1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate mounting apparatus and a control method of substrate temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor manufacturing process and a liquid crystal display manufacturing process, a substrate mounting apparatus such as a susceptor, an electrostatic chuck, or a ceramic heater with a heating element is used to mount a substrate such as a silicon wafer or a glass substrate.
In semiconductor manufacturing processes, temperature distribution in a substrate surface causes in-plane variation of the substrate in quality of formed thin films and in etching characteristics. Therefore, the substrate surface having uniform temperature distribution is desired. However, the temperature distribution in the substrate surface is significantly affected by not only temperature distribution of the substrate mounting apparatus such as a ceramic heater, but also use environment such as heat input distribution due to plasma.
Therefore, even if temperature distribution in the substrate mounting surface of the substrate mounting apparatus itself is controlled to be uniform, it is difficult to obtain uniform temperature distribution in the actual substrate surface due to external factors. Accordingly, to optimize the temperature distribution of the substrate, optimization of plasma conditions and adjustments of shape and material arranged around the substrate mounting apparatus are carried out.
An electrostatic chuck having a substrate mounting surface, which is controlled for an unevenness by location based on heat input distribution due to plasma has been proposed (Japanese patent application laid-open Hei 7-18438). In addition, a multi-zone heater, in which ceramic base constituting a substrate mounting surface is divided into multiple zones, heating elements are buried in the respective zones, and control heating values of heating elements respectively has been proposed (Japanese patent application laid-open 2001-52843).
However, there is a limited effective control range for conventional optimization of the temperature distribution of the substrate through optimization of plasma conditions, adjustments of shape and material arranged around the substrate mounting apparatus, and control of the unevenness of the substrate mounting surface.
On the other hand, according to a technique of burying optimal heating elements for respective zones with consideration of expected plasma irradiation conditions, heater design is great burden and cost of a substrate mounting apparatus is high. Moreover, after manufacturing a substrate mounting apparatus, since it is difficult to correct the substrate mounting apparatus in accordance with changes in use environments, it does not have general versatility. Furthermore, in the case of a required substrate temperature being relatively low, since substrates need to be cooled rather than being heated by a heater, control of the temperature distribution of a substrate surface is desired using a mechanism without a heater.
An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate mounting apparatus and a control method of substrate temperature, which can control temperature distribution of a substrate and are simple and versatile.
A substrate mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a ceramic base having a substrate mounting surface, and a jointing layer, which is formed on an opposite surface to the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base, and has jointing materials differing in a thermal conductivity by in-plane regions and arranged in the regions.
According to the substrate mounting apparatus, the temperature distribution of a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface can be controlled with simple structure.
According to a control method of substrate temperature of an embodiment of the present invention comprises controlling temperature distribution of a substrate mounted on a ceramic base by controlling in-plane thermal conductivity distribution of a jointing layer formed on an opposite surface to a substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base.
According to the control method of substrate temperature, the temperature distribution of a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface can be controlled with a simple and versatile way.
FIG 1A is a cross-section view of a substrate mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and
More specifically, the jointing layer 20 is divided into multiple regions in the same plane extending direction as the substrate mounting surface 10a extending direction. Jointing materials differing in a thermal conductivity by the in-plane regions are arranged in respective regions. It is preferable that the substrate mounting apparatus 1 comprises a base plate 30 joined to the ceramic base 10 with the jointing layer 20 interposed between the base plate 30 and the ceramic base 10, as shown in
According to the substrate mounting apparatus 1, the in-plane thermal conductivity distribution of the jointing layer 20 arranged on the opposite surface to the substrate mounting surface 10a of the ceramic base 10 can be controlled. Therefore, cooling efficiency due to heat transfer from a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface 10a to the ceramic base 10 and the jointing layer 20 can be changed by location. Accordingly, the in-plane temperature distribution of the substrate mounted on the ceramic base 10 can be controlled.
Moreover, joining of the base plate 30 to the ceramic base 10 with the jointing layer 20 allows thermal conduction to the base plate 30 from the substrate via the jointing layer 20, thereby radiating heat. Therefore, the substrate can be cooled more effectively. As a result, an effect of a temperature control function by controlling the in-plane thermal conductivity distribution of the jointing layer 20 can enhance.
When using the substrate mounting apparatus 1 in a plasma processing apparatus such as a plasma CVD apparatus or a plasma dry etching apparatus, the temperature distribution in the substrate surface is a higher temperature in the peripheral part of the substrate than in the central part. This is attributed to the fact that a temperature in the peripheral part of the substrate surface tends to be higher than that in the central part of the substrate surface due to influence of plasma intensity distribution and apparatus structure. Accordingly, when using the substrate mounting apparatus 1 in such an environment, a jointing material having a low thermal conductivity is arranged as the first jointing material 20B in the central part of the jointing layer 20. A jointing material having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the first jointing material 20B is arranged as the second jointing material 20A in the peripheral part of the jointing layer 20.
