Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a plasma processing apparatus having an improved electrode structure capable of efficiently supplying electric power to electrodes in a substrate support part.SOLUTION: A substrate support part of a plasma processing chamber comprises: a ceramic member 114a; an annular member 111b; first and second central electrodes 115a, 116a disposed below a substrate support surface; a first annular connector 115c disposed below an edge region of the first central electrode and electrically connected to the edge region of the first central electrode via a first vertical connector 115d; a second annular connector 116c disposed below an edge region of the second central electrode and electrically connected to the edge region of the second central electrode via a second vertical connector 116d; an electrostatic chuck 114 including a central heater electrode 117a formed below the first annular connector and the second annular connector; a DC power supply connected via a third vertical connector 115e; and a voltage pulse generation unit connected via a fourth vertical connector 116e.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a plasma processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a plasma processing chamber equipped with an electrostatic chuck formed by stacking a cooling plate and a dielectric plate. The electrostatic chuck described in Patent Document 1 has multiple electrodes arranged inside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0286717 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The techniques of the present disclosure provide an improved electrode structure that can efficiently deliver power to electrodes within a substrate support. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; and a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support being a ceramic member disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface, the ceramic member having a gas distribution space, at least one gas inlet extending from a lower surface of the ceramic member to the gas distribution space, and a plurality of gas outlets extending from the gas distribution space to the substrate support surface or the ring support surface; one or more annular members disposed on the ring support surface to surround a substrate on the substrate support surface; a chuck electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the substrate support surface; and the substrate support includes: a bias electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the chuck electrode; an annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, an inner region of the annular connector electrically connected to an outer region of the bias electrode, the outer region of the annular connector vertically overlapping the ring support surface; and a central heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and vertically overlapping the substrate support surface, wherein some or all of the gas distribution space is formed between the annular connector and the central heater electrode; and a voltage pulse generator electrically connected to the outer region of the annular connector and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present disclosure provides an improved electrode structure that can efficiently deliver power to an electrode within a substrate support. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an outline of the configuration of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of an electrostatic chuck that constitutes the substrate support portion. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example of the configuration of an annular chucking driver; [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example of the configuration of a bias annular driver. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between a conductive via and a heater electrode. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example of a heat transfer gas supply unit. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of capacitive coupling formed between electrodes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a process gas supplied into a chamber is excited to generate plasma, and various plasma processes such as etching, film formation, and diffusion are performed on a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") supported by a substrate support. The substrate support is provided with, for example, an electrostatic chuck that attracts and holds the substrate to a mounting surface by Coulomb force or the like, and an electrode unit to which bias power and substrate attracting power are supplied during plasma processing.

[0009] In the above-mentioned plasma processing, in order to improve the uniformity of the process characteristics for the substrate, it is necessary to uniformly control the temperature distribution of the substrate to be processed. The temperature distribution of the substrate during plasma processing is adjusted, for example, by providing multiple heating mechanisms (heaters, etc.) inside the electrostatic chuck and controlling the temperature of the mounting surface in each of multiple temperature control regions defined by these heating mechanisms.

[0010] However, the bias power and attraction power supplied to the electrode unit may leak into the heating mechanism as noise components due to capacitive coupling between the electrode unit and the heating mechanism. For this reason, a filter has conventionally been provided in the heating mechanism to remove the noise components. However, particularly when DC (Direct Current) pulse power is used as the bias power, conventional filters have difficulty properly removing the noise components, and there is a risk that the ion energy peak may not be achieved, making it impossible to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate.

[0011] The technology disclosed herein has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides an improved electrode structure that can efficiently supply power to an electrode within a substrate support. The configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, in this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] <Plasma processing system>

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing device 1 and a control unit 2. The plasma processing system is an example of a substrate processing system, and the plasma processing device 1 is an example of a substrate processing device. The plasma processing device 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support 11, and a plasma generation unit 12. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space. The plasma processing chamber 10 also has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space and at least one gas exhaust port for exhausting gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit 20 (described later), and the gas exhaust port is connected to an exhaust system 40 (described later). The substrate support 11 is disposed in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0014] The plasma generating unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space is a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP). The plasma may be an alternating current (AC) plasma generator or a direct current (DC) plasma generator. Various types of plasma generating units may be used, including an AC (Radio Current) plasma generating unit. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generating unit has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Therefore, the AC signal is not limited to RF (Radio Frequency) signals. RF signals include RF (Radio Frequency) signals and microwave signals. In one embodiment, RF signals have a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0015] The controller 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described in this disclosure. The controller 2 may be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the controller 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The controller 2 may include, for example, a computer 2a. The computer 2a may include, for example, a processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to read a program from the storage unit 2a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the storage unit 2a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 by the processing unit 2a1 for execution. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The storage unit 2a2 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN).

[0016] <Plasma processing equipment> Next, a configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus will be described as an example of the plasma processing apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus.

[0017] The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply 20, a power supply 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also includes a substrate support 11 and a gas inlet. The gas inlet is configured to introduce at least one process gas into the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas inlet includes a showerhead 13. The substrate support 11 is disposed within the plasma processing chamber 10. The showerhead 13 is disposed above the substrate support 11. In one embodiment, the showerhead 13 forms at least a portion of the ceiling of the plasma processing chamber 10. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the showerhead 13, a sidewall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 is grounded. The showerhead 13 and the substrate support 11 are electrically insulated from the housing of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0018] The substrate support 11 includes a main body 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body 111 has a central region 111a for supporting a substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body 111 in a plan view. The substrate W is disposed on the central region 111a of the main body 111, and the ring assembly 112 is disposed on the annular region 111b of the main body 111 so as to surround the substrate W on the central region 111a of the main body 111. Therefore, the central region 111a is also called a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also called a ring support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0019] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 113 and an electrostatic chuck 114. The base 113 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 113 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 114 is disposed on the base 113. The electrostatic chuck 114 includes a ceramic member 114a, multiple electrodes disposed within the ceramic member 114a, and a gas distribution space formed within the ceramic member 114a. The multiple electrodes include one or more electrostatic electrodes 115 (described below) and one or more bias electrodes 116 that can function as lower electrodes. The ceramic member 114a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 114a also has an annular region 111b. Note that another member surrounding the electrostatic chuck 114, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member, may also have the annular region 111b. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be disposed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or may be disposed on both the electrostatic chuck 114 and the annular insulating member.

