Plasma processing apparatus and mounting table thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11501995-B2
Application number	US-202016737267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 9, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A mounting table includes a wafer mounting surface mounting a wafer, a ring mounting surface disposed at a radially outer side of the wafer mounting surface and mounting a first ring having a first engaging portion and a second ring having a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion, a lifter pin, and a driving mechanism. The second ring has a through-hole extends to reach a bottom surface of the first engaging portion, and the ring mounting surface has a hole at a position corresponding to the through-hole. A lifter pin has a first holding part that fits into the through-hole and a second holding part that extends from the first holding part and has a part protruding from the first holding part. The lifter pin is accommodated in the hole, and a driving mechanism vertically moves the lifter pin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a plasma processing chamber;
a susceptor disposed in the plasma processing chamber, the susceptor having a hole;
an electrostatic chuck disposed on the susceptor, the electrostatic chuck having a substrate placing face and a ring placing face surrounding the substrate placing face;
a first ring having an inner peripheral portion positioned on the ring placing face;
a second ring having an upper face that supports an outer peripheral portion of the first ring, the second ring having an inner peripheral portion having a through hole extending to a bottom of the first ring, the through hole aligning with the hole of the susceptor;
the second ring having: (a) an inner diameter which is larger than an inner diameter of the first ring, and (b) an outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first ring;
a lifter pin having a first holding segment engaging with the through hole, and a second holding segment having a protrusion that upwardly protrudes from the first holding segment, the lifter pin being housed in the hole of the susceptor;
a driving mechanism configured to vertically move the lifter pin, wherein:
the apparatus includes a mounting table which includes the susceptor and the electrostatic chuck, and
the ring placing face is provided on the electrostatic chuck such that the inner peripheral portion of the first ring is on the electrostatic chuck, and
the plasma processing apparatus further includes an insulating member, the insulating member having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the second ring, and wherein a portion of the insulating member is below the second ring such that the outer peripheral portion of the second ring covers the portion of the insulating member while the inner peripheral portion of the second ring is covered by the first ring.

2. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a plasma processing chamber;
a mounting table having a substrate placing face for placing a substrate, and a ring placing face surrounding the substrate placing face, the mounting table further including at least three holes providing openings in the mounting table;
a first ring having an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, the inner peripheral portion of the first ring positioned on the ring placing face;
a second ring having an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, an upper face of the inner peripheral portion of the second ring being covered by a lower face of the outer peripheral portion of the first ring, the inner peripheral portion of the second ring having at least three through holes that align with respective holes of the at least three holes of the mounting table;
the second ring having: (a) an inner diameter which is larger than an inner diameter of the first ring, and (b) an outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first ring;
at least three lifter pins each housed in a respective one of the at least three holes of the mounting table, each lifter pin having a first holding segment extending through a corresponding through hole of the at least three through holes of the second ring and supporting the first ring at the lower face of the first ring, and a second holding segment having a larger outer dimension than the first holding segment and supporting the second ring at a lower face of the second ring; and
a driving mechanism configured to vertically move the at least three lifter pins, wherein: the mounting table includes a susceptor and an electrostatic chuck, the at least three holes of the mounting table extending in the susceptor, and wherein the electrostatic chuck is above the susceptor, and
the ring placing face is provided on the electrostatic chuck such that the inner peripheral portion of the first ring is on the electrostatic chuck,
the plasma processing apparatus further including an insulating member, the insulating member having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the second ring, and wherein a portion of the insulating member is below the second ring such that the outer peripheral portion of the second ring covers the portion of the insulating member while the inner peripheral portion of the second ring is covered by the first ring.

3. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first ring is formed of a conductive material and the second ring is formed of an insulating material.

4. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first ring is formed of a material which includes silicon or silicon carbide.

5. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion includes an inclined part having a cross-sectional area which gradually increases in a direction away from the first holding segment.

6. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the ring placing face has an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, the inner peripheral portion of the first ring being placed on the inner peripheral portion of the ring placing face.

7. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the insulating member surrounds the mounting table and supports an outer peripheral portion of the second ring.

8. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an upper face of the mounting table includes the substrate placing face having a first height, and the ring placing face having a second height.

9. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrostatic chuck attracts the first ring on the ring placing face.

10. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first ring is made of silicon or silicon carbide, and the second ring is made of quartz.

11. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a recess is formed at a bottom surface of the outer peripheral portion of the first ring, and a protrusion is formed at an upper surface of the inner peripheral portion of the second ring, the protrusion being engaged with the recess.

12. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first ring is divided into two parts of an inner peripheral part and an outer peripheral part.

13. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least three lower openings of the at least three through holes of the second ring are widened downwardly.

14. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the first holding segment of the at least three lifter pins is inserted into the corresponding through hole of the at least three through holes formed at the inner peripheral portion of the second ring with a clearance therebetween.

15. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the second holding segment of the at least three lifter pins has a shape that does not allow the second holding segment to fit into the through hole formed at the inner peripheral portion of the second ring so that the second holding segment functions as a support.

16. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least three lifter pins has an inclined part between the first holding segment and the second holding segment, the inclined part being formed as its cross-sectional area is gradually increased from the first holding segment to the second holding segment.

17. The plasma processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least three lifter pins has a flange disposed between the first holding segment and the second holding segment, the flange having a diameter greater than that of the second holding segment.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Uchida Yohei
• Hirose Jun

Classifications

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/7612 Primary

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

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title