According to arranging a jointing material having a high thermal conductivity in the peripheral part, the peripheral part of the substrate where the substrate temperature tends to be easily high, can be effectively cooled. Therefore, an excessive temperature rising can be prevented. Moreover, according to arranging a jointing material having a low thermal conductivity in the central part, cooling the substrate can be suppressed in the central part of the substrate where the substrate temperature tends to be easily low. As a result, uneven temperature distribution of the substrate surface due to the plasma intensity distribution and apparatus structure can be corrected, providing a uniform temperature distribution of the substrate surface.
In
Note that the temperature distribution in the substrate surface is not limited to a distribution having low temperature in the central part of the substrate and high temperature in the peripheral part thereof, and may be a variety of distributions due to use conditions and apparatus structure. Therefore, it is desired to control the in-plane thermal conductivity distribution of the jointing layer in accordance with the temperature distribution in the substrate surface.
Moreover, a form of dividing regions for the jointing layer 20 is not limited to concentrically dividing from the center. A variety of dividing forms may be used based on the necessary temperature control conditions. For example, when the substrate mounting apparatus has through-holes for lift pins and a purge gas, the temperatures of the substrate surface corresponding to regions where through-holes are formed, may be locally high or low. In this case, to correct local changes in temperature, jointing materials having a different thermal conductivity from that of surrounding regions may be arranged in the regions of the jointing layer corresponding to the through-holes, as shown in
For example, when the jointing layer has the first jointing material 20B in the central part and the second jointing material 20A in the peripheral part, the third jointing material 20D differing in a thermal conductivity from the first jointing material 20B may be arranged in the regions corresponding to the through-holes in the first jointing material 20B in the central part. In addition, when a temperature of a part of the substrate tends to easily drop due to influence of an exhaust port or other components in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which the substrate mounting apparatus 1 is arranged, jointing materials having a low thermal conductivity may be arranged in regions of the jointing layer 20 corresponding to regions where the temperature tends to easily drop.
According to such controlling method of the in-plane thermal conductivity distribution of the jointing materials in the jointing layer 20, the temperature distribution in the substrate surface can be controlled with a simple way. Moreover, the jointing layer 20 can be easily removed by using an organic jointing material.
Therefore, modification of thermal conductivity distribution in the jointing layer 20 can be easily provided according to changes in use environment for the substrate mounting apparatus 1. Therefore, the substrate mounting apparatus 1 has high versatility.
In addition, as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
Moreover, a substrate mounting apparatus can improve in-plane temperature distribution control function by combining a means controlling in-plane temperature distribution of a substrate. As shown in
In the case of using a substrate mounting apparatus 4 in a plasma processing apparatus, when the surface temperature of the central part of the substrate is low and that of the peripheral part thereof is high, protrusions 70C each having a small contact area with the substrate are formed in the central part of the substrate mounting surface 10a of the ceramic base 10, as shown in
Here, the substrate mounting surface 10a is concentrically divided into three regions, and protrusions 70A,70B and 70C each having a predetermined contact area, are formed in respective regions. However, dividing form of the substrate mounting surface may change into a various forms according to temperature of the substrate surface, use conditions or the like. For example, protrusions each having a large contact area with a substrate may be formed in the central part of the substrate mounting surface, while protrusions each having a small contact area with the substrate may be formed in the peripheral part. This structure is opposite to that in
In this manner, controlling the contact area distribution of the protrusions on the substrate mounting surface 10a in addition to controlling the in-plane temperature distribution of the jointing layer 20 can be carried out. This can fine adjust the temperature distribution of the substrate. Therefore, a desired accurate temperature distribution can be provided.
Next, materials of the substrate mounting apparatus are described. The ceramic base 10 may be made of a variety of ceramics. For example, oxide ceramics such as alumina (Al2O3), nitride ceramics such as aluminum nitride (AlN) silicon nitride (Si3N4), boron nitride (BN), or sialon, or carbide ceramics such as silicon carbide (SiC) may be used as a dense sintered body. Aluminum nitride can be preferably used, since it has high corrosion resistance and a high thermal conductivity.
Note that the shape of the ceramic base 10 may be selected from a variety of shapes according to the size and the shape of substrates to be mounted. The shape of the substrate mounting surface is not limited to circular form, and alternatively, it may be rectangle or polygon.
Moreover, the material of the base plate 30 is not limited either. It is preferable that the base plate 30 is made of metallic material or composite material including metal and ceramics, which has a relatively high thermal conductivity, for example. The base plate 30 may be made of, for example, Al, Cu, brass, SUS or the like.
