Method of using processing chamber and processing chamber

Abstract

To enhance productivity of a processing chamber for modifying a surface of a workpiece.SOLUTION: A method of using a processing chamber for modifying a surface of a workpiece, comprises: a surface modification step of supplying a processing gas containing an organic compound into the processing chamber and applying, from a light source section having a light-emitting surface facing an internal space of the processing chamber, light exhibiting intensity in a wavelength region including at least 205 nm or less to modify the surface of the workpiece; and a cleaning step of supplying a cleaning gas substantially free of organic compounds and radiating light from the light source section to clean the light-emitting surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method of using a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed, and to a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed.

Background Art

[0002] A method of using ultraviolet light to activate a specific source gas to generate radicals and supplying the radicals to an object to be processed to modify the surface of the object to be processed has been known for a long time.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a processing chamber that uses ultraviolet light to activate a source gas containing an organic compound having at least one of oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms and modifies the surface of an object to be processed with the activated source gas.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the inventors used such a processing chamber, they noticed that the illuminance may gradually decrease. The decrease in illuminance leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the surface modification treatment. Therefore, when the inventors investigated the cause of the decrease in illuminance, the following was found.

[0006] In the processing chamber described in Patent Document 1, in order to separate the light source space where the light source is disposed from the processing space where the substrate is placed, there is a quartz glass that transmits the light from the light source between the two spaces. The quartz glass that separates the above-described two spaces functions as a light emission surface that emits the light from the light source into the processing space. However, it has been found that an organic compound generated by a photoreaction adheres to the surface of the light emission surface, and the organic compound hinders the transmission of the light from the light source. Further, it has been found that even when a light source is installed in the processing space without using the quartz glass that separates the two spaces, a similar organic compound adheres to the surface of the glass enclosure that functions as the light emission surface of the light source. Therefore, the present inventors have devised the following processing chamber and its usage method in order to improve the productivity of the surface modification treatment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention is a method of using a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed, and the usage method includes: supplying a processing gas containing an organic compound to the processing chamber, and irradiating the surface of the object to be processed with light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less from a light source unit having a light emission surface facing the internal space of the processing chamber to modify the surface of the object to be processed, a surface modification step; supplying a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound to the processing chamber, and emitting light from the light source unit to clean the light emission surface, a cleaning step.

[0008] Although details will be described later, in the surface modification process, there may be a case where the organic compound generated by the photoreaction adheres to the transmission member that transmits light from the light source. More specifically, the internal space where the treatment is performed in the treatment chamber (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "treatment space") is filled with the treatment gas. When light is radiated into the treatment chamber, a liquid or solid organic compound generated by the photolysis of the treatment gas adheres to the light radiation surface or the like facing the treatment space of the treatment chamber. In this specification, the organic compound adhering to the light radiation surface or the like may simply be referred to as an "adhesion product". The adhesion product adhering to the light radiation surface may reduce the light transmittance from the light source and the illuminance may decrease. Therefore, by performing a cleaning process after the surface modification process, the adhesion product on the light radiation surface, which is the surface of the transmission member, is removed. As a result, the light attenuation in the transmission member is reduced and the illuminance is improved.

[0009] The "performing the cleaning process after the surface modification process" mentioned in the previous paragraph is not limited to being expressed in a short-term time concept. For example, consider a case where the cleaning process is performed first and the surface modification process is performed after several minutes have passed since the cleaning process ended. In this case, in a short-term time concept, it does not mean "performing the cleaning process after the surface modification process". However, if the surface modification process was performed several days before performing the cleaning process, in a medium- to long-term time concept, it means that the cleaning process was performed after the surface modification process several days ago. Therefore, it is necessary to note that the "performing the cleaning process after the surface modification process" is considered in a time concept including not only the short term but also the medium to long term. When the purpose is to remove the adhesion product on the light radiation surface or the like in the surface modification process by the cleaning process, the cleaning process must be performed after the surface modification process.

[0010] When the surface modification process and the cleaning process are performed on the same area, it is desirable to "perform the cleaning process after the surface modification process". However, when these processes are performed on different areas, it may not be necessary to "perform the cleaning process after the surface modification process". For example, at a certain moment, the cleaning process may be performed on area A, and the surface modification process may be performed on area B different from area A. From the overall perspective, both the period during which the surface modification process is performed and the period during which the cleaning process is performed may be carried out in parallel. The seventh embodiment shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" is an example in which the period during which the surface modification process is performed and the period during which the cleaning process is performed overlap in the entire processing chamber, and it includes the timing at which both processes are carried out in parallel. Also, the cleaning process may be performed such that a cleaning gas is temporarily blown onto the light emitting surface during the period when the surface modification process is performed.

[0011] The surface modification process and the cleaning process may be operated so as to be shifted in time with respect to each other. Here, "operated so as to be shifted in time with respect to each other" means that there are timings in which both the surface modification process and the cleaning process are not carried out in parallel, respectively, for the surface modification process and the cleaning process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the surface modification process and the cleaning process from being inhibited due to the mixing of the processing gas supplied in the surface modification process and the cleaning gas supplied in the cleaning process. Furthermore, the surface modification process and the cleaning process may be operated not only so as to be shifted in time with respect to each other, but also so as not to have a timing at which the surface modification process and the cleaning process are carried out in parallel. For example, in the manner in which the processing gas supplied in the surface modification process and the cleaning gas supplied in the cleaning process are supplied into the same space, as in the first embodiment shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention", it is better that there is no time when the surface modification process and the cleaning process are carried out in parallel, so that the chance of the processing gas and the cleaning gas mixing can be further reduced, and the processing of each process can proceed more appropriately.

[0012] The cleaning gas may satisfy at least one of the concentration conditions: an oxygen concentration of 1000 ppm or more and a water vapor concentration of 1000 ppm or more. Light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less generates oxygen radicals from oxygen molecules or OH radicals from water molecules. Then, the oxygen radicals or OH radicals decompose and remove the deposits on the transmission member.

[0013] The organic compound may contain at least one of a nitrogen atom and an oxygen atom. Examples of the organic compound include ethanol (C2H5OH) and acetonitrile (C2H3N).

