Plasma processing equipment

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a plasma processing chamber including an electrostatic chuck formed by laminating a cooling plate and a dielectric plate. A plurality of electrodes are arranged inside the electrostatic chuck described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure provides an improved electrode structure capable of efficiently supplying power to an electrode inside a substrate support portion.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] This disclosure provides an improved electrode structure that can efficiently supply power to electrodes within a substrate support. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the plasma processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the plasma processing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the electrostatic chuck that constitutes the substrate support section. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example configuration of an annular driver for suction. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example configuration of a bias annular driver. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between conductive vias and heater electrodes. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of an electrostatic chuck showing an example of the formation of a heat transfer gas supply section. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram of the capacitive coupling formed between electrodes. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, a processing gas supplied into a chamber is excited to generate plasma, which is then used to perform various plasma treatments on a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") supported by a substrate support. The substrate support that holds the substrate is provided with, for example, an electrostatic chuck that holds the substrate to the mounting surface by Coulomb force, and an electrode section to which bias power and substrate adsorption power are supplied during plasma treatment.

[0009] In the plasma processing described above, uniform control of the temperature distribution of the substrate to be processed is required to improve the uniformity of the process characteristics on the substrate. The temperature distribution of the substrate during plasma processing is adjusted, for example, by installing multiple heating mechanisms (heaters, etc.) inside the electrostatic chuck and controlling the mounting surface temperature for each of the multiple temperature control regions defined by these heating mechanisms.

[0010] Incidentally, the bias power and adsorption power supplied to the aforementioned electrode section may leak into the heating mechanism as noise components due to capacitive coupling between the electrode section and the heating mechanism. For this reason, conventional methods have involved providing a filter in the heating mechanism to eliminate these noise components. However, in particular, when DC (Direct Current) pulse power is used as bias power, conventional filters have difficulty adequately eliminating the noise components, and there is a risk that the ion energy peak cannot be generated, making it impossible to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate.

[0011] The technology disclosed herein has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides an improved electrode structure capable of efficiently supplying power to electrodes within a substrate support. The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0012] <Plasma Treatment System>

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2. The plasma processing system is an example of a substrate processing system, and the plasma processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support unit 11, and a plasma generation unit 12. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space. The plasma processing chamber 10 also has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space, and at least one gas outlet for discharging gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit 20, which will be described later, and the gas outlet is connected to an exhaust system 40, which will be described later. The substrate support unit 11 is located in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0014] The plasma generation unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space is a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP). It may also be a Coupled Plasma, Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), Electron-Cyclotron-resonance plasma (ECR plasma), Helicon Wave Plasma (HWP), or Surface Wave Plasma (SWP). Furthermore, it may be an AC (Alternating Current) plasma generation unit and a DC (Direct Various types of plasma generation units, including an AC plasma generation unit, may be used. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generation unit has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Therefore, the AC signal is RF (Radio Frequency). This includes a frequency (RF) signal and a microwave signal. In one embodiment, the RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0015] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to execute various processes described in the present disclosure. The control unit 2 can be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 so as to execute the 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, for example, a computer 2a. The computer 2a may include, for example, a processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 can be configured to perform various control operations by reading a program from the storage unit 2a2 and executing the read program. This program may be stored in the storage unit 2a2 in advance, or may be acquired via a medium when necessary. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 by the processing unit 2a1 and executed. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a, or may be a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The storage unit 2a2 may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

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

[0017] The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply unit 20, a power source 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also includes a substrate support unit 11 and a gas introduction unit. The gas introduction unit is configured to introduce at least one processing gas into the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas introduction unit includes a shower head 13. The substrate support unit 11 is disposed within the plasma processing chamber 10. The shower head 13 is disposed above the substrate support unit 11. In one embodiment, the shower head 13 constitutes at least a part of the ceiling of the plasma processing chamber 10. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the shower head 13, the side wall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support unit 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 is grounded. The shower head 13 and the substrate support unit 11 are electrically insulated from the housing of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0018] The substrate support unit 11 includes a main body 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body 111 has a central region 111a for supporting the substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of the substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body 111 in 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. Accordingly, 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.

