Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus that performs plasma processing to a substrate held on a transport carrier including a frame and a holding sheet that covers an opening of the frame includes: a transport mechanism that transports the transport carrier; a position measuring section that measures a position of the substrate to the frame; a plasma processing section that includes a plasma processing stage on which the transport carrier is loaded and a cover that covers the frame and a part of the holding sheet loaded on the plasma processing stage, and has a window section for exposing a part of the substrate; and a control section that controls the transport mechanism such that the transport carrier is loaded on the plasma processing stage to satisfy a positional relationship between the window section and the substrate based on the position information of the substrate to the frame.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus performs plasma processing on a substrate held by a carrier. The carrier includes a frame disposed around the substrate and a holding sheet which holds the substrate and the frame. The plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a stage which is disposed within the chamber and has an upper surface on which the carrier is mounted; a gas hole which is provided at a position of the upper surface opposing a bottom surface of the frame and through which cooling gas is supplied between the stage and the carrier; and a plasma exciting unit which generates plasma within the chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma treatment method including: placing a substrate carrier holding a substrate on a stage; adjusting a distance between a cover and the stage to a first distance in which the cover covers a frame without coming into contact with the substrate carrier; performing a plasma treatment on the substrate placed on the stage after the adjusting of the distance; carrying the substrate together with the substrate carrier out from a reaction chamber after the performing of the plasma treatment; and removing an adhered substance adhered to the cover by generating plasma in the inside of the reaction chamber after the carrying of the substrate, in which the distance between the cover and the stage in the removing of the adhered substance is a second distance greater than the first distance.

Abstract: A dry etching apparatus includes a tray for conveying substrates. The tray has substrate housing holes as through holes each capable of housing the three substrates. The substrates are supported by a substrate support section protruding from a hole wall of each of the substrate housing holes. A stage is provided in a chamber in which plasma is generated. The stage includes substrate installation sections to be inserted from a lower surface side of the tray to the substrate housing holes so that lower surfaces of the plurality of the substrates transferred from the substrate support section are installed on substrate installation surfaces that are their upper end surfaces. High shape controllability and favorable productivity for the angular substrate can be implemented while preventing increased in size of the apparatus.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, thrust-up pins are elevated and a thrust-up force is detected when electrostatic attraction for a substrate by a substrate holding device is ceased after completion of plasma processing, the elevation of the thrust-up pins is ceased upon detection of a detection threshold, and a stepped elevating operation in which the elevation and stoppage of the thrust-up pins are repeated a plurality of times are thereafter commenced on condition that the detected thrust-up force falls to or below the detection threshold and that release of the substrate from a placement surface has not been completed. In the stepped elevating operation, operation timing of the thrust-up device is controlled so that the completion of the release of the substrate from the placement surface is detected when the thrust-up pins are stopped after being elevated and so that the stepped elevating operation is continued on condition that the release has not been completed.

Abstract: A tray for a dry etching apparatus includes substrate accommodation holes penetrating a thickness direction and a substrate support portion supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface of a substrate. An upper portion includes a tray support surface supporting a lower surface of the tray, substrate placement portions on each of which a lower surface of the substrate to be placed, and a concave portion for accommodating the substrate support portion. A dc voltage applying mechanism applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate and substrate placement portion. During carrying of the substrate, the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate is supported by the substrate accommodation hole. During processing of the substrate, the substrate support portion is accommodated in the concave portion.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a pressure-reducible chamber 1, a placement section 3 for supporting an object to be treated within the chamber 1, a dielectric member 5 for sealing an upper opening of the chamber 1, and a coil 4 provided outside the dielectric member 5. The coil 4 generates a plasma 6 in the chamber 1 by inductive coupling so that the object 2 is subjected to etching. The dielectric member 5 has recess portions 5c discontinuous to one another. Portions of the dielectric member 5 form large-thickness portions 5b. A thickness of the dielectric member 5 in the recess portions 5c is smaller than a thickness of the large-thickness portions 5b. The recess portions 5c are placed according to distribution densities of conductors constituting the coil 4.

Abstract: A tray for a dry etching apparatus includes substrate accommodation holes penetrating a thickness direction and a substrate support portion supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface of a substrate. An upper portion includes a tray support surface supporting a lower surface of the tray, substrate placement portions on each of which a lower surface of the substrate to be placed, and a concave portion for accommodating the substrate support portion. A dc voltage applying mechanism applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate and substrate placement portion. During carrying of the substrate, the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate is supported by the substrate accommodation hole. During processing of the substrate, the substrate support portion is accommodated in the concave portion.

