Plasma treatment device and plasma treatment method

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology capable of suppressing temperature fluctuation in an upper member of a plasma treatment device. This plasma treatment device comprises: a chamber; a substrate support part that is disposed in the chamber; an upper member that is disposed above the substrate support part; a heat transfer plate that comprises a flow path configured to allow a heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough, and that is disposed above said upper member; a drive mechanism that is configured to move said upper member up and down with respect to the heat transfer plate; a temperature sensor that is configured to output the temperature of said upper member; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to execute: (a) a control for controlling the drive mechanism to move, before generating plasma in the chamber, said upper member to a first position at which said upper member and the heat transfer plate come into contact with each other; and (b) a control for controlling the drive mechanism to move, after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, said upper member to a second position which is below the first position and at which said upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated from each other.

Description

Plasma Processing Apparatus and Plasma Processing Method

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for heating and cooling a substrate in a chamber.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-196363

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing temperature fluctuations of an upper member of a plasma processing apparatus.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there are provided a chamber, a substrate support portion disposed in the chamber, an upper member disposed above the substrate support portion, a flow path configured such that a heat transfer fluid flows, a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member, a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member vertically with respect to the heat transfer plate, a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the upper member, and a control unit. The control unit executes (a) control for controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position before generating plasma in the chamber, the first position being a position where the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact, and (b) control for controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, the second position being below the first position and a position where the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated. A plasma processing apparatus is provided.

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a technique capable of suppressing temperature fluctuations of an upper member of a plasma processing apparatus can be provided.

[0007] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a plasma processing system. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an upper electrode plate. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the upper electrode plate by a drive mechanism. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the upper electrode plate by a drive mechanism. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a plasma processing method. This is a diagram illustrating an example of temperature fluctuation of the upper electrode plate. This is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement of a movable part.

[0008] The embodiments of this disclosure are described below.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, a plasma processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a chamber; a substrate support portion disposed within the chamber; an upper member disposed above the substrate support portion; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the passage of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the upper member; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform: (a) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position before generating plasma in the chamber, the first position being a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact; and (b) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, the second position being lower than the first position and being a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the upper member includes a gas passage for supplying gas into the chamber.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further comprises a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to the chamber, and the control unit is configured to perform control (b) when the supply of the source RF signal to the chamber is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas channel into the chamber is stopped.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the control unit is configured to perform control (b) while the chamber is under reduced pressure.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between the upper member and the heat transfer plate, and in the control of (a), the control unit determines whether the upper member has been moved to the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment, after the control in (c) and (b), if the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range, the control unit further controls the drive mechanism to move the upper member from the second position to the first position.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment, the upper member and the heat transfer plate constitute the upper electrode assembly.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment, the upper electrode assembly further comprises a heat transfer member disposed on the upper surface of the upper member.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, the upper electrode assembly is configured to receive a source RF signal.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, the drive mechanism includes a support unit configured to suspend and support an upper member from a heat transfer plate, and a drive unit that moves the support unit up and down.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment, a first chamber having a side wall with an opening; a substrate support disposed within the first chamber; a second chamber disposed within the first chamber and defining a plasma processing space together with the substrate support, the second chamber being configured to be removable from the first chamber and transportable to the outside of the first chamber through an opening; a heat transfer plate disposed above the second chamber within the first chamber and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; and the heat transfer plate being moved up and down relative to the second chamber. The system comprises a drive mechanism configured to move the heat transfer plate, and a control unit, the control unit being configured to perform: (a) control of the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a first position before generating plasma in the second chamber, the first position being a position in which the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are in contact; and (b) control of the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a second position above the first position after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, the second position being a position in which the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment, the heat transfer plate includes a gas channel for supplying gas into a second chamber.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further comprises a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to a second chamber, and the control unit is configured to perform control (b) when the supply of the source RF signal is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas channel to the second chamber is stopped.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment, the control unit is configured to perform control (b) while the second chamber is under reduced pressure.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between a second chamber and a heat transfer plate, and in control (a), the control unit determines whether the heat transfer plate has been moved to a first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of a second chamber.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment, if, after the control in (c) and (b), the control unit further controls the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate from the second position to the first position if the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment, a plasma processing method is provided which is performed in a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a plasma processing space; an upper member having a surface exposed to the plasma processing space; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for a heat transfer fluid to flow through it; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; and a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal for plasma generation to the chamber, the plasma processing method comprising: (a) controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position; (b) supplying gas into the chamber; (c) supplying a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to generate plasma from the gas; (d) stopping the supply of a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to extinguish the plasma and stop the supply of gas into the chamber; and (e) controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position different from the first position.

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment, the first position is a position where the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact, and the second position is a position where the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0028] In one exemplary embodiment, the supply of heat transfer fluid to the flow path of the heat transfer plate is continued during steps (a) to (e).

[0029] Hereinafter, each embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations are omitted. Unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as top, bottom, left, and right will be described based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. The dimensional ratios in the drawings do not represent actual ratios, and actual ratios are not limited to those shown.

[0030] <Example of Plasma Processing System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2. The plasma processing system is an example of a substrate processing system, and the plasma processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support unit 11, and a plasma generation unit 12. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space. The plasma processing chamber 10 also has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space, and at least one gas outlet for discharging gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit 20, which will be described later, and the gas outlet is connected to an exhaust system 40, which will be described later. The substrate support unit 11 is located in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0031] The plasma generation unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space may be capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) plasma, helicon wave excited plasma (HWP), or surface wave plasma (SWP), etc. Various types of plasma generation units, including AC (Alternating Current) plasma generation units and DC (Direct Current) plasma generation units, may also be used. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generation unit has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Therefore, the AC signal includes an RF (Radio Frequency) signal and a microwave signal. In one embodiment, the RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0032] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. The control unit 2 may be configured to control the elements 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 is implemented, for example, by a computer 2a. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The functions realized by the processing unit 2a1 described herein may be implemented in a circuit or processing circuit, including a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a conventional circuit, and / or a combination thereof, programmed to realize the described functions. The processor is considered to be a circuit or processing circuit, including transistors and other circuits. The processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in the storage unit 2a2. This program may be pre-stored in the storage unit 2a2 or retrieved via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 and executed by the processing unit 2a1. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a, or it may be a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The storage unit 2a2 may include RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing device 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).In this disclosure, circuits, units, and means are hardware programmed to perform or configured to perform the functions described. Such hardware may be any hardware described in this disclosure, or any hardware known to be programmed to perform or execute the functions described. If such hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuit, such circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to constitute such hardware and / or processor.

