Method for forming protective film on peripheral portion including bevel portion of substrate

Abstract

To maintain the state of the outer periphery of a substrate throughout a manufacturing process so as to prevent any inconvenience in manufacturing in a semiconductor manufacturing process.SOLUTION: A method for forming a protective film on a peripheral portion including a bevel portion of a substrate includes the steps of performing a trimming process on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate around the entire periphery of the substrate, and forming a protective film such that on the surface that has been subjected to the trimming process, and the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate on the periphery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for forming a protective film on an outer periphery, including a bevel portion, of a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] As described in Japanese Patent No. 3949941 (Patent Document 1), in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of a substrate (e.g., a wafer) may be eroded during etching. This may cause damage to the outer periphery of the substrate during substrate transportation or substrate processing. In addition, particles may be trapped in the eroded portion, which may adversely affect the substrate processing in the subsequent steps, resulting in a decrease in yield.

[0003] On the other hand, in the film formation process, it is known that in film formation such as plasma CVD commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, uneven and unnecessary films are formed on the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of the substrate, which may adversely affect the substrate process in subsequent steps and, as a result, cause a decrease in yield. In such a manufacturing process, even if a protective film such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 5982383 (Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-021931 (Patent Document 3) is formed, an uneven and unnecessary film is formed on the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to remove such uneven and unnecessary films. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-305201 (Patent Document 4) describes a method in which only the evaporated film on the semiconductor element portion (device formation region) is covered with a resist and the evaporated film on the outer periphery of the substrate is removed by wet etching. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-281191 (Patent Document 5) describes a method in which, since conventional wet etching methods are insufficient, a sacrificial film is lifted off to remove only the metal film on the outer periphery of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3949941 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5982383 [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-021931 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2002-305201 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2007-281191 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the methods described in Patent Documents 4 and 5 have the disadvantage that in a manufacturing process using various conductive films, non-conductive films, resin films, etc., such as a semiconductor manufacturing process, multiple chemical solutions must be prepared and used depending on the type of film to be removed. In addition, the removal process is complicated. In addition, when removing unnecessary films, there is a possibility that the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate may be damaged, or the shape of the protective film may change, causing a change in the shape of the substrate.

[0006] It is considered effective to physically polish and remove the eroded areas on the outer periphery of the substrate or the unnecessary film on the protective film using the polishing method of Patent Document 1, but this method causes the shape and outer diameter of the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of the substrate to continue to change throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process. This may lead to errors during substrate transportation due to changes in the outer diameter of the substrate, for example.

[0007] In addition, in the formation of the protective film according to Patent Documents 2 and 3, the protective film is formed on the outer periphery (edge ​​portion) and bevel portion), a step is generated between the portion where the protective film 90 is formed and the portion where the protective film 90 is not formed at the boundary portion shown by the box A in FIG. 20, where the protective film 90 is convex on the surface of the substrate W. This step causes various problems. For example, in a planarization process using a polishing device, if there is a step where the protective film 90 is convex on the outer periphery of the substrate, as shown in FIG. 21, when the substrate W held by the retainer 602 is pressed against the polishing pad 601 for polishing, the portion where the protective film 90 is formed is pressed against the polishing pad 601 more strongly than the center of the substrate W. This causes a difference in the polishing state between the center and the outer periphery of the substrate, which may hinder uniform planarization of the substrate. In addition, in spin coating, it is required that the coating liquid flows uniformly from the center of the substrate to the outside, but the above-mentioned step may hinder the uniformity. 22, the coating liquid 95 that flows from the center of the substrate to the outside flows over the step of the protective film 90 as shown by arrow 95A at the outer periphery of the substrate W, which may hinder a uniform flow of the coating liquid 95. Furthermore, in a stage that adsorbs the substrate on its entire back surface during substrate transportation, only the outer periphery on which the protective film is formed comes into contact with the stage, which may cause errors during substrate transportation.

[0008] In a semiconductor manufacturing process in which a plurality of steps such as a film forming step, an etching step, a planarizing step, and a cleaning step are repeated many times, these steps are repeated in a predetermined order. The above-mentioned patent documents provide a solution to only some of these steps, but do not provide a solution to all the steps at the same time.

[0009] The present invention aims to solve at least some of the above problems. One of the objects of the present invention is to maintain the state of the outer periphery of a substrate throughout a semiconductor manufacturing process so as not to cause any manufacturing problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate, the method including: performing a trimming process on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate around the entire periphery of the outer periphery; and forming a protective film on the outer periphery such that, on the surface that has been subjected to the trimming process, the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a protective film is formed on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate, A substrate is provided, in which a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1A] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle of a method for forming a protective film according to an example. [Figure 1B] 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle of a method for forming a protective film according to another example. [Figure 2A] 1 is a flow chart showing an example of a trimming method and a process for forming a protective film. [Figure 2B] 11 is a flow chart showing a process of forming a protective film together with another example of a trimming method. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process. [Figure 4] 1 is a table showing the hardness of materials used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 7A] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration for supplying a film forming gas; [Figure 7B] FIG. [Figure 8A] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration for supplying a film forming gas; [Figure 8B]FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration for supplying a film forming gas; [Figure 10] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration for supplying a film forming gas; [Figure 11A] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an electrode. [Figure 11B] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration example of an electrode. [Figure 12A] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an electrode divided into upper and lower parts when opened. FIG. [Figure 12B] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an electrode divided into upper and lower parts when closed. FIG. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection for connecting a substrate to a negative bias. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection for connecting a substrate to a negative bias. [Figure 14A] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection for biasing the top cover and the bottom cover. FIG. [Figure 14B] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection for biasing the top cover and the bottom cover. FIG. [Figure 15A] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for centering a substrate. [Figure 15B] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for centering a substrate. [Figure 16A] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the formation of a protective film according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16B] 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams for explaining the formation of a protective film according to a comparative example. [Figure 17A] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which a protective film according to one embodiment is formed (substrate with a protective film). [Figure 17B] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which a protective film according to one embodiment is formed (substrate with a protective film). [Figure 17C] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which a protective film according to one embodiment is formed (substrate with a protective film). [Figure 17D] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which a protective film according to one embodiment is formed (substrate with a protective film). [Figure 17E] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate on which a protective film according to one embodiment is formed (substrate with a protective film). [Figure 18A] 1 is a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process. [Figure 18B] 1 is a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process. [Figure 19A] 1 is a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process. [Figure 19B] 1 is a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process. [Figure 20] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a step generated in a protective film on an outer periphery of a substrate; [Figure 21] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a problem in polishing a substrate having a protective film formed on the outer periphery thereof; [Figure 22] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a problem that occurs when spin-coating a substrate having a protective film formed on the outer periphery thereof; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In addition, expressions such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" are used in this specification, but these indicate positions and directions on the paper surface of the exemplary drawings for convenience of explanation, and may differ in the actual arrangement when the device is used, etc. In addition, in this specification, "suppress / prevent" is used to mean "suppress or prevent".

[0014] [Principle of protective film deposition method] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the principle of a method for forming a protective film according to an embodiment. In the method for forming a protective film shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a trimming process (step shape 510 in FIG. 1A, taper shape 520 in FIG. 1B) is performed on the entire circumference of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, and a protective film 90 is formed on the outer periphery 200 after the trimming process. The trimming process means a cutout portion recessed from the surface of the substrate that is processed on the entire circumference of the substrate. The trimming process is a process for processing the trim. In this embodiment, the surface of the outer periphery of the substrate is recessed in advance by the trimming process, and a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate after the trimming process, so that the protective film is formed flush with or recessed from the substrate surface.

[0015] In this specification, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W includes an edge portion 201 and a bevel portion 202. The bevel portion 202 is a chamfered side portion of the substrate W, and the edge portion 201 is a flat portion inside the bevel portion 202 in the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the region (range) inside the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W is referred to as the central portion 300. In this embodiment, the central portion 300 of the front surface of the front and back surfaces (upper and lower surfaces in FIG. 1A) of the substrate W is the device formation region. In other embodiments, the substrate W may have device formation regions on both the front and back surfaces. The outer peripheral portion 200 can be defined as a region outside the device formation region. For example, when the front surface of the substrate W has a device formation region, the front and back surface regions of the substrate W corresponding to the device formation region can be the central portion 300, and the outside of the central portion 300 of the front and back surfaces of the substrate W can be the outer peripheral portion 200.

[0016] The trim 500 can be formed, for example, with a width of more than 0 mm and not more than 10 mm along the radial direction of the substrate W. The trim 500 may be formed so as to be disposed only on the bevel portion 202, or may be formed across the bevel portion 202 and the edge portion 201.

[0017] The substrate W is, for example, a circular wafer on which semiconductor devices, optical elements, MEMS, etc. are formed. The substrate W may be a substrate on which other types of devices are formed, or may be a substrate of any shape other than a circle, such as a polygon (e.g., a square), etc. The substrate W may be a silicon substrate (including a substrate made of silicon and a composite substrate such as an SOI substrate whose surface is silicon), a compound semiconductor substrate, or a substrate made of any other material.

[0018] The protective film 90 may be an insulating film, a dielectric film, a conductive film, an organic film, or any other film used in semiconductor manufacturing. It is preferable that the non-uniform and unnecessary various films formed on the protective film 90 can be removed without damaging the substrate and without changing the shape of the substrate (the substrate including the protective film). Wet etching is generally used as a method for removing unnecessary films, but the etching method differs depending on the material of the film. In addition, in the polishing method, various films can be removed at once, but the processing end point at which the films have been completely removed cannot be clearly detected, and there is a possibility that the substrate is damaged and / or the shape of the substrate is changed. Therefore, by forming a material with a higher hardness than the film to be removed as the protective film, the end point of polishing becomes easy to determine, and damage to the substrate and change in the shape of the substrate are suppressed / prevented. In addition, it is preferable that the material of the protective film is resistant to dry etching such as plasma and PFC gas. As the material of such a protective film, for example, amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC) can be adopted. A protective film made of a material harder than the film to be removed is prevented from being eroded by the etching process of silicon, etc. In other words, it is preferable that the protective film has a hardness higher than the hardness of the substrate and the material to be formed on the substrate.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a table of hardness (Vickers hardness (Hv)) of materials used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. As can be seen from this table, the Vickers hardness of DLC is sufficiently greater than the hardness of other materials such as silicon, and when removing an unnecessary film formed on the protective film 90 formed of DLC, it is possible to suppress / prevent damage to the substrate including the protective film and changes in the shape of the substrate including the protective film. Although not shown in FIG. 4, amorphous carbon also has a hardness similar to that of DLC. The sources of information for the Vickers hardness (Hv) of each material in Figure 4 are as follows: DLC ("Japan ITF Corporation Home Page", https: / / nippon-itf.co.jp / coating / dlc (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18) SiC, Al2O3 ("Comprehensive information site for 'grinding wheels' and 'grinding and polishing'") https: / / www.toishi.info / metal / hardness.html (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18) SiN ("Cerabear Co., Ltd." Home Page), http: / / www.cerabea.co.jp / cn / _userdata / catalog / ceramicbearings_tokuseihikaku_20150330.pdf (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18) Si("CoorsTek Corporation Home Page", https: / / www.coorstek.co.jp / jpn / products / pdf / materials.pdf (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18) W ("Napist Homepage", https: / / napist.com / tungsten / (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18) Cu ("Murakami Shoji Co., Ltd." website), https: / / withcopper.jp / pdf / cpd03.pdf (Accessed 2023 / 4 / 18)

[0020] The protective film 90 may include one or more layers. When the protective film includes multiple layers, it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is made of a material having a higher hardness than the substrate and the material deposited on the substrate, as described above.

