Substrate processing equipment

A substrate processing apparatus with a ceramic mounting base and metal rotation axis uses adjustable gaps to stabilize substrate support despite temperature changes, ensuring stable alignment and preventing damage.

JP7845796B2Active Publication Date: 2026-04-14TOKYO ELECTRON LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-08-22
Publication Date
2026-04-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing substrate processing apparatuses face instability in supporting substrates due to significant temperature changes within the vacuum chamber, affecting the mounting tables and rotation axes.

Method used

The apparatus employs a connection structure with a ceramic mounting base and a metal rotation axis, where the ceramic base has a projection and the metal axis has a through portion and an outer edge projection, with gaps set to adjust differently based on temperature changes to maintain stable support.

Benefits of technology

The structure ensures stable support of substrates at varying temperatures, preventing damage and maintaining alignment despite thermal expansion, even under high-speed rotation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a technology that can stably support a substrate even under the influence of temperature changes.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum container, a rotating table, a mounting table, and a support portion, and the rotating table or the mounting table has a protrusion that protrudes toward the support portion. The support portion includes a base portion supporting the protrusion, an insertion portion that protrudes from the center of the base portion and is inserted into the protrusion, and an outer edge protrusion protruding from the base portion on the outside of the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion. An outer gap formed between the outer edge protrusion and the protrusion at the first temperature is set smaller than the inner gap formed between the insertion portion and the protrusion, and at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, the outer gap becomes larger than the inner gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4
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Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus including a rotatable turntable within a vacuum chamber, and a plurality of mounting tables that are rotatable relative to the turntable and on which substrates are placed. This substrate processing apparatus performs substrate processing for forming a film on each placed substrate by supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber while rotating the turntable and the plurality of mounting tables respectively.

[0003] This type of substrate processing apparatus forms the plurality of mounting tables from ceramic, and supports each mounting table by a metal support portion (rotation axis) to rotate each mounting table. Each mounting table and each support portion are greatly affected by temperature changes within the vacuum chamber during substrate placement and substrate processing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of stably supporting a substrate even under the influence of temperature changes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a vacuum vessel; a rotary table rotatably provided within the vacuum vessel; a mounting base having a center of rotation at a position away from the center of rotation of the rotary table and rotatable relative to the rotary table; and a support portion supporting at least one of the rotary table and the mounting base, and having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the supporting rotary table or the mounting base, wherein the rotary table or the mounting base has a projection projecting toward the support portion, the support portion has a base supporting the projection, a through portion projecting from the center of the base and inserted into the projection, and an outer edge projection projecting from the base outside the outer peripheral surface of the projection, wherein the outer gap formed between the outer edge projection and the projection at a first temperature is set to be smaller than the inner gap formed between the through portion and the projection, and at a second temperature greater than the first temperature, the outer gap becomes larger than the inner gap. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment, the substrate can be stably supported even when affected by temperature changes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a film deposition apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the configuration inside the vacuum chamber of the film deposition apparatus. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rotary table and mounting platform of the film deposition apparatus. [Figure 4] This is a magnified side cross-sectional view showing the mounting platform and the axis of rotation. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the connection structure at the first temperature. Figure 5(B) is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the connection structure at the second temperature. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes embodiments for implementing this disclosure with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a film deposition apparatus 1, which is an example of a substrate processing apparatus, will be described. Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the film deposition apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the configuration inside the vacuum chamber 11 of the film deposition apparatus 1 of Figure 1. Note that in Figure 2, the top plate is omitted for the sake of explanation. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rotary table 21 and the mounting table 211 of the film deposition apparatus 1 of Figure 1.

[0011] The film deposition apparatus 1 comprises a processing unit 10, a rotary drive unit 20, a lift pin mechanism unit 30, and a control unit 90.

[0012] The processing unit 10 performs a film deposition process to form a film on the substrate W. The processing unit 10 includes a vacuum chamber 11, a gas introduction unit 12, a gas exhaust unit 13, a transport port 14, a heating unit 15, and a cooling unit 16.