[0020] The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular members. In one embodiment, the one or more annular members include one or more edge rings and at least one cover ring. The edge rings are formed of a conductive or insulating material, and the cover rings are formed of an insulating material.

[0021] The substrate support 11 also includes a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust at least one of the ring assembly 112, the electrostatic chuck 114, and the substrate W to a target temperature. As shown in FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, the temperature adjustment module includes a heater electrode 117 (described below) disposed inside the electrostatic chuck 114 and a flow path 113a formed inside the base 113. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows through the flow path 113a. Note that the configuration of the temperature adjustment module is not limited to this, and it may be configured to adjust the temperature of at least one of the ring assembly 112, the electrostatic chuck 114, and the substrate W.

[0022] The substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply section 118 (see Figures 3 and 7 described below) configured to supply heat transfer gas between the back surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a, or between the back surface of the ring assembly 112 and the annular region 111b.

[0023] The detailed configuration of the substrate support part 11 included in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the technique of the present disclosure will be described later.

[0024] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one processing gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The showerhead 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and multiple gas inlets 13c. The processing gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a passes through the gas diffusion chamber 13b and is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s from the multiple gas inlets 13c. The showerhead 13 also includes an upper electrode. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas inlet may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the sidewall 10a.

[0025] The gas supply unit 20 may include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one process gas from a corresponding gas source 21 to the showerhead 13 via a corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Additionally, the gas supply unit 20 may include at least one flow modulation device that modulates or pulses the flow rate of the at least one process gas.

[0026] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply 31 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply 31 is configured to supply at least one RF signal (RF power), such as a source RF signal and a bias RF signal, to the lower electrode and / or the upper electrode. This causes plasma to be formed from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of the plasma generating unit 12. Furthermore, by supplying a bias RF signal to the lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, thereby attracting ion components in the formed plasma to the substrate W.

[0027] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generating unit 31a and a second RF generating unit 31b. The first RF generating unit 31a is coupled to the lower electrode and / or the upper electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) for plasma generation. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 10 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generating unit 31a may be configured to generate multiple source RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more source RF signals are supplied to the lower electrode and / or the upper electrode.

[0028] The second RF generating unit 31b is coupled to the lower electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). The frequency of the bias RF signal may be the same as or different from the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency lower than the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 60 MHz. In one embodiment, the second RF generating unit 31b may be configured to generate multiple bias RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more bias RF signals are supplied to the lower electrode. In various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0029] The power supply 30 may also include a DC power supply 32 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The DC power supply 32 includes a first DC generator 32a and a second DC generator 32b. In one embodiment, the first DC generator 32a is connected to the lower electrode and configured to generate a first DC signal. The generated first DC signal is applied to the lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second DC generator 32b is connected to the upper electrode and configured to generate a second DC signal. The generated second DC signal is applied to the upper electrode.

[0030] In various embodiments, the first and second DC signals may be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of DC-based voltage pulses is applied to the lower electrode and / or the upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combination thereof. In one embodiment, a waveform generator for generating a sequence of voltage pulses from the DC signal is connected between the first DC generator 32a and the lower electrode. Therefore, the first DC generator 32a and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator. When the second DC generator 32b and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator, the voltage pulse generator is connected to the upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have positive or negative polarity. Furthermore, the sequence of voltage pulses may include one or more positive voltage pulses and one or more negative voltage pulses within one cycle. The first and second DC generators 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the RF power supply 31, or the first DC generator 32a may be provided instead of the second RF generator 31b.

[0031] The exhaust system 40 may be connected to, for example, a gas exhaust port 10e provided at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure regulating valve regulates the pressure in the plasma processing space 10s. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0032] <Substrate support part> Next, a detailed configuration example of the above-mentioned substrate support portion 11 will be described. As described above, the substrate support 11 includes a main body 111 and a ring assembly 112, and the main body 111 includes a base 113 and an electrostatic chuck 114. The electrostatic chuck 114 has, on its upper surface, a central region 111a that supports the substrate W and an annular region 111b that supports the ring assembly 112.

[0033] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the electrostatic chuck 114. In Fig. 3, the base 113 arranged in a stacked state with the electrostatic chuck 114, and the substrate W and ring assembly 112 supported by the electrostatic chuck 114 are not shown. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the BB cross section shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the CC cross section shown in Fig. 3.

[0034] The electrostatic chuck 114 is disposed on the base 113 as described above. The electrostatic chuck 114 includes a ceramic member 114a having at least one ceramic layer. The ceramic member 114a has a central region 111a on its upper surface. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 114a also has an annular region 111b on its upper surface.

[0035] The ceramic member 114a has a first thickness in a portion corresponding to the central region 111a and a second thickness smaller than the first thickness in a portion corresponding to the annular region 111b. In other words, the ceramic member 114a has a substrate support surface (central region 11a) higher than the ring support surface (annular region 111b) and has a generally convex cross-sectional shape with a convex portion formed on the upper surface, as shown in FIG.

