Wafer processing apparatus and wafer processing method

Abstract

The present application aims to provide a wafer processing apparatus that can efficiently and accurately measure the temperature of a wafer of various kinds of films and achieve a high-quality product. The wafer processing apparatus of the present application includes a processing chamber disposed inside a vacuum container; a wafer stage disposed inside the processing chamber and having a wafer of interest placed on its upper surface; a lamp disposed above the wafer stage and radiating electromagnetic waves into the processing chamber including the wafer stage; an electromagnetic wave transparent body disposed to be movable inside the wafer stage and to allow electromagnetic waves to pass therethrough; and a detector that receives the electromagnetic waves that have passed through the wafer and the electromagnetic wave transparent body and detects the temperature of the wafer based on the received light spectrum.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus and a wafer processing method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor devices, in order to meet the demands for lower power consumption and increased storage capacity, further miniaturization and three-dimensional device construction are required. In the manufacturing of three-dimensional devices, the structure is three-dimensional and complex. Therefore, in addition to the traditional "vertical etching" which etches the wafer surface in the vertical direction, "isotropic etching," which can also be etched in the horizontal direction, is also frequently used.

[0003] Previously, isotropic etching was performed using wet processing with chemical solutions. However, due to advancements in miniaturization, the problem of pattern collapse caused by the surface tension of the chemical solution has become significant. Therefore, isotropic etching needs to be replaced by dry processing without chemical solutions.

[0004] Especially in isotropic etching processes of three-dimensional semiconductor fabrication, the necessity of gas etching has increased. In gas etching, physical parameters such as pressure and wafer temperature significantly contribute to the chemical reaction; therefore, high-precision wafer temperature measurement is crucial for process control. However, direct temperature measurement using thermocouples is unsuitable for mass-production semiconductor device processing. Therefore, a non-contact technology for measuring the temperature of semiconductor wafers is required.

[0005] As an example of such conventional technology, a radiation thermometer is considered for detecting temperature by detecting the heat radiated from a semiconductor wafer. However, this technology is generally limited by factors such as the melting point of various materials. In the manufacturing process of typical semiconductor devices, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer is managed at around 500°C or lower. At such temperatures, it is difficult to reliably detect the temperature using a radiation thermometer.

[0006] As an alternative to the technique using radiation thermometers, there exists an absorption end evaluation technique that stably detects temperature by utilizing the temperature dependence of the frequency at the region end (absorption end) of the frequency (wavelength) region of the electromagnetic waves absorbed by the semiconductor. That is, it is a technique for detecting the temperature of a semiconductor wafer by measuring the spectrum of light transmitted or scattered and reflected through the semiconductor wafer and evaluating the absorption end of that spectrum.

[0007] In manufacturing apparatuses for semiconductor devices, such as dry etching apparatuses, an absorption end evaluation device equipped with an infrared light source for wafer temperature measurement is known as described in Patent Document 1, which uses the aforementioned absorption end evaluation technology to detect the temperature of a semiconductor wafer with high precision.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for indirectly measuring temperature by installing a thermocouple on a lifting pin.

[0009] Prior art literature

[0010] Patent documents

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-73962

[0012] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-13120 Summary of the Invention

[0013] -The problem the invention aims to solve-

[0014] In prior art patent document 1, a circuitous design of the heater pattern and refrigerant circuit within the wafer mounting stage was required to avoid the fiber optic mounting hole used for temperature measurement. This resulted in uneven heating on the wafer mounting stage, potentially hindering the surface conditioning performance / uniformity and impairing product quality. Furthermore, due to differences in impurity (doping) content or film type, the transmittance of infrared light (also known as infrared, IR, IR light) varies among wafers. To achieve high-precision temperature measurement (temperature conversion), an appropriate light collection time needs to be set for each measurement.

[0015] Furthermore, in the temperature measurement of the gas medium described in Patent Document 2, in which a temperature sensor is used in the lifting pin section, the back pressure of the gas is generally reduced when it is heated by irradiation with IR light. As a result, it is difficult to perform high-precision temperature measurement due to the reduction in heat transfer through the gas.

[0016] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a technology in which a wafer processing apparatus that processes wafers by heating with electromagnetic waves can efficiently and accurately measure the temperature of wafers of various film types, thereby achieving good product quality processing.

