Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

The substrate processing apparatus includes a cylindrical chamber having an opening, a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the opening, a substrate support, and a baffle plate disposed between the substrate support and the shutter mechanism. The shutter mechanism includes a valve element having a length equal to or greater than half of the inner circumference of the chamber, a first conductive surface in contact with the rear surface of the baffle plate at the bottom of the valve element, a second conductive surface in contact with a conductive upper member at the top of the chamber at the top of the valve element, multiple arc-shaped conductive members disposed in arc-shaped grooves in the first and second conductive surfaces, and two or more lifting mechanisms for raising and lowering the valve element. The first conductive surface abuts against the rear surface of the baffle plate in the vertical direction when the opening is closed, providing electrical continuity via the conductive member. The second conductive surface abuts against the upper member in the vertical direction when the opening is closed, providing electrical continuity via the conductive member.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus comprising a cylindrical chamber having an opening for loading a substrate to be processed, a deposit shield arranged along the inner wall of the chamber and having an opening at a position corresponding to the opening of the chamber, and a plate-shaped shutter for opening and closing the opening of the deposit shield. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-126197 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus that can ensure redundancy against temperature changes and machine differences while ensuring a uniform electrical path between a valve body and a chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cylindrical chamber having at least one opening, a shutter mechanism configured to open and close the opening, a substrate support configured to support a substrate, and a baffle plate configured between the substrate support and the shutter mechanism. The shutter mechanism includes a valve element extending over half of the inner circumference of the chamber, a first conductive surface disposed below the valve element and in contact with the back surface of the baffle plate, a second conductive surface disposed above the valve element and in contact with a conductive upper member disposed along the inner wall of the upper portion of the chamber, multiple arc-shaped conductive members disposed in arc-shaped grooves on the first and second conductive surfaces, and two or more elevating mechanisms connected to the lower portion of the valve element for raising and lowering the valve element. When the valve element is raised to close the opening, the first conductive surface abuts vertically against the back surface of the baffle plate, providing electrical conductivity via the conductive member. When the valve body is raised to close the opening, the second conductive surface comes into contact with the upper member in the vertical direction, and is electrically connected by the conductive member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a uniform electrical path can be ensured between the valve body and the upper member while ensuring redundancy against temperature changes and machine differences. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a shutter mechanism in this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of a valve body of the shutter mechanism in this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of the shutter mechanism in the closed state in this embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of an electrical path in a cross section when the shutter mechanism is closed in this embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of a groove in a conductive surface and a conductive member in this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the diameter and the deformation amount of the conductive member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the diameter and the deformation amount of the conductive member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a plasma processing system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0009] In recent years, plasma processing equipment has been required to transport components, such as parts inside the chamber, that exceed the outer diameter of the substrate through the chamber opening, necessitating the expansion of the opening and the size of the shutter valve body. However, increasing the size of the shutter valve body increases the contact area with the conductive upper member (e.g., a deposit shield) installed along the inner wall of the upper part of the chamber against which the valve body is pressed, which may result in insufficient electrical continuity between the valve body and the upper member. Furthermore, electrical continuity between the lower part of the valve body and the baffle plate may also be insufficient due to temperature changes and mechanical differences. For example, if the temperature of at least one of the baffle plate and the deposit shield increases and thermally expands, when the upper part of the valve body is pressed against the upper member, the distance between the conductive contact surface and the bottom surface of the conductive member groove at the lower part of the valve body increases, reducing the crushing allowance and resulting in insufficient contact pressure with the baffle plate, resulting in unstable electrical continuity. To address this issue, a conceivable approach would be to ensure electrical continuity by sliding the baffle plate connected to the lower part of the valve body and the substrate support member in the diameter direction of the chamber using a leaf spring material. However, in this case, problems arise such as deformation of the leaf spring material and generation of particles due to sliding.Therefore, it is expected that durability will be improved, particle generation will be suppressed, and a uniform electrical path will be ensured between the valve body and the upper member while ensuring redundancy against temperature changes and machine differences.

[0010] [Configuration of substrate processing system] An example configuration of a substrate processing system will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate processing system 200 includes a load port 211, a loader chamber 212, a load lock chamber 213, and a substrate transfer chamber 214. The substrate processing system 200 also includes a controller 2 and a substrate processing chamber 10. The controller 2 and the substrate processing chamber 10 in FIG. 1 correspond to the controller 2 and the plasma processing chamber 10, respectively, of a plasma processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later.

[0011] The load port 211 is used to place a FOUP (not shown), which is a carrier that accommodates a predetermined number of substrates W, each having a diameter of, for example, 300 mm. For example, three load ports 211 are provided. The loader chamber 212 is adjacent to the load port 211 and loads and unloads the substrates W into and from the FOUP. The interior of the loader chamber 212 is always kept at atmospheric pressure, and a transfer robot (not shown) that transfers the substrates W is disposed inside the loader chamber 212. The loader chamber 212 transfers the substrates W between the FOUP placed on the load port 211 and the load lock chamber 213.

[0012] The load lock chambers 213 are substrate transfer chambers, and two are arranged on opposite sides of the load port 211 with the loader chamber 212 in between. The load lock chambers 213 are configured so that the interior thereof can be selectively switched between a vacuum atmosphere and an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. The interior of the load lock chamber 213 is an atmospheric pressure atmosphere when it is in communication with the loader chamber 212, and is a vacuum atmosphere when it is in communication with the substrate transfer chamber 214. The load lock chamber 213 serves as an intermediate transfer chamber for transferring the substrate W between the loader chamber 212 and the substrate transfer chamber 214. The load lock chamber 213 is an example of a load lock module (LLM).

[0013] The substrate transfer chamber 214 has, for example, a pentagonal shape in a plan view, and is arranged on the opposite side of the loader chamber 212 with the load lock chamber 213 in between. Six substrate processing chambers 10 are arranged radially around the substrate transfer chamber 214, and each is connected to the substrate transfer chamber 214. The interior of the substrate transfer chamber 214 is always kept at a predetermined vacuum level, and a transfer robot 216 is arranged therein to transfer substrates W. The transfer robot 216 transfers substrates W between the substrate processing chambers 10 and between the substrate processing chambers 10 and the load lock chamber 213. The substrate transfer chamber 214 is an example of a VTM (Vacuum Transfer Module).

[0014] As will be described later, the control unit 2 is realized by, for example, a computer 2a. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3, which will be described later. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to control the operation of each component of the substrate processing system 200 by reading a program from the storage unit 2a2 and executing the read program.

