Wafer processing apparatus capable of controlling wafer temperature

Abstract

In a wafer processing apparatus, wafers are sequentially placed one by one on a ceramic plate of a wafer stage within a vacuum chamber. The pressure of a heat-conductive gas introduced at this time between the wafer and the ceramic plate is adjusted to control the temperature of the wafer, and the wafer is processed by use of plasma. In this case, the user can select any one of a process for regulating the pressure of the heat-conductive gas each time the wafers are sequentially placed on the wafer stage, a process for optimizing aging conditions, and a process for optimizing heater conditions so that the wafer temperature variation within lot can be reduced by performing the selected process. The selected process is performed on the basis of its conditions that are computed to determine by a control-purpose computer of the processing apparatus.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention generally relates to techniques for etching semiconductor wafers, and particularly to a wafer processing apparatus of the system for continuously processing semiconductor wafers. [0002] Recently, as the semiconductor integrated circuit density increases, the circuit patterns formed in the semiconductor wafer have so far been entirely gone forward miniaturization and up to the point where the dimensional precision is required to be much stricter than ever. In this situation, the temperature management for the wafers (semiconductor wafers) during the process becomes extremely important. [0003] For example, in the etching process required for the patterns to have a high aspect ratio, an organic polymer is actually used to protect the sidewalls of the patterns to thereby achieve anisotropic etching. [0004] At this time, since the organic polymer serving as the protective film is changed in its generation condition by temperature, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] According to the invention, since the wafer temperature variation can be reduced within the lot, wafers can be processed with high reproducibility even when the invention is applied to the process having great temperature dependence.

Problems solved by technology

The prior art described in the above JP-A-6-124916 does not consider the point that the wafers are continuously processed in turn, and it has the drawback that the temperature variation between the wafers cannot be reduced.

That is, in the prior art, the temperature variation can be reduced during the time in which each wafer is being processed, but it cannot be reduced over the wafers that are sequentially processed.

Therefore, in the actual process line, the wafers even within the same lot, for example, the first wafer and the twenty-fifth wafer, most probably have different etching results, thus causing a trouble.

Images