[0014] The organic compound may contain a multiple bond as a chemical structure. Examples of the organic compound include ethylene (C2H4) and acetonitrile (C2H3N).

[0015] The present invention relates to a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed placed in a placement area, the processing chamber comprising: a light source unit having a light emitting surface that emits light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less toward the placement area in the processing chamber; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas containing an organic compound and a cleaning gas substantially free of the organic compound; a control unit that controls to perform at least one of (a) an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas from each other, and (b) an operation of moving the light emitting surface so as to switch between a position where the light emitting surface can contact the processing gas and a position where the light emitting surface can contact the cleaning gas.

[0016] The control unit controls to perform an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas from each other. The processing chamber may further include a shielding portion that deforms or moves such that the light is shielded so that the light does not irradiate the object to be processed at the supply timing of the cleaning gas, and the light is not shielded so that the light irradiates the object to be processed at the supply timing of the processing gas.

[0017] The control unit controls to perform an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas from each other. The control unit may control to supply the cleaning gas when the object to be processed does not exist in the placement area.

[0018] The control unit controls to perform an operation of moving the light emission surface so as to switch between a position where the light emission surface can contact the processing gas and a position where the light emission surface can contact the cleaning gas. The processing chamber may further include a drive mechanism that moves the light emission surface from the processing space where the processing gas is supplied to the cleaning space where the cleaning gas is supplied, and the processing space and the cleaning space where the cleaning gas is supplied are partitioned.

[0019] The gas supply unit may include a dedicated supply port for the processing gas that supplies a processing gas containing an organic compound and a dedicated supply port for the cleaning gas that supplies a cleaning gas substantially free of the organic compound.

[0020] The gas supply unit includes a common supply port capable of supplying both a processing gas containing an organic compound and a cleaning gas substantially free of the organic compound, and the common supply port may be connected to a flow path switching valve connected to a pipe leading to the processing gas supply source and a pipe leading to the cleaning gas supply source. Further, the flow path switching valve may be controlled by the control unit, or the flow path switching valve may be configured to be manually switched by an operator.

[0021] The gas supply unit may include an air release port of the processing chamber for supplying air into the processing chamber as the cleaning gas.

[0022] It is provided with an illuminance meter for measuring the illuminance of the light emitted from the light source, The signal of the illuminance meter may be input to the control unit.

[0023] The light source unit includes a light source body that emits the light, and a light transmissive member that is separate from the light source body and has the light emission surface, and an inert gas may be filled in the space between the light source body and the light transmissive member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] Thereby, the productivity of the surface modification treatment can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Each embodiment related to the invention described above will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing disclosed in this specification is merely schematically illustrated. That is, the dimensional ratio on the drawing does not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratio, and the dimensional ratios among the drawings do not necessarily match either.

[0027] Hereinafter, the drawings will be described with reference to the XYZ coordinate system as appropriate. In this specification, when expressing a direction and distinguishing between positive and negative directions, it is described with positive and negative signs such as “+X direction” and “-X direction”. When expressing a direction without distinguishing between positive and negative directions, it is simply described as “X direction”. That is, in this specification, when simply described as “X direction”, both “+X direction” and “-X direction” are included. The same applies to the Y direction and the Z direction. In the embodiments described below, the direction of gravity is the -Z direction.

[0028] <First Embodiment> [Overview of the Processing Chamber] First, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, an example of a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed will be described. The processing chamber 10 includes a light source unit and the internal space (processing space) of the processing chamber 10. In the present embodiment, the light source unit includes a light source main body 3 (hereinafter, “light source main body 3” may be simply described as “light source 3”) and a light source housing 35 in which the light source 3 is disposed. The processing space is inside the housing 1. In the external view of FIG. 1, the processing chamber 10 is shown as including the housing 1 and the light source housing 35. Further, the processing chamber 10 shown in FIG. 1 is further shown as including a door 21 for loading and unloading the object to be processed with respect to the housing 1 and a gas discharge unit 4 for discharging gas from the housing 1.

[0029] Figures 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the interior of the processing chamber 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows the state when the light source 3 is turned off, and FIG. 2B shows the state when the light source 3 is turned on. The processing chamber 10 has a space inside it where the object to be processed 9 can be placed. In the case of this embodiment, the processing chamber 10 has a table 11 inside it on which the object to be processed 9 is placed and which can be moved up and down by a lifting mechanism 16. The table 11 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 16 (the state of FIG. 2A) to carry the object to be processed 9 in or out. The table 11 on which the object to be processed is placed is raised by the lifting mechanism 16 so that the side wall 13 of the table 11 contacts the ceiling inside the housing 1, forming a small space 19 in a part of the processing space (the state of FIG. 2B). The light source 3 is turned on inside the small space 19 to irradiate the object to be processed 9 with ultraviolet light. The lifting mechanism 16 is moved up and down by a drive unit 61. The drive unit 61 is electrically connected to a control unit 30, and the control unit 30 controls the up and down movement of the lifting mechanism 16. Note that the object to be processed 9 itself is not a component of the processing chamber 10.

[0030] As can be seen in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the processing chamber 10 has a gas supply unit 2 that supplies gas inside the housing 1. In this embodiment, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 2 is a processing gas G1 for surface modification or a cleaning gas G2. Advantages of forming the small space 19 in a part of the processing space include that the amount of gas to be supplied can be suppressed, and the object to be processed can be brought closer to the light source 3 to suppress attenuation of the emitted light from the light source 3 and improve the illuminance of the object to be processed.