[0033] The following describes an example configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus as an example of a plasma processing apparatus 1. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of an upper electrode plate.

[0034] The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply unit 20, a power supply system 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also includes a substrate support unit 11 and a gas introduction unit. The gas introduction unit is configured to introduce at least one processing gas into the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas introduction unit includes an upper electrode assembly 50 (ceiling). In addition to the upper electrode assembly 50, the gas introduction unit may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the side wall 10a.

[0035] The substrate support portion 11 is positioned inside the plasma processing chamber 10. The upper electrode assembly 50 is positioned above the substrate support portion 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the upper electrode assembly 50, the side wall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support portion 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 is grounded. The upper electrode assembly 50 and the substrate support portion 11 are electrically insulated from the housing of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0036] The substrate support portion 11 includes a main body portion 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body portion 111 has a central region 111a for supporting the substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body portion 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body portion 111 in a plan view. The substrate W is placed on the central region 111a of the main body portion 111, and the ring assembly 112 is placed on the annular region 111b of the main body portion 111 so as to surround the substrate W on the central region 111a of the main body portion 111. Therefore, the central region 111a is also called the substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also called the ring support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0037] 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 placed on the base 1110. The electrostatic chuck 1111 includes a ceramic member 1111a and an electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b placed within the ceramic member 1111a. The electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b is also called a clamping electrode. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b is electrically connected or coupled to a chuck power supply. The chuck power supply may be a DC power supply or an AC power supply. The ceramic member 1111a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 1111a also has an annular region 111b. Furthermore, other members surrounding the electrostatic chuck 1111, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member, may have an annular region 111b. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be placed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or it may be placed on both the electrostatic chuck 1111 and the annular insulating member. In addition, at least one bias electrode, which is electrically connected or coupled to the power supply 31 and / or power supply 32 described later, may be placed inside the ceramic member 1111a. In this case, at least one bias electrode functions as a lower electrode. Also, the conductive member of the base 1110 and the bias electrode inside the ceramic member 1111a may function as multiple lower electrodes. In one embodiment, the first voltage generation unit 32a, which functions as a voltage pulse generation unit described later, is electrically connected or coupled to the bias electrode inside the ceramic member 1111a, and the first RF generation unit 31a, described later, is electrically connected or coupled to the conductive member of the base 1110. Furthermore, the electrostatic chuck electrode 1111b may function as a lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support portion 11 includes at least one lower electrode.

[0038] The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular members. In one embodiment, the one or more annular members include one or more edge rings and at least one covering ring. The edge rings are formed of a conductive or insulating material, and the covering rings are formed of an insulating material.

[0039] The substrate support section 11 may also include a temperature control module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 1111, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate to a target temperature. The temperature control module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow path 1110a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or gas flows through the flow path 1110a. In one embodiment, the flow path 1110a is formed within the base 1110, and one or more heaters are arranged within the ceramic member 1111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111. The substrate support section 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply section configured to supply heat transfer gas to the gap between the back surface of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0040] The upper electrode assembly 50 is provided to close the upper end opening of the plasma processing chamber 10. The upper electrode assembly 50 may include an upper electrode plate 51 and a heat transfer plate 52. The upper electrode plate 51 may be positioned above the substrate support portion 11. The upper electrode plate 51 is an example of an upper member in this disclosure. The heat transfer plate 52 may be positioned above the upper electrode plate 51. The upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 may constitute an upper electrode. The upper electrode assembly 50 may include an insulating annular member 53. The heat transfer plate 52 may be fixed to the side wall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10 via the annular member 53.

[0041] The upper electrode plate 51 may have a substantially disc shape. The lower surface of the upper electrode plate 51 is exposed to the plasma processing space 10s of the plasma processing chamber 10. The upper electrode plate 51 has a plurality of gas discharge holes 51h formed therein. The plurality of gas discharge holes 51h penetrate the upper electrode plate 51 in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). The upper electrode plate 51 has a recess 51a formed therein for engaging with a drive mechanism 54 described later. A plurality of recesses 51a may be formed along the circumferential direction. In one embodiment, the upper electrode plate 51 may be formed of a conductive material and a heat conductive material. In one embodiment, the upper electrode plate 51 is made of a silicon-containing material. Examples of the silicon-containing material include silicon, silicon carbide, quartz, etc. In one embodiment, the upper electrode plate 51 may be composed of an aluminum-containing material with ceramic sprayed on its surface.

[0042] In one embodiment, the upper electrode assembly 50 may include a heat transfer member. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat transfer member 510 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper electrode plate 51 (the surface facing the heat transfer plate 52). Holes having shapes corresponding to the gas discharge holes 51h and the recess 51a are formed in the heat transfer member 510. The heat transfer member 510 is formed of a heat transfer material such as silicon or graphite, for example. The heat transfer member 510 may be in a sheet shape. For example, the heat transfer member 510 may be configured as a single circular sheet. For example, the heat transfer member 510 may also be configured as a plurality of ring-shaped sheets having different diameters from each other.

