阅读说明：本技术 等离子体处理装置 (Plasma processing apparatus ) 是由 永关一也 茂山和基 松田俊也 古谷直一 大下辰郎 于 2018-12-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种等离子体处理装置。目的在于减少处理室的压力的偏差。提供一种排气装置,该排气装置具有：排气机构,其具有第1叶片构件和第2叶片构件,该第1叶片构件和该第2叶片构件在处理容器的排气空间中同轴地配置于比被处理体靠外周侧的位置,且至少一者能够旋转,该处理容器在真空气氛的处理空间中对被处理体实施处理；以及排气部,其与所述排气空间连通,在所述排气机构的下游侧进行所述处理容器内的排气。(The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus. The purpose is to reduce the pressure deviation of the processing chamber. Provided is an exhaust device provided with: an exhaust mechanism including a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member, the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member being coaxially disposed at a position on an outer peripheral side of the object to be processed in an exhaust space of a processing vessel in which the object to be processed is processed in a processing space of a vacuum atmosphere and at least one of the members is rotatable; and an exhaust unit which communicates with the exhaust space and exhausts the processing container on a downstream side of the exhaust mechanism.)

1. A plasma processing apparatus includes:

a plurality of plasma processing chambers, each of which has a mounting table for mounting a target object therein;

a rotor blade and a stator blade disposed around the mounting table of each of the plurality of plasma processing chambers;

a control unit that controls a rotational speed of the rotor blade; and

and an exhaust space disposed below the plurality of plasma processing chambers and connected to each of the plurality of plasma processing chambers.

2. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1,

the rotor blade of each of the plurality of plasma processing chambers is independently controlled to rotate.

3. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1,

the plurality of blades constituting the rotor blade and the plurality of blades constituting the stator blade are inclined and alternately arranged.

4. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2,

the plurality of blades constituting the rotor blade and the plurality of blades constituting the stator blade are inclined and alternately arranged.

5. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

an exhaust unit is disposed in the exhaust space.

6. The plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

at least one baffle plate for separating the exhaust space and the plasma processing space is arranged in at least one plasma processing chamber in the plurality of plasma processing chambers.

7. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 5,

at least one baffle plate for separating the exhaust space and the plasma processing space is arranged in at least one plasma processing chamber in the plurality of plasma processing chambers.

8. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6,

the at least one shutter moves or rotates in an up-and-down direction.

9. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 7,

the at least one shutter moves or rotates in an up-and-down direction.

10. A plasma processing apparatus includes:

1 st plasma processing chamber;

a2 nd plasma processing chamber adjacent to the 1 st plasma processing chamber;

a1 st stage which is disposed in the 1 st plasma processing chamber and on which an object to be processed is placed;

a2 nd stage arranged in the 2 nd plasma processing chamber and on which an object to be processed is placed;

a1 st movable member and a1 st stationary member, the 1 st movable member and the 1 st stationary member being disposed around the 1 st mounting table, the 1 st movable member having a plurality of 1 st moving blades, the 1 st stationary member having a plurality of 1 st stationary blades, the plurality of 1 st moving blades and the plurality of 1 st stationary blades being alternately arranged in a vertical direction, and a1 st exhaust space being formed below the 1 st movable member and the 1 st stationary member;

a2 nd movable member and a2 nd stationary member, the 2 nd movable member and the 2 nd stationary member being disposed around the 2 nd mounting table, the 2 nd movable member having a plurality of 2 nd moving blades, the 2 nd stationary member having a plurality of 2 nd stationary blades, the plurality of 2 nd moving blades and the plurality of 2 nd stationary blades being alternately arranged in a vertical direction, and a2 nd exhaust space being formed below the 2 nd movable member and the 2 nd stationary member;

at least one driving unit configured to rotate the 1 st movable member and the 2 nd movable member simultaneously or individually;

a control unit that controls the at least one drive unit; and

a common vacuum pump in communication with the 1 st and 2 nd exhaust spaces.

11. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10,

at least one baffle plate for separating the exhaust space from the plasma processing space is arranged in at least one of the 1 st plasma processing chamber and the 2 nd plasma processing chamber.

12. The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 11,

the at least one shutter moves or rotates in an up-and-down direction.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus.

Background

In semiconductor manufacturing, an exhaust apparatus is provided in a processing apparatus for processing a target object in a processing chamber having a vacuum atmosphere, in order to control the processing chamber to a predetermined pressure. Various types of exhaust devices have been proposed (see, for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2000-183037

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

If the pressure in the processing chamber varies, the processing of the object to be processed becomes uneven, and therefore, it is preferable that the exhaust device be installed at a position where the pressure in the processing chamber does not vary. For example, when the exhaust device is attached to an exhaust port provided on the outer peripheral side of the sidewall or the bottom of the processing apparatus, the exhaust gas is sucked in the lateral direction or the outer peripheral direction. Therefore, the pressure in the exhaust space varies, and as a result, the pressure may vary in the process chamber.