[0017] -Methods for solving problems-

[0018] To address the aforementioned issues, one representative wafer processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a processing chamber disposed inside a vacuum container; a wafer stage disposed inside the processing chamber, on which a wafer to be processed is placed; a lamp disposed above the wafer stage, radiating electromagnetic waves into the processing chamber including the wafer stage; an electromagnetic wave transmitter configured to move within the wafer stage to allow the electromagnetic waves to pass through; and a detector receiving the electromagnetic waves passing through the wafer and the electromagnetic wave transmitter, and detecting the temperature of the wafer based on the received light spectrum.

[0019] -Invention Effects-

[0020] According to the present invention, in a wafer processing apparatus that processes wafers by heating with electromagnetic waves, temperature measurement can be performed efficiently and with high precision on wafers of various film types, thereby achieving good product quality.

[0021] Other issues, structures, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified through the following description of the implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of the wafer processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the wafer in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a graph showing how the light spectrum after passing through the chip changes according to the chip temperature.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a chart showing an example of the light spectrum transmitted through the wafer at a given wafer temperature.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating one example of the process for measuring the temperature of the wafer in this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the mechanism for adjusting the intensity of the detected light in this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 7 It is a graph showing the change in the light spectrum after passing through the chip when the intensity of the detection light is adjusted.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of adjusting the detection light intensity in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings. The structures described below are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. In the following examples, the same reference numerals are used to refer to components or parts with the same structure, and repeated descriptions are omitted unless necessary.

[0031] (Structure of a wafer processing device)

[0032] Figure 1This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the wafer processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The wafer processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment (sometimes also called a plasma processing apparatus or etching apparatus) includes a vacuum container made of aluminum or the like and a lamp that irradiates and heats a wafer on a stage disposed in the processing chamber below it with infrared (IR) light. It includes: a discharge chamber that forms the upper part of the vacuum container and forms plasma inside it, and a passage connecting the discharge chamber and the processing chamber below it; and a slit disposed inside the passage and having a plurality of gaps or holes through which highly reactive particles such as free radicals generated by the formation of plasma can pass.

[0033] In the plasma processing apparatus of this embodiment, the processing chamber 101 is a chamber disposed inside the bottom chamber 102 constituting the lower part of the vacuum container, and a wafer mounting stage 104 (also simply referred to as a mounting stage) for placing a wafer 103 on its upper surface is disposed on the lower part of the inner side. A plasma source is disposed above the processing chamber 101, and the plasma source uses the ICP discharge method.

[0034] A cylindrical quartz chamber 105 constituting the ICP plasma source is disposed above the processing chamber 101, and an ICP coil 106 is disposed on the outside of the quartz chamber 105. A high-frequency power supply 107 for generating plasma is connected to the ICP coil via a matching adapter 108.

[0035] The high-frequency power uses a frequency band of tens of MHz, such as 13.56 MHz. A top plate 110 is provided on the upper part of the quartz chamber 105, which constitutes the upper part of the vacuum container and the cover of the discharge chamber 109. A gas dispersion plate 111 and a spray plate 112 are provided on the lower part of the top plate 110. The processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber 101 through the interior of the discharge chamber 109 via the gas dispersion plate 111 and the spray plate 112.

[0036] The supply flow rate of the processed gas is adjusted by using a mass flow controller specifically designed for each gas type. Figure 1 In this example, the mass flow controller is configured as a mass flow control unit 113 inside a box-shaped housing, and is connected to a gas distributor 114 configured downstream of the mass flow control unit 113. Thus, the flow rate and composition of the gas supplied to the vicinity of the center of the discharge chamber 109 and the gas supplied to the vicinity of the periphery can be controlled and supplied independently, enabling detailed control of the spatial distribution of free radicals within the discharge chamber 109.

[0037] In addition, Figure 1 The treatment gases NH3, H2, CH2F2, CH3F, CH3OH, O2, NF3, Ar, N2, CHF3, CF4, and H2O are listed in the figure, but gases other than those listed may also be used.

[0038] To depressurize the interior of the processing chamber 101, an exhaust unit 116 is connected to the lower part of the processing chamber 101 via a vacuum exhaust pipe 115. The exhaust unit 116 may be composed of, for example, a turbomolecular pump, a mechanical booster pump, or a dry pump.

