Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

This substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing chamber housing in which a substrate is processed; a contact surface member that is provided inside the processing chamber housing, constitutes a substrate contact surface on which the substrate is placed, and is deformable when subjected to external force; a placement table part that includes a deformation mechanism for applying external force to the contact surface member so as to deform the substrate contact surface, and a temperature control mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the substrate being placed on the substrate contact surface; and a control unit that outputs, to the deformation mechanism, a control signal for executing a step for deforming the substrate contact surface in accordance with the shape of the substrate.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

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

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, there is a process of performing film formation processing, annealing processing, etc. as heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) which is a substrate. This heat treatment is carried out, for example, by placing the wafer on a stage equipped with a heating unit and heating the wafer at the heating unit. In Patent Document 1, there is described a technique in a semiconductor wafer prober device for holding an end portion of a semiconductor wafer by a stage while raising a plurality of push rods by a pressing mold to deform the semiconductor wafer into the shape of the pressing mold. Deforming the semiconductor wafer in this way is for performing an electrical characteristic test in a state where bending stress is applied. <000​​​​​​​​​​​​This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a film deposition apparatus, which is a first embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a comparative mounting platform. This is a transverse cross-sectional view showing a comparative mounting platform. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a first example of the mounting platform of the present disclosure. This is a transverse cross-sectional view showing a first example of the mounting platform of the present disclosure. This is a plan view showing a first example of the deformation mechanism of the mounting platform. This is a plan view showing a second example of the deformation mechanism of the mounting platform. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the operation of the mounting platform. This is a first flowchart showing a first processing example carried out in the film deposition apparatus. This is a second flowchart showing a first processing example carried out in the film deposition apparatus. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a second example of the mounting platform of the present disclosure. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view and a plan view showing a second example of the mounting platform of the present disclosure. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a third example of the mounting platform of the present disclosure. This is a third flowchart showing a second processing example carried out in the film deposition apparatus. This is a fourth flowchart showing a second processing example carried out in the film deposition apparatus. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a heat processing apparatus, which is a second embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure. This is the fifth flowchart showing an example of a process performed in a heat treatment apparatus. This is the sixth flowchart showing an example of a process performed in a heat treatment apparatus.

[0008] <First Embodiment> As a first embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present disclosure, an example of its application to a film deposition apparatus will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a film deposition apparatus 1. This film deposition apparatus 1 includes a processing container 11 which is a processing chamber housing, and the lower part of the processing container 11 is configured as an exhaust chamber 12. The processing container 11 is configured so that wafers W are loaded and unloaded from the outside by a substrate transport mechanism (not shown) through a transport opening 10 which is formed to be openable and closable by a gate valve G. The exhaust chamber 12 is connected to a vacuum exhaust mechanism 13 by an exhaust pipe 131 which is provided with a pressure adjustment section 132.

[0009] A showerhead 14 for introducing a processing gas for film formation is positioned on the ceiling of the processing container 11. The showerhead 14 has a gas diffusion space 141 inside, and numerous gas discharge holes 142 are dispersed on its bottom surface. In addition, a gas inlet 143 for receiving the processing gas toward the gas diffusion space 141 is provided at the top of the showerhead 14.

[0010] A gas supply unit 15 is connected to the gas inlet 143 via a gas supply passage 151. For example, the gas supply unit 15 includes a source for supplying processing gas for film formation, an on / off valve for supplying and cutting off the processing gas, and a flow rate adjustment unit for adjusting the flow rate of the processing gas (the source, on / off valve, and flow rate adjustment unit are not shown). The processing gas for film formation supplied from the gas supply unit 15 to the shower head 14 is introduced into the processing container 11 in a shower-like manner downwards.

[0011] Inside the processing container 11, a mounting platform 2 of this disclosure, which horizontally supports the wafer W, is provided facing the shower head 14, supported from below by a support column 16. The mounting platform 2 includes a heating unit 21 which forms a temperature control mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W, and is configured to heat the wafer W to a preset temperature by power supply from a heating unit power supply (not shown). The mounting platform 2 is provided with a plurality of lifting pins (not shown) which are configured to extend and retract from the support surface of the wafer W and to transfer the wafer W to and from an external transport mechanism.

[0012] In the aforementioned film deposition apparatus 1, the film deposition process is performed by placing a wafer W on the mounting table 2 and heating the wafer W in the heating unit 21. However, in the processing of wafer W, as semiconductor devices become more miniaturized and integrated, the number of heating processes tends to increase. When heating processes are performed, the flat, disc-shaped wafer W may warp. In this case, as the number of heating processes increases, the amount of warping of each wafer W increases, and the shape of the warped wafer W also tends to become more complex. In particular, with the advancement of integration in semiconductor devices, the number of layers of materials with different thermal expansion and contraction properties increases, which increases the amount of warping, and various combinations of materials and patternings complicate the shape of the warped wafer W.

[0013] When a wafer W with such warping is placed on the mounting base 2 and subjected to film deposition, regions are formed on the wafer W's surface that are in contact with the upper surface of the mounting base 2 and regions that are lifted away from the upper surface. When the wafer W is heated in this state, the temperature decreases in regions that are further away from the mounting base 2. As a result, a temperature distribution is formed on the wafer W's surface where the region in contact with the mounting base 2 is hotter and the region lifted away from the mounting base 2 is colder. Thus, when film deposition is performed while heating a deformed wafer, there is a risk of large temperature variations within the wafer surface. As a result, there is a concern that the shrinkage state of the deposited thin film may vary, further changing the warp shape of the wafer W, or that the degree of film deposition may vary, reducing the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness.

[0014] <Comparative Mounting Platform> To address the above issues, for example, as shown in the comparative configurations of Figures 2A and 2B, a method can be considered in which a plurality of suction holes 202 are formed on the upper surface of the mounting platform 20, and these suction holes 202 attract the wafer W through the suction passage 203. In such a mounting platform 20, the shape of the wafer W is forcibly deformed to match the shape of the upper surface of the mounting platform 20 by suction through the suction holes 201, and then heated by the heating unit 201 to perform the film formation process.

