Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

This substrate processing apparatus comprises a power storage unit and at least one unit or member that utilizes electric power, and is configured to supply the unit or member with electric charges stored in the power storage unit, as electric power.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a plasma processing apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus, which uses a filter to attenuate or block high-frequency noise entering a power supply line from a high-frequency electrode or other electrical components in a processing chamber.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-173027

[0004] The present disclosure provides an appropriate power supply for a substrate processing apparatus.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates, the substrate processing apparatus having a power storage unit and at least one unit or component that uses power, and configured to supply the charge stored in the power storage unit as power to the unit or component.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately supply power to a substrate processing apparatus.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic explanatory diagram regarding the positional relationship between a power transmitting coil and a power receiving coil; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic explanatory diagram regarding the opposing relationship between coils; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system having a power supply system that can be used in an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system having a power supply system that can be used in an embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of another power supply system having a power supply system that can be used in an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of another power supply system having a power supply system that can be used in an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of another power supply system having a power supply system that can be used in an embodiment;

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various substrate processes are performed in which a process module containing semiconductor substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates") is depressurized and the substrates are subjected to predetermined processes. For example, plasma processing is performed by placing the substrate on a substrate support within a processing chamber, heating the substrate support, and generating plasma within the processing chamber using RF power.

[0009] When heating a substrate support, for example, AC power is supplied to the heater from an alternating current (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as AC) power supply source in a factory. However, when plasma is generated in a processing vessel using RF power for plasma processing, RF noise may pass through the substrate support and reach the AC power supply through the power supply path, potentially damaging the operation and performance of the AC power supply. Patent Document 1 discloses an RF filter that attenuates or blocks RF noise to prevent or suppress the propagation of RF noise to the AC power supply.

[0010] However, if a so-called RF filter that attenuates or blocks RF noise is inserted in the power supply path, the presence of the RF filter will attenuate the supplied power, and there is a risk that the planned power will not be input to the heater. Furthermore, RF filters will be required for the number of power supply targets, and there is a risk that it will be difficult to secure space within the device to place the RF filters.

[0011] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a technology that can easily prevent RF noise from reaching an AC power supply source through a power supply path, for example, via a substrate support, without using the above-mentioned RF filter. The present disclosure also provides efficient power supply to units and components that use power in a substrate processing apparatus. The present disclosure also enables space saving within the apparatus.

[0012] Hereinafter, a plasma processing apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] <Plasma Processing System> Figure 1 shows a plasma processing system having a plasma processing apparatus 1 as an example of a substrate processing apparatus. This plasma processing system includes the plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2. 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 exhaust port for exhausting gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit 20 (described later), and the gas exhaust port is connected to an exhaust system 40 (described later). The substrate support unit 11 is disposed in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0014] The plasma generating unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma generated in the plasma processing space may be capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma (ECR plasma), helicon wave plasma (HWP), or surface wave plasma (SWP). Various types of plasma generators may be used, including alternating current (AC) plasma generators and direct current (DC) plasma generators. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generator has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Thus, AC signals include radio frequency (RF) signals and microwave signals. 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 perform various processes described in this disclosure. The control unit 2 may be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 may be implemented by, for example, a computer 2a. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to read a program from the storage unit 2a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. This program may be stored in the storage unit 2a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 by the processing unit 2a1 for execution. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 2a2 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN).

[0016] <Plasma Processing Apparatus> A configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus will be described below as an example of the plasma processing apparatus 1. FIG.

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

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

[0019] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 1110 and an electrostatic chuck 1111. The base 1110 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 1110 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 1111 is disposed on the base 1110. The electrostatic chuck 1111 includes a ceramic member 1111a and an electrostatic electrode 1111b disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. The ceramic member 1111a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 1111a also has an annular region 111b. Note that the annular region 111b may include other members surrounding the central region 111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be disposed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or may be disposed on both the central region 111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111 and the annular insulating member. Furthermore, at least one RF / DC electrode coupled to an RF power supply 31 and / or a power storage unit 45 (described later) may be disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. In this case, the at least one RF / DC electrode functions as a lower electrode. When a bias RF signal and / or a DC signal (described later) is supplied to the at least one RF / DC electrode, the RF / DC electrode is also called a bias electrode. Note that the conductive member of the base 1110 and the at least one RF / DC electrode may function as multiple lower electrodes. Furthermore, the electrostatic electrode 1111b may function as a lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support 11 includes at least one lower electrode.

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

[0021] The substrate support 11 may also include a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 1111, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate W to a target temperature. The temperature adjustment module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow passage 1110a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or a gas flows through the flow passage 1110a. In one embodiment, the flow passage 1110a is formed in the base 1110, and in one example, one or more heaters 1111c are disposed in the ceramic member 1111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111. The substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply configured to supply a heat transfer gas to a gap between the back surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0022] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one process gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The showerhead 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and multiple gas inlets 13c. The process gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a passes through the gas diffusion chamber 13b and is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s from the multiple gas inlets 13c. The showerhead 13 also includes at least one upper electrode. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas inlet may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the sidewall 10a.

[0023] The gas supply unit 20 may include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one process gas from a corresponding gas source 21 to the showerhead 13 via a corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Additionally, the gas supply unit 20 may include at least one flow modulation device that modulates or pulses the flow rate of the at least one process gas.

[0024] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply 31 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply 31 is configured to supply at least one RF signal (RF power) to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. This generates a plasma from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of the plasma generation unit 12. Furthermore, by supplying a bias RF signal to the at least one lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, thereby attracting ion components in the formed plasma to the substrate W.

[0025] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generating unit 31a and a second RF generating unit 31b. The first RF generating unit 31a is coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) for plasma generation. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 10 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generating unit 31a may be configured to generate multiple source RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more source RF signals are supplied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode.

[0026] The second RF generator 31b is coupled to at least one 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 generator 31b may be configured to generate multiple bias RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more bias RF signals are supplied to at least one lower electrode. In various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0027] The exhaust system 40 may be connected to, for example, a gas exhaust port 10e provided at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure in the plasma processing space 10s is regulated by the pressure regulating valve. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0028] The heater 1111c generates heat when DC power is supplied to the heater 1111c. The DC power is supplied to the heater 1111c from the power storage unit 45.

[0029] <Substrate Processing System> Next, a substrate processing system will be described as an example of a specific configuration of a plasma processing system including the above-described plasma processing apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system 50. In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 50 will be described as including plasma processing apparatuses 1 at multiple locations (six locations) for performing plasma processing such as etching and film formation on substrates W. However, the module configuration of the substrate processing system 50 of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0030] 3, the substrate processing system 50 has a configuration in which an atmospheric section 100 and a reduced pressure section 101 are integrally connected via a load lock module 60. The reduced pressure section 101 includes a reduced pressure module that performs a desired process on a substrate W in a reduced pressure atmosphere.

[0031] The load lock module 60 has a plurality of load locks 61a and 61b, for example, two load locks 61a and 61b in this embodiment, arranged along the width direction (X-axis direction) of a loader module 70 described below. The load locks 61a and 61b (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as "load locks 61") are arranged to communicate, via substrate transfer ports, the internal space of the loader module 70 (described later) in the atmospheric section 100 with the internal space of a transfer module 80 (described later) in the decompression section 101. The substrate transfer ports are configured to be freely opened and closed by gate valves 64 and 65, respectively.

[0032] The load lock 61 is configured to temporarily hold a substrate W. The load lock 61 is also configured so that its interior can be switched between an atmospheric atmosphere and a reduced-pressure atmosphere (vacuum state). That is, the load lock module 60 is configured so that the substrate W can be appropriately transferred between the atmospheric section 100, which has an atmospheric atmosphere, and the reduced-pressure section 101, which has a reduced-pressure atmosphere.

