets the preheating incomplete flag F1 back to 0, thus completing the preheating (step S9). The interlocking unit 85 releases the interlock between the frame member 50 contacting the step surface 412 and the substrate processing based on the preheating incomplete flag F1 becoming 0. After preheating is completed, the substrate processing determination unit 86 of the control unit 70 will check the formula, the installation status of the substrate W toward the conveying device, and any abnormal conditions to determine whether to transfer to substrate processing (step S10). If the substrate is not transferred to substrate processing (step S10: NO), the control unit 70 will continue the standby of the frame member 50 at the preheating position HP (step S11) and return to step S10. On the other hand, if the process is transferred to substrate processing (step S10: NO), the substrate processing control unit 87 of the control unit 70 will perform the above-mentioned substrate processing operation (substrate processing procedure) (step S12). As shown in Figure 8, in the substrate processing procedure, the substrate processing control unit 87 first controls the operation of the frame member lifting unit 60 to position the frame member 50 in the loading / unloading standby position (step S21). In this state, the substrate processing control unit 87 works in conjunction with the conveying device to load the substrate W into the processing container 10 and to place the substrate W onto the mounting surface 411 of the platform 40 (step S22). Subsequently, the substrate processing control unit 87 controls the operation of the frame member lifting unit 60 to lower the frame member 50 relative to the pedestal 40 and the substrate W, so that the lower surface 511 of the outer periphery 51 of the frame member 50 contacts the step surface 412 of the pedestal 40 (step S23). In this way, the eaves 52 of the frame member 50 will cover the upper edge of the substrate W in a non-contact state relative to the substrate W. Subsequently, the substrate processing control unit 87 creates a preset vacuum atmosphere inside the processing container 10 and supplies gas to the processing space 14a for plasma treatment, thereby performing actual substrate processing (step S24) to provide the precursor in the plasma to the substrate W. Further, after substrate processing, the substrate processing control unit 87 actuates the frame member lifting unit 60 to raise the frame member 50 to the loading / unloading standby position (step S25), and removes the processed substrate W from the processing container 10 (step S26). Then, the substrate processing determination unit 86 determines whether to continue substrate processing (step S27). If it determines that substrate processing is complete (step S27: NO), the processing process ends. On the other hand, if substrate processing continues (step S27: YES), the substrate processing determination unit 86 determines whether the substrate W can be moved into the processing container 10 (step S28). If the substrate W can be moved (step S28: YES), the substrate processing control unit 87 returns to step S22 with the frame member 50 positioned in the loading / unloading standby position, and repeats the same operation from the loading of the substrate W. The time for moving the substrate W out and into the mounting surface 411 is not as long as the time required to significantly reduce the temperature of the frame member 50 (it is shorter than the ineffective preheating time), for example, it is about tens of seconds to 2 minutes. On the other hand, if the substrate W cannot be immediately transferred (step S28: NO), the preheating failure monitoring unit 84 will start timing and determine whether the measurement time is longer than the preheating failure time (step S29). If the measurement time is shorter than the preheating failure time (step S29: NO), the monitoring of substrate W transfer will be repeated in step S28. Then, if the measurement time is longer than the preheating failure time (step S29: YES), the preheating failure monitoring unit 84 will determine that preheating has become invalid and set the preheating failure flag F2 to 1 (step S30). When the preheating invalid flag F2 is 1, the preheating conditions in step S3 will be met. Then, the preheating execution unit 83 of the control unit 70 will re-execute the processing flow after step S4. Returning to the state after step S4, the control unit 70 will set the preheating invalid flag to 0 and the preheating incomplete flag to 1. Furthermore, if the substrate W cannot be transferred into the processing container 10, the control unit 70 can move the frame member 50 to the preheating position HP and put it into standby mode without waiting for the preheating invalid time, thereby preheating the frame member 50. This effectively suppresses the temperature drop of the frame member 50. Then, when the substrate W becomes transferable, the control unit 70 will raise the frame member 50 from the preheating position HP back to the transfer-in / standby position. As described above, the preheating method for the component and the substrate processing apparatus 1 can appropriately preheat the component, namely the frame member 50, which is contactable and movable relative to the pedestal 40. Then, by preheating the frame member 50, the preheating method for the component and the substrate processing apparatus 1 pre-initiates deformation of the frame member 50 due to temperature changes, thereby preventing deformation of the frame member 50 when it contacts the pedestal 40. Consequently, the relative position between the frame member 50 and the substrate W on the pedestal 40 becomes stable, improving the uniformity of the processing of the substrate W. Furthermore, during the preheating process, the part (frame member 50) is kept in the preheating position HP until a preset preheating completion time has elapsed. In this way, the preheating process can adjust the temperature of the frame member 50 until the temperature difference with the base 40 has been fully eliminated. Furthermore, after the preheating process, there is a step that measures the time it takes for the part (frame member 50) to be located further away from the base 40 than the preheating position HP, and determines whether the measurement time has exceeded the ineffective preheating time. If the measurement time has exceeded the ineffective preheating time, the preheating of the part is identified as invalid, and the preheating process is repeated. In this way, even if the part has already been temporarily preheated, it can still be easily reheated as needed. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a component lifting section (frame member lifting section 60) that raises and lowers the component by raising and lowering a movable part (support plate 65) that supports the component (frame member 50) into a detachable state. Before the component preheating process, an initial operation is performed: the movable part is lowered to bring the component into contact with the platform 40, and the movable part is aligned with a reference position by detaching the component from the movable part. In this way, the component preheating process can control the position of the component during the raising and lowering of the frame member 50 with good precision, thereby preheating the component more appropriately. Furthermore, the base 40 has a contact surface (step surface 412) that allows the part (frame member 50) to contact, and the preheating position HP is set in the range of 0.3mm to 3mm relative to the contact surface. In this way, the part preheating treatment method can efficiently adjust the temperature of the part positioned at the preheating position HP. Furthermore, the preheating process for components includes a preheating interlock process that restricts the operation of the substrate processing device 1. This allows for a safer preheating process for components. Furthermore, the preheating interlock prevents the parts (frame member 50) from contacting the base 40 as a restriction on movement. In this way, the preheating process of the parts can reliably prevent parts that have not yet been preheated from contacting the base 40. Furthermore, the preheating interlock prevents the processing of the substrate W as a restriction on operation. Therefore, when there are parts that have not yet completed preheating, the preheating process of the parts (frame member 50) does not require processing of the substrate W, thereby avoiding friction between the parts and the base 40 or the substrate W. Furthermore, during the process of bringing the part (frame member 50) into contact with the pedestal, a contact interlock is implemented to prevent temperature changes in the pedestal 40. In this way, the preheating treatment method for the part can suppress deformation of the part in contact with the pedestal 40 caused by temperature changes in the pedestal 40. Furthermore, the component is a frame member 50, which has an eave 52 that covers the periphery wp of the substrate W placed on the pedestal 40 when in contact with the pedestal 40. In this way, the preheating process of the component can be stably covered by the eave 52 of the preheated frame member 50. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 disclosed herein, which comprises a platform 40 for holding a substrate W and a component (frame member 50) that is contactable and movable relative to the platform 40, includes a control unit 70 that controls the movement of the component. The control unit 70 positions the component at a non-contact preheating position HP relative to the platform 40, and preheats the component using radiant heat from the platform 40, thereby bringing the preheated component into contact with the platform 40. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can appropriately preheat the component to improve the uniformity of substrate W processing. The preheating treatment method for the frame member 50 and the substrate processing apparatus 1 disclosed in this specification should be considered illustrative in all respects and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims. The matters described in the aforementioned plurality of embodiments can also be configured in other ways without contradiction, and can also be combined without contradiction. The substrate processing apparatus 1 disclosed herein can also be applied to any type of apparatus, such as ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma), ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma), RLSA (Radial Line Slot Antenna), ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma), or HWP (Helicon Wave Plasma). 1: Substrate processing apparatus; 10: Processing container; 40: Stand; 50: Frame member; 60: Frame member lifting unit; 70: Control unit; HP: Preheating position; W: Substrate Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus related to an implementation type. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the base and frame components of the substrate processing apparatus. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which the frame components are positioned in the preheating position. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the function blocks of the control unit that performs the preheating process. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the frame component screen information displayed by the display device. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the position information area and preheating information when monitoring preheating is ineffective. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the preheating process of the frame components. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the substrate processing procedure. 40:pedestal 41:pedestal body 50: Frame components 51: Peripheral part 52: Eaves 60: Lifting section of frame component 61: Unit lifting mechanism 62: Pillar 65: Support Plate 411: Placement Surface 412: Step surface 413: Lateral surface 511: Below 512: Inner side 513: Outer side 514: Above 521: Above 522: Below 523: Inner Edge C: Clearance D: Interval HP: Preheating position T1: Thickness T2: Thickness W: substrate X: Separation distance wp: Zhou Yuan