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

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

[0021] Furthermore, the substrate support section 11 includes a temperature control module configured to adjust at least one of the ring assembly 112, the electrostatic chuck 114, and the substrate W to a target temperature. As shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the temperature control module includes a heater electrode 117 (described later) located inside the electrostatic chuck 114, and a flow channel 113a formed inside the base 113. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows through the flow channel 113a. Note that the configuration of the temperature control module is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if it is configured to adjust the temperature of at least one of the ring assembly 112, the electrostatic chuck 114, and the substrate W.

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

[0023] The detailed configuration of the substrate support section 11 provided in the plasma processing apparatus 1 related to the technology disclosed herein will be described later.

[0024] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one processing gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The showerhead 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and a plurality of gas inlet ports 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 through the plurality of gas inlet ports 13c. The showerhead 13 also includes an 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 side wall 10a.

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

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

[0027] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generation unit 31a and a second RF generation unit 31b. The first RF generation unit 31a is coupled to the lower electrode and / or 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 generation unit 31a may be configured to generate a plurality of source RF signals having different frequencies. One or more generated source RF signals are supplied to the lower electrode and / or upper electrode.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0035] Furthermore, the ceramic member 114a has a first thickness in the portion corresponding to the central region 111a and a second thickness smaller than the first thickness in the portion corresponding to the annular region 111b. In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the ceramic member 114a has a substantially convex cross-sectional shape in which the substrate support surface (central region 11a) is higher than the ring support surface (annular region 111b) and a convex portion is formed on the upper surface.

[0036] Inside the ceramic member 114a of the electrostatic chuck 114, there are electrostatic electrodes 115, bias electrodes 116, and heater electrodes 117. The electrostatic electrodes are an example of clamp electrodes. Also inside the ceramic member 114a of the electrostatic chuck 114, there is a distribution space 118a which serves as a heat transfer gas supply section 118. The electrostatic chuck 114 is constructed by sandwiching the electrostatic electrodes 115, bias electrodes 116, heater electrodes 117, and distribution space 118a between ceramic members 114a (a pair of dielectric films made of a non-magnetic dielectric such as ceramics).

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

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

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

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the suction annular driver 115c comprises an inner circumference portion 115c1 and an outer circumference portion 115c2, which are annular members of different diameters. The inner circumference portion 115c1 and the outer circumference portion 115c2 are electrically connected via multiple bridge portions 115c3, for example, 13 in the illustrated example. The number of bridge portions 115c3 can be arbitrarily changed.

[0041] The first electrostatic electrode 115a is electrically connected to the inner circumferential portion 115c1 of the annular adsorption driver 115c via one or a plurality of conductive vias 115d arranged substantially evenly in the circumferential direction. The conductive vias 115d are arranged extending downward from the edge region E1 of the first electrostatic electrode 115a. The outer circumferential portion 115c2 of the annular adsorption driver 115c is connected to the terminal 1150a via one or a plurality of conductive vias 115e arranged substantially evenly in the circumferential direction. In other words, the first electrostatic electrode 115a is offset radially outward by the annular adsorption driver 115c inside the ceramic member 114a before being connected to the terminal 1150a. The DC power supply for electrostatic adsorption is electrically connected to the terminal 1150a.

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

[0043] The adsorption annular driver 115c does not necessarily have to be composed of a continuous ring as shown in Figure 4; it may be composed of a part that is a discontinuous ring. Specifically, the adsorption annular driver 115c may have, for example, a roughly C-shape in plan view.

[0044] The second electrostatic electrode 115b includes a second electrostatic electrode 115b1 and a second electrostatic electrode 115b2, which are arranged radially side by side. The second electrostatic electrode 115b2 is arranged to surround the second electrostatic electrode 115b1. The second electrostatic electrodes 115b1 and 115b2 are connected to the terminal 1150b via one or a plurality of conductive vias 115f, which are arranged substantially evenly in the circumferential direction. A DC power supply for electrostatic adsorption (not shown) is electrically connected to the terminal 1150b. The second electrostatic electrode 115b may be arranged as a single unit below the annular region 111b as shown in Figure 3, or multiple units may be arranged radially side by side below the annular region 111b, although this is not shown. When multiple second electrostatic electrodes 115b are arranged, the ceramic member 114a has a plurality of conductive vias 115f and terminals 1150b corresponding to the number of second electrostatic electrodes 115b.

