Substrate processing apparatus and control method for substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a control method for a substrate processing apparatus. The control method may include a chuck movement step of moving a lower electrode to a preset height; a spacing measurement step of measuring the distance between the upper surface of the substrate and a dielectric plate located above the lower electrode; a correction determination step of determining whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the spacing by comparing the spacing measured in the spacing measurement step with a pre-stored process recipe; and a correction step of moving the lower electrode so that the spacing matches the process recipe if it is determined that the correction operation is necessary.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a film on a substrate using plasma and a control method of the substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Plasma refers to an ionized gaseous state composed of ions, radicals, and electrons, etc., and is generated by a very high temperature, strong electric fields, or RF electromagnetic fields. The semiconductor device manufacturing process includes an etching process that uses plasma to remove a film on a substrate such as a wafer.

[0003] Among the plasma devices that perform the above etching process, there is a bevel etching device that etches a film on the edge region of a substrate. The bevel etching device includes a lower electrode on which the substrate is placed and a dielectric plate located above the lower electrode. The distance between the lower electrode and the dielectric plate (more precisely, the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the lower surface of the dielectric plate) affects the etching rate for the edge region of the substrate. The user sets the distance between the lower electrode and the dielectric plate in the process recipe in consideration of the range where the film on the substrate is to be removed, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate, and the like.

[0004] Generally, before generating plasma, the heights of the lower electrode and the dielectric plate are adjusted so that the distance between the lower electrode and the dielectric plate conforms to the process recipe. Thereafter, plasma is generated to remove the film on the substrate.

[0005] However, the thickness of the substrate placed on the lower electrode can vary for a variety of reasons. For example, it can vary depending on the type of substrate selected by the user, and even if the type of substrate is the same, the thickness can change due to temperature changes in the substrate during processing or due to various external factors affecting the substrate during the return process. Similarly, the lower electrode on which the substrate is placed, and the dielectric plate located above the substrate, can also be deformed.

[0006] Deformation of the substrate or surrounding equipment affects the gap between the top surface of the substrate and the dielectric plate. Therefore, even if the height of the lower electrode and dielectric plate is adjusted to a preset height, the actual gap between the top surface of the substrate and the dielectric plate may not conform to the process recipe. In this case, the uniformity of the processing among the processed substrates will be poor. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] One objective of this invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a control method for the substrate processing apparatus that can efficiently process substrates.

[0008] Furthermore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a control method for the substrate processing apparatus that can maintain a desired distance between the substrate and the dielectric plate.

[0009] The problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber having a processing space, a lower electrode supporting a substrate in the processing space, a dielectric plate located above the lower electrode, a high-frequency power supply for generating plasma in the processing space, a drive unit for adjusting the distance between the lower electrode and the dielectric plate by adjusting the height of either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate, a spacing measuring unit for measuring the distance between the upper surface of a substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, and a controller for generating a control signal transmitted to the drive unit for correcting the distance between the upper surface of a substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate based on the measurement value measured by the spacing measuring unit, wherein the controller can generate the control signal for correcting the distance between the upper surface of a substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate during a second period when the high-frequency power supply generates plasma.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the controller can generate the control signal to correct the gap between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, even during the first period when the high-frequency power supply does not generate plasma.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the controller can control the drive unit such that the second speed at which the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the second period is slower than the first speed at which the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the first period.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the controller can control the drive unit such that the second unit movement distance when the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the second period is even smaller than the first unit movement distance when the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the first period.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the controller can determine whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the gap between the dielectric plate and the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode, as measured by the gap measuring unit, by comparing it with a pre-stored process recipe.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the controller can further determine whether the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range once the correction operation is completed.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the controller can generate a control signal for the correction operation of the drive unit when the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range.

[0017] According to one embodiment, while the correction operation is being performed, the interval measuring unit monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, and the controller can generate a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize if the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate falls outside a preset upper or lower limit.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the controller can generate a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize if the drive range of the drive unit does not fall within the critical drive range.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the chamber is provided with a pair of viewports, and the interval measuring unit includes an illumination unit installed in one of the viewports that emits light of a set width, and a light receiving unit installed in the other of the viewports that receives the light emitted by the illumination unit, and a portion of the light emitted by the illumination unit can be superimposed with any one of the configurations of the upper electrode unit including the dielectric plate.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention provides a control method for a substrate processing apparatus. The control method includes a chuck movement step of lowering the substrate onto a lower electrode and moving the lower electrode to a preset height; a spacing measurement step of measuring the distance between the upper surface of the substrate and a dielectric plate located above the lower electrode; a correction determination step of determining whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the spacing by comparing the spacing measured in the spacing measurement step with a pre-stored process recipe; and a correction step of moving the lower electrode so that the spacing matches the process recipe if it is determined that a correction operation is necessary, wherein the correction step can be performed during a second period in which the substrate is processed using plasma.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the correction step can be performed even during the first period in which the plasma is not generated.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the second speed at which the lower electrode moves in the second period is such that the lower electrode can move in the first period.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the correction determination step and the critical drive determination step, which is performed during the correction step and determines whether the drive range of the drive unit that moves the lower electrode when the correction operation is completed falls within the critical drive range, may be further included.