[0039] In addition, a pressure regulating unit 117 is provided on the upstream side of the exhaust unit 116 in order to adjust the pressure of the processing chamber 101 and the discharge chamber 109.

[0040] An IR lamp unit for heating the wafer is disposed above the processing chamber 101 and below the ICP coil 106. The IR lamp unit mainly consists of an IR lamp 118, a reflector 119 that reflects electromagnetic waves (sometimes also called light) from the IR lamp, and an IR light transmission window 120 made of a transmissive material such as quartz located below the IR lamp 118 and forming the top surface of the processing chamber 101. The reflector 119 is disposed above the IR lamp 118 and reflects the electromagnetic waves radiated from the IR lamp 118 downwards.

[0041] The IR lamp 118 is a circular (round) lamp. In addition, in this embodiment, the electromagnetic waves radiated from the IR lamp 118 emit light mainly in the visible to infrared range (referred to as IR light in this disclosure), but the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves is not limited to this, and it can also be simply referred to as a lamp unless otherwise specified.

[0042] The IR lamps 118 include three concentric IR lamps 118-1, 118-2, and 118-3. In this embodiment, they are set to three, but they can also be set to two, four, etc.

[0043] IR lamp 118 is connected to IR lamp power supply 121, and a high-frequency cutoff filter 122 is provided along the connection to prevent noise from the high-frequency power used for plasma generation from flowing into the IR lamp power supply. Furthermore, the IR lamp power supply 121 has the function of independently controlling the power supplied to IR lamps 118-1, 118-2, and 118-3, and can adjust the radial distribution of the heating amount of the wafer. Additionally, in Figure 1 The diagram of part of the wiring associated with this function is omitted.

[0044] Above the wafer stage 104, a flow path 124 is formed for connecting the processing chamber 101 and the discharge chamber 109, thereby introducing particles from the plasma 123 formed in the discharge chamber 109 into the processing chamber 101. Furthermore, a plate member 125 with multiple through holes or slits formed at given locations is provided in the flow path 124. The plate member 125 shields the introduction of charged particles such as ions and electrons generated in the plasma 123 into the processing chamber 101, introducing only neutral gases and neutral free radicals onto the wafer 103.

[0045] A refrigerant flow path 126 for cooling the stage is formed inside the wafer stage 104, and the refrigerant is circulated and supplied through the cooling device 127. In addition, in order to fix the wafer 103 by electrostatic adsorption, plate-shaped electrode plates 128 are embedded in the stage and connected to the DC power supply 129.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to efficiently cool and adjust the temperature of the wafer 103, He gas can be supplied between the back side of the wafer 103 and the wafer stage 104. In addition, in order to prevent damage to the back side of the wafer even when heating / cooling is performed while the wafer 103 is adsorbed, the wafer 103 mounting surface of the wafer stage 104 is coated with a resin such as polyimide.

[0047] Furthermore, a thermocouple 130 for measuring the temperature of the wafer stage 104 is provided inside the wafer stage 104, and this thermocouple 130 is connected to a thermocouple thermometer 131. Additionally, Figure 1 In this configuration, thermocouple 130 and thermocouple thermometer 131 are set to one unit, but multiple units can also be set.

[0048] (Temperature detection device)

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of a wafer in this embodiment. The temperature detection device 140 includes a pin 132, a drive shaft 133, a drive mechanism 134, a photodetector 135, an optical fiber 136, a beam splitter 137, and a photodetector 138. (As shown...) Figure 2 As shown, one or more pins 132 are provided through the wafer mounting stage 104. At least one of the pins includes a pin 132-1 made of a transparent material such as sapphire, and a pin 132-2 made of a non-transparent material such as ceramic. Alternatively, all the pins may be made of transparent material.

[0050] An O-ring is provided between the pin 132, which is made of a transparent or non-transparent material, and the wafer stage 104 to form an airtight seal so that the atmosphere below the stage does not flow into the processing chamber 101.