However, a high-frequency power supply, a power supply rod, or the like, or a pipe for cooling gas for temperature adjustment of the object to be processed, a pipe for refrigerant, or the like may be disposed below the processing apparatus. Therefore, a space for disposing these devices is required, and it may be difficult to dispose the exhaust device at a position below the center of the processing apparatus where the pressure in the processing chamber is difficult to vary.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to reduce a variation in pressure of a process chamber.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect, there is provided an exhaust apparatus including: an exhaust mechanism including a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member, the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member being coaxially disposed at a position on an outer peripheral side of the object to be processed in an exhaust space of a processing vessel in which the object to be processed is processed in a processing space of a vacuum atmosphere and at least one of the members is rotatable; and an exhaust unit which communicates with the exhaust space and exhausts the processing container on a downstream side of the exhaust mechanism.

According to another aspect, there is provided a processing apparatus including an exhaust apparatus, the exhaust apparatus including: an exhaust mechanism including a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member, the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member being coaxially disposed at a position on an outer peripheral side of the object to be processed in an exhaust space of a processing vessel in which the object to be processed is processed in a processing space of a vacuum atmosphere and at least one of the members is rotatable; and an exhaust unit which communicates with the exhaust space and exhausts the processing container on a downstream side of the exhaust mechanism.

According to another aspect, there is provided an exhaust method in which a process container performs a process on a target object in a process space in a vacuum atmosphere, at least one of a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member coaxially arranged on an outer circumferential side of the target object is rotated in the exhaust space of the process container, exhaust in the process container is performed by an exhaust portion communicating with the exhaust space and arranged on a downstream side of the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member, and a rotation speed per unit time of at least one of the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member that is rotated is changed based on a predetermined condition.

According to another aspect, there is provided an exhaust method in an exhaust space of a process container having a wall partitioning the process container into a plurality of process chambers, the process container processing an object to be processed in a process space of a vacuum atmosphere, wherein at least one of a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member is rotated for each of a group of the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member coaxially arranged on an outer peripheral side of each of a plurality of objects to be processed placed in the plurality of process chambers, a pressure in the plurality of process chambers is measured, and rotation of at least one of the 1 st blade member and the 2 nd blade member in each of the process chambers is independently controlled based on the measured pressure in the plurality of process chambers.

According to another aspect, there is provided a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of plasma processing chambers, each of which has a mounting table for mounting a target object therein; a rotor blade and a stator blade disposed around the mounting table of each of the plurality of plasma processing chambers; a control unit that controls a rotational speed of the rotor blade; and an exhaust space disposed below the plurality of plasma processing chambers and connected to each of the plurality of plasma processing chambers.

According to another aspect, there is provided a plasma processing apparatus comprising: 1 st plasma processing chamber; a2 nd plasma processing chamber adjacent to the 1 st plasma processing chamber; a1 st stage which is disposed in the 1 st plasma processing chamber and on which an object to be processed is placed; a2 nd stage arranged in the 2 nd plasma processing chamber and on which an object to be processed is placed; a1 st movable member and a1 st stationary member, the 1 st movable member and the 1 st stationary member being disposed around the 1 st mounting table, the 1 st movable member having a plurality of 1 st moving blades, the 1 st stationary member having a plurality of 1 st stationary blades, the plurality of 1 st moving blades and the plurality of 1 st stationary blades being alternately arranged in a vertical direction, and a1 st exhaust space being formed below the 1 st movable member and the 1 st stationary member; a2 nd movable member and a2 nd stationary member, the 2 nd movable member and the 2 nd stationary member being disposed around the 2 nd mounting table, the 2 nd movable member having a plurality of 2 nd moving blades, the 2 nd stationary member having a plurality of 2 nd stationary blades, the plurality of 2 nd moving blades and the plurality of 2 nd stationary blades being alternately arranged in a vertical direction, and a2 nd exhaust space being formed below the 2 nd movable member and the 2 nd stationary member; at least one driving unit configured to rotate the 1 st movable member and the 2 nd movable member simultaneously or individually; a control unit that controls the at least one drive unit; and a common vacuum pump communicating with the 1 st exhaust space and the 2 nd exhaust space.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to an aspect, a deviation of the pressure of the process chamber can be reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a section a1-a1 and a section a2-a2 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a section B-B of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing apparatus according to a modification of the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the exhaust gas treatment according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of wafer transfer at the time of input and output according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of wafer transfer at the time of input and output according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of wafer transfer at the time of input and output according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of wafer transfer at the time of input and output according to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A processing device; 3. an exhaust mechanism; 10. a processing vessel; 12. 13, a loading table; 14. 15, a high-frequency power supply; 16. a gas supply unit; 17. 18, an exhaust space; 19. APC; 20. a turbomolecular pump; 21. 22, a baffle plate; 23. 24, a gas shower; 26. 27, a power supply rod; 28. an input/output port; 29. a wall; 30. 32, moving blades; 30a, 1 st blade; 30b, 1 st substrate; 31. 33, stationary blades; 31a, 2 nd blade; 31b, 2 nd substrate; 40. 41, a shielding member; 50. a control unit; 101. 102, a processing chamber.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same structures, and overlapping description is omitted.

