JPH1012714A - Cleaning method for electrostatic chuck electrode - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] Problems to be solved are that the component cost increases because the life of an electrostatic chuck component including an insulator is short, and that the component replacement cycle is shortened and the throughput is reduced. When the number of times of use of the electrostatic chuck function increases and the use time of the electrostatic chuck function increases, the electrostatic chucking force decreases and decreases. ) Is provided with a means for removing the deposits on the substrate by cleaning. [Effect] It is possible to prolong the life of an electrostatic chuck component including an insulator and to improve the throughput.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to, for example, an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, in which a sample subjected to various processes such as a film forming process or an etching process on its surface is attracted and held by an electrostatic force. To a method of cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electrostatic chuck, an insulator is required to adsorb an object to be processed. In some cases, a reaction product generated by the etching adheres to the surface of the insulator, and the electrostatic chucking force of the electrostatic chuck on the object to be processed is reduced.

[0003]

In the case of the above prior art,
When the electrostatic attraction force is reduced, it is necessary to replace the electrostatic chuck components including the insulator. In addition, there are problems such as an increase in the cost of the electrostatic chuck components including the insulator due to a short life, a shortening of a component replacement cycle, and a decrease in throughput.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode capable of extending the life of an electrostatic chuck component including an insulator and improving the throughput.

[0005]

When the electrostatic chucking force decreases and increases as the number of times the electrostatic chuck function is used and the operating time increases, the static chucking force is periodically reduced in order to suppress the decrease (decrease). A means is provided for removing the deposits on the insulator of the electric chuck by cleaning.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an etching chamber of an ECR microwave plasma etching apparatus which is a plasma processing apparatus. In FIG. 1, a magnetic field that satisfies the ECR condition (875 gauss) is formed in a vacuum vessel 1 by a magnetic coil 2, and a microwave (2.45 GHz) incident from a microwave power supply 3 is applied to a microwave introduction window 4. The processing gas introduced from the gas introduction port 5 is turned into plasma by electron cyclotron resonance, and ions and radicals generated by the plasma are irradiated on the sample 7 placed on the electrode 6 to perform an etching process. it can.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the vicinity of the electrodes. In FIG. 2, the electrode is held by a support shaft 8 that moves up and down, and a coolant is introduced from a coolant introduction pipe 9 to control the electrode temperature, and the temperature of the electrode is controlled. Gas is introduced to conduct heat between the electrode and the sample to control the sample temperature. In addition, high-frequency power supply 11
Applies a high frequency bias voltage. An insulator 12 made of a ceramic material is sprayed on the surface of the electrode, and a high voltage is applied to the electrode by a DC power supply device 13 for electrostatic chuck, and the sample is adsorbed through the insulator.

[0008] The electrostatic chucking force varies greatly depending on the thickness and physical characteristics of an insulator, which is one of the components of the electrostatic chuck. In some cases, products generated by consumption of components of the etching chamber and reaction products generated by etching adhere to the insulator, and the thickness and characteristics of the insulator change, resulting in a decrease in electrostatic attraction. Therefore, discharge is performed in a state where there is no wafer on the insulator, and a method of reacting and removing deposits on the insulator, and a method of applying high-frequency power for the purpose of accelerating the removal reaction and physically removing by sputtering, The amount of decrease in the electrostatic attraction force could be suppressed. In addition, when the electrostatic attraction force was reduced, a high-frequency power was applied by the above-described discharge, whereby a partial amount of the electrostatic attraction force reduced amount could be recovered.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the life of the components of the electrostatic chuck including the insulator can be extended, the decrease in the electrostatic chucking force can be suppressed, and the throughput can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an etching chamber of a dry etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the vicinity of an electrode in the vertical sectional view of the etching chamber in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... vacuum container, 2 ... coil, 3 ... microwave power supply, 4 ...
Microwave introduction window, 5: Processing gas inlet, 7: Sample, 8
... electrode support shaft, 9 ... refrigerant introduction pipe, 10 ... cooling gas introduction pipe, 11 ... high frequency power supply, 12 ... insulator, 13 ... DC power supply for electrostatic chuck, 14 ... microwave introduction window.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masanori Kadoya 794, Higashi-Toyoi, Katsumatsu-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture Inside the Kasado Plant of Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Kotaro Fujimoto Inventor 794 Kazamatsu, Kudamatsu-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture Kasado Plant, Hitachi Techno Engineering Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] An object to be processed is placed on an electrode, which is a conductor whose outside is covered with an insulator, and the object is adsorbed by discharge.
A method of cleaning a single-layer electrode-type electrostatic chuck electrode to be held, characterized in that, as the number of times of use or the time of use of the electrostatic chuck increases, a substance attached to an insulator of the electrostatic chuck is cleaned. A method for cleaning the electro chuck electrode. 2. The method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode according to claim 1, wherein when cleaning the deposit on the insulator of the electrostatic chuck, before or after sample processing,
A cleaning method for an electrostatic chuck electrode, wherein the cleaning is performed at an arbitrary cycle. 3. The method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode according to claim 1, wherein, when cleaning the deposits on the insulator of said electrostatic chuck, discharging is performed using O2 gas. How to clean the chuck electrode. 4. The method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode according to claim 1, wherein, when cleaning the deposit on the insulator of the electrostatic chuck, O2 gas or Ar gas discharge is performed by applying high-frequency power to the electrode. A method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode, comprising: 5. A method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode according to claim 1, wherein, when cleaning the deposit on the insulator of said electrostatic chuck, a discharge is performed using a sample processing gas. A method for cleaning the electro chuck electrode. 6. The method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode according to claim 1, wherein, when cleaning a substance attached to an insulator of said electrostatic chuck, a substance attached to said insulator of said electrostatic chuck is reactive with said substance. A method for cleaning an electrostatic chuck electrode, comprising: selecting a gas having a characteristic; and removing a deposit by the discharge.