[0013] The vacuum vessel 11 is a processing vessel capable of reducing the pressure of its internal space. The vacuum vessel 11 is formed as a flat housing having a substantially circular planar shape and can accommodate a plurality of substrates W in its internal space. The substrates W may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. The vacuum vessel 11 includes a main body 111, a top plate 112, side walls 113 and a bottom plate 114 (Figure 1). The main body 111 has a cylindrical shape. The top plate 112 is detachably positioned on the upper surface of the main body 111. The main body 111 and the top plate 112 are airtightly sealed together by a seal portion 116. The side walls 113 have a cylindrical shape and are airtightly connected to the lower surface of the main body 111. The bottom plate 114 is airtightly connected to the bottom surface of the side walls 113.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the gas introduction section 12 includes a raw material gas nozzle 121, a reaction gas nozzle 122, and separation gas nozzles 123 and 124. The raw material gas nozzle 121, the reaction gas nozzle 122, and the separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 are arranged above the rotary table 21, which will be described later, spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the vacuum vessel 11 (the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 2). In the illustrated example, the separation gas nozzle 123, raw material gas nozzle 121, separation gas nozzle 124, and reaction gas nozzle 122 are arranged in this order clockwise from the transport port 14 (the direction of rotation of the rotary table 21). Each of the raw material gas nozzle 121, the reaction gas nozzle 122, and the separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 has gas introduction ports 121p, 122p, 123p, and 124p at its base end for introducing various gases. The gas introduction ports 121p, 122p, 123p, and 124p are fixed to the side wall of the main body 111 and protrude to the outside of the main body 111. The raw material gas nozzle 121, reaction gas nozzle 122, and separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 are inserted into the vacuum vessel 11 from the side wall of the main body 111 and extend radially inward from the main body 111. The raw material gas nozzle 121, reaction gas nozzle 122, and separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 are made of, for example, quartz and are arranged parallel to the rotary table 21.

[0015] The raw material gas nozzle 121 is connected to a raw material gas supply source (not shown) via piping and a flow controller (not shown). For example, silicon-containing gases and metal-containing gases can be used as raw material gases. The raw material gas nozzle 121 has multiple discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21, arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the raw material gas nozzle 121. The area below the raw material gas nozzle 121 becomes a raw material gas adsorption area P1 for adsorbing the raw material gas onto the substrate W.

[0016] The reaction gas nozzle 122 is connected to a reaction gas supply source (not shown) via piping, a flow controller, etc. (not shown). As the reaction gas, for example, an oxidation gas or a nitriding gas can be used. The reaction gas nozzle 122 has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reaction gas nozzle 122. The lower region of the reaction gas nozzle 122 becomes a reaction gas supply region P2 that oxidizes or nitrides the source gas adsorbed to the substrate W in the source gas adsorption region P1. In the present embodiment, the processing gas for processing the substrate W includes the above-described source gas and reaction gas.

[0017] The separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 are both connected to a separation gas supply source (not shown) via piping, a flow control valve, etc. (not shown). As the separation gas, for example, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) gas or nitrogen (N2) gas can be used. The separation gas nozzles 123 and 124 have a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the separation gas nozzles 123 and 124.

[0018] Also, two convex portions 17 are provided in the vacuum container 11. The convex portions 17 are attached to the back surface of the top plate 112 so as to project toward the rotary table 21 in order to constitute a separation region D together with the separation gas nozzles 123 and 124. Each convex portion 17 has a fan-shaped planar shape with a top portion cut in an arc shape, and is arranged such that the inner arc is connected to the central protrusion 18 and the outer arc follows the side wall of the vacuum container 11.

[0019] The gas exhaust portion 13 includes a first exhaust port 131 and a second exhaust port 132. The first exhaust port 131 is formed at the bottom of a first exhaust region E1 that communicates with the source gas adsorption region P1. The second exhaust port 132 is formed at the bottom of a second exhaust region E2 that communicates with the reaction gas supply region P2. The first exhaust port 131 and the second exhaust port 132 are connected to an exhaust device (not shown) via an exhaust pipe (not shown).