[0015] In the substrate processing system 200, each substrate processing chamber 10 and the substrate transfer chamber 214 are connected via a gate valve 51. The gate valve 51 controls communication between each substrate processing chamber 10 and the substrate transfer chamber 214. The interior of each substrate processing chamber 10 is maintained at a predetermined vacuum level, and a substrate W is placed on a substrate support 11 arranged therein and subjected to a predetermined plasma processing, for example, plasma etching. The substrate processing chamber 10 is an example of a process module (PM). In the following description, the substrate processing chamber 10 is also referred to as a plasma processing chamber 10.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the plasma processing system includes a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 and a controller 2. The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply unit 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 has at least one gas inlet for supplying at least one processing gas into the plasma processing space 10s and at least one gas outlet for exhausting gas from the plasma processing space 10s. 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.

[0017] 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 referred to as a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also referred to as a ring support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112. The substrate support 11 is installed on the bottom 10b of the plasma processing chamber 10 via a base plate 115 and a support member 116. Similar to the plasma processing chamber 10, the base plate 115 and the support member 116 are formed of a conductive material, such as aluminum.

[0018] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 1110 and an electrostatic chuck 1111. The base 1110 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 1110 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 1111 is disposed on the base 1110. The electrostatic chuck 1111 includes a ceramic member 1111a and an electrostatic electrode 1111b disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. The ceramic member 1111a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 1111a also has an annular region 111b. Note that the annular region 111b may also be provided by another member surrounding the electrostatic chuck 1111, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member. 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 1111 and the annular insulating member. Furthermore, at least one RF / DC electrode coupled to an RF (Radio Frequency) power supply 31 and / or a DC (Direct Current) power supply 32 (described later) may be disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. In this case, the at least one RF / DC electrode functions as a lower electrode. When a bias RF signal and / or a DC signal (described later) is supplied to the at least one RF / DC electrode, the RF / DC electrode is also called a bias electrode. Note that the conductive member of the base 1110 and the at least one RF / DC electrode may function as multiple lower electrodes. Alternatively, the electrostatic electrode 1111b may function as the lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support 11 includes at least one lower electrode.

[0019] 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 113 and at least one cover ring 114. The edge ring 113 is formed of a conductive material or an insulating material, and the cover ring 114 is formed of an insulating material. That is, the substrate support 11 has the edge ring 113 positioned around the upper surface of the substrate support 11. The substrate support 11 also has a cover ring 114 positioned around the edge ring 113.

[0020] The substrate support 11 may also include a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 1111, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate to a target temperature. The temperature adjustment module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow passage 1110a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or a gas flows through the flow passage 1110a. In one embodiment, the flow passage 1110a is formed in the base 1110, and one or more heaters are disposed in the ceramic member 1111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111. The substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply configured to supply a heat transfer gas to a gap between the backside of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0021] 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 at least one upper electrode. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas introduction unit may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the sidewall 10a.

[0022] 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 one or more flow modulation devices to modulate or pulse the flow rate of the at least one process gas.

[0023] 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) to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. This generates a plasma from at least one process gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of a plasma generating unit configured to generate a plasma from one or more process gases in the plasma processing chamber 10. In addition, by supplying a bias RF signal to the at least one lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, thereby attracting ion components in the formed plasma to the substrate W.

[0024] 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 at least one lower electrode and / or at least one 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 at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode.

[0025] The second RF generating unit 31b is coupled to at least one lower electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and 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 at least one lower electrode. In various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0026] 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 at least one lower electrode and configured to generate a first DC signal. The generated first bias DC signal is applied to the at least one lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second DC generator 32b is connected to at least one upper electrode and configured to generate a second DC signal. The generated second DC signal is applied to the at least one upper electrode.

[0027] In various embodiments, at least one of the first and second DC signals may be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combination thereof pulse waveform. 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 at least one lower electrode. Thus, 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 at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have either 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 period. The first and second DC generating units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the RF power supply 31, or the first DC generating unit 32a may be provided instead of the second RF generating unit 31b.

[0028] 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.

[0029] An opening 50 is provided in the sidewall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, mainly for loading and unloading the substrate W, and a gate valve 51 is disposed to open and close the opening 50. The opening 50 has a size that allows at least the edge ring 113 to pass through. The opening 50 may also have a size that allows the cover ring 114 to be transported therethrough. The plasma processing chamber 10 may have at least one opening 50. That is, the plasma processing chamber 10 may have a plurality of openings 50.

[0030] A deposit shield 52 is detachably mounted within the plasma processing chamber 10 along the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber 10. The deposit shield 52 is an example of an upper member. The deposit shield 52 is mounted above the opening 50 of the plasma processing chamber 10. The lower part of the deposit shield 52 contacts the upper part of a valve body 61 of a shutter mechanism 60 (described later) to close the opening 50. The deposit shield 52 may be formed, for example, by coating an aluminum material with a ceramic such as yttrium oxide. The lower part of the deposit shield 52 is coated with a conductive material, such as stainless steel or a nickel alloy, to enable electrical conduction with the valve body 61 it contacts. The lower part of the valve body 61 contacts the edge of a baffle plate 70 (described later) when the opening 50 is closed.

[0031] The substrate W is loaded and unloaded by opening and closing the gate valve 51. However, because the gate valve 51 is located outside the plasma processing chamber 10 (on the transfer chamber (substrate transfer chamber 214) side), a space is formed where the opening 50 protrudes toward the transfer chamber. Therefore, plasma generated in the plasma processing chamber 10 diffuses into this space, causing deterioration in plasma uniformity and deterioration of the sealing member of the gate valve 51. Similarly, plasma generated in the plasma processing chamber 10 diffuses into the space on the gas exhaust port 10e side, causing deterioration in plasma uniformity. Therefore, the shutter mechanism 60 and the baffle plate 70 isolate the deposition shield 52 from the sidewall of the main body 111, thereby isolating the opening 50 and gas exhaust port 10e of the plasma processing chamber 10 from the plasma processing space 10s. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 53 that drives the shutter mechanism 60 is located, for example, below the valve body 61. The lifting mechanism 53 has, for example, a rod connected to the valve body 61, and a drive unit 54 (see FIG. 3) that moves the rod up and down using an air cylinder, a motor, or the like. The shutter mechanism 60 is driven up and down by the lifting mechanism 53 to open and close the opening 50. It is preferable that a plurality of lifting mechanisms 53, for example, three, are installed. The shutter mechanism 60 may include the lifting mechanism 53.