[0015] Figure 2A schematically shows, with solid lines, how a wafer W is adsorbed onto the mounting base 20, and with dashed lines, the deformed (warped) wafer W before adsorption. The example shown with dashed lines is one in which the outer periphery of the wafer W is warped upwards compared to the central part. Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of the mounting base 20 taken at the position of line A-A' in Figure 2A, where the adsorption path 203 and the heating section 201 are formed in positions that do not interfere with each other. The heating section 201, adsorption holes 202, and adsorption path 203 in these comparative forms of the mounting base 20 are configured in substantially the same way as the mounting base 2 of this disclosure, which will be described later, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0016] In this example, as shown in Figure 2A, it is difficult to forcibly deform the deformed wafer W so that it becomes flat along the upper surface of the mounting table 20 by suction alone through the suction holes 201. In the example shown in Figure 2A, although the wafer W can be brought into close contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 20 in the region where the suction holes 201 are formed, the wafer W is separated from the mounting table 20 in the region where the suction holes 201 are not formed. Therefore, it is difficult to bring the entire surface of the wafer W into close contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 20, and as a result, it becomes difficult to equalize the temperature of the wafer W in the plane. As previously mentioned, as semiconductor devices will become even more miniaturized in the future, there is a need for technology that can further improve the in-plane temperature uniformity of the wafer W in a mounting table equipped with a temperature control mechanism.

[0017] <First Example of Mounting Platform> In light of the above issues, the mounting platform 2 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first example of the mounting platform 2, and Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the mounting platform 2 at the position of line B-B' in Figure 3A. The mounting platform 2 in this example is formed in a flat cylindrical shape and is constructed by stacking a deformation mechanism 3 and a contact surface member 4 equipped with a heating section 21 in this order from the bottom. The upper surface of the contact surface member 4 forms a substrate contact surface 41 on which the wafer W is placed, and the wafer W is adsorbed to the substrate contact surface 41 by the adsorption mechanism 5.

[0018] In this example, the mounting base 2 applies an external force to the contact surface member 4 by the deformation mechanism 3 according to the shape of the wafer W, deforming the substrate contact surface 41. The wafer W is then placed on the deformed substrate contact surface 41, and the wafer W is heated by the heating unit 21. A detailed explanation follows below.

[0019] <Deformation Mechanism> The deformation mechanism 3 in this example comprises a stage section 31 and a pressing section 32 provided below the stage section 31, as schematically shown in Figure 3A. The stage section 31 has a circular upper surface in plan view, and the contact surface member 4 is placed on this upper surface. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the stage section 31 is divided into a plurality of sections 33 and 34 in plan view, and a pressing section 32 is provided for each section 33 and 34.

[0020] The example shown in Figure 4 is a first example of the deformation mechanism 3. In this example, the stage portion 31 is divided in a plan view so as to form concentric circles with different diameters centered on the center O of the stage portion 31, and also divided into sections 33 so as to form multiple straight lines passing through the center O, for example, by shifting them by a predetermined angle along the circumferential direction. As a result, the stage portion 31 is divided into sections 331 that are roughly fan-shaped in a plan view in its central region, and into sections 332 that are roughly arc-shaped in a plan view in the outer region of the central region.

[0021] On the other hand, Figure 5 shows a second example of the deformation mechanism 3A, in which the stage section 31A is divided into honeycomb-like sections 34 in a hexagonal view in plan view. The deformation mechanism 3A in this example comprises an assembly of multiple columnar bodies that are hexagonal in plan view. Note that Figures 4 and 5 illustrate sections 33 and 34, and the planar shape of the sections is not limited to these.

[0022] In these deformation mechanisms 3 and 3A, a pressing portion 32 is provided on the lower surface of the stage portions 31 and 31A, and this pressing portion 32 is configured to apply an external force, which is a pressing force, to the contact surface member 4 from below. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3A with the stage portion 31 as an example, a pressing mechanism 322 is provided in each section 33 via a lifting shaft 321, and the pressing portion 32 is composed of the lifting shaft 321 and the pressing mechanism 322. Figure 3A schematically shows how seven sections 33 are arranged in the diametrical direction of the mounting base 2, and for convenience of illustration, different hatching is used for adjacent sections 33. In this example, the multiple pressing portions 32 are arranged on a common support plate 35, and the support plate 35 is supported on the bottom surface of the processing container 11 via a support column 16.

[0023] The pressing mechanism 322 in this example is composed of an actuator element, such as a piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to raise the lifting shaft 321 by supplying power to a piezoelectric element (not shown), and to lower the lifting shaft 321 by stopping the power supply to the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to control the height position of the lifting shaft 321 with high precision in the range of a few nanometers to several hundred micrometers depending on the amount of power supplied to the piezoelectric element.

[0024] Thus, in the deformation mechanism 3 (3A), each section 33 (34) is independently pressed from below by the pressing section 32, and the height position of the upper surface of each section 33 changes individually. As a result, the upper surface of the deformation mechanism 3 deforms, and the contact surface member 4 is pressed from below by the upper surface of the deformation mechanism 3.

[0025] <Contact Surface Member> The contact surface member 4 is formed in a circular shape when viewed in plan, similar to the deformation mechanism 3, and is configured so that the substrate contact surface 41 deforms due to the pressing force applied from the deformation mechanism 3. For this reason, the contact surface member 4 is made of a material that deforms in accordance with the deformation of the upper surface of the deformation mechanism 3, and in this example it is made of a ceramic-based shape memory alloy such as an intermetallic compound. The contact surface member 4, made of a shape memory alloy, undergoes plastic deformation when subjected to the pressing force from the deformation mechanism 3, but can be returned to its pre-memorized flat shape when heated to a temperature higher than the heating temperature during the film formation process, for example.