[0020] The transfer port 14 is provided on the side wall of the main body 111. At the transfer port 14, the substrate W is transferred between the rotary table 21 inside the vacuum chamber 11 and the transfer arm 14a outside the vacuum chamber 11. The transfer port 14 is opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit 15 includes a fixed shaft 151, a heater support portion 152, and a heater 153.

[0022] The fixed shaft 151 has a cylindrical shape with the center of the vacuum chamber 11 as the central axis. The fixed shaft 151 is provided inside the rotating shaft 23 of the rotation driving device 20 described later and penetrates the bottom plate 114 of the vacuum chamber 11.

[0023] The heater support portion 152 is fixed to the upper portion of the fixed shaft 151 and has a disk shape. The heater support portion 152 supports the heater 153.

[0024] The heater 153 is provided on the upper surface of the heater support portion 152. In addition to the upper surface of the heater support portion 152, the heater 153 may be provided on the main body 111. The heater 153 generates heat when power is supplied from a power source (not shown) and heats the substrate W. Also, a shielding plate (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the heater 153. The shielding plate is disposed above the main body 111 or the heater support portion 152 to prevent the heater 153 from being exposed to the processing gas.

[0025] The cooling section 16 includes fluid passages 161a to 164a, chiller units 161b to 164b, inlet pipes 161c to 164c, and outlet pipes 161d to 164d (Figure 1). Fluid passages 161a to 164a are formed inside the main body 111, top plate 112, bottom plate 114, and heater support section 152, respectively. Chiller units 161b to 164b output temperature-controlled fluid. The temperature-controlled fluid output from chiller units 161b to 164b circulates through the inlet pipes 161c to 164c, fluid passages 161a to 164a, and outlet pipes 161d to 164d in that order. This adjusts the temperature of the main body 111, top plate 112, bottom plate 114, and heater support section 152. As the temperature-controlled fluid, for example, water or a fluorine-based fluid such as Garden (registered trademark) can be used.

[0026] The rotary drive device 20 includes a rotary table 21, a housing box 22, a rotating shaft 23, a motor for revolution 24, and an outer cylinder 25.

[0027] The rotary table 21 is installed inside the vacuum chamber 11 and has a rotation center at the center of the vacuum chamber 11. The rotary table 21 is, for example, disc-shaped and made of quartz. Multiple (e.g., five) mounting platforms 211 are provided on the upper surface of the rotary table 21 along the rotation direction (circumferential direction). The rotary table 21 is connected to the housing box 22 via a connecting shaft 214 (see also Figure 3).

[0028] Each mounting base 211 has a disc shape that is slightly larger than the substrate W and is made of, for example, quartz. A mounting surface for placing the substrate W is formed on the upper surface of each mounting base 211. Each mounting base 211 is connected to a rotation motor 213 via a rotation axis 212 and is configured to be rotatable relative to the rotary table 21.

[0029] The rotation shaft 212 connects the lower surface of the mounting base 211 to the rotation motor 213 housed in the housing box 22, and transmits the power of the rotation motor 213 to the mounting base 211. The rotation shaft 212 is configured to rotate around the center of the mounting base 211 as the center of rotation. The rotation shaft 212 is provided through the ceiling 222 of the housing box 22 and the rotary table 21. A sealing portion 263 is provided near the penetration point in the ceiling 222 of the housing box 22 to maintain an airtight state inside the housing box 22. The sealing portion 263 includes, for example, a magnetic fluid seal.

[0030] The rotation motor 213 rotates the mounting base 211 relative to the rotary table 21 via the rotation axis 212, thereby rotating the substrate W around its center. It is preferable to use a servo motor, for example, for the rotation motor 213.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the connecting shaft 214 connects the lower surface of the rotary table 21 to the upper surface of the housing box 22. Multiple connecting shafts 214 are provided along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 21.