[0033] The atmospheric section 100 has a loader module 70 equipped with a substrate transport device 90 described below, and a load port 72 on which is placed a FOUP 71 capable of storing a plurality of substrates W. Note that an orienter module (not shown) for adjusting the horizontal orientation of the substrate W, a storage module (not shown) for storing a plurality of substrates W, and the like may be provided adjacent to the loader module 70.

[0034] The loader module 70 is made up of a rectangular housing, and the interior of the housing is maintained at atmospheric pressure. A plurality of, for example, four load ports 72 are arranged side by side on one side of the loader module 70 that constitutes the long side on the negative Y-axis direction. The load locks 61 a and 61 b ​​of the load lock module 60 are arranged side by side on the other side of the loader module 70 that constitutes the long side on the positive Y-axis direction.

[0035] A substrate transport device 90 for transporting a substrate W is provided inside the loader module 70. The substrate transport device 90 has a transport arm 91 that holds and moves the substrate W, a rotary table 92 that rotatably supports the transport arm 91, and a rotary table 93 on which the rotary table 92 is mounted. Also, a guide rail 94 extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the loader module 70 is provided inside the loader module 70. The rotary table 93 is provided on the guide rail 94, and the substrate transport device 90 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 94.

[0036] The decompression unit 101 has a transfer module 80 that transports the substrate W therein, and a processing module (corresponding to the above-described plasma processing apparatus 1) that performs a desired processing on the substrate W transported from the transfer module 80. The interiors of the transfer module 80 and the processing module are each configured to be able to maintain a reduced pressure atmosphere. In this embodiment, a plurality of processing modules, for example, six processing modules, are connected to one transfer module 80. The number and arrangement of the processing modules are not limited to this embodiment.

[0037] The transfer module 80, which serves as a vacuum transfer module, is connected to the load lock module 60. The transfer module 80 transfers a substrate W, for example, loaded into the load lock 61 a of the load lock module 60, to one of the processing modules, where the substrate W is subjected to a desired processing, and then transfers the substrate W to the atmospheric section 100 via the load lock 61 b ​​of the load lock module 60. In one embodiment, the transfer module 80 has a vacuum transfer space and an opening. The opening is in communication with the vacuum transfer space.

[0038] A substrate transfer device 120 is provided inside the transfer module 80 as a device for transferring the substrate W. That is, the substrate transfer device 120 is disposed within the vacuum transfer space of the vacuum transfer module. The substrate transfer device 120 includes a transfer arm 121 that holds and moves the substrate W, a rotary table 122 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 121, and a rotary table 123 on which the rotary table 122 is mounted. The rotary table 123 is provided on a guide rail 125 that extends in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the transfer module 80, and the substrate transfer device 120 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 125.

[0039] The processing module (plasma processing apparatus 1) performs, for example, etching or film formation on the substrate W. The processing module can be selected to perform processing according to the purpose of the substrate processing. The processing module communicates with the transfer module 80 via a substrate transfer port formed in the side wall surface of the transfer module 80, and the substrate transfer port is configured to be freely opened and closed using a gate valve 132.

[0040] The substrate processing system 50 described above is provided with a control unit 150 as shown in FIG. 3 . Similar to the control unit 2 described above, the control unit 150 may be configured to control each element of the substrate processing system 50 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, a part or all of the control unit 150 may be included in the substrate processing system 50. Similar to the control unit 2, the control unit 150 may include a processing unit 150a1, a storage unit 150a2, and a communication interface 150a3. The control unit 150 is realized by, for example, a computer 150a. The processing unit 150a1 may be configured to read a program from the storage unit 150a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the storage unit 150a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. Furthermore, the program may be installed via a network. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 150a2 and is read from the storage unit 150a2 and executed by the processing unit 150a1. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 150a, or a communication line connected to the communication interface 150a3. The processing unit 150a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 150a2 may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 150a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0041] <Power Supply System of Substrate Processing Apparatus> FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a power supply system E of a plasma processing apparatus 1 serving as a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this example, AC power from an AC power source 200 serving as a factory utility (factory power source, AC power supply source) is converted into DC power, which is then supplied via a power storage unit 45 to a unit utilizing the DC power, e.g., a heater 1111c serving as a component. The heater 1111c is one or more heaters provided inside the electrostatic chuck 1111. The power storage unit 45 may be any device capable of storing the supplied DC power, such as a capacitor element or a battery. A combination of a capacitor element and a battery may also be used. Note that a small internal (parasitic) resistance of the capacitor element is preferable to minimize power loss, e.g., 100 mΩ or less. When power is supplied to multiple heaters, this configuration eliminates the need for an RF filter for each heater.

[0042] 4, four DC power supply systems are provided for power storage unit 45. First, in the first supply system, AC power is supplied from AC power source 200 to AC / DC converter 210, and then converted into DC power, which is then supplied to power storage unit 45 via relay 211.

[0043] In the second power supply system, DC power is supplied from AC power source 200 to power storage unit 45 via wireless power feeder 220 and AC / DC converter 221. Wireless power feeder 220 includes power transmitting coil 222, which receives AC power from AC power source 200, and power receiving coil 223, which faces power transmitting coil 222. When AC power is supplied to power transmitting coil 222, AC power is output from power receiving coil 223 in a non-contact manner, such as by a magnetic field resonance method, an electromagnetic coupling method, or an electromagnetic induction method. Power transmitting coil 222 and power receiving coil 223 are physically separated from each other. The separation distance may be a distance that suppresses RF noise propagation and allows power supply, for example, 1 mm to 200 mm, preferably 5 mm to 150 mm, and more preferably 10 mm to 100 mm. The AC power from the power receiving coil 223 is converted into DC power by the AC / DC converter 221 , and then the DC power is supplied to the power storage unit 45 .

[0044] 5A and 5B are schematic explanatory diagrams showing the positional relationship between the power transmission coil 222 and the power reception coil 223, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a side view. As shown in Fig. 5, the power transmission coil 222 and the power reception coil 223 "facing each other" refers to a positional relationship in which the opposing surfaces of the coils are positioned approximately parallel to each other. For example, the separation distance is the distance between the opposing surfaces of the two coils shown in Fig. 5B.

[0045] Here, "facing" two coils refers to an arrangement in which the opposing surfaces of the coils are parallel to each other. Furthermore, the sizes of the coils do not necessarily have to be the same. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the opposing relationship between coils, using the power transmission coil 222 and the power reception coil 223 as an example, with examples listed in (a) to (h). In FIG. 6, the central axes of the coils are indicated by dashed lines. As shown in FIG. 6, various configurations are possible for the power transmission coil 222 and the power reception coil 223. For example, as shown in (a) and (b), the two coils are the same size, and in a plan view, (a) the opposing surfaces entirely overlap, and the central axes of the coils approximately coincide, while (b) the opposing surfaces partially overlap. As shown in (c) to (e), of the two coils, the power receiving coil 223 is larger than the power transmitting coil 222, and in plan view, (c) the entire opposing surface of the power transmitting coil is within the opposing surface of the power receiving coil, and the central axes of the coils are approximately aligned, (d) the entire opposing surface of the power transmitting coil is within the opposing surface of the power receiving coil, but the central axes of the coils do not match, and (e) a portion of the opposing surface of the power transmitting coil is outside the opposing surface of the power receiving coil. Also, as shown in (f) to (h), of the two coils, the power transmitting coil 222 is larger than the power receiving coil 223, and in plan view, (f) the entire opposing surface of the power receiving coil is within the opposing surface of the power transmitting coil, and the central axes of the coils are approximately aligned, (g) the entire opposing surface of the power receiving coil is within the opposing surface of the power transmitting coil, but the central axes of the coils do not match, and (h) a portion of the opposing surface of the power receiving coil is outside the opposing surface of the power transmitting coil. Any of the configurations (a) to (h) can be used, but from the viewpoint of power transmission efficiency, an arrangement such that the opposing surfaces of the two coils completely overlap in a plan view and the central axes of the coils are approximately aligned, as in (a), (c), and (f), is preferable.

