Method for inspecting shower plate of plasma processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424466-B2
Application number	US-201715680621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 19, 2016
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for inspecting a shower plate of a plasma processing apparatus. In the plasma processing apparatus, a gas ejection unit includes a shower plate. A plurality of gas ejection holes are formed on the shower plate. This method includes (i) setting a flow rate of gas output from a first flow rate controller, and (ii) acquiring a measurement value indicating a pressure in a flow path inside a second pressure control type flow rate controller by using a pressure gauge of the second flow rate controller in a state where the gas output from the first flow rate controller at the set flow rate is supplied to the gas ejection unit and branched between the first flow rate controller and the gas ejection unit so as to be supplied to the flow path inside the second flow rate controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for inspecting a shower plate of a plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber body;
a placing table that is provided inside a chamber provided by the chamber body; and
a gas ejection unit that is provided above the placing table and has the shower plate including a plurality of gas ejection holes formed therein,
the method comprising:
setting a flow rate of gas output from a first flow rate controller; and
acquiring a measurement value indicating a pressure in a flow path inside a second pressure control type flow rate controller by using a pressure gauge of the second flow rate controller in a state where the gas output from the first flow rate controller at the set flow rate is supplied to the gas ejection unit and branched between the first flow rate controller and the gas ejection unit so as to be supplied to the flow path inside the second flow rate controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement value is an average value of a plurality of instantaneous values of the pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flow path length from the second flow rate controller to an opening end of the shower plate on a side of the chamber is equal to or less than 1.5 m.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas ejection holes constitute a plurality of gas ejection hole groups,
the plasma processing apparatus further comprises a flow splitter having an input connected to the first flow rate controller and a plurality of outputs connected to the plurality of gas ejection hole groups, respectively, and
a pipe extending from the second flow rate controller is connected to a pipe connecting one of the plurality of outputs and one gas ejection hole group of the plurality of gas ejection hole groups to each other.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas ejection holes constitute a plurality of gas ejection hole groups,
the plasma processing apparatus further comprises a flow splitter having an input connected to the first flow rate controller and a plurality of outputs connected to the plurality of gas ejection hole groups, respectively, and
a pipe extending from the second flow rate controller is connected to a pipe connecting the input of the flow splitter and the first flow rate controller to each other.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas ejection holes constitute a plurality of gas ejection hole groups,
the plurality of gas ejection hole groups are formed on a plurality of areas of the shower plate that are coaxial with an axis of the shower plate extending in a plate thickness direction, respectively,
the plasma processing apparatus further comprises:
a flow splitter having an input connected to the first flow rate controller and a plurality of outputs connected to the plurality of gas ejection hole groups, respectively;
a plurality of first pipes that connect the plurality of outputs of the flow splitter and the plurality of gas ejection hole groups to each other, respectively;
a plurality of pressure control type flow rate controllers; and
a plurality of second pipes that connect the plurality of flow rate controllers and the plurality of first pipes to each other, respectively,
in the acquiring the measurement value, a measurement value indicating a pressure in a flow path inside one flow rate controller of the plurality of flow rate controllers that is connected to the one first pipe, as the second flow rate controller, is acquired using a pressure gauge of the one flow rate controller in a state where the gas output from the first flow rate controller at the set flow rate is supplied to the gas ejection unit through one first pipe of the plurality of first pipes that is connected to one gas ejection hole group selected from the plurality of gas ejection hole groups, and supplied to the flow path inside the one flow rate controller, and
the acquiring the measurement value is executed in a manner that each of the plurality of gas ejection hole groups is sequentially selected as the one gas ejection hole group.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the measurement value with a reference value that is prepared in advance.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a sequence including the setting the flow rate and the acquiring the measurement value is repeated using different flow rates, each as the flow rate, and a plurality of measurement values including the measurement value are acquired.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Amikura Norihiko
• Miyoshi Risako

Classifications

• H01J37/32935

  Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge · CPC title

• H01J37/32798 Primary

  Further details of plasma apparatus not provided for in groups H01J37/3244 - H01J37/32788; special provisions for cleaning or maintenance of the apparatus · CPC title

• G01L19/0007

  Fluidic connecting means · CPC title

• H01J37/32449 Primary

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• G01N19/08

  Detecting presence of flaws or irregularities · CPC title