Plasma processing device

Abstract

Provided is a plasma processing device comprising a plasma processing chamber and an electrostatic chuck disposed in the plasma processing chamber. The electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric member having a substrate support surface and an electrostatic electrode disposed in the dielectric member. A through hole penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the dielectric member. A sealing band is provided around an opening formed on the substrate support surface of the through hole. The sealing band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlap when viewed from above.

Description

Plasma processing equipment

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrostatic chuck having a first heat transfer gas diffusion region and a second heat transfer gas diffusion region on its upper surface, with the first heat transfer gas diffusion region having a plurality of protrusions. It also describes that the temperature of the peripheral edge of the substrate can be controlled by changing the diameters of the first heat transfer gas diffusion region and the second heat transfer gas diffusion region to set the volume ratio within a predetermined range.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-251854

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure appropriately suction-supports a substrate in a plasma processing apparatus.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a plasma processing apparatus including: a plasma processing chamber; and an electrostatic chuck disposed within the plasma processing chamber, the electrostatic chuck including a dielectric member having a substrate support surface; and an electrostatic electrode disposed within the dielectric member, the dielectric member having a through hole penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction, a seal band provided around an opening formed in the substrate support surface of the through hole, and the seal band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlapping in a top view.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a substrate can be appropriately attracted and supported in a plasma processing apparatus.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a partial plan view showing a schematic configuration of a seal band according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a state of an electrostatic chuck according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the effect of an electrostatic chuck according to an embodiment; and FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to a comparative example.

[0008] Hereinafter, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2. The plasma processing system is an example of a substrate processing system, and the plasma processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support 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 11 is disposed in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0010] The plasma generating unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space 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.

[0011] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the 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 the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 may be implemented, for example, by a computer 2a. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to read from the storage unit 2a2 a program that provides logic or routines that enable the various control operations and execute the read program to perform the 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 is 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 storage medium may be temporary or non-temporary. The processing unit 2a1 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or one or more circuits. 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).

[0012] <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. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus.

[0013] 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.

[0014] The substrate support 11 includes a main body 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body 111 has a central region 111a for supporting a substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body 111 in a plan view. The substrate W is disposed on the central region 111a of the main body 111, and the ring assembly 112 is disposed on the annular region 111b of the main body 111 so as to surround the substrate W on the central region 111a of the main body 111. Therefore, the upper surface of the central region 111a of the main body 111 is also referred to as a substrate support surface 111w for supporting the substrate W, and the upper surface of the annular region 111b is also referred to as a ring support surface 111r for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0015] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 120 and an electrostatic chuck 121. The base 120 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 120 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 121 is disposed on the base 120. The electrostatic chuck 121 includes a ceramic member 131 as a dielectric member and an electrostatic electrode 132 (also referred to as an attraction electrode, chucking electrode, or clamping electrode) disposed within the ceramic member 131. The ceramic member 131 has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 131 also has an annular region 111b. Note that the annular region 111b may also be provided by another member surrounding the electrostatic chuck 121, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be disposed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or may be disposed on both the electrostatic chuck 121 and the annular insulating member. Furthermore, at least one RF / DC electrode coupled to an RF power supply 31 and / or a DC power supply 32 (described later) may be disposed within the ceramic member 131. 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 120 and the at least one RF / DC electrode may function as multiple lower electrodes. Also, the electrostatic electrode 132 may function as the lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support 11 includes at least one lower electrode. Note that the configuration of the electrostatic chuck 121 will be described in detail later.

[0016] 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.

[0017] The substrate support 11 may also include a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 121, 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 120a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or a gas flows through the flow passage 120a. In one embodiment, the flow passage 120a is formed in the base 120, and one or more heaters are disposed in the ceramic member 131 of the electrostatic chuck 121. The substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply unit configured to supply a heat transfer gas to a gap between the back surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 causes a plasma to be formed 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 generating 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] The power supply 30 may also include a DC power supply 32 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The DC power supply 32 includes a first DC generator 32a and a second DC generator 32b. In one embodiment, the first DC generator 32a is connected to the at least one lower electrode and configured to generate a first DC signal. The generated first DC signal is applied to the at least one lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second DC generator 32b is connected to the at least one upper electrode and configured to generate a second DC signal. The generated second DC signal is applied to the at least one upper electrode.