[0046] In the third supply system, AC power is supplied from an AC power source 200 to a charging unit 230, which converts the AC power into DC power using an AC / DC converter (not shown) in the charging unit 230, which then charges a rechargeable battery 231. The charged battery 231 is then set in an output unit 232, and DC power is supplied from the output unit 232 to a storage unit 45.

[0047] The fourth supply system supplies DC power generated by the fuel cell 240 to the power storage unit 45. The oxygen and hydrogen that are the raw materials for the fuel cell 240 may be the same as those supplied to various semiconductor manufacturing equipment in a facility where the plasma processing apparatus 1 is installed, such as a clean room. The fuel cell 240 may be disposed within the plasma processing apparatus 1.

[0048] The electric charge stored by the DC power in the power storage unit 45 is supplied as DC power to the constant voltage control unit 260 via the voltage control converter 250, which adjusts the DC voltage. The DC power from the constant voltage control unit 260 is supplied to the heater 1111c provided in the substrate support unit 11. Note that a DC / AC converter may be connected to the output side of the power storage unit 45 to supply AC power to an AC power demand member. In this case, the frequency of the AC power received by the power receiving coil 223 and the frequency of the AC power output by the DC / AC converter may be the same or different.

[0049] The substrate support 11 including the lower electrode is supplied with RF power from the RF power source 31 described above via a matching box 270 .

[0050] <Effects of the technology of the present disclosure> In the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the charge stored in the power storage unit 45 is supplied as DC to the heater 1111c, which operates using DC power, so that RF noise generated in the power supply system during plasma processing can be easily suppressed without using an RF filter.

[0051] That is, during plasma processing, RF noise generated from the RF power supply 31 propagates from the substrate support part 11 electrically connected to the RF power supply 31 through the heater 1111c, the constant voltage control part 260, the voltage control converter 250, and the storage part 45.

[0052] However, because heater 1111c is configured to receive DC power from power storage unit 45, power storage unit 45 itself does not need to be directly connected to another power source, such as AC power source 200, even while heater 1111c is operating during plasma processing. Therefore, a means for suppressing propagation of RF noise to AC power source 200 can be easily adopted.

[0053] That is, in the first supply system, the power storage unit 45 and the AC power supply 200 are connected via the relay 211, and therefore, during plasma processing, the relay 211 can be turned off to suppress propagation of RF noise to the AC power supply 200. When plasma processing is not being performed, the relay 211 can be turned on to supply electric charge to the power storage unit 45.

[0054] In the second power supply system, DC power is supplied from AC power source 200 to power storage unit 45 via wireless power feeder 220, so that propagation of RF noise from the power receiving unit to the power transmitting unit is suppressed.

[0055] In the third supply system, DC power is supplied from the rechargeable battery 231 to the power storage unit 45, and therefore, there is no need to consider the propagation of RF noise from the power storage unit 45 to the AC power supply 200 in the first place.

[0056] Since the fourth supply system supplies DC power generated by the fuel cell 240 to the power storage unit 45, there is no need to consider the propagation of RF noise from the power storage unit 45 to the AC power supply 200 in the first place.

[0057] Because DC power is supplied from the power storage unit 45 in this manner, it is possible to easily employ multiple means for suppressing the propagation of RF noise to the AC power supply 200 without using an RF filter, as shown in the first to fourth supply systems.

[0058] In addition, since there is no need to provide an RF filter that suppresses the propagation of RF noise to the AC power supply 200 in the power supply path from the power storage unit 45 to the heater 1111c, power can be efficiently supplied from the power storage unit 45 to the heater 1111c. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a filter that cuts RF noise, it is possible to suppress process bias due to variations in filter performance and ensure uniformity.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the configuration is such that all of the first to fourth supply systems are provided, but the configuration may also be such that at least one of these four supply systems is provided.

[0060] Furthermore, by combining and adopting multiple supply systems, the battery 231 can be charged during plasma processing, and DC power can be supplied to the power storage unit 45 by the fuel cell 240, thereby extending the operating time of the power storage unit 45.

[0061] The oxygen and hydrogen used as raw materials for the fuel cell 240 may be the same as those supplied to various semiconductor manufacturing equipment in a facility where the plasma processing apparatus 1 is installed, such as a clean room.

[0062] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0063] For example, in the plasma processing apparatus 1 described in the above embodiment, DC power is supplied to the heater 1111c from the power storage unit 45, but the demand unit to which DC power is supplied from the power storage unit 45 is not limited to this. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may be applied to any unit or component that uses DC in a substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing system.

[0064] That is, in the present disclosure, a unit is a combination of multiple components, and these units and components may be provided inside the substrate processing apparatus or outside the substrate processing apparatus. For example, inside the plasma processing apparatus 1, examples of components include the base 1110 and the electrostatic chuck 1111, and examples of units include the main body 111 and the substrate support 11. Outside the plasma processing apparatus 1, an example of a component is the transport arm 91, and an example of a unit is the substrate transport apparatus 90.

[0065] The components covered by the present disclosure may be any component that operates using electric power, whether DC or AC. Specific examples are described below. For example, the following are examples of components constituting the plasma processing chamber 10 and their peripheral components: a matcher electrically connected to an ICP antenna, a variable capacitor associated with an absorption coil, a motor for driving the gap between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and an ICP antenna. Also, the components may be an upper electrode, a matcher for the upper RF, or an adsorption mechanism for the upper electrode. Also, the components may be electrodes included in an electrostatic chuck, an actuator for driving the lift pins, a matcher for the lower RF, a DC pulse electrode, a controller and cooling fan for a resistance heater, an inductive heater, a ceramic component adsorption mechanism for replacing ceramic components, or a motor for driving a stage. Also, the components may be an edge ring, a power supply for controlling the potential of the edge ring, a pin for driving the edge ring, an electrode for adsorbing a substrate or edge ring, a variable capacitor for impedance control, a variable inductor, a variable resistor, a relay motor, a coil, or a DC electrode. Also, the components may be a resistance heater disposed on the side wall of the chamber, a controller for the resistance heater, a DC electrode disposed on the side wall of the chamber, or an inductive heater. The sensor may also be a distance sensor, film thickness sensor, camera, wafer-embedded sensor, light emission sensor, or quadrupole mass spectrometer (Q-MASS). It may also be a controller for an external coil (electromagnet) or a controller for an internal coil. It may also be a resistance heater, inductive heater, gas valve, or flow meter included in a gas box. It may also be a motor for a pressure regulating valve, a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a resistance heater or inductive heater in piping.

[0066] Examples of components located upstream of the plasma processing chamber 10 include the following: an AC power box, a gas box, and a chiller. Also, a transfer arm for a transfer module, a sensor, a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, a motor for a drive pin in a load lock module, a heater, a position sensor, a motor for an arm, a motor for an orienter, and a N ２Circulation valve, load port shutter motor, sensor, N for purge storage ２ It may be a valve.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the voltage control converter 250 and the constant voltage control unit 260 are illustrated and described as being included, but these are not necessarily required components. That is, in one embodiment, if the component to which power is supplied does not require voltage control, the device may be configured not to include the voltage control converter 250 or the constant voltage control unit 260.

[0068] Other Embodiments of the Present Disclosure The frequency of the AC power supplied from the AC power source 200 can be transmitted more efficiently if it is converted to an appropriate frequency as needed before being supplied.