[ Overall Structure of treatment apparatus ]

First, a batch-type processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in comparison with a comparative batch-type processing apparatus. Fig. 1 (a) shows an example of a batch-type processing apparatus 9 of a comparative example, and fig. 1 (b) shows an example of a batch-type processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The batch-type processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example and the batch-type processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment are apparatuses capable of simultaneously processing a plurality of semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter, referred to as "wafers"). The processing apparatus 1 and the processing apparatus 9 have a cylindrical processing vessel 10 formed of, for example, aluminum having its surface anodized (anodized) by aluminum. The processing container 10 is grounded.

The processing container 10 is configured to divide a processing space where the wafer W is processed into a plurality of processing chambers by a cylindrical wall 29. In this example, 4 cylindrical walls 29 are used to provide two processing chambers in addition to the processing chambers 101 and 102, so that 4 wafers W can be processed simultaneously. However, the number of the process chambers is not limited to 4. For convenience of description, the structures of the two processing chambers 101 and 102 will be described below, and the structures of the remaining two processing chambers in the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will not be described, but the two processing chambers have the same structure and the same function as the processing chambers 101 and 102.

Differences between the processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example in fig. 1 (a) and the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment in fig. 1 (b) will be described. A first difference is that the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 (b) has the exhaust mechanism 3 in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 below the tables 12 and 13 on which the wafers W are placed, whereas the processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example shown in fig. 1 (a) does not have the exhaust mechanism in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18. The exhaust mechanism 3 has a set of rotor blades 30 and stator blades 31 in the process chamber 101, and a set of rotor blades 32 and stator blades 33 in the process chamber 102.

A second difference is that the processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example includes the baffles 21 and 22 that separate the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 from the processing spaces (processing chambers 101 and 102), whereas the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment does not include a baffle. However, the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment may have a baffle plate.

Other structures are the same, and simply described, wafers W are placed on the tables 12 and 13, respectively. Gas showerheads 23 and 24 for introducing a process gas into the process container 10 are provided at positions facing the mounting tables 12 and 13 at the ceiling of the process container 10. The process gas is introduced from the gas supply unit 16 into the gas showerheads 23, 24. The process gas is introduced into the process chambers 101 and 102 in a shower shape through a plurality of gas ejection holes 23a and 24a provided in the lower surfaces of the gas showerheads 23 and 24.

The tables 12 and 13 are connected to power supply rods 26 and 27, and also connected to high-frequency power supplies 14 and 15 via matching circuits. By supplying high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supplies 14 and 15 to the stages 12 and 13, plasma of the processing gas is generated in the processing chambers 101 and 102, and the processing such as etching is performed on the wafer W by the plasma. The high-frequency power supplies 14 and 15 may apply a predetermined high-frequency power to the tables 12 and 13 functioning as the lower electrodes, or may apply a predetermined high-frequency power to the gas showerheads 23 and 24 functioning as the upper electrodes.

The processing container 10 has a sidewall provided with an input/output port 28 for inputting/outputting the wafer W. In addition, an input/output port 35 for the wafer W is provided in the wall 29 that separates the plurality of processing chambers. Below the tables 12 and 13, the processing container 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding toward the processing chambers 101 and 102, and is connected to the outer peripheries of the tables 12 and 13. Thus, an air space is formed below the tables 12 and 13, and the power supply rods 26 and 27, the high-frequency power sources 14 and 15, and pipes for a cooling gas for temperature adjustment of the object to be processed and pipes for a coolant can be arranged.

The exhaust spaces 17 and 18 below the process chambers 101 and 102 are formed in a ring shape along the circumferential direction at positions on the outer circumferential side of the wafer W. The exhaust spaces 17 and 18 communicate with each other below the wall 29 that separates the process chambers 101 and 102, and are exhausted through an exhaust port by an APC (Adaptive Pressure Control) 19 and a turbo molecular pump 20. The APC19 is a controller capable of pressure control by control of a regulator valve. The turbo-molecular pump 20 evacuates the inside of the processing container 10 after rough suction by, for example, a dry pump. The APC19 and the turbo molecular pump 20 are examples of exhaust parts disposed on the downstream side of the exhaust mechanism 3. The exhaust section may not have APC 19.