[0024] In various embodiments, the first and second DC signals may be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combination thereof pulse waveform. In one embodiment, a waveform generator for generating the sequence of voltage pulses from the DC signal is connected between the first DC generator 32a and at least one lower electrode. Thus, the first DC generator 32a and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator. When the second DC generator 32b and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator, the voltage pulse generator is connected to at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have either positive or negative polarity. Furthermore, the sequence of voltage pulses may include one or more positive voltage pulses and one or more negative voltage pulses within one period. The first and second DC generating units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the RF power supply 31, or the first DC generating unit 32a may be provided instead of the second RF generating unit 31b.

[0025] 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.

[0026] <Electrostatic Chuck> Details of an example configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, schematically showing the configuration of a seal band according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3, schematically showing the configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a state in which a substrate is attracted by the electrostatic chuck according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the effect of the electrostatic chuck according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an electrostatic chuck according to a comparative example.

[0027] 3 to 5, the ceramic member 131 of the electrostatic chuck 121 has a through-hole 141 formed therethrough in the thickness direction in the central region 111a of the main body 111. More specifically, the through-hole 141 is formed to penetrate from the substrate support surface 111w to the underside of the ceramic member 131. The end of the through-hole 141 on the substrate support surface 111w is referred to as an opening 142. Lifter pins 151 for raising and lowering the substrate W are inserted into the through-hole 141. The through-holes 141 and lifter pins 151 are provided in, for example, three locations in the central region 111a. In one embodiment, the through-hole 141 is evacuated while the substrate W is supported thereon.

[0028] The through holes 141 and the lifter pins 151 may be formed in the central region 111a as shown in Fig. 3, or may be formed in the annular region 111b as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the through holes 141 and the lifter pins 151 may be provided in, for example, three locations in the annular region 111b. The lifter pins 151 provided in the annular region 111b raise and lower at least a portion of the ring assembly 112, for example, the edge ring.

[0029] The electrostatic electrode 132 is provided so as to avoid the through-hole 141. An end face 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132 is disposed at a position that ensures an insulating distance between the through-hole 141 and the electrostatic electrode 132. In this embodiment, a heat transfer gas for cooling the substrate W is supplied to the gap G between the rear surface of the substrate W and the substrate support surface 111w. The heat transfer gas is, for example, helium.

[0030] The substrate support surface 111w is provided with a plurality of substrate contact portions (also referred to as dots) DT as a plurality of protrusions. The substrate contact portions DT have a substantially cylindrical shape and are provided so as to protrude from the substrate support surface 111w. The upper surfaces of the plurality of substrate contact portions DT are formed to be flat and at the same height, and come into contact with the substrate W when the substrate W is supported on the substrate support surface 111w. In other words, the substrate W is supported by the plurality of substrate contact portions DT.

[0031] In this embodiment, a seal band SB is formed on the ceramic member 131 of the electrostatic chuck 121 so as to surround the periphery of an opening 142 formed in the substrate support surface 111w of the through-hole 141. The seal band SB has a generally cylindrical shape and is provided so as to protrude from the substrate support surface 111w. The seal band SB has an upper surface SBa that is flat and at the same height as the upper surfaces of the substrate contact portions DT, and comes into contact with the substrate W when the substrate W is supported on the substrate support surface 111w. In other words, the substrate W is supported by the seal band SB together with the plurality of substrate contact portions DT.

[0032] In this embodiment, the electrostatic electrode 132 has a hollowed-out portion 132h formed by hollowing out a substantially annular portion concentric with the opening 142 in the portion surrounding the opening 142. In other words, the electrostatic electrode 132 is provided so as to avoid the opening 142 due to the hollowed-out portion 132h. The edge of the hollowed-out portion 132h is the end face 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132.