[0069] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the general configuration of a power supply system E1 constructed in consideration of the above points. In the figure, components, devices, etc. indicated with the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 4 represent the same components, devices, etc. as those in the power supply system E shown in FIG. 4, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0070] In this power supply system E1, a frequency conversion circuit 241 is provided between the AC power supply 200 and the power transmission coil 222. The frequency conversion circuit 241 converts the frequency of the AC power supplied from the AC power supply 200, which is 50 Hz or 60 Hz, into a transmission frequency of a sine wave or square wave, for example, having a frequency of 85 kHz to 250 kHz. When the power is converted into a square wave, the sine wave converted by the frequency conversion circuit is converted into a square wave by a conversion circuit (not shown).

[0071] With this configuration, when AC power is transmitted from the power transmitting coil 222 to the power receiving coil 223 by a non-contact method such as a magnetic resonance method, the frequency is converted by the frequency conversion circuit 241 before transmission. This allows the power to be transmitted efficiently by a non-contact method at a frequency suitable for transmission.

[0072] The power supply system E1 includes a rectifying and smoothing unit 242 instead of the AC / DC converter 221 shown in FIG. 4 . The rectifying and smoothing unit 242 includes a rectifying circuit 242a and a smoothing circuit 242b. The rectifying circuit includes, for example, a bridge diode. The smoothing circuit 242b includes, for example, a low-pass filter. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the rectifying circuit 242a rectifies the AC signal received by the power receiving coil 223 in the forward direction (positive polarity) using, for example, a bridge diode. The output signal of the rectifying circuit 242a generally has a pulsating waveform. Therefore, the output signal of the rectifying circuit 242a is input to the smoothing circuit 242b, and the pulsating waveform is converted into a DC power waveform with an appropriate voltage using a low-pass filter. The rectifying and smoothing unit 242 may measure the power stored in the power storage unit 45 and may control power transmission and reception in the wireless power feeder 220 based on the measurement results. In the rectifier circuit 242a, for example, a bridge diode may be used to rectify the AC signal received by the power receiving coil 223 in the reverse direction (negative direction). The other power supply systems E2 to E7, which will be described later, may also be provided with a frequency conversion circuit 241. Furthermore, a rectifying and smoothing unit 242 may be provided instead of the AC / DC converter 221 to achieve the same effect.

[0073] However, when power is supplied from a storage unit that stores charge to a component or unit that demands it, the amount of charge stored in the storage unit gradually decreases as the power is supplied, causing the output voltage to drop. Eventually, the voltage required to drive the component or unit will no longer be available, causing the component or unit to stop operating and causing the device that uses the component or unit to stop working.

[0074] On the other hand, even if the voltage required to drive a particular component or unit is no longer available, the power supply still has residual charge, and an appropriate output voltage is still available. Therefore, supplying power to the power supply until the desired amount of charge is reached despite the residual charge is wasteful and inefficient.

[0075] The following embodiment functions as an efficient substrate processing apparatus that can supply power to other components and units with lower rated voltages than the specific component or unit even when the charge amount of one power supply unit decreases, thereby preventing the entire apparatus from shutting down.

[0076] FIG. 8 shows an outline of the configuration of a power supply system E2 for a plasma processing apparatus 1 that is configured in consideration of the above points. In the figure, components and configurations indicated with the same reference numerals as those described in the above embodiment indicate the same components and configurations as those in the above embodiment.

[0077] In this power supply system E2, the power storage unit 45 in the above embodiment has three power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c. These three power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c are connected in parallel. More specifically, the DC power supply system S for the power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c has supply systems continuing from the first to fourth supply systems as described in the above embodiment. The supply system S can supply DC power to three power supply paths 310, 320, and 330 to which the power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c are connected. The power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c are independently connected to the power supply paths 310, 320, and 330.

[0078] A relay 311 is provided on power supply path 310 upstream of the connection with power storage unit 45a (closer to supply system S), and a relay 312 is provided downstream of the connection with power storage unit 45a. Similarly, a relay 321 is provided on power supply path 320 upstream of the connection with power storage unit 45b (closer to supply system S), and a relay 322 is provided downstream of the connection with power storage unit 45b. Similarly, a relay 331 is provided on power supply path 330 upstream of the connection with power storage unit 45c (closer to supply system S), and a relay 332 is provided downstream of the connection with power storage unit 45c.

[0079] The power supply paths 310, 320, and 330 are connected to each other and merge downstream of the relays 312, 322, and 332. The merged power supply paths pass through a voltage control converter 250a and a constant voltage control unit 260a to form a power supply path P1 that leads to the heater 1111c on the load side.

[0080] Meanwhile, branch points 314, 324, and 334 are provided downstream of the connections of power supply paths 310, 320, and 330 with power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c, respectively, and upstream of relays 312, 322, and 332. Power supply paths 310, 320, and 330 branch at branch points 314, 324, and 334. The branched power supply paths 310, 320, and 330 pass through relays 313, 323, and 333, respectively, and then merge at junction 340 to form power supply path P2. Power supply path P2 is a power supply path that passes through voltage control converter 250b, constant voltage control unit 260b, and DC-AC converter 261 and leads to AC motor 262. AC motor 262 is driven at a lower voltage than heater 1111c, and therefore has a smaller power load than heater 1111c.

[0081] As described above, the power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c are connected in parallel to the supply system S, and by switching the relays 311, 321, and 331, DC power for storage can be supplied to the desired power storage unit 45a, 45b, or 45c.

[0082] In addition, the power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c are connected in parallel to a power supply path P1 leading to the heater 1111c and a power supply path P2 leading to the AC motor 262, and by switching relays 312, 313, 322, 323, 332, and 333, it is possible to supply DC power from the desired power storage unit 45a, 45b, or 45c to the desired power supply path P1 or P2.

[0083] According to the power supply system E2 having the above configuration, for example, power from the power storage unit 45a, which has a large amount of stored charge and can output a high DC voltage, is supplied to the heater 1111c, which has a large load, through the power supply path P1, and the power storage unit 45b, which has a smaller amount of stored charge than the power storage unit 45a and cannot supply the voltage and power required by the heater 1111c, can supply power through the power supply path P2 to the AC motor 262, which requires a smaller voltage and power to drive than the heater 1111c.

[0084] Specifically, by turning off relay 311, power supply from supply system S is stopped, and by turning on relay 312 and turning off relay 313, DC power can be supplied from power storage unit 45a to heater 1111c. As for power storage unit 45b, by turning off relay 321, power supply from supply system S is stopped, and by turning off relay 322 and turning on relay 323, power can be supplied to AC motor 262.

[0085] Furthermore, when the amount of stored charge becomes low and the storage unit 45c is unable to supply the necessary power to the AC motor 262 as well as other components and units of the plasma processing apparatus 1, by turning on the relay 331 and turning off the relays 332 and 333, it is possible to start supplying power from the supply system S and charge the storage unit 45c.

[0086] As described above, the power supply system E2 employed in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can switch between high-power use, low-power use, and a charging state depending on the residual charge of the multiple power storage units 45a, 45b, and 45c, thereby enabling efficient operation of each power storage unit 45a, 45b, and 45c. Examples of high-power use include heating the heater 1111c and supplying RF power to the plasma processing chamber. Examples of low-power use include driving the AC motor 262 and supplying power to a control circuit. Of course, the motor is not limited to an AC motor and can also be a DC motor. Repeated switching operations in this manner can prevent a large power load from concentrating on a single power storage unit, thereby extending the life of each power storage unit 45a, 45b, and 45c.

[0087] Furthermore, by providing a greater number of power storage units in parallel than the number of loads and keeping at least one power storage unit in a standby state, for example, in a fully charged state, operation of a faulty power storage unit can be stopped and immediately switched to the standby power storage unit, allowing the device to operate without stopping.Furthermore, by providing a separate charged power storage unit, the faulty power storage unit can be replaced, making it possible to replace the power storage unit without stopping the device.