[0021] With reference to FIG. 1A, the principle of a method for forming a protective film according to an example will be described. In this method, a substrate W is prepared (step (a)), the entire circumference of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is trimmed to form a step shape 510 as a trim 500 (step (b)), and then a protective film 90 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W on which the step shape 510 has been formed (step (c)). At this time, since the outer periphery 200 of the substrate is set back in advance by the step shape 510, the protective film 90 can be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with the surfaces Sf and Sb of the substrate W (so that they are on the same plane). Here, Sf indicates the front surface and Sb indicates the back surface. The protective film 90 may be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 is set back (concave) from the surfaces Sf and Sb of the substrate W. That is, the protective film 90 may be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 does not protrude (do not become convex) from the surfaces Sf and Sb of the substrate W. As shown in step (c) of Figure 1A, by positioning the inner end of the protective film 90 within a trim 500 that is recessed from the substrate surfaces Sf, Sb at the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, a structure can be easily formed in which the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed from the substrate surfaces Sf, Sb, and it is possible to suppress or prevent the surface of the protective film from becoming convex with respect to the substrate surface at the end of the protective film 90 (the boundary between the portion where the protective film is formed and the portion where the protective film is not formed).

[0022] In this way, by forming the step shape 510 on the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W and then forming the protective film 90 on the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W, the surface of the protective film 90 can be made flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate W. As a result, adverse effects due to steps caused by the surface of the protective film 90 being convex from the surface of the substrate W can be suppressed or prevented. For example, in a planarization process using a polishing device, it is possible to suppress differences in the polishing state between the center and the outer peripheral portion of the substrate, and uniform planarization of the substrate can be performed. In addition, in spin coating, it is possible to make the coating liquid flow uniformly from the center of the substrate to the outside. In addition, in a stage structured to adsorb the substrate on the entire back surface during substrate transportation, it is possible to suppress / prevent errors during substrate transportation caused by only the outer peripheral portion of the substrate on which the protective film is formed coming into contact with the stage.

[0023] With reference to FIG. 1B, the principle of a method for forming a protective film according to another example will be described. This method is different from the method for forming a protective film in FIG. 1A in that a tapered shape 520 is formed as the trim 500 instead of the step shape 510. In this method, a substrate W is prepared (step (a)), the entire circumference of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is trimmed to form the tapered shape 520 as the trim 500 (step (b)), and then a protective film 90 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W on which the tapered shape 520 is formed (step (c)). At this time, since the outer periphery 200 of the substrate is set back in advance by the tapered shape 520, the protective film 90 can be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W (so that they are on the same plane). The protective film 90 may be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 is set back (recessed) from the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W. That is, the protective film 90 may be formed so that the surface of the protective film 90 does not protrude (become convex) beyond the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W. As shown in step (c) of FIG. 1B, by disposing the inner end of the protective film 90 within a trim 500 recessed from the substrate surfaces Sf, Sb in the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, it is possible to easily achieve a structure in which the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed from the substrate surfaces Sf, Sb. This can suppress or prevent the surface of the protective film 90 from becoming convex with respect to the substrate surface at the end portion (the boundary between the portion where the protective film is formed and the portion where the protective film is not formed) of the protective film.

[0024] According to the film formation method of FIG. 1B, the same effects as those of the film formation method of FIG. 1A described above can be achieved.

[0025] [Trim processing method] 2A is a flow diagram showing an example of a trim processing method and a process for forming a protective film. In this example, a trim 500 having a step shape 510 or a taper shape 520 is processed by laser ablation processing. In step (b) of FIG. 2A, a trim 500 having a step shape 510 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, but by adjusting the irradiation angle of the laser beam 550, a trim 500 having a taper shape 520 can be formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. In the figure, only the upper surface (front surface) of the substrate W is shown, but the trim 500 is also formed on the lower surface (rear surface) of the substrate W in the same manner.

[0026] In the flow of FIG. 2A, a substrate W is prepared (step (a)), and while rotating the substrate W, a laser beam 550 is irradiated onto the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W to perform laser ablation processing, and a trim 500 having a step shape 510 or a taper shape 520 is processed on the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W (step (b)). Thereafter, a protective film 90 is formed on the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W on which the trim 500 is formed, so that the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate W (step (c)). Note that, if the surface of the protective film 90 protrudes or is convex from the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W after the protective film 90 is formed in step (c), the protective film 90 is retracted by etching or the like so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed from the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W.

[0027] 2B is a flow diagram showing a protective film forming process together with another example of a trim processing method. In this example, a trim 500 having a step shape 510 or a tapered shape 520 is processed by etching. The etching may be wet etching or dry etching. Note that, in step (d) of FIG. 2B, a step shape 510 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W, but by adjusting the etching conditions, a tapered shape 520 can be formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W.

[0028] In the flow of FIG. 2B, a substrate W is prepared (step (a)), and a resist 530 is applied to the entire surface or almost the entire surface of the substrate W (step (b)). At this time, the resist 530 may not be formed near the end of the bevel portion 202 of the substrate W. Next, the resist 530 on the substrate W is patterned by exposure or the like, and the resist 530 on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is removed (step (c)). Next, the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is etched using the resist 530 as a mask, and a trim 500 having a step shape 510 or a taper shape 520 is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate (step (d)). After that, a protective film 90 is coated on the substrate W by plasma CVD or the like (step (e)). Next, the resist 530 is ashed, and the protective film 90 is left on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate. As a result, the protective film 90 is formed so that the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate W (step (f)). In addition, after step (f), if the surface of the protective film 90 protrudes or is convex with respect to the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W, the protective film 90 is recessed by etching or the like so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed relative to the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W.

[0029] [flowchart] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a semiconductor manufacturing process according to one embodiment. In step S110, trimming is performed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. In the trimming, a trim 500 having a step shape 510 (FIG. 1A) or a taper shape 520 (FIG. 1B) is formed on the outer periphery 200 of the substrate by laser ablation (FIG. 2A) or etching (FIG. 2B).

[0030] In step S120, a protective film 90 is formed on the substrate outer periphery 200. For example, as shown in step (c) of Fig. 2A, the protective film 90 is formed by plasma CVD or the like so as to be flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate W. If the surface of the protective film 90 is more convex than the surface of the substrate W, the protective film 90 is removed and recessed by etching or the like so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed relative to the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W. 2B, a protective film 90 is formed by plasma CVD or the like on the substrate W covered with resist 530, and the resist 530 is ashed to form the protective film 90 on the substrate outer periphery 200, which is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate W. In this case as well, if the surface of the protective film 90 after ashing the resist 530 becomes more convex than the surface of the substrate W, the protective film 90 is removed and recessed by etching or the like so that the surface of the protective film 90 is flush with or recessed relative to the surfaces Sf, Sb of the substrate W.

[0031] In step S130, other semiconductor manufacturing processes (film formation, etching, planarization, cleaning, etc.) are performed on the substrate W whose outer periphery 200 is protected by the protective film 90, and a plurality of devices (semiconductor device) are formed on the substrate W.

[0032] In addition, when processing the trim 500 on the substrate W, processing may be performed so that the surface roughness of the trimmed portion is rougher than the surface roughness before the trimming. Alternatively or in addition to this, additional processing such as etching, laser processing, etc. may be performed after processing the trim 500 on the substrate W and before forming the protective film 90 so that the surface roughness of the trimmed portion is rougher than the surface roughness before the trimming. By making the surface roughness of the trimmed portion rougher than the non-trimmed portion, the adhesion of the protective film 90 can be improved. Here, the surface roughness may be a surface roughness defined by arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) or any other parameter.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out with the outer periphery of the substrate protected by a protective film that is not convex relative to the surface of the substrate, so that the condition of the outer periphery of the substrate can be maintained throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process so as not to cause any manufacturing inconvenience.

[0034] Specifically, by carrying out various steps of the semiconductor manufacturing process while the outer periphery of the substrate is protected by a protective film, it is possible to suppress / prevent deterioration of the outer periphery of the substrate (edge ​​portion, bevel portion) due to erosion, etc. This makes it possible to suppress / prevent damage to the outer periphery of the substrate during substrate transportation or substrate processing. It is also possible to suppress / prevent particles from being trapped in the eroded portion and adversely affecting the substrate processing in the subsequent steps. As a result, it is possible to suppress / prevent a decrease in yield.

[0035] In addition, various problems caused by the step where the protective film is convex with respect to the surface of the substrate can be avoided. For example, since the surface of the protective film is not convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, the region of the substrate to be polished can be brought into contact with the polishing pad evenly in the polishing process, and the occurrence of a difference in the polishing state between the center and the outer periphery of the substrate can be suppressed / prevented. In addition, in spin coating, the flow of the coating liquid flowing from the center of the substrate to the outside is not hindered by the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate, and the flow of the coating liquid can be made uniform. In addition, in a stage structured to adsorb the substrate on the entire back surface in the transportation of the substrate, only the outer periphery on which the protective film is formed can be suppressed / prevented from coming into contact with the stage, and the occurrence of an error during the transportation of the substrate can be suppressed / prevented.