[0032] The baffle plate 70 is provided between the substrate support 11 and the shutter mechanism 60. For example, the lower end (one end) of the baffle plate 70 is fixed to a base plate 115 located below the substrate support 11 (see FIG. 6). The baffle plate 70 has an L-shaped cross section, with the upper end of the L-shape folded outward, and the end face of this end forming the back surface of the baffle plate 70. Through holes 71, which will be described later, are provided in the vertical wall surface of the baffle plate 70, allowing exhaust from the plasma processing space 10s.

[0033] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described in this disclosure. The control unit 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 control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 may be implemented by, for example, a computer 2a. 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 processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). 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).

[0034] [Details of the shutter mechanism 60] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a shutter mechanism according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of a valve element of the shutter mechanism according to this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shutter mechanism 60 includes a valve element 61 having a length equal to or greater than half of the inner circumference of the plasma processing chamber 10, and two or more lifting mechanisms 53 (including a drive unit 54) for raising and lowering the valve element 61. Note that FIG. 3 shows the drive unit 54 of the lifting mechanism 53. The valve element 61 may be, for example, a ring-shaped valve element 61 that fits along the inner circumference of the plasma processing chamber 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The valve element 61 also functions as a deposit shield.

[0035] The valve element 61 is made of, for example, aluminum or the like and has a generally I-shaped cross section with flanges at the top and bottom. The surface of the valve element 61 is coated with, for example, yttrium oxide or the like. When a cylindrical component made of quartz or silicon is used for the valve element 61 facing the plasma, the surface of the component (e.g., aluminum) that does not directly contact the plasma may be anodized. The valve element 61 has an upper portion 62 that abuts against the deposit shield 52 when the opening 50 is closed, and a lower stepped portion 65 that abuts against the baffle plate 70. An arc-shaped groove 63 is formed on the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 so as to follow the circle of the valve element 61. When the valve element 61 is annular, the groove 63 is formed in an annular (ring-shaped) shape. A conductive member 64 is provided inside the groove 63 to ensure electrical continuity with the deposit shield 52. The conductive member 64 is formed in an arc-shaped or ring-shaped form to match the arc-shaped or ring-shaped form of the groove 63. An arc-shaped groove 66 is provided on the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 so as to follow the circular shape of the valve disc 61. When the valve disc 61 is annular, the groove 66 is also provided in an annular (ring-shaped) shape. A conductive member 67 is provided inside the groove 66 to ensure electrical continuity with the baffle plate 70. The conductive member 67 is provided in an arc-shaped or annular shape to match the arc-shaped or annular shape of the groove 66. The conductive members 64, 67 are also called conductance bands or spirals and are conductive elastic members. The conductive members 64, 67 may be made of, for example, stainless steel or a nickel alloy. The conductive members 64, 67 may be formed, for example, by spirally winding a strip-shaped member. Alternatively, the conductive members 64, 67 may be, for example, an obliquely wound coil spring with a U-shaped jacket. In other words, the conductive members 64, 67 are crushed when the valve disc 61 abuts against the deposit shield 52 and the baffle plate 70.

[0036] The lifting mechanism 53 has a rod, which is fixed and connected to the lower part of the valve element 61 by a screw or the like. The lifting mechanism 53 raises and lowers the rod by, for example, an air cylinder or a motor of a drive unit 54. When an air cylinder is used, the lifting mechanism 53 is controlled so that the flow rate of dry air supplied to each lifting mechanism 53 is equal. In the example of FIG. 3 , the drive units 54 of the three lifting mechanisms 53 are arranged at equal intervals of 120 degrees. Each lifting mechanism 53 raises and lowers the valve element 61 at the same timing and speed, thereby preventing the valve element 61 from bending or tilting. Furthermore, for example, if the valve element 61 has a semicircular shape that follows the inner circumference of the plasma processing chamber 10, the valve element 61 can be raised and lowered in the same manner by providing lifting mechanisms 53 at both ends.

[0037] In the shutter mechanism 60, the valve element 61 is pushed upward by the lifting mechanism 53 to close the opening 50, and is pulled downward by the lifting mechanism 53 to open the opening 50. When the valve element 61 closes the opening 50, conductive members 64 and 67 arranged on the upper portion 62 and the stepped portion 65 of the valve element 61 abut against the deposit shield 52 and the baffle plate 70, respectively, thereby electrically connecting the valve element 61 to the deposit shield 52 and the baffle plate 70 via the conductive members 64 and 67. The deposit shield 52 and the baffle plate 70 are in contact with the grounded plasma processing chamber 10. Therefore, when the opening 50 is closed, the valve element 61 is grounded via the deposit shield 52 and the baffle plate 70.

[0038] Next, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the state of contact between the shutter mechanism 60, the deposit shield 52, and the baffle plate 70 when the shutter mechanism 60 is closed will be described. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of the shutter mechanism in a closed state according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the valve body 61 of the shutter mechanism 60 has an upper portion 62 that abuts against the deposit shield 52 provided near the shower head 13 at the top of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the conductive member 64 is crushed. At this time, electrical continuity is ensured between the valve body 61 and the deposit shield 52. Note that a conductive member (not shown) may be provided between the deposit shield 52 and an upper surface 62b of the upper portion 62. Furthermore, when the valve body 61 is raised, the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 abuts against the deposit shield 52 simultaneously with or before the upper surface 62b.

[0039] The baffle plate 70 has an L-shaped cross section with an upper end 72 folded outward, and an end surface 73 facing the back side of the baffle plate 70 (facing downward from the plasma processing chamber 10). A through-hole 71 is formed in the vertical wall of the baffle plate 70. The through-hole 71 connects the plasma processing space 10s with the space on the gas exhaust port 10e side. The end surface 73 abuts against the stepped portion 65 of the valve body 61. The abutment between the end surface 73 and the stepped portion 65 also includes the abutment between the end surface 73 and the conductive member 67 of the stepped portion 65. When the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 of the valve body 61 abuts against the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52, the conductive member 67 provided inside the groove 66 of the stepped portion 65 is crushed. In this case, the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 and the end surface 73 do not necessarily have to be in contact with each other. In other words, electrical continuity between the valve body 61 and the baffle plate 70 is ensured by the compressed conductive member 67. That is, the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 of the valve body 61, which abuts against the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52, serves as a positioning surface (mechanical stop surface) that determines the raised position of the valve body 61. Therefore, the gap between the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 and the end surface 73 varies due to stacking tolerances of the dimensions of each component and thermal expansion. The variation in the gap between the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 and the end surface 73 is absorbed by the amount of compression of the conductive member 67. In other words, the amount of compression of the conductive member 67 ensures redundancy against temperature changes and mechanical differences. The upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 is an example of a first conductive surface, and the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 is an example of a second conductive surface. Moreover, the groove 66 is an example of a first groove, and the groove 63 is an example of a second groove.