[0088] The amount of residual charge, which serves as an indicator for switching between storage units, is easy to measure and can be constantly monitored, for example, by a sensor or voltmeter that monitors the voltage of each storage unit. Therefore, it is easy to automate the switching timing based on signals from these sensors and voltmeters. Furthermore, the lifespan of a storage unit can be predicted from the rate at which the amount of residual charge decreases, making it possible to replace the storage unit before it stops functioning.

[0089] Next, other embodiments will be described. In the above-described embodiment, if the power load of a component, unit, or the like to which power is supplied from the power storage unit is, for example, multiple heaters, the amount of power required differs between when all heaters are turned on simultaneously and when only one heater is turned on. Therefore, when a high-capacity capacitor is used as the power storage unit, the load varies greatly depending on the case. This can cause rapid and large load fluctuations when switching the number of heaters being driven, potentially resulting in overshoot and / or undershoot in the supply voltage waveform. If the amount of overshoot and / or undershoot is greater than a predetermined value, the operation of the component or unit to which power is supplied may be impaired. Furthermore, if the load rapidly increases or decreases, the power storage unit may be unable to keep up with the rate of load fluctuation, and power supply may not be able to keep up. For example, when a heater is turned on, the supply voltage waveform may not meet the specified rise time. If the output voltage is unstable in this way, the operation of the component or unit to which power is supplied also becomes unstable.

[0090] The embodiment to be described below is intended to suppress fluctuations in power even if there are large load fluctuations at the destination to which power is supplied from such a power storage unit. Other embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0091] 9 shows an outline of the configuration of a power supply system E3 employed in the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. In the figure, the components and components denoted by the same reference numerals as those described in the previous embodiment indicate the same components and components as those in the previous embodiment.

[0092] In this power supply system E3, in addition to the power storage unit 45 in the above embodiment, a relatively low-capacity power storage unit 410 having a lower capacity than the power storage unit 45 is connected in parallel between the power storage unit 45 and a power load R1 such as a component or unit. That is, the relatively low-capacity power storage unit 410 having a smaller capacity than the power storage unit 45 is provided in parallel on the side closer to the power load R1. In this example, the relatively low-capacity power storage unit 410 and the power storage unit 45 are provided in parallel in this order from the side closer to the power load R1.

[0093] The power load R1 is a group of loads having multiple components and units, each of which requires different power and voltage. For example, the power load R1 may have multiple heaters with different rated voltages. Therefore, each heater has a constant voltage control circuit corresponding to its rated voltage. However, for convenience of illustration, the constant voltage control unit 260 is shown as a single block. Note that, depending on the type of heater, a constant voltage control circuit may not be necessary.

[0094] According to the power supply system E3 having the above configuration, for example, when the number of heaters driven by the power load R1 increases or decreases due to a change in the number of heaters to be driven, or when the current value increases or decreases without changing the number of heaters, power is supplied only from the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 if the power supply from the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 can cover the load. On the other hand, when the power load R1 increases and the power supplied from the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 is insufficient, power is supplied from the storage unit 45. That is, to maintain the output voltage in response to load fluctuations, the insufficient charge can be sequentially replenished starting from the storage unit closest to the load. Generally, the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 has a low impedance in a relatively high-frequency range and is used for relatively high-speed charge supply. The storage unit 45, which has a larger capacity, has a low impedance in a relatively low-frequency range and is used for relatively slow charge supply. Therefore, by combining relatively low-capacity power storage unit 410 and power storage unit 45, which have different capacities, in parallel and arranging relatively low-capacity power storage unit 410, which has a small capacity and is used for high speed, closer to the load, it is possible to supply the necessary power by quickly following fluctuations in the load output. This makes it possible to suppress fluctuations in output voltage due to load fluctuations and to supply stable power.

[0095] 9, one relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 is connected in parallel between the storage unit 45 and the power load R1 such as a component or unit, but as in the power supply system E4 shown in Fig. 10, another relatively low-capacity storage unit 411 having a smaller capacity than the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 may be connected in parallel between the relatively low-capacity storage unit 410 and the power load R1. By adopting such a configuration, even if the various loads constituting the power load R1 include components or units having loads that require even faster load response, it is possible to appropriately respond and stabilize the output voltage to each load.

[0096] 10, power load R2 is connected to common relatively low-capacity storage units 410 and 411, but a configuration like power supply system E5 shown in Fig. 11 may also be used. That is, when there are other components or units with power loads that are smaller than the load group, such as components or units, that constitute power load R2, these components or units may be incorporated into power load R2, and these smaller load group may be used as power load R3 instead of sharing relatively low-capacity storage units 410 and 411 that have capacities lower than storage unit 45, and a power supply path may be configured for power load R3 from relatively low-capacity storage units 420 and 421 that are separately provided in parallel.

[0097] Relatively low capacity power storage unit 420 has a smaller capacity than relatively low capacity power storage unit 410, and relatively low capacity power storage unit 421 has a smaller capacity than relatively low capacity power storage unit 420. In other words, in this example as well, the closer to power load R3, the smaller the capacity of the power storage unit connected in parallel.

[0098] In this way, the capacity of the relatively low-capacity storage unit provided between the largest-capacity storage unit 45 and the power load may be changed as appropriate depending on the response speed of the power load. By configuring in this way, it is possible to maintain a stable output voltage even with load fluctuations over a wide range of frequency bands in response to the response speeds of various power loads, large and small, of the components, units, etc. that make up the plasma processing apparatus.

[0099] In the examples shown in Figures 9 to 11, for convenience of explanation and illustration, such various power loads are illustrated and explained as a group of power loads, that is, power loads R1, R2, and R3. However, in reality, by individually providing relatively low-capacity storage units with small capacities on the upstream side (closer to storage unit 45) of the power supply path of each component or unit, it is possible to more appropriately suppress voltage fluctuations and contribute to stabilizing the output voltage.

[0100] <Reference Example> In substrate processing apparatuses and substrate processing systems, various components are electrically connected to an external power source. Therefore, multiple connection wires are installed around the substrate processing apparatuses and substrate processing systems. The increase in the number of connection wires raises concerns about the risk of wiring mix-ups during startup or upgrades of the apparatus, and the complication of wiring installation and removal work during installation and removal of the apparatus. Furthermore, in the clean room layout in which the substrate processing apparatus is installed, inconsistencies in the lengths of power cables used as connection wires may make it difficult to change the layout.

[0101] Furthermore, a plasma processing apparatus serving as a substrate processing apparatus includes an RF power supply as a source of RF power for generating plasma within a processing chamber. A portion of the RF power applied by the RF power supply may propagate through connecting wiring as noise. The propagated RF noise may harm the operation and performance of an external power supply. The external power supply may be, for example, a factory power supply for factory utility power. Patent Document 1 discloses an RF filter that attenuates or blocks RF noise in order to prevent or suppress the propagation of RF noise to an external power supply.

[0102] However, as described above, the increase in connection wiring has become a problem in substrate processing apparatuses and substrate processing systems, and there is a need to prevent wiring mix-ups and simplify the work of attaching and detaching wiring when installing or removing the apparatus. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires the provision of filters that attenuate or block high-frequency noise in addition to the connection wiring, which raises concerns about increased equipment costs. Furthermore, there are concerns about increased labor hours and costs when starting up, installing, removing, and relocating the apparatus, and there is a need to reduce these.

[0103] The reference technology of the present disclosure described below has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a configuration that enables power transfer without the need for connecting wiring between a substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing system and a utility facility, and the need for connecting wiring in the surrounding area, and further provides a configuration that can suppress the impact of RF noise, which is a problem in plasma processing apparatuses and plasma processing systems, on the factory power supply.