[0051] The pin 132 is connected to a drive shaft 133 located at the lower part of the stage, and the drive shaft 133 is connected to a drive mechanism 134 located at the lower part of the vacuum container. The drive mechanism 134 is, for example, a stepper motor. However, the drive mechanism 134 is not limited to a stepper motor, and a simpler drive unit can also be used. By using the drive mechanism 134 to drive the drive shaft in the vertical direction, the height of the pin can be adjusted.

[0052] The pin 132-1, made of a transmissive material, acts as an electromagnetic wave transmitter, allowing electromagnetic waves (light) from the transmissive chip 103 to pass through. The transmitted light is received by the photodetector 135. The received light is then transmitted from one end of the optical fiber 136 to the beam splitter 137 connected to the other end, where it is split into multiple predetermined wavelengths. The split light is then sent to the photodetector 138. The photodetector 138 then measures the light intensity at each wavelength to obtain data representing the detected light intensity at each wavelength, which is called the light spectrum (also simply referred to as the spectrum).

[0053] Furthermore, the pin can also function as an upper support for the wafer 103. In this case, by using the drive mechanism 134 to drive the drive shaft in the vertical direction, the pin 132, acting as a top support for the wafer, can be adjusted in height in the vertical direction above the surface of the stage, enabling support and transfer of wafers during wafer loading / unloading. In this case, the number of pins is preferably sufficient to support the number of wafers, for example, three or more.

[0054] The temperature detection device is assembled in the etching apparatus, but is not limited to the etching apparatus; it can also be assembled in various semiconductor processing apparatuses or semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. Furthermore, the temperature detection device can also be used independently.

[0055] (Controller)

[0056] The wafer processing apparatus 100 includes a controller 139 that controls the entire wafer processing apparatus 100. The controller 139 controls the operation and output of various components such as the high-frequency power supply 107, the matching unit 108, the DC power supply 129, the pressure regulating unit 117 (including the pressure regulating valve), the exhaust unit 116, the mass flow control unit 113, the gas distributor 114, the IR lamp power supply 121, or gate valves (not shown).

[0057] The controller 139 receives the outputs from the thermocouple thermometer 131 and the photodetector 138, and generates command signals based on the measurement data represented by these outputs to adjust the operation of the power supply, valves, pumps, etc., to suit the processing. Furthermore, the controller 139 can also control the IR lamp power supply 121 by feeding back the temperature of the wafer 103 obtained from the signal from the photodetector 138, and adjust the temperature of the wafer 103 by regulating the intensity of the electromagnetic waves radiated from the infrared lamp. Moreover, the controller 139 can also change and adjust the processing conditions, such as the type and composition of the gas introduced into the processing chamber 101 or the discharge chamber 109, and the pressure inside the vacuum container, based on the temperature of the wafer 103 detected by the signal from the photodetector 138.

[0058] The IR lamp 118 and cooling device 127 are preferably combined to control the temperature of the wafer stage 104. At this time, the controller 139 can also complementaryly combine the temperature of the wafer 103 obtained based on the signal from the photodetector 138 with the temperature of the wafer stage 104 detected by the thermocouple thermometer 131 to control the temperature of the wafer stage 104, which is correlated with the temperature of the wafer 103.

[0059] (The principle of temperature measurement)

[0060] Next, use Figure 3 , Figure 4 The principles and methods of temperature measurement are explained. Figure 3 This is a graph showing how the light spectrum transmitted through the chip changes with the chip temperature. The horizontal axis represents wavelength, and the vertical axis represents light intensity. For example... Figure 3 As shown, relative to line X, which represents the intensity of IR light before it illuminates the wafer, the values ​​of lines Y (Y0, Y1, Y2), representing the intensity of light after it has passed through the wafer, decrease, and each becomes a distribution with characteristic variations before and after a specific wavelength. That is, as... Figure 3 As shown in α, the range of values ​​for a specific wavelength before and after it includes a sharp increase or decrease in the intensity of IR light.

[0061] The band gap of a semiconductor decreases with increasing temperature, allowing for the excitation of lower-energy photons. As a result, the absorption end shifts towards longer wavelengths. This range of wavelengths varies with the temperature of the wafer; the band gap changes accordingly, the wavelength of the absorbed / transmitted IR light changes, and therefore the wavelength of α also changes. For example, with… Figure 2 Using Y0 as a reference, if the temperature of the wafer decreases, it will shift away from the short wavelength side as in Y1; if the temperature of the wafer increases, it will shift towards the long wavelength side as in Y2.