[0031] The gas supply unit 2 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B includes a common supply port capable of supplying both the processing gas G1 and the cleaning gas G2. The common supply port is connected to the flow path switching valve 25. The flow path switching valve 25 is connected to a first pipe 26 for supplying the processing gas G1 and a second pipe 27 for supplying the cleaning gas G2. The first pipe 26 leads to a processing gas supply source (not shown). The second pipe 27 leads to a cleaning gas supply source (not shown). The actuator of the flow path switching valve 25 is electrically connected to the control unit 30, and the control unit 30 controls the flow path switching valve 25. That is, the control unit 30 can switch the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 2 to either the processing gas G1 for surface modification or the cleaning gas G2. Details of the processing gas G1 and the cleaning gas G2 will be described later. The flow path switching valve 25 may be controlled by a control mechanism other than the control unit 30, or may be configured to be manually switched by an operator.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the processing chamber 10 includes a gas discharge unit 4. The gas discharge unit 4 is provided at a position facing the gas supply unit 2. The table 11 has a side wall 13 surrounding the table 11, a gas ejection nozzle 17, and a gas recovery nozzle 18. The gas ejection nozzle 17 is provided at a position on the side wall 13 close to the gas supply unit 2. The gas recovery nozzle 18 is at a position on the side wall 13 close to the gas discharge unit 4 and is provided at a position facing the gas ejection nozzle 17.

[0033] The gas ejection nozzle 17 is a flexible tube and is connected to the gas supply unit 2 of the processing chamber 10 so as to be ventilable. The gas recovery nozzle 18 is a flexible tube and is connected to the gas discharge unit 4 of the processing chamber 10 so as to be ventilable. By providing the gas ejection nozzle 17 and the gas recovery nozzle 18, even when the height of the lifting mechanism 16 changes, a change in the gas flow can be suppressed.

[0034] As described above, the light source unit includes a light source housing 35 that houses the light source body 3 therein. Thereby, the light source space inside the light source housing 35 and the processing space inside the housing 1 are separated by the light transmissive member 15 that transmits the light L1. The light transmissive member 15 is composed of, for example, quartz glass, calcium fluoride, or the like. Note that the "light source unit" in the present embodiment includes the light transmissive member 15 in addition to the light source body 3 and the light source housing 35.

[0035] The light source space inside the light source housing 35 is filled with an inert gas that is difficult to absorb the light emitted from the light source 3. Although not shown in FIG. 2A, a pipe for supplying the inert gas to the light source space and a pipe for discharging the gas inside the light source space are connected to the light source housing 35. Thereby, the attenuation amount of the light L1 radiated from the light source 3 inside the light source space can be suppressed, and the light intensity irradiated to the object to be processed can be increased. In the present embodiment, the light transmissive member 15 that transmits the light L1 is located on the ceiling of the housing 1, but the light transmissive member 15 that transmits the light L1 may be located on the side wall of the housing 1. Further, although the above-described light transmissive member 15 exists separately from the light source body 3, the light transmissive member 15 may be integrated with the light source body 3 and exist as a part of the light source body 3. When the light transmissive member 15 is integrated with the light source body 3, the light source body 3 itself can also be referred to as the "light source unit".

[0036] The light L1 emitted from the light source 3 is ultraviolet light, and more specifically, ultraviolet light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less. The light L1 irradiated to the processing gas G1 activates the processing gas G1 to generate a substance R1 in which an organic compound is radicalized. Although the details of the substance R1 in which the organic compound is radicalized will be described later, the substance R1 modifies the surface of the object to be processed 9.

[0037] As used herein, the "ultraviolet light exhibiting intensity in a wavelength range of at least 205 nm or less" refers to light having an emission band at a wavelength of 205 nm or less in the emission spectrum. Such light includes, for example, light exhibiting an emission spectrum in which the peak emission wavelength showing the maximum intensity in broad-wavelength light is 205 nm or less, or when having emission wavelengths showing a plurality of maximum intensities (a plurality of peaks), light exhibiting an emission spectrum in which any one of the peaks is included in the wavelength range of 205 nm or less. Also, light in which light of 205 nm or less exhibits an integrated intensity of at least 30% or more with respect to the total integrated intensity within the emission spectrum is also included in the "ultraviolet light exhibiting intensity in a wavelength range of at least 205 nm or less". Hereinafter, the "ultraviolet light exhibiting intensity in a wavelength range of at least 205 nm or less" may be simply described as "light" or "light L1".

[0038] For the light source 3, for example, a xenon excimer lamp is used. The peak emission wavelength of the xenon excimer lamp is 172 nm, which is easily absorbed by an organic compound containing at least one of oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms, or an organic compound containing a multiple bond, generates a large amount of radicals, and is hardly absorbed by an inert gas. The light source 3 may be composed of a plurality of lamps or may be composed of a single lamp.

[0039] Specific examples of the object to be processed 9 include fluororesins used in various applications such as medical treatment and high-frequency substrates, and printed wiring boards having a metal oxide film on the surface. When the surface of the object to be processed 9 is a fluororesin, the surface of the fluororesin can be converted from hydrophobic to hydrophilic by surface modification. Thereby, for example, the bonding strength between the fluororesin and another material can be increased. When the object to be processed 9 is a printed wiring board having a metal oxide film on the surface, the metal oxide film can be reduced by surface modification. Thereby, the conductivity of the wiring portion of the printed wiring board can be increased or the bonding strength of the solder can be improved.

[0040] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 2B. In FIG. 3, it is an enlarged view of the small space 19 formed by the lifting of the lifting mechanism 16 and the light source space. The light L1 radicalizes the processing gas G1. The radicalized substance R1 reforms the object to be processed 9, and at the same time, the organic compound generated by the photoreaction of the processing gas adheres to the surface in contact with the small space 19, depositing the deposit 28 of the organic compound. In particular, the deposit 28 accumulates on the light transmission member 15 located between the light source 3 and the processing chamber 10. The deposit 28 deposited on the light transmission member 15 attenuates the light L1. Therefore, a cleaning process for removing the deposit 28 on the light transmission member 15 is required.

[0041] [Surface Modification Process and Processing Gas] The processing gas G1 used in the surface modification process will be described. The processing gas G1 is a gas containing an organic compound. The organic compound is radicalized by light, and the radicalized substance R1 of the organic compound is brought into contact with the object to be processed. A radical is an atom or molecule having an unpaired electron. The number of carbon atoms in the molecule of the organic compound is preferably within 10, and more preferably within 4.

[0042] The organic compound in the processing gas G1 may be an organic compound composed only of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms. The organic compound in the processing gas G1 may be an organic compound that, in addition to carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, contains at least one of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms as a chemical structure. The organic compound in the processing gas G1 may be an organic compound that contains a multiple bond as a chemical structure.