[0033] In this embodiment, the seal band SB and the electrostatic electrode 132 at least partially overlap in a top view. That is, the end surface 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132 is located between the inner periphery SBi and the outer periphery SBo of the seal band SB, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In other words, the hollowed-out portion 132h of the electrostatic electrode 132 is formed to have a diameter larger than the inner periphery SBi of the seal band SB and smaller than the outer periphery SBo of the seal band SB.

[0034] 8 , the electrostatic chuck 1000 according to the comparative example is configured so that the seal band 1001 and the electrostatic electrode 1002 do not overlap in a top view. That is, the end surface 1002e of the electrostatic electrode 1002 is located outside the outer periphery 1001o of the seal band 1001 in a top view. A case will be described in which, when performing plasma processing using the electrostatic chuck 1000 according to the comparative example, a heat transfer gas is supplied to the gap G between the substrate W and the substrate support surface 1003, and a voltage is applied to the electrostatic electrode 1002. At this time, the substrate W may be deformed upward around the seal band 1001 due to insufficient adhesion of the substrate W by the electrostatic electrode 1002 around the seal band 1001. Furthermore, such deformation may result in a gap between the upper surface 1001a of the seal band 1001 and the substrate W. In this case, the upper surface 1001a of the seal band 1001 does not come into contact with the substrate W, and therefore, during plasma processing, there is no heat transfer from the substrate W to the seal band 1001, which may cause a temperature singularity to form in a portion of the substrate W around the seal band 1001. In addition, there is a risk that heat transfer gas may leak from the gap G between the substrate W and the substrate support surface 1003 toward the through-hole 1004, passing between the upper surface 1001a of the seal band 1001 and the substrate W, as indicated by the thick arrow in Figure 8. If the leaked heat transfer gas enters the through-hole 1004, the pressure in the through-hole 1004 increases, which may cause abnormal discharge within the through-hole 1004.

[0035] In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6 , the electrostatic chuck 121 according to this embodiment can more effectively adsorb the substrate W onto the upper surface SBa of the seal band SB. That is, because the seal band SB and the electrostatic electrode 132 at least partially overlap in a top view, the substrate W is adsorbed to the seal band SB at least at the overlapping portion, and they come into contact with each other. This prevents or suppresses the heat transfer gas from leaking between the substrate W and the seal band SB and entering the through holes 141. Furthermore, this also prevents or suppresses the occurrence of abnormal discharge within the through holes 141 due to the heat transfer gas entering the through holes 141. Furthermore, because the substrate W can be more effectively adsorbed onto the upper surface SBa of the seal band SB, the occurrence of temperature singularities during plasma processing is also prevented or suppressed.

[0036] 4, the end surface 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132 and the seal band SB according to this embodiment are arranged concentrically in top view, but their centers may be offset. Furthermore, the end surface 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132 in top view is not limited to being annular, and may be formed in any desired shape, such as a polygonal shape or a ring with a linear portion.

[0037] The graph in Figure 7 shows the results of a simulation conducted to examine whether or not leakage of heat transfer gas occurs when a voltage is applied to the electrostatic electrode 132 using the electrostatic chuck 121 according to one embodiment and a heat transfer gas is supplied to the gap G between the back surface of the substrate W and the substrate support surface 111w. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis of the graph represents the overlapping distance Lo [mm] between the seal band SB and the electrostatic electrode 132 (see Figures 3 and 4), and the vertical axis represents the shortest distance Lg [mm] between the outer periphery of the seal band SB and the outer periphery of the substrate contact portion DT closest to the seal band SB (see Figure 3). Note that the distance Lo represents the overlapping distance between the seal band SB and the electrostatic electrode 132 and is set to a value greater than 0. For each plot in Figure 7, a circle indicates that leakage of heat transfer gas was prevented or suppressed, and an cross indicates that leakage of heat transfer gas could not be prevented or suppressed. Regarding parameters other than the distance Lo and the distance Lg that were changed in the simulation, the distance between the electrostatic electrode 132 and the substrate support surface 111w was set to 0.5 mm, and the distance between the substrate support surface 111w and the upper surface of the substrate contact portion DT was set to 0.011 mm. The voltage applied to the electrostatic electrode 132 was set to 4 kV, and the pressure of the heat transfer gas supplied to the gap G between the back surface of the substrate W and the substrate support surface 111w was set to 15 Torr.