[0032] The storage box 22 is located below the rotary table 21 within the vacuum chamber 11. The storage box 22 is connected to the rotary table 21 via a connecting shaft 214 and rotates together with the rotary table 21. The storage box 22 may be configured to move up and down within the vacuum chamber 11 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The storage box 22 has a main body portion 221 and a ceiling portion 222.

[0033] The main body portion 221 is formed in a concave shape when viewed in a vertical cross-section, and is formed in a ring shape along the rotation direction of the rotary table 21.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the ceiling portion 222 is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion 221 so as to cover the opening of the main body portion 221. As a result, the main body portion 221 and the ceiling portion 222 form a rotating housing portion 223 that is isolated from the inside of the vacuum container 11.

[0035] The rotating housing section 223 is formed in a rectangular shape in vertical cross-section and exhibits a ring shape along the rotation direction of the rotary table 21. The rotating housing section 223 houses the rotation motor 213 (rotation source). A communication passage 224 is formed in the main body section 221 that connects the rotating housing section 223 to the outside of the film deposition apparatus 1. As a result, air is introduced into the rotating housing section 223 from the outside of the film deposition apparatus 1, cooling the inside of the rotating housing section 223 and maintaining atmospheric pressure. In order to position the rotating housing section 223 so that it can rotate, the vacuum vessel 11 has a rotation source housing space 19 surrounded by side walls 113, a bottom plate 114, and a heating section 15.

[0036] The rotating shaft 23 is fixed to the lower part of the housing box 22. The rotating shaft 23 is installed by penetrating the bottom plate 114 of the vacuum vessel 11. The rotating shaft 23 transmits power from the orbital motor 24 to the rotary table 21 and the housing box 22, causing the rotary table 21 and the housing box 22 to rotate together. A seal portion 154 is provided between the outer wall of the fixed shaft 151 and the inner wall of the rotating shaft 23 of the rotary drive device 20. This allows the rotating shaft 23 to rotate relative to the fixed shaft 151 while maintaining an airtight state inside the vacuum vessel 11. For example, a magnetic fluid seal can be applied to the seal portion 154.

[0037] The outer cylinder 25 of the rotary drive device 20 is connected to the central lower surface of the bottom plate 114 of the vacuum vessel 11. The outer cylinder 25, together with the fixed shaft 151 of the vacuum vessel 11, supports the vacuum vessel 11. A seal portion 116 is provided between the rotary shaft 23 and the outer cylinder 25 to maintain an airtight state inside the vacuum vessel 11. For example, a magnetic fluid seal can be applied to the seal portion 116.

[0038] A passage 231 is formed inside the rotating shaft 23. The passage 231 is connected to a connecting passage 224 of the housing box 22 and functions as a fluid channel for introducing air into the housing box 22. The passage 231 also functions as a wiring duct for introducing power lines and signal lines for driving the rotation motors 213 into the housing box 22. For example, the same number of passages 231 as there are rotation motors 213 are provided.

[0039] Furthermore, the lift pin mechanism 30 raises and lowers a plurality (three in this embodiment) of lift pins 31 when the transport arm 14a (Figure 2) loads and unloads the substrate W onto and from the mounting table 211, thereby receiving and transferring the substrate W between the transport arm 14a and the mechanism. The film deposition apparatus 1 has the lift pin mechanism 30 located vertically below the mounting table 211, adjacent to the transport opening 14. The lift pin mechanism 30 is provided in the vacuum container 11 with a plurality (three) of upper lift sections 40, each having a plurality of lift pins 31, and a single lower operating section 50 that simultaneously raises and lowers the plurality of lift pins 31.

[0040] Each upper lift section 40 is installed so as to penetrate the heater support section 152 and the heater 153, and also houses the lift pins 31 in a displaceable manner. The lower operating section 50 is attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 114 of the vacuum vessel 11. The lower operating section 50 has a plurality (3) of plungers 51 that displace along the vertical direction and press against the lower ends of each lift pin 31. In other words, the lift pin mechanism 30 has a two-stage structure in which a plurality of lift pins 31 that directly contact the substrate W and a plurality of plungers 51 that indirectly raise and lower the substrate W via the lift pins 31 are provided separated vertically as movable members.