[0036] By purchasing / preparing a substrate having a protective film according to this embodiment in advance and using it in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the state of the outer periphery of the substrate can be maintained throughout the manufacturing process so that no manufacturing problems occur. In this way, the labor required for forming a protective film on a substrate (bare wafer) can be reduced. can be omitted.

[0037] In this embodiment, a step shape and a tapered shape are given as examples of the trim formed on the outer periphery of the substrate, but the trim may be formed in any other shape suitable for not being convex with respect to the surface of the substrate W. Also, in this embodiment, an example is given of processing the trim by laser processing or etching, but the trim may be processed by any other method capable of processing a trim in a shape suitable for not being convex with respect to the surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, an example is described in which trim processing is performed on both sides of the substrate, but in the case where it is necessary to provide the trim only on the surface where the device formation region is located, the trim processing may be performed on either the front or back surface of the substrate on which the device formation region is located.

[0038] [Equipment configuration example] An example of the configuration of an apparatus for forming the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate described above will be described below. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment. This substrate processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for forming a protective film 90 (FIG. 16A) on the outer periphery (edge ​​and bevel) of a substrate W by using local plasma. The substrate processing apparatus 100 can be a substrate processing apparatus that uses capacitively coupled plasma, inductively coupled plasma, microwave plasma, or other plasmas. In this embodiment, a plasma film forming apparatus is taken as an example of the substrate processing apparatus 100, but it may also be a plasma etching apparatus or other plasma substrate processing apparatus.

[0039] The substrate processing apparatus 100 mainly includes a housing 10 constituting a plasma chamber 11, a stage 20 arranged within the housing 10, an electrode 60, a top cover 40, and a bottom cover 50.

[0040] The stage 20 has a mounting surface on which the substrate W is placed and a chuck function for fixing the substrate W. The stage 20 may have a heater function for heating the substrate W. The stage 20 can be rotated by a driving device such as a motor (not shown). The substrate W on which the protective film 90 is to be formed is placed on the mounting surface (upper surface in FIG. 5) of the stage 20. The diameter of the substrate W is larger than the diameter of the mounting surface of the stage 20. In other words, the diameter of the mounting surface of the stage 200 is smaller than the diameter of the substrate W. Therefore, the outer periphery 200 (edge ​​portion 201 and bevel portion 202) of the substrate W is not supported by the stage 20. In this example, the stage 20 is connected to a ground potential, and the substrate W is connected to the ground potential via the stage 20. The housing 10 is also connected to a ground potential, and the stage 20 is connected to the ground potential via the housing 100.

[0041] The electrode 60 is shaped to cover the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W from the side facing the outer periphery of the substrate W outside the stage 20, and has, for example, an arc-shaped cross-sectional shape. The electrode 60 is made of a conductive material, for example, a metal. For example, an RF power supply 110 that applies high-frequency power to the electrode 60 is connected to the electrode 60. In this embodiment, high-frequency power is supplied from the electrode 60 to the deposition gas 70 to ionize the deposition gas 70 to generate plasma. Note that a DC power supply may be connected to the electrode 60, and DC power may be supplied from the electrode 60 to the deposition gas 70 to ionize the deposition gas 70 to generate plasma. The electrode 60 is arranged so that the distance between the electrode 60 and the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W (edge ​​portion 201, bevel portion 202) is constant in the deposition region or plasma generation region 71, and the flow of the deposition gas 70 flowing between the electrode 60 and the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is uniform. The plasma generation region 71 is a three-dimensional space and is also called a plasma generation space. The electrodes 60 are provided so as to be disposed continuously or intermittently (discretely) around the entire circumference of the substrate W, as shown in Fig. 5. The electrodes 60 can also be disposed at a portion of the circumference of the substrate W, as shown in Fig. 11B.

[0042] When the electrode 60 is provided continuously around the entire circumference of the substrate W, for example, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12B, it is preferable to divide the electrode 60 into an upper electrode 60A and a lower electrode 60B, so as to facilitate the installation and removal of the substrate W. When the electrodes 60 are provided discretely over the entire circumference of the substrate W, it is preferable to, for example, move the individual electrodes 60 by an actuator (not shown) so as to approach or move away from the substrate W along the substrate radial direction, so as to facilitate the installation and removal of the substrate W. When the electrodes 60 are disposed in a portion of the circumferential direction of the substrate W, for example, the substrate W is rotated so that the electrodes 60 are opposed to the entire circumference of the substrate W in sequence, and the protective film 90 is formed over the entire circumference of the substrate W (FIG. 11B). Even when the electrodes 60 are disposed in a portion of the circumferential direction of the substrate W, it is possible to easily install and remove the substrate W by moving the electrodes 60 by an actuator (not shown) so as to approach or move away from the substrate W along the substrate radial direction.

[0043] The top cover 40 is a shielding structure for shielding the central portion 300 of the substrate W (the region inside the outer peripheral portion 200) from plasma. The top cover 40 has a hollow portion inside, and the central portion 300 of the substrate W (the central portion 300 of the upper surface of the substrate W in FIG. 5) is accommodated in this hollow portion. The hollow portion in the top cover 40, the central portion 300 of the substrate W, is a non-plasma generation region 72 that is shielded from plasma. The central portion 300 of the upper surface of the substrate W is a device formation region, and the top cover 40 is arranged so that the top cover 40 does not directly contact the device formation region. The pressure in the hollow portion of the top cover 40 may be lower, higher, or the same as the vacuum pressure around the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W, and may be, for example, atmospheric pressure. The top cover 40 can be formed of a plasma-resistant material, such as polyimide, yttria-coated metal, or other material.

[0044] The top cover 40 includes, for example, a cylindrical tubular portion 42 having a contact portion at one end that contacts the substrate W, and a disk-shaped lid portion 41 provided at the other end of the tubular portion 42. In the example shown in the figure, the outer periphery of the lid portion 41 is a flange portion 41A that extends to the outside of the tubular portion 42. On the outside of the tubular portion 42 (the flange portion 41A), the lid portion 41 is provided with a plurality of gas supply holes 43 along the circumferential direction (FIG. 7B). The plurality of gas supply holes 43 are configured to generate a uniform downflow of the film forming gas 70 along the circumferential direction. The plurality of gas supply holes 43 are oriented so as to supply the film forming gas 43 to a region (plasma generation region 71) surrounded by the top cover 40, the bottom cover 50, and the electrode 60 along the tubular portion 42 and in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the substrate W). A buffer chamber 30 is provided on the upper surface of the lid 41 so that the deposition gas 70 supplied to the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W is uniform in the entire circumferential direction (all around). The buffer chamber 30 can be configured, for example, in an annular or doughnut shape with an open center, as shown in FIG. 5. The internal space of the buffer chamber 30 is fluidically connected to a plurality of gas supply holes 43. The buffer chamber 30 is provided with a supply port 31 fluidically connected to the internal space, and the deposition gas is supplied into the buffer chamber 30 through the supply port 31, and the deposition gas is distributed from the buffer chamber 30 to each gas supply hole 43. With this configuration, the deposition gas can be uniformly supplied in the circumferential direction to the area surrounded by the top cover 40, the bottom cover 50, and the electrode 60 through the plurality of gas supply holes 43.

[0045] A drive shaft 13 of the actuator 12 is fixed to the upper surface of the top cover 40. The actuator 12 is outside the plasma chamber 11, and the drive shaft 13 of the actuator 12 penetrates the wall of the housing 10 and is connected to the top cover 40. The space between the drive shaft 13 and the housing 10 is sealed by a magnetic fluid seal 14. The drive shaft 13 is configured to be movable up and down by the power of the actuator 12. In addition, the drive shaft 13 is attached to the actuator body so as to be rotatable together with the top cover 40 when the substrate W is rotated with the top cover 40 pressed against the substrate W. When the substrate W is carried into the chamber 11 and placed on the stage 20, the actuator 12 moves the top cover 40 to a retracted position above the stage 20, and after the substrate W is placed on the stage 20, the actuator 12 lowers the top cover 40 so that the top cover 40 comes into contact with and is pressed against the substrate W. As a result, the top cover 40 physically separates the plasma generation region 71 from the non-plasma generation region 72 .

[0046] In this embodiment, the substrate W is rotated so that the flow of the film forming gas 70 becomes uniform in the circumferential direction of the substrate W. This makes it easier to form the protective film 90 uniformly over the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the substrate W. In other embodiments, the substrate W does not need to be rotated. For example, when the electrodes 60 are continuously arranged over the entire circumference of the substrate W, if the protective film 90 can be formed over the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the substrate W with uniformity within an acceptable range, the substrate W does not need to be rotated. For example, when the electrodes 60 are intermittently (discretely) arranged over the entire circumference of the substrate W, if the electrode pieces are sufficiently close to each other to form the protective film 90 over the entire circumference of the substrate W with uniformity within an acceptable range, the substrate W does not need to be rotated.

[0047] In this embodiment, the drive shaft 13 of the actuator 12 is fixed to the upper surface of the top cover 40, but if the buffer chamber 30 is disc-shaped rather than annular, the drive shaft 13 of the actuator 12 may be fixed to the upper surface of the buffer chamber 30.

[0048] The bottom cover 50 is disposed on the outer side of the stage 20 and is configured as a cylindrical part surrounding the entire circumference of the stage 20. The bottom cover 50 is electrically insulated from the stage 20. The bottom cover 50 can be formed of a plasma-resistant material, such as polyimide, yttria-coated metal, or other materials. The upper surface of the bottom cover 50 is at the same height as the upper surface (mounting surface) of the stage 20, and the bottom cover 50 reliably contacts the substrate W by utilizing the force of the top cover 40 when it contacts the substrate W, and physically isolates the plasma generation region 71. The bottom cover 50 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the outer peripheral surface of the stage 20. However, the distance is set to a degree that plasma does not enter through the gap with the outer peripheral surface of the stage 20 and a film is not generated on the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0049] According to this substrate processing apparatus 100, the region surrounded by the top cover 40, the bottom cover 50, and the electrode 60 is the plasma generation region 71, and the outer peripheral portion 200 and the central portion 300 of the substrate W are physically separated by the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50, so that the boundary between the plasma generation region 71 and the non-plasma generation region 72 is clear. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16A, the protective film 90 is formed with a stable film thickness at the inner boundary of the protective film 90 (the uniformity of the film thickness is improved), and the adhesion of the protective film 90 can be improved. On the other hand, in FIG. 16B shown as a comparative example, the plasma generation region 71 and the non-plasma generation region 72 are non-physically separated by pressurizing the central portion 300 of the substrate W and / or introducing a purge gas, so that the boundary of the gas pressure also changes continuously, the boundary between the two regions is not clear, and the film formation is incomplete at the inner boundary of the protective film. Therefore, the thickness of the protective film 90 becomes thinner at the inner boundary portion, and the adhesion of the protective film 90 decreases.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 100 in FIG. 6 is different from the substrate processing apparatus 100 in FIG. 5 in that it does not include a bottom cover 50. In addition, the dimensions of the stage 20 are expanded to a point where the mounting surface of the stage 20 is substantially the same as the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 of the top cover 40. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 5, and therefore detailed descriptions are omitted. In this substrate processing apparatus 100, the plasma generation region 71 is partitioned by the stage 20 instead of the bottom cover 50. That is, the plasma generation region 71 is partitioned by the top cover 40, the stage 20, and the electrode 60. This configuration can also provide the same effects as the configuration in FIG. 5. In addition, since the stage 20 is also used as a shielding structure, there is an advantage in that the bottom cover 50 can be omitted and the device configuration can be simplified.