[0043] If an organic compound contains an oxygen atom as part of its chemical structure, the organic compound generated by the photoreaction also contains an oxygen atom. When an organic compound contains an oxygen atom, the organic compound has polarity and thus has a high boiling point, making it likely to adhere to the light transmission member 15. Therefore, cleaning of the light transmission member 15 becomes particularly important. Examples of organic compounds containing an oxygen atom in addition to carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms include organic compounds containing at least one of a hydroxy group, a carbonyl group, and an ether bond. Further, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids are preferably used as the treatment gas G1. Examples of alcohols include methanol, ethanol, or propanol. When the molecule of an organic compound containing an oxygen atom is irradiated with light L1, radicals composed of carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, and oxygen atoms (which may be denoted as "{CxHyOz} radicals") and hydrogen radicals are generated. The {CxHyOz} radicals include those in which C is radicalized and those in which O is radicalized.

[0044] If an organic compound contains a nitrogen atom as part of its chemical structure, the organic compound generated by the photoreaction also contains a nitrogen atom. When an organic compound contains a nitrogen atom, the organic compound has polarity and thus has a high boiling point, making it likely to adhere to the light transmission member 15. Therefore, cleaning of the light transmission member 15 becomes particularly important. Examples of organic compounds containing a nitrogen atom in addition to carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms include organic compounds containing at least one of an amino group, an imino group, or a cyano group. For example, methylamine, ethylamine, or acetonitrile can be mentioned. When the molecule of an organic compound containing carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, and a nitrogen atom is irradiated with light L1, radicals composed of carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, and nitrogen atoms (which may be denoted as "{CxHyNz} radicals") and hydrogen radicals are generated.

[0045] Also, an organic compound may contain both an oxygen atom and a nitrogen atom as part of its chemical structure. When the molecule of such an organic compound is irradiated with light L1, radicals composed of carbon atoms, hydrogen atoms, nitrogen atoms, and oxygen atoms (which may be denoted as "{CxHyNzOw} radicals") and hydrogen radicals are generated.

[0046] Multiple bonds are a general term for double bonds and triple bonds. Examples of multiple bonds include C=C, C≡C, and C≡N. When an organic compound contains multiple bonds, a polymerization reaction occurs upon irradiation with ultraviolet light, which tends to produce an organic compound with a higher molecular weight. An organic compound with a higher molecular weight has a higher boiling point and is likely to adhere to the light transmission member 15. Therefore, cleaning of the light transmission member 15 is particularly important. Examples of organic compounds containing multiple bonds include alkenes such as ethylene and propylene, alkynes such as acetylene and methylacetylene, nitriles such as acetonitrile and propanenitrile, or organic compounds having an alkene, alkyne, or cyano group as a functional group. When the molecule of ethylene is irradiated with light L1, radicals composed of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms (which may be denoted as "{CxHy} radicals") and hydrogen radicals are generated. Although ethylene has been taken as an example for explanation here, for other organic compounds containing multiple bonds, radicals in which hydrogen atoms have detached from the chemical structure of the organic compound are also generated.

[0047] There are various mechanisms in the surface modification process of the object to be treated 9 by the substance R1 that radicalizes the gas containing the organic compound. When the object to be treated 9 is a fluororesin, as a result of the fluorine atoms on the surface being replaced by the radicalized organic compound (for example, {CxHyOz} radicals, {CxHyNz} radicals, or {CxHyNzOw} radicals), the hydrophobicity of the object to be treated changes to hydrophilicity. When the object to be treated 9 is a metal oxide film formed on the surface of an electronic circuit board such as a printed wiring board, oxygen atoms are removed (i.e., reduced) from the surface of the metal oxide film. Thus, the substance R1 that radicalizes the gas containing the organic compound is used for various modifications.

[0048] [Cleaning Process and Cleaning Gas] A cleaning process for the light emitting surface facing the inside of the processing chamber 10 using the cleaning gas G2 will be described. In the present embodiment, the light transmissive member 15 is quartz glass that sufficiently transmits ultraviolet light, and the light transmissive member 15 serves as the light emitting surface of the light source unit. Substances (organic compounds) generated by the start of the reaction by the light reaction may adhere to the surface of the quartz glass. Further, additional organic compounds may bind to the adhered substances. As a result, a thick deposit 28 that can attenuate the light L1 is formed on the surface of the quartz glass.

[0049] Therefore, the cleaning gas G2 is supplied into the processing chamber, and the cleaning gas is radicalized by the light L1. The radicalized cleaning gas component decomposes the deposit 28 or cuts the bond between the deposit 28 and the quartz glass surface, thereby removing the deposit 28. For the purpose of removing the deposit 28, the cleaning gas G2 substantially does not contain organic compounds. "Substantially does not contain" means allowing the presence of organic compounds that are inadvertently contained in the cleaning gas G2. Even if the cleaning gas G2 contains organic compounds, it is 1 vol% or less.

[0050] The cleaning gas G2 preferably contains at least one of oxygen and water vapor. The light L1 generates oxygen radicals from oxygen molecules or OH radicals from water molecules. Then, the oxygen radicals or OH radicals decompose and remove the deposit 28. The oxygen radicals may be in the state of ozone molecules (O3) bonded to oxygen molecules. The ozone molecules also decompose and remove the deposit 28.

[0051] The cleaning gas G2 preferably satisfies at least one concentration condition of an oxygen concentration of 1000 ppm or more and a water vapor concentration of 1000 ppm or more. A sufficient amount of oxygen radicals and OH radicals can be generated. From the point of generating oxygen radicals and OH radicals, the upper limits of the oxygen concentration and the water vapor concentration are not particularly defined. The cleaning gas G2 is preferably controlled to a constant concentration. The cleaning gas G2 may be air. Regarding the air used as the cleaning gas G2, the oxygen concentration or the humidity may be controlled. The cleaning gas G2 may be the atmosphere around the processing chamber 10.

[0052] In the processing chamber 10 of this embodiment, the surface modification step using a processing gas containing an organic compound and the cleaning step using a cleaning gas substantially free of the organic compound are not performed in parallel, but are shifted in time from each other. The chance of the processing gas and the cleaning gas mixing can be reduced, and each of the surface modification step and the cleaning step can be carried out more appropriately.