Since the turbo molecular pump 20 is used in common for the plurality of process chambers 101 and 102, exhaust gas is sucked toward the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 on the center side. Thereby, the gas flows toward the turbo molecular pump 20. Thus, in the processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example shown in fig. 1 (a), the pressure in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 on the side of the turbomolecular pump 20 shown on the inner side of the drawing sheet is lower than the pressure in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 on the opposite side shown on the outer side of the drawing sheet. As a result, the same pressure distribution as that of the exhaust space is generated also in the process chambers 101 and 102. As a result, in the processing apparatus 9 of the comparative example shown in fig. 1 (a), fluctuations in the circumferential direction due to the pressure distribution in the processing chambers 101 and 102 occur in etching or the like, and it is difficult to perform uniform processing on the wafer W.

Therefore, in the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment shown in fig. 1 (b), the exhaust mechanism 3 is provided to improve uniformity of pressure distribution in the processing container 10, eliminate circumferential fluctuation such as etching, and perform uniform processing on the wafer W. That is, the exhaust device for exhausting the processing device 1 of the present embodiment includes the exhaust mechanism 3, the APC19 provided on the downstream side of the exhaust mechanism 3, and the turbo molecular pump 20. However, the exhaust apparatus of the present embodiment may not have APC 19.

The exhaust mechanism 3 has a plurality of groups of rotor blades 30 and stator blades 31, a plurality of groups of rotor blades 32 and stator blades 33, and a plurality of layers of rotor blades and stator blades arranged alternately. The rotor blades 30 and 32 are rotatable about the center axes of the tables 12 and 13 (the wafers W placed on the tables 12 and 13). The stationary blades 31 and 33 are fixed to the wall 29 of the processing container 10. The rotor blades 30, the stator blades 31, and the rotor blades 32 and the stator blades 33 are coaxially arranged on the outer circumferential side of the wafer W, and at least one of them is an example of a1 st blade member and a2 nd blade member that are rotatable. The exhaust mechanism 3 may be configured to be detachable and mountable as a unit of its own.

In this way, in the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the moving blades 30 and 32 and the stationary blades 31 and 33 are present in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 without rotating the moving blades 30 and 32, the gas passes through the narrow spaces between the moving blades 30 and 32 and the stationary blades 31 and 33 and is exhausted. Therefore, the gas hardly flows. This makes the pressure in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 uniform. As a result, the pressure can be made uniform even in the processing space.

However, if the moving blades 30 and 32 are not rotated, the gas exhaust efficiency is deteriorated. Therefore, it is preferable to rotate the moving blades 30, 32 to form the flow of gas in the exhaust spaces 17, 18. As a result, the pressure in the upstream of the exhaust mechanism 3 becomes uniform, and as a result, the plurality of process chambers can be simultaneously evacuated by the turbo molecular pump 20 while ensuring the uniformity of the pressure in the process space. As a result, in the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, uniformity of the pressure distribution in the processing container 10 can be improved, and uniformity of the processing such as etching can be achieved.

The processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the same number of sets of the rotor blades and the stator blades as the number of wafers W that can be processed simultaneously. For example, when 4 processing chambers are provided, the processing apparatus 1 has 4 sets of moving blades and stationary blades. The rotational speeds of the 4 moving blades can be independently controlled. The control unit 50 performs independent control of each rotor blade. The number of exhaust ports provided in the process container 10 and connected to the turbo molecular pump 20 may be 1 or more.

The control unit 50 controls the overall operation of the processing apparatus 1. The control Unit 50 includes memories such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU executes a predetermined process such as etching on the wafer W in accordance with the process stored in the memory. The process is set with control information of the apparatus for the process conditions, i.e., process time, pressure (gas exhaust), high-frequency power, voltage, various gas flow rates, temperature in the processing container (upper electrode temperature, sidewall temperature of the processing container, wafer W temperature, electrostatic chuck temperature, etc.), set temperature of the coolant, and the like. The manufacturing processes representing these programs and process conditions may be stored in a hard disk or a semiconductor memory. The manufacturing process may be set to a predetermined position in a state of being accommodated in a portable computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD, and may be read out.

In addition, the memory stores information on predetermined conditions for performing independent control of the number of rotor blades corresponding to the number of processing chambers. The predetermined condition may be set to at least one of a pressure condition of each processing chamber of a process used for processing the wafer W, a process condition such as a flow rate of the gas, a timing of supplying the gas, and a timing of exhausting the gas. The controller 50 may control the turbo-molecular pump 20 to change the rotation speed per unit time at which each rotor blade rotates based on the predetermined condition while controlling the exhaust gas in the process container 10.