[0045] The power supply 30 shown in Figure 2 may be used as the power supply for electrostatic adsorption, or an independent DC power supply for electrostatic adsorption (not shown) may be used. In addition, the first electrostatic electrode 115a and the second electrostatic electrode 115b may be connected to independent DC power supplies for electrostatic adsorption, or they may be connected to the same DC power supply for electrostatic adsorption.

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

[0047] The bias electrode 116 is provided inside the protrusion of the ceramic member 114a below the central region 111a and includes a substantially disc-shaped first bias electrode 116a mainly for drawing ionic components to the central part of the substrate W. The bias electrode 116 is also provided below the annular region 111b and includes a substantially annular second bias electrode 116b mainly for drawing ionic components to the outer periphery of the substrate W.

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

[0049] As shown in Figure 5, the bias annular driver 116c comprises an inner circumference portion 116c1 and an outer circumference portion 116c2, which are annular members of different diameters. The inner circumference portion 116c1 and the outer circumference portion 116c2 are electrically connected via multiple bridge portions 116c3, for example, 16 in the illustrated example. The number of bridge portions 116c3 can be arbitrarily changed.

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

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

[0052] The bias annular driver 116c does not necessarily have to be composed of a continuous ring as shown in Figure 5; it may be composed of a part that is a discontinuous ring. Specifically, the bias annular driver 116c may have, for example, a roughly C-shape in plan view.

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

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

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

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

[0057] The heater electrode 117 is provided below the central region 111a and includes a substantially disc-shaped first heater electrode group 117a for heating the substrate W supported in the central region 111a. The heater electrode 117 is also provided below the annular region 111b and includes one or more substantially annular second heater electrodes 117b for heating the ring assembly 112 supported in the annular region 111b.

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

[0059] The second heater electrode 117b is configured to adjust the temperature of the annular region 111b, thereby allowing the temperature of the ring assembly 112 supported by the annular region 111b to be adjusted. The second heater electrode 117b is connected to terminal 1170b via one or more conductive vias 117d. The heater power supply 1171b is electrically connected to terminal 1170b. The second heater electrode 117b may be configured, similar to the first heater electrode group 117a, to allow independent temperature adjustment for each of the multiple temperature-controlled regions in a plan view of the annular region 111b.

[0060] The heater power supply may be the power supply 30 shown in Figure 2, or an independent heater power supply (not shown) may be used.

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

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

[0063] As shown in Figure 3, the distribution space 118a is formed in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a between the adsorption annular driver 115c and the first heater electrode group 117a, and between the bias annular driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the distribution space 118a has an annular portion 118a1 that is formed in a substantially annular shape in plan view, an inner circumferential projection portion 118a2 that is formed projecting radially inward from the annular portion 118a1, and a plurality of outer circumferential projection portions 118a3 that are formed projecting radially outward from the annular portion 118a1.

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

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, the inner circumferential projection 118a2 is formed protruding from the radially inward side of the annular portion 118a1 and is connected to a gas inlet 118b (see Figure 3) which extends from the lower surface 114b side of the ceramic member 114a. The gas inlet 118b is connected to a heat transfer gas supply source (not shown).

[0066] As shown in Figure 7, the outer peripheral projection 118a3 is formed protruding from the radially outer side of the annular portion 118a1 and is connected to a gas outlet 118c (see Figure 3) that extends from the upper surface (ring support surface) side of the ceramic member 114a. Multiple gas outlets 118c (16 in the illustrated example) are arranged substantially evenly in the circumferential direction of the annular region 111b (ring support surface), and multiple outer peripheral projections 118a3 (16 in the illustrated example) are formed corresponding to the number of gas outlets 118c.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0078] For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, the adsorption annular driver 115c and the bias annular driver 116c are arranged in this order from below in the thickness direction of the ceramic member 114a, but the bias annular driver 116c may be placed below the adsorption annular driver 115c. Similarly, in the example shown in Figure 3, the coupling annular driver 116g is placed below the bias annular driver 116c, but the coupling annular driver 116g may be placed above the bias annular driver 116c. In addition, the second bias electrode 116b may be placed below the coupling annular driver 116g.