[0024] According to one embodiment, if the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range during the critical drive determination stage, the correction stage is performed; if it does not fall within the critical drive range, an alarm generation stage is performed to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize this.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate using plasma. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber having a processing space, a lower electrode unit provided below the processing space, an upper electrode unit provided above the processing space, a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the processing space, a distance measurement unit for measuring the distance between the substrate placed on the lower electrode unit and the upper electrode unit, and a controller for generating a control signal for correcting the distance between the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit based on the measured value measured by the distance measurement unit. The lower electrode unit includes a lower electrode on which the substrate is placed, a driving mechanism for moving the lower electrode in the vertical direction, and a lower edge electrode configured in a ring shape surrounding the lower electrode when viewed from above. The upper electrode unit includes a dielectric plate positioned to face the lower electrode, and an upper edge electrode configured in a ring shape surrounding the dielectric plate when viewed from above and facing the lower edge electrode. The controller can generate the control signal for correcting the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate at a second time when the plasma is generated in the processing space.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the controller can also generate the control signal for correcting the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate at a first time when the plasma is not generated.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the controller can control the driving mechanism such that a second speed at which the driving mechanism moves the lower electrode at the second time is slower than a first speed at which the driving mechanism moves the lower electrode at the first time.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the controller can determine whether a correction operation for correcting the distance is necessary by comparing the distance between the dielectric plate measured by the distance measurement unit and the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode with a process recipe stored in advance, and can determine whether the driving range of the driving mechanism belongs to a critical driving range when the correction operation is completed.

[0029] According to an embodiment, while the correction operation is being performed, the distance measurement unit monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, and the controller generates a control signal for generating an alarm so that the user can recognize when the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate exceeds a preset upper limit distance or lower limit distance.

Advantages of the Invention

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate can be processed efficiently.

[0031] Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the substrate and the dielectric plate can be maintained at a desired distance.

[0032] The advantages of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned advantages, and other advantages not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the appearance of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a method of measuring the distance between the upper surface of a substrate and the lower surface of a dielectric plate by a distance measurement unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining a method of measuring the distance between the upper surface of a substrate and the lower surface of a dielectric plate by a distance measurement unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the appearance of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1 processing a substrate. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control method of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a table that shows the movement speed of the lower electrode (chuck) and the unit movement distance of the motor, depending on whether plasma is being generated during the correction stage. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The diverse features and advantages of the non-limiting embodiments described herein can be further revealed by considering the detailed description together with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided solely for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the claims. The accompanying drawings are not considered to be drawn to scale unless expressly mentioned. For clarity, various dimensions in the drawings have been exaggerated.

[0035] The exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments are provided to ensure thoroughness of the disclosure and to fully convey its scope to a person of ordinary skill in the art. To provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of the disclosure, several specific details are presented, such as examples of specific components, apparatus and methods. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and neither should be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, known processes, known apparatus structures and known techniques are not described in detail.

[0036] The terms used herein are solely for the purpose of describing specific exemplary embodiments and not to limit them. Singular or plural expressions, as used herein, are intended to include plural expressions unless they appear to be obviously different in context. The terms “include,” “contain,” “possess,” “have,” and “have” are open-ended and therefore identify the presence of the mentioned features, components, stages, operations, elements, and / or constituents, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, components, stages, operations, elements, constituents, and / or groups thereof. Method stages, processes, and operations herein are not necessarily interpreted as being performed in any particular procedure discussed or described unless the procedure to be performed is explicitly stated. Additional or alternative stages may also be selected.

[0037] When an element or layer is referred to as “on,” “connected,” “joined,” “attached,” “adjacent,” or “covering” another element or layer, this means it is directly on, connected to, joined to, attached to, touching, or covering the other element or layer, or intermediate elements or layers may exist. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly on,” “directly connected,” or “directly joined” a different element or layer, it should be understood that there are no intermediate elements or layers. Throughout the specification, the same reference numeral refers to the same element. The term “and / or” as used in the present invention includes all combinations and subcombinations of one or more items from the enumerated items.