[0026] Figure 6 schematically shows the state in which the substrate contact surface 41 of the contact surface member 4 is deformed by the deformation mechanism 3 according to the shape of the wafer W when a wafer W deformed in such a way that the outer periphery is curved upward compared to the central part is placed on the mounting base 2. In this way, the amount of lifting and lowering of the pressing mechanism 322 is set for each section 33 according to the shape of the wafer W, and the height position of the upper end of the lifting shaft 321 is set. In this way, the contact surface member 41 is pressed from below through the upper surface of each section 33 of the deformation mechanism 3 by the pressing from the pressing part 32.

[0027] Since the contact surface member 41 is deformable by external force, the pressing force from the deformation mechanism 3 deforms the region of the substrate contact surface 41 corresponding to the section 33 of the deformation mechanism 3. In this way, the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed by the pressing force applied from the pressing part 32 to each section 33 (34) of the deformation mechanism 3. In order to deform the substrate contact surface 41 according to the shape of the wafer W, for example, one example is to set each section 33 to correspond to the measurement point where the shape of the wafer W is measured, as will be described later.

[0028] Here, if the lower surface of the contact surface member 41 and the upper surfaces of each section 33 are connected to each other, an external force, a tensile force, can be applied to the contact surface member 41 by lowering the height position of the upper end of the lifting shaft 321 using the pressing mechanism 322. In this way, the contact surface member 41 can also be deformed by applying a tensile force, so the external force applied to the contact surface member 41 to deform it can be at least one of a pressing force or a tensile force. However, since pressing force and tensile force are only different in direction of external force, the following explanation will use an example where only pressing force is applied to deform the contact surface member 41.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, if the height of each raised lifting shaft 321 is different, the upper surface of the deformation mechanism 3 (the upper surface of the entire set of sections 33) will no longer be a continuous flat surface. Therefore, by providing a contact surface member 4 made of a continuous material between each section 33 and the wafer W, the step difference between the sections 33 can be absorbed. As a result, a continuous substrate contact surface 41 along the back surface of the wafer W can be constructed.

[0030] <Adsorption Mechanism> As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the adsorption mechanism 5 comprises a plurality of adsorption holes 51 opening into the substrate contact surface 41, and adsorption passages 52 communicating with each of the plurality of adsorption holes 51, with negative pressure inside. As shown in Figure 3B, in this example, thirteen adsorption holes 51 are formed, and these adsorption holes 51 are spaced apart from each other along two mutually perpendicular lines passing through the center of the contact surface member 4 when viewed from above. In addition, one end of each adsorption passage 52 opens into the contact surface member 4 to form an adsorption hole 51, and the other end penetrates the contact surface member 4 and is connected to the suction section 53 via a common adsorption passage 521 formed inside the deformation mechanism 3. However, the arrangement of the adsorption holes 51 and the configuration of the adsorption passages 52 and adsorption passages 521 can be set as appropriate, and the above example is not limited to this example.

[0031] <Temperature control mechanism: heating section> As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the heating section 21 is provided inside the contact surface member 4 in a region that does not interfere with the adsorption passage 52. In this example, the heating section 21 is composed of a plurality of annular resistance heating elements with different diameters, and these resistance heating elements are arranged between radially adjacent adsorption passages 52 when the contact surface member 4 is viewed in plan.

[0032] <Control Unit> Such a film deposition apparatus 1 is equipped with a control unit 100. The control unit 100 consists of, for example, a computer and has a data processing unit including a program, memory, and CPU. The program incorporates commands to send control signals from the control unit 100 to each part of the film deposition apparatus 1 and to proceed with the film deposition process on the wafer W. The program is stored in a computer storage medium, such as a flexible disk, compact disk, hard disk, MO (magneto-optical disk), or semiconductor memory, and installed in the control unit 100. The program also includes a program that outputs control signals to execute a step of deforming the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 according to the shape of the wafer W, for example, a program that outputs control signals to activate a plurality of pressing parts 32 of the deformation mechanism 3 in order to deform the substrate contact surface 41.

[0033] Furthermore, the memory includes a database 101 that forms a storage unit. This database 101 pre-stores the correspondence between the shape of a wafer W of the same type, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 deformed according to the shape of the wafer W, and the temperature distribution in the plane of the wafer W heated by the heating unit 21. Here, "common type" means that the wafers W have the same configuration or are similar. An example of "same configuration" is when the specifications of the wafer W, such as material, thickness, and diameter, are all the same. An example of "similar" is when the material, thickness, and diameter are the same, but there is a difference in the method of indicating the crystal direction, such as orientation flats and notches, or when the number of layered films differs by ±5 layers or less.

[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, the deformation mechanism 3 presses the contact surface member 4 to deform the substrate contact surface 41 according to the shape of the wafer W. The shape of the wafer W at this time, the shape of the deformed substrate contact surface 41, and the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W when the wafer W placed on the deformed substrate contact surface 41 is heated to the target temperature for the film deposition process by the heating unit 21 are known in advance and a database 101 is created. Furthermore, this database 101 can be used, for example, to create a calculation algorithm that predicts the correspondence between the shape of the wafer W, the shape of the deformed substrate contact surface 41, and the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W using machine learning.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 100 also includes a calculation program 102 that calculates the deformation shape of the mounting base 2 (the deformation shape of the substrate contact surface 41) from, for example, the measurement result of the warpage of the wafer W (i.e., information indicating the shape of the wafer W) and the target temperature for the film deposition process. For example, the calculation program 102 uses machine learning to determine a calculation algorithm that shows the correspondence between the measurement result of the warpage and the deformation shape of the substrate contact surface 41 stored in the database 101 and past performance of the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W. This calculation algorithm is configured to calculate the deformation shape of the substrate contact surface 41 when the measurement result of the warpage of each wafer W and the target temperature for the film deposition process are input, and to output the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W when the measurement result of the warpage of each wafer W and the deformation shape of the substrate contact surface 41 are input. Note that the database 101 and the calculation program 102 are not shown in the diagram.

