Processing apparatus

Abstract

There is provided a processing apparatus including a processing gas discharge unit provided within a processing chamber so as to face a mounting table and configured to discharge a processing gas into the processing chamber; a first space corresponding to a central portion of a processing target object; a second space corresponding to an edge portion of the processing target object; at least one third space formed between the first space and the second space; and a processing gas distribution unit including processing gas distribution pipes and valves. The spaces are provided within the processing gas discharge unit and partitioned by partition walls. At the spaces, there are formed discharge holes for discharging the processing gas. The processing gas distribution pipes communicate with the spaces, and the valves are opened or closed to allow adjacent processing gas distribution pipes to communicate with each other or be isolated from each other.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-262464 filed on Nov. 25, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 423,645 filed on Dec. 16, 2010, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present disclosure relates to a processing apparatus.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In order to improve process uniformity in a surface of a processing target object such as a semiconductor wafer, there has been proposed a method of changing a supply amount of a processing gas at a central portion and an edge portion of the wafer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).[0004]In Patent Document 1, in order to change the supply amount of the processing gas at the central portion and the edge portion of the wafer, a circular ring-shaped partition wall is provided in a buffer room (gas diffusion space) of an upper electrode configured to discharge the processing g...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, it is possible to provide the processing apparatus capable of changing at least one of the supply amount and the kind of the processing gas discharged to the processing target object depending on the position in the surface of the processing target object. Further, the processing apparatus is capable of changing the discharging position of the processing gas without changing the position of the circular ring-shaped partition wall manually or replacing the circular ring-shaped partition wall or the processing gas discharge unit itself manually.

Problems solved by technology

Since, however, the position of the circular ring-shaped partition wall is fixed, if there is a change in the process, e.g., a change in processing conditions, a margin for obtaining desired uniformity in the surface of the wafer would be reduced or best uniformity in the surface of the wafer may not be obtained.

The same problems as mentioned above may also occur when a new process is employed in order to manufacture a next-generation device as well as when there is a change in the process.

For this reason, a conventional processing apparatus has low compatibility with or applicability to a next-generation device or process.

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