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

[0080] <Effects of the Plasma Processing Apparatus in this Disclosure 1> As described above, in conventional electrostatic chucks where a distribution space 118a as a heat transfer gas supply unit 118 is not formed, the electrode section (corresponding to the electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116) and the heating mechanism (corresponding to the heater electrode 117) are capacitively coupled during plasma processing, and there is a risk that some of the adsorption power and bias power will leak into the heating mechanism as noise components. Although noise components that have entered the heating mechanism in this way are usually removed by an RF cut filter (corresponding to the cut filter 1172), when DC-based voltage pulses are used as these adsorption power and bias power, it may not be possible to properly exclude the noise components or to properly perform plasma processing on the substrate W.

[0081] The capacitance between the electrode and the heating mechanism is expressed by the following equation (1). Capacitance C [F] = Permittance ε [F / m] × Area S[m 2 ] / Distance d[m]...(1) Taking equation (1) into consideration, conventional methods have aimed to reduce capacitance and minimize noise leakage from the electrode to the heating mechanism by increasing the distance between the electrode and the heating mechanism or by changing the material (dielectric constant) of the electrostatic chuck. However, due to the recent demand for miniaturization of plasma processing chambers, there are constraints on the thickness of the electrostatic chuck, making it difficult to increase the distance between the electrode and the heating mechanism, as well as to develop new electrostatic chuck materials at an early stage.

[0082] In this regard, the electrostatic chuck 114 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has a distribution space 118a formed between the adsorption annular driver 115c and the first heater electrode group 117a, and between the bias annular driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a, as shown in Figure 3, to which a heat transfer gas (He gas) as a backside gas is supplied. Furthermore, the distribution space 118a is formed with a width that covers at least the portion where the adsorption annular driver 115c and / or the bias annular driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a overlap in the longitudinal direction in the radial direction.

[0083] The ratio of the dielectric constant ε between the He gas supplied as a heat transfer gas to the distribution space 118a and the ceramic member 114a constituting the electrostatic chuck 114 is approximately He gas:ceramic member 114a = 1:10. Considering equation (1) above, the distribution space 118a formed between the adsorption annular driver 115c and / or the bias annular driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a can be made to have the same effect as increasing the distance d tenfold. This effect can be obtained whether the distribution space 118a is filled with He gas or not, i.e., whether the distribution space 118a is a vacuum. The inventors then conducted diligent research and discovered that by forming a distribution space 118a inside the electrostatic chuck 114, as shown in Figure 3, the capacitance can be reduced to approximately 1 / 15, i.e., the impedance can be increased 15 times. Furthermore, they found that this capacitance value can be appropriately adjusted by changing, for example, the type of heat transfer gas supplied to the distribution space 118a or the height of the distribution space 118a (the size of the distribution space 118a relative to the thickness direction of the electrostatic chuck 114).

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

[0085] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the heat transfer gas supplied to the distribution space 118a can be the same He gas that was conventionally used as the backside gas in plasma processing, meaning that there is no need to prepare a new heat transfer gas. For this reason, the technology according to this disclosure can be easily applied to the plasma processing apparatus 1 simply by introducing an electrostatic chuck 114 in which the distribution space 118a is formed.

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

[0087] <Effects of the Plasma Processing Apparatus in this Disclosure 2> In order to uniformly control the in-plane process results of plasma treatment on the substrate W, it is important to uniformly control the in-plane temperature of the substrate W during plasma treatment. As mentioned above, the first heater electrode group 117a has a larger diameter than the protrusions of the ceramic member 114a. Therefore, when conductive vias 115e and 116e extend directly downward from the outer ends of the electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116, respectively, and are connected to the terminals, it is necessary to form holes in the first heater electrode group 117a for inserting these conductive vias. However, when holes are formed in the first heater electrode group 117a in this way, the central region 111a (substrate W) cannot be directly heated in the area where the holes are formed, which can cause the in-plane temperature of the substrate W to become uneven.