[0036] An electrostatic electrode 115, a bias electrode 116, and a heater electrode 117 are provided inside a ceramic member 114a of the electrostatic chuck 114. The electrostatic electrode is an example of a clamping electrode. A distribution space 118a serving as a heat transfer gas supply unit 118 is also formed inside the ceramic member 114a of the electrostatic chuck 114. The electrostatic chuck 114 is configured such that the electrostatic electrode 115, the bias electrode 116, the heater electrode 117, and the distribution space 118a are sandwiched between the ceramic member 114a (for example, a pair of dielectric films made of a non-magnetic dielectric material such as ceramic).

[0037] The electrostatic electrode 115 is electrically connected to a DC power supply for electrostatic attraction (not shown) via a terminal 1150 provided on the lower surface 114b of the ceramic member 114a. An electrostatic force such as Coulomb force is generated by applying a direct current voltage (DC signal) from the DC power supply for electrostatic attraction to the electrostatic electrode 115, and the generated electrostatic force attracts and holds the substrate W and the ring assembly 112 to the central region 111a and the annular region 111b, respectively.

[0038] The electrostatic electrode 115 is provided below the central region 111a within the convex portion of the ceramic member 114a and includes a substantially disk-shaped first electrostatic electrode 115a for attracting and holding the substrate W to the central region 111a. The electrostatic electrode 115 also includes a substantially annular second electrostatic electrode 115b provided below the annular region 111b for attracting and holding the ring assembly 112 to the annular region 111b.

[0039] The first electrostatic electrode 115a is connected to a terminal 1150a via a conductive annular suction driver 115c (first conductive annular driver). An electrostatic suction DC power supply is electrically connected to the terminal 1150a. The annular suction driver 115c is disposed below the annular region 111b in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a and overlaps both the first electrostatic electrode 115a and the annular region 111b in the vertical direction.

[0040] 4, the annular suction driver 115c has two annular members with different diameters, an inner peripheral portion 115c1 and an outer peripheral portion 115c2, which are electrically connected via a plurality of bridge portions 115c3, for example, 13 in the illustrated example. The number of bridge portions 115c3 can be changed as desired.

[0041] The first electrostatic electrode 115a is electrically connected to an inner peripheral portion 115c1 of the annular suction driver 115c via one or multiple conductive vias 115d arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. The conductive vias 115d extend downward from the edge region E1 of the first electrostatic electrode 115a. The outer peripheral portion 115c2 of the annular suction driver 115c is connected to a terminal 1150a via one or multiple conductive vias 115e arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. In other words, the first electrostatic electrode 115a is offset radially outward by the annular suction driver 115c inside the ceramic member 114a and then connected to the terminal 1150a. A DC power supply for electrostatic suction is electrically connected to the terminal 1150a.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the conductive via 115e passes through a gap G between a first heater electrode group 117a and a second heater electrode 117b (described later) in the radial direction and is connected to the terminal 1150a.

[0043] The annular suction driver 115c does not necessarily have to be configured as a continuous ring as shown in Fig. 4, and may be configured as a discontinuous ring in part. Specifically, the annular suction driver 115c may have, for example, a substantially C-shape in plan view.

[0044] The second electrostatic electrode 115b includes a second electrostatic electrode 115b1 and a second electrostatic electrode 115b2 arranged side by side in the radial direction. The second electrostatic electrode 115b2 is arranged to surround the periphery of the second electrostatic electrode 115b1. The second electrostatic electrode 115b1 and the second electrostatic electrode 115b2 are each connected to a terminal 1150b via one or multiple conductive vias 115f arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. A DC power supply for electrostatic attraction (not shown) is electrically connected to the terminal 1150b. Only one second electrostatic electrode 115b may be arranged below the annular region 111b as shown in FIG. 3, or multiple second electrostatic electrodes 115b may be arranged side by side in the radial direction below the annular region 111b (not shown). When multiple second electrostatic electrodes 115b are arranged, multiple conductive vias 115f and terminals 1150b corresponding to the number of second electrostatic electrodes 115b are arranged in the ceramic member 114a.

[0045] 2 may be used as the electrostatic attraction power supply, or a DC power supply for electrostatic attraction (not shown) may be used that is independent of the power supply 30. Furthermore, the first electrostatic electrode 115a and the second electrostatic electrode 115b may be connected to independent DC power supplies for electrostatic attraction, or may be connected to the same DC power supply for electrostatic attraction.

[0046] The bias electrode 116 is electrically connected to the power supply 30 via a terminal 1160 provided on the lower surface 114b of the ceramic member 114a. The bias electrode 116 functions as a lower electrode, and when a bias RF signal or a bias DC signal is supplied from the power supply 30, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, and ion components in the plasma can be attracted to the substrate W. Note that both the conductive member of the base 113 and the bias electrode 116 may function as lower electrodes.

[0047] The bias electrode 116 is provided below the central region 111a within the convex portion of the ceramic member 114a, and includes a substantially disk-shaped first bias electrode 116a for attracting ion components mainly to the central portion of the substrate W. The bias electrode 116 is also provided below the annular region 111b, and includes a substantially annular second bias electrode 116b for attracting ion components mainly to the outer periphery of the substrate W.

[0048] The first bias electrode 116a is connected to the terminal 1160a via a conductive bias annular driver 116c (second conductive annular driver). The power supply 30 is electrically connected to the terminal 1160a. The bias annular driver 116c is disposed below the annular region 111b in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a and overlaps both the first bias electrode 116a and the annular region 111b in the vertical direction. In one embodiment, the bias annular driver 116c is disposed between the annular region 111b and the attraction annular driver 115c.