[0036] <First Processing Example Performed in the Film Deposition Apparatus> A first processing example of the film deposition process in the film deposition apparatus 1 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 7 and 8. First, the wafers W are stacked on shelves in a transport container called a sealed FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod), for example, and before being transported to the film deposition apparatus 1, they are transported to a shape measuring device equipped with a measuring mechanism for measuring the shape of the wafers W.

[0037] The measurement mechanism in this example is a mechanism for measuring the warp shape of a wafer W as the shape of the wafer W. Various mechanisms can be used as the measurement mechanism, such as a mechanism that uses an interferometer to acquire height data from the front and back surfaces of the wafer W and measure the warp shape of the wafer W, a mechanism that images the side surface of the wafer W with a camera to acquire the warp shape of the wafer W, a mechanism that uses a laser displacement meter, or an ellipsometer. In the shape measuring device, for example, the warp shape of all wafers W housed in the FOUP is measured sequentially (step P1), and the measured warp data of the wafer W is output to the control unit 100 and stored in the database 101 (step Q1).

[0038] Then, the control unit 100 uses the warpage data from the database 101 to calculate the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 necessary for heating the wafer W to the target temperature during the film deposition process using the calculation program 102 (step Q2). For example, in step Q2, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 is determined according to the flowchart shown in Figure 8. First, the target temperature of the wafer W during the film deposition process is set (step S101), and then, based on the measurement results of the wafer warpage and the target temperature, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 (deformed shape of the mounting table 2) is calculated (step S102). In this step, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 for heating to the target temperature is calculated based only on the measurement results of the wafer warpage.

[0039] Next, the calculation algorithm described above is recalculated using the measured wafer shape and the calculated substrate contact surface 41 shape as input variables, and the temperature at each position on the wafer surface is output as an output variable to predict the temperature distribution (step S103). The correspondence between these input and output variables is identified, for example, by machine learning and stored as the calculation algorithm described above. In this step, the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W when it is placed on the substrate contact surface 41 deformed according to the target temperature and heated to the target temperature is predicted. In other words, the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer during film deposition is predicted by taking into account the deformed shape of the substrate contact surface 41 in addition to the measured wafer W shape.

[0040] Next, it is determined whether the temperature deviation in the predicted in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer is within a preset tolerance (step S104). The temperature deviation refers to the variation in the in-plane temperature of the wafer, for example, the difference from the average temperature. If this temperature deviation is within the tolerance, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the input variable is determined as the shape of the mounting stage 2 during the film deposition process (step S105).

[0041] On the other hand, if the temperature deviation exceeds the allowable deviation, the process returns to step S102, and the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting base 2 is corrected based on the difference between the predicted temperature distribution within the wafer surface and the target temperature. This results in a step being performed to deform the contact surface member 4 in the area corresponding to the region where the deviation exceeds the allowable deviation, in a direction that reduces the deviation.

[0042] One example of a method for deforming the contact surface member 4 in a direction that reduces the deviation is to deform the contact surface member 4 in a direction that moves the substrate contact surface 41 away from the wafer W in a section 33 where the predicted temperature is higher than the target temperature. On the other hand, in a section 33 where the predicted temperature is lower than the target temperature, the contact surface member 4 is deformed in a direction that moves the substrate contact surface 41 closer to the wafer W. In this step, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 is set so that the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer during the film deposition process, predicted from the shape of the wafer to be subjected to film deposition, falls within the allowable deviation. Here, it is not necessarily required to return to step S102 and correct the shape of the substrate contact surface 41. The shape of the substrate contact surface 41 calculated in the first step may be accepted as is, without setting an allowable deviation for the temperature deviation.

[0043] In step S105, once the shape of the mounting table 2 during the film deposition process is determined, a control signal is output to the deformation mechanism 3 to deform it into that shape. Based on this control signal, the mounting table 2 uses the pressing mechanism 322 to set the height position of the upper end of the lifting shaft 321 for each section 33 of the deformation mechanism 3, thereby pressing the contact surface member 4 from below and deforming the substrate contact surface 41. After the mounting table 2 has been deformed, the film deposition process is performed (step P2).

[0044] In the film formation process, the gate valve G is opened, and the wafer W is carried into the processing container 11 by an external transfer mechanism through the transfer port 10. Then, the wafer W is placed on the mounting table portion 2 and adsorbed to the substrate contact surface 41 by the adsorption mechanism 5. Next, the mounting table portion 2 is heated by the heating portion 21, and the wafer W is heated to a preset temperature by heat transfer through the substrate contact surface 41. On the other hand, vacuum exhaust is performed by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 13, and the pressure inside the processing container 11 is adjusted to the pressure during the film formation process.

[0045] Subsequently, a processing gas for film formation is supplied in a shower shape from the gas supply unit 15 toward the wafer W on the mounting table portion 2 through the shower head 14. In this way, the processing gas is supplied to the entire upper surface of the wafer W on the mounting table portion 2, and a thin film of a desired thickness is formed on the wafer W. After the preset time has elapsed since the supply of the processing gas, the supply of the processing gas is stopped. For example, a purge gas is supplied to discharge the remaining processing gas, and the pressure inside the processing container 11 is adjusted to the pressure during the transfer operation of the wafer W. Thereafter, the gate valve G is opened, the external transfer mechanism is allowed to enter, and the wafer W is carried out along a path opposite to the carrying-in path, and returned to, for example, the original FOUP.