[0040] Furthermore, the surface pressure of the positioning surface formed by the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52 and the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 is preferably a specific pressure or higher (for example, 30 kPa or higher). This makes it possible to stabilize heat transfer between the deposit shield 52 and the valve body 61. Furthermore, because the valve body 61 is pressed against the deposit shield 52 with a pressure of the specific pressure or higher, the conductive member 64 is crushed and elastically deformed, making it possible to stabilize electrical conduction between the deposit shield 52 and the valve body 61.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of an electrical path when the shutter mechanism 60 is closed in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, when the shutter mechanism 60 is closed, the conductive member 64 is compressed, ensuring electrical continuity between the valve body 61 and the deposit shield 52. The conductive member 67 is also compressed, ensuring electrical continuity between the valve body 61 and the baffle plate 70. The end of the baffle plate 70 opposite the end 72 is fixed to the base plate 115, ensuring electrical continuity between the baffle plate 70 and the base plate 115. The base plate 115 is electrically connected to the bottom 10b of the plasma processing chamber 10 via the support member 116 (see FIG. 2). The lower portion (lower surface 52a) of the deposit shield 52 is coated with an electrically conductive material, which provides electrical continuity between the conductive material and the sidewall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10. That is, the valve element 61 is grounded via two paths: a path 118 extending from the path 117 through the upper portion 62, and a path 119 extending from the path 117 through the stepped portion 65. The path 118 provides an electrical path through the upper portion 62, the conductive member 64, the deposit shield 52, the sidewall 10a, and the bottom portion 10b to ground the valve element 61, as indicated by arrows 118a and 118b. The path 119 provides an electrical path through the stepped portion 65, the conductive member 67, the baffle plate 70, the base plate 115, the support member 116, and the bottom portion 10b to ground the valve element 61, as indicated by arrows 119a to 119e. The sidewall 10a and the shower head 13, and the base plate 115 and the base 1110 are electrically insulated from each other.

[0042] That is, when the valve body 61 is raised to close the opening 50, an electric path (path 119) is formed between the first conductive surface (upper surface 65a) and the plasma processing chamber 10 (side wall 10a, bottom 10b) via the conductive member 67, the baffle plate 70, and the base plate 115. When the valve body 61 is raised to close the opening 50, an electric path (path 118) is formed between the second conductive surface (upper surface 62a) and the plasma processing chamber 10 (side wall 10a, bottom 10b) via the conductive member 64 and the upper member (deposit shield 52). In other words, when the valve body 61 is raised to close the opening 50, the first conductive surface (upper surface 65a) and the second conductive surface (upper surface 62a) form an electric path passing through the respective conductive members 67, 64, the baffle plate 70, the base plate 115, the plasma processing chamber 10, and the upper member (deposit shield 52). This makes it possible to stabilize the electric potential of the valve body 61.

[0043] Next, the cross-sectional shapes of the grooves 63 and 66 and the elastic deformation of the conductive members 64 and 67 will be described using FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a cross section of the grooves and conductive members of the conductive surface in this embodiment. FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of the relationship between the diameter of the conductive member and the amount of deformation. As shown in FIG. 7, the grooves 63 and 66 have protrusions 63c and 66c at the top of the side surfaces 63b and 66b so that the widths of the openings at the upper surfaces 62a and 65a of the upper portion 62 and the step portion 65 are narrower than the widths of the bottom surfaces 63a and 66a of the grooves 63 and 66. The protrusions 63c and 66c are so-called "recesses" that prevent the conductive members 64 and 67 arranged inside the grooves 63 and 66 from protruding out. That is, when the shutter mechanism 60 is open, the cross sections of the conductive members 64 and 67 are circular, and the width of the openings of the grooves 63 and 66 on the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 and the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 is smaller than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive members 64 and 67 disposed therein. The depth of the grooves 63 and 66 is shallower than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive members 64 and 67 disposed therein. Furthermore, the width between the side surfaces 63b and 66b on the bottom surfaces 63a and 66a of the grooves 63 and 66 is larger than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive members 64 and 67 disposed therein. Note that in FIG. 7 , part of the locus of elastic deformation of the conductive members 64 and 67 is indicated by dotted lines, such as the conductive members 64a and 67a and the conductive members 64b and 67b.

[0044] That is, a cross section in the width direction of the opening of each of the grooves 63 and 66 (cross section shown in FIG. 7 ) may include bottom surfaces 63a and 66a parallel to the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 or the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65, and side surfaces 63b and 66b perpendicular to the bottom surfaces 63a and 66a. Note that the side surfaces 63b and 66b may have other shapes, such as a tapered shape that narrows toward the upper surface 62a and 65a in the cross section, as long as a space can be secured so that the conductive members 64 and 67 do not come into contact with the side surfaces 63b and 66b even when they deform within the grooves 63 and 66. Furthermore, the connection portions between the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 of the groove 63 and the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 and the side surfaces 63b and 66b of the grooves 63 and 66 may include protrusions 63c and 66c protruding inward of the grooves 63 and 66, respectively. The upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 is an example of a second conductive surface, and the upper surface 65a of the step portion 65 is an example of a first conductive surface.

[0045] When the shutter mechanism 60 is open, the conductive members 64 and 67 are not crushed, as shown by conductive members 64a and 67a, and are in contact with the protrusions 63c and 66c and the bottom surfaces 63a and 66a. In other words, the conductive members 64 and 67 are not subjected to a reaction force from the side surfaces 63b and 66b, and are free to deform. When the shutter mechanism 60 is closed, the conductive members 64 and 67 are crushed and deformed, as shown by conductive members 64b and 67b, but are not in contact with at least one of the side surfaces 63b and 66b, and are therefore not subjected to a reaction force from the side surfaces 63b and 66b. For example, even if the conductive members 64 and 67 move within the grooves 63 and 66 and come into contact with one of the side surfaces 63b and 66b, they do not come into contact with the other side surface 63b and 66b, allowing the reaction force to be released. 7 shows the upper portions of the conductive members 64b, 67b protruding from the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 or the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65, but this is not limiting. For example, even if the conductive members 64, 67 are crushed to the point where the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 abuts the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52, the conductive members 64, 67 do not contact the side surfaces 63b, 66b and are not subjected to a reaction force from the side surfaces 63b, 66b. In other words, when the opening 50 is closed, the conductive members 64, 67 elastically deform and do not contact the side surfaces 63b, 66b. This reduces the reaction force from the conductive members 64, 67, and also reduces the thrust required for the drive unit 54 of the lifting mechanism 53.