[0049] 5, the bias annular driver 116c has two annular members with different diameters, an inner peripheral portion 116c1 and an outer peripheral portion 116c2, and the inner peripheral portion 116c1 and the outer peripheral portion 116c2 are electrically connected via a plurality of bridge portions 116c3, for example, 16 in the illustrated example. The number of bridge portions 116c3 can be changed as desired.

[0050] The first bias electrode 116a is electrically connected to an inner peripheral portion 116c1 of the annular bias driver 116c via one or multiple conductive vias 116d arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. The conductive vias 116d are arranged to extend downward from an edge region E2 of the first bias electrode 116a. The outer peripheral portion 116c2 of the annular bias driver 116c is connected to the terminal 1160a via one or multiple conductive vias 116e arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. In other words, the first bias electrode 116a is offset radially outward by the annular bias driver 116c inside the ceramic member 114a and then connected to the terminal 1160a.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the conductive via 116e passes through a gap G between a first heater electrode group 117a and a second heater electrode 117b (described later) in the radial direction and is connected to the terminal 1160a.

[0052] The bias annular driver 116c does not necessarily have to be configured as a continuous ring as shown in Fig. 5, and may be configured as a discontinuous ring in part. Specifically, the bias annular driver 116c may have, for example, a substantially C-shape in plan view.

[0053] Furthermore, a conductive coupling annular driver 116g is connected to the bias annular driver 116c via one or multiple conductive vias 116f arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. The conductive vias 116f are electrically connected to an inner region 116g1 of the coupling annular driver 116g. The coupling annular driver 116g is arranged below the bias annular driver 116c in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a, and at least a portion of the coupling annular driver 116g overlaps with the second bias electrode 116b in the vertical direction. The coupling annular driver 116g is electrically connected to the second bias electrode 116b by capacitive coupling when attracting ion components to the substrate W. The overlap width in the radial direction between the bias annular driver 116c and the second bias electrode 116b can be appropriately changed depending on the desired strength of capacitive coupling between the second bias electrode 116b and the coupling annular driver 116g. The strength of the capacitive coupling generated between the second bias electrode 116b and the coupling ring driver 116g is, for example, 5 nF or less, and preferably about 1 nF.

[0054] The second bias electrode 116b is connected to the terminal 1160b via one or more conductive vias 116h arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction. The conductive vias 116h are electrically connected to an outer region 116b2 of the second bias electrode 116b. The power supply 30 is electrically connected to the terminal 1160b. As described above, when ion components are attracted to the substrate W, the inner region 116b1 of the second bias electrode 116b is electrically connected to the outer region 116g2 of the coupling annular driver 116g (first bias electrode 116a) by capacitive coupling C, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0055] The first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b may be independently connected to the second RF generating unit 31b and / or the first DC generating unit 32a of the power supply 30, or may be integrally connected to the second RF generating unit 31b and / or the first DC generating unit 32a. In other words, the power supply 30 may be provided with a plurality of second RF generating units 31b and / or first DC generating units 32a that are independently connected to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b.

[0056] The heater electrode 117 is electrically connected to a heater power supply 1171 (see FIG. 2) via a terminal 1170 provided on the lower surface 114b of the ceramic member 114a. A cut filter 1172 (high frequency cut filter) is provided on the power supply cable connecting the heater electrode 117 and the heater power supply 1171, between the heater electrode 117 and ground potential, for attenuating or blocking high frequency power (RF power or DC pulse signal) as a noise component entering the power supply cable from the electrostatic electrode 115 or the bias electrode 116. The heater electrode 117 is heated by application of a voltage from the heater power supply 1171, and adjusts at least one of the electrostatic chuck 114, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate W to a target temperature.

[0057] The heater electrodes 117 are provided below the central region 111a and include a first group of heater electrodes 117a each having a substantially circular disk shape for heating the substrate W supported by the central region 111a. The heater electrodes 117 are also provided below the annular region 111b and include one or more second heater electrodes 117b having a substantially circular shape for heating the ring assembly 112 supported by the annular region 111b.

[0058] The first heater electrode group 117a is configured to have a substantially circular disk shape with a diameter larger than the convex portion of the ceramic member 114a. The first heater electrode group 117a includes a plurality of first heater electrodes (not shown). The plurality of first heater electrodes are connected to terminals 1170a via independent conductive vias 117c, and a heater power supply 1171a is electrically connected to the terminals 1170a. This allows for individual control of the supply of power to each of the first heater electrodes. In other words, the first heater electrode group 117a is configured to allow for independent control of the temperature of the central region 111a (substrate W) for each of a plurality of temperature control regions defined by each of the plurality of first heater electrodes or a combination thereof in a plan view.

[0059] The second heater electrode 117b is configured to adjust the temperature of the annular region 111b, thereby adjusting the temperature of the ring assembly 112 supported by the annular region 111b. The second heater electrode 117b is connected to a terminal 1170b through one or more conductive vias 117d. The heater power supply 1171b is electrically connected to the terminal 1170b. Note that the second heater electrode 117b may be configured to be able to independently adjust the temperature of each of multiple temperature control regions in a plan view of the annular region 111b, similar to the first heater electrode group 117a.

[0060] As the heater power supply, the power supply 30 shown in FIG. 2 may be used, or a heater power supply (not shown) independent of the power supply 30 may be used.

[0061] Here, a substantially annular gap (gap G: see FIG. 6) is formed between the substantially disc-shaped first heater electrode group 117a and the substantially annular second heater electrode 117b. As described above, the conductive vias 115e and 116e are connected to the terminals 1150 and 1160, respectively, through the gap G as shown in FIG.