[0104] Hereinafter, as an example of the reference technology according to the present disclosure, a plasma processing apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus, a plasma processing system as a substrate processing system, and a power supply system will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that elements having substantially the same functional configuration as those in the previously described embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0105] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1a. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a substrate processing system 50a including the plasma processing apparatus 1a. In the plasma processing apparatus 1a, the plasma processing chamber 10 is provided with a wireless power feeder 32 that feeds power to the plasma processing apparatus 1a. The wireless power feeder 32 includes a power receiving unit 32a and a power transmitting unit 32b. The power receiving unit 32a includes a power receiving coil 33, and the power transmitting unit 32b includes a power transmitting coil 34. The power receiving unit 32a is provided in the plasma processing apparatus 1a, and the power transmitting unit 32b is provided outside the plasma processing apparatus 1a, so that the power receiving unit 32a and the power transmitting unit 32b are physically separated from each other. The power receiving unit 32a is electrically connected to components inside the plasma processing chamber 10. The power receiving unit 32a is electrically connected to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. The power transmitter 32b is located outside the plasma processing apparatus 1a, for example, on or under the floor where the plasma processing apparatus 1a is installed. The power transmitter coil 34 and the power receiver coil 33 are physically separated by a distance L1 that suppresses RF noise propagation while allowing power to be supplied. The distance L1 may be, for example, 1 mm to 200 mm, preferably 5 mm to 150 mm, and more preferably 10 mm to 100 mm. The distance L1 is the distance between the opposing surfaces of the power transmitter coil 34 and the power receiver coil 33. In the wireless power feeder 32, AC power is supplied to the power transmitter 32b from an AC power supply source, and the AC power is transmitted contactlessly from the power transmitter coil 34 to the power receiver coil 33. The power transmitter 32b may convert the frequency using a frequency conversion circuit such as an AC / AC converter before supplying AC power to the power receiver 32a. The transmission method may be, for example, a magnetic resonance method (also called a magnetic resonance method), an electromagnetic induction method, or an electric field coupling method. Then, a conversion circuit such as an AC / DC converter (not shown) converts the AC power received by the power receiving coil 33 into DC power, and supplies the DC power to components inside the plasma processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, the generated AC power may be supplied as is.

[0106] The power receiving unit 32a may include a DC generating unit (not shown) that generates a DC signal. The generated DC signal may be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combination thereof pulse waveform. The voltage pulses may have a positive polarity or a 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. That is, the plasma processing apparatus 1a, its constituent components, or its peripheral components may include units or components that operate using DC power.

[0107] 13 , the substrate processing system 50a is electrically connected to a wireless power feeder 140 that feeds power to the entire substrate processing system 50a. The wireless power feeder 140 includes a power receiving unit 140a provided on the substrate processing system 50a side and a power transmitting unit 140b provided outside the substrate processing system 50a. A power receiving coil 143 in the power receiving unit 140a and a power transmitting coil 144 in the power transmitting unit 140b are physically separated from each other. The separation distance L2 may be a distance that suppresses the propagation of RF noise and allows the supply of power, for example, 1 mm to 200 mm, preferably 5 mm to 150 mm, and more preferably 10 mm to 100 mm.

[0108] The power receiving unit 140a is provided at the bottom inside the load lock module 60. The power transmitting unit 140b is provided below the power receiving unit 140a on the floor on which the substrate processing system 50a is installed or under the floor. The power receiving unit 140a may be provided on the side of the substrate processing system 50. In that case, the power transmitting unit 140b may be provided at a position corresponding to the power receiving unit 140a on the side of the substrate processing system 50a. Although the power receiving unit 140a is illustrated as being provided at the bottom inside the load lock module 60, the configuration of the power receiving unit 140a is not limited thereto. For example, a power receiving unit may be provided for each plasma processing apparatus 1a, or power may be distributed to each plasma processing apparatus 1a from a single power receiving unit provided for the entire substrate processing system 50a.

[0109] The power receiving unit 140a includes a power receiving coil 143, and the power transmitting unit 140b includes a power transmitting coil 144. In the wireless power feeder 140, AC power is supplied to the power transmitting unit 140b from an AC power supply source, and the AC power is transmitted from the power transmitting coil 144 to the power receiving coil 143 by a non-contact means such as a magnetic field resonance method. Then, a conversion circuit such as an AC / DC converter (not shown) converts the generated AC power into DC power, and the DC power is fed. Alternatively, the generated AC power may be fed as is.

[0110] The plasma processing system (substrate processing system 50a) may be provided with at least one of the wireless power feeder 32 described with reference to Fig. 12 and the wireless power feeder 140 described with reference to Fig. 13, or may be provided with both. Below, an example of a power supply system in which power is fed to the plasma processing apparatus 1a via the wireless power feeder 32 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0111] <Power Supply System> Fig. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system E6. As shown in Fig. 14, the power supply system E6 includes an AC power source 200 serving as a factory utility power source (factory power source, AC power supply source) and a power transmitting coil 34 to which AC power is supplied from the AC power source 200. The power transmitting coil 34 is included in a power transmitting unit 32b, and a power receiving unit 32a including a power receiving coil 33 is provided opposite the power transmitting unit 32b. In the power transmitting unit 32b, AC power is transmitted from the power transmitting coil 34 to the power receiving coil 33 by a non-contact means such as a magnetic field resonance system. As a result, power is transferred from the power transmitting unit 32b to the power receiving unit 32a.

[0112] In this example, the power receiving unit 32a is electrically connected to the power storage unit 45 via an AC / DC converter 221, which converts AC power into DC power. That is, the AC power sent to the power receiving unit 32a passes through the AC / DC converter 221, where it is converted into DC power and transmitted to the power storage unit 45 connected to its output side, where it is stored. A voltage control converter 250, which adjusts the DC voltage from the power storage unit 45, is connected to the output side of the power storage unit 45. A constant voltage control unit 260 is also electrically connected to the voltage control converter 250. A DC / AC converter may be connected to the output side of the power storage unit 45 to supply AC power to an AC power demand component. In this case, the frequencies of the AC power received by the power receiving unit 32a and the AC power output by the DC / AC converter may be the same or different. While the capacitor element 220 is illustrated as an example of a means for storing power, a battery, for example, may also be used.

[0113] The shower head 13 including the upper electrode is electrically connected to the constant voltage control unit 260. That is, the power output from the power storage unit 45 is controlled to a desired voltage by the voltage control converter 250, and further controlled to a constant voltage by the constant voltage control unit 260 and supplied to the shower head 13.

[0114] As described above, the RF power supply 31 is electrically connected to the showerhead 13 including the upper electrode. The RF power supply 31 is connected to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode, and RF signals are supplied to form plasma from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. One or more source RF signals from the RF power supply 31 are supplied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode via a matching unit 245. As a result, RF noise generated from the RF power supply 31 may propagate to the power receiving unit 32a via the showerhead 13, constant voltage control unit 260, voltage control converter 250, power storage unit 45, and the like, which are electrically connected to the RF power supply 31.

[0115] In the power supply system E6, power is supplied to the plasma processing apparatus 1a via the wireless power supply unit 32, and the power is transmitted to and stored in the power storage unit 45. That is, the AC power source 200 and the plasma processing apparatus 1a are physically separated via the power receiving coil 33 and the power transmitting coil 34. The impedance between the power receiving coil 33 and the power transmitting coil 34 is set to be high for frequencies other than the frequency of the transmitted AC power. Therefore, frequencies other than the frequency of the transmitted AC power are filtered. For example, when a magnetic resonance method is used, the frequency of the AC power is a resonant frequency (also referred to as a resonance frequency). Therefore, as described above, RF noise generated by the RF power source 31 can be prevented from propagating to the AC power source 200. The frequency of the AC power may have a predetermined bandwidth centered on the frequency of the AC power.