The control unit 50 may acquire the pressure of each processing chamber from a pressure sensor attached to each of the plurality of processing chambers, and control the drive unit 51 based on the acquired pressure of each processing chamber to change the rotation speed per unit time of the rotor for rotating each rotor blade. For example, the controller 50 may control the driver 51 based on a differential pressure between the measured pressures in the plurality of processing chambers to independently control the rotor that rotates the rotor blades in each processing chamber.

(arrangement and operation of rotor blades and stator blades)

The arrangement and operation of the rotor blades and the stator blades will be described with reference to fig. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 (a) is a view showing a section A1-A1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 (b) is a view showing a section A2-A2 in FIG. 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing a section B-B of fig. 1.

First, referring to fig. 2, (a) and (b) of fig. 2 are cross sections of the process chamber 101. The cross section of the processing chamber 102 has the same structure, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. In the processing chamber 101, the central axis O is a common axis of the wafer W, the mounting table 12, and a cylindrical wall of the processing chamber 101. The rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31 are arranged coaxially with respect to the central axis 0.

The rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31 may be formed of aluminum, or the surface of aluminum may be subjected to alumite (anodic oxidation) treatment. The rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31 may be coated with aluminum by plating with nickel or the like.

The rotor blade 30 includes: a1 st base material 30b located below the wafer W (and the mounting table 12) and spaced apart from the outer periphery of the wafer W; and a plurality of 1 st blades 30a mounted outwardly to the 1 st base 30b at regular intervals. The 1 st base material 30b is an annular member having a space larger than the areas of the wafer W and the mounting table 12.

The stator blade 31 includes: the 2 nd base material 31 b; and a plurality of 2 nd blades 31a inwardly mounted to the 2 nd base material 31b at regular intervals. The 2 nd base material 31b is an annular member having a space larger than the area of the rotor blade 30.

The 1 st base 30b is disposed on the wafer W side and is rotatable about the central axis O. The 2 nd base material 31b is fixed to the wall of the processing container 10 and does not rotate.

The 1 st blade 30a and the 2 nd blade 31a have obliquely downward inclined surfaces and are arranged along the circumferential direction around the central axis O of the wafer W. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the 1 st blade 30a is disposed so as to be inclined outward at an angle at which gas molecules easily pass.

In the present embodiment, the 2 nd blade 31a is disposed inward at an angle such that gas molecules are unlikely to move backward.

The 1 st blade 30a and the 2 nd blade 31a are provided in multiple layers and are alternately arranged. Fig. 3 shows the 1 st blade 30a and the 2 nd blade 31a in two layers. The upper side of the drawing is the front layer side (high vacuum side) of the exhaust mechanism 3, and the lower side of the drawing is the rear layer side. In the present embodiment, the rotor blade 30 rotates and the stator blade 31 is fixed. When the rotation direction of the rotor blade 30 is from the right to the left on the paper, the relationship between the rotation direction and the inclination of the 1 st blade 30a and the inclination of the 2 nd blade 31a is as shown in fig. 3. The gas molecules (gas) flying from the high vacuum side fly in various directions when they enter the rotor blade 30 and leave it. However, due to the inclination of the 1 st blade 30a and the inclination of the 2 nd blade 31a and the rotation of the 1 st blade 30a, gas molecules are directed toward the rear layer of the exhaust mechanism 3 and, at the same time, toward a direction in which they easily pass through the stationary blades 31. Further, gas molecules passing through the stationary blades 31 from the rear layer side and traveling backward collide with the rotor blades 30 and are directed toward the rear layer again. The inclination of the 1 st blade 30a and the inclination of the 2 nd blade 31a have an angle at which gas molecules easily pass through on the front layer side and an angle at which gas molecules are hard to reverse on the rear layer side.

When the 1 st base material 30b is rotated by the driving of the driving unit 51 and the 1 st plurality of blades 30a are rotated, the 1 st blade 30a cooperates with the 2 nd stationary blade 31a to suck the exhaust gas downward in the molecular region. In the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the 1 st substrate 30b is rotated before starting a process such as etching or during the process, and the turbo-molecular pump 20 is driven to evacuate the processing container 10, thereby maintaining the high vacuum state.

The exhaust mechanism 3 and the turbo molecular pump 20 having this configuration are an example of an exhaust device for exhausting the inside of the processing container, and the object to be processed is processed in the processing container under a vacuum atmosphere. According to this exhaust apparatus, the plurality of process chambers are simultaneously evacuated by the turbo molecular pump 20, and the pressures in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18 are made uniform, whereby the uniformity of the pressures in the process spaces of the process chambers 101 and 102 is improved, and the uniformity of the process can be achieved.