[0053] [Cleaning effect] Using the processing chamber 10 of the first embodiment, the measurement results of (1) the illuminance of the processing chamber 10 before the use of the processing gas G1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "pre-use illuminance"), (2) the illuminance of the processing chamber 10 after the use of the processing gas G1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "post-use illuminance"), and (3) the illuminance of the processing chamber 10 after cleaning with the cleaning gas G2 after the use of the processing gas G1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "post-cleaning illuminance") are shown in Table 1 below. The values in Table 1 are shown as standard values when the pre-use illuminance is set to 1.

[0054] Regarding the details of the processing conditions, for the use of the processing gas G1 in (2), the illuminance measurement results (standard values) after irradiating the light L1 for 120 seconds under the processing gas G1 (atmosphere containing 9.6% acetonitrile) are shown. (3) represents the illuminance measurement results (standard values) after cleaning for 300 seconds with the cleaning gas G2 containing 20% oxygen gas and 43% RH water vapor after (2). The illuminance meter used was UIT-250 (manufactured by Ushio Inc.), and the light receiving part used was VUV-S172 (manufactured by Ushio Inc.). The irradiated light L1 is the emitted light of a xenon excimer lamp with a central wavelength of 172 nm.

[0055]

Table 1

[0056] As shown in Table 1, the light transmittance of the light transmission member 15 decreases after the use of the processing gas G1, so the illuminance decreases by 0.2 (about 20%) compared to before use. However, it was found that when the light transmission member 15 is cleaned with the cleaning gas G2 after the use of the processing gas G1, the illuminance returns to 1.0 (about 100%).

[0057] [Method of using the processing chamber] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the method of using the processing chamber 10. The method of use shown in FIG. 4 includes a surface modification step S1, an illuminance measurement step S2, and a cleaning step S3. First, in the surface modification step S1, after performing surface modification of a single or a predetermined number of objects to be processed, or surface modification for a predetermined time, in the illuminance measurement step S2, the illuminance of the light passing through the light transmission member 15 is measured with an illuminance meter. The illuminance meter 31 is shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, when it is arranged near the surface of the object to be processed 9, an illuminance almost the same as the light irradiating the object to be processed 9 can be obtained.

[0058] If the measurement result in the illuminance measurement step S2 is equal to or higher than the specified illuminance, select Y and continue the surface modification step S1. If the measurement result in the illuminance measurement step S2 is less than the specified illuminance, select N and proceed to the cleaning step S3. As shown in FIG. 4, after performing the cleaning step S3 for a certain period of time, the illuminance measurement step S2 is performed again. Then, based on the measurement result, it is determined whether to perform the surface modification step S1 or the cleaning step S3. As a result of performing the cleaning step S3 for a certain period of time, the surface modification step S1 may be performed without measuring the illuminance. At the start of the processing chamber 10, the illuminance measurement step S2 or the cleaning step S3 may be performed prior to performing the surface modification step S1. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the method of using the processing chamber 10 also includes a step of loading and unloading the object to be processed. Note that the illuminance measurement step S2 may be omitted. The cleaning step S3 may be determined based on the integrated processing time or the integrated number of processes of the surface modification step.

[0059] [Second Embodiment] Referring to FIG. 5, the processing chamber of the second embodiment will be described. Matters other than those described below can be implemented in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The same applies to the third embodiment and subsequent embodiments. In FIGS. 5 and subsequent figures, unless otherwise specified, the shape of the housing (1, 35), the position of the light source 3, and the structure inside the processing chamber are shown in a simplified manner.

[0060] The processing chamber 50 of the second embodiment does not form a small space 19 in a part of the processing space inside the housing 1. The processing chamber 50 has a table 11, but does not have side walls surrounding the table 11, a gas ejection nozzle, a gas recovery nozzle, and a lifting mechanism for bringing the table 11 into contact with the ceiling of the processing chamber 50. As a modification, the processing chamber 50 may not have a table 11. When the processing chamber 50 does not have a table 11, the placement area of the object to be processed 9 may be provided on the floor surface, wall surface, or ceiling that constitutes the housing of the processing chamber 50. The "light source unit" in the second embodiment includes a light source main body 3, a light source housing 35, and a light transmission member 15.

[0061] In the case of the processing chamber 10 of the first embodiment, the gas supply unit 2 had a common supply port capable of supplying both the processing gas G1 and the cleaning gas G2. However, in the processing chamber 50 of the second embodiment, the gas supply unit 2 is composed of two supply ports (23, 24). The two supply ports (23, 24) are composed of a processing gas dedicated supply port 23 for supplying a processing gas containing an organic compound and a cleaning gas dedicated supply port 24 for supplying a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound. The processing gas dedicated supply port 23 is connected to a processing gas supply source via a processing gas dedicated pipe. The cleaning gas dedicated supply port 24 is connected to a cleaning gas supply source via a cleaning gas dedicated pipe. As a further modification, the processing gas dedicated supply port may be composed of a plurality of supply ports, or the cleaning gas dedicated supply port for supplying the cleaning gas may be composed of a plurality of supply ports. By supplying the cleaning gas, radical components are generated from the cleaning gas by the light radiated from the light emission surface of the light source unit, the deposits attached to the light emission surface are decomposed, or the bond between the deposits and the light emission surface (for example, the surface of quartz glass) is cut to remove the deposits.

[0062] <Third Embodiment> Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the processing chamber of the third embodiment will be described. The processing chamber 60 has an openable and closable light shielding member 51 between the light transmissive member 15 and the object to be processed 9. FIG. 6A shows a state where the light shielding member 51 is closed. When the light shielding member 51 is closed, the light from the light source 3 is blocked from reaching the object to be processed 9 by the closed light shielding member 51. The cleaning process is performed with the light shielding member 51 closed. FIG. 6B shows a state where the light shielding member 51 is open. When the cleaning process is completed, the light shielding member 51 is opened, a processing gas is supplied, and the object to be processed is processed. In this way, the light shielding member 51 is used to prevent the light from the light source 3 from reaching during the cleaning process. By using the light shielding member 51, the surface modification step S1 and the cleaning step S3 can be switched with the light source 3 turned on. Of course, even when the light shielding member 51 is used, the surface modification step S1 and the cleaning step S3 may be switched while repeatedly turning the light source 3 on and off.

