Plasma Processing Table Cleaning via Dummy Substrate Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In plasma processing, reaction products often adhere to the peripheral edge of substrates and placement surfaces, hindering attraction and requiring inefficient methods for removal, such as using oxygen-containing gases when no substrate is present.
Innovation Solution
A plasma processing method involving cooling the placement table to 0°C or lower, etching a substrate, replacing it with a dummy substrate, and using the plasma processing gas to remove reaction products from the placement surface while heating it, thereby efficiently removing deposits without damaging the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If reaction products are removed by plasma processing without a substrate present, then the placement surface can be cleaned, but the attraction between the placement surface and substrate is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary cleaning of reaction products from the placement surface before substrate processing begins. By removing reaction products in advance using plasma processing with oxygen-containing gas while no substrate is present, the placement surface is prepared to ensure optimal attraction with the subsequent substrate without the harmful effect of adhered reaction products
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful reaction products from the placement surface using plasma processing. By introducing oxygen-containing gas and generating plasma, the reaction products are chemically reacted and removed from the surface, separating the cleaning function from the substrate processing function
2Object-generated harmful factors
If plasma processing is used to remove reaction products, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but damage to the placement surface may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of plasma processing by controlling the plasma power, gas flow rate, and processing time to achieve effective removal of reaction products while maintaining the placement surface integrity. By optimizing these parameters, the cleaning effectiveness is improved without causing surface damage
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses oxygen-containing gas as an intermediary substance to facilitate the removal of reaction products. The oxygen-containing gas reacts with the reaction products through plasma processing, forming volatile compounds that can be easily removed, thereby cleaning the surface without direct mechanical or harsh chemical damage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively removes reaction products from the peripheral edge of the placement surface without damaging it, maintaining surface integrity and improving the attraction between the substrate and placement surface.
Implementation Method 1
causing a coolant of 0° C. or lower to flow through a coolant flow path formed inside the placement table
Implementation Method 2
heating the surface of the placement table by the plasma of the processing gas via the dummy substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma processing method includes: plasma-processing a substrate placed on a surface of a placement table while causing a coolant of 0° C. or lower to flow through a coolant flow path formed inside the table; placing a dummy substrate on the surface of the placement table in place of the substrate; and removing a reaction product generated due to the plasma processing of the substrate by the plasma of the processing gas from a peripheral edge portion of the surface of the placement table while heating the surface of placement table by the plasma of the processing gas via the dummy substrate in a state where the dummy substrate is placed on the surface of the placement table.