[0043] The heat transfer plate 52 may be formed of a conductive material and a heat-conductive material. For example, the heat transfer plate 52 may be made of aluminum. A flow channel 52f may be formed in the heat transfer plate 52. The flow channel 52f may extend within the heat transfer plate 52, for example, in a spiral shape. The flow channel 52f may be configured so that a heat transfer fluid is supplied through a pipe 60 and discharged through the pipe 60. The heat transfer fluid may be, for example, water, brine, or gas. In one embodiment, the heat transfer plate 52 may be configured so that its temperature is adjusted by being cooled by the heat transfer fluid flowing through the flow channel 52f. The heat transfer plate 52 can cool the upper electrode plate 51 when it is in contact with the upper electrode plate 51.

[0044] As will be described later, the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are thermally separable. Therefore, excessive cooling of the upper electrode plate 51 by the heat transfer plate 52 can be suppressed, such as immediately after the plasma is extinguished. In this case, it is not necessary to provide a heating means for heating the upper electrode plate 51 on the heat transfer plate 52. That is, in one embodiment, the heat transfer plate 52 does not need to be equipped with a heating means such as a heater.

[0045] In one embodiment, the heat transfer plate 52 may be equipped with one or more heaters. That is, the heat transfer plate 52 may be configured so that its temperature is adjusted by being cooled by the heat transfer fluid flowing through the flow path 52f and heated by the heaters. In this case, the heat transfer plate 52 can cool or heat the upper electrode plate 51 while in contact with it.

[0046] Inside the heat transfer plate 52, a gas diffusion chamber 52d may be formed. A plurality of gas holes 52h may be formed in the heat transfer plate 52. The plurality of gas holes 52h extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 52d. The plurality of gas holes 52h may be configured to be respectively connected to the plurality of gas discharge holes 51h of the upper electrode plate 51 in a state where the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are in contact (see FIGS. 2 and FIG. 4 described later). A port 52p may be provided in the heat transfer plate 52. The port 52p is connected to the gas supply unit 20 at one end and to the gas diffusion chamber 52d at the other end. The gas supplied from the gas supply unit 20 to the port 52p is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s via the gas diffusion chamber 52d, the plurality of gas holes 52h, and the plurality of gas discharge holes 51h.

[0047] The plasma processing apparatus 1 may include a drive mechanism 54. The drive mechanism 54 may be configured to move the upper electrode plate 51 up and down. In one embodiment, the upper electrode plate 51 moves between a first position where the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are in contact and a second position where the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are separated. Details of this point will be described later using FIGS. 4 and FIG. 5.

[0048] The plasma processing apparatus 1 may include a temperature sensor 58. The temperature sensor 58 may be configured to output the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51. The temperature sensor 58 may be a non-contact type temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer, for example. The temperature sensor 58 may be arranged on the upper electrode plate 51, for example.

[0049] The gas supply unit 20 may include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one processing gas from the corresponding gas source 21 to the upper electrode assembly 50 via the corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure control type flow controller. Further, the gas supply unit 20 may include at least one flow modulation device that modulates or pulses the flow rate of at least one processing gas.

[0050] The power supply system 30 includes a power supply 31 that is electrically connected to or coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, the power supply 31 is electrically connected to or coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matcher. The impedance matcher may be a mechanically controlled matcher or an electronically controlled matcher. The 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 plasma from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the power supply 31 can function as at least part of the plasma generation unit 12. In addition, by supplying a bias RF signal to at least one lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, and ionic components in the formed plasma can be drawn into the substrate W.

[0051] The power supply 31 includes a first RF generation unit 31a and a second RF generation unit 31b. The first RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected or coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) to generate plasma in the plasma processing space 10s. In one embodiment, the first RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected or coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode via at least one impedance matcher. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 10 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generation unit 31a may be configured to generate a plurality of source RF signals having different frequencies. One or more generated source RF signals are supplied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode.

[0052] The second RF generation unit 31b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode and is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). In one embodiment, the second RF generation unit 31b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode via at least one impedance matcher. When the first RF generation unit 31a is electrically connected to or coupled to a lower electrode, the second RF generation unit 31b may be electrically connected to or coupled to the same lower electrode, or it may be electrically connected to or coupled to a different lower electrode. The frequency of the bias RF signal may be the same as or different from the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency lower than the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 60 MHz. In one embodiment, the second RF generation unit 31b may be configured to generate a plurality of bias RF signals having different frequencies. 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.

[0053] The power supply system 30 may also include a power supply 32 that is electrically connected to or coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The power supply 32 includes a first voltage generation unit 32a and a second voltage generation unit 32b. In one embodiment, the first voltage generation unit 32a is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one lower electrode and is configured to generate a first voltage signal. The generated first voltage signal is applied to at least one lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second voltage generation unit 32b is electrically connected to or coupled to at least one upper electrode and is configured to generate a second voltage signal. The generated second voltage signal is applied to at least one upper electrode.

[0054] In various embodiments, the first and / or second voltage signals may be pulsed. In this case, the first voltage generation unit 32a and / or the second voltage generation unit 32b function as voltage pulse generation units configured to generate a sequence of voltage pulses. Thus, the sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. In one embodiment, the sequence of voltage pulses has a plurality of cycles, each cycle including a burst of voltage pulses in a first period and a constant reference voltage in a second period. That is, in the sequence of voltage pulses, the burst of voltage pulses is repeated. The absolute value of the voltage level of the voltage pulse is greater than the absolute value of the voltage level of the reference voltage. The voltage pulse may have an arbitrary waveform having a rectangle, trapezoid, triangle, or a combination thereof, and the arbitrary waveform may change over time. The voltage pulse may have positive polarity or negative polarity. The sequence of voltage pulses may also include one or more positive voltage pulses and one or more negative voltage pulses within one cycle. The first and second voltage generation units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the power supply 31, and the first voltage generation unit 32a may be provided in place of the second RF generation unit 31b.