[0062] The heat transfer gas supply unit 118 has a distribution space 118a, a gas inlet 118b for supplying a heat transfer gas to the distribution space 118a, and a gas outlet 118c for discharging the heat transfer gas from the distribution space 118a. The heat transfer gas supply unit 118 supplies a heat transfer gas (backside gas: for example, He gas) between the back surface of the ring assembly 112 and the annular region 111b via the gas inlet 118b, the distribution space 118a, and the gas outlet 118c in this order.

[0063] 3, the distribution space 118a is formed in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a between the annular suction driver 115c and the first heater electrode group 117a and between the annular bias driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a. Also, as shown in Fig. 7, the distribution space 118a has an annular portion 118a1 formed in a substantially annular shape in a plan view, an inner peripheral protruding portion 118a2 formed to protrude radially inward from the annular portion 118a1, and a plurality of outer peripheral protruding portions 118a3 formed to protrude radially outward from the annular portion 118a1.

[0064] The annular portion 118a1 is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the ceramic member 114a and has a width sufficient to cover at least the portion where the annular chucking driver 115c and / or the annular bias driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a overlap in the radial direction of the ceramic member 114a.

[0065] 7, the inner peripheral protruding portion 118a2 is formed to protrude from the radially inner side of the annular portion 118a1 and is connected to a gas inlet 118b (see FIG. 3) formed to extend from the lower surface 114b side of the ceramic member 114a. The gas inlet 118b is connected to a heat transfer gas supply source (not shown).

[0066] 7, the outer peripheral protruding portion 118a3 is formed to protrude from the radially outer side of the annular portion 118a1 and is connected to gas outlets 118c (see FIG. 3) formed to extend from the upper surface (ring support surface) side of the ceramic member 114a. A plurality of gas outlets 118c (16 in the illustrated example) are arranged approximately evenly in the circumferential direction of the annular region 111b (ring support surface), and a plurality of outer peripheral protruding portions 118a3 (16 in the illustrated example) are formed corresponding to the number of gas outlets 118c.

[0067] The heat transfer gas supply unit 118 may be further configured to be able to supply heat transfer gas between the rear surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a. In this case, the heat transfer gas supplied to the rear surface of the substrate W may be the heat transfer gas supplied to the rear surface side of the ring assembly 112, i.e., another gas outlet extending from the central region 111a (substrate support surface) may be further connected to the annular portion 118a1. Alternatively, another heat transfer gas supply unit may be arranged independently of the distribution space 118a, gas inlet 118b, and gas outlet 118c that supply the heat transfer gas to the rear surface side of the ring assembly 112.

[0068] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes first and second central electrodes 115a, 116a, first to fourth vertical connectors 115d, 116d, 115e, 116e, first and second annular connectors 115c, 116c, and a central heater electrode 117a, which are embedded in the ceramic member 114a. The first central electrode 115a is disposed below the substrate support surface 111a. The second central electrode 116a is disposed below the first central electrode 115a. In one embodiment, the first central electrode 115a is an electrostatic electrode, and the second central electrode 116a is a bias electrode. One or more first vertical connectors 115d extend downward from an edge region E1 of the first central electrode 115a. The first annular connector 115c extends outward in the horizontal direction from one or more first vertical connectors 115d. The inner region 115c1 of the first annular connector 115c is disposed below the edge region E1 of the first central electrode 115a and is electrically connected to the edge region E1 of the first central electrode 115a via the one or more first vertical connectors 115d. The one or more second vertical connectors 116d extend downward from the edge region E2 of the second central electrode 116a. The second annular connector 116c extends outward in the horizontal direction from the one or more second vertical connectors 116d. The inner region 116c1 of the second annular connector 116c is disposed below the edge region E2 of the second central electrode 116a and is electrically connected to the edge region E2 of the second central electrode 116a via the second vertical connectors 116d. The vertical connectors are connectors that extend vertically and are also called via connectors. The annular connectors are connectors that extend horizontally and are also called offset connectors. The vertical connectors and annular connectors are made of a conductive material. The central heater electrode 117a has one or more divided regions. The one or more divided regions have tens to hundreds of divided regions in the horizontal direction to individually control the temperature of the substrate on the substrate support surface 111a for each zone.

[0069] In one embodiment, the ceramic member 114a has at least one gas inlet 118b, a plurality of gas outlets 118c, and a gas distribution space 118. The at least one gas inlet 118b extends from the lower surface 114b of the ceramic member 114a to the gas distribution space 118. The plurality of gas outlets 118c extend from the gas distribution space 118 to the substrate support surface 111a or the ring support surface 111b. In one embodiment, some or all of the gas distribution space 118 is formed between the first annular connector 115c and the central heater electrode 117a, and between the second annular connector 116c and the central heater electrode 117a.

[0070] In one embodiment, the third longitudinal connector 115e extends downward from the outer region 115c2 of the first annular connector 115c. In one embodiment, the fourth longitudinal connector 116e extends downward from the outer region 116c2 of the second annular connector 116c. In one embodiment, a DC power supply is electrically connected to the outer region 115c2 of the first annular connector 115c via the third longitudinal connector 115e and configured to generate a DC signal. In one embodiment, a voltage pulse generator is electrically connected to the outer region 116c2 of the second annular connector 116c via the fourth longitudinal connector 116e and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses. In one embodiment, the second annular connector 116c is disposed above the first annular connector 115c. In one embodiment, the first annular connector 115c has an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the first central electrode 115a. In one embodiment, the second annular connector 116c has an outer diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the second central electrode 116a. In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31b is electrically connected to the base 113 or the second annular connector 116c and configured to generate an RF signal. In one embodiment, the central heater electrode 117a is connected to ground potential through an RF filter.