In the present embodiment, the exhaust mechanism 3 is configured such that the rotor blades 30 are disposed inside the stator blades 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the arrangement of the rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31 may be changed, and the rotor blades 30 may be arranged outside the stator blades 31. However, considering energy for moving the rotor blade 30, it is preferable to dispose the rotor blade 30 inside the stator blade 31. In the exhaust mechanism 3, instead of arranging the rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31, two rotor blades 30 may be provided. In this case, the rotation directions of the two rotor blades 30 are controlled in opposite directions. Accordingly, even if the rotational speed of each rotor blade 30 is set to half, the same exhaust effect as in the case of the combination of the rotor blades 30 and the stator blades 31 can be obtained.

[ modified examples ]

Next, a modified example of the exhaust device will be described with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing device 1 on which the exhaust devices of modifications 1 to 3 of the present embodiment are mounted. Fig. 4 (a) is a diagram showing a treatment device 1 on which an exhaust device according to modification 1 of the present embodiment is mounted. In the processing apparatus 1 of modification 1, the exhaust apparatus includes the exhaust mechanism 3, the APC19, and the turbo molecular pump 20, and further includes the baffles 21 and 22 on the upstream side of the exhaust mechanism 3. The baffles 21 and 22 are provided to surround the tables 12 and 13 in the processing chambers 101 and 102, respectively. The baffles 21 and 22 divide the inside of the processing container 10 above the exhaust mechanism 3 into processing spaces (processing chambers 101 and 102) for processing the wafers W and exhaust spaces 17 and 18. The baffles 21 and 22 are formed with a plurality of through holes.

The baffles 21, 22 may also be formed of aluminum. The baffles 21 and 22 may be made of aluminum coated with a corrosion resistance to halogen. For example, the surface of aluminum may be subjected to an alumite (anodic oxidation) treatment, or aluminum may be sprayed by Y₂O₃、Al₂O₃And the like.

In this way, the baffle plates 21 and 22 rectify the gases used in the process chambers 101 and 102 and pass through the exhaust spaces 17 and 18. In the case of modification 1, the exhaust mechanism 3 also operates in cooperation with the turbo molecular pump 20. This further improves the uniformity of the pressure in the exhaust spaces 17 and 18, improves the uniformity of the pressure in the processing spaces of the processing chambers 101 and 102, and achieves uniformity of the processing such as etching. Further, the plasma generated in the processing chambers 101 and 102 is blocked by the baffles 21 and 22, and the exhaust mechanism 3 can be prevented from being directly exposed to the plasma.

Fig. 4 (b) is a diagram showing treatment device 1 mounted with the exhaust device of modification 2 of the present embodiment. In the processing apparatus 1 of modification 2, the exhaust device includes a damper 21 in addition to the exhaust mechanism 3 and the turbo molecular pump 20. In the processing apparatus 1 of modification 2, the number of processing chambers is 1. In this case, also, due to the arrangement of the turbo molecular pump 20, a pressure variation may occur in the exhaust space 17, and uniformity of the pressure distribution in the process chamber 101 may be deteriorated.

Therefore, in the processing apparatus 1 according to modification 2 of the present embodiment, even when there are 1 processing chambers 101, the exhaust mechanism 3 operates in cooperation with the turbo molecular pump 20. This improves the uniformity of the pressure in the exhaust space 17, improves the uniformity of the pressure in the processing space of the processing chamber 101, and achieves the uniformity of the processing.

Fig. 4 (c) is a diagram showing treatment device 1 mounted with an exhaust device according to variation 3 of the present embodiment. In the processing apparatus 1 according to modification 3, the exhaust unit includes the exhaust mechanism 3 and the turbo molecular pump 20, and a plurality of baffle plates 21a and 21b are provided in parallel at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction on the upstream side of the exhaust mechanism 3. At least one of the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b can move up and down or rotate. The plurality of shutters 21a and 21b are provided with a plurality of through holes, respectively. In the exhaust apparatus of modification 3, since pressure control using the two flaps 20a, 20b is possible, APC19 is not provided.

For example, the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b are arranged with the through holes shifted in position. At least one of the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b moves up and down, and when the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b approach each other, the distance between the through holes of the respective shutters becomes short, and the flow of gas can be suppressed.

At least one of the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b rotates, and the distance between the through holes of the plurality of shutters 21a and 21b changes, so that the flow of the gas can be changed.

In the processing apparatus 1 according to modification 3 of the present embodiment, the pressures in the processing space and the exhaust space can be controlled by controlling the opening and closing of the through holes provided in the plurality of shutters 21a and 21 b. Therefore, according to modification 3, the exhaust mechanism 3 operates in cooperation with the turbo molecular pump 20 and the plurality of dampers 21a and 21 b. This further improves the uniformity of the pressure in the exhaust space 17, improves the uniformity of the pressure in the processing space of the processing chamber 101, and achieves uniformity of the processing.

[ exhaust gas treatment ]

Next, an example of an exhaust method executed by the processing device 1 mounted with the exhaust device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the exhaust gas treatment according to the embodiment. This process is controlled by the control unit 50.