[0055] The exhaust system 40 may be connected to, for example, a gas outlet 10e located at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure regulating valve regulates the pressure in the plasma processing space 10s. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0056] <An Example of Vertical Movement of the Upper Electrode Plate> Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating an example of movement of the upper electrode plate. As mentioned above, the drive mechanism 54 may be configured to move the upper electrode plate 51 vertically. In one embodiment, the upper electrode plate 51 is configured to move between a first position (see Figure 4) where the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are in contact, and a second position (see Figure 5) where the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 are separated.

[0057] The drive mechanism 54 may include a support portion 55 and a drive portion 56. In one embodiment, the support portion 55 may be configured to suspend and support the upper electrode plate 51 from the heat transfer plate 52. The drive portion 56 may be configured to move the support portion 55 up and down. In one embodiment, there may be multiple support portions 55 and drive portions 56.

[0058] In one embodiment, the support portion 55 may include a vertically extending rod-shaped shaft portion 550, a plate 551 provided at the upper end of the shaft portion 550, and an engaging portion 552 provided at the lower end of the shaft portion 550, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The engaging portion 552 is configured to engage with a recess 51a provided in the upper electrode plate 51.

[0059] In one embodiment, the drive unit 56 may include a cavity 560 provided inside the support unit 55, a biasing member 561 such as a coil spring, a cover 562 that closes the cavity 560, and a fluid supply unit 563. The fluid supply unit 563 is configured to supply and stop fluid (for example, air) to the cavity 560.

[0060] In one embodiment, when fluid is supplied to the cavity 560 by the fluid supplyer 563, the plate 551 of the support portion 55 is pressed downward by the fluid, causing the support portion 55 to move downward. As the support portion 55 moves downward, the upper electrode plate 51 is also pushed downward. As a result, the upper electrode plate 51 moves to a second position where it is separated from the heat transfer plate 52 (see Figure 5). As a result, a space SP is formed between the upper surface of the upper electrode plate 51 and the lower surface of the heat transfer plate 52. In one embodiment, the space SP may be depressurized. As shown in Figure 5, the upper surface of the upper electrode plate 51 does not need to be exposed to the plasma processing space 10s at the second position. In one embodiment, the upper surface of the upper electrode plate 51 may be exposed to the plasma processing space 10s at the second position.

[0061] In one embodiment, when the fluid supply to the cavity 560 is stopped by the fluid supplyer 563, the biasing member 561 pushes the plate 551 of the support portion 55 upward, causing the support portion 55 to move upward. As the support portion 55 moves upward, the upper electrode plate 51 is lifted upward. As a result, the upper electrode plate 51 moves to a first position in contact with the heat transfer plate 52 (see Figure 4).

[0062] The drive mechanism 54 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can take various forms as long as it is capable of moving the upper electrode plate 51 up and down. For example, the drive unit 56 of the drive mechanism 54 may be configured as a cylinder that reciprocates up and down along the axial direction. Alternatively, for example, the drive unit 56 may be configured as an actuator that reciprocates up and down along the axial direction.

[0063] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 54 includes a pressure sensor 57. The pressure sensor 57 may be configured to output the contact pressure between the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52. The contact pressure output from the pressure sensor 57 may be used to determine whether or not the upper electrode plate is in a first position. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 57 may detect the contact pressure between the plate 551 of the support portion 55 and the cover 562 of the drive portion 56, and output the contact pressure between the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 based on the detected contact pressure.

[0064] <Example of Plasma Processing> Figure 6 is a flowchart of an example of a plasma processing method (hereinafter also referred to as "Method MT") according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, Method MT1 includes a step ST1 of moving the upper electrode plate to a first position, a step ST2 of supplying processing gas to the chamber, a step ST3 of performing plasma processing, a step ST4 of stopping the supply of processing gas, and a step ST5 of moving the upper electrode plate to a second position. In the following, the case in which the control unit 2 controls each part of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to execute Method MT will be described as an example.

[0065] In step ST1, the upper electrode plate 51 is moved to a first position. The control unit 2 controls the drive mechanism 54 to move the upper electrode plate 51 upward. For example, the supply of fluid from the fluid supplier 563 to the cavity 560 is stopped. As a result, the biasing member 561 pushes the plate 551 of the support part 55 upward, and the support part 55 moves upward. Due to the upward movement of the support part 55, the upper electrode plate 51 moves upward to a first position (see Figure 4). The control unit 2 may determine whether the upper electrode plate is in the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor 57.

[0066] The temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 is adjusted while the upper electrode plate 51 is being moved to a first position or after it has been moved. By adjusting the temperature of the heat transfer plate 52, the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 in contact with the heat transfer plate 52 may also be adjusted. The temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 may be adjusted by controlling the flow rate and / or temperature of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the flow path 52f of the heat transfer plate 52. The temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 may be adjusted so that the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 is within a target temperature range. The temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 may be adjusted based on the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 output from the temperature sensor 58. The temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 may be adjusted similarly between steps ST2 to ST5. In one embodiment, heat transfer fluid may be continuously supplied to the flow path 52f of the heat transfer plate 52 between steps ST1 to ST5. In one embodiment, plasma may be generated in the plasma processing chamber 10 before or during step ST1, and the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 may be raised to a target temperature range by heat input from the plasma. Furthermore, if the heat transfer plate 52 includes a heater, in step ST1, the heater of the heat transfer plate 52 may be turned on to heat the heat transfer plate 52, thereby raising the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 to the target temperature range.

[0067] The substrate W is brought into the plasma processing chamber 10 while the upper electrode plate 51 is being moved to the first position or after it has been moved. The substrate W may also be brought into the plasma processing chamber 10 before the upper electrode plate 51 is moved to the first position. The substrate W is the target of plasma processing in step ST3. The substrate W is placed on the substrate support part 11 by a lifter and held on the substrate support part 11 by suction. The temperature of the substrate support part 11 is then adjusted to a set temperature by a temperature control module. The atmosphere inside the plasma processing space 10s is exhausted from the gas outlet 10e, and the inside of the plasma processing space 10s is depressurized. The inside of the plasma processing space 10s is similarly depressurized during the subsequent steps ST2 to ST5.