[0046] Furthermore, the larger the diameter of the conductive members 64 and 67, the smaller the distortion and the smaller the reaction force. For example, the conductive member 69 shown in FIG. 8 has a smaller cross-sectional diameter than the conductive members 64 and 67. Assume that the conductive member 69 undergoes a deformation of δ1 from the uncrushed conductive member 69a to the crushed conductive member 69b. On the other hand, the conductive members 64 and 67 shown in FIG. 9 undergo a deformation of δ2 from the uncrushed conductive members 64a and 67a to the crushed conductive members 64b and 67b. Here, when the same deformation (crushing amount) is maintained, i.e., when deformation δ1 = deformation δ2, the conductive members 64b and 67b undergo less distortion than the conductive member 69b. When the conductive members 64 and 67 and the conductive member 69b are made of the same material and thickness, Hooke's law predicts that the reaction force is proportional to the distortion. For example, when a certain deformation amount is desired, halving the diameter of a conductive member of the same material and thickness doubles the reaction force. That is, the conductive members 64 and 67 have a smaller reaction force than the conductive member 69, which has a smaller cross-sectional diameter than the conductive members 64 and 67.

[0047] As described above, in the valve body 61, the distance between the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 and the end surface 73 varies due to the stacking tolerances of the dimensions of each part and thermal expansion. Here, taking these variations and the amount of deformation of the conductive members 64, 67 into consideration, the range of the amount of deformation of the conductive members 64, 67 will be examined. As the basis for the examination, the section 68 from the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 to the bottom surface 66a of the groove 66 shown in Figure 4 will be used.

[0048] First, it is assumed that it has been confirmed through experiments that stable conduction can be achieved for the conductive members 64, 67 if the deformation amount is, for example, α% or more of the diameter D of the conductive members 64, 67. In this case, the deformation amount (squeezing amount) t [mm] that ensures stable conduction can be expressed by the following formula (1). In other words, from formula (1), the conductive members 64, 67 only need to have a deformation amount t of D×α / 100 [mm] or more. For example, if α is set to 7.2 and the diameter of the conductive members 64, 67 is 6.95 mm, then the deformation amount t should be 0.5 mm or more. In this case, the reaction force F of the conductive member 64 ucan be expressed by the following formula (2), and the reaction force F of the conductive member 67 L can be expressed by the following equation (3). u is an example of a second reaction force, and the reaction force F L is an example of a first reaction force.

[0049] t=D×α / 100 (1) F u =kL u (t+σ u ) ···(2) F L =kL L (t+σ L +δ) (3)

[0050] where F u indicates the reaction force [N] of the conductive member 64, and F L indicates the reaction force [N] of the conductive member 67. k is the reaction force coefficient [N / mm 2 ]. L u indicates the length [mm] of the conductive member 64 in the circumferential direction, and L L indicates the length [mm] of the conductive member 67 in the circumferential direction. u indicates the tolerance [mm] on the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62, and σ L indicates the tolerance [mm] at the bottom surface 66a of the groove 66 of the step portion 65. δ indicates the amount of thermal expansion [mm].

[0051] Furthermore, since the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 is positioned by the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52, the thrust of the lifting mechanism 53 must be greater than the sum of the reaction forces of the conductive members 64, 67. This relationship can be expressed by the following equation (4).

[0052] F shutter >F u +F L +M×g (4)

[0053] where F shutterindicates the total thrust of the lifting mechanism 53, M indicates the weight [kg] of the valve body 61, and g indicates the gravitational acceleration [m / s 2 ]. In formulas (1) to (4), under ideal conditions where all tolerances are ±0, the upper limit of the thermal expansion amount δ is 1.62% of the interval 68. In other words, the upper limit of the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 disposed in the step portion 65 is preferably equal to or less than the sum of the deformation amount of α(7.2)% or more of the diameter D and the value of 1.62% or less of the interval 68. That is, the upper limit of the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 is, for example, t(0.5) mm + 1.62% of the interval 68, and the lower limit of the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 is, for example, t(0.5) mm. Note that the upper limit of the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 is a value at which, assuming that the conductive member 67 is crushed more than the upper limit, the upper surface 62a of the upper portion 62 does not abut against the lower surface 52a of the deposit shield 52, making positioning impossible. Furthermore, the lower limit of the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 is a value at which electrical stability cannot be achieved if the deformation amount of the conductive member 67 is assumed to be less than the lower limit. Furthermore, the 1.62% in section 68 of the upper limit of the deformation amount of conductive member 67 described above is an example when plasma processing chamber 10 corresponds to substrate W with a diameter of 300 mm. Therefore, the percentage value corresponding to section 68 will vary when the circumferential length of shutter mechanism 60 based on the size of plasma processing chamber 10, the material of conductive member 67, the processing temperature in plasma processing chamber 10, the dimensions of each part of valve body 61, etc. are changed.

[0054] Furthermore, the diameter of conductive member 67 and the diameter of conductive member 64 may be different values ​​depending on the width in the diameter direction (width in cross section) of step portion 65. For example, the diameter of conductive member 67 may be 50% or more of the diameter of conductive member 64. In this case, the width of groove 66 is also changed according to the diameter of conductive member 67. Note that conductive member 67 is an example of a first conductive member, and conductive member 64 is an example of a second conductive member.

[0055] As described above, in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, even if the temperature of the valve element 61 and the baffle plate 70 rises and they thermally expand, contact pressure between the upper surface 65a of the stepped portion 65 of the valve element 61 and the end surface 73 of the end portion 72 of the baffle plate 70 is ensured, resulting in stable electrical conduction. In other words, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can ensure redundancy against temperature changes and mechanical differences while ensuring uniform electrical paths between the valve element 61 and the deposit shield 52 (upper member) and between the valve element 61 and the baffle plate 70. In other words, the plasma processing apparatus 1 can maintain the elasticity of the conductive members 64 and 67 while resolving the trade-off between the amount of deformation of the conductive members 64 and 67 and the suppression of reaction force. Furthermore, in the plasma processing apparatus 1, the valve element 61 and the baffle plate 70 do not slide against each other, thereby suppressing particle generation. Furthermore, the plasma processing apparatus 1 does not use a leaf spring material in the shutter mechanism 60, thereby improving durability. Furthermore, since the contact direction of the conductive member 64 with the deposit shield 52 and the contact direction of the conductive member 67 with the baffle plate 70 are the same as the movement direction of the valve body 61, contact can be made evenly in the circumferential direction regardless of the centering of the valve body 61 relative to the substrate support portion 11.