[0038] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, regions, layers, and / or sections in the present invention, it should be understood that these elements, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used simply to distinguish one element, region, layer, or section from other elements, regions, layers, or sections. Thus, the first element, first region, first layer, or first section discussed below may be referred to as the second element, second region, second layer, or second section without escaping the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0039] Spatially relative terms (e.g., “below,” “bottom,” “lower part,” “above,” “upper end,” etc.) may be used for explanatory convenience to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element or feature as shown in the drawings. Spatially relative terms should be understood as intended to include not only the orientation shown in the drawings but also other orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawing were turned upside down, the elements described as “below” or “bottom” of the other elements or features would be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” may include all top and bottom orientations. The device may be oriented differently (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptive terms used in the present invention may be interpreted accordingly.

[0040] When using the terms “identical” or “similar” in the descriptions of the examples, it should be understood that there may be some degree of uncertainty. Therefore, when one element or value is referred to as identical to other elements or values ​​that are different, it should be understood that the element or value in question is identical to other elements or values ​​within a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g., ±10%).

[0041] Where the terms “approximately” or “substantially” are used herein in relation to numerical values, it should be understood that such numerical values ​​include manufacturing or operating tolerances (e.g., ±10%). Furthermore, where the terms “generally” and “substantially” are used in relation to geometric forms, it should be understood that while accuracy of the geometric form is not required, there is a degree of latitude in the form within the scope of the disclosure.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in the present invention (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. This includes commonly used, predefined terms, which should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

[0043] The substrate being processed in the following explanation will be a wafer as an example. The substrate processing equipment described below will be a bevel etching apparatus used to remove films formed on the edges of the substrate as an example. Furthermore, the substrate processing equipment described below will be a dry etching apparatus that uses plasma to remove films formed on the edges of the substrate as an example.

[0044] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to Figure 1, a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a chamber 100, an upper electrode unit 200, a lower electrode unit 300, a gas supply unit 400, a spacing measurement unit 500, and a control unit 600.

[0046] The chamber 100 may have a processing space 102. The chamber 100 may define a processing space 102 in which a substrate (W) is processed. The inner wall of the chamber 100 may have a coating layer that has excellent corrosion resistance to plasma. The chamber 100 may have an overall hexahedral shape. The chamber 100 may have an entrance (not shown) through which a substrate (W) can be loaded or unloaded. The entrance can be selectively opened and closed by a door (not shown). The entrance can be closed by the door so that the processing space 102 can be sealed from the outside while processing of the substrate (W) is carried out.

[0047] A viewport 104 can be provided in the chamber 100. The viewport 104 can be provided in pairs. For example, the viewport 104 may include a first viewport 104a and a second viewport 104b. The first viewport 104a and the second viewport 104b can face each other. A spacing measurement unit 500, which will be described later, can be installed in the viewport 104.

[0048] The exhaust hole 106 can exhaust the processing space 102. The exhaust hole 106 can be connected to an exhaust device that provides a reduced pressure to exhaust the processing space 102. For example, the exhaust device can be a pump. As the substrate (W) is processed, the pressure in the processing space 102 can be adjusted by the reduced pressure provided through the exhaust hole 106 and by the gas supplied by the gas supply unit 400, which will be described later. As the substrate (W) is processed, the pressure in the processing space 102 can be controlled to a vacuum or a very low pressure close to a vacuum. However, it is not limited to this, and as the substrate (W) is processed, the pressure in the processing space 102 can be varied in various ways according to the user's choice.

[0049] The upper electrode unit 200 can be located at the top of the processing space 102. The upper electrode unit 200 may include a base 210, a dielectric plate 220, and an upper edge electrode 230. The base 210 can be installed at the top of the chamber 100. The base 210 can be formed from a material that is easy to process, along with metal. The dielectric plate 220 and the upper edge electrode 230 can be fixed and installed in the chamber 100 via the base 210.

[0050] The dielectric plate 220 can be made of a dielectric material. The dielectric plate 220 can be made of a material containing ceramics. When viewed from above, the dielectric plate 220 can generally have a disc shape. The dielectric plate 220 can face the lower electrode 310, which will be described later. The dielectric plate 220 can be installed in the lower central region of the base 210.

[0051] The upper edge electrode 230 can be formed from a conductive material. The upper edge electrode 230 can be formed from a metal-containing material. The upper edge electrode 230 can have an overall ring shape. When viewed from above, the upper edge electrode 230 can be configured to surround the dielectric plate 220. The upper edge electrode 230 can be provided spaced apart from the dielectric plate 220. The upper edge electrode 230 can be grounded. Alternatively, a high-frequency power supply (not shown) can be connected to the upper edge electrode 230.