[0063] Basically, the light shielding member 51 only needs to block the light reaching the object to be processed 9 from the light source 3, and it is not necessary to block the flow of the cleaning gas G2 into the space where the object to be processed 9 is placed. However, the light shielding member 51 may also block the flow of the cleaning gas G2.

[0064] As described above, the arrangement of the light shielding member 51 is made to prevent the radicalized substance R1 of the cleaning gas G2 from reaching the object to be processed 9, but the light shielding member 51 is not an essential component. Originally, if the cleaning gas G2 is supplied into the housing 1 after the object to be processed 9 is taken out of the housing 1 and the cleaning process is performed, the radicalized substance R1 of the cleaning gas G2 will not reach the object to be processed 9. Also, although details will be described later, when a large amount of light-absorbing substances such as oxygen and water vapor are supplied to the processing space in the housing 1, the light L1 is less likely to reach the object to be processed 9, so the radicalized substance R1 of the cleaning gas G2 is less likely to reach the object to be processed 9.

[0065] <Fourth Embodiment> Referring to FIG. 7, the processing chamber of the fourth embodiment will be described. In the processing chambers (10, 50, 60) of the first to third embodiments, the workpiece 9 was placed in the placement area such that the widest surface of the workpiece 9 was along the horizontal plane (XY plane). In contrast, in the processing chamber 70 of the fourth embodiment, the workpiece 9 is placed in the placement area such that the widest surface of the workpiece 9 is along the vertical direction. When placing, the workpiece 9 may be fixed to the table 11 with a mechanical fixture such as a clip, or may be vacuum-sucked or electrostatically adsorbed. In the present embodiment, there is a gas supply unit 2 above the processing chamber 70 and a gas discharge unit 4 below the processing chamber 70. However, there may be a gas supply unit 2 below the processing chamber 70 and a gas discharge unit 4 above the processing chamber 70, or the gas supply unit 2 and the gas discharge unit 4 may be at the same height.

[0066] <Fifth Embodiment> Referring to FIG. 8, the processing chamber of the fifth embodiment will be described. The processing chamber 80 of the fifth embodiment does not have a light source housing. Therefore, it also does not have a light-transmitting member that partitions the processing space and the light source space. In the space for performing the processing, there is a light source body 3 as a light source unit. Thereby, the structure of the processing chamber 80 can be simplified. Further, the distance between the light source 3 and the workpiece 9 can be reduced as compared with the case where the light source body 3 is disposed outside the processing space. On the other hand, in the processing chamber 80, the processing gas G1 containing an organic compound comes into contact with the light source body 3, and the organic compound adheres to the light emission surface (glass surface) from which light is emitted from the light source 3. The deposits on the glass surface of the light source body 3 itself are also removed by performing the cleaning step S3 described above.

[0067] The dedicated cleaning gas supply port 24 of the gas supply unit 2 in the present embodiment is open to the atmosphere around the processing chamber 80 via an on-off valve 29. That is, when the on-off valve 29 is opened, the atmosphere flows in. Since the atmosphere contains oxygen and water vapor, the atmosphere can be used as the cleaning gas. Further, although not limited to this embodiment, the processing chamber 80 may have a fan for facilitating the inflow of the atmosphere into the processing space and a pump for making the processing space into a negative pressure.

[0068] As a modification, there may be no supply port for supplying the cleaning gas G2. As described above, the processing chamber 10 has a door 21 through which the object to be processed 9 can be carried in and out. However, when the door 21 is opened for carrying in and out the object to be processed 9, the air intended to be used as the cleaning gas G2 may be allowed to flow into the processing space. Further, when the air flows in, the processing space will be filled with oxygen at a high concentration of about 20 vol%. When light is radiated from the light source 3 in a state where the processing space is filled with such a high concentration of oxygen, it contributes to the radicalization of oxygen molecules or water molecules around the deposits on the light emission surface (glass surface) from which the light is radiated from the light source 3 or the deposits on the light transmission member 15. On the other hand, the light is absorbed by the oxygen molecules or water molecules in the processing space, and the light reaching the object to be processed 9 in the cleaning step S3 is reduced. That is, the advantage that a high concentration of oxygen minimizes the influence of light irradiation on the object to be processed 9 in the cleaning step S3 can be obtained.

[0069] <Sixth Embodiment> With reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the processing chamber of the sixth embodiment will be described. FIG. 9A is an overall cross-sectional view of the processing chamber 90, and FIG. 9B shows a block diagram of the processing chamber 90. The processing chamber 90 includes a housing 5 having an opening in one direction, a plurality of light source units (in this embodiment, the light source unit refers to the light source body 3) disposed in the housing 5, a plurality of gas supply units 2 in the housing 5, and a light shielding member 51 disposed between the light source body 3 and the belt 8 on which the object to be processed 9 is placed. The opening of the housing 5 is disposed to face the surface of the belt 8 on which the object to be processed 9 is placed. The light shielding member 51 is disposed so as to close the opening. Details of the light shielding member 51 will be described later. The number of the gas supply units 2 and the light source bodies 3 is not limited. The number of the gas supply units 2 may be only one, and the number of the light source bodies 3 may be only one. Although not shown in FIG. 9A, each light source body 3 has a light transmission member 15 integrated with the light source body 3 at the light emission portion.

[0070] In this embodiment, as the roller 33 rotates, the object to be processed 9 placed on the belt 8 is carried into the processing chamber 90 and then carried out of the processing chamber 90. Specifically, the belt 8 moves in the -X direction as the roller 33 rotates. The roller 33 is rotated by a roller driving unit 34 (the roller driving unit 34 is not shown in FIG. 9A; refer to FIG. 9B). The object to be processed 9 placed in the placement area on the belt 8 is conveyed in the -X direction together with the belt 8. The object to be processed 9 is modified in the irradiated area of the light source 3 during conveyance. In this embodiment, the belt 8, the roller 33, and the object to be processed 9 are not components of the processing chamber 90. Referring to FIG. 9B, for the processing chamber 90, the control unit 30 that controls the processing chamber 90 is electrically connected to the illuminometer 31, the roller driving unit 34, the flow path switching valve 25, the light source 3, and the light shielding member 51.