[0041] Figure 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the mounting base 211 and the rotation axis 212. Next, the connection structure 60 between the mounting base 211 and the rotation axis 212 will be described.

[0042] The mounting base 211 includes a mounting portion 215 and a protruding portion 216. The mounting base 211 also has a hole 217 that penetrates through the mounting portion 215 and the protruding portion 216 in the axial direction (vertical direction) at its center.

[0043] The mounting portion 215 is a disc-shaped part of the mounting table 211 that has a mounting surface on which the substrate W can be directly mounted. An annular protrusion or a plurality of projections may be formed on the outer circumference of the mounting portion 215 to restrict the horizontal displacement of the mounted substrate W.

[0044] The protruding portion 216 is connected to the center of the back side (opposite side of the mounting surface) of the mounting portion 215 and protrudes vertically downward. The protruding portion 216 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a hole 217 on its inside. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 215 and the protruding portion 216 are integrally molded, but the mounting portion 215 and the protruding portion 216 may be made of separate components and connected by appropriate connecting means. The protruding portion 216 of the mounting base 211 constitutes part of the connection structure 60 for connecting to the rotation axis 212.

[0045] A rotation axis 212, which is a support part for the projection 216, is inserted below the axial midpoint of the projection 216. An inner flange 216f is formed on the inner circumferential surface that constitutes the hole 217 at the lower part of the projection 216, projecting radially inward (in the direction that narrows the hole 217). That is, the hole 217 has an upper space 217a with a first diameter above the inner flange 216f, and a lower space 217b with a second diameter smaller than the first diameter at the inner flange 216f.

[0046] A cap 220 is inserted into the upper part of the upper space 217a above the hole 217. The cap 220 is cylindrical in shape and has an outer diameter that allows it to fit into the hole 217. The cap 220 is fitted over the mounting portion 215 and the protruding portion 216, thereby airtightly sealing the opening of the upper space 217a. This prevents the connecting member 61 and the insertion portion 219, described later, from being exposed to the raw material gas and reaction gas.

[0047] The outer circumferential surface of the projection 216 is smoothly curved along the circumferential direction. The inner circumferential surface of the inner flange 216f is also smoothly curved along the circumferential direction. The area where the inner flange 216f of the projection 216 is formed is thicker than other parts of the projection 216. That is, in the projection 216, the area where the inner flange 216f is formed forms an annular portion where the inner and outer circumferential surfaces are concentrically arranged. In addition, a recess 216c is formed on the lower end surface of the projection 216, recessed upwards. The lower end of the hole 217 communicates with the recess 216c.

[0048] The rotation shaft 212 supporting the mounting base 211 comprises a base 218 and an insertion portion 219. The base 218 is a solid, large-diameter rod-shaped member, with its lower vertical end housed in the aforementioned housing box 22 and connected to the rotation motor 213 (Figure 1). The base 218 may be the shaft portion of the rotation motor 213 itself. The insertion portion 219 is connected to the center of the base 218 and protrudes vertically upward. The base 218 and the insertion portion 219 are integrally formed.

[0049] The outer diameter of the base portion 218 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the projection portion 216 of the mounting base 211. At the upper end of the base portion 218, a support surface 218a is formed flat around the insertion portion 219, and an outer edge projection 218b is formed at the outer edge of the support surface 218a, projecting vertically upward. The support surface 218a contacts the lower end surface of the projection portion 216 and supports the projection portion 216.

[0050] The outer edge projection 218b protrudes briefly radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the projection 216. The amount of protrusion of the outer edge projection 218b is, for example, greater than the amount of recess (depth) of the recess 216c of the projection 216. The outer edge projection 218b continuously encircles the outer edge of the base 218 in an annular shape, surrounding the entire outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the projection 216.