[0046] In this manner, for all the wafers W in the FOUP, for each wafer W, the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table portion 2 is deformed according to its shape, the wafer W is placed on the mounting table portion 2, and the film formation process is performed. After that, the FOUP containing the wafers W for which the film formation process has ended is transported to a shape measuring device, and the warpage shape of the wafers W after the film formation process is measured (step P3). Then, the measurement result of the warpage of the wafer W is output as warpage measurement data (warpage data) to the database 10 of the control unit, and machine learning is executed (step Q1). As described above, when there is a temperature distribution in the wafer W, there is a concern that the shrinkage rate of the thin film changes according to the temperature and the warpage shape changes. Therefore, even after the film formation process, the change in the warpage shape is confirmed.

[0047] According to the above-described embodiment, when the wafer W is placed on the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table portion 2 and heated by the heating portion 21 provided in the mounting table portion 2, the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed by the deformation mechanism 3 according to the shape of the wafer W. As a result, even if the wafer W is deformed from a flat shape, the contact state with the substrate contact surface 41 becomes uniform, temperature adjustment by heat transfer through the substrate contact surface 41 is performed well, and the in-plane temperature uniformity of the wafer W can be improved. Thereby, even when a film forming process is performed on the warped wafer W, the change in the warped shape is suppressed, the variation in the progress of the film forming process in the plane of the wafer W is suppressed, and the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be improved.

[0048] Further, based on the measurement result of the wafer W, the shape of the wafer W when heated to the target temperature is predicted, and the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed according to the predicted shape of the wafer W. Therefore, even when the shape of the wafer W further changes when heated to the target temperature, since the change is predicted and the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed, the wafer W can be heated in a state where the in-plane temperature is more uniform, and the in-plane temperature uniformity can be further improved.

[0049] Furthermore, from the shape of the wafer W before the film forming process, the in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer W during the film forming process is predicted, and the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 is set so that the in-plane temperature distribution falls within the allowable deviation. Therefore, the wafer W can be heated in a state where the in-plane temperature is even more uniform, and the in-plane temperature uniformity can be further improved.

[0050] <Modified Forms of the Deformation Mechanism> Next, modified forms of the deformation mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 9A, 9B, and 10. In the mounting base 2B shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the deformation mechanism 3B includes a plurality of pressing rods 361 provided according to a plurality of sections of the contact surface member 4, and a plurality of pressing mechanisms 362 connected to the lower ends of the pressing rods 361 and used to raise and lower the pressing rods 361. In this example, the pressing section 36 is formed by the pressing rods 361 and the pressing mechanisms 362, and each pressing rod 361 is configured to be raised and lowered independently of each other, so that the height position of its upper end can be changed. Figure 9A is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the mounting base 2B equipped with the deformation mechanism 3B. Figure 9B schematically shows the outline of the mounting base 2B and the plurality of pressing rods 361 in plan view.

[0051] In this example, the pressing rod 361 is configured with a planar upper end so that it can press against each section of the contact surface member 4, and is sized to correspond to each section. The pressing mechanism 362 is configured, for example, by a piezo actuator, similar to the pressing mechanism 322 described above. In the mounting base 2B of this example, the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed by pressing the lower part of each section of the contact surface member 4 with the pressing part 36 according to the shape of the wafer W.

[0052] Furthermore, in the mounting base section 2C shown in Figure 10, the deformation mechanism 3C is provided with a plurality of pressing bodies 371 corresponding to the plurality of sections of the contact surface member 4. In this example, the pressing bodies 371 are made of bellows-shaped expandable and contractible bodies, and are made of, for example, metal. The lower end of each pressing body 371 is connected to a lifting mechanism 372, and in this example, the pressing body 371 and the lifting mechanism 372 constitute the pressing section 37.

[0053] The pressing body 371 is configured to be planar so that its upper end can press against each section of the contact surface member 4, and is sized to correspond to each section. The lifting mechanism 372 is configured to change the height position of the upper end of the pressing body 371 by supplying gas to the pressing body 371 to extend it and by discharging gas from the pressing body 371 to retract it. In this mounting base 2C as well, the substrate contact surface 41 is deformed by pressing each section of the contact surface member 4 with the pressing body 371 according to the shape of the wafer W.

[0054] <Other Examples of Film Deposition Processes> Next, other examples of film deposition processes will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. This film deposition process is carried out using a film deposition apparatus shown in Figure 1, in which a measuring mechanism for measuring the shape of the wafer W is installed inside the processing container 11. The control unit 100 is configured to output a control signal that executes a step of deforming the substrate contact surface 41 based on the result of measuring the shape of the wafer W being processed by the measuring mechanism.

[0055] In this example, the film deposition process is similar to the film deposition process described using Figures 7 and 8 above. A shape measuring device, provided separately from the film deposition apparatus 1, sequentially measures the warp shape of all wafers W housed in the FOUP (step P11). The measured warp data of the wafers W is output to the control unit 100 and stored in the database 101 (step Q11). Based on this database 101, the control unit 100 uses a calculation program 102 to determine the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting stage 2 according to the warp data of the wafers W (step Q12).

[0056] Then, the wafer W is placed on the substrate contact surface 41 which has been modified to the determined shape, and the above-described film deposition process is started (step P12, step S201). During the film deposition process, the warpage of the wafer W is measured by a measurement mechanism provided in the processing container 11, for example, at a predetermined timing (step S202). The measured warpage data is output to the control unit 100, and it is determined whether or not the warpage of the wafer W has changed (step S203). In this step, for example, the difference between the warpage data at the time the current shape of the substrate contact surface 41 was determined and the measured warpage data is obtained, and it is determined that the warpage has changed if this difference exceeds a predetermined tolerance range.