[0071] The gas supply unit 2 is provided with a common supply port capable of supplying both the processing gas G1 and the cleaning gas G2. The common supply port is connected to the flow path switching valve 25. The flow path switching valve 25 is connected to a first pipe 26 for supplying the processing gas G1 and a second pipe 27 for supplying the cleaning gas G2. The first pipe 26 communicates with the processing gas supply source 41. The second pipe 27 communicates with the cleaning gas supply source 42. The flow path switching valve 25 can switch whether to supply the processing gas G1, supply the cleaning gas G2, or stop the supply of both gases (G1, G2). As a specific example, during the implementation of the surface modification step S1, the processing gas G1 is supplied. During the implementation of the illuminance measurement step S2, the cleaning gas G2 may be supplied, or the supply of both the processing gas G1 and the cleaning gas G2 may be stopped. During the implementation of the cleaning step S3, the control unit 30 may be controlled to cause the flow path switching valve 25 to supply the cleaning gas G2.

[0072] The details of the light-shielding member 51 will be described. The light-shielding member 51 of the present embodiment has a slide-type opening / closing mechanism and its driving part (not shown). By driving the slide-type opening / closing mechanism, the light-shielding member 51 can be opened and closed so that light can pass through or be blocked from reaching the irradiated area of the light source 3. The control unit 30 controls the driving part of the light-shielding member 51 so as to open the light-shielding member 51 when performing the surface modification step S1 and close the light-shielding member 51 when performing the cleaning step S3.

[0073] The control unit 30 can control the timing of loading the workpiece 9 by controlling the roller driving unit 34. As a specific example, when performing the surface modification step S1, the control unit 30 drives the roller driving unit 34 to rotate the roller 33, and when performing the illuminance measurement step S2 and the cleaning step S3, the control unit 30 stops driving the roller driving unit 34 so that the workpiece is not loaded.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 9B, the measurement result of the illuminance meter 31 is transmitted to the control unit 30. Based on the transmitted measurement result, the control unit 30 may determine and execute the steps S1 to S3 described in the section "Method of Using the Processing Chamber". As shown in FIG. 9A, in the present embodiment, the illuminance meter 31 is disposed on the surface of the light-shielding member 51 facing the light source 3. When the light-shielding member 51 is closed, the illuminance meter 31 moves directly below the light source 3 so that the illuminance can be measured. Such an arrangement of the illuminance meter 31 is an example, and the illuminance meter 31 may be disposed at other positions.

[0075] The control unit 30 controls the lighting and extinguishing of the light source 3. When the light L1 is not required, the control unit 30 may extinguish the light source 3. Also, the output of the light source 3 may be changed between the surface modification step S1 and the cleaning step S3.

[0076] In this embodiment, there is another housing 55 on the side opposite to the housing 5 with respect to the belt 8. The other housing 55 is provided so as to surround the roller 33. The two housings (5, 55) prevent a large amount of processing gas and cleaning gas from diffusing outside the processing chamber 90. However, since there are openings for the belt 8 and the object to be processed 9 to enter and exit, there is a possibility that a small amount of processing gas and cleaning gas may escape from the processing chamber 90. A gas discharge portion for the processing gas or the cleaning gas may be provided in at least one of the housings (5, 55). In FIG. 9A, the space of the other housing 55 has only a small space enough to arrange the roller 33, but it may have a wide internal space like the internal space of the housing 5. Also, in FIG. 9A, the other housing 55 does not have a gas supply portion, but the other housing 55 may also have at least one gas supply portion for supplying gas to the internal space. The gas supply portion provided in the other housing 55 may be a processing gas or a cleaning gas. The gas supply portion may supply the same gas as the gas supplied from the gas supply portion 2 of the housing 5.

[0077] <Seventh Embodiment> Referring to FIG. 10, the processing chamber of the seventh embodiment will be described. The processing chamber 100 of the seventh embodiment includes a light source unit, a processing space 71 inside the processing chamber 100, and a cleaning space 72. The housing 1 surrounding the processing space 71 is provided with a dedicated processing gas supply port 23 for supplying a processing gas containing an organic compound. The processing space 71 is connected to the dedicated processing gas supply port 23. The light source housing 35 surrounding the cleaning space 72 is provided with a dedicated cleaning gas supply port 24 for supplying a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound. The cleaning space 72 is connected to the dedicated cleaning gas supply port 24. The processing space 71 and the cleaning space 72 are partitioned by a partition plate 73 (hatched with oblique lines in FIG. 10) in the processing chamber 100. This prevents the processing gas and the cleaning gas from mixing. The light source unit is fixed to the partition plate 73. The light source unit of the present embodiment has a light source main body 3 and a cylindrical light transmissive member 75 surrounding the light source main body. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical light transmissive member 75 constitutes a light emitting surface facing the processing space 71, and deposits are formed on the surface of the light transmissive member 75.

[0078] In FIG. 10, the light source unit includes a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves the position of the light emission surface facing the processing space 71. The drive mechanism rotates the light transmission member 75 by 180 degrees about the line A1-A1 along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical light transmission member 75. Thereby, the light emission surface that faced the processing space 71 is moved to the cleaning space 72. On the other hand, the light emission surface cleaned in the cleaning space 72 is moved to the processing space 71. The light from the light source body 3 reaches both the processing space 71 and the cleaning space 72. In the lower half on the processing space 71 side of the cylindrical light transmission member 75, a surface modification process is performed, and in the upper half on the cleaning space 72 side, a cleaning process is performed. In this way, in the present embodiment, both the surface modification process and the cleaning process are performed in parallel throughout the processing chamber.

[0079] The drive mechanism applied to the present invention is not limited to one that rotates and drives. For example, the light emission surface that spreads on a plane may be configured to be movable in a direction along the plane. Also, the drive mechanism may be configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the light emission surface that spreads on a plane. In addition, various other drive mechanisms can be adopted for the mode in which the position of the light emission surface of the light source unit is movable from the processing space 71 to the cleaning space 72.