[0052] The lower electrode unit 300 can be located at the bottom of the processing space 102. The lower electrode unit 300 may include a lower electrode 310, a high-frequency power supply 312, an insulating ring 320, a lower edge electrode 330, a drive shaft 340, and a drive mechanism 350. The lower electrode 310, the insulating ring 320, and the lower edge electrode 330 together may be called a chuck.

[0053] The lower electrode 310 can support the substrate (W). The lower electrode 310 can have a contact surface on which the substrate (W) is placed. A high-frequency power supply 312 can be connected to the lower electrode 310. The high-frequency power supply 312 can apply high-frequency power to the lower electrode 310. The lower electrode 310 can be formed from a conductive material. The lower electrode 310 can be provided from a metal-containing material. The high-frequency power supply 312 can generate plasma in the processing space 102.

[0054] The insulating ring 320 can be provided so as to surround the lower electrode 310. The insulating ring 320 can be formed from an insulating material. The insulating ring 320 can be provided between the lower edge electrode 330 and the lower electrode 310. When viewed from above, the insulating ring 320 can be configured as a ring shape surrounding the lower electrode 310. The upper surface of the insulating ring 320 can have a stepped shape such that the inner upper surface is higher than the outer upper surface.

[0055] The lower edge electrode 330 can be provided so as to surround the insulating ring 320. The lower edge electrode 330 can be formed of a conductive material. When viewed from above, the lower edge electrode 330 can be configured as a ring shape surrounding the insulating ring 320. The lower edge electrode 330 can be grounded. Alternatively, a high-frequency power supply (not shown) can be connected to the lower edge electrode 330.

[0056] The drive shaft 340 can be connected to the lower part of the lower electrode 310. The drive shaft 340 can be moved vertically by the drive unit 350. The drive shaft 340 can receive power from the drive unit 350 and move the lower electrode 310 vertically.

[0057] The drive unit 350 can transmit power to the drive shaft 340 to adjust the height of the lower electrode 310. The drive unit 350 can move the lower electrode 310 vertically. By adjusting the height of the lower electrode 310, the drive unit 350 can adjust the distance between the lower electrode 310 and the dielectric plate 220. The drive unit 350 may include a motor and an encoder, which may be a sensor that senses the motor's rotational speed, rotational velocity, and rotational direction. The motor's rotational speed sensed by the encoder of the drive unit 350 can be transmitted to the controller 600, which will be described later. The controller 600 can calculate the height of the lower electrode 310 from a reference value through the motor's rotational speed. That is, the controller 600 can check the current height of the lower electrode 310 through the motor's rotational speed sensed by the encoder of the drive unit 360.

[0058] The gas supply unit 400 can supply gas to the processing space 102. The gas supply unit 400 may include a first gas supply unit 410 that supplies an inactive gas (an example of a first gas) to the central region of the substrate (W), and a second gas supply unit 420 that supplies a process gas (an example of a second gas) to the edge region of the substrate (W). The inactive gas can be a gas such as nitrogen or argon. The process gas can be a gas that is excited in a plasma state, and can be selected and used by the user in various ways depending on the type of film to be removed.

[0059] The first gas supply unit 410 may include a first gas supply source 412 for storing and / or supplying the first gas, and a first gas supply line 414 for sending the first gas from the first gas supply source 412. The second gas supply unit 420 may include a second gas supply source 422 for storing and / or supplying the second gas, and a second gas supply line 424 for sending the second gas from the second gas supply source 422. The first gas can be supplied to the substrate (W) through a channel (not shown) formed in the dielectric plate 220, and the second gas can be supplied to the substrate (W) through the space between the dielectric plate 220 and the upper edge electrode 230.

[0060] The spacing measurement unit 500 can measure the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220 and the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 310. The spacing measurement unit 500 may include an illumination unit 510 installed in the first viewport 104a and a light receiving unit 520 installed in the second viewport 104b. Light (L) emitted by the illumination unit 510 through the first viewport 104a can be received by the light receiving unit 520 through the second viewport 104b. The vertical width of the light (L) received by the light receiving unit 520 can be transmitted to the controller 600, which can then monitor the distance between the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220 and the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 310.

[0061] Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating how the spacing measurement unit measures the distance between the top surface of the substrate and the bottom surface of the dielectric plate.

[0062] Figure 2 illustrates the case where the light (L) is not superimposed on the lower electrode unit 300 and the substrate (W), while Figure 3 illustrates the case where a portion of the light (L) is superimposed on the lower electrode unit 300 and the substrate (W).