At the start of the present process, the control unit 50 acquires information on the pressure in each processing chamber by using the pressure sensor provided in each processing chamber (step S10). Next, the control unit 50 compares the set pressure with the acquired pressure information, and determines whether or not there is a process chamber having a pressure higher than the set pressure (step S12).

If the control unit 50 determines that there is no processing chamber having a pressure higher than the set pressure, the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, when the control unit 50 determines that a processing chamber having a pressure higher than the set pressure exists, the rotation speed of the rotor blade 30 is controlled based on the pressure difference between the set pressure and the pressure in the processing chamber, and the rotation speed of the rotor blade 30 in the processing chamber is slowed (step S14).

Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a processing chamber having a pressure lower than the set pressure exists (step S16). When the control unit 50 determines that there is no processing chamber having a pressure lower than the set pressure, the present process is ended. On the other hand, when the control unit 50 determines that a processing chamber having a pressure lower than the set pressure exists, the rotation speed of the rotor blade 30 is controlled based on the pressure difference between the set pressure and the pressure in the processing chamber, and the rotation speed of the rotor blade 30 in the processing chamber is increased (step S18), and the process is ended.

The gas supply unit 16 supplies a gas of a predetermined flow rate to each of the 4 processing chambers. On the other hand, the gas is exhausted by 1 turbo molecular pump 20. Therefore, the pressure in each processing chamber may be different due to individual differences in the performance of the exhaust gas by the gas supply unit 16 and the turbo molecular pump 20. In contrast, according to the exhaust method of the present embodiment, the rotational speeds of the rotor blades of the exhaust mechanism 3 provided to each of the processing chambers can be independently controlled. This can eliminate individual differences in exhaust performance of the processing apparatus 1.

For example, when a gas in a certain processing chamber is exhausted and the pressure is reduced, the rotational speed of the rotor blades in the processing chamber is increased. Thus, the number of molecules of gas that can be discharged per unit time is larger than the number of molecules of gas that can be discharged per unit time in the control to fully open the APC 19. This makes it possible to lower the pressure in the processing chamber faster than in the case of the control of only the APC 19.

For example, when a gas is supplied into a certain processing chamber to increase the pressure, the rotational speed of the rotor blades in the processing chamber is reduced. Thus, the number of molecules of gas that can be discharged per unit time is smaller than the number of molecules of gas that can be discharged per unit time in the control for fully closing the APC 19. This makes it possible to raise the pressure in the processing chamber faster than in the case of the control of only the APC 19.

The exhaust method according to the present embodiment is preferably a real-time process in which a sensor is provided in each processing chamber, the control unit 50 acquires the pressure of each processing chamber periodically or aperiodically from the sensor, and the exhaust process is performed based on the acquired pressure of each processing chamber.

In the exhaust method according to the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 5, the rotation speed of the rotor blades of each process chamber is not limited to be controlled based on the difference between the set pressure and the pressure of each process chamber obtained from the sensor. For example, the exhaust method according to the present embodiment may control the rotational speed of the rotor blades of each process chamber based on the difference in pressure between the process chambers output from the sensor. This also makes it possible to increase or decrease the speed of gas exhaust and supply, and thus makes it possible to eliminate individual differences in exhaust performance of the processing apparatus 1.

The number of rotations of the rotor blades of each processing chamber may be controlled based on predetermined conditions. The predetermined condition is not limited to the information on the pressure of each processing chamber obtained from the sensor, and may be at least one of a process condition such as a gas flow rate, and a timing of supplying and exhausting the gas.

For example, in a process in which the etching process of the wafer W is performed in multiple steps, when different gases are used in the preceding and subsequent steps, it is necessary to switch the gases in the processing chamber. In this case, after the gas used in the preceding step is exhausted, the gas to be used in the subsequent step is supplied into the processing chamber. In this case, in the present embodiment, while the gas used in the previous step is exhausted, the rotation speed of the rotor blades of each processing chamber is increased, and the pressure of each processing chamber is reduced. In the post-step process, the rotation speed of the rotor blades of each processing chamber is controlled to be lower than the rotation speed at the time of exhausting the gas in the preceding step. Thus, according to the exhaust method of the present embodiment, the pressure in each processing chamber can be efficiently controlled by controlling the rotational speed of the rotor blade of each processing chamber, as compared with the case where only the APC19 is performed.

In the case where the exhaust method is executed by the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment and the modifications 1 and 2, the processing apparatus 1 may have the APC19 or may not have the APC 19.

