Substrate holder, substrate supporting apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method using the same

Abstract

Provided are a substrate holder, a substrate supporting apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method. Particularly, there are provided a substrate holder, a substrate supporting apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method that are adapted to improve process efficiency and etch uniformity at the back surface of a substrate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present disclosure relates to a substrate holder, a substrate supporting apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method, and more particularly, to a substrate holder, a substrate supporting apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing method that are adapted to improve process efficiency and etch uniformity at the back surface of a substrate.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Generally, semiconductor apparatuses and flat display apparatuses are manufactured by depositing a plurality of thin layers on the front surface of a substrate and etching the thin layers to form devices having predetermined patterns on the substrate. That is, a thin layer is deposited on the front surface of a substrate by using a deposition apparatus, and then portions of the thin layer are etched into a predetermined pattern by using an etching apparatus.[0003]Particularly, since such thin layer deposition and etch processes are performed o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]According to the teaching of the present disclosure, plasma can be uniformly generated at the back surface of a substrate to improve the etch uniformity across the back surface of the substrate. In detail, leakage of reaction gas injected toward a substrate placed in the chamber is prevented by using the substrate holder having variously shaped and sized exhaust holes at its sidewall, so that plasma generated between the substrate and the electrode can be stayed for a constant time, and reaction gas can flow smoothly for uniform distribution across the back surface of the substrate.

[0019]Furthermore, the substrate holder may have a divided structure, and in this case, the substrate holder can be partially re-machined or replaced without having to re-machine or replace the substrate holder wholly when the substrate holder is broken. Therefore, maintenance machining can be easily performed, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

[0020]Furthermore, the substrate supporting apparatus can be configured so that the electrode unit and the substrate holder can be simultaneously lifted by the elevating member. In this case, the substrate supporting apparatus can have a simple structure, and space can be efficiently used.

[0021]Furthermore, since the substrate holder of the substrate supporting apparatus is lifted by the elevating member connected to the electrode unit, the horizontal position of a substrate placed on the substrate holder can be easily maintained.

[0022]Furthermore, since the substrate processing apparatus includes the substrate supporting apparatus configured to lift the electrode unit and the substrate holder using a single elevating member, the substrate processing apparatus can be easily controlled, and the process efficiency can be improved.

[0023]In addition, since the shield member of the substrate processing apparatus can be spaced apart from a substrate by a uniform gap, the substrate can be uniformly etched.

Problems solved by technology

Particularly, since such thin layer deposition and etch processes are performed on the same surface (front surface) of a substrate, foreign substances such as thin layers and particles deposited on the back surface of the substrate during the thin layer deposition process are not removed, and the remaining foreign substances cause various problems such as bending and misalignment of the substrate in a subsequent process.

However, since such a conventional substrate supporting apparatus has an opened side not to interfere with a carrying unit used to carry a substrate into a chamber, reaction gas injected to the back surface of a substrate supported by the substrate supporting apparatus may leak or split due to the opened side of the substrate supporting apparatus.

This reduces the etch uniformity of the back surface of the substrate.

Therefore, the structure of the substrate supporting apparatus is complex and it is difficult to use the inside space of the chamber.

In addition, since the driving units are individually controlled for actuating the substrate holder and the lower electrode, the process efficiency is low.

Moreover, since the substrate holder is moved from the bottom surface of the chamber to a considerably high position by the driving unit, it is difficult to make the substrate parallel with the lower electrode and make the gap between the shield member and the substrate uniform.

In addition, since the conventional substrate holder should be entirely repaired or replaced although the substrate holder is partially broken during a substrate processing process, the maintenance costs of the substrate processing apparatus are high, and the time required for re-operating the substrate processing apparatus is long due to a time necessary for preparing a new substrate holder.

In addition, since exhaust holes are uniformed formed in the conventional substrate holder for discharging plasma, process application range is restricted.

In addition, if a ring-shaped substrate holder is not used, plasma generated between a substrate and an electrode is non-uniformly or rapidly discharged, that is, plasma staying time varies or becomes too short.

Thus, the substrate is not uniformly process.

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