[0116] <Effects of the Reference Example> The power supply system E6 described above employs a wireless power feeder 32 including a physically separated power transmitter 32b and power receiver 32a to supply power from an AC power source 200 to a plasma processing apparatus 1a. Similarly, the substrate processing system 50a employs a wireless power feeder 140 including a power transmitter 140b and power receiver 140a. This reduces or eliminates the need for wiring connections between the plasma processing apparatus 1, 1a or the substrate processing system 50, 50a and the AC power source 200, as well as peripheral wiring connections. This prevents wiring mix-ups and simplifies the installation and removal of wiring during installation and removal of the apparatus. Additionally, this reduces equipment costs, simplifies equipment design, and provides increased space.

[0117] Furthermore, in the plasma processing apparatus 1a in which the RF power supply 31 is connected to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode, the AC power supply 200 and the plasma processing apparatus 1 are physically separated from each other, thereby preventing RF noise from propagating to the AC power supply 200. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a filter to cut RF noise, process bias due to variations in filter performance can be suppressed, ensuring uniformity. Additionally, power efficiency can be improved.

[0118] Furthermore, in the power supply system E6, when power is supplied from the AC power source 200 to the plasma processing apparatus 1a, the power is stored in a power storage unit 45, such as a capacitor element. Then, the charge supplied from the capacitor element is used to drive components in the plasma processing apparatus 1a that use DC power. Therefore, by adjusting the capacitance of the capacitor element in the power storage unit 45, the amount of charge supplied can be limited, preventing excessive current during arcing (abnormal discharge) and minimizing damage to components.

[0119] It should be noted that the above should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above examples may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways.

[0120] For example, in the power supply system E6, the shower head 13 including the upper electrode is illustrated as being electrically connected to the constant voltage control unit 260. Also, the shower head 13 including the upper electrode is illustrated as being electrically connected to the RF power supply 31. However, the application of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0121] The application of DC power, i.e., the power load, may be at least one of a substrate processing system, a substrate processing apparatus, a unit, or a component. In the present disclosure, a substrate processing system includes multiple substrate processing apparatuses. Examples of the substrate processing system include the substrate processing systems 50 and 50a, and examples of the substrate processing apparatus include the plasma processing apparatus 1 and the plasma processing apparatus 1a of this embodiment. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, a unit is a combination of multiple components, and these units and components may be provided inside or outside the substrate processing apparatus. For example, inside the plasma processing apparatus 1 and 1a, examples of components include the base 1110 and the electrostatic chuck 1111, and examples of units include the main body 111 and the substrate support 11. Outside the plasma processing apparatus 1 and 1a, examples of components include the transfer arm 91, and examples of units include the substrate transfer apparatus 90.

[0122] The wireless power supply of the present disclosure includes the following cases: (1) When power is supplied to the substrate processing apparatus system itself. (2) When power is supplied to the substrate processing apparatus itself. (3) When power is supplied to a unit inside the substrate processing apparatus. (4) When power is supplied to a member inside the substrate processing apparatus. (5) When power is supplied to a unit outside the substrate processing apparatus inside the substrate processing system. (6) When power is supplied to a member outside the substrate processing apparatus inside the substrate processing system.

[0123] Although the power supply system E6 has been illustrated and described as including the voltage-controlled converter 250 and the constant-voltage control unit 260, these are not necessarily required components. In other words, if the components to which power is supplied are components that do not require voltage control, such as various heaters, the system may be configured not to include the voltage-controlled converter 250 or the constant-voltage control unit 260.

[0124] In the above-described reference example, in the power supply system E6, the power sent to the power receiving unit 32a is transmitted via the AC / DC converter 210 to the power storage unit 45 connected to the output side thereof and stored therein, but the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to this. Below, other reference examples of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In Fig. 15, components having the same functional configuration as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0125] Fig. 15 is a conceptual diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system E7 according to another reference example. As shown in Fig. 15, the basic configuration of the power supply system E7 is the same as that of the power supply system E1. However, the power supply system E7 does not have a power storage unit. That is, the power receiving unit 32a of the wireless power feeder 32 is electrically connected to a voltage control converter 250 via an AC / DC converter 210.

[0126] AC power supplied from AC power source 200 is transferred to power receiving unit 32a via power transmitting unit 32b, and the power sent to power receiving unit 32a passes through AC / DC converter 210 and is sent to voltage control converter 250 connected to the output side of AC / DC converter 210. Constant voltage control unit 260 is electrically connected to voltage control converter 250. That is, power transferred from AC power source 200 via wireless power feeder 32 is converted to DC power in AC / DC converter 210, controlled to a desired voltage by voltage control converter 250, and further controlled to a constant voltage by constant voltage control unit 260 and supplied to showerhead 13.

[0127] The power supply system E7 configured as shown in FIG. 15 uses a wireless power supply unit 32 including a physically separated power transmitter 32b and power receiver 32a to supply power from an AC power source 200 to a plasma processing apparatus 1a. This reduces or eliminates the need for connecting wiring between the plasma processing apparatus 1a or substrate processing system 50a and the AC power source 200, as well as surrounding connecting wiring. This prevents wiring mix-ups and simplifies the installation and removal of wiring when installing or removing the apparatus. Additionally, this reduces equipment costs and increases the space available for the apparatus.

[0128] Furthermore, in a plasma processing apparatus 1a in which the RF power supply 31 is connected to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode, the AC power supply 200 and the plasma processing apparatus 1a are physically separated from each other, thereby preventing RF noise from propagating to the AC power supply 200. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a filter to cut RF noise, process bias due to variations in filter performance can be suppressed, ensuring uniformity. Additionally, power efficiency can be improved.

[0129] The subject matter of the reference examples of the present disclosure includes a substrate processing system 50a and a plasma processing apparatus 1a that operate using power, regardless of whether it is AC or DC, as well as various units and components. Specific examples are described below. For example, the following are examples of components constituting the plasma processing chamber 10 and their peripheral components: a matcher electrically connected to an ICP antenna, a variable capacitor associated with an absorption coil, a motor for driving the gap between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and an ICP antenna. Also, the subject matter may be an upper electrode, a matcher for the upper RF, or an adsorption mechanism for the upper electrode. Also, the subject matter may be an electrode included in an electrostatic chuck, an actuator for driving a lift pin, a matcher for the lower RF, a DC pulse electrode, a controller and cooling fan for a resistance heater, an inductive heater, a ceramic member adsorption mechanism for replacing ceramic members, or a motor for driving a stage. Also, the subject matter may be an edge ring, a power supply for controlling the potential of the edge ring, a pin for driving the edge ring, an electrode for adsorbing a substrate or edge ring, a variable capacitor, a variable inductor, a variable resistor for impedance control, a motor for a relay, a coil, or a DC electrode. The device may also be a resistance heater disposed on the side wall of the chamber, a controller for the resistance heater, a DC electrode disposed on the side wall of the chamber, or an inductive heater. It may also be a distance sensor, a film thickness sensor, a camera, a wafer-embedded sensor, an optical emission sensor, or a quadrupole mass spectrometer (Q-MASS). It may also be a controller for an external coil (electromagnet), or a controller for an internal coil. It may also be a resistance heater, inductive heater, gas valve, or flow meter included in a gas box. It may also be a motor for a pressure adjustment valve, a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a resistance heater or inductive heater in piping.

[0130] Examples of components located upstream of the plasma processing chamber 10 include the following: an AC power box, a gas box, and a chiller. Also, a transfer arm for a transfer module, a sensor, a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, a motor for a drive pin in a load lock module, a heater, a position sensor, a motor for an arm, a motor for an orienter, and a N ２Circulation valve, load port shutter motor, sensor, N for purge storage ２ It may be a valve.