[ transportation of wafer at the time of input and output ]

Next, the transportation of the wafers W at the time of input and output of the batch-type processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 to 9 are diagrams showing an example of wafer conveyance in inputting and outputting in the processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

The processing apparatus 1 shown in fig. 6 to 9 has the same configuration as the processing apparatus 1 shown in fig. 1. In fig. 6 to 9, the gas supply unit, the gas shower head, the power supply rod, the high-frequency power supply, the turbo molecular pump, and the like are not shown. In the processing apparatus 1 of fig. 6 to 9, the input/output port 35 for the wafer W is formed in the wall 29 that separates the plurality of processing chambers. In the processing chamber 101, the wafer W is input and output through the input/output port 28, and in the processing chamber 102, the wafer W is further input and output through the input/output port 35 through the input/output port 28.

In fig. 6 to 9, the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 are provided on the wall surface of the processing container 10 at positions corresponding to the input/output ports 28 and 35 of at least the plurality of processing chambers 101 and 102. The shield member 40 and the shield member 41 protect the cylindrical wall 29 of the processing container 10. A lifting mechanism using an electromagnet or the like, not shown, is connected to the shield member 40 and the shield member 41. Accordingly, the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 can move upward or downward when the wafer W is loaded or unloaded, and the input/output ports 28 and 35 can be opened and closed.

Specifically, at the time of input and output of the wafer W shown in fig. 6 (a), the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 move downward from the input/output ports 28, 35, and the input/output ports 28, 35 are opened. At the time of processing (during the process) of the wafer W shown in fig. 6 (b), the shielding member 40 and the shielding member 41 are moved up to the positions of the input/output ports 28, 35, while closing the input/output ports 28, 35.

With this configuration, according to the processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the input/output ports 28 and 35 are opened and closed by the shielding members 40 and 41, and the shutters are not provided, so that variations in processing in the processing chambers due to the shutters can be eliminated. Further, since the shutter is not provided, the shutter itself, the actuator for driving the shutter, and other components can be omitted, and the number of components can be reduced.

By shielding the input/output ports 28 and 35 with the shield member 40 and the shield member 41, the lateral conductance in the processing container having the plurality of processing chambers 101 and 102 of the present embodiment can be reduced even if the input/output ports 28 and 35 are not completely sealed. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the exhaust space includes the rotor blades 30 and 32 and the stator blades 31 and 33, the pressure in the process container 10 can be controlled. This makes it possible to achieve uniformity of the pressure distribution in the processing container 10 even if the input/output ports 28 and 35 are not completely sealed.

As shown in fig. 7, the input/output ports 28 and 35 may be opened and closed by moving the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 up and down so as to protrude from the top of the processing container 10. The input/output ports 28 and 35 may be opened and closed by rotating the shield member 40 and the shield member 41. In this case, a rotation mechanism, not shown, such as a bearing is connected to the shield member 40 and the shield member 41. When the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 are rotated, for example, at the time of inputting and outputting the wafer W shown in fig. 7 (a), the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 are rotated to the position of the ceiling portion of the processing container 10, and the input/output ports 28 and 35 are opened. At the time of processing the wafer W shown in fig. 7 (b), the shielding member 40 and the shielding member 41 are moved to the positions of the input/output ports 28 and 35, and the input/output ports 28 and 35 are closed.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the shield member 40, the shield member 41, and the shutters 21 and 22 may be moved up and down or rotated to open and close the input/output ports 28 and 35. With this configuration, the number of components can be further reduced by moving or rotating the shield member 40, the shield member 41, and the shutters 21 and 22 together in the vertical direction. In addition, the process variation in each process chamber due to the shutter can be eliminated.

As shown in fig. 6 to 9, when the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 are driven, a space directly connecting the processing space and the exhaust space can be formed. This makes it possible to easily exhaust gas and shorten the gas exhaust time.

Further, instead of the horizontal portion of the shutter, the shielding member 40 and the shielding member 41 may be provided with holes at any appropriate position of the horizontal portion or the vertical portion. In this case, the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 are driven together with the perforated portion on the inner side with respect to the side wall of the processing container 10, so that the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 can also function as the baffles 21 and 22. This can further reduce the number of components. Further, by shaping the shield member 40 and the shield member 41 so as to reduce the volume of the processing space in the process by the movement of the shield member 40 and the shield member 41, energy (high-frequency power, heater power, and the like) required for the process can be reduced, and the running cost can be reduced.

When the wafer W is to be loaded/unloaded, the tables 12 and 13 may be moved up and down to the positions of the input/output ports 28, the wafer W may be gripped by the lift pins, the wafer W may be transferred between the tables 12 and 13 and the transfer arm, and the wafer W may be loaded/unloaded from the input/output ports 28.

While the treatment apparatus and the exhaust method have been described above with reference to the above embodiments, the treatment apparatus and the exhaust method of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and improvements can be made within the scope of the present invention. The matters described in the above embodiments can be combined within a range not inconsistent with each other.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any one of Capacitive Coupled Plasma (CCP), Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP), Radial Line Slot Antenna (Radial Line Slot Antenna), Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma (ECR), and Helicon Wave Plasma (HWP).