[0063] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the light (L) emitted by the illumination unit 510 through the first viewport 104a may have a vertical width of a first width (G1). At least a portion of the light (L) may be superimposed on the configuration of the upper electrode unit 200, for example, the upper edge electrode 230. In addition, the vertical width of the light (L) received through the light receiving unit 520 may have a second width (G2).

[0064] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, when the height of the lower electrode 310 is increased, the vertical width of the light (L) received through the light receiving unit 520 may be the third width (G3). The third width (G3) can be smaller than the second width (G2). The controller 600 can calculate a value approximately equal to the difference between the second width (G2) and the third width (G3) based on the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220.

[0065] For example, if the first width (G1) is 10 mm and the second width (G2) is 9 mm, and the lower electrode 310 rises to a third width (G3) of 5 mm, then the difference between the second width (G2) and the third width (G3), which is approximately 4 mm, can be calculated using the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220.

[0066] Referring again to Figure 1, the controller 600 can control the components of the substrate processing apparatus 10. Based on the measurement values ​​measured by the spacing measurement unit 500, the controller 600 can generate a control signal to control the drive unit 350. The control signal may be a signal to perform a correction operation to correct the spacing between the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 310 and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220.

[0067] The control unit 600 may comprise a process controller, which is a microprocessor (computer) that controls the components of the substrate processing device 10; a user interface, which may consist of a keyboard for the operator to input commands and a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of the substrate processing device; and a storage unit that stores a control program for performing processing on the substrate processing device 10 under the control of the process controller, and a program for executing processing on each component based on various data and processing conditions, i.e., a process recipe. The user interface and the storage unit may be connected to the process controller. The processing recipe may be stored in a storage medium within the storage unit, which may be a hard disk, a portable disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD, or a semiconductor memory such as flash memory.

[0068] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the substrate processing apparatus from Figure 1 in the process of processing a substrate.

[0069] Referring to Figure 4, the controller 600 may have a process recipe pre-stored. The process recipe may include a value for the distance between the top surface of the substrate (W) and the dielectric plate 220. When performing a processing operation on the substrate (W), the controller 600 transmits a control signal to the drive unit 350, which can adjust the distance between the substrate (W) and the dielectric plate 220 to a set interval (RG). Thereafter, the gas supply unit 400 can supply a first gas (GA1) to the central region of the substrate (W), a second gas (GA2) to the edge region, and generate plasma (P) from the second gas (GA2).

[0070] The present invention allows the distance between the substrate (W) and the dielectric plate 220 to be adjusted to a set distance (RG) during a first period when plasma (P) is not generated, and to be maintained at the set distance (RG) during a second period when plasma (P) is generated.

[0071] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. Below, with reference to Figures 1, 4, and 5, the height correction operation of the lower electrode 310 in the first phase will be described in detail.

[0072] [Height correction operation of the lower electrode 310 in the first phase]

[0073] The correction operation during the first period when plasma (P) is not generated (before or after processing the substrate (W)) may include a chuck movement step (S10), a spacing measurement step (S20), a correction determination step (S30), a critical drive determination step (S40), a correction step (S50), and an alarm generation step (S60).

[0074] During the chuck movement phase (S10), the height of the lower electrode 310 is adjusted. During the chuck movement phase (S10), the substrate (W) is lowered onto the lower electrode 310, and the lower electrode 310 is moved to a preset height. The height of the lower electrode 310 may be preset in the controller 600 as a value corresponding to the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 310 and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220, which is stored in the process recipe in advance. During the chuck movement phase (S10), the height of the lower electrode 310 is adjusted based on the process recipe stored in advance in the controller 600, regardless of the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 500. The controller 600 generates a control signal to control the drive unit 350. The drive unit 350 can move the lower electrode 310 to a height corresponding to the distance mentioned above.

[0075] In the spacing measurement stage (S20), the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220 is measured. In the spacing measurement stage (S20), the controller 600 can calculate the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the dielectric plate 220 based on the measurement value measured by the spacing measurement unit 500.

[0076] In the correction determination stage (S30), it is determined whether the interval calculated in the interval measurement stage (S20) matches the process recipe. In the correction determination stage (S30), the interval measured in the interval measurement stage (S20) is compared with the process recipe pre-stored in the controller 600 to determine whether a correction operation to correct the upper interval is necessary. Whether it matches the process recipe can be determined by whether the calculated interval is equal to the set interval (RG) set in the process recipe, or whether a small difference exists but that difference is within a predetermined range. If the calculated interval matches the process recipe, the movement of the lower electrode 310 is terminated. If the calculated interval does not match the process recipe, the distance that the lower electrode 310 must move in order for the calculated interval to match the process recipe is calculated. For example, if the calculated interval is greater than the set interval (RG), the difference between the calculated interval and the set interval (RG) will be calculated as the distance that the lower electrode 310 must move upward. Subsequently, the critical drive determination stage (S40) is carried out.