[0080] The dedicated processing gas supply port 23 is connected to a processing gas supply source via a dedicated processing gas pipe. The dedicated cleaning gas supply port 24 is connected to a cleaning gas supply source via a dedicated cleaning gas pipe. As a further modification, the dedicated processing gas supply port may be composed of a plurality of supply ports, or the dedicated cleaning gas supply port for supplying the cleaning gas may be composed of a plurality of supply ports. As a further modification, the cleaning space 72 may be a space open to the atmosphere. In the case of this modification, the position of the light emission surface may be moved from the processing space 71 to the cleaning space 72 open to the atmosphere.

[0081] The above describes each embodiment of the processing chamber, and various modifications have been described in the description of each embodiment. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and various changes or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Further, each embodiment and its modification can be combined.

[0082] For example, a processing system composed of a plurality of processing chambers can be used. For example, in the case of a processing system composed of two processing chambers, a first processing chamber and a second processing chamber, when the first processing chamber performs the surface modification step S1, by having the second processing chamber perform the cleaning step S3, it is not necessary to wait until the cleaning step S3 is completed for the surface modification step S1, and the tact time of the surface modification process can be shortened.

[0083] FIG. 11 shows an example of a usage method of a processing system including a processing chamber Ch.A, a processing chamber Ch.B, and a processing chamber Ch.C. In FIG. 11, the arrow marked with T represents the flow of time. The processing chamber Ch.A performs processing in the order of the surface modification step S1, the cleaning step S3, and the surface modification step S1. The processing chamber Ch.B performs processing in the order of the surface modification step S1, the surface modification step S1, and the cleaning step S3. The processing chamber Ch.B performs processing in the order of the cleaning step S3, the surface modification step S1, and the surface modification step S1. At any time, two chambers perform the surface modification step S1, and only one chamber performs the cleaning step S3. By constructing such a processing system, fluctuations in the processing capacity of the surface modification process with respect to time can be reduced.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1, 5: Housing 2: Gas supply unit 3: Light source (light source body) 4: Gas discharge unit 8: Belt 9: Object to be processed 10, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100: Processing chamber 11: Table 13: Side wall 15,75: Light-transmitting material 16: Lifting mechanism 17: Gas ejection nozzle 18: Gas recovery nozzle 19: Small space 21: Door 23: Dedicated processing gas supply port 24: Cleaning gas supply port 25: Flow path switching valve 26:First piping 27:Second piping 28: Adhesion 29: On-off valve 30: Control section 31:Luminance meter 33: Laura 34: Roller drive unit 35: Light source housing 41: Processing gas supply source 42: Cleaning gas supply source 51: Light blocking member 55: Another case 61: Drive unit 71: Processing space 72: Cleaning space 73: Partition board G1: Processing gas G2: Cleaning gas L1: light R1: (radicalized) substance S1: Surface modification process S2: Illuminance measurement process S3: Cleaning process

Claims

1. A method of using a processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed, the method comprising: supplying a processing gas containing an organic compound to the processing chamber, and irradiating light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less from a light source unit having a light emitting surface facing the internal space of the processing chamber to modify the surface of the object to be processed, a surface modification step; supplying a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound, and emitting light from the light source unit to clean the light emitting surface, a cleaning step; A method of use, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The method of use according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas satisfies at least one of the concentration conditions of an oxygen concentration of 1000 ppm or more and a water vapor concentration of 1000 ppm or more.

3. The method of use according to claim 1, wherein the organic compound contains at least one of a nitrogen atom and an oxygen atom in its chemical structure.

4. The method of use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the organic compound contains a multiple bond in its chemical structure.

5. A processing chamber for modifying the surface of an object to be processed placed in a placement area, the processing chamber comprising: a light source unit having a light emitting surface that emits light having an intensity in at least a wavelength range of 205 nm or less toward the placement area in the processing chamber; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas containing an organic compound and a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound; a control unit that controls to perform at least one of (a) an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas with respect to each other, and (b) an operation of moving the light emitting surface so as to switch between a position where the light emitting surface can contact the processing gas and a position where the light emitting surface can contact the cleaning gas.

6. The control unit controls to perform an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas with respect to each other. The processing chamber further includes a shielding portion that deforms or moves such that the light is shielded so that the light does not irradiate the object to be processed during the supply timing of the cleaning gas, and the light is not shielded so that the light irradiates the object to be processed during the supply timing of the processing gas. The processing chamber according to claim 5.

7. The control unit controls so as to perform an operation of temporally shifting the supply timing of the processing gas and the supply timing of the cleaning gas from each other. The control unit controls to supply the cleaning gas when the object to be processed does not exist in the placement area. The processing chamber according to claim 5.

8. The control unit controls so as to perform an operation of moving the light emitting surface so as to switch between a position where the light emitting surface can contact the processing gas and a position where the light emitting surface can contact the cleaning gas. The processing chamber is partitioned into a processing space to which the processing gas is supplied and a cleaning space to which the cleaning gas is supplied, and further includes a drive mechanism for moving the light emitting surface from the processing space to the cleaning space. The processing chamber according to claim 5.

9. The gas supply unit includes a dedicated supply port for the processing gas that supplies a processing gas containing an organic compound, and a dedicated supply port for the cleaning gas that supplies a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound. The processing chamber according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. The gas supply unit includes a common supply port capable of supplying both a processing gas containing an organic compound and a cleaning gas substantially free of an organic compound. The common supply port is connected to a pipe leading to a processing gas supply source and a flow path switching valve connected to a pipe leading to a cleaning gas supply source. The flow path switching valve is controlled by the control unit. The processing chamber according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

11. The gas supply unit includes an air release port of the processing chamber for supplying air into the processing chamber as the cleaning gas. The processing chamber according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

12. It includes an illuminometer for measuring the illuminance of the light emitted from the light source. A signal of the illuminometer is input to the control unit. The processing chamber according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

13. The light source unit includes a light source body that emits the light, and a light-transmitting member that is separate from the light source body and has the light-emitting surface, and an inert gas is filled in the space between the light source body and the light-transmitting member. The processing chamber according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that.

Images