[0062] Furthermore, the IR light used for detection can be either transmitted light or light diffused from the surface or back of the wafer. However, in this case, compared to... Figure 3 Compared to the previous case, the intensity of the measured light is relatively weak, so it is necessary to find a way to improve the S / N ratio.

[0063] Figure 4 This is a graph showing an example of the light spectrum received after passing through the wafer at a given wafer temperature. The horizontal axis represents wavelength, and the vertical axis represents light intensity. For light that passes through wafer 103, is received by photodetector 135 via pin 132-1, and is then split by beam splitter 137, the original spectrum obtained by photodetector 138 is as follows: Figure 4 As shown in (a). Figure 4 (b) shows the normalized spectrum obtained by normalizing the original spectrum, including smoothing.

[0064] In this embodiment, relative to Figure 4 The normalized spectrum of (b) is determined as the absorption end wavelength (also simply referred to as the absorption end) based on the wavelength determined by the specific intensity shown by β. Before manufacturing the semiconductor device, relative to the shift γ of the absorption end from the reference temperature, relevant data, such as a calibration formula, of the wafer temperature and the shift γ relative to a given infrared light source of light intensity are obtained in advance. Based on this, using the given infrared light source of light intensity, the temperature of the wafer is calculated from the shift in the wafer being measured, thereby performing a temperature calculation process (absorption end evaluation) for wafer 103.

[0065] Furthermore, when processing wafer 103, for example, Ar gas is introduced into processing chamber 101 to heat wafer 103. However, the absorption wavelength of light based on gas molecules is on the longer wavelength side compared to the absorption end wavelength of the semiconductor, so it has little impact on the temperature detection based on the absorption end wavelength shown in this embodiment. Therefore, a variety of gases can be used when introducing them into processing chamber 101 and heating wafer 103.

[0066] (The process of temperature measurement)

[0067] Next, the procedure for temperature measurement will be explained. Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating one example of the process for measuring the temperature of the wafer in this embodiment.

[0068] The wafer 103 is moved into the processing chamber 101, and the wafer 103 is electrostatically attached to the stage using a DC power supply 129. He gas for cooling is then supplied to the back of the wafer. Figure 5 (c)). Then, the flow rate of the processing gas supplied to the processing chamber and the gas composition distribution in the processing chamber 101 are adjusted by the mass flow control unit 113 and the gas distributor 114, and plasma discharge is started by the high-frequency power supply 107. Figure 5 (a)). Then, the processing gas is ionized and dissociated by plasma 123, and the neutral gas and free radicals are supplied to the wafer 103 through plate member 125. Afterwards, the high-frequency power supply 107 is disconnected to stop the plasma discharge. Figure 5 (a)). Then, the supply of He gas to the back of the wafer is stopped ( Figure 5 (c) and open the voltage regulating unit 117 (voltage regulating valve) to release the pressure on the back of the wafer. Next, turn on the output of the IR lamp power supply 121 to illuminate the IR lamp 118. Figure 5 (b)). The IR light radiated from the IR lamp 118 heats the chip 103 through the IR light transmission window 120. Afterwards, the output of the IR lamp power supply 121 is turned off. Figure 5(b) ), stopping the heating of wafer 103. Next, while supplying Ar gas into the processing chamber, He gas is supplied to the back of the wafer to begin cooling the wafer. Figure 5 (c)). After cooling, it is transferred to the next cycle for cyclic etching.

[0069] During the heating of IR lamp 118 ( Figure 5 (b) of, such as Figure 5 As shown in (d)A, the light from IR lamp 118 is spectroscopically measured, and the wafer temperature is estimated based on the absorption end wavelength. During the subsequent cooling period, there is no light or electromagnetic wave from IR lamp 118, such as... Figure 5 As shown by the dashed line (imaginary line) of B in (d), the wafer temperature cannot be estimated in the wafer temperature detection method based on the absorption end evaluation. On the other hand, as Figure 5 As shown in (d) of C, when the output of the IR lamp 118 is reduced during cooling and the IR lamp 118 is lit with low power, the wafer temperature can be detected by evaluating the absorption end of the spectrum transmitted through the wafer, just as it is during heating. In this case, compared to case B, which is the same cooling period, the decrease in wafer temperature can be suppressed. Furthermore, the wafer temperature during cooling can also be estimated by complementaryly combining the temperature of the wafer stage 104 detected by the thermocouple thermometer 131. If it is not necessary to measure the wafer temperature during cooling, case B, in which the IR lamp 118 is turned off, can be used.