[0071] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes a third annular connector 116g and a first annular electrode 116b, which are embedded in the ceramic member 114a. The inner region 116g1 of the third annular connector 116g is disposed below the outer region 116c2 of the second annular connector 116c and is electrically connected to the outer region 116c2 of the second annular connector 116c via the fifth vertical connector 116f. The first annular electrode 116b is disposed below the ring support surface 111b. A capacitive coupling C is formed between the inner region 116b1 of the first annular electrode 116b and the outer region 116g2 of the third annular connector 116g (see FIG. 8). In one embodiment, the inner region 116b1 of the first annular electrode 116b is disposed above the outer region 116g2 of the third annular connector 116g. Note that the inner region 116b1 of the first annular electrode 116b may be disposed below the outer region 116g2 of the third annular connector 116g. In one embodiment, the capacitive coupling C has a capacitance of 5 nF or less. In one embodiment, an additional voltage pulse generator is electrically connected to the outer region 116b2 of the first annular electrode 116b via the sixth vertical connector 116h and configured to generate a sequence of additional voltage pulses.

[0072] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes at least one second annular electrode 115b1, 115b2 embedded within the ceramic member 114a and disposed between the ring support surface 111b and the first annular electrode 116b. In one embodiment, at least one additional DC power source is electrically connected to the at least one second annular electrode 115b1, 115b2 via the at least one seventh vertical connector 115f and configured to generate at least one additional DC signal. In one embodiment, the first annular electrode 116b is an annular bias electrode, and the at least one second annular electrode 115b1, 115b2 is an annular electrostatic electrode.

[0073] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes an annular heater electrode 117b embedded within the ceramic member 114a and positioned below the ring support surface 111b to surround the central heater electrode 117a. In one embodiment, an annular gap G is formed between the central heater electrode 117a and the annular heater electrode 117b. In one embodiment, the third vertical connector 115e and the fourth vertical connector 116e extend vertically through the annular gap G.

[0074] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes a central electrode 116a, first and second annular connectors 116c and 116g, and a ring electrode 116b, which are embedded in the ceramic member 114a. The central electrode 116a is disposed below the substrate support surface 111a. An inner region 116c1 of the first annular connector 116c is disposed below the edge region E2 of the central electrode 116a and is electrically connected to the edge region E2 of the central electrode 116a via the first longitudinal connector 116d. An inner region 116g1 of the second annular connector 116g is disposed below the outer region 116c2 of the first annular connector 116c and is electrically connected to the outer region 116c2 of the first annular connector 116c via the second longitudinal connector 116f. The ring electrode 116b is disposed below the ring support surface 111b. A capacitive coupling C is formed between the inner region 116b1 of the annular electrode 116b and the outer region 116g2 of the second annular connector 116g. The first voltage pulse generating unit is electrically connected to the outer region 116c2 of the first annular connector 116c via the third vertical connector 116e and is configured to generate a first sequence of voltage pulses. The second voltage pulse generating unit is electrically connected to the outer region 116b2 of the annular electrode 116b via the fourth vertical connector 116h and is configured to generate a second sequence of voltage pulses.

[0075] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes a central electrode 116a, an annular connector 116c, and a central heater electrode 117a, which are embedded in the ceramic member 114a. The central electrode 116a is disposed below the substrate support surface 111a. An inner region 116c1 of the annular connector 116c is disposed below the edge region E2 of the central electrode 116a and is electrically connected to the edge region E2 of the central electrode 116a via a first vertical connector 116d. A part or all of the gas distribution space 118 is formed between the annular connector 116c and the central heater electrode 117a. A power source is electrically connected to the outer region of the annular connector 116c via a second vertical connector 116e and configured to generate a DC signal or an RF signal.

[0076] In one embodiment, the substrate support 11 includes first and second central electrodes 115a and 116a, first and second annular connectors 115c and 116c, a central heater electrode 117a, and an annular heater electrode 117b, which are embedded within the ceramic member 114a. The first central electrode 115a is disposed below the substrate support surface 111a, and the second central electrode 116a is disposed below the first central electrode 115a. An inner region 115c1 of the first annular connector 115c is disposed below the edge region E1 of the first central electrode 115a and is electrically connected to the edge region E1 of the first central electrode 115a via a first vertical connector 115d. The inner region 116c1 of the second annular connector 116c is disposed below the edge region E2 of the second central electrode 116a and is electrically connected to the edge region E2 of the second central electrode 116a via the second longitudinal connector 116d. An annular gap G is formed between the central heater electrode 117a and the annular heater electrode 117b. In one embodiment, a DC power source is electrically connected to the outer region 115c2 of the first annular connector 115c via the third longitudinal connector 115e extending longitudinally through the annular gap G and configured to generate a DC signal. In one embodiment, a voltage pulse generator is electrically connected to the outer region 116c2 of the second annular connector 116c via the fourth longitudinal connector 116e extending longitudinally through the annular gap G and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses.

[0077] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0078] 3, the suction ring-shaped driver 115c and the bias ring-shaped driver 116c are arranged in this order from bottom to top in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a, but the bias ring-shaped driver 116c may be arranged below the suction ring-shaped driver 115c. Similarly, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the coupling ring-shaped driver 116g is arranged below the bias ring-shaped driver 116c, but the coupling ring-shaped driver 116g may be arranged above the bias ring-shaped driver 116c. Furthermore, the second bias electrode 116b may be arranged below the coupling ring-shaped driver 116g.

[0079] For example, in the above embodiment, the heater electrode 117 is described as including the first heater electrode group 117a for heating the substrate W and the second heater electrode 117b for heating the ring assembly 112. However, if temperature control of the ring assembly 112 is not required, the annular second heater electrode 117b may be omitted as appropriate. In this case, it is desirable that the conductive via 115e and the conductive via 116e pass at least radially outside the first heater electrode group 117a and be connected to the terminals 1150 and 1160, respectively.