[0051] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration for supplying a deposition gas. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the above-mentioned embodiment. In this configuration, a plurality of gas supply holes 43, which are through holes, are provided in the lid portion 41 on the outer side (flange portion 41A) of the cylindrical portion 42 along the circumferential direction. In order to uniformly supply the deposition gas to the plasma generation region 71 along the circumferential direction, the plurality of gas supply holes 43 are preferably provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. In this configuration, the deposition gas 70 is supplied from the buffer chamber 70 to the plurality of gas supply holes 43, and the deposition gas 70 is supplied from each gas supply hole 43 to the plasma generation region 71 (the region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60). After the deposition gas 70 is used for deposition on the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W in the plasma generation region 71, it flows downward through between the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50) and the electrode 60. Note that FIG. 7A shows an example in which the bottom cover 50 is omitted (FIG. 6), but the same applies to an example in which the bottom cover 50 is provided (FIG. 5).

[0052] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another configuration for supplying a film-forming gas. FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the top cover. In this configuration, an annular porous body 44 is provided on the lid portion 41 on the outside (flange portion 41A) of the cylindrical portion 42. The porous body 44 is provided so as to penetrate between the upper and lower surfaces of the lid portion 41. Here, an example in which the porous body 44 is provided continuously around the entire circumference is shown, but the porous body 44 may be provided intermittently or discretely in the circumferential direction. In order to supply the film-forming gas uniformly around the circumferential direction to the plasma generation region 71, the intermittently or discretely provided porous body 44 is preferably provided at equal intervals around the circumferential direction. In this configuration, the film-forming gas 70 is supplied from the buffer chamber 70 to the porous body 44, and the film-forming gas 70 is supplied from the porous body 44 to the plasma generation region 71 (the region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60). After being used for film formation on the outer periphery of the substrate W in the plasma generation region 71, the film formation gas 70 flows downward through between the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50) and the electrode 60. Note that, although Fig. 8A shows an example in which the bottom cover 50 is omitted (Fig. 6), the same applies to an example in which the bottom cover 50 is provided (Fig. 5).

[0053] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another configuration for supplying a film-forming gas. In this configuration, a film-forming gas 70 is supplied horizontally from a plurality of nozzles 81 arranged along the circumferential direction of the substrate W into a gap between the lid portion 41 (flange portion 41A) on the outside of the cylindrical portion 42 and the electrode 60. In order to supply the film-forming gas uniformly in the circumferential direction to the plasma generation region 71, it is preferable that the plurality of nozzles 81 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this configuration, the film-forming gas 70 is supplied horizontally from the nozzles 81 into the gap between the lid portion 41 and the electrode 60, and then turns vertically downward when it hits the cylindrical portion 42, and is supplied to the plasma generation region 71 (a region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60). After being used for film formation on the outer periphery of the substrate W in the plasma generation region 71, the film-forming gas 70 flows downward through the gap between the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50) and the electrode 60. In this configuration, the deposition gas 70 is made to flow perpendicularly to the cylindrical portion 42 of the top cover 40, and is made to hit the cylindrical portion 42 once, thereby improving the uniformity of the deposition gas 70. Note that, although Fig. 9 shows an example in which the bottom cover 50 is omitted (Fig. 6), the same applies to an example in which the bottom cover 50 is provided (Fig. 5).

[0054] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of another configuration for supplying a film-forming gas. Although FIG. 10 shows an example in which the bottom cover 50 is omitted (FIG. 6), the same applies to the example in which the bottom cover 50 is provided (FIG. 5). In this configuration, one or more gas supply holes 61 are provided in the electrode 60, and the film-forming gas 70 is supplied to the plasma generation region 71 in a flow parallel to the surface of the substrate W. When the electrode 60 is provided continuously or intermittently around the entire circumference of the substrate W, the electrode 60 is provided with a plurality of gas supply holes 61 in the circumferential direction of the substrate W. In order to supply the film-forming gas to the plasma generation region 71 uniformly around the circumference, it is preferable that the plurality of gas supply holes 61 are provided at equal intervals around the circumference. A buffer chamber 82 is provided in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the electrode 60 on the outer circumferential surface of the electrode 60, and the buffer chamber 82 supplies a fluid to the plurality of gas supply holes 61. The buffer chamber 82 is connected to the gas supply hole 61. The film formation gas 70 is supplied to the buffer chamber 82 from one or more gas supply pipes 83. By supplying the film formation gas 70 to each gas supply hole 61 through the buffer chamber 82, the film formation gas 70 can be supplied to each gas supply hole 61 at a uniform flow rate. In this configuration, the film formation gas 70 is supplied from the gas supply pipe 83 to the buffer chamber 82, and is supplied from the buffer chamber 82 to the plasma generation region 71 (a region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60) through each gas supply hole 61. The film formation gas 70 supplied to the plasma generation region 71 is divided into upper and lower flows, and the film formation gas 70 flowing upward flows out from the gap between the top cover 40 and the electrode 60, while the film formation gas 70 flowing downward flows out through the gap between the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50) and the electrode 60.

[0055] It is preferable that the flow resistances of the upward flow path and the downward flow path are substantially the same so that the film forming gas 70 that has entered the plasma generation region 71 from the gas supply hole 61 is divided into vertically uniform flow rates. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 10, the gas supply hole 61 is provided so as to be located at the same height as the substrate W (or the height of the center of the substrate W in the height direction). When the electrode 60 is symmetrical in the vertical direction, the gas supply hole 61 is provided at the center of the electrode 60 in the height direction. Also, in the example of FIG. 10, an extension or flange portion 21 is provided on the stage 20 so as to correspond to the flange portion 41A of the lid portion 41 of the top cover 40 so that the flow resistances of the upward flow path and the downward flow path are substantially the same. However, instead of providing the flange portion 21 on the stage 20, a flange portion may be provided on the bottom cover 50 so as to correspond to the flange portion 41A of the lid portion 41 of the top cover 40.

[0056] When the electrode 60 is provided so as to face a part of the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential portion 200 of the substrate W (see FIGS. 11A and 11B), one gas supply hole 61 may be provided in the electrode 60. In addition, the buffer chamber 82 may be omitted.

[0057] FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the electrode 60. FIG. 11B is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the electrode 60. As shown in these figures, the electrode 60 may be provided so as to face a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. In this configuration, for example, the substrate W is rotated by the stage 20 so that the electrode 60 and the plasma generation region 71 inside the electrode 60 face the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate W. That is, the electrode 60 having a dimension corresponding to a part of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate W is disposed, and the substrate W is rotated to form a protective film 90 on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion 200 of the substrate W. Reference numeral 25 indicates the rotation direction of the substrate W. The rotation direction may be reversed and is arbitrary. Note that, although FIG. 11A shows an example in which the bottom cover 50 is provided (FIG. 5), the same applies to an example in which the bottom cover 50 is omitted (FIG. 6).

[0058] 12A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the electrode 60 divided into upper and lower parts when opened. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the electrode 60 divided into upper and lower parts when closed. When the electrode 60 is arranged in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the substrate W, the electrode 60 may be divided into an upper electrode 60A and a lower electrode 60B in order to facilitate installation of the substrate W on the stage 20. In this case, the upper electrode 60A can be fixed to, for example, the flange portion 41A of the lid portion 41 of the top cover 40, and configured to move up and down together with the movement of the top cover 40 by the actuator 12. When the substrate W is placed on the stage 20, as shown in Fig. 12A, the top cover 40 and the upper electrode 60A are moved upward and removed, and the substrate W is placed on the stage 20. After that, the top cover 40 and the upper electrode 60A are moved downward so that the top cover 40 comes into contact with the substrate W, and the upper electrode 60A and the lower electrode 60B are integrated together to form a plasma generation region 71 (a region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60). Note that, although a configuration in which the stage 20 divides the plasma generation region 71 (corresponding to Fig. 6) is given as an example here, the same applies to a configuration in which the bottom cover 50 is disposed to divide the plasma generation region 71 (corresponding to Fig. 5).

[0059] FIG. 13A is a schematic diagram showing a connection example of connecting the substrate to a negative bias. In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was given in which the stage 20 and the substrate W were connected to the ground potential, but the stage 20 and the substrate W may be connected to the low potential side of the DC power supply 111 and biased to a negative DC voltage (negative bias voltage). The DC power supply 111 is preferably a power supply capable of adjusting the negative bias voltage. By applying a negative bias voltage to the substrate W, negative charges are accumulated only in the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W facing the electrode 60, and plasma generation can be promoted. The central portion 300 of the substrate W does not face the electrode 60, so no charges are accumulated. Note that FIG. 13A shows an example in which no flange portion is provided on the lid portion 41 of the top cover 40, and a film forming gas is supplied downward from between the top cover 40 and the electrode 60, but the same applies to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13A, when the electrode 60 is fixed to the inner wall of the housing 10, an insulator 62 is disposed between the electrode 60 and the housing 10 to electrically insulate the electrode 60 from the housing 10.