[0077] In the critical drive determination stage (S40), if the controller 600 moves the lower electrode 310 by a distance calculated in the correction determination stage (S30) (in other words, if the correction operation is completed), it can determine whether the drive range of the drive unit 350 that moves the lower electrode 310 falls within the critical drive range.

[0078] If the height of the lower electrode 310 is excessively high or excessively low, the lower electrode 310 may collide with various components of the substrate processing apparatus 10. For example, if the height of the lower electrode 310 is excessively high, the lower electrode 310 may collide with the dielectric plate 220. Even if the height of the lower electrode 310 is such that it does not touch the dielectric plate 220, if the distance between the lower electrode 310 and the dielectric plate 220 is excessively narrow, the risk of collision between the lower electrode 310 and the dielectric plate 220 increases. To address this, the user pre-sets the critical drive range of the drive unit 350. The user can pre-set the critical drive range of the drive unit 350 through the controller 600, or by operating the drive unit 350 itself.

[0079] In other words, in the critical drive determination stage (S40), it is determined in the correction determination stage (S30) that a correction operation is necessary, and if the correction operation is completed, it is determined whether the drive range of the drive unit 350 falls between the critical upper limit and the critical lower limit (critical drive range). If it falls within the critical drive range, the correction stage (S50) described later is performed to implement the correction operation, and if it does not fall within the range, the notification generation stage (S60) described later is performed.

[0080] During the correction phase (S50), the controller 600 can generate a control signal to drive the drive unit 350. The drive unit 350 can be driven to adjust the height of the lower electrode 310. The controller 600 generates a control signal to control the drive unit 350, moving it so that the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220 placed on the lower electrode 310 becomes the set distance (RG). Also during the correction phase (S50), the distance measurement unit 500 continuously monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220. If the monitored distance falls outside the preset range between the upper and lower critical distances (critical distance range), the controller 600 can stop the operation of the drive unit 350 and proceed to the alarm generation phase (S60).

[0081] In the alarm generation stage (S60), if the drive range of the drive unit 350 simulated in the critical drive determination stage (S40) does not fall within the critical drive range, or if the interval monitored by the interval measurement unit 500 in the correction stage (S50) falls outside the critical interval range, the controller 600 can generate a control signal to stop the operation of the drive unit 350, along with a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize this. The alarm can be generated by sound through a speaker and / or by visual display through a display device such as a display that the controller 600 may have.

[0082] The height correction operation of the lower electrode 310 during the second period will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 1, 4, and 5.

[0083] [Height correction operation of the lower electrode 310 in the second phase]

[0084] The correction operation in the second phase, in which plasma (P) is generated to process the substrate (W), can be performed in the same or similar manner as the correction operation in the first phase, including the interval measurement step (S20), the correction determination step (S30), the critical drive determination step (S40), the correction step (S50), and the alarm generation step (S60). The following description will focus on the differences from the height correction operation of the lower electrode 310 in the first phase.

[0085] Figure 6 is a table that shows the movement speed of the lower electrode (chuck) and the unit movement distance of the motor, depending on whether plasma is generated during the correction stage.

[0086] Referring to Figures 1, 4 to 6, in the correction stage during the first period (plasma off) when plasma (P) is not generated, the movement speed of the chuck including the lower electrode 310 may be the first speed (V1). In the correction stage during the second period (plasma on) when plasma (P) is generated, the movement speed of the chuck including the lower electrode 310 may be the second speed (V2). The second speed (V2) may be slower than the first speed (V1). The purpose of the first period is to adjust the gap between the upper surface of the substrate (W) and the lower surface of the dielectric plate 220 to a set gap (RG), and the purpose of the second period is to maintain the gap adjusted in the first period at the set gap (RG). In particular, since processing is performed on the substrate (W) during the second period, lowering the movement speed of the chuck is advantageous for stably executing the process.

[0087] Furthermore, the unit travel distance of the motor of the drive unit 350 can be adjusted by the controller 600. For example, the unit travel distance of the motor can be set to the first unit travel distance (D1) in the first period, and to the second unit travel distance (D2) in the second period. The second unit travel distance (D2) may be smaller than the first unit travel distance (D1). For example, the second unit travel distance (D2) may be 1 micrometer. The first unit travel distance (D1) may be 10 micrometers. In the first period, the unit travel distance of the motor can be made relatively larger to adjust the spacing more quickly.

[0088] In the example described above, the height of the dielectric plate 220 was fixed and the height of the lower electrode 310 was adjusted, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a separate drive device for adjusting the height of the dielectric plate 220 may be provided, and the drive mechanism included in the drive device may adjust the height of the dielectric plate 220 to adjust the distance between the dielectric plate 220 and the lower electrode 310.

