Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing system, and maintenance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12347660-B2
Application number	US-202418746251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2024
Priority date	Oct 19, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus comprise: a first chamber including a sidewall providing an opening, the first chamber further including a movable part movable upward and downward within the first chamber; a substrate support disposed within the first chamber; a second chamber disposed within the first chamber and defining, together with the substrate support, a processing space in which a substrate mounted on the substrate support is processed, the second chamber being separable from the first chamber and transportable between an inner space of the first chamber and the outside of the first chamber via the opening; a clamp releasably fixing the second chamber to the movable part extending above the second chamber; a release mechanism configured to release the fixing of the second chamber by the clamp; and a lift mechanism configured to move the movable part upward and downward.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a first chamber including a sidewall providing an opening, the first chamber further including a movable part movable upward and downward within the first chamber;
a substrate support disposed within the first chamber;
a second chamber disposed within the first chamber and defining, together with the substrate support, a processing space in which a substrate mounted on the substrate support is processed, the second chamber being separable from the first chamber and transportable between an inner space of the first chamber and the outside of the first chamber via the opening;
a clamp that releasably fixes the second chamber to the movable part extending above the second chamber; and
a lift mechanism that includes a driver and a shaft configured to move the movable part upward and downward.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber includes a ceiling portion extending above the processing space, and the clamp releasably fixes the ceiling portion to the movable part.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the clamp includes
a support having a lower end configured to suspend the ceiling portion therefrom.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a conductor provided along an outer periphery of the substrate support and connected to the ground, and a contact electrically connected to the conductor,
wherein the second chamber is in contact with the contact while defining the processing space together with the substrate support.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the contact is configured to be in elastic contact with the second chamber.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the contact includes a spring.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the contact is a pin, and the second chamber provides a recess into which the pin is fitted.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the pin has a tapered shape, and the recess of the second chamber has a tapered shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the pin.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the contact is flexible and includes a film formed of a conductive material, and
the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a separate air supply device configured to apply air pressure to the film to pressurize the film into the second chamber.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second chamber includes a bottom portion extending below the processing space, and the bottom portion is in contact with the contact.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cover ring having an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion,
wherein an edge ring is disposed on the substrate support,
the inner edge portion of the cover ring supports an outer edge portion of the edge ring disposed thereon,
the outer edge portion of the cover ring includes a plurality of convex portions protruding in a radial direction, and
the second chamber includes a bottom portion having an inner edge portion defining an inner hole through which the edge ring and the cover ring pass, and supports the cover ring in a state in which the plurality of convex portions are disposed on the inner edge portion of the bottom portion, and
the inner hole includes a plurality of notches through which the plurality of convex portions are passable and which are provided by the inner edge portion.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , which is a plasma processing apparatus.

13. A substrate processing system comprising:
the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a transfer module having a transfer device and a separate chamber including a sidewall providing an opening, wherein the transfer device is configured to transfer the second chamber from the inner space of the first chamber to an inner space of the separate chamber via the opening of the first chamber and the opening of the separate chamber; and
a control unit comprising a computer configured to control the lift mechanism, a release mechanism, and the transfer device,
wherein the control unit controls:
the lift mechanism to separate the movable part and the second chamber upward from the substrate support, and
the transfer device to transfer the second chamber, the fixing of which by the clamp is released, from the inner space of the first chamber to the inner space of the separate chamber via the opening of the first chamber and the opening of the separate chamber.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 13 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus further includes a gate valve configured to open and close the opening of the first chamber,
the transfer module further includes a gate valve configured to open and close the opening of the separate chamber and is configured to be movable,
the sidewall of the first chamber, the sidewall of the separate chamber, the gate valve of the substrate processing apparatus, and the gate valve of the transfer module define a sealed space thereamong in a state in which the separate chamber is connected to the first chamber, and
the substrate processing system further comprises an exhaust device configured to depressurize the sealed space.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a conductor provided along an outer periphery of the substrate support and connected to the ground, and a contact electrically connected to the conductor,
wherein the second chamber is in contact with the contact while defining the processing space together with the substrate support.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a conductor provided along an outer periphery of the substrate support and connected to the ground, and a contact electrically connected to the conductor,
wherein the second chamber is in contact with the contact while defining the processing space together with the substrate support.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second chamber includes a bottom portion extending below the processing space, and the bottom portion is in contact with the contact.

18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second chamber includes a bottom portion extending below the processing space, and the bottom portion is in contact with the contact.

19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second chamber includes a bottom portion extending below the processing space, and the bottom portion is in contact with the contact.

20. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second chamber includes a bottom portion extending below the processing space, and the bottom portion is in contact with the contact.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Sawachi Atsushi
• Hirose Jun
• Nishijima Takuya
• Sone Ichiro
• Sato Suguru

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

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

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title

• H10P72/3214

  by means of a cart or a vehicle · CPC title