A method for temperature measurement used in an RF processing apparatus for semiconductor includes generating by electrodes an RF signal sequence having multiple discontinuous RF signals that are separated by a time interval; and generating a temperature sensing signal by a thermal sensor during the time interval.

A substrate support assembly includes a ground shield and a heater that is surrounded by the ground shield. The ground shield includes a plate. In one embodiment, the ground shield is composed of a ceramic body and includes an electrically conductive layer, a first protective layer on the upper surface of the plate. In another embodiment, the ground shield is composed of an electrically conductive body and a first protective layer on the upper surface of the plate.

A dielectric member that is attached to a lower surface of a stage is provided. The stage includes a base provided with a base channel through which a heat exchange medium passes. The dielectric member includes at least one first component including a passage that is connected to the base channel, and a second component surrounding the first component.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a mounting table, an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and an elevation control unit. The mounting table mounts thereon a target object as a plasma processing target. The elevation mechanism vertically moves a focus ring surrounding the target object. The acquisition unit acquires state information indicating a measured state of the target object. The calculation unit calculates a height of the focus ring at which positional relation between an upper surface of the target object and an upper surface of the focus ring satisfies a predetermined distance based on the state of the target object that is indicated by the state information acquired by the acquisition unit. The elevation control unit controls the elevation mechanism to vertically move the focus ring to the height calculated by the calculation unit.

A disclosed substrate support includes a base and first and second supports. A refrigerant flow path is formed inside the base. The base has first to third regions. The first region has a circular upper surface. The second region surrounds the first region. The third region surrounds the second region. The upper surface of the first region, the upper surface of the second region, and the upper surface of the third region are flat and continuous. The first support is provided on the first region and is configured to support the substrate placed thereon. The second support is provided on the third region to surround the first support, is configured to support the edge ring placed thereon, and is separated from the first support.

A temperature changing method includes changing a pressure of a gas supplied from a gas supply to a gap between the substrate and an electrostatic chuck from a first pressure to a second pressure being lower than the first pressure, changing a voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck from a first voltage to a second voltage being lower than the first voltage, changing a temperature of the electrostatic chuck from a first temperature to a second temperature, electrostatically attracting the substrate by the electrostatic chuck for a time in a state where the gas pressure is the second pressure and the voltage is the second voltage, changing the gas pressure from the second pressure to a third pressure being lower than the first pressure and higher than the second pressure, and changing the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage being higher than the second voltage.

An electrostatic chuck includes: a disk-shaped ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface on a surface thereof; an electrostatic electrode embedded in the ceramic plate; and gas grooves that are divided in a plurality of zones when the ceramic plate is seen from above and each of which is independently provided in the wafer placement surface so as to extend from one to the other of a pair of gas supply/discharge openings for a corresponding one of the zones. A pattern in which a gas is supplied to each of the gas grooves provided for a corresponding one of the zones is selectable between a first pattern in which the gas flows from one to the other of the pair of gas supply/discharge openings and a second pattern in which the gas flows from the other to the one of the pair of gas supply/discharge openings.

A wafer support device includes a dielectric substrate and an RF electrode provided in the dielectric substrate. The RF electrode is divided into a plurality of zone electrodes arranged in a planar direction of the dielectric substrate. The wafer support device has: a short-circuit member interconnecting the plurality of zone electrodes; and a main power supply rod connected to the short-circuit member from a back side of the dielectric substrate.

A method of processing a substrate includes: a placement step of placing the substrate on an electrostatic chuck set to have a predetermined temperature; a first attraction step of attracting the substrate onto the electrostatic chuck by applying a first direct current (DC) voltage to the electrostatic chuck; a holding step of holding the attraction of the substrate by the electrostatic chuck while applying the first DC voltage to the electrostatic chuck, until a temperature difference between the electrostatic chuck and the substrate becomes 30 degrees C. or less; and a second attraction step of attracting the substrate onto the electrostatic chuck by applying a second DC voltage, which is higher than the first DC voltage, to the electrostatic chuck.

A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base, an electrode (FR attraction electrode), a bonding terminal (power supply terminal), and an electrode lead-out portion. The ceramic base has an upper surface serving as a wafer placement surface. The FR attraction electrode is embedded in the ceramic base. The power supply terminal is inserted into the ceramic base from a lower surface of the ceramic base and penetrates a through-hole formed in the FR attraction electrode. The electrode lead-out portion is provided at each of two or more positions at intervals along a peripheral edge of the through-hole to be thicker than the FR attraction electrode and has an inner peripheral surface bonded to a side surface of the power supply terminal.