[0056] [Variations] In the above embodiment, opening 50 is provided on the substrate transfer chamber 214 side, but multiple openings 50 may be provided, with a first opening provided on the substrate transfer chamber 214 side and a second opening provided on the opposite side wall 10a in plan view, and this embodiment will be described as a modified example. Note that the plasma processing system in the modified example is similar to the above embodiment except for the opening 50 of plasma processing chamber 10, and therefore a description of the overlapping configuration and operation will be omitted.

[0057] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a plasma processing system according to a modification. As shown in FIG. 10, a plasma processing apparatus 1a according to the modification has a plasma processing chamber 10c instead of the plasma processing chamber 10 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment.

[0058] A first opening 50a, mainly for loading and unloading the substrate W, is provided in a sidewall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10c, and a gate valve 51a is disposed therein for opening and closing the first opening 50a. Furthermore, for example, a second opening 50b is provided in the sidewall 10a on the opposite side of the first opening 50a in a plan view, and a gate valve 51b is disposed therein for opening and closing the second opening 50b. Furthermore, similar to the above embodiment, the first opening 50a and the second opening 50b can be closed by a valve body 61 of a shutter mechanism 60.

[0059] The first opening 50a has a size that allows at least the edge ring 113 to pass through. That is, the first opening 50a allows the substrate W and the edge ring 113 to be loaded and unloaded. The second opening 50b has a size that allows at least the cover ring 114 to be transported through. That is, the second opening 50b allows the substrate W, the edge ring 113, and the cover ring 114 to be loaded and unloaded through. That is, the substrate W and the cover ring 114 may pass through different openings (the first opening 50a and the second opening 50b). The second opening 50b is connected to, for example, a transfer device (not shown) having another transfer chamber in a vacuum atmosphere. When the gate valve 51b is opened, the other transfer chamber and the plasma processing space 10s are connected via the second opening 50b. That is, the transfer device connected to the second opening 50b can, for example, transport the cover ring 114 from the plasma processing space 10s to its own transfer chamber (the other transfer chamber). The first opening 50a and the second opening 50b are an example of the plurality of openings 50. As long as the first opening 50a and the second opening 50b can be closed by the valve body 61, similarly to the above embodiment, they may be provided in two stages in the vertical direction of the side wall 10a on the substrate transfer chamber 214 side, or may be provided at any position on the side wall 10a.

[0060] That is, the opening 50 includes a first opening 50a and a second opening 50b, the first opening 50a having a dimension that allows at least the edge ring 113 to pass through, and the second opening 50b having a dimension that allows at least the cover ring 114 to be transported. This allows the cover ring 114 to be loaded and unloaded via a route different from that of the substrate W.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus (plasma processing apparatus 1) has a cylindrical chamber (plasma processing chamber 10) configured to have at least one opening 50, a shutter mechanism 60 configured to open and close the opening 50, a substrate support 11 configured to support a substrate W, and a baffle plate 70 configured to be provided between the substrate support 11 and the shutter mechanism 60. The shutter mechanism 60 includes a valve disc 61 having a length of at least half the inner circumference of the chamber, a first conductive surface (upper surface 65a) provided on a lower portion (step portion 65) of the valve disc 61 and in contact with a rear surface (end surface 73) of a baffle plate 70, a second conductive surface (upper surface 62a) provided on an upper portion 62 of the valve disc 61 and in contact with a conductive upper member (deposit shield 52) provided along the inner wall of the upper portion of the chamber, arc-shaped or annular conductive members 67 and 64 disposed in arc-shaped or annular grooves 66 and 63 provided on the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively, and two or more lifting mechanisms 53 connected to the lower portion of the valve disc 61 for lifting and lowering the valve disc 61. When the valve disc 61 is lifted to close the opening 50, the first conductive surface abuts against the rear surface of the baffle plate 70 in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member 67. When the valve body 61 is raised to close the opening 50, the second conductive surface comes into contact with the upper member in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member 64. As a result, a uniform electrical path can be ensured between the valve body 61 and the upper member while ensuring redundancy against temperature changes and mechanical differences.

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cross sections of the conductive members 67, 64 are circular. Furthermore, the width of the openings of the grooves 66, 63 in the first and second conductive surfaces is smaller than the diameter of the cross sections of the conductive members 67, 64 disposed therein. As a result, it is possible to prevent the conductive members 67, 64 from protruding from the grooves 66, 63.

[0063] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the depth of each of the grooves 66 and 63 is shallower than the cross-sectional diameter of the conductive members 67 and 64 disposed therein. As a result, a uniform electrical path can be ensured between the valve body 61 and the deposit shield 52 (upper member) and between the valve body 61 and the baffle plate 70.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cross section of the opening of each of the grooves 66, 63 in the width direction includes a bottom surface 66a, 63a parallel to the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface, and a side surface 66b, 63b perpendicular to the bottom surface 66a, 63a, and includes protrusions 66c, 63c protruding inward of each of the grooves 66, 63 at the connection between the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface and the side surface 66b, 63b of each of the grooves 66, 63. As a result, it is possible to prevent the conductive members 67, 64 from protruding from the grooves 66, 63.

[0065] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the width between the side surfaces 66b, 63b on the bottom surfaces 66a, 63a of the grooves 66, 63 is greater than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive members 67, 64 disposed therein, respectively. As a result, the reaction force acting on the conductive members 67, 64 can be reduced.

[0066] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the opening 50 is closed, the conductive members 67 and 64 are elastically deformed and do not come into contact with at least one of the side surfaces 66b and 63b. As a result, the reaction force that the conductive members 67 and 64 receive can be reduced.

[0067] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the conductive members 67, 64 include a first conductive member (conductive member 67) disposed in a first groove (groove 66) provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member (conductive member 64) disposed in a second groove (groove 63) provided in the second conductive surface. The cross-sectional diameter of the first conductive member is 50% or more of the cross-sectional diameter of the second conductive member. As a result, the degree of freedom in arranging the conductive member 67 can be improved.