[0057] If it is determined that the warpage is fluctuating, the deformed shape of the mounting base 2 is calculated from the measurement result of the warpage after the fluctuation and the target temperature for the film deposition process (step S204). This step S204 is performed in the same way as steps S102 to S104 of the calculation program Q2 shown in Figure 8, for example. Then, the temperature distribution on the wafer surface after deformation of the mounting base 2 is predicted, and if the temperature deviation of this predicted temperature distribution is within the allowable deviation, the shape of the mounting base 2 is deformed (step S205). From thereafter, with the wafer W placed on the deformed substrate contact surface 41, the film deposition process is continued while measuring the warpage of the wafer W (steps P12, S202).

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that there is no change in warping, in step S206 it is determined whether the processing time for the film deposition process has elapsed or not. If it is determined that the processing time for the film deposition process has not elapsed, the process returns to step S202 and continues with the film deposition process. If it is determined that the processing time has elapsed, the film deposition process is terminated in step S207.

[0059] In this embodiment, the warp shape of the wafer W is measured while the film deposition process is being carried out, and the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 is revised according to this measurement data before the film deposition process is performed. Therefore, if the warp of the wafer W changes during the film deposition process, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 is corrected to match the warp shape, so that the film deposition process can be carried out with higher in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution.

[0060] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 13, using as an example the case when applied to a heat treatment apparatus 6. This heat treatment apparatus 6 is incorporated into, for example, a coating and developing apparatus that forms a resist pattern. Briefly explaining the process performed in the coating and developing apparatus, this apparatus applies a chemically amplified resist solution to the surface of the wafer W, and then performs a post-apply bake (PAB), which is a heat treatment to dry the solvent of the resist solution.

[0061] Next, after exposure treatment, post-exposure baking (PEB) is performed in the heat treatment apparatus 6 to diffuse the acid generated by exposure into the resist film, and then develop the resist pattern. Since the dimensions of the pattern (fine lines) after development change depending on the heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment apparatus 6, the uniformity of the pattern dimensions within the wafer can be improved by improving the uniformity of the in-plane temperature of the wafer in the heat treatment apparatus 6.

[0062] The heat treatment apparatus 6 shown in Figure 13 comprises a processing chamber housing (hereinafter also simply referred to as "housing") 61, and a wafer W transport port 60 is provided on the side wall of the housing 61. If the side with the transport port 60 opening inside the housing 61 is considered the front side, a mounting table 2 is installed on the rear side of the housing 61 via support columns 62 on the bottom surface of the housing 61. Numerous gap pins 63 for supporting wafers W are provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 2, and a lifting pin 64 for transfer is provided on the mounting table 2 so as to be able to move up and down by a lifting mechanism 65. The mounting table 2 is configured the same as the mounting table 2 according to the first embodiment, except that it is provided with gap pins 63 on its surface.

[0063] Above the mounting table 2, a flat cover 66 is provided that can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 67, surrounding the wafer W placed on the mounting table 2. When heat treatment is performed on the wafer W, as shown in Figure 13, the area around the wafer W is partitioned by the cover 66 and the mounting table 2, and when the wafer W is transferred to the mounting table 2, the cover 66 rises, and the area around the wafer W is opened.

[0064] A transport arm 7 is provided on the front side (transport port 60 side) of the housing 61. The transport arm 7 is equipped with a horizontal, roughly circular support plate 71, on which the wafer W is placed. This support plate 71 is configured to move horizontally between the upper region of the mounting base 2 and the outer region of the mounting base 2 shown in Figure 13 by a moving mechanism 72. When the transport arm 7 is in the outer region, the wafer W is transferred between the support plate 71 and a transport mechanism (not shown) located outside the heat treatment apparatus 6 in the coating and developing apparatus. The support plate 71 is also equipped with a cooling mechanism (not shown) and is cooled to, for example, 23°C.

[0065] Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 6 includes a control unit 200, which sends control signals to each part of the heat treatment apparatus 6 to advance the heat treatment on the wafer W. The control unit 200, like the control unit 100, also includes a database 101 and a calculation program 102, and is configured to output control signals to execute a step of deforming the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting base 2 according to the shape of the wafer W. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0066] <Heat Treatment Method> The heat treatment in the heat treatment apparatus 6 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 14 and 15. Similar to the first embodiment, the wafer W is placed in the FOUP and transported to a shape measuring device located outside the coating and developing apparatus. Then, the shape (warp shape) of all wafers W placed in the FOUP is measured sequentially (step P21), and the measured warp data of the wafers W is output to the control unit 200 and stored in the database 101 (step Q21).

[0067] In the control unit 200, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 during heat treatment is determined by the calculation program 102 based on the database 101 (step Q22). In this step, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 is calculated according to the flowchart shown in Figure 15, for example. First, the target temperature of the wafer W during heat treatment is set based on the target fine line dimensions (pattern dimensions) (step S301). Next, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting table 2 (deformed shape of the mounting table 2) is calculated from the measurement results of the wafer W's warp and the target temperature (step S302).

[0068] Next, the shape of the deformed substrate contact surface 41 is used as an input variable to predict the temperature distribution within the wafer surface, which is the output variable, from the correspondence in the database 101 (step S303). Then, it is determined whether the temperature deviation in the predicted temperature distribution within the wafer W surface is within a preset tolerance (step S304). As described above, the fine wire dimensions are determined by the temperature of the wafer W during heat treatment, so for example, the tolerance is set so that the fine wire dimensions fall within the tolerance range of the product specifications.

[0069] In the subsequent step S305, if the temperature deviation is within the allowable deviation, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 of the input variable is determined to be the shape of the mounting table during the film deposition process. On the other hand, if the temperature deviation is outside the allowable deviation, the process returns to step S302, corrects the deformation shape of the substrate contact surface 41 based on the difference between the predicted temperature distribution and the target temperature, and executes steps S303 to S305 to determine the shape of the mounting table 2 during the film deposition process.

[0070] Once the shape of the mounting base 2 is determined, a control signal is output to the deformation mechanism 3 to deform the contact surface member 4, thereby deforming the shape of the mounting base 2 and starting the heat treatment (step P22). In this embodiment as well, a step is performed to deform the contact surface member 4 in a direction that reduces the deviation in the area corresponding to the region where the deviation exceeds the allowable deviation.