[0038] From the analysis results shown in FIG. 7, it can be seen that there is a correlation between the combination of the distance Lo and the distance Lg and the presence or absence of leakage of the heat transfer gas. Specifically, the distance Lg is expressed by the following formula (1): ＊ is greater than (Lg>Lg ＊ ) it is expected that leakage of heat transfer gas will be prevented or suppressed. ＊ = -1 / 6 × Lo + 1.7 ... (1)

[0039] Lg represented by formula (1) ＊ indicates a straight line in Fig. 7. As can be seen from Fig. 7, for example, when Lo [mm] = 0.30 mm, Lg ＊ Therefore, for example, by setting Lg [mm] = 1.70 mm, Lg > Lg ＊ It is expected that the above requirements will be satisfied and leakage of heat transfer gas will be prevented or suppressed.

[0040] Although not limited thereto, the distance La (see FIG. 4) between the edge of the hollowed-out portion 132h, i.e., the end face 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132, and the inner surface of the through-hole 141 is preferably 0.3 to 4.0 mm. This more effectively prevents or suppresses abnormal discharge in the through-hole 141. Furthermore, the distance Lb (see FIG. 3) between the electrostatic electrode 132 and the substrate support surface 111w is preferably 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

[0041] Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to the central region 111a of the main body 111 of the electrostatic chuck 121, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to the annular region 111b. For example, in the annular region 111b, a through hole 141 is formed in the ceramic member 131, penetrating from the ring support surface 111r to the underside of the ceramic member 131 (see FIG. 2). A lifter pin 151 is inserted through the through hole 141. In this case, a seal band SB is formed in the ring support surface 111r to surround the opening 142 of the through hole 141, as described above. This configuration also achieves the same effects as described above. That is, the heat transfer gas is prevented or suppressed from leaking from the gap between the edge ring and the seal band SB and entering the through hole 141. Furthermore, suppressing the heat transfer gas from entering the through hole 141 also prevents or suppresses the occurrence of abnormal discharge within the through hole 141. Furthermore, since the edge ring can be more effectively attached to the upper surface of the seal band SB, the occurrence of temperature singularities during plasma processing is also prevented or suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a single electrostatic electrode 132 is provided, and the hollowed-out portion 132h is configured so that the end surface 132e of the electrostatic electrode 132 surrounds the periphery of the through-hole 141. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and can also be applied to a case where the electrostatic electrode 132 is divided into two or more parts, and multiple electrostatic electrodes 132 are provided. In this case, for example, one electrostatic electrode 132 is arranged to surround the periphery of the through-hole 141, and another electrostatic electrode 132 is arranged to further surround the one electrostatic electrode 132. In this way, a lower voltage is applied to the electrostatic electrode 132 only in the region around the through-hole 141, where abnormal discharge is likely to occur, than in other regions, thereby more effectively suppressing abnormal discharge.

[0043] In this embodiment, the seal band SB has its upper surface SBa formed at the same height as the upper surface of the substrate contact portion DT, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, the seal band SB may be formed so that its upper surface SBa is higher than the upper surface of the substrate contact portion DT. This increases the contact area between the rear surface of the substrate W and the upper surface SBa of the seal band SB, preventing or suppressing heat transfer gas from leaking through the gap between the edge ring and the seal band SB and entering the through-hole 141. Furthermore, suppressing the heat transfer gas from entering the through-hole 141 also prevents or suppresses the occurrence of abnormal discharge within the through-hole 141. Furthermore, since the edge ring can be more effectively adsorbed to the upper surface of the seal band SB, the occurrence of temperature singularities during plasma processing is also prevented or suppressed.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, a seal band SB is described that is provided around the through hole 141 for inserting the lifter pin 151, but the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to other desired through holes in which a seal band SB is provided.