[0070] (Adjustment of light intensity)

[0071] The amount of electromagnetic waves transmitted through a wafer varies due to differences in impurity content or the resulting resistance (different film types). Therefore, if the temperature detection device is set to a fixed value, depending on the type of film on the wafer, the intensity of the detected light in the transmitted light spectrum may exceed the measurable range of the detector. The following uses... Figures 6-8 The corresponding methods for addressing this issue will be explained. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism for adjusting the intensity of the detected light in this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 7 This is a graph showing the change in the received light spectrum after passing through the chip when the detection light intensity is adjusted. Furthermore, Figure 8 This is a timing diagram of adjusting the detection light intensity in this embodiment.

[0072] First, when wafer processing begins, wafer 103 is placed on wafer stage 104. At this time, pin 132-1 moves to... Figure 6 The pin position of P shown in (a) Figure 8 Step 1).

[0073] Next, the IR lamp 118, which is independent of the product process of processing and manufacturing wafers, is heated, for example, by performing IR irradiation at a high power level of 70% of its maximum output for 25 seconds (Pre-IR irradiation). Figure 8 Step 2). There are no particular limitations on the output of the IR lamp; for example, an output of several tens of kW can be used as the maximum output.

[0074] Therefore, the transmitted light through the chip 103 is transmitted through the pin 132-1 based on the transmitting material, and then through the beam splitter 137 and the photodetector 138 to obtain the received light spectrum. Figure 8 Step 3).

[0075] Next, the controller 139 determines whether the detected light intensity of the received light spectrum obtained in step 3 falls outside the measurable range of the photodetector 138 within a given wavelength range (e.g., 20 nm) within the wavelength range required for normalization and temperature conversion in the absorption end evaluation (e.g., 1000–1320 nm) (e.g., whether it exceeds the upper limit of the detector's dynamic range, i.e., 64,000 counts) (Intensity OF (Overflow) determination). Figure 8 Step 4). For example... Figure 7 As shown in the spectrum of pin position P, when the detected light intensity exceeds the measurable upper limit within a given wavelength range and is determined to be "yes", it enters... Figure 8 Step 5. On the other hand, if the result is "no", proceed to... Figure 8 Step 6. Alternatively, if the beam splitter 137 includes a charge storage component (CCD, etc.), the above determination can also be made based on the measurable range (dynamic range) in the beam splitter 137.

[0076] When using a wafer with a high transmittance to determine the pin position Q where the intensity of the detected light does not deviate from the measurable range (not exceeding the upper limit of measurability), if the determination is "yes", then... Figure 6 As shown in (b), the controller 139 moves the pin 132-1 towards the pin position Q via the drive shaft 133 through the drive mechanism 134 connected to the pin 132-1 based on the permeable material, thereby increasing the distance to the wafer 103. Figure 8 Step 5). As a result, the amount of electromagnetic wave incident on pin 132-1 and transmitted is reduced, such as... Figure 7 The spectrum of pin position Q is shown, which allows the intensity of the detected light to be controlled within the dynamic range. The distance between pin 132-1 and chip 103 can be controlled by... Figure 6 The pin positions P and Q can be adjusted using two points, but they can also be adjusted using the number of pin positions mentioned above, or they can be adjusted linearly (continuously).

[0077] Furthermore, in evaluating the absorption end, the larger spectral value allows for high-precision temperature estimation. Therefore, as long as the upper limit of measurement is not exceeded, it is preferable not to increase the distance between the pin position and the wafer. Thus, without adjusting the illumination time according to each type of film on the wafer, absorption end evaluation can be performed with optimal light intensity to obtain the wafer temperature with high precision.

[0078] Below, except for the up-and-down drive during the transport of chip 103, pin 132-1 is fixed at... Figure 6 (b) The pin position of Q, for a certain quantity, such as one batch of the same type of wafers, continues to perform the usual product process ( Figure 8 Step 6).