[0071] During the heat treatment, the gate valve G is opened, and the wafer W is transported into the housing 61 through the transport port 60. This wafer W has a chemically amplified resist film formed on it in a coating and developing apparatus, and has undergone exposure treatment. It is then transported into the housing 61 by the transport mechanism. At this time, inside the housing 61, the mounting table 2 is heated to, for example, 110°C, and the support plate 71 is cooled to, for example, 23°C and is waiting in the outer region.

[0072] After the wafer W is transferred from the transport mechanism to the support plate 71, the cover 66 is raised, moving the support plate 71 to the upper region of the mounting base 2. Then, the wafer W is placed on the mounting base 2 using the lifting pin 64, and the cover 66 is lowered. As a result, the wafer W is heated to 110°C by the heating unit 21, and the acid diffusion reaction proceeds within the surface of the wafer W. Since the substrate contact surface 41 of the mounting base 2 is deformed according to the shape of the wafer W, the entire surface of the wafer W easily comes into close contact with the substrate contact surface 41. Therefore, the wafer W is heated with a uniform temperature across its surface.

[0073] Then, once the heating of the wafer W is complete, the wafer W is transferred to the support plate 71 using the lifting pins 64. Next, the support plate 71 moves to the outer region, but the temperature of the wafer W on the support plate 71 drops rapidly, and the acid diffusion reaction stops throughout the entire surface of the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the transport mechanism. The wafer W, which has been removed from the heat treatment apparatus 6 by the transport mechanism, is transported to a developing device provided in the coating and developing apparatus, where a developing solution is supplied to the wafer W to develop the pattern exposed on the resist film.

[0074] In a wafer W coated with a chemically amplified resist, after exposure treatment, heating to, for example, 110°C causes acid to diffuse into the resist. This acid makes the unexposed areas soluble in the developer in the case of a negative-type resist, and the exposed areas soluble in the developer in the case of a positive-type resist. Therefore, by heating the wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 6 while maintaining a uniform temperature across the surface, the acid diffuses almost uniformly into the resist film, and the line width of the pattern after development can be made uniform across the surface.

[0075] In this way, all wafers W in the FOUP undergo a resist coating cloth → PAB → exposure treatment → PEB in the heat treatment apparatus → development treatment, and the wafers W are returned to the original FOUP, for example. At this time, the heat treatment apparatus 6 places each wafer W in the FOUP on a mounting table 2 whose substrate contact surface 41 is deformed according to its shape, and performs heat treatment.

[0076] Next, the FOUP containing the wafer W processed by the coating and developing apparatus is transported to the measuring apparatus to measure the fine-line dimensions (step P23). For example, a CD-SEM (Critical Dimension Scanning Electron Microscope) can be used as the measuring apparatus. Then, the fine-line dimension measurement data is output to the database 101 of the control unit 200, and machine learning is performed (step Q21). In this case, for example, the temperature distribution of the wafer W is inversely estimated from the distribution of fine-line dimensions after PEB → development, and the relationship between the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 and the temperature distribution is performed using machine learning.

[0077] According to this embodiment, the wafer W is placed on the mounting base 2, whose substrate contact surface 41 is deformed according to the shape of the wafer W, and heated by the heating unit 21, thereby improving the uniformity of the in-plane temperature of the wafer W. As a result, the uniformity of the pattern dimensions formed on the wafer W is improved, and deterioration of device performance can be suppressed.

[0078] In the above, the database 101 of the storage units of the control units 100 and 200 may be configured to directly store the correspondence between the shape of a wafer of the same type, the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 deformed according to the wafer shape, and an index indicating the result of the processing. If the processing is a film deposition process, the index indicating the result of the processing is the amount of warping of the wafer W caused by film deposition, for example, the amount of displacement in the vertical direction from a horizontal position is stored. If the processing is a heat treatment after supplying a developer to the resist film after exposure, the index is the line width of the pattern (fine lines) formed on the developed resist film.

[0079] Even in this case, the control unit is configured to predict the distribution of indices on the surface of the wafer W from the correspondence relationships stored in the database 101, instead of the temperature distribution on the surface of the wafer W as an output variable in the flowcharts described in Figures 8 and 15. In other words, in the film deposition process shown in Figure 8, step S103 predicts the distribution of warpage on the wafer surface, and step S104 determines whether the deviation of the warpage in this distribution is within the allowable deviation. Similarly, in the heat treatment shown in Figure 15, step S303 predicts the distribution of line width (thin line dimension) of the pattern on the wafer surface, and step S304 determines whether the deviation of the line width in this distribution is within the allowable deviation. The control unit is then configured to output a control signal that deforms the contact surface member 4 in a direction that reduces the deviation in the area corresponding to the region where the deviation is outside the allowable deviation.

[0080] Furthermore, the correspondence stored in the database 101 of the storage units of the control units 100 and 200 may be identified by machine learning using the following data as input variables, in addition to the input variables described above (the shape of the measured wafer W and the shape of the substrate contact surface 41 deformed according to the shape of the wafer W). The data is, for example, at least one type of data selected from a data set consisting of the material of the wafer W, the thickness of the wafer W, the diameter of the wafer W, and the thickness of the film formed on the wafer W.

[0081] Furthermore, the control units 100 and 200 may be configured to output control signals for operating a plurality of pressing units 32, 36, and 37 in order to deform the substrate contact surface 41 according to the shape of the wafer W that has been measured in advance. For example, the shape of the wafer W may be measured, and the pressing units may be operated to deform the substrate contact surface 41 to conform to the shape of the wafer W.