[0051] The insertion portion 219 protrudes vertically upward from the center of the base portion 218 for a predetermined length (shorter than the protrusion 216 of the mounting base 211) and is inserted into and positioned in the hole 217 of the mounting base 211. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 219 is smaller than the outer diameter of the base portion 218. Specifically, the outer diameter of the insertion portion 219 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the lower space 217b formed by the inner circumferential surface of the inner flange 216f within the protrusion 216.

[0052] The connecting member 61 of the connecting structure 60 is mounted within the protruding portion 216 on the portion of the insertion portion 219 above the axial midpoint. The mounting of this connecting member 61 connects the mounting base 211 and the rotation axis 212. In other words, the connecting structure 60 is composed of the protruding portion 216 of the mounting base 211, the insertion portion 219 of the rotation axis 212, and the connecting member 61.

[0053] The connecting member 61 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the insertion portion 219 is housed inside it. The connecting member 61 has an upper mounting portion 62 fixed to the insertion portion 219, and an elastic portion 63 configured to have elastic force below the upper mounting portion 62.

[0054] The inner circumferential surface of the upper mounting portion 62 and the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 219 are formed in a shape that allows them to be fitted together. For example, the inner circumferential surface of the upper mounting portion 62 may have a bulge that expands radially inward, while the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 219 may have a constriction that the bulge can catch on.

[0055] The resilient portion 63 presses the inner flange 216f of the projection 216 vertically downward while the upper mounting portion 62 and insertion portion 219 are fixed together. This causes the lower end surface of the projection 216 on the mounting base 211 and the upper end surface of the base 218 of the rotation axis 212 to come into firm contact, making it possible to smoothly rotate the mounting base 211 as the rotation axis 212 rotates. In other words, the projection 216 is held in place along the axial direction of the rotation axis 212 and the projection 216 by the inner flange 216f being sandwiched between the connecting member 61 and the base 218.

[0056] In the above-described connection structure 60 (mounting base 211, rotation axis 212, and connecting member 61), the mounting base 211 is made of ceramic, while the rotation axis 212 and connecting member 61 are made of metal. The mounting base 211, made of ceramic, has a heat resistance temperature characteristic higher than the temperature during substrate processing of the film deposition apparatus 1. As for the metal material for forming the rotation axis 212, for example, stainless steel such as SUS304 can be used. The rotation axis 212, made of metal, can be easily connected to the rotation motor 213.

[0057] However, if the protruding portion 216 of the mounting base 211 is made of ceramic and the insertion portion 219 of the rotation axis 212 is made of metal, a difference in thermal expansion occurs between the two members. That is, the protruding portion 216 of the mounting base 211, which is made of ceramic, has a small coefficient of thermal expansion, while the insertion portion 219 of the rotation axis 212, which is made of metal, has a large coefficient of thermal expansion. Therefore, there is a difference in the shape of the protruding portion 216 and the insertion portion 219 between the temperature inside the vacuum container 11 before substrate processing, such as when setting the substrate W (first temperature), and the temperature inside the vacuum container 11, which rises during substrate processing (second temperature).

[0058] For example, the first temperature before substrate processing is in the range of 20°C to 40°C. In contrast, the second temperature during substrate processing is in the range of 300°C to 600°C. The mounting table 211 and the rotation axis 212, which are located near the heating unit 15, are greatly affected by these first and second temperatures.

[0059] Therefore, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the connection structure 60 according to this embodiment has two fitting points for the mounting base 211 and the rotation shaft 212, and is configured so that even if a difference in thermal expansion occurs, the centering can be achieved at either of the two fitting points. Specifically, the first fitting point 65 is the point where the outer circumferential surface of the projection 216 of the mounting base 211 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer edge projection 218b of the rotation shaft 212 face each other. The second fitting point 66 is the point where the inner circumferential surface of the inner flange 216f of the projection 216 and the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 219 of the rotation shaft 212 face each other.