[0079] After the product process is completed, the controller determines that the process is finished and controls the drive mechanism 134 again to return the pin to its original position. Figure 6 The initial pin position is shown in (a) of P.

[0080] The above steps can be performed automatically by executing the stored software in the controller.

[0081] In addition, the intensity of the detected light can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting the light collection time of the beam splitter 137 (or the photodetector 138) (e.g., several 1000 ms), or by using other methods, or by combining these methods appropriately.

[0082] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave transmitter that transmits the transmitted light from the wafer to the beam splitter and detector is configured to move inside the wafer stage. Therefore, the intensity of the detection light can be adjusted. Even if there is a risk that the intensity of the detection light will fall outside the measurable range due to the type of film on the wafer, the position of the electromagnetic wave transmitter can be easily adjusted in advance to keep it within the measurable range. This allows for efficient and high-precision wafer temperature measurement, enabling high-quality processing in the product manufacturing process. Furthermore, since the electromagnetic wave transmitter is a standard component of the wafer stage used for supporting and connecting the wafer (top push), there is no need to separately set up an optical path for wafer temperature measurement on the wafer stage. This avoids the generation of thermal unevenness and obstacles to in-plane adjustment performance / uniformity, thus expecting further improvements in product quality.

[0083] The present invention has been specifically described above based on the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0084] The following description can be the content of this invention, but is not limited thereto.

[0085] (Method 1)

[0086] A wafer processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber disposed inside a vacuum container; a wafer stage disposed inside the processing chamber, on the upper surface of which a wafer to be processed is placed; a lamp disposed above the wafer stage, radiating electromagnetic waves into the processing chamber including the wafer stage; an electromagnetic wave transmitter configured to move inside the wafer stage to allow the electromagnetic waves to pass through; and a detector receiving the electromagnetic waves passing through the wafer and the electromagnetic wave transmitter, and detecting the temperature of the wafer based on the received light spectrum.

[0087] (Method 2)

[0088] The wafer processing apparatus according to method 1 includes: a controller that adjusts the intensity of electromagnetic waves radiated from the lamp based on the output from the detector.

[0089] (Method 3)

[0090] According to the wafer processing apparatus of method 2, the controller determines whether the intensity of the detected light in the received spectrum is outside the measurable range of the detector in a given wavelength range, and if the determination is "yes", the electromagnetic wave transmitter is moved so that it is within the measurable range.

[0091] (Method 4)

[0092] According to any one of the embodiments 1 to 3, the wafer processing apparatus wherein the electromagnetic wave transmitter is a pin housed in a through hole provided in the wafer mounting stage and used to support and transfer the wafer by moving up and down.

[0093] (Method 5)

[0094] The wafer processing apparatus according to any one of methods 1 to 4, wherein the electromagnetic wave includes infrared (IR).

[0095] (Method 6)

[0096] According to any one of methods 1 to 5, the wafer processing apparatus wherein the detector detects the temperature of the wafer based on the shift of the absorption end wavelength determined according to the light-receiving spectrum.

[0097] (Method 7)

[0098] A wafer processing method involves placing a wafer of a processing object on the upper surface of a wafer stage disposed within a processing chamber located inside a vacuum container, radiating electromagnetic waves from a lamp pair disposed above the wafer stage into the processing chamber including the wafer stage, receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted through the wafer and electromagnetic wave transmitters disposed within the wafer stage in a detector, and detecting the temperature of the wafer based on the received light spectrum.

[0099] (Method 8)

[0100] According to the wafer processing method of method 7, the intensity of electromagnetic waves radiated from the lamp is adjusted in the controller based on the output from the detector.

[0101] (Method 9)

[0102] According to the wafer processing method of method 8, the controller determines whether the intensity of the detected light in the light-received spectrum is outside the measurable range of the detector in a given wavelength range. If the determination is "yes", the electromagnetic wave transmitter is moved so that it is within the measurable range.

[0103] (Method 10)

[0104] According to the wafer processing method of method 9, before performing product processing on the wafer, during a given period of electromagnetic wave radiation by the lamp, the controller makes the determination, and if the determination is "yes", the electromagnetic wave transmitting body is moved.