[0060] FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing another example of connection for connecting a substrate to a negative bias. As shown in the figure, a conductor 22, which is a component that applies a negative bias voltage in contact with the substrate W, is placed on the stage 20 at a position close to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The conductor 22 can be an annular (ring-shaped) component that corresponds to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W on the inside. The conductor 22 can be provided continuously or intermittently in correspondence with the entire circumference of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. The conductor 22 is connected to the low potential side of the DC power supply 111, is placed on the outer periphery of the stage 20, contacts the substrate W, and applies a negative bias voltage to the substrate W. The conductor 22 is electrically insulated from other parts of the stage 20 by an insulator or the like (not shown), or the stage 20 is made of an insulator. The conductor 22 is provided so as to penetrate the outer periphery of the stage 20, the upper surface of the conductor 22 is flush with the mounting surface of the stage 20 (completely flush or slightly protruding from the mounting surface), and the lower surface of the conductor 22 is exposed to the lower surface of the stage 20. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently apply a necessary negative bias voltage to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W from a position close to the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W. Note that, although an example in which a negative bias voltage is applied to the substrate W by the DC power supply 111 is given here, a negative bias voltage may be applied to the substrate W by a pulse power supply. FIG. 13B shows an example in which a bottom cover 50 is provided (corresponding to FIG. 5), but the bottom cover 50 may be omitted and the stage 20 may be extended to the position of the bottom cover 50. In that case, the conductor 22 may contact the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W.

[0061] 14A and 14B are schematic diagrams showing examples of connections for biasing the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50. As shown in FIG. 14A, the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 that contact the substrate W may be formed of a conductor, the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 may be connected to the low potential side of the DC power supply 111, and the outer periphery of the substrate W may be biased to a negative DC voltage. The stage 20 may be connected to a ground potential. The top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 may be entirely formed of a conductor, but at least the parts of the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 that contact the substrate W may be formed of a conductor. Also, as shown in FIG. 14B, the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 may be covered with an insulator (insulator 42A and insulator 50A) in the parts exposed to the plasma generation region 71. In this way, it is possible to suppress or prevent the top cover 40 and the bottom cover 50 from being deteriorated by plasma. The outer periphery of the substrate W may be biased to a negative DC voltage using either the top cover 40 or the bottom cover 50 .

[0062] The bias is not limited to a DC voltage, but may be a pulse or a high frequency voltage. A negative bias makes it easier to attract positive ions, but when negative ions are to be attracted, a positive bias is applied.

[0063] In the present embodiment, when DLC is used as the protective film 90, for example, the substrate bias voltage is −500 V to −50 V, the film forming pressure is 0.1 to 1 Pa, and the material gas is CH, C, H, or C. A gas containing carbon such as O is used.

[0064] 15A and 15B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a method of centering the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 15A, the line sensor 120 is installed at a position of θ=180° on the outer periphery of the substrate W placed on the stage 20, and the substrate W is rotated by the stage 20 to measure the distance that blocks the irradiation area 121 at positions of θ=θ1 and θ=θ1+180° on the outer periphery of the substrate W. The origin θ=0 can be set at any position, and in the example of FIG. 15A, the position of the electrode 60 arranged on a part of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W is set as the origin θ=0. The line sensor 120 has a pair of a light-emitting unit 120A and a light-receiving unit 120B, and forms the irradiation area 121 by irradiating light in a line shape from the light-emitting unit 120A toward the light-receiving unit 120B, and measures the distance or position at which the substrate W blocks the irradiation area 121. As shown in FIG. 15B, the distance by which the substrate W blocks the irradiation area 121 of the line sensor 120 at the position of θ=θ1+180° is longer by a distance D than the distance by which the substrate W blocks the irradiation area 121 of the line sensor 120 at the position of θ=θ1. In this case, since the center of the substrate W is displaced by a distance D / 2 from the position of θ=θ1 toward the position of θ=θ1+180° with respect to the rotation center of the stage 20, the substrate W is moved in the opposite direction, that is, from the position of θ=θ1+180° toward the position of θ=θ1 by a distance D / 2. In this way, the substrate W can be aligned (centered) with respect to the rotation center of the stage 20. This makes it easy to make the distance between the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W and the electrode 60 uniform over the entire circumference. When the substrate W is rotated with respect to the electrode 60 arranged on a part of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W as shown in FIG. 15A, the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W can be made to face the electrode 60 at a uniform distance over the entire circumference.

[0065] FIG. 16A is an explanatory diagram for explaining the formation of a protective film according to an embodiment. FIG. 16B is an explanatory diagram for explaining the formation of a protective film according to a comparative example. According to the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16A, the region surrounded by the top cover 40, the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), and the electrode 60 is set as the plasma generation region 71, and the outer periphery 200 and the center 300 of the substrate W are physically separated by the top cover 40 and the stage 20 (or the bottom cover 50), so that the boundary between the plasma generation region 71 and the non-plasma generation region 72 is clear. Therefore, the protective film 90 is formed with a stable film thickness at the inner boundary of the protective film 90 (the uniformity of the film thickness is improved), and the adhesion of the protective film 90 can be improved. FIG. 16A shows an example in which the lower surface of the substrate W is separated by the stage 20 (FIG. 6), but the same applies to the case in which the lower surface of the substrate W is separated by the bottom cover 50 (FIG. 5). 16B, which is shown as a comparative example, non-physically separates the plasma generation region 71 from the non-plasma generation region 72 by pressurizing the central portion 300 of the substrate W and / or introducing a purge gas, and the boundary between the two regions is not clear. When the two regions are separated non-physically in this manner, a stable film cannot be formed at the inner boundary of the protective film 90, and the film thickness at the inner boundary of the protective film 90 becomes thin, resulting in a decrease in adhesion of the protective film 90.

[0066] (Modification) (1) In the above embodiment, an example in which a top cover and a bottom cover are provided (FIG. 5) and an example in which only a top cover is provided (FIG. 6) have been described, but a configuration in which only a bottom cover is provided may also be used. In this case, at least on the lower surface of the substrate W, the bottom cover can suppress or prevent a decrease in film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary portion of the protective film, thereby improving the quality of the protective film. Also, on the upper surface side of the substrate, another shielding method such as a resist film may be used to prevent the formation of a film-forming material in the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate. (2) Although the above describes a plasma film forming apparatus, the structure of the above embodiment (the shielding structure using the top cover and / or bottom cover) can also be applied to a plasma etching apparatus or other plasma substrate processing apparatus.

[0067] (Other embodiments) 17A to 17E are schematic diagrams showing a substrate W (substrate with a protective film) on which various types of protective films are formed. The protective film 90 can be formed on both sides or one side of the substrate W over a part or all of the radial direction of the outer periphery 200 of the substrate W (for example, at least one of the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202). For example, the protective film 90 can be formed on the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202 on both sides or one side of the substrate W. The protective film 90 can also be formed only on the bevel portion 202 on both sides or one side of the substrate W. The protective film 90 can also be formed only on the edge portion 201 on both sides or one side of the substrate W. The protective film 90 may also be composed of a plurality of layers. When a protective film is formed on one side of the substrate W, it is preferable to form the protective film on a part or all of the radial direction of the outer periphery of the surface including the device formation region (for example, at least one of the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202). The area where the protective film 90 is formed (the edge portion 201 and / or the bevel portion 202 on both sides or one side of the substrate W) may be an area on the outer periphery of the substrate that particularly needs to be protected, or an area on the outer periphery of the substrate where protection alone is sufficient.

[0068] 17A shows an example in which a protective film 90 made of an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed on the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202 on both sides of the substrate W. FIG. 17B shows an example in which a protective film 90 made of an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed only on the bevel portion 202 on both sides of the substrate W. Regions on which the protective film 90 is not formed may be protected by a combination of one or more of the above-mentioned top cover 40, bottom cover 50, stage 20, and resist film. When the protective film 90 is formed only on the bevel portion 202, for example, the above-mentioned top cover 40 can be used to shield the center portion 300 and the edge portion 201 from plasma.

[0069] 17C shows a case where a protective film 90 consisting of multiple layers including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed on the edge portion 201 and the bevel portion 202 on both sides of the substrate. In this example, the protective film 90 includes a first layer 90A formed on the substrate W, and a second layer 90B formed on the first layer 90A. As an example of each layer, the first layer 90A may be a SiC film, and the second layer 90B may be an amorphous carbon film or DLC film. For example, when the material of the substrate W or the surface of the substrate W is made of silicon (Si), a SiC layer may be formed on the silicon as the first layer 90A, and an amorphous carbon film or DLC may be further formed as the second layer 90B. The SiC layer can be formed by a method such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or epitaxial growth. The amorphous carbon film or DLC film can be formed by, for example, the above-mentioned plasma film formation method. The area where the protective film 90 is not formed can be protected by a combination of one or more of the above-mentioned top cover 40, bottom cover 50, stage 20, and resist film. The protective film 90 may be composed of three or more layers. When the protective film 90 is composed of multiple layers, it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is formed of a film having etching resistance and high hardness, such as an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film. The protective film according to any of the embodiments may be composed of multiple layers, and in this case, it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is formed of a film having etching resistance and high hardness, such as an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film.

[0070] 17D shows an example in which a protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed on an edge portion 201 and a bevel portion 202 on one side of a substrate W. In this example, the protective film 90 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. Note that the boundary between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W in the bevel portion 202 can be, for example, half the thickness of the substrate W. In this example, the protective film 90 may be composed of multiple layers as in FIG. 17C. The areas on which the protective film 90 is not formed may be protected by a combination of one or more of the above-mentioned top cover 40, bottom cover 50, stage 20, and resist film formation.

[0071] 17E shows an example in which a protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed only on the bevel portion 202 on one side of the substrate W. In this example, the protective film 90 may be composed of multiple layers, as in the case of FIG. 17C. The area on which the protective film 90 is not formed may be protected by a combination of one or more of the above-mentioned top cover 40, bottom cover 50, stage 20, and resist film.

[0072] In this way, the substrate W having a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film formed on the outer periphery of the substrate can prevent erosion of the outer periphery of the substrate W that may occur during processing steps in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Therefore, by starting the semiconductor manufacturing process using a substrate having a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film on the outer periphery of the substrate, it is possible to prevent erosion of the outer periphery of the substrate throughout the entire semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0073] The protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate may be peeled off before the substrate dicing step in the semiconductor manufacturing process. On the other hand, the dicing step may be performed without peeling off the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate. In this case, it is possible to omit the protective film peeling step.

[0074] The protective film may be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate before a process that requires protection of the outer periphery of the substrate, for example, before an etching process in which the outer periphery of the substrate may be eroded.

