Abstract
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-flatness substrate holding table. According to a first aspect, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, and such a substrate processing apparatus includes a table for holding a substrate, a resin film attached to a top surface of the table and a heater provided inside the table, and the top surface of the table is formed of ceramics, the top surface of the table includes an opening connectable to a vacuum source, the resin film is formed of polyimide, and a through hole is formed at a position corresponding to the opening of the table when attached to the top surface of the table.
Claims
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a table for holding a substrate; a resin film attached to a top surface of the table; and a heater provided inside the table, wherein the top surface of the table is formed of ceramics, the top surface of the table defines an opening connectable to a vacuum source, the resin film is formed of polyimide, and the resin film define a through hole at a position corresponding to the opening of the table when the resin film is attached to the top surface of the table.
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor to measure a surface temperature of the substrate held on the table.
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller that can communicate with the temperature sensor and the heater, wherein the controller is configured to control the heater based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.
4. The substrate processing apparatus according claim 3, wherein the table comprises a plurality of regions, the heater comprises a plurality of heaters arranged at positions corresponding to the plurality of regions, and the controller is configured so as to control the plurality of heaters independently of each other.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus of a substrate processing system as an embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment; and
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the attached drawings, identical or similar elements are assigned identical or similar reference numerals, and duplicate description relating to the identical or similar elements in the respective embodiments will be omitted. Features shown in each respective embodiment are also applicable to the other embodiments unless they are inconsistent with each other.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 10 of a substrate processing system as an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that performs etching processing on a semiconductor material (region to be processed) on a substrate using a CARE method. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 10 can also be configured as a CMP apparatus using a pad smaller in size than the substrate. The substrate processing system is provided with the substrate processing apparatus 10, a substrate cleaning section (not shown) configured to clean the substrate and a substrate conveying section (not shown) that conveys the substrate. The substrate processing system may also be provided with a substrate drying section (not shown) as required. The substrate conveying section is configured to be able to convey a wet-state substrate and a dry-state substrate separately. Furthermore, depending on the type of a semiconductor material, processing through CMP may be performed using a polishing pad greater in size than a conventional substrate to be processed before or after the processing by the substrate processing apparatus 10, and therefore the substrate processing system may be provided with a CMP apparatus further including a large-diameter polishing pad. The substrate processing system may further include a film formation apparatus such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, a plating apparatus and a coater apparatus. In the present embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured as a unit separate from the CMP apparatus. Since the substrate cleaning section, the substrate conveying section and the CMP apparatus are known techniques, illustration and description thereof are omitted hereinafter.
[0020] The substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a table 20 to hold a substrate, a head 30 provided with a pad that holds a catalyst, a processing liquid supply section 40, a swing arm 50, a conditioning section 200 and a control section 300. The table 20 is provided with a substrate holding surface and configured to hold a wafer Wf as a kind of substrate on the substrate holding surface. In the present embodiment, the table 20 holds the wafer Wf such that a surface to be processed of the wafer Wf faces up. In the present embodiment, the table 20 is provided with a vacuum suction mechanism including a vacuum suction plate to vacuum-suction the reverse side (surface opposite to the surface to be processed) of the wafer Wf as a mechanism to hold the wafer Wf. As a vacuum suction scheme, either one of the two schemes may be used: a point suction scheme using a suction plate including a plurality of suction holes connected to a vacuum line on the suction surface and a surface suction scheme including (e.g., concentric) grooves on the suction surface to suction the wafer through connection holes to a vacuum line provided in the grooves. However, an arbitrary publicly known mechanism can be used as the mechanism for holding the wafer Wf, and for example, a clamp mechanism that clamps the front side and the reverse side of the wafer Wf on at least one of peripheral edges of the wafer Wf or a roller chuck mechanism that holds a side face of the wafer Wf on at least one of peripheral edges of the wafer Wf may be used. Such a table 20 is configured so as to be rotatable using a drive section motor or an actuator (not shown).
[0021] The head 30 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is configured to hold a catalyst at a bottom end thereof. In the present embodiment, the size of the head 30 is smaller than that of the wafer Wf. That is, when an image of the head 30 is projected toward the wafer Wf, the projected area of the head 30 is smaller than the area of the wafer Wf. Furthermore, the head 30 is configured to be rotatable by a drive section, that is, an actuator (not shown). Furthermore, a motor or an air cylinder (not shown) is provided inside the swing arm 50 to move the head 30 upward or downward with respect to the wafer Wf so as to bring the catalyst of the head 30 into sliding contact with the wafer Wf.
[0022] The processing liquid supply section 40 is configured to supply a processing liquid PL to the surface of the wafer Wf. Here, the number of processing liquid supply sections 40 is one in FIG. 1, but a plurality of processing liquid supply sections 40 may be arranged, and in that case, different processing liquids may be supplied from the respective processing liquid supply sections. When the surface of the wafer Wf is cleaned in the substrate processing apparatus 10 after etching processing, a cleaning chemical solution or water may be supplied from the processing liquid supply section 40. As another embodiment, the processing liquid supply section 40 may be configured to supply the processing liquid PL from the surface of the head 30 to the surface of the wafer Wf after passing through the swing arm 50 and the head 30. As an embodiment, the processing liquid supply section 40 may be provided with a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting a temperature of the processing liquid so as to be able to control the temperature of the liquid supplied to the wafer Wf.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the swing arm 50 is configured to be swingable around a center of rotation 51 by a drive section, that is, an actuator (not shown). Furthermore, the head 30 is configured to be movable upward or downward and able to push the head 30 against the wafer Wf. The head 30 is attached to a distal end of the swing arm 50 (end portion opposite to the center of rotation 51).