Claims

1. A method for preheating a frame member, which is a method for preheating a frame member that is contactable and movable relative to a substrate processing apparatus for placing a substrate; comprising the following steps: positioning the frame member in a preheating position that is non-contact relative to the platform, and preheating the frame member by means of radiant heat from the platform; and bringing the frame member, which has been preheated by the preheating step, into contact with the platform.

2. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 1, wherein in the process of preheating the frame member, the frame member is left idle at the preheating position until a preset preheating completion time has elapsed.

3. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein after the preheating process of the frame member, there is a process of measuring the time it takes for the frame member to be located further away from the pedestal than the preheating position, and determining whether the measurement time has exceeded the ineffective preheating time; if the measurement time has exceeded the ineffective preheating time, the preheating of the frame member is identified as ineffective, and the preheating process of the frame member is performed again.

4. The preheating treatment method for the frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a frame member lifting part, which lifts the frame member by raising and lowering a movable part that supports the frame member as a detachable part; before the preheating process of the frame member, an initial action is performed, which involves lowering the movable part to bring the frame member into contact with the platform, thereby allowing the frame member to detach from the movable part and aligning the movable part with a reference position.

5. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pedestal has a contact surface that allows the frame member to contact; the preheating position is set in the range of 0.3 mm to 3 mm relative to the contact surface.

6. The preheating treatment method for the frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a preheating interlock is performed during the preheating process of the frame member to restrict the operation of the substrate processing device.

7. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 6, wherein the interlocking system prevents the frame member from contacting the pedestal during preheating as a limitation of the action.

8. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 6, wherein the interlocking system prohibits the treatment of the substrate during preheating as a limitation of the action.

9. The preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein during the process of bringing the frame member into contact with the pedestal, a contact interlock is performed to prevent temperature changes of the pedestal.

10. A preheating treatment method for a frame member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame member has an eaves portion that, when in contact with the pedestal, covers the periphery of the substrate placed on the pedestal.

11. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a platform for holding a substrate and a frame member that is contactable and movable relative to the platform; comprising a control unit for controlling the movement of the frame member; the control unit positioning the frame member in a preheating position that is non-contact relative to the platform, preheating the frame member by radiant heat from the platform, and bringing the preheated frame member into contact with the platform.

Images