[0089] In the embodiments described above, the substrate processing apparatus 10 was explained as a bevel etching apparatus, but it is not limited to this. For example, the substrate processing apparatus can be a CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma) type plasma apparatus or an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) type plasma apparatus.

[0090] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the substrate processing apparatus 20 can be provided as a CCP-type plasma apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 20 may include the same or similar chamber 100, spacing measuring unit 500, and control unit 600 as the substrate processing apparatus 10.

[0091] The substrate processing apparatus 20 may include an upper electrode unit 700, a lower electrode unit 800, and a gas supply unit 900.

[0092] An upper electrode unit 700 may be provided at the top of the processing space 102. A lower electrode unit 800 may be provided at the bottom of the processing space 102. The upper electrode unit 700 may include a shower head 710 having a plurality of holes 712 formed therein and a fixing frame 720 for fixing the shower head 710 to the chamber 100. The fixing frame 720 may be provided of dielectric material. The shower head 710 may be connected to an upper power supply 730. The upper power supply 730 may be a high-frequency power supply. The fixing frame 720 may generally have a ring shape. The shower head 710 may be provided of a material including metal. The upper power supply 730 may be a source RF that generates plasma from process gas (PG) in the processing space 102. The shower head 710 may be an upper electrode. The shower head 710 may be positioned facing the lower electrode 810 so as to face the lower electrode 810.

[0093] The lower electrode unit 800 may include a lower electrode 810, a drive shaft 840, and a drive unit 850. The lower electrode 810, drive shaft 840, and drive unit 850 may have the same or similar structure as the lower electrode 310, drive shaft 340, and drive unit 350 described above. Furthermore, the lower electrode 810, drive shaft 840, and drive unit 850 may be controlled in the same or similar manner as the lower electrode 310, drive shaft 340, and drive unit 350 described above.

[0094] The gas supply unit 900 can supply process gas (PG) to the upper side of the shower head 710. The process gas (PG) can flow into the processing space 102 through the hole 712, and the process gas (PG) that flows into the processing space 102 can be excited and converted into a plasma state.

[0095] In the case of the CCP type substrate processing apparatus 20, it may be necessary to adjust the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 810 and the upper electrode unit 700. For example, when processing a substrate (W) using the substrate processing apparatus 20, it may be necessary to adjust the distance between the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 810 and the shower head 710 in order to adjust the processing efficiency for the substrate (W). This is because if the distance is narrowed, the volume of the space in the processing space 102 where plasma is mainly generated decreases, and if the distance is widened, the volume of the space in the processing space 102 where plasma is mainly generated increases.

[0096] Therefore, in the case of the substrate processing apparatus 20, the spacing between the upper surface of the substrate (W) placed on the lower electrode 810 and the lower surface of the shower head 710 can be corrected by the spacing measuring unit 500 and the controller 600, in the same or similar manner as the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above.

[0097] In some cases, the substrate processing apparatus to which the aforementioned spacing measurement unit 500 and correction operation by the controller 600 are applied may be an ICP-type plasma apparatus. In this case, the upper electrode unit may also include an antenna composed of a coil and a dielectric plate located below the antenna.

[0098] It should be understood that exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein and other modifications are possible. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are not generally limited to that particular embodiment, but are interchangeable and can be used in selected embodiments, even if not specifically illustrated or described, where applicable. Such modifications should not be considered to be outside the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications that are obvious to an ordinary person in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. In a device for processing substrates, Chamber having a processing space, Lower electrode supporting the substrate in the aforementioned processing space, A dielectric plate located above the lower electrode, A high-frequency power supply for generating plasma in the aforementioned processing space, A drive mechanism that adjusts the distance between the lower electrode and the dielectric plate by adjusting the height of either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate. A spacing measuring unit for measuring the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, and The controller includes a control unit that generates a control signal transmitted to the drive unit for correcting the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, based on the measurement value measured by the aforementioned distance measuring unit. The control device is a substrate processing apparatus that generates the control signal for correcting the gap between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate during the second period when the high-frequency power supply generates plasma.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller generates the control signal for correcting the gap between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, even during a first period when the high-frequency power supply does not generate plasma.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit such that the second speed at which the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate in the second period is slower than the first speed at which the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate in the first period.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit such that the second unit movement distance when the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the second period is even smaller than the first unit movement distance when the drive unit moves either the lower electrode or the dielectric plate during the first period.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the gap between the dielectric plate and the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode, as measured by the gap measuring unit, by comparing it with a pre-stored process recipe.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit further determines whether the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range when the correction operation is completed.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit generates a control signal for the correction operation of the drive unit when the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range.

