Ceramic sprayed member-cleaning method, program for implementing the method, storage medium storing the program, and ceramic sprayed member

Abstract

A ceramic sprayed member-cleaning method which is capable of reliably suppressing desorption and attachment of water. The surface of a ceramic sprayed member and water are chemically bonded to each other, whereby the water is stabilized. Water physically adsorbed on the surface of the ceramic sprayed member is desorbed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a ceramic sprayed member-cleaning method, a program for implementing the method, a storage medium storing the program, and a ceramic sprayed member, and more particularly to a ceramic sprayed member-cleaning method for cleaning ceramic sprayed members, such as an electrode, a focus ring, and an electrostatic chuck, which are used in a chamber in which a plasma atmosphere is formed by a processing gas, and a conveying arm used in a conveyor for conveying substrates and the like to a processing apparatus, a program for implementing the method, a storage medium storing the program, and a ceramic sprayed member. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Conventionally, a plasma processing apparatus that carries out predetermined plasma processing on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer generally includes a chamber for housing the substrate. In such processing apparatus, member...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] It is an object of the present invention to provide a ceramic sprayed member-cleaning method, and a program for implementing the method, which are capable of reliably suppressing desorption and attachment of water, a storage medium storing the program, and a ceramic sprayed member.

[0042] According to the present invention, the surface of the ceramic sprayed member and water are chemically bonded to each other for stabilization of the water, and water physically adsorbed on the surface of the ceramic sprayed member is desorbed. Thus, when the ceramic sprayed member is used, it is possible to reliably suppress desorption and attachment of water from and to the ceramic sprayed member.

[0043] Further, since the hydration processing is carried out by exposing the ceramic sprayed member to a high-pressure, high-humidity, and high-temperature environment, it is possible to further stabilize water chemically bonded to the surface of the ceramic sprayed member, thereby more reliably suppressing desorption and attachment of water from and to the ceramic sprayed member.

[0044] Furthermore, since the ceramic sprayed member is heated, desorption of water physically adsorbed on the surface of the ceramic sprayed member can be promoted, which makes it possible to reliably suppress desorption and attachment of water from and to the ceramic sprayed member when the ceramic sprayed member is used.

Problems solved by technology

Desorption and attachment of water from and to the inner wall of the chamber can cause problems, such as an increase in chamber-evacuating time, which results in lowering of the operation rate of the processing apparatus, abnormal film formation in forming a metal film, instability of the etching rate in etching an oxide film or the like, separation of particles, and abnormal discharge in generating plasma.

However, in any of the proposed apparatuses, in the case where a member having ceramic thermally sprayed on a surface thereof is used in the chamber, the effect of removing water is limited, so that it is impossible to reliably suppress desorption and attachment of water from and to the ceramic sprayed member.

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