[0075] FIG. 18A shows a flow chart of a semiconductor manufacturing process according to an example. In this example, a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate in the first step of the semiconductor manufacturing process, and then the subsequent semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out. First, a protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed on a part or all of the outer periphery of the substrate in the radial direction (step S11). The protective film 90 includes one or more layers, and it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is an amorphous carbon film or DLC film. After a transistor formation step (step S12) and a wiring layer formation step (step S13) are performed on the device formation region of the substrate W, the protective film 90 is peeled off from the substrate W by etching using a chemical solution, dry etching, or other methods (step S14). Next, a plurality of semiconductor devices (semiconductor chips) W are removed from the substrate W by dicing or the like. device The semiconductor manufacturing process (pre-process) is completed by performing processes such as dicing the semiconductor substrate into individual pieces (step S15). Note that a substrate having a protective film formed on the outer periphery of the substrate (substrate with protective film) may be prepared / purchased, and the semiconductor manufacturing process may be performed on the substrate with protective film.

[0076] FIG. 18B shows a flow chart of a semiconductor manufacturing process according to another example. In this example, after a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate in the first step of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the subsequent semiconductor manufacturing process is performed. Also, the dicing process is performed without peeling off the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate. A protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed on a part or all of the outer periphery of the substrate in the radial direction (step S21). The protective film 90 includes one or more layers, and it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film. After performing a transistor formation process (step S22) and a wiring layer formation process (step S23) on the device formation region of the substrate W, a dicing process is performed to separate a plurality of semiconductor devices (semiconductor chips) from the substrate W, thereby completing the semiconductor manufacturing process (pre-process) (steps S24, S25). In this case, it is possible to omit the protective film peeling process. Note that a substrate on which a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate (substrate with protective film) may be prepared / purchased, and the semiconductor manufacturing process may be performed on the substrate with protective film.

[0077] FIG. 19A shows a flowchart of a semiconductor manufacturing process according to another example. In this example, a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate before the wiring layer formation process, thereby protecting the outer periphery of the substrate from erosion in the wiring layer formation process. Specifically, after the transistor formation process (step S31) in the semiconductor manufacturing process is completed, A protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed over a part or all of the radial direction (step S32). The protective film 90 includes one or more layers, and it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is an amorphous carbon film or DLC film. Next, a wiring layer forming process (step S33) is performed on the substrate W after the protective film formation, and then the protective film 90 is peeled off from the substrate W by etching using a chemical solution, dry etching, or other methods. Thereafter, a dicing process is performed to separate the substrate W into a plurality of semiconductor devices (semiconductor chips), thereby completing the semiconductor manufacturing process (pre-process) (step S35).

[0078] FIG. 19B shows a flow chart of a semiconductor manufacturing process according to another example. In this example, a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate before the silicon etching process, thereby protecting the outer periphery of the substrate from erosion in the silicon etching process. After the transistor formation process (step S41) in the semiconductor manufacturing process is completed, a protective film 90 including an amorphous carbon film or DLC film is formed on a part or all of the outer periphery of the substrate in the radial direction (step S42). The protective film 90 includes one or more layers, and it is preferable that at least the outermost layer is an amorphous carbon film or DLC film. Next, a silicon etching process (step S43) is performed on the substrate W after the protective film formation, and then the protective film 90 is peeled off from the substrate W by etching using a chemical solution, dry etching, or other methods (step S44). Subsequently, a wiring layer formation process (step S45) and other processes are performed on the substrate W.

[0079] In the examples of Figures 19A and 19B, a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate before the wiring formation process or the silicon etching process. However, a protective film including an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film may be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate before other processes.

[0080] According to the above embodiment, a substrate having a protective film formed on a part or all of the outer periphery in the radial direction of the substrate is prepared (purchased) and a semiconductor manufacturing process is performed, thereby preventing erosion of the outer periphery of the substrate W that may occur during processing in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Also, by forming a protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate before a process that requires protection of the outer periphery of the substrate, it is possible to prevent erosion of the outer periphery of the substrate W that may occur during that process.

[0081] At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the above embodiment. [1] According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate, the method including: performing a trimming process on at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the substrate around the entire periphery of the substrate; and forming a protective film on the outer periphery such that, on the trimmed surface, the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate. The trim means a cutout portion recessed from the surface of the substrate around the entire periphery of the substrate. The trim processing means processing such a trim. The trim is preferably provided on the substrate surface on which the device formation region is located. When the device formation region is located on either the front or back surface of the substrate, the trim may be provided only on the surface on which the device formation region is located, or on both surfaces. When the device formation region is located on both the front or back surface of the substrate, the trim is preferably provided on both surfaces of the substrate.

[0082] According to this embodiment, a trim that is recessed relative to the surface of the substrate is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate to set the outer periphery of the substrate back in advance, and then a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate, so that the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate, i.e., the surface of the protective film is not convex relative to the surface of the substrate.

[0083] The semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out while the outer periphery of the substrate is protected by a protective film that does not protrude from the substrate surface. Since the above is carried out, the state of the outer periphery of the substrate can be maintained throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process so that no inconveniences in manufacturing occur. For example, since the surface of the protective film does not become convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, the region of the substrate to be polished can be brought into contact with the polishing pad evenly in the polishing process, and the occurrence of a difference in the polishing state between the center and the outer periphery of the substrate can be suppressed / prevented. In addition, in spin coating, the flow of the coating liquid flowing from the center of the substrate to the outside is not hindered by the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate, and the flow of the coating liquid can be made uniform. In addition, when the protective film is formed on both sides of the substrate so that the surface of the protective film is not convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, in a stage structured to adsorb the substrate on the entire back surface during substrate transportation, only the outer periphery on which the protective film is formed can be suppressed / prevented from coming into contact with the stage, and the occurrence of errors during substrate transportation can be suppressed / prevented.

[0084] [2] According to one embodiment, in the step of performing the trimming process, the trimming process is performed around the entire periphery of the outer periphery on both the front and back surfaces of the substrate. According to this embodiment, in addition to achieving the above-mentioned advantageous effects, when transporting a substrate, in a stage structured to adsorb the substrate on its entire back surface, it is possible to suppress / prevent only the outer peripheral portion on which the protective film is formed from coming into contact with the stage, thereby suppressing / preventing errors from occurring when transporting the substrate.

[0085] [3] According to one embodiment, in the step of performing the trimming, a step shape or a taper shape recessed from a surface of the substrate to be trimmed is formed. According to this embodiment, since it is only necessary to form a trim of a simple shape on the outer periphery of the substrate, the required trim can be easily formed.

[0086] [4] According to one embodiment, in the step of performing the trimming process, the trimming process is performed by laser ablation or etching. According to this aspect, it is possible to perform highly accurate trimming on the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0087] [5] According to one embodiment, the trimmed portion is processed so that its surface roughness is rougher than its surface roughness before the trimming process. During the trimming process, the trimmed portion may be processed so that its surface roughness is rougher than its surface roughness before the trimming process, or an additional process may be performed after the trimming process so that its surface roughness is rougher than its surface roughness before the trimming process. The trimming process and the additional process may be combined to make the surface roughness of the trimmed portion rougher than its surface roughness before the trimming process. According to this embodiment, the surface roughness of the trimmed portion is made rougher than that of the non-trimmed portion, thereby making it possible to improve the adhesion of the protective film.

[0088] [6] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the protective film on the outer periphery includes a step of receding the protective film so that, when the surface of the protective film on the trimmed surface becomes convex relative to the surface of the substrate after the protective film is formed, the surface of the protective film becomes flush with or concave relative to the surface of the substrate. According to this embodiment, by retreating the protective film as necessary after the protective film is formed, it is possible to easily obtain a protective film that does not protrude relative to the surface of the substrate.

[0089] [7] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes one or more of an insulating film, a dielectric film, a conductive film, and an organic film. According to this embodiment, the protective film can be formed from various materials and can be formed in one or more layers. When the protective film is formed in multiple layers, the degree of freedom in designing the thickness and / or performance of the protective film is increased.

[0090] [8] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a layer having a hardness greater than a hardness of the substrate and a film deposited on the substrate. According to this embodiment, by making the protective film (at least the outermost layer in the case of multiple layers) to have a higher hardness than the substrate and the film formed on the substrate, it is possible to suppress / prevent the protective film from being damaged and the shape of the substrate including the protective film from changing during the process of removing unnecessary films formed on the protective film.

[0091] [9] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a layer formed from amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC). According to this embodiment, the hardness of the protective film (at least the outermost layer in the case of a multi-layer structure) can be made sufficiently higher than the hardness of the substrate and the film formed on the substrate.

[0092]

[10] According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate comprising a protective film formed on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of the substrate, wherein a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to at least one of an obverse surface and a reverse surface of the substrate. It is preferable that the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate on the surface on which the device formation region is located. When the device formation region is located on either the front or back surface of the substrate, the surface of the protective film may be flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate only on the surface on which the device formation region is located, or the surface of the protective film may be flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate on both surfaces. When the device formation region is located on both the front or back surface of the substrate, it is preferable that the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate on both surfaces of the substrate.

[0093] According to this embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing process is performed in a state where the outer periphery of the substrate is protected by a protective film that is not convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, so that the state of the outer periphery of the substrate can be maintained throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process without causing any inconvenience in manufacturing. For example, since the surface of the protective film is not convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, the region of the substrate to be polished can be brought into contact with the polishing pad evenly in the polishing process, and it is possible to suppress / prevent the occurrence of a difference in the polishing state between the center and the outer periphery of the substrate. In addition, in spin coating, the flow of the coating liquid flowing from the center of the substrate to the outside is not hindered by the protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate, so that the flow of the coating liquid can be made uniform. In addition, when the protective film is formed on both sides of the substrate so as not to be convex with respect to the surface of the substrate, it is possible to suppress / prevent only the outer periphery on which the protective film is formed from coming into contact with the stage in a structure in which the substrate is adsorbed on the entire back surface during substrate transportation, and it is possible to suppress / prevent the occurrence of an error during substrate transportation.

[0094]

[11] According to one embodiment, a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the front and back surfaces of the substrate. According to this embodiment, in addition to achieving the above-mentioned advantageous effects, when transporting a substrate, in a stage structured to adsorb the substrate on its entire back surface, it is possible to suppress / prevent only the outer peripheral portion on which the protective film is formed from coming into contact with the stage, thereby suppressing / preventing errors from occurring when transporting the substrate.