[0068] In step ST2, a processing gas is supplied into the plasma processing chamber. The processing gas contains a gas that generates active species necessary for plasma processing of the substrate W. The processing gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 20 to the port 52p of the heat transfer plate 52 and introduced into the plasma processing space 10s via the gas diffusion chamber 52d, a plurality of gas holes 52h, and a plurality of gas discharge holes 51h.

[0069] In step ST3, plasma processing is performed. A source RF signal is supplied from the power supply system 30 to the upper electrode and / or lower electrode. This generates a high-frequency electric field between the substrate support 11 and the upper electrode assembly 50, and plasma is generated from the processing gas in the plasma processing space 10s. At this time, a bias RF signal and / or a bias DC signal may be supplied to the lower electrode. The generated plasma performs plasma processing on the substrate W. In one embodiment, the plasma processing includes an etching process to etch a film on the substrate W.

[0070] When the plasma treatment of the substrate W is completed, in step ST4, the supply of the source RF signal from the power supply system 30 is stopped, and the plasma in the plasma treatment space 10s is extinguished. At the same time, the supply of the treatment gas into the plasma treatment chamber 10 is stopped.

[0071] In step ST5, the upper electrode plate 51 is moved to a second position. The control unit 2 controls the drive mechanism 54 to move the upper electrode plate 51 downward. For example, fluid is supplied from the fluid supply unit 563 to the cavity 560. The fluid presses the plate 551 of the support unit 55 downward, causing the support unit 55 to move downward. As the support unit 55 moves downward, the upper electrode plate 51 moves to a second position (see Figure 5). Step ST5 may be performed immediately after step ST4. At the end of step ST5, that is, when the upper electrode plate 51 is in the second position, the substrate W is transported from the plasma processing chamber 10, and a new substrate W may be transported to the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0072] Figure 7 illustrates an example of temperature fluctuation of the upper electrode plate in Method MT. In Figure 7, the vertical axis represents the temperature (T) of the upper electrode plate 51, and the horizontal axis represents the time (t) since the start of Method MT. ＭＴ This is an example of the temperature fluctuation of the upper electrode plate 51 when process ST5 is performed. Ｒｅｆ This is an example of the temperature fluctuation of the upper electrode plate 51 when process ST5 is not performed.

[0073] From process ST1 to process ST2, the upper electrode plate 51 comes into contact with the heat transfer plate 52. Through heat exchange with the heat transfer plate 52, the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 is adjusted to within the target temperature range (T1 to T2).

[0074] Immediately after the start of process ST3 (t2), the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 may rise sharply. Although the upper electrode plate 51 in contact with the heat transfer plate 52 is cooled by the supply of heat transfer fluid to the heat transfer plate 52, the cooling cannot keep up with the rapid heat input from the plasma immediately after plasma generation. After the cooling by the heat transfer plate 52 stabilizes, the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 is maintained within the target temperature range.

[0075] In step ST4, when the supply of the source RF signal is stopped and the plasma is extinguished, heat input from the plasma stops. If step ST5 is not performed in this state (t3), the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 may fall below the target temperature range (TＲｅｆ ). This is because the temperature of the heat transfer plate 52 cannot be adjusted rapidly, and if the upper electrode plate 51 is in contact with the heat transfer plate 52, the cooling by the heat transfer plate 52 will continue.

[0076] In contrast, according to method MT, in step ST5, the upper electrode plate 51 moves to a second position separated from the heat transfer plate 52. When the upper electrode plate 51 is not in contact with the heat transfer plate 52, heat transfer through the heat transfer plate 52 is limited. Furthermore, the space SP between the upper electrode plate 51 and the heat transfer plate 52 can provide vacuum insulation. This is because convection in the space SP is suppressed under reduced pressure and when the supply of the processing gas is stopped. Since the upper electrode plate 51 is thermally separated from the heat transfer plate 52 and is thermally suspended, the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 can continue to be maintained within the target temperature range from step ST4 onwards (T ＭＴ ). When the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 decreases, reaction products from the plasma treatment tend to condense and accumulate on the lower surface of the upper electrode plate 51. Maintaining the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 within the target temperature range can prevent such problems. Furthermore, since temperature adjustment of the upper electrode plate 51 in the next plasma treatment will be unnecessary or reduced, the power required for temperature adjustment can be suppressed.

[0077] In one embodiment, after the completion of step ST5, the control unit 2 may continuously monitor the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 output from the temperature sensor 58. If the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 falls outside the target temperature range, the control unit 2 may control the drive mechanism 54 to move the upper electrode plate 51 back to the first position and adjust the temperature of the upper electrode plate 51 with the heat transfer plate 52 so that it falls within the target temperature range.

[0078] This disclosure provides a technology that can suppress temperature fluctuations in the upper components of a plasma processing apparatus.

[0079] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the plasma processing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as "plasma processing apparatus 91" to distinguish it from the configuration shown in Figure 2). The plasma processing apparatus 91 comprises a first chamber 910, a second chamber 920, and a substrate support section 930.

[0080] The first chamber 910 provides an internal space. The first chamber 910 may be formed from a metal such as aluminum. The first chamber 910 is electrically grounded. A corrosion-resistant film may be formed on the surface of the first chamber 910. The corrosion-resistant film may be formed from a material such as aluminum oxide or yttrium oxide.

[0081] The first chamber 910 includes a side wall 910s, which has a substantially cylindrical shape. The central axis of the side wall 910s extends vertically and is shown as axis AX in Figure 8. The side wall 910s provides a passage 910p. The internal space of the first chamber 910 is connected to the internal space of an external transport chamber (not shown) via the passage 910p. The passage 910p can be opened and closed by a gate valve 910g. The substrate W passes through the passage 910p when it is transported between the internal space of the first chamber 910 and the outside of the first chamber 910.

[0082] The side wall 910s further provides an opening 910o. The opening 910o is sized to allow the second chamber 920 to pass through. The internal space of the first chamber 910 can be connected to the internal space of the external transport chamber through the opening 910o. The opening 910o can be opened and closed by a gate valve 910v.