[0060] The first fitting point 65 is located on the outside of the protrusion 216. An outer gap C1 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 216 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer edge protrusion 218b. The outer gap C1 is set to a narrow distance at a first temperature, which is the low temperature of the vacuum vessel 11. Therefore, the first fitting point 65 enables alignment of the mounting base 211 and the rotation axis 212 at the first temperature. The outer gap C1 at the first temperature may be set to a range of, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. This allows the protrusion 216 to be accurately positioned relative to the rotation axis 212 at the first temperature, and enables the axis of the protrusion 216 to be stably aligned with the axis of the rotation axis 212.

[0061] The second fitting point 66 is located inside the protruding portion 216. An inner gap C2 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the inner flange 216f of the protruding portion 216 and the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 219. The inner gap C2 is set to be wider than the outer gap C1 at the first temperature, which is the low temperature of the vacuum vessel 11. For example, the inner gap C2 at the first temperature should be set in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. Therefore, the second fitting point 66 is not used for centering at the first temperature.

[0062] Then, at the second temperature during substrate processing, the rotation axis 212 expands more than the mounting table 211. Due to this expansion of the rotation axis 212, the insertion portion 219 deforms significantly outward in the radial direction due to the large amount of metallic material. In other words, the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 219 approaches the inner circumferential surface of the inner flange 216f. On the other hand, the outer edge projection 218b that protrudes from the outer edge of the base portion 218 is displaced outward due to the expansion of the base portion 218 itself. In other words, the inner circumferential surface of the outer edge projection 218b moves away from the outer circumferential surface of the projection 216.

[0063] Therefore, in the connection structure 60, the relationship between the sizes of the outer gap C1 and the inner gap C2 at the second temperature is reversed compared to the relationship between the sizes of the outer gap C1 and the inner gap C2 at the first temperature. Specifically, at the first temperature, the relationship was outer gap C1 < inner gap C2, but at the second temperature, this changes to outer gap C1 > inner gap C2. Depending on the difference in thermal expansion between the two members, the outer gap C1 at the second temperature is often in the range of, for example, 0.25 mm to 0.45 mm, and the inner gap C2 at the second temperature is often in the range of, for example, 0.06 mm to 0.16 mm.

[0064] In other words, the second fitting point 66 can accurately position the projection 216 relative to the rotation axis 212 at the second temperature, and it is possible to stably align the axis of the projection 216 with the axis of the rotation axis 212. In this way, the connection structure 60 can always be centered at both low and high temperatures. For example, even when the mounting table 211 is subjected to a large centrifugal force due to the high-speed rotation of the rotary table 21, the film deposition apparatus 1 can maintain a good connection between the mounting table 211 and the rotation axis 212, eliminating play and significantly suppressing runout. Furthermore, damage to the mounting table 211, rotation axis 212, connecting member 61, etc., caused by thermal stress can also be suppressed.

[0065] Furthermore, the connection structure 60 according to this embodiment is not limited to the connection between the mounting base 211 and the rotation axis 212, but can also be applied, for example, to a rotary table 21 and a connecting shaft 214 provided between the rotary table 21 and the housing box 22. In this case as well, the same connection structure 60 can be realized by providing the rotary table 21 with a configuration (protrusion) similar to the protrusion 216 of the mounting base 211, while adopting a configuration (support) similar to the rotation axis 212 for the connecting shaft 214.

[0066] The technical concept and effects of this disclosure, as described in the embodiments above, are described below.

[0067] A substrate processing apparatus (film deposition apparatus 1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a vacuum chamber 11, a rotary table 21 rotatably provided within the vacuum chamber 11, a mounting table 211 having a center of rotation at a position away from the center of rotation of the rotary table 21 and rotatable relative to the rotary table 21, and a support portion (rotation axis 212, connecting axis 214) that supports at least one of the rotary table 21 and the mounting table 211 and has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the supporting rotary table 21 or the coefficient of thermal expansion of the mounting table 211, wherein the rotary table 21 or the mounting table 211 The support has a projection 216 that protrudes toward the support, the support has a base 218 that supports the projection 216, a through portion 219 that protrudes from the center of the base 218 and is inserted into the projection 216, and an outer edge projection 218b that protrudes from the base 218 beyond the outer peripheral surface of the projection 216, the outer gap C1 formed between the outer edge projection 218b and the projection 216 at a first temperature is set to be smaller than the inner gap C2 formed between the through portion 219 and the projection 216, and at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature, the outer gap C1 becomes larger than the inner gap C2.