Abstract: A tray for a dry etching apparatus includes substrate accommodation holes penetrating a thickness direction and a substrate support portion supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface of a substrate. A dielectric plate includes a tray support surface supporting a lower surface of the tray, substrate placement portions inserted from a lower surface side of the tray into the substrate accommodation holes and having a substrate placement surface at its upper end surface. A dc voltage applying mechanism applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate and substrate placement surface. The substrate is retained on the substrate placement surface with high degree of adhesion. Cooling efficiency of the substrate is improved and processing is uniform at the entire region of the substrate surface.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, thrust-up pins are elevated and a thrust-up force is detected when electrostatic attraction for a substrate by a substrate holding device is ceased after completion of plasma processing, the elevation of the thrust-up pins is ceased upon detection of a detection threshold, and a stepped elevating operation in which the elevation and stoppage of the thrust-up pins are repeated a plurality of times are thereafter commenced on condition that the detected thrust-up force falls to or below the detection threshold and that release of the substrate from a placement surface has not been completed. In the stepped elevating operation, operation timing of the thrust-up device is controlled so that the completion of the release of the substrate from the placement surface is detected when the thrust-up pins are stopped after being elevated and so that the stepped elevating operation is continued on condition that the release has not been completed.

Abstract: A tray 15 for a dry etching apparatus 1 has substrate accommodation holes 19A to 19D penetrating thickness direction and a substrate support portion 21 supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface 2a of a substrate 2. A dielectric plate 23 has a tray support surface 28 supporting a lower surface of the tray 15, substrate placement portions 29A through 29D inserted from a lower surface side of the tray 15 into the substrate accommodation holes 19A through 19D and having a substrate placement surface 31 at its upper end surface for placing the substrate 2. A dc voltage applying mechanism 43 applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode 40. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism 45 supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate 2 and substrate placement surface 31. The substrate 2 can be retained on the substrate placement surface 31 with high degree of adhesion.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a pressure-reducible chamber 1, a placement section 3 for supporting an object to be treated within the chamber 1, a dielectric member 5 for sealing an upper opening of the chamber 1, and a coil 4 provided outside the dielectric member 5. The coil 4 generates a plasma 6 in the chamber 1 by inductive coupling so that the object 2 is subjected to etching. The dielectric member 5 has recess portions 5c discontinuous to one another. Portions of the dielectric member 5 form large-thickness portions 5b. A thickness of the dielectric member 5 in the recess portions 5c is smaller than a thickness of the large-thickness portions 5b. The recess portions 5c are placed according to distribution densities of conductors constituting the coil 4.

Abstract: A tray 15 for a dry etching apparatus 1 has substrate accommodation holes 19A to 19D penetrating thickness direction and a substrate support portion 21 supporting an outer peripheral edge portion of a lower surface 2a of a substrate 2. A dielectric plate 23 has a tray support surface 28 supporting a lower surface of the tray 15, substrate placement portions 29A through 29D inserted from a lower surface side of the tray 15 into the substrate accommodation holes 19A through 19D and having a substrate placement surface 31 at its upper end surface for placing the substrate 2. A dc voltage applying mechanism 43 applies a dc voltage to an electrostatic attraction electrode 40. A heat conduction gas supply mechanism 45 supplies a heat conduction gas between the substrate 2 and substrate placement surface 31. The substrate 2 can be retained on the substrate placement surface 31 with high degree of adhesion.

Abstract: The plasma processing apparatus has a beam-shaped spacer 7 placed at the upper opening of the chamber 3 opposed to the substrate 2. The beam-shaped spacer 7 has an annular outer peripheral portion 7a whose lower surface 7d is supported by the chamber 3, a central portion 7b located at the center of a region surrounded by the outer peripheral portion 7a in plane view, and a plurality of beam portions 7c extending radially from the central portion 7b to the outer peripheral portion 7a. An entire of a dielectric plate 8 is uniformly supported by the beam-shaped spacer 7. The dielectric plate 8 can be reduces in thickness while securing a mechanical strength for supporting the atmospheric pressure when the chamber 3 is internally reduced in pressure.

Abstract: A vacuum plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum processing container accommodating a to-be-processed substrate, a feeding device for feeding a reaction gas to the container, a vacuumizing device for discharging a gas in the container therefrom, a susceptor for holding the to-be-processed substrate arranged in the container, split electrodes arranged in a deltaic lattice at a wall surface of the container facing the to-be-processed substrate, and a power source unit for impressing to the slit electrodes three-phase RF powers having three phases different from each other. When the electrodes are arranged in an orthogonal lattice at the wall surface of the continuer, the power source unit impresses thereto two-phase RF powers having two phases different from each other.