[0080] <Effect 1 of the plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure> As described above, in a conventional electrostatic chuck that does not have the distribution space 118a serving as the heat transfer gas supply unit 118, there is a risk that the electrode unit (corresponding to the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116) and the heating mechanism (corresponding to the heater electrode 117) are capacitively coupled during plasma processing, and part of the chucking power and bias power may leak into the heating mechanism as noise components. The noise components that have entered the heating mechanism in this way are usually removed by an RF cut filter (corresponding to the cut filter 1172). However, when DC-based voltage pulses are used as the chucking power and bias power, there are cases in which the noise components cannot be properly removed or the plasma processing of the substrate W cannot be properly performed.

[0081] The capacitance between the electrode part and the heating mechanism is expressed by the following equation (1). Capacitance C [F] = Dielectric constant ε [F / m] × Area S[m 2 ] / Distance d[m]...(1) Taking into consideration equation (1), attempts have been made to reduce the capacitance and reduce the noise components leaking from the electrode to the heating mechanism by increasing the distance between the electrode and the heating mechanism or by changing the material (dielectric constant) of the electrostatic chuck. However, due to the recent demand for smaller plasma processing chambers, there are restrictions on the thickness of the electrostatic chuck, making it difficult to increase the distance between the electrode and the heating mechanism and also making it difficult to quickly develop new electrostatic chuck materials.

[0082] 3, the electrostatic chuck 114 included in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has distribution spaces 118a, into which a heat transfer gas (He gas) is supplied as a backside gas, formed between the annular chucking driver 115c and the first heater electrode group 117a and between the annular bias driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a. The distribution spaces 118a are formed with a width sufficient to cover at least the overlapping portions of the annular chucking driver 115c and / or the annular bias driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a in the radial direction.

[0083] The ratio of the dielectric constant ε of the He gas supplied as a heat transfer gas to the distribution space 118a and the ceramic member 114a constituting the electrostatic chuck 114 is approximately He gas:ceramic member 114a=1:10. In view of the above formula (1), the distribution space 118a formed between the annular chucking driver 115c and / or the annular bias driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a can obtain an effect equivalent to that obtained by increasing the distance d by 10 times. This effect can be obtained whether the distribution space 118a is filled with He gas or not filled with He gas, i.e., whether the distribution space 118a is a vacuum. As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that the capacitance can be reduced to about 1 / 15, that is, the impedance can be increased by 15 times, by forming a distribution space 118a inside the electrostatic chuck 114 as shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, they have found that the value of the capacitance can be appropriately adjusted by, for example, changing the type of heat transfer gas supplied to the distribution space 118a or the height of the distribution space 118a (the size of the distribution space 118a in the thickness direction of the electrostatic chuck 114).

[0084] As described above, according to the plasma processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by forming a distribution space 118a inside the electrostatic chuck 114 and supplying a heat transfer gas, the capacitive coupling between the electrode portion (electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116) and the heating mechanism (first heater electrode group 117a) can be weakened, and the intrusion of noise components into the heating mechanism can be appropriately suppressed or prevented. This increases the efficiency of supplying the attracting power to the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias power to the bias electrode 116, and allows the plasma processing of the substrate W to be performed appropriately. Furthermore, since the intrusion of noise components into the cut filter 1172 is suppressed or prevented, malfunction or damage to the cut filter 1172 can be suppressed, and the time required for maintenance of the plasma processing apparatus 1 and the running costs can be reduced.

[0085] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the heat transfer gas supplied to the distribution space 118a can be the He gas that has conventionally been used as a backside gas in plasma processing, and therefore, there is no need to prepare a new heat transfer gas. Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure can be easily applied to the plasma processing apparatus 1 simply by introducing the electrostatic chuck 114 having the distribution space 118a.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the distribution space 118a is connected to the gas outlet 118c extending from the annular region 111b, but instead of or in addition to this, it may be connected to another gas outlet (not shown) extending from the central region 111a. In other words, the backside gas supplied through the distribution space 118a may be supplied to the back surface of the substrate W instead of or in addition to the lower surface of the ring assembly 112.

[0087] <Effect 2 of the plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure> In order to control the process results of plasma processing on the substrate W uniformly across its surface, it is important to uniformly control the in-plane temperature of the substrate W during plasma processing. Here, as described above, the first heater electrode group 117a has a larger diameter than the convex portions of the ceramic member 114a. Therefore, when the conductive vias 115e and the conductive vias 116e extend directly downward from the outer ends of the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116, respectively, and are connected to terminals, holes must be formed in the first heater electrode group 117a to allow these conductive vias to pass through. However, when holes are formed in the first heater electrode group 117a in this manner, the central region 111a (substrate W) cannot be directly heated in the areas where the holes are formed, which may cause the in-plane temperature of the substrate W to become non-uniform.

[0088] In this regard, in the electrostatic chuck 114 provided in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116 are connected to the respective terminals via the annular chucking driver 115c and the annular bias driver 116c, respectively. More specifically, the electrostatic chuck 114 is offset by the annular chucking driver 115c and the annular bias driver 116c to a radial position corresponding to the gap G between the first heater electrode group 117a and the second heater electrode 117b, and then the conductive vias are arranged at the offset position to extend toward the terminals.