[0105] (Method 11)

[0106] According to any one of methods 7 to 10, the wafer processing method wherein the detector detects the temperature of the wafer based on the amount of shift of the absorption end wavelength determined according to the light-receiving spectrum.

[0107] (Method 12)

[0108] According to any one of methods 7 to 11, in the wafer processing method, during the cooling period of the wafer, the lamp radiates electromagnetic waves with a lower output than during the heating period, and the detector detects the temperature of the wafer.

[0109] -Explanation of Figure Markers-

[0110] 100…Wafer processing apparatus, 101…Processing chamber, 102…Bottom chamber, 103…Wafer, 104…Wafer stage, 105…Quartz chamber, 106…ICP coil, 107…High-frequency power supply, 108…Matching unit, 109…Discharge chamber, 110…Top plate, 111…Gas dispersion plate, 112…Pop-up plate, 113…Mass flow control unit, 114…Gas distributor, 115…Vacuum exhaust piping, 116…Exhaust unit, 117…Voltage regulating unit, 118 (118-1, 118-2, 118-3)…IR lamp, 119…Reflector Plate, 120…IR light transmission window, 121…IR lamp power supply, 122…high frequency cutoff filter, 123…plasma, 124…flow path, 125…plate component, 126…refrigerant flow path, 127…cooling device, 128…electrode plate, 129…DC power supply, 130…thermocouple, 131…thermocouple thermometer, 132 (132-1, 132-2)…pin, 133…drive shaft, 134…drive mechanism, 135…photodetector, 136…optical fiber, 137…beam splitter, 138…photodetector, 139…controller, 140…temperature detection device.

Claims

1. A wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that, have: The processing chamber is located inside the vacuum container; A wafer mounting stage is disposed in the processing chamber, and a wafer of the object to be processed is mounted on its upper surface. A lamp, positioned above the wafer stage, radiates electromagnetic waves into the processing chamber, which includes the wafer stage. An electromagnetic wave transmitter is configured to move inside the wafer stage, allowing the electromagnetic waves to pass through. as well as The detector receives electromagnetic waves that pass through the wafer and the electromagnetic wave transmitter, and detects the temperature of the wafer based on the received light spectrum.

2. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The wafer processing apparatus includes a controller that adjusts the intensity of electromagnetic waves radiated from the lamp based on the output from the detector.

3. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The controller determines whether the intensity of the detected light in the received spectrum is outside the measurable range of the detector within a given wavelength range. If the determination is "yes", the electromagnetic wave transmitter is moved so that it falls within the measurable range.

4. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The electromagnetic wave transmitter is a pin housed in a through hole in the wafer mounting stage, which supports and connects the wafer by moving up and down.

5. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The electromagnetic waves include infrared radiation, or IR.

6. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The detector detects the temperature of the wafer based on the shift of the absorption wavelength determined according to the light-receiving spectrum.

7. A wafer processing method, characterized in that, The wafer to be processed is placed on the upper surface of the wafer mounting stage inside the processing chamber located within the vacuum container. Electromagnetic waves are radiated from the processing chamber, which includes the wafer mount, by a pair of lamps positioned above the wafer mount. In the detector, electromagnetic waves that pass through the wafer and an electromagnetic wave transmitter configured to move inside the wafer stage are received, and the temperature of the wafer is detected based on the received light spectrum.

8. The wafer processing method according to claim 7, wherein, In the controller, the intensity of the electromagnetic waves radiated from the lamp is adjusted based on the output from the detector.

9. The wafer processing method according to claim 8, wherein, The controller determines whether the intensity of the detected light in the received spectrum is outside the measurable range of the detector within a given wavelength range. If the determination is "yes", the electromagnetic wave transmitter is moved so that it falls within the measurable range.

10. The wafer processing method according to claim 9, wherein, Before performing product processing on the wafer, during a specified period of electromagnetic wave radiation from the lamp, the controller makes the determination, and if the determination is "yes", moves the electromagnetic wave transmitting body.

11. The wafer processing method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The detector detects the temperature of the wafer based on the shift of the absorption wavelength determined according to the light-receiving spectrum.

12. The wafer processing method according to claim 7, wherein, During the cooling period of the wafer, the lamp radiates electromagnetic waves at a lower output than during the heating period, and the detector detects the temperature of the wafer.

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