Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208725-B2
Application number	US-201916583628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotary table comprising a base plate having a front surface where at least one suction hole is provided and an attraction plate having a front surface contacted with a non-processing surface of a substrate to attract the substrate, a rear surface contacted with the front surface of the base plate, and at least one through hole through which the front surface and the rear surface are connected; a rotation driving device configured to rotate the rotary table around a rotation axis; and a suction device configured to act a suction force on the suction hole, to contact the base plate with the attraction plate by acting the suction force between the base plate and the attraction plate, and to firmly contact the attraction plate with the substrate by acting the suction force between the attraction plate and the substrate through the through hole.

First claim

We claim:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a rotary table comprising a base plate and an attraction plate,
the base plate having a front surface in which at least one suction hole is provided, and
the attraction plate having a front surface contacted with a non-processing surface of a substrate to attract the substrate; a rear surface contacted with the front surface of the base plate; and at least one through hole through which the front surface of the attraction plate and the rear surface of the attraction plate are connected;

a rotation driving device configured to rotate the rotary table around a rotation axis; and
a suction device configured to act a suction force on the at least one suction hole of the base plate, configured to firmly contact the base plate with the attraction plate by acting the suction force between the base plate and the attraction plate, and configured to firmly contact the attraction plate with the substrate by acting the suction force between the attraction plate and the substrate through the at least one through hole.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one front surface suction path groove communicating with the at least one through hole is formed in the front surface of the attraction plate,
at least one rear surface suction path groove communicating with the at least one suction hole of the base plate is formed in the rear surface of the attraction plate, and
the at least one front surface suction path groove distributes the suction force within the front surface of the attraction plate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one suction hole of the base plate includes a first suction hole and a second suction hole,
the at least one rear surface suction path groove includes a first rear surface suction path groove communicating with the first suction hole, and a second rear surface suction path groove communicating with the second suction hole,
the suction force acting on the first rear surface suction path groove firmly contacts the base plate with the attraction plate, and the first rear surface suction path groove distributes the suction force within the rear surface of the attraction plate, and
the at least one through hole communicate the second rear surface suction path groove with the at least one front surface suction path groove, and the suction force acting on the at least one front surface suction path groove through the second rear surface suction path groove and the at least one through hole firmly contacts the attraction plate with the substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 ,
wherein the at least one front surface suction path groove includes multiple front surface suction path grooves, and the multiple front surface suction path grooves are arranged concentrically,
the at least one through hole includes multiple through holes, and
the multiple through holes communicate with the front surface suction path grooves in one-to-one correspondence.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas; and
a switching device configured to switch a state in which the purge gas supply is connected to, among the at least one suction hole of the base plate, at least a suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove and a state in which the suction device is connected to at least the suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas; and
a switching device configured to switch a state in which the purge gas supply is connected to, among the at least one suction hole of the base plate, at least a suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove and a state in which the suction device is connected to at least the suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one front surface suction path groove includes multiple front surface suction path grooves, and the multiple front surface suction path grooves are arranged concentrically,
the at least one through hole includes multiple through holes, and
the multiple through holes communicate with the front surface suction path grooves in one-to-one correspondence.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas; and
a switching device configured to switch a state in which the purge gas supply is connected to, among the at least one suction hole of the base plate, at least a suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove and a state in which the suction device is connected to at least the suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas; and
a switching device configured to switch a state in which the purge gas supply is connected to, among the at least one suction hole of the base plate, at least a suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove and a state in which the suction device is connected to at least the suction hole communicating with the at least one front surface suction path groove.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas,
wherein a purge path groove continuously extending in a circumferential direction is formed on a peripheral portion of the front surface of the attraction plate,
a purge gas supply hole communicating with the purge gas supply is formed in the front surface of the base plate,
a communication hole is formed through the attraction plate in a thickness direction thereof, and communicates the purge gas supply hole with the purge path groove, and
the purge gas is configured to suppress a fluid from being introduced into a gap between the attraction plate and a peripheral portion of the substrate.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
multiple lift pins configured to move the substrate up and down to place the substrate on the attraction plate and separate the substrate from the attraction plate; and
a lift pin elevating device configured to move the multiple lift pins up and down,
wherein through holes are formed through the attraction plate and the base plate at positions where the lift pins pass therethrough when the attraction plate is contacted with the base plate in a preset positional relationship and when the substrate is contacted with the attraction plate in a preset positional relationship.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the base plate is formed of a hot plate equipped with an electric heater.

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein the attraction plate is thinner than the hot plate.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a central portion of the front surface of the attraction plate is higher than a peripheral portion thereof, or the peripheral portion of the front surface of the attraction plate is higher than the central portion thereof.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the attraction plate is formed of a thermal conductive ceramics having

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Mizunaga Kouichi
• Akimoto Masami
• Morita Satoshi
• Morikawa Katsuhiro

Classifications

• H10P72/0432

  mainly by conduction · CPC title

• H10P72/78 Primary

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• B05C13/02

  for particular articles · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7626 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the shaft · CPC title