[0068] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the conductive members 67, 64 include a first conductive member (conductive member 67) disposed in a first groove (groove 66) provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member (conductive member 64) disposed in a second groove (groove 63) provided in the second conductive surface. The first conductive member and the second conductive member elastically deform when the opening 50 is closed, and the upper limit of the deformation of the first conductive member is greater than the upper limit of the deformation of the second conductive member. As a result, a uniform electrical path can be ensured between the valve body 61 and the deposit shield 52 (upper member) and between the valve body 61 and the baffle plate 70.

[0069] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the plurality of lifting mechanisms 53 are configured to generate a first reaction force (reaction force F L ) and a second reaction force (reaction force F u ) and the weight of the valve body 61. As a result, the valve body 61 can be pressed against the deposit shield 52 with an appropriate pressure.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the valve body 61 is annular. The conductive members 67 and 64 are disposed in annular grooves 66 and 63, respectively, that are provided around the entire circumference of the first and second conductive surfaces. As a result, it is possible to ensure stable contact pressure and electrical conduction between the valve body 61 and the deposit shield 52 and baffle plate 70.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, one end of the baffle plate 70 is connected to the base plate 115 located below the substrate support part 11. Furthermore, when the valve body 61 is raised to close the opening 50, an electrical path is formed between the first conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member 67, the baffle plate 70, and the base plate 115, and an electrical path is formed between the second conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member 64 and the upper member. As a result, a more uniform electrical path can be ensured between the valve body 61, the baffle plate 70, and the upper member.

[0072] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the substrate support 11 has an edge ring 113 positioned around the upper surface of the substrate support, and the opening 50 has a dimension that allows at least the edge ring 113 to pass through. As a result, a consumable part such as the edge ring 113, which is larger than the substrate W, can be replaced through the opening 50. Furthermore, compared to replacing the edge ring 113 by opening the chamber to the atmosphere, the downtime of the substrate processing apparatus can be significantly reduced.

[0073] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the substrate W is transported through the opening 50. As a result, consumable parts such as the edge ring 113, which is larger than the substrate W, can be replaced through the opening 50.

[0074] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the substrate support 11 further includes a cover ring 114 positioned around the edge ring 113. The opening 50 has a dimension that allows the cover ring 114 to be transported. As a result, a consumable part such as the cover ring 114, which is larger than the edge ring 113, can be replaced through the opening 50. Furthermore, the downtime of the substrate processing apparatus can be significantly reduced compared to when the cover ring 114 is replaced by opening the chamber to the atmosphere.

[0075] Furthermore, according to this embodiment and its modified examples, the opening 50 includes a first opening 50a and a second opening 50b. The first opening 50a has a dimension that allows at least the edge ring 113 to pass through. The second opening 50b has a dimension that allows at least the cover ring 114 to be transported through. As a result, the cover ring 114 can be loaded and unloaded via a route different from that of the substrate W.

[0076] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the opening 50 is located on the transfer chamber (substrate transfer chamber 214) side. As a result, consumable parts such as the edge ring 113 and the cover ring 114, which are larger than the substrate W, can be replaced via the transfer chamber (substrate transfer chamber 214).

[0077] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the cross section of the valve body 61 is substantially I-shaped, which results in a reduction in the weight of the valve body 61.

[0078] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper member has a portion coated with stainless steel or a nickel alloy, so that an electrical path can be formed between the valve body 61 and the side wall 10a of the chamber via the upper member.

[0079] In addition, according to this embodiment, the conductive members 67, 64 are conductance bands, spirals, or coil springs, which ensures redundancy against temperature changes and machine differences while also ensuring electrical continuity between the valve body 61 and the baffle plate 70 and upper member.

[0080] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is described as an example in which a process such as etching is performed on a substrate W using capacitively coupled plasma as a plasma source, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this. As long as the apparatus performs a process on a substrate W using plasma, the plasma source is not limited to capacitively coupled plasma, and any plasma source such as inductively coupled plasma, microwave plasma, or magnetron plasma can be used.