[0083] The first chamber 910 may further include an upper portion 910u. The upper portion 910u extends from the upper end of the side wall 910s in a direction intersecting the axis AX. The upper portion 910u provides an opening in the region intersecting the axis AX.

[0084] The first chamber 910 further includes a movable portion 910m, which is an example of a heat transfer member of the present disclosure. The movable portion 910m is located below the upper portion 910u of the first chamber 910 and inside the side wall 910s. The movable portion 910m is configured to be movable upward and downward within the first chamber 910.

[0085] The plasma processing apparatus 91 further comprises a lift mechanism 912. The lift mechanism 912 is configured to move the movable part 910m upward and downward. The lift mechanism 912 is an example of a drive mechanism of the present disclosure. The lift mechanism 912 includes a drive unit 912d and a shaft 912s. The movable part 910m is fixed to the shaft 912s. The shaft 912s extends upward from the movable part 910m through an opening in the upper part 910u. The drive unit 912d is provided outside the first chamber 910. The drive unit 912d is configured to move the shaft 912s upward and downward. The drive unit 912d includes, for example, a motor. The upward and downward movement of the shaft 912s causes the movable part 910m to move upward and downward.

[0086] The plasma processing apparatus 91 may further include a bellows 914. The bellows 914 is provided between the movable part 910m and the upper part 910u. The bellows 914 separates the internal space of the first chamber 910 from the outside of the first chamber 910. The lower end of the bellows 914 is fixed to the movable part 910m. The upper end of the bellows 914 is fixed to the upper part 910u.

[0087] In one embodiment, the movable portion 910m may include a first member 910a and a second member 910b. The first member 910a and the second member 910b are fixed to each other. The first member 910a has a substantially disc shape. The first member 910a is made of a conductor such as aluminum. The first member 910a may constitute the upper electrode in the plasma processing apparatus 91. The second member 910b has a substantially cylindrical shape. The second member 910b extends along the outer circumference of the first member 910a and extends above the first member 910a. The lower end of the bellows 914 described above is fixed to the upper end of the second member 910b.

[0088] In one embodiment, the movable part 910m may form a shower head together with the top part 920c of the second chamber 920. That is, the movable part 910m may form part of a shower head that supplies gas to the processing space S. The movable part 910m may provide a gas diffusion chamber 910d and a plurality of gas holes 910h.

[0089] In one embodiment, a flow path for supplying a heat transfer fluid may be formed in the movable part 910m. The heat transfer fluid may be, for example, water, brine, or gas. The movable part 910m may be configured so that its temperature is adjusted by being cooled by the heat transfer fluid flowing through the flow path. In this case, the movable part 910m can cool the second chamber 920 when it is in contact with the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920.

[0090] As will be described later, the second chamber 920 and the movable part 910m are thermally separable. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second chamber 920 from being excessively cooled by the movable part 910m immediately after the plasma is extinguished. In this case, it is not necessary to provide heating means for heating the second chamber 920 in the movable part 910m. That is, in one embodiment, the movable part 910m does not need to be equipped with heating means such as a heater.

[0091] In one embodiment, the movable part 910m may be equipped with one or more heaters. That is, the movable part 910m may be configured so that its temperature is adjusted by being cooled by a heat transfer fluid flowing through a channel and heated by a heater. In this case, the movable part 910m can cool or heat the second chamber 920 while in contact with the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920.

[0092] The gas diffusion chamber 910d may be provided within the first member 910a. A gas supply unit 916 is connected to the gas diffusion chamber 910d. The gas supply unit 916 is located outside the first chamber 910. The gas supply unit 916 includes one or more gas sources used in the plasma processing apparatus 91, one or more flow controllers, and one or more valves. Each of the one or more gas sources is connected to the gas diffusion chamber 910d via a corresponding flow controller and a corresponding valve. Multiple gas holes 910h extend downward from the gas diffusion chamber 910d.

[0093] The substrate support portion 930 is located inside the first chamber 910 and below the movable portion 910m. The substrate support portion 930 is configured to support the substrate W placed on it. The substrate support portion 930 may include a lower electrode 934. A power supply may be electrically connected to or coupled to the lower electrode 934. The power supply includes a first RF generation unit 941 and a second RF generation unit 942. The first RF generation unit 941 is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) to generate plasma in the processing space S. The second RF generation unit 31b is configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). In one embodiment, the power supply may be electrically connected to or coupled to the upper electrode.

[0094] The second chamber 920 is located within the first chamber 910 and, together with the substrate support portion 930, defines the processing space S. The processing space S may be a plasma processing space. In one embodiment, the second chamber 920 is made of a silicon-containing material. Examples of silicon-containing materials include silicon, silicon carbide, and quartz. In one embodiment, the second chamber 920 may be made of an aluminum-containing material with ceramic sprayed onto its surface.

[0095] The second chamber 920 is removable from the first chamber 10 and can be transported between the internal space of the first chamber 910 and the outside of the first chamber 910 via the opening 910o.

[0096] The second chamber 920 includes a top portion 920c. The top portion 920c extends substantially horizontally over the processing space S above the substrate support portion 930. The upper surface of the top portion 920c abuts against the lower surface of the movable portion 910m when the second chamber 920 is fixed to the first chamber 10. The top portion 920c provides a plurality of gas holes 920h. The plurality of gas holes 920h penetrate the top portion 920c and open toward the processing space S. Each of the plurality of gas holes 920h is connected to a plurality of gas holes 910h.

[0097] In one embodiment, the second chamber 920 may further include a side portion 920s. The side portion 920s extends laterally from the processing space S. The side portion 920s has a substantially cylindrical shape. The side portion 920s extends downward from the edge of the top portion 920c.

[0098] In one embodiment, the second chamber 920 may further include a bottom portion 920b. The bottom portion 920b extends from the lower end of the side portion 920s in a direction intersecting the axis AX. A plurality of through holes are formed in the bottom portion 920b.