[0095]

[12] According to one embodiment, on a surface of the substrate where the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate, a trim recessed below the surface of the substrate is provided around the entire outer periphery of the substrate, and an end of the protective film is positioned within the trim. According to this embodiment, by positioning the end of the protective film within a trim that is recessed relative to the surface of the substrate at the outer periphery of the substrate, a structure can be easily formed in which the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the surface of the substrate, and it is possible to suppress or prevent the surface of the protective film from becoming convex relative to the substrate surface at the end of the protective film (the boundary between the portion where the protective film is formed and the portion where the protective film is not formed).

[0096]

[13] According to one aspect, the trim is stepped or tapered. According to this embodiment, it is only necessary to provide a trim of a simple shape on the outer periphery of the substrate, so that the required trim can be easily formed.

[0097]

[14] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a layer having a hardness greater than a hardness of the substrate and a film deposited on the substrate. According to this embodiment, by making the protective film (at least the outermost layer in the case of multiple layers) to have a higher hardness than the substrate and the film formed on the substrate, it is possible to suppress / prevent the protective film from being damaged and the shape of the substrate from being changed during the process of removing unnecessary film formed on the protective film. According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a layer made of amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC). According to this embodiment, the hardness of the protective film (at least the outermost layer in the case of a multi-layer structure) can be made sufficiently higher than the hardness of the substrate and the film formed on the substrate.

[0098]

[15] According to one embodiment, a substrate is provided in which a protective film is formed on an outer periphery of the substrate, the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate, and the protective film has one or more layers, at least the outermost layer of the one or more layers being an amorphous carbon film or a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. When the protective film is a single layer, the entire protective film is the outermost layer and is a DLC film. A portion of the outer periphery in the substrate radial direction, i.e., at least one of the edge portion and the bevel portion, may be covered with the protective film. According to this aspect, by covering the outer periphery of the substrate with an amorphous carbon film or DLC film that is resistant to etching and has high hardness, the outer periphery of the substrate can be protected from erosion in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0099]

[16] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a plurality of layers, and at least an outermost layer of the plurality of layers is an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film. According to this embodiment, the protective film is composed of multiple layers, for example, by forming one or multiple base films on the substrate and then forming an amorphous carbon film or DLC film thereon, it is possible to improve the adhesion of the amorphous carbon film or DLC film to the substrate.

[0100]

[17] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, and the second layer is an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film. According to this embodiment, the protective film is made up of two layers, and the second layer, which is the outermost layer, is an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film, so that the above-mentioned advantageous effects can be achieved.

[0101]

[18] According to one aspect, the substrate is a silicon substrate and the first layer is a SiC film. According to this aspect, by forming a SiC film as an undercoat film on a silicon substrate, the adhesion of the amorphous carbon film or DLC film to the substrate can be improved.

[0102]

[19] According to one embodiment, the protective film is formed only on a bevel portion of the substrate. According to this aspect, when it is particularly necessary to protect the bevel portion of the substrate, or when it is sufficient to protect the bevel portion, the area where the protective film is formed can be reduced.

[0103]

[20] According to one embodiment, the protective film is formed only on a bevel portion on one side of the substrate. According to this embodiment, it is necessary to particularly protect the bevel portion on one side of the substrate (for example, the side on which the device formation region is located), or it is sufficient to protect the bevel portion on one side of the substrate. In this case, the area where the protective film is formed can be reduced.

[0104] [1A] According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate using plasma, the method including: placing a second surface of a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other on a stage smaller than a dimension of the substrate such that the outer periphery of the substrate protrudes from an outer edge of the stage; bringing at least a portion of a circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the substrate into opposition with an electrode; contacting the first surface of the substrate with a first shielding structure that separates the outer periphery from an area inside the outer periphery and / or contacting the second surface of the substrate with a second shielding structure that separates the outer periphery from an area inside the outer periphery; and supplying a film formation gas between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode to form a protective film on the outer periphery of the substrate. According to this embodiment, a protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate while the first and / or second surfaces of the substrate are physically shielded except for the outer periphery (central portion) by the first and / or second shielding structures. Since the plasma generation region (outer periphery) and the non-plasma generation region (central portion) on the substrate are separated by physical structures, a reduction in the film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented. For example, the region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the electrode, and the stage or the second shielding structure is set as the plasma generation region, and a protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate in a state in which the first shielding structure and the stage or the second shielding structure shield the substrate except for the outer periphery (center portion). Since the plasma generation region (outer periphery) and the non-plasma generation region (center portion) on the substrate are separated by a physical structure, a decrease in the film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary portion of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented. Also, the first shielding structure on the first surface of the substrate may be omitted, and a second shielding structure may be provided only on the second surface of the substrate to suppress or prevent a decrease in film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film on the second surface. In this case, a decrease in film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented at least on the second surface of the substrate, and the quality of the protective film can be improved.

[0105] [2A] According to one embodiment, the method includes a step of contacting the first shielding structure with the first surface of the substrate, wherein the first shielding structure has a contact portion that contacts the substrate and a hollow portion that is provided inside the contact portion and forms a shielded space together with the substrate, and the region inside the outer periphery of the substrate is accommodated within the hollow portion. According to this embodiment, the inner portion (central portion) of the outer periphery of the substrate can be contained within the hollow portion, so that the device formation region of the substrate can be protected without coming into contact with the first shielding structure, and deterioration of the device formation region can be suppressed or prevented.

[0106] [3A] According to one embodiment, the first shielding structure has a cylindrical portion that contacts the substrate and a lid portion that closes one end of the cylindrical portion, and the other end of the cylindrical portion contacts the substrate. According to this embodiment, the first shielding structure can be formed with a simple configuration.

[0107] [4A] According to one embodiment, the lid portion extends to the outside of the cylindrical portion, and the film formation gas is supplied between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode through a plurality of gas supply holes arranged in the lid portion along the outer periphery of the substrate outside the cylindrical portion. According to this embodiment, the film formation gas can be uniformly supplied to the plasma generation region (the region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the electrode, and the stage or the second shielding structure) with a simple configuration.

[0108] [5A] According to one aspect, the film forming gas is supplied to the plurality of gas supply holes via a buffer chamber that is provided on an outer side of the lid and communicates with the plurality of gas supply holes. According to this embodiment, the deposition gas is supplied to the plurality of gas supply holes through the buffer chamber. As a result, gas can be supplied uniformly to each gas supply hole, and thus the film forming gas can be supplied uniformly over the entire circumferential direction of the plasma generation region.

[0109] [6A] According to one embodiment, the lid portion extends to the outside of the cylindrical portion, and the deposition gas is supplied between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode through a porous body arranged in a ring shape so as to penetrate the lid portion outside the cylindrical portion. According to this embodiment, the film formation gas can be uniformly supplied to the plasma generation region (the region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the electrode, and the stage or the second shielding structure) with a simple configuration.

[0110] [7A] According to one embodiment, the film forming gas is supplied to the porous body through a buffer chamber provided outside the lid and communicating with the porous body. According to this embodiment, by supplying a film formation gas to the annular porous body through the buffer chamber, the gas can be supplied uniformly around the entire circumferential direction of the annular porous body, thereby enabling the film formation gas to be supplied uniformly around the entire circumferential direction of the plasma generation region.

[0111] [8A] According to one embodiment, the lid portion extends to the outside of the cylindrical portion, and the film formation gas is supplied between the lid portion and the electrode outside the cylindrical portion, and after the film formation gas is collided with the cylindrical portion, it is supplied between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode. According to this embodiment, the film formation gas is made to flow perpendicularly to the cylindrical portion of the first shielding structure and hits the cylindrical portion once, thereby improving the uniformity of the film formation gas. Also, the film formation gas can be uniformly supplied to the plasma generation region (region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the electrode, and the stage or the second shielding structure) without forming gas supply holes or porous flow paths in the first shielding structure. This simplifies the structure of the first shielding structure.

[0112] [9A] According to one embodiment, the film forming gas is supplied between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode from a side of the substrate through one or more gas supply holes provided in the electrode. According to this embodiment, the deposition gas can be uniformly supplied to the entire plasma generation region by supplying the deposition gas laterally through the gas supply holes provided in the electrode. Also, since the deposition gas can be uniformly supplied to the plasma generation region without forming gas supply holes or a flow path in the porous body in the first shielding structure, the structure of the first shielding structure can be simplified.

[0113] [10A] According to one embodiment, a plurality of gas supply holes are provided in the electrode, and the film forming gas is supplied to the plurality of gas supply holes via a buffer chamber that communicates with the plurality of gas supply holes provided on the outside of the electrode. According to this embodiment, by supplying a film-forming gas to multiple gas supply holes of the electrode via the buffer chamber, the gas can be supplied uniformly to each gas supply hole, thereby enabling the film-forming gas to be supplied uniformly around the entire circumferential direction of the plasma generation region.

[0114] [11A] According to one embodiment, a region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the stage, and the electrode is a plasma generation region. According to this embodiment, since the stage is used as part of the structure that divides the plasma generation region, it is possible to omit a shielding structure on one surface of the substrate, that is, a second shielding structure on the second surface side of the substrate can be omitted.

[0115]

[12] According to one embodiment, a region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the second shielding structure, and the electrode is a plasma generation region. According to this aspect, it is possible to more flexibly design the structure that divides the plasma generation region on each surface of the substrate.

[0116] [13A] According to one embodiment, the electrode is divided into an upper electrode and a lower electrode, and the substrate is placed on the stage with the upper electrode and the lower electrode separated from each other, and after the substrate is placed, the upper electrode and the lower electrode are aligned. According to this embodiment, when electrodes are provided around the entire periphery of the substrate, the substrate can be easily installed and removed.

[0117] [14A] According to one embodiment, the stage is connected to ground potential, negative potential or positive potential. According to this embodiment, a ground potential, a negative potential, or a positive potential is applied to the outer periphery of the substrate on which the protective film is formed, and negative / positive charges are accumulated on the outer periphery of the substrate, making it easier to attract positive / negative ions in the film forming gas, thereby accelerating the formation of the protective film.

[0118] [15A] According to one embodiment, a first conductor arranged at the outer periphery of the stage so as to be in electrical contact with the outer periphery of the substrate or the inside of the outer periphery is connected to a ground potential, a negative potential or a positive potential. According to this aspect, it is possible to efficiently apply a ground potential, a negative potential, or a positive potential to the outer periphery of the substrate on which the protective film is formed.