[0068] As described above, even if the temperature changes between the first and second temperatures, the substrate processing apparatus (film deposition apparatus 1) can position the protruding portion 216 and the support portion (rotation axis 212, connecting axis 214) at either the fitting point 65 between the outer edge protrusion 218b and the protruding portion 216 in the outer gap C1, or the fitting point 66 between the insertion portion 219 and the protruding portion 216 in the inner gap C2. As a result, the rotary table 21 or mounting table 211 can maintain the alignment of the protruding portion 216 and the support portion even when affected by temperature changes, and can stably support the substrate W.

[0069] Furthermore, the first temperature is in the range of 20°C to 40°C, and the second temperature is in the range of 300°C to 600°C. This allows the substrate processing apparatus (film deposition apparatus 1) to support the substrate W more stably when placing the substrate and during substrate processing.

[0070] Furthermore, at the first temperature, the outer gap C1 is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, and the inner gap C2 is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus (film deposition apparatus 1) can perform good centering at the fitting point 65 between the outer edge protrusion 218b and the projection 216 that form the outer gap C1 at the first temperature.

[0071] Furthermore, the protruding portion 216 is made of ceramic, and the support portion (rotation axis 212, connecting axis 214) is made of metal. In this way, even with a connecting structure 60 consisting of a protruding portion 216 and a support portion made of mutually different materials, the substrate W can be stably supported by centering it at the two locations mentioned above.

[0072] Furthermore, the protruding portion 216 is sandwiched between the connecting member 61 fixed to the insertion portion 219 and the base portion 218, thereby being held in the axial direction of the protruding portion 216. This allows the substrate processing apparatus (film deposition apparatus 1) to firmly fix the protruding portion 216 to the support portion (rotation axis 212, connecting axis 214).

[0073] The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments disclosed herein is illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The features described in the above embodiments can be combined in any way that is not contradictory.

[0074] The substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure is not limited to the film deposition apparatus 1 which performs film deposition as a substrate processing, but is also applicable to substrate processing apparatus that performs etching, ashing, cleaning, etc. as a substrate processing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1. Film deposition apparatus (substrate processing apparatus) 11 Vacuum container 21 Rotating Table 211 Mounting platform 212 Rotation axis 214 Connecting shaft 216 Protrusion 218 Base 218b Outer edge protrusion 219 Insertion part C1 Outer gap C2 Inner gap W board

Claims

1. Vacuum container and A rotating table is provided rotatably inside the vacuum container, A mounting base having a center of rotation at a position away from the center of rotation of the aforementioned rotating table, and being rotatable relative to the aforementioned rotating table, The system includes a support portion that supports at least one of the rotating table and the aforementioned base, and has a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the rotating table or the aforementioned base that supports it, The aforementioned rotating table or the aforementioned stand has a protrusion that extends toward the support portion, The support portion comprises a base portion that supports the protruding portion, a through portion that protrudes from the center of the base portion and is inserted into the protruding portion, and an outer edge projection portion that protrudes from the base portion outside the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion. At the first temperature, the outer gap formed between the outer edge protrusion and the projection is set to be smaller than the inner gap formed between the insertion portion and the projection. At a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the outer gap becomes larger than the inner gap. Circuit board processing equipment.

2. The first temperature is in the range of 20°C to 40°C. The aforementioned second temperature is in the range of 300°C to 600°C. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. At the above first temperature, The aforementioned outer gap is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. The aforementioned inner gap is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned protrusion is formed of ceramic, The support portion is made of metal. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The protruding portion is sandwiched between the connecting member fixed to the insertion portion and the base portion, thereby being held in the axial direction of the protruding portion. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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