[0099] The plasma processing apparatus 91 further comprises a clamp 950 and a release mechanism 960. The clamp 950 is configured to releasably fix the second chamber 920 to the first chamber 910. The release mechanism 960 is configured to release the clamp 950 from fixing the second chamber 920. When the movable part 910m is moved upward by the lift mechanism 912 with the clamp 950 released from fixing the second chamber 920, the movable part 910m is pulled away from the second chamber 20.

[0100] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the movement of the movable part 910m. As described above, the lift mechanism 912 is configured to move the movable part 910m upward and downward. In one embodiment, the movable part 910m is configured to move between a first position (see Figure 8) in which the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920 and the movable part 910m are in contact, and a second position (see Figure 9) in which the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920 and the movable part 910m are separated.

[0101] In one embodiment, the control unit 2 may, before generating plasma in the processing space S, control the lift mechanism 912 to move the movable part 910m downward to a first position (see Figure 8) and bring the movable part 910m into contact with the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920. The control unit 2 may then control the clamp 950 and the release mechanism 960 to fix the second chamber 920 to the first chamber 910.

[0102] In one embodiment, after extinguishing the plasma in the processing space S, the control unit 2 may control the clamp 950 and the release mechanism 960 to release the fixing of the second chamber. The control unit 2 may then control the lift mechanism 912 to move the movable part 910m upward to a second position (see Figure 9). As a result, the top portion 920c of the second chamber 920 is thermally separated from the movable part 910m. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second chamber 920 from being excessively cooled by the movable part 910m immediately after the plasma is extinguished.

[0103] As shown in Figure 9, when the movable part 910m moves from the first position to the second position, the second chamber 920 does not move, so the relative position with respect to the substrate support part 930 remains unchanged, and the processing space S defined by both is maintained. In one embodiment, the movement of the movable part 910m from the first position to the second position may be performed while the processing space S is under reduced pressure. In another embodiment, the movement of the movable part 910m from the first position to the second position may be performed while the supply of the source RF signal to the second chamber 920 is stopped and the supply of gas into the second chamber is stopped.

[0104] In one embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 91 may further include a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may be configured to output the temperature of the second chamber 920 (for example, the temperature of the top portion 920c). The temperature sensor may be a non-contact temperature sensor, such as a radiation thermometer. The temperature sensor may be located, for example, on the movable part 910m. The control unit 2 may continuously monitor the temperature of the second chamber 920 output from the temperature sensor when the movable part 910m is in the second position. If the temperature of the second chamber 920 falls outside the target temperature range, the control unit 2 may control the lift mechanism 912 to move the movable part 910m back to the first position and adjust the temperature of the second chamber 920 to be within the target temperature range using the movable part 910m.

[0105] In one embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 91 may further include a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be configured to output the contact pressure between the second chamber 920 and the movable part 910m. The contact pressure output from the pressure sensor may be used to determine whether or not the movable part 910m is in a first position.

[0106] In one embodiment, at least a portion of a member exposed to the plasma processing space (for example, "plasma processing space 10s" in Figure 2 or "processing space S" in Figure 9) may be formed of or covered with a shielding material. In one embodiment, the shielding material may be an electrostatic shielding material or a magnetic shielding material. In one embodiment, the shielding material may have an electrical conductivity of 1 S / m (Siemens per meter) or more. In one embodiment, the shielding material may have a magnetic permeability of 100 H / m or more.

[0107] Although the above embodiment was a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus, this disclosure is not limited thereto and may be applied to other plasma processing apparatuses, such as inductively coupled plasma processing apparatuses.

[0108] Embodiments of this disclosure further include the following embodiments:

[0109] (Note 1) A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support portion disposed within the chamber; an upper member disposed above the substrate support portion; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the upper member; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform: (a) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position before generating plasma in the chamber, the first position being a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact; and (b) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, the second position being a position below the first position where the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0110] (Note 2) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 1, wherein the upper member is provided with a gas passage for supplying gas into the chamber.

[0111] (Note 3) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 2, further comprising a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to the chamber, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the supply of the source RF signal to the chamber is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas flow path to the chamber is stopped.

[0112] (Note 4) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the inside of the chamber is depressurized.

[0113] (Note 5) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between the upper member and the heat transfer plate, wherein the control unit determines, in the control of (a), whether the upper member has been moved to the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

[0114] (Note 6) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, wherein the control unit further controls the drive mechanism to move the upper member from the second position to the first position if the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range after the control of (b).

[0115] (Note 7) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 1 to 6, wherein the upper member and the heat transfer plate constitute an upper electrode assembly.

[0116] (Note 8) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 7, wherein the upper electrode assembly further comprises a heat transfer member disposed on the upper surface of the upper member.

[0117] (Note 9) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 7 or Note 8, wherein the upper electrode assembly is configured to receive a source RF signal.

[0118] (Note 10) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 1 to 9, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a support part configured to suspend and support the upper member from the heat transfer plate, and a drive part for moving the support part up and down.

[0119] (Note 11) A first chamber having a side wall with an opening; a substrate support portion disposed within the first chamber; a second chamber disposed within the first chamber and defining a plasma processing space together with the substrate support portion, wherein the second chamber is configured to be removable from the first chamber and to be transportable to the outside of the first chamber through the opening; a heat transfer plate disposed above the second chamber within the first chamber and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the heat transfer plate up and down relative to the second chamber; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes (a) a control that controls the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a first position before generating plasma in the second chamber, the first position being a position where the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are in contact; (b) A plasma processing apparatus configured to perform a control that, after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, controls the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a second position above the first position, wherein the second position is a position in which the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0120] (Note 12) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 11, wherein the heat transfer plate is provided with a gas passage for supplying gas into the second chamber.

[0121] (Note 13) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 12, further comprising a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to the second chamber, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the supply of the source RF signal is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas flow path to the second chamber is stopped.