[0119] [16A] According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the first shielding structure and / or the second shielding structure that contacts the substrate is conductive, and the conductive portion of the first shielding structure and / or the second shielding structure is connected to ground potential, negative potential or positive potential. According to this embodiment, the first shielding structure and / or the second shielding structure in contact with the boundary between the outer periphery and the center of the substrate can be used to efficiently apply a ground potential, a negative potential, or a positive potential to the outer periphery of the substrate on which the protective film is formed, without the need to provide a separate conductor for applying a potential to the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0120] [17A] According to one embodiment, the method includes contacting the second shielding structure with the second surface of the substrate, the second shielding structure contacting the second surface of the substrate outside the stage. According to this aspect, it is possible to more flexibly design the structure that divides the plasma generation region on the second surface of the substrate.

[0121] [18A] According to one aspect, a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate while the substrate is being rotated. According to this embodiment, the deposition gas can be supplied more uniformly over the entire circumferential direction of the plasma generation region, and the deposition gas and plasma can be brought into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate more uniformly over the entire circumferential direction, thereby forming a protective film more uniformly over the entire periphery of the substrate.

[0122] [19A] According to one embodiment, in a cross section along a radial direction of the substrate, the electrode has a shape and arrangement such that a distance between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode is constant throughout a deposition region of the substrate. The electrode has, for example, an arc-shaped cross-sectional shape. According to this aspect, since the distance between the electrode and the outer periphery of the substrate is constant over the entire film formation region, a protective film with a uniform thickness can be formed over the entire outer periphery of the substrate.

[0123] [20A] According to one embodiment, the electrodes are disposed continuously or intermittently around the entire outer periphery of the substrate. According to this aspect, the electrodes are disposed over the entire circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the substrate, This allows a constant distance to be stably maintained between the electrode and the outer periphery of the substrate, and further improves the uniformity of the thickness of the protective film.

[0124] [21A] According to one embodiment, the electrode is disposed on a portion of the circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the substrate, and the protective film is formed on the entire circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the substrate by rotating the substrate. According to this aspect, the electrodes are disposed on a portion of the outer periphery of the substrate in the circumferential direction, so that the electrodes can be easily configured.

[0125] [22A] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes at least one of an insulating film, a dielectric film, a conductive film, and an organic film. The protective film may include a plurality of layers of different types. According to this aspect, it is possible to form a variety of protective films suitable for protecting the outer periphery of the substrate in the substrate process after the protective film is formed.

[0126] [23A] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a layer made of amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon. According to this embodiment, amorphous carbon or DLC (diamond-like carbon), which has good etching resistance, is used for the protective film (at least the outermost layer in the case of multiple layers), so that the outer periphery of the substrate can be appropriately protected in the substrate process after the protective film is formed.

[0127] [24A] According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for depositing a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate using plasma, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a stage smaller than a size of the substrate, on which the second surface of a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other of the substrate are placed such that the outer periphery of the substrate protrudes from an outer edge of the stage; an electrode disposed on the outer periphery of the substrate, the electrode facing at least a portion of a circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the substrate; a first shielding structure in contact with the first surface of the substrate and separating the outer periphery of the substrate from an inner region thereof, and / or a second shielding structure in contact with the second surface of the substrate and separating the outer periphery of the substrate from an inner region thereof; and a gas supply device for supplying a film formation gas between the outer periphery of the substrate and the electrode. According to this embodiment, a protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate while the first and / or second surfaces of the substrate are physically shielded except for the outer periphery (central portion) by the first and / or second shielding structures. Since the plasma generation region (outer periphery) and the non-plasma generation region (central portion) on the substrate are separated by physical structures, a reduction in the film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented. For example, the region surrounded by the first shielding structure, the electrode, and the stage or the second shielding structure is set as the plasma generation region, and a protective film can be formed on the outer periphery of the substrate in a state in which the first shielding structure and the stage or the second shielding structure shield the substrate except for the outer periphery (center portion). Since the plasma generation region (outer periphery) and the non-plasma generation region (center portion) on the substrate are separated by a physical structure, a decrease in the film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary portion of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented. Also, the first shielding structure on the first surface of the substrate may be omitted, and a second shielding structure may be provided only on the second surface of the substrate to suppress or prevent a decrease in film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film on the second surface. In this case, a decrease in film thickness and a decrease in adhesion at the inner boundary of the protective film can be suppressed or prevented at least on the second surface of the substrate, and the quality of the protective film can be improved.

[0128] [25A] According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate, in which a protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate, the protective film having one or more layers, at least the outermost layer of the one or more layers being an amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC) film. When the protective film is a single layer, the entire protective film is the outermost layer and is an amorphous carbon or DLC film. At least one of a part of the outer periphery in the substrate radial direction, i.e., an edge portion and a bevel portion, is formed by the protective film. It may be covered with According to this aspect, by covering the outer periphery of the substrate with an amorphous carbon or DLC film that is resistant to etching and has high hardness, the outer periphery of the substrate can be protected from erosion in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0129] [26A] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a plurality of layers, and at least an outermost layer of the plurality of layers is an amorphous carbon or DLC film. According to this embodiment, the protective film is composed of multiple layers, for example, by forming one or multiple base films on the substrate and then forming an amorphous carbon or DLC film thereon, it is possible to improve the adhesion of the amorphous carbon or DLC film to the substrate.

[0130] [27A] According to one embodiment, the protective film includes a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, the second layer being an amorphous carbon or DLC film. According to this embodiment, the protective film is made up of two layers, and the second layer, which is the outermost layer, is made of amorphous carbon or DLC film, thereby making it possible to achieve the above-mentioned advantageous effects.

[0131] [28A] According to one aspect, the substrate is a silicon substrate and the first layer is a SiC film. According to this aspect, by forming a SiC film as an undercoat film on a silicon substrate, the adhesion of the amorphous carbon or DLC film to the substrate can be improved.

[0132] [29A] According to one embodiment, the protective film is formed only on a bevel portion of the substrate. According to this aspect, when it is particularly necessary to protect the bevel portion of the substrate, or when it is sufficient to protect the bevel portion, the area where the protective film is formed can be reduced.

[0133] [30A] According to one embodiment, the protective film is formed only on a bevel portion on one side of the substrate. According to this embodiment, when there is a particular need to protect the bevel portion on one side of the substrate (e.g., the side on which the device formation region is located), or when it is sufficient to protect the bevel portion on one side of the substrate, the area on which the protective film is formed can be reduced.

[0134] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on several examples, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes its equivalents. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10. Chassis 11 Plasma chamber 12 Actuator 13 Drive shaft 14 Magnetic fluid seal 20 Stages 22 Conductors 30 Buffer Room 31 Supply port 40 Top cover 41 Lid 41A Flange part 42 Cylindrical part 42A Insulator 43 Gas supply hole 44 Porous Materials 50 Bottom cover 50A Insulator 60 electrodes 60A Upper electrode 60B lower electrode 61 Gas supply hole 62 Insulators 70 Deposition gas 71 Plasma Generation Region 72 Non-plasma generating region 81 Nozzle 82 Buffer Room 83 Gas supply pipe 90 Protective film 90A 1st layer 90B 2nd layer 95 Coating Fluid 100 Substrate processing apparatus 110 RF power supply 111 DC power supply 120 Line Sensor 121 Irradiation area 200 Outer periphery 201 Edge section 202 Bevel 300 central part 500 Trim 510 Step Shape 520 Tapered shape 530 Resist 550 Laser Beam 601 Polishing Pad 602 Retainer

Claims

1. A method for forming a protective film on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of a substrate, comprising the steps of: performing a trimming process on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate along the entire periphery of the outer periphery; forming a protective film on the outer periphery, the protective film being formed so that a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from a surface of the substrate on the surface on which the trimming has been performed; The method includes:

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , In the step of performing trimming, trimming is performed along the entire periphery of the outer periphery on both the front and back surfaces of the substrate.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method, wherein the step of performing trimming forms a step shape or a taper shape recessed from the surface of the substrate to be trimmed.

4. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method, wherein the step of performing trimming comprises performing trimming by laser ablation or etching.

5. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method comprises carrying out processing so that the surface roughness of the portion subjected to the trimming processing is rougher than the surface roughness before the trimming processing is carried out.

6. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method includes a step of forming the protective film on the outer periphery, and when, after the protective film is formed, the surface of the protective film becomes convex relative to the surface of the substrate on the surface that has been subjected to the trimming process, receding the protective film so that the surface of the protective film becomes flush with or concave relative to the surface of the substrate.

7. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method, wherein the protective film comprises one or more of an insulating film, a dielectric film, a conductive film, and an organic film.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, The method of claim 1, wherein the protective coating comprises a layer having a hardness greater than a hardness of the substrate and a film deposited on the substrate.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, The method, wherein the protective coating comprises a layer formed from amorphous carbon or diamond-like carbon (DLC).

10. A protective film is formed on an outer periphery including a bevel portion of the substrate, A substrate, wherein a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the substrate.

11. 11. The substrate of claim 10, A substrate, wherein a surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed relative to the front and back surfaces of the substrate.

12. 12. The substrate according to claim 10 or 11, a trim recessed from the surface of the substrate around the entire periphery of the outer periphery of the substrate, the trim being recessed from the surface of the substrate, the trim being provided on the surface of the substrate where the surface of the protective film is flush with or recessed from the surface of the substrate, and an end of the protective film is disposed within the trim; substrate.

13. 13. The substrate of claim 12, The substrate, wherein the trim is a step or taper.

14. 12. The substrate according to claim 10 or 11, The protective film includes a layer having a hardness greater than a hardness of the substrate and a film to be deposited on the substrate.

15. 15. The substrate of claim 14, A protective film is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate, The substrate, wherein the protective film has one or more layers, and at least an outermost layer of the one or more layers is an amorphous carbon film or a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film.

16. 15. The substrate of claim 14, The substrate, wherein the protective film includes a plurality of layers, and at least an outermost layer of the plurality of layers is an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film.

17. 15. The substrate of claim 14, The substrate, wherein the protective film includes a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, the second layer being an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film.

18. 15. The substrate of claim 14, The substrate is a silicon substrate and the first layer is a SiC film.

19. 19. The substrate according to claim 15, The protective film is formed only on a bevel portion of the substrate.

20. 20. The substrate of claim 19, A substrate, wherein the protective film is formed only on a bevel portion on one side of the substrate.

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