[0131] <Supplementary Items> [Supplementary Item 1] A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a power receiving unit including a power receiving coil to which power is contactlessly transmitted from a power transmitting coil located outside the substrate processing apparatus, and configured to supply power to at least one unit or member that uses power from the power receiving unit. [Supplementary Item 2] The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Item 1, wherein the unit or member that uses power from the power receiving unit includes an upper electrode of the substrate processing apparatus. [Supplementary Item 3] The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Item 1 or 2, wherein the unit or member that uses power from the power receiving unit includes a lower electrode of the substrate processing apparatus. [Supplementary Item 4] The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Items 1 to 3, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power receiving unit, wherein impedance at frequencies other than the transmitted AC power is set higher than impedance at the frequency of the transmitted AC power between the power storage unit and an AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil, and a conversion unit that converts the AC power from the power receiving coil into DC power is connected to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 5] The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Item 1, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power receiving unit; wherein impedance at frequencies other than the transmitted AC power is set higher between the power storage unit and an AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil than impedance at the frequency of the transmitted AC power; a frequency conversion circuit that converts the frequency of power supplied from the AC power supply source to the power transmitting coil to a transmission frequency and transmits the power; and a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit that rectify and smooth the power supplied from the power receiving coil to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 6] The substrate processing apparatus according to Supplementary Item 4 or 5, further comprising: a capacitor element or a battery. [Supplementary Item 7] A substrate processing system having a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses that process substrates, further comprising: a power receiving unit including a power receiving coil to which power is transmitted in a contactless manner from a power transmitting coil located outside the substrate processing system; and configured to supply power to at least one of the substrate processing apparatuses, units, or members that use power from the power receiving unit.[Supplementary Item 8] The substrate processing system according to Supplementary Item 7, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power receiving unit, wherein an impedance at frequencies other than the transmitted AC power is set higher than an impedance at the frequency of the transmitted AC power between the power storage unit and an AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil, and a converter that converts the AC power from the power receiving coil into DC power is connected to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 9] The substrate processing system according to Supplementary Item 7, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power receiving unit, wherein an impedance at frequencies other than the transmitted AC power is set higher than an impedance at the frequency of the transmitted AC power between the power storage unit and the AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil, wherein a frequency conversion circuit that converts the frequency of power supplied from the AC power supply source to the power transmitting coil to a transmission frequency and transmits the power, and a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit that rectify and smooth the power supplied from the power receiving coil to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 10] The substrate processing system according to Supplementary Item 8 or 9, wherein the power storage unit is a capacitor element or a battery. [Supplementary Item 11] A power supply system that supplies power to at least one of a substrate processing system, a substrate processing apparatus, a unit, or a member that uses electric power, comprising: a power transmitting unit including a power transmitting coil to which power is supplied from an AC power supply source; and a power receiving unit including a power receiving coil to which power is transmitted in a contactless manner from the power transmitting coil, and the power supply system supplies power from the power receiving unit to at least one of the substrate processing system, the substrate processing apparatus, the unit, or a member. [Supplementary Item 12] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 11, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores the power supplied from the power receiving unit, wherein impedance at frequencies other than the transmitted AC power is set higher than impedance at the frequency of the transmitted AC power between the power storage unit and the AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil, and a converter that converts the AC power from the power receiving coil into DC power is connected to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 13] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 11 or 12, wherein the unit or member is provided in a substrate processing system including a plurality of the units, and the power receiving unit is disposed in each of the plurality of units.[Supplementary Item 14] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 13, wherein the power transmitting unit is disposed on or under the floor on which the unit is installed. [Supplementary Item 15] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 11 or 12, wherein the unit or member is provided in a substrate processing system including a plurality of such units, and the power receiving unit is disposed in the substrate processing system. [Supplementary Item 16] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 15, wherein the power transmitting unit is disposed on or under the floor on which the substrate processing system is installed. [Supplementary Item 17] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 11, further comprising: a power storage unit that stores power supplied from the power receiving unit, wherein an impedance of a frequency other than the AC power to be transmitted is set higher between the power storage unit and an AC power supply source that supplies power to the power transmitting coil than an impedance of the frequency of the AC power to be transmitted, a frequency conversion circuit that converts the frequency of power supplied from the AC power supply source to the power transmitting coil to a transmission frequency and transmits the power, and a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit that rectify and smooth the power supplied from the power receiving coil to the power storage unit. [Supplementary Item 18] The power supply system according to Supplementary Item 12 or 17, wherein the power storage unit is a capacitor element or a battery. [Supplementary Item 19] A power supply method for supplying power to at least one of a substrate processing system, a substrate processing apparatus, a unit, or a member that uses electric power, the power supply method using a power supply system including: a power transmission unit including a power transmission coil to which power is supplied from an AC power supply source; and a power receiving unit including a power receiving coil to which power is transmitted contactlessly from the power transmission coil, the power supply method supplies power from the power receiving unit to at least one of the substrate processing system, the substrate processing apparatus, a unit, or a member.

[0132] 1 plasma processing apparatus 45 power storage unit 1111c heater W substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The substrate processing apparatus includes: A power storage unit; At least one unit or component that utilizes electric power; The substrate processing apparatus is configured to supply the charge stored in the power storage unit as power to the unit or member.

2. a power receiving coil that receives power in a non-contact manner from a power transmitting coil to which power is supplied from an AC power supply source; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage unit is connected to a conversion unit that converts AC power from the power receiving coil into DC power.

3. A control unit is provided, the control unit is configured to convert power from an AC power supply source into DC power and supply the power to the power storage unit, the control unit is configured to electrically disconnect the power storage unit from the AC power supply source during substrate processing using RF power in the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit is configured to supply power to the power storage unit through an electrical supply path after power from an AC power supply source is converted into DC power; A relay is provided in the electrical supply path, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the relay is in an interrupted state during substrate processing using RF power in the substrate processing apparatus.

5. a frequency conversion circuit that converts the frequency of the power supplied from the AC power supply source into a transmission frequency and transmits the power; A rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit are provided for rectifying and smoothing the power that has been frequency-converted by the frequency conversion circuit and supplying the power to the power storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage unit is powered by DC power supplied from a battery.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the battery is charged by power supplied from an AC power supply source which is converted into DC power.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a power generation mechanism, and power is supplied to the power storage unit by the power generated by the power generation mechanism.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the power generation mechanism uses a fuel cell power generation mechanism.

10. 10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least one of oxygen and hydrogen used in said fuel cell power generation is used for substrate processing in a facility in which said substrate processing apparatus is installed.

11. The power storage unit includes a plurality of power storage units, each of which is connected in parallel to the unit or member; 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, configured to switch to supply from another storage unit when a voltage of one of the plurality of storage units drops and becomes lower than a voltage required for the unit or member to which the charge stored in the one storage unit is supplied as power.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the one power storage unit whose voltage has dropped after the supply has been switched to that from the other power storage unit is configured to supply power to a unit or member that operates even with the dropped voltage.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein power is supplied to the one power storage unit whose voltage has dropped after the supply is switched to the other power storage unit.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a relatively low-capacity power storage unit having a capacity lower than that of the power storage unit, connected in parallel between the unit or member and the power storage unit.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein another relatively low-capacity power storage unit having a capacity lower than that of the relatively low-capacity power storage unit is connected in parallel between the unit or member and the relatively low-capacity power storage unit.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage unit is a capacitor element or a battery.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the capacitor element has an internal resistance of 100 mΩ or less.

18. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: the substrate processing apparatus includes a power storage unit and at least one unit or member that uses electric power; The charge from the power storage unit is supplied as power to the unit or member.