[0122] (Note 14) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 11 to 13, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the second chamber is depressurized.

[0123] (Note 15) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 11 to 14, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between the second chamber and the heat transfer plate, wherein the control unit determines, in the control of (a), whether the heat transfer plate has been moved to the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

[0124] (Note 16) The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of Notes 11 to 15, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the second chamber.

[0125] (Note 17) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 16, wherein the control unit further performs control to move the heat transfer plate from the second position to the first position if, after the control of (b), the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range, by controlling the drive mechanism.

[0126] (Note 18) A plasma processing method to be performed in a plasma processing apparatus, wherein the plasma processing apparatus comprises: a chamber having a plasma processing space; an upper member having a surface exposed to the plasma processing space; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; and a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal for plasma generation to the chamber, and the plasma processing method comprises: (a) a step of controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position; (b) a step of supplying gas into the chamber; (c) a step of supplying a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to generate plasma from the gas; (d) a step of stopping the supply of a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to extinguish the plasma and stop the supply of gas into the chamber; and (e) a step of controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position different from the first position.

[0127] (Note 19) The plasma treatment method according to Note 18, wherein the first position is the position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact, and the second position is the position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0128] (Note 20) The plasma treatment method according to Note 19, wherein the supply of the heat transfer fluid to the flow path of the heat transfer plate is continued during steps (a) to (e).

[0129] (Note 21) A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a plasma processing space; an upper member having a surface exposed to the plasma processing space; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform: (a) control to move the upper member to a first position by controlling the drive mechanism before generating plasma in the chamber; and (b) control to move the upper member to a second position different from the first position by controlling the drive mechanism after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber.

[0130] (Note 22) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 21, wherein the first position is a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact, and the second position is a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

[0131] (Note 23) The plasma processing apparatus according to Note 21 or Note 22, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the upper member.

[0132] The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described above can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. For example, some components of one embodiment can be added to other embodiments, or some components of one embodiment can be replaced with corresponding components of other embodiments.

[0133] 1... Plasma processing apparatus, 2... Control unit, 10... Plasma processing chamber, 10s... Plasma processing space, 11... Substrate support unit, 20... Gas supply unit, 30... Power supply system, 40... Exhaust system, 50... Upper electrode assembly, 51... Upper electrode plate, 52... Heat transfer plate, 54... Drive mechanism, 55... Support unit, 56... Drive unit, 57... Pressure sensor, 58... Temperature sensor

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support portion disposed within the chamber; an upper member disposed above the substrate support portion; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the upper member; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform: (a) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position before generating plasma in the chamber, the first position being a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact; and (b) control of the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, the second position being lower than the first position and being a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper member is provided with a gas passage for supplying gas into the chamber.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to the chamber, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the supply of the source RF signal to the chamber is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas flow path to the chamber is stopped.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the inside of the chamber is depressurized.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between the upper member and the heat transfer plate, wherein the control unit determines, in the control of (a), whether the upper member has been moved to the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further performs control to move the upper member from the second position to the first position if, after the control of (b), the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range, by controlling the drive mechanism.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper member and the heat transfer plate constitute an upper electrode assembly.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the upper electrode assembly further comprises a heat transfer member disposed on the upper surface of the upper member.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the upper electrode assembly is configured to receive a source RF signal.

10. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a support portion configured to suspend and support the upper member from the heat transfer plate, and a drive portion for moving the support portion up and down.

11. A first chamber having a side wall with an opening; a substrate support portion disposed within the first chamber; a second chamber disposed within the first chamber and defining a plasma processing space together with the substrate support portion, wherein the second chamber is configured to be removable from the first chamber and to be transportable to the outside of the first chamber through the opening; a heat transfer plate disposed above the second chamber within the first chamber and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the heat transfer plate up and down relative to the second chamber; and a control unit, wherein the control unit includes: (a) control of the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a first position before generating plasma in the second chamber, the first position being a position where the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are in contact; (b) A plasma processing apparatus configured to perform a control that, after extinguishing the plasma in the chamber, controls the drive mechanism to move the heat transfer plate to a second position above the first position, wherein the second position is a position in which the second chamber and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

12. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the heat transfer plate is provided with a gas passage for supplying gas into the second chamber.

13. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal to the second chamber, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the supply of the source RF signal is stopped and the supply of gas from the gas flow path to the second chamber is stopped.

14. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the control of (b) when the pressure inside the second chamber is reduced.

15. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a pressure sensor configured to output the contact pressure between the second chamber and the heat transfer plate, wherein the control unit determines, in the control of (a), whether the heat transfer plate has been moved to the first position based on the contact pressure output from the pressure sensor.

16. The plasma apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to output the temperature of the second chamber.

17. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control unit further performs control to move the heat transfer plate from the second position to the first position if, after the control of (b), the temperature output from the temperature sensor is not within the target temperature range, by controlling the drive mechanism.

18. A plasma processing method performed in a plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus comprising: a chamber having a plasma processing space; an upper member having a surface exposed to the plasma processing space; a heat transfer plate disposed above the upper member and having a flow path configured for the flow of a heat transfer fluid; a drive mechanism configured to move the upper member up and down relative to the heat transfer plate; and a power supply configured to supply a source RF signal for plasma generation to the chamber, the plasma processing method comprising: (a) a step of controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a first position; (b) a step of supplying gas into the chamber; (c) a step of supplying a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to generate plasma from the gas; (d) a step of stopping the supply of a source RF signal from the power supply to the chamber to extinguish the plasma and stop the supply of gas into the chamber; and (e) a step of controlling the drive mechanism to move the upper member to a second position different from the first position.

19. The plasma treatment method according to claim 18, wherein the first position is a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are in contact, and the second position is a position in which the upper member and the heat transfer plate are thermally separated.

20. The plasma treatment method according to claim 19, wherein the supply of the heat transfer fluid to the flow path of the heat transfer plate is continued during steps (a) to (e).

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