8. While the correction operation is being performed, the interval measuring unit monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit generates a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize the gap between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate when the gap deviates from a preset upper or lower limit.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit generates a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize if the drive range of the drive unit does not fall within the critical drive range.

10. The chamber is provided with a pair of viewports. The aforementioned interval measuring unit is An illumination unit installed in one of the aforementioned viewports, which emits light of a set width, and Installed in one of the other viewports, and including a light receiving unit that receives light emitted by the illumination unit, A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a portion of the light emitted by the irradiation unit is superimposed with any one of the configurations of the upper electrode unit including the dielectric plate.

11. In a control method for a substrate processing apparatus, A chuck movement step in which the substrate is lowered onto the lower electrode and the lower electrode is moved to a predetermined height. A spacing measurement step in which the distance between the upper surface of the substrate and the dielectric plate located above the lower electrode is measured. A correction determination stage in which it is determined whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the interval by comparing the interval measured in the interval measurement stage with a pre-stored process recipe, and If it is determined that the correction operation is necessary, the correction step includes moving the lower electrode so that the interval matches the process recipe. The correction step is performed during a second phase in which the substrate is processed using plasma.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the correction step is performed even during the first period in which the plasma is not generated.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second speed at which the lower electrode moves during the second period is slower than the first speed at which the lower electrode moves during the first period.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the correction determination step and a critical drive determination step performed during the correction step, which determines whether the drive range of the drive unit that moves the lower electrode falls within the critical drive range when the correction operation is completed.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein if the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range at the critical drive determination stage, the correction stage is performed, and if it does not fall within the critical drive range, an alarm generation stage is performed to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize this.

16. In a device that processes substrates using plasma, Chamber having a processing space, A lower electrode unit provided at the bottom of the processing space, An upper electrode unit provided above the processing space, A gas supply unit that supplies gas to the processing space, A spacing measuring unit for measuring the distance between the substrate placed on the lower electrode unit and the upper electrode unit, and The controller includes a controller that generates a control signal to correct the distance between the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit based on the measurement value measured by the interval measuring unit, The lower electrode unit is The lower electrode on which the substrate is placed, A drive mechanism for moving the lower electrode in the vertical direction, and When viewed from above, the lower edge electrode is formed in a ring shape surrounding the lower electrode, The upper electrode unit is A dielectric plate positioned facing the lower electrode, and When viewed from above, it is composed of a ring shape surrounding the dielectric plate, and includes an upper edge electrode facing the lower edge electrode, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit generates the control signal for correcting the gap between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate during a second period in which the plasma is generated in the processing space.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control unit generates the control signal for correcting the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate, even during the first period when the plasma is not generated.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit such that the second speed at which the drive unit moves the lower electrode in the second period is slower than the first speed at which the drive unit moves the lower electrode in the first period.

19. The aforementioned control unit is The spacing measurement unit determines whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the spacing by comparing the spacing between the dielectric plate and the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode, as measured by the unit, with a pre-stored process recipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein, when the correction operation is completed, it is determined whether the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range.

20. While the correction operation is being performed, the interval measuring unit monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the control unit generates a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize the situation when the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the dielectric plate deviates from a preset upper or lower limit.

21. In a device for processing substrates, Chamber having a processing space, A lower electrode unit provided at the bottom of the processing space, An upper electrode unit provided above the processing space, A gas supply unit that supplies gas to the processing space, A power supply for generating plasma from the gas supplied by the aforementioned gas supply unit, and The controller includes a controller that generates a control signal to correct the distance between the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit based on the measurement value measured by the interval measuring unit, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller generates the control signal for correcting the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit during a first period when the plasma is not generated or a second period when the plasma is generated in the processing space.

22. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit such that the second speed at which the drive unit moves the lower electrode in the second period is slower than the first speed at which the drive unit moves the lower electrode in the first period.

23. The aforementioned control unit is The spacing measurement unit determines whether a correction operation is necessary to correct the spacing by comparing the spacing between the upper electrode unit and the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode, as measured by the spacing measurement unit, with a pre-stored process recipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, when the correction operation is completed, it is determined whether the drive range of the drive unit falls within the critical drive range.

24. While the correction operation is being performed, the interval measuring unit monitors the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controller generates a control signal to generate an alarm so that the user can recognize when the distance between the upper surface of the substrate placed on the lower electrode and the upper electrode unit deviates from a preset upper or lower limit.

25. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the upper electrode unit is opposed to the lower electrode and includes an upper electrode that generates plasma in the processing space using a CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma) method.

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