[0089] As a result, the conductive vias are connected to the terminals through the gap G between the first heater electrode group 117a and the second heater electrode 117b, eliminating the need to form holes in the first heater electrode group 117a. That is, the central region 111a (substrate W) can be appropriately heated over the entire surface of the first heater electrode group 117a, and unevenness in the in-plane temperature of the substrate W during plasma processing can be appropriately prevented. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by disposing the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116 near the annular region 111b in the thickness direction of the electrostatic chuck 114, the distance d between the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116 and the first heater electrode group 117a can be easily increased. By increasing the distance d in this manner, the electrostatic capacitance between the annular chucking driver 115c, the annular bias driver 116c, and the first heater electrode group 117a can be appropriately reduced, and the time allowed for the formation of the distribution space 118a for the heat transfer gas can be appropriately increased. In other words, the capacitive coupling between the electrode unit (the electrostatic electrode 115 and the bias electrode 116) and the heating mechanism (the first heater electrode group 117a) can be appropriately reduced.

[0090] <Effect 3 of the plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure> In a plasma processing apparatus, when an etching process is performed to transfer a mask pattern to an etching target layer formed by stacking on the surface of a substrate W, it is important to precisely control the incident angle of ion components (electron movement) with respect to the substrate W. However, when the supply of bias power to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b for attracting ion components to the substrate W is controlled independently, even if the same supply power is supplied to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b, an error may occur in the actually supplied power due to the influence of machine error, etc., and the accuracy of the etching process may be reduced.

[0091] In this regard, according to the electrostatic chuck 114 of this embodiment, the coupling annular driver 116g, which is electrically connected to the second bias electrode 116b via the bias annular driver 116c, is arranged so that at least a portion of it overlaps with the second bias electrode 116b in the vertical direction.

[0092] As a result, the coupling annular driver 116g is electrically connected to the second bias electrode 116b by capacitive coupling when attracting ion components to the substrate W. In other words, even when the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b are electrically connected and power is supplied to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b independently, it is possible to synchronize the attraction of ions to the central and peripheral portions of the substrate W. The inventors have conducted extensive research and found that by synchronizing the amount of ion attraction and the movement of electrons to the central and peripheral portions of the substrate W in this manner, it is possible to appropriately improve the roundness of the shape of the etching hole formed in the surface of the substrate W.

[0093] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Plasma processing equipment 10 Plasma Processing Chamber 11 Substrate support 111a Central area 111b Annular Region 112 Ring Assembly 113 Foundation 114a Ceramic components 115 Electrostatic Electrode 115c suction ring driver 116 Bias electrode 116c Bias Ring Driver 117 Heater electrode 118a Distribution space 118b Gas inlet 118c Gas outlet 32 DC power supply 32a First DC generation unit

Claims

1. a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support comprising: The base and a ceramic member disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface, the ceramic member having a gas distribution space, at least one gas inlet extending from a lower surface of the ceramic member to the gas distribution space, and a plurality of gas outlets extending from the gas distribution space to the substrate support surface or the ring support surface; one or more annular members disposed on the ring support surface to surround the substrate on the substrate support surface; a chuck electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the substrate support surface; a bias electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the chuck electrode; an annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, an inner region of the annular connector electrically connected to an outer region of the bias electrode, and the outer region of the annular connector longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface; a central heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and vertically overlapping the substrate support surface, wherein some or all of the gas distribution space is defined between the annular connector and the central heater electrode; a substrate support including: a voltage pulse generator electrically connected to an outer region of the annular connector and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses; A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an RF power supply electrically connected to the base or the annular connector and configured to generate an RF signal.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the central heater electrode is connected to a ground potential via an RF filter.

4. The substrate support includes: an additional annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member; an annular bias electrode disposed within the ceramic member and longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface; further comprising an inner region of the additional annular connector electrically connected to an outer region of the annular connector; The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a capacitive coupling is formed between an inner region of the annular bias electrode and an outer region of the additional annular connector.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the capacitive coupling has a capacitance of 5 nF or less.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising an additional voltage pulse generator electrically connected to an outer region of the annular bias electrode and configured to generate a sequence of additional voltage pulses.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the substrate support further comprises at least one annular chuck electrode disposed between the ring support surface and the annular bias electrode.

8. 2. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate support further comprises an annular heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface.

9. a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support comprising: The base and a ceramic member disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface; one or more annular members disposed on the ring support surface to surround the substrate on the substrate support surface; a chuck electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the substrate support surface; a bias electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the chuck electrode; an annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, an inner region of the annular connector electrically connected to an outer region of the bias electrode, and the outer region of the annular connector longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface; a central heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and longitudinally overlapping the substrate support surface; an annular heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface, an annular gap being formed between the central heater electrode and the annular heater electrode; a longitudinal connector extending longitudinally through the annular gap within the ceramic member; a substrate support including: a voltage pulse generator electrically connected to an outer region of the annular connector via the longitudinal connector and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses; A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising an RF power supply electrically connected to the base or the annular connector and configured to generate an RF signal.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the central heater electrode is connected to a ground potential via an RF filter.

12. a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the plasma processing chamber, the substrate support comprising: The base and a ceramic member disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface; one or more annular members disposed on the ring support surface to surround the substrate on the substrate support surface; a chuck electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the substrate support surface; a bias electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the chuck electrode; an annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, an inner region of the annular connector electrically connected to an outer region of the bias electrode, and the outer region of the annular connector longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface; a central heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member below the chuck electrode, the central heater electrode having one or more divided regions, wherein some or all of the gas distribution space is defined between the annular connector and the central heater electrode; a substrate support including: a voltage pulse generator electrically connected to an outer region of the annular connector and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses; A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising an RF power supply electrically connected to the base or the annular connector and configured to generate an RF signal.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the central heater electrode is connected to a ground potential via an RF filter.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the substrate support further comprises an annular heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and longitudinally overlapping the ring support surface.

Images