[0045] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Such an arbitrary combination naturally provides the functions and effects of each of the components involved in the combination, and also provides other functions and effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification.

[0046] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that would be apparent to a person skilled in the art from the description of this specification, in addition to or in place of the above-described effects.

[0047] The following configuration examples also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; and an electrostatic chuck disposed within the plasma processing chamber, wherein the electrostatic chuck includes: a dielectric member having a substrate support surface; and an electrostatic electrode disposed within the dielectric member, wherein a through-hole is formed in the dielectric member in a thickness direction, and a seal band is provided around an opening of the through-hole formed in the substrate support surface, and wherein the seal band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlap in a top view. (2) The plasma processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the electrostatic electrode has a hollow portion formed to surround the through-hole, and wherein an edge of the hollow portion around the through-hole at least partially overlaps with the seal band in a top view. (3) The plasma processing apparatus according to (2), wherein the entire periphery of the edge of the hollow portion overlaps with the seal band in a top view. (4) The plasma processing apparatus according to (3), wherein the edge of the hollow portion is annular. (5) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the dielectric member has a substrate contact portion formed therein that protrudes from the substrate support surface and that contacts the substrate on its upper surface. (6) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein a lifter pin is inserted through the through hole. (7) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the dielectric member has a ring support surface, wherein another through hole is formed in the dielectric member that passes through from the ring support surface to the lower surface of the dielectric member, and wherein another seal band is provided around the opening of the other through hole formed in the ring support surface, and wherein the other seal band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlap in a top view. (8) The shortest distance between the outer periphery of the substrate contact portion closest to the seal band and the outer periphery of the seal band is a distance Lg expressed by the following formula (1), where the overlapping distance between the seal band and the electrostatic electrode is Lo [mm]: ＊ The plasma processing apparatus according to (1) above, wherein Lg is greater than [mm]. ＊=-1 / 6×L0+1.7 (1) (9) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of (2) to (4) above, wherein the distance between the edge of the hollowed-out portion and the inner surface of the through-hole is 0.3 to 4.0 mm. (10) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the distance between the electrostatic electrode and the substrate support surface is 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

[0048] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 plasma processing apparatus 10 plasma processing chamber 111 main body 111w substrate support surface 121 electrostatic chuck 131 ceramic member 132 electrostatic electrode 141 through-hole 142 opening DT substrate contact portion SB seal band W substrate

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber; and an electrostatic chuck disposed within the plasma processing chamber, wherein the electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric member having a substrate support surface; and an electrostatic electrode disposed within the dielectric member, wherein a through hole is formed through the dielectric member in a thickness direction, and a seal band is provided around an opening formed in the substrate support surface of the through hole, and wherein the seal band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlap when viewed from above.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic electrode has a hollow formed around the periphery of the through hole, and the edge of the hollow around the periphery of the through hole at least partially overlaps with the seal band when viewed from above.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the entire periphery of the edge of said hollowed-out portion overlaps with said seal band in a top view.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the edge of the hollow portion is annular.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dielectric member is formed with a substrate contact portion that protrudes from said substrate support surface and that contacts the substrate on its upper surface.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the through holes are adapted to receive lifter pins therethrough.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric member has a ring support surface, the dielectric member has another through hole formed therein that penetrates from the ring support surface to the lower surface of the dielectric member, a further seal band is provided around an opening formed in the ring support surface of the further through hole, and the further seal band and the electrostatic electrode at least partially overlap when viewed from above.

8. The shortest distance between the outer periphery of the substrate contact portion closest to the seal band and the outer periphery of the seal band is a distance Lg expressed by the following formula (1), where the overlapping distance between the seal band and the electrostatic electrode is L0 [mm]. ＊ 2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Lg is greater than [mm]. ＊ = -1 / 6 × Lo + 1.7 ... (1) 9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the edge of the hollowed-out portion and the inner surface of the through hole is 0.3 to 4.0 mm.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the electrostatic electrode and the substrate support surface is 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

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