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

[0089] As a result, the conductive vias are connected to the terminals through the gap G between the first heater electrode group 117a and the second heater electrode 117b, eliminating the need to form holes in the first heater electrode group 117a. In other words, the central region 111a (substrate W) can be properly heated across the entire surface of the first heater electrode group 117a, effectively suppressing uneven in-plane temperature of the substrate W during plasma processing. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by arranging the electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116 near the annular region 111b in the thickness direction of the electrostatic chuck 114, the distance d between the electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116 and the first heater electrode group 117a can be easily increased. By increasing the distance d in this way, the capacitance between the adsorption annular driver 115c, the bias annular driver 116c and the first heater electrode group 117a can be appropriately reduced, and the margin for forming the heat transfer gas distribution space 118a can be appropriately increased. In other words, the capacitive coupling between the electrode section (electrostatic electrode 115 and bias electrode 116) and the heating mechanism (first heater electrode group 117a) can be appropriately reduced.

[0090] <Effects of the plasma processing apparatus described herein 3> In plasma processing equipment, when etching is performed to transfer a mask pattern to an etching target layer formed by stacking on the surface of a substrate W, it is important to precisely control the incident angle of ion components on the substrate W (electron movement). However, when the supply of bias power to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b for attracting ion components to the substrate W is controlled independently, even if the same power is supplied to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b, errors may occur in the actual power supplied due to machine differences, etc., which may reduce the accuracy of the etching process.

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

[0092] As a result, the coupling annular driver 116g is electrically connected to the second bias electrode 116b by capacitive coupling when ionic components are drawn into the substrate W. In other words, even when the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b are electrically connected and power is supplied independently to the first bias electrode 116a and the second bias electrode 116b, the ion drawing into the central and peripheral parts of the substrate W can be synchronized. Through diligent research, the inventors have found that by synchronizing the amount of ion drawing into the central and peripheral parts of the substrate W and the movement of electrons in this way, the roundness of the etching hole shape formed on the surface of the substrate W can be appropriately improved.

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

[0094] 1. Plasma processing equipment 10 Plasma processing chamber 11. Substrate support section 111a Central area 111b Circular region 112 Ring Assembly 113 Base 114a Ceramic component 115 Electrostatic electrode 115c suction ring driver 116 Bias electrode 116c Bias Ring Driver 117 Heater electrodes 118a Distribution space 118b Gas Inlet 118c Gas outlet 32 DC power supply 32a First DC generation unit

Claims

1. Plasma processing chamber and The substrate support portion is disposed within the plasma processing chamber, and the substrate support portion is Base and, A ceramic member disposed on the base and having a substrate support surface and a ring support surface, wherein the ceramic member has a gas distribution space, at least one gas inlet extending from the lower surface of the ceramic member to the gas distribution space, and a plurality of gas outlets extending from the gas distribution space to the substrate support surface or the ring support surface, One or more annular members are arranged on the ring support surface so as to surround the substrate on the substrate support surface, Within the ceramic member, a chuck electrode is positioned below the substrate support surface, A bias electrode is positioned below the chuck electrode within the ceramic member, An annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, wherein the inner region of the annular connector is electrically connected to the outer region of the bias electrode, and the outer region of the annular connector overlaps vertically with the ring support surface, The central heater electrode is disposed within the ceramic member and overlaps longitudinally with the substrate support surface, and part or all of the gas distribution space is formed between the annular connector and the central heater electrode, A substrate support section, A voltage pulse generation unit is electrically connected to the outer region of the annular connector and configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses, A plasma processing apparatus equipped with the following features.

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

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

4. The substrate support portion is, An additional annular connector extending horizontally within the ceramic member, An annular bias electrode is disposed within the ceramic member and overlaps the ring support surface in the longitudinal direction, It further includes, The inner region of the additional annular connector is electrically connected to the outer region of the annular connector. A plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a capacitive coupling is formed between the inner region of the annular bias electrode and the outer region of the additional annular connector.

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

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

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

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate support portion further includes an annular heater electrode disposed within the ceramic member and overlapping longitudinally with the ring support surface.

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