[0082] In summary, the processing apparatus of this disclosure is not limited to the film deposition apparatus with the above-described configuration, but is applicable to film deposition apparatuses that perform CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) methods. Furthermore, it is applicable not only to the heat processing apparatus with the above-described configuration, but also to heat processing apparatuses that perform PAB. Moreover, this disclosure is applicable to a configuration in which the mounting platform is directly placed on the bottom surface of the processing chamber housing, and the arrangement of the mounting platform within the processing chamber housing can be set as appropriate.

[0083] Furthermore, the contact surface member can be made of metal, composite material, or, depending on the heating temperature of the wafer W, elastic material such as silicone rubber or resin rubber, in addition to the intermetallic compounds described above. A composite material is a resin to which conductive fillers such as metal powder have been added. Moreover, the contact surface member only needs to be configured to form the substrate contact surface on which the wafer W is placed and to be deformable when subjected to external forces, and the external force applied to the contact surface member to deform the substrate contact surface may be a force that expands the inside of the contact surface member.

[0084] Furthermore, the temperature control mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W, provided on the mounting base, is not limited to a heating unit. For example, the temperature of the wafer W may be adjusted by passing a temperature-controlled fluid through a temperature-controlled channel formed within the mounting base. Also, the pressing unit of the deformation mechanism is not limited to the actuator elements described above, but can use an actuator selected from a group of actuators consisting of fluid pressure actuators and motors.

[0085] Furthermore, by providing a suction mechanism on the mounting base to adsorb the wafer to the substrate contact surface, the wafer W can be brought into closer contact with the substrate contact surface. However, it is not always necessary to provide a suction mechanism on the mounting base. In addition, the suction mechanism is not limited to a mechanism that adsorbs the wafer W by suction force; an electrostatic chuck that adsorbs the wafer W by electrical force can also be used.

[0086] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified or combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0087] 11 Processing container (processing chamber housing) 2 Mounting platform 21 Heating unit (temperature control mechanism) 3 Deformation mechanism 4 Contact surface member 41 Substrate contact surface 61 Housing (processing chamber housing) 100, 200 Control unit

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber housing on which substrates are processed; a mounting base having a mounting surface member provided within the processing chamber housing and constituting a substrate contact surface on which the substrate is placed, and which is deformable when subjected to external force; a deformation mechanism for applying the external force to the contact surface member so as to deform the substrate contact surface; and a temperature control mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the substrate placed on the substrate contact surface; and a control unit that outputs a control signal to the deformation mechanism for executing a step of deforming the substrate contact surface according to the shape of the substrate.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate contact surface is divided into a plurality of sections, and the deformation mechanism is provided according to the plurality of sections and comprises a plurality of pressing parts for applying the pressing force, which is the external force, from the side of the contact surface member opposite to the substrate contact surface.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of pressing parts are actuators selected from a group of actuators consisting of a fluid pressure actuator, an actuator element, and a motor.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit outputs the control signals for operating the plurality of pressing parts in order to deform the substrate contact surface according to the shape of the substrate measured in advance.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting base portion is equipped with a suction mechanism for adsorbing the substrate onto the substrate contact surface.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the adsorption mechanism comprises a plurality of adsorption holes opening to the substrate contact surface, and an adsorption path communicating with each of the plurality of adsorption holes, the interior of which is under negative pressure.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a storage unit that stores in advance a correspondence between the shape of a substrate of a common type, the shape of the substrate contact surface deformed according to the shape of the substrate, and the temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature control mechanism, wherein the control unit is configured to output a control signal for performing the following steps: predicting the temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate, which is an output variable, from the correspondence, using the shape of the substrate measured in advance and the shape of the substrate contact surface deformed according to the measured shape of the substrate as input variables; determining whether the temperature deviation in the predicted temperature distribution of the substrate is within a preset tolerance deviation; and deforming the contact surface member in a direction that reduces the deviation in the area corresponding to the region where the deviation is outside the tolerance deviation.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a storage unit that stores in advance a correspondence between the shape of a substrate of a common type, the shape of the substrate contact surface deformed according to the shape of the substrate, and an index indicating the result of the processing, wherein the control unit is configured to output a control signal for performing the following steps: predicting the distribution of the index in the surface of the substrate, which is an output variable, from the correspondence, using the shape of the substrate measured in advance and the shape of the substrate contact surface deformed according to the measured shape of the substrate as input variables; determining whether the deviation of the index in the predicted distribution of the index of the substrate is within a preset tolerance deviation; and deforming the contact surface member in a direction that reduces the deviation in the area corresponding to the region where the deviation is outside the tolerance deviation.

9. The apparatus for a substrate according to claim 8, wherein the process is a film deposition process on the substrate, and the index is the amount of warping of the substrate caused by the film deposition.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the process is a heat treatment after supplying a developer to the resist film formed on the substrate after exposure, and the index is the line width of the pattern formed on the developed resist film.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the correspondence between the input variable and the output variable is determined by machine learning.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the correspondence is identified by machine learning using at least one data selected from a data set consisting of the substrate material, substrate thickness, substrate diameter, and film thickness formed on the substrate, in addition to the input variables.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the section is set to correspond to a measurement point where the shape of the substrate is measured.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface member is made of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of metal, intermetallic compound, silicone rubber, and resin rubber.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pre-processing chamber housing is provided with a measuring mechanism for measuring the shape of the substrate, and the control unit is configured to output a control signal to execute a step of deforming the substrate contact surface based on the result of measuring the shape of the substrate being processed by the measuring mechanism.

16. A method for processing a substrate, comprising the steps of: loading a substrate into a processing chamber enclosure; placing the substrate on a mounting base provided within the processing chamber enclosure, which constitutes a substrate contact surface on which the substrate is placed and has a contact surface member that can be deformed by external force; applying external force to the contact surface member to deform the substrate contact surface according to the shape of the substrate placed on the mounting base; and processing the substrate by adjusting the temperature of the substrate through heat transfer via the substrate contact surface.

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