[0024] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control section 300 can be constructed of a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer provided with, for example, a CPU, a storage apparatus such as a memory and an input/output apparatus. The control section 300 is connected to various components in the substrate processing apparatus 10, stores programs to control their operations and can control operation of the entire substrate processing apparatus 10.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the head 30 is in contact with the wafer Wf. Note that in FIG. 2, the mechanism for moving the head 30 upward or downward, the swing arm 50 and the processing liquid supply section 40 are omitted. The head 30 is provided with a pad 33 that comes into contact with the wafer Wf to process the wafer Wf. The pad 33 can be a pad to which a CARE catalyst is applied. Alternatively, as another embodiment, the pad can also be a pad for CMP.
[0026] As described above, the table 20 is configured to be rotatable. As shown in FIG. 2, the table 20 includes a passage 22 connected to a vacuum source (not shown). The passage 22 communicates with an opening 26 provided on a top surface 24 of the table 20. The table 20 as a whole or at least the top surface is formed of ceramics. Ceramics is generally a high hardness material which allows a table whose top surface has a high degree of flatness compared to a material having a relatively small degree of hardness such as resin to be formed. Moreover, ceramics generally has excellent heat-resistance and is less deformed by heat. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a resin film 28 is placed on the top surface 24 of the table 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the resin film 28 is provided with a through hole 29 at a position corresponding to the opening 26 of the table 20 when placed on the top surface 24 of the table 20. The resin film 28 can be adhered to the top surface 24 of the table 20 using, for example, a double-sided tape or may be adhered to the top surface 24 of the table 20 using an adhesive. The resin film 28 can be formed of resin having excellent heat-resistance such as polyimide. Furthermore, the resin film 28 may also be formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or the like. The resin film 28 preferably has a thickness of approximately 30 μm to approximately 500 μm to mitigate hardness of the table surface while maintaining flatness of the table.
[0027] As described above, the ceramic table 20 can attain a table whose top surface 24 has a high degree of flatness, but since it has high hardness, when the wafer Wf is directly placed on the table 20, the wafer Wf may be damaged. In the embodiment in FIG. 2, since the resin film 28 less hard than ceramics is placed on the top surface 24 of the table 20, it is possible to reduce a possibility of damaging the wafer Wf while maintaining high flatness of the top surface of the table 20.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to another embodiment. The table 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a heater 100 at a position below the top surface 24. The heater 100 can be placed over substantially the whole surface of the table 20 except the portions of the passages 22 in the table 20. The heater 100 is configured so as to be controlled by the control section 300. The heater 100 may also be divided into a plurality of regions in the table 20 and arranged, and configured to be separately controllable for each divided region. It is thereby possible to control a temperature distribution on the surface of the wafer Wf. The heater 100 can be formed of a common heating wire. For example, when the ceramic table 20 is manufactured, by embedding the heating wire therein, it is possible to manufacture the table 20 with the heater 100 embedded therein.
[0029] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a temperature sensor 150. The temperature sensor 150 can be, for example, a non-contact type temperature sensor such as a thermography or infrared sensor. The temperature sensor 150 is placed so as to be able to measure a temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf. For example, the temperature sensor 150 may be held by a moving mechanism (not shown) and configured to be able to scan the surface of the wafer Wf. The temperature sensor 150 is connected to the control section 300. The control section 300 controls the heater 100 based on temperature information on the surface of the wafer Wf received from the temperature sensor 150 during processing on the wafer Wf.
[0030] According to the CARE method or CMP, the processing speed of the wafer Wf (polishing speed, etching speed) depends on the temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to control the temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf using the heater 100 placed in the table 20. In such an embodiment, it is possible to adjust the temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf more speedily than the case with temperature control of the surface of the wafer Wf through the aforementioned processing liquid. Furthermore, the whole surface of the table 20 can be heated uniformly using the heater 100, it is thereby possible to uniformly heat the surface of the wafer Wf. Furthermore, it may be possible to divide the surface of the table 20 into a plurality of regions, arrange the heater 100 for each divided region and perform temperature control independently for each divided region. By performing temperature control independently for each divided region, it is possible to change the processing speed (polishing speed, etching speed) for each divided region and control the processing on the wafer Wf more accurately. Since the temperature sensor 150 directly measures the temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf, it is possible to measure the temperature of the surface of the wafer Wf accurately compared to cases of measuring the temperature in the table 20 or the temperature of the processing liquid. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, since the resin film 28 placed on the top surface 24 of the table 20 is also heated by the heater 100, it is possible to control hardness of the resin film 28.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMERALS
[0031] 10 . . . Substrate processing apparatus [0032] 20 . . . Table [0033] 22 . . . Passage [0034] 24 . . . Top surface [0035] 26 . . . Opening [0036] 28 . . . Resin film [0037] 29 . . . Through hole [0038] 30 . . . Head [0039] 33 . . . Pad [0040] 40 . . . Processing liquid supply section [0041] 50 . . . Swing arm [0042] 51 . . . Center of rotation [0043] 100 . . . Heater [0044] 150 . . . Temperature sensor [0045] 200 . . . Conditioning section [0046] 300 . . . Control section [0047] Wf . . . Wafer [0048] PL . . . Processing liquid