[0082] The present disclosure can also be configured as follows. (1) A substrate processing apparatus, The substrate processing apparatus includes: a cylindrical chamber configured with at least one opening; a shutter mechanism configured to open and close the opening; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a baffle plate configured to be provided between the substrate support and the shutter mechanism, The shutter mechanism includes: a valve body having a length equal to or greater than half of the inner circumference of the chamber; a first conductive surface provided on a lower portion of the valve body and in contact with a rear surface of the baffle plate; a second conductive surface provided on an upper portion of the valve body and in contact with a conductive upper member provided along an inner wall of the upper portion of the chamber; arc-shaped or annular conductive members disposed in arc-shaped or annular grooves provided in the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively; two or more lifting mechanisms connected to a lower portion of the valve body and configured to lift and lower the valve body; Equipped with When the valve body is raised to close the opening, the first conductive surface abuts against the rear surface of the baffle plate in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member, When the valve body is raised to close the opening, the second conductive surface comes into contact with the upper member in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member. Substrate processing equipment. (2) The cross section of the conductive member is circular, a width of each of the openings of the grooves in the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface is smaller than a diameter of a cross section of the conductive member to be disposed thereon; The substrate processing apparatus according to (1) above. (3) The depth of each of the grooves is shallower than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive member disposed therein. The substrate processing apparatus according to (2) above. (4) a cross section of the opening of each of the grooves in the width direction includes a bottom surface parallel to the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface and a side surface perpendicular to the bottom surface, and includes a protrusion protruding inward of each of the grooves at a connection portion between the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface and the side surface, The substrate processing apparatus according to (2) or (3) above. (5) a width between the side surfaces of the bottom surface of each of the grooves being greater than a diameter of a cross section of the conductive member disposed therein; The substrate processing apparatus according to (4) above. (6) the conductive member elastically deforms when the opening is closed, and does not come into contact with at least one of the side surfaces; The substrate processing apparatus according to (5) above. (7) the conductive member includes a first conductive member disposed in a first groove provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member disposed in a second groove provided in the second conductive surface; The diameter of the cross section of the first conductive member is 50% or more of the diameter of the cross section of the second conductive member. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (2) to (6) above. (8) the conductive member includes a first conductive member disposed in a first groove provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member disposed in a second groove provided in the second conductive surface; the first conductive member and the second conductive member elastically deform when the opening is closed, and an upper limit of the deformation amount of the first conductive member is greater than an upper limit of the deformation amount of the second conductive member. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (2) to (7) above. (9) the plurality of lifting mechanisms are capable of outputting a thrust having a total value greater than a total value of a first reaction force due to the elastic deformation of the first conductive member, a second reaction force due to the elastic deformation of the second conductive member, and the weight of the valve body. The substrate processing apparatus according to (8) above. (10) The valve body is annular, The conductive members are disposed in annular grooves provided around the entire circumference of the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9) above. (11) one end of the baffle plate is connected to a base plate located below the substrate support; When the valve body is raised to close the opening, an electric path is formed between the first conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member, the baffle plate, and the base plate, and an electric path is formed between the second conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member and the upper member. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10) above. (12) the substrate support has an edge ring positioned around an upper surface of the substrate support; The opening has a size that allows at least the edge ring to pass through. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (11) above. (13) The substrate is transported through the opening. The substrate processing apparatus according to (12) above. (14) the substrate support further includes a cover ring positioned around the edge ring; The opening has a size that allows the cover ring to be carried therethrough. The substrate processing apparatus according to (12) or (13) above. (15) the opening includes a first opening and a second opening; the first opening has a size that allows at least the edge ring to pass therethrough; The second opening has a size at least large enough to carry the cover ring. The substrate processing apparatus according to (14) above. (16) The opening is located on the transfer chamber side. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (12) to (15) above. (17) The cross section of the valve body is approximately I-shaped. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (16) above. (18) The upper member has a portion coated with stainless steel or nickel alloy. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (17) above. (19) The conductive member is a conductance band, a spiral, or a coil spring. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (18) above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1, 1b Plasma processing device 10,10c Plasma processing chamber 11 Substrate support 50 Opening 50a First opening 50b Second opening 52 Depot Shield 52a Bottom side 53 Lifting mechanism 60 Shutter mechanism 61 Valve body 62 Upper 62a,62b,65a Top surface 63,66 groove 63a,66a Bottom 63b,66b side 63c,66c protrusion 64,67 Conductive materials 65 Step 70 Baffle plate 72 End 73 End face 200 Substrate Processing System 214 Substrate Transfer Chamber F u ,F L reaction force W substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, The substrate processing apparatus includes: a cylindrical chamber configured with at least one opening; a shutter mechanism configured to open and close the opening; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a baffle plate configured to be provided between the substrate support and the shutter mechanism, The shutter mechanism includes: a valve body having a length equal to or greater than half of the inner circumference of the chamber; a first conductive surface provided on a lower portion of the valve body and in contact with a rear surface of the baffle plate; a second conductive surface provided on an upper portion of the valve body and in contact with a conductive upper member provided along an inner wall of the upper portion of the chamber; arc-shaped or annular conductive members disposed in arc-shaped or annular grooves provided on the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively; two or more lifting mechanisms connected to a lower portion of the valve body and configured to lift and lower the valve body; Equipped with when the valve body is raised to close the opening, the first conductive surface comes into contact with the rear surface of the baffle plate in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member; when the valve body is raised to close the opening, the second conductive surface comes into contact with the upper member in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member; The cross section of the conductive member is circular, a width of an opening of each of the grooves in the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface is smaller than a diameter of a cross section of the conductive member to be disposed therein; a cross section of the opening of each of the grooves in the width direction includes a bottom surface parallel to the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface and a side surface perpendicular to the bottom surface, and includes a protrusion protruding inward of each of the grooves at a connection portion between the first conductive surface or the second conductive surface and the side surface, Substrate processing equipment.

2. The depth of each of the grooves is shallower than the diameter of the cross section of the conductive member disposed therein. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. a width between the side surfaces of the bottom surface of each of the grooves being greater than a diameter of a cross section of the conductive member disposed therein; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. the conductive member elastically deforms when the opening is closed, and does not come into contact with at least one of the side surfaces; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. the conductive member includes a first conductive member disposed in a first groove provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member disposed in a second groove provided in the second conductive surface; The diameter of the cross section of the first conductive member is 50% or more of the diameter of the cross section of the second conductive member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. the conductive member includes a first conductive member disposed in a first groove provided in the first conductive surface, and a second conductive member disposed in a second groove provided in the second conductive surface; the first conductive member and the second conductive member elastically deform when the opening is closed, and an upper limit of the deformation amount of the first conductive member is greater than an upper limit of the deformation amount of the second conductive member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

7. the plurality of lifting mechanisms are capable of outputting a thrust having a total value greater than a total value of a first reaction force due to the elastic deformation of the first conductive member, a second reaction force due to the elastic deformation of the second conductive member, and the weight of the valve body. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 .

8. The valve body is annular, the conductive members are disposed in annular grooves provided around the entire circumference of the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. one end of the baffle plate is connected to a base plate located below the substrate support; when the valve body is raised to close the opening, an electric path is formed between the first conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member, the baffle plate, and the base plate, and an electric path is formed between the second conductive surface and the chamber, passing through the conductive member and the upper member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a cylindrical chamber configured with at least one opening; a shutter mechanism configured to open and close the opening; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a baffle plate configured to be provided between the substrate support and the shutter mechanism, The shutter mechanism includes: a valve body having a length equal to or greater than half of the inner circumference of the chamber; a first conductive surface provided on a lower portion of the valve body and in contact with a rear surface of the baffle plate; a second conductive surface provided on an upper portion of the valve body and in contact with a conductive upper member provided along an inner wall of the upper portion of the chamber; arc-shaped or annular conductive members disposed in arc-shaped or annular grooves provided on the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, respectively; two or more lifting mechanisms connected to a lower portion of the valve body and configured to lift and lower the valve body; Equipped with when the valve body is raised to close the opening, the first conductive surface comes into contact with the rear surface of the baffle plate in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member; when the valve body is raised to close the opening, the second conductive surface comes into contact with the upper member in the vertical direction and is electrically connected by the conductive member; the substrate support further includes an edge ring positioned around an upper surface of the substrate support and a cover ring positioned around the edge ring; the opening includes a first opening and a second opening; the first opening has a size that allows at least the edge ring to pass therethrough; the second opening has a size at least large enough to carry the cover ring; Substrate processing equipment.

11. The substrate is transported through the opening. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 .

12. The opening is located on the transfer chamber side. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11.

13. The cross section of the valve body is approximately I-shaped. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 10.

14. The upper member has a portion coated with stainless steel or nickel alloy. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 10.

15. The conductive member is a conductance band, a spiral, or a coil spring. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 10.

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