The ceramic material included in the composite material is not limited. A porous ceramic or the like having the same or different as from the ceramic base 10 may be used. For example, alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, sialon, or the like may be used. Meanwhile, it is preferable that a metal filled in the porous ceramic material has high corrosion resistance and is easy to fill. For example, alumina, alloy of alumina and silicon, or the like may be used. Furthermore, it is preferable that the base plate 30 has a cooling unit such as a coolant flow channel 60.
An organic jointing material or an inorganic jointing material such as inorganic glass may be used as the jointing material constituting the jointing layer 20. However, it is preferable to use an organic jointing material as the jointing material. It is further preferable to use a jointing material having a low jointing temperature. According to this, the difference in thermal expansion between the base plate 30 and the ceramic base 10 decreases.
In the substrate mounting apparatus 1, the jointing layer 20 is divided into multiple regions in a plane. Jointing materials differing in a thermal conductivity by regions are used. For example, jointing materials differing in composition may be used in respective regions. Alternatively, a jointing material made of an organic base material such as a resin base material including filler may be used. In other words a jointing material may include a resin base material and filler added to the resin base material. Then, a desired thermal conductivity may be provided by controlling the content of the filler. For example, it is preferable to use a resin such as polyimide resin, silicone resin, or acrylic resin as a base material and add filler such as alumina, aluminum nitride, titanium boride, or aluminum thereto. In particular, it is preferable to use acrylic resin as a base material.
The thermal conductivity of the jointing material is not limited. For example, in the case of arranging a jointing material having a high thermal conductivity in one region and a jointing material having a low thermal conductivity in the other region, the high thermal conductivity may be about 1.1 to about 100 times the low thermal conductivity. Alternatively, a jointing material having more than 100 times the low thermal conductivity may be used as necessary.
Note that to facilitate handling in a manufacturing process, a sheet of an organic jointing material or an adhesive sheet, which is an organic adhesive is applied to both sides of an organic resin sheet may be used as the jointing layer 20.
When using the ceramic base 10 having the electrostatic chuck electrodes 40 buried therein as shown in
The electrostatic chuck electrode 40 may be made of a refractory conductive material such as molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), molybdenum carbide (MoC), or tungsten carbide (WC), and form thereof is not limited. For example, the electrostatic chuck electrode 40 may be a filmy electrode formed by printing, drying, and sintering a metallic paste, or a predetermined patterned electrode formed by etching a metallic thin film, which is formed by physical deposition such as sputtering or ion beam deposition or chemical deposition such as CVD. Alternatively, a bulk metal such as wire mesh (mesh bulk metal) may be used as the electrostatic chuck electrode 40.
In the case of forming the ceramic base 10 having resistance heating element 50 buried therein as shown in
Next, a manufacturing method for the substrate mounting apparatuses 1 to 4 is described. First, the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30 are formed. To form the ceramic base 10, a ceramic raw powder such as aluminum nitride and a sintering aid such as yttria (Y2O3), silica (SiO2) or alumina (Al2O3) are prepared in a predetermined compounding ratio, and then mixed using a pot mill or ball mill.
Such mixing may be carried out using a wet process or a dry process. When using the wet process, drying is carried out after mixing, providing the mixed raw powder. Afterwards, the mixed raw powder as is or a granulated powder prepared by adding a binder and then granulating is formed into a disc-shaped compact, for example. A method for forming the compact is not limited, and a variety of forming methods are available. For example, a metal mold forming method, a cold isostatic pressing (CIP) method, or a slip casting method may be used.
Afterwards, the compact is sintered by a hot pressing method, atmospheric sintering method or the like to obtain a sintered body. In the case of aluminum nitride, sintering is carried out at about 1700° C. to about 1900° C. In the case of alumina, sintering is carried out at around 1600° C. In the case of sialon, sintering is carried out at about 1700° C. to about 1800° C. In the case of silicon carbide, sintering is carried out at about 2000° C. to about 2200° C.
Note that in the case of burying the electrostatic chuck electrode 40 and the resistance heating element 50 in the ceramic base 10, the electrostatic chuck electrode 40 and the resistance heating element 50 may be buried in a compact. In the case of the electrostatic chuck electrode 40, for example, planar electrode made of a metallic bulk having holes or mesh electrode (wire mesh) may be buried in the raw powder. In the case of burying the resistance heating element 50, a metallic bulk processed into a predetermined form such as a coil form or a spiral form may be buried in the same manner as the electrostatic chuck electrode 40. It is preferable that the electrostatic chuck electrode 40 and the resistance heating element 50 are made of a refractory conductive material such as molybdenum or tungsten.
Alternatively, the electrostatic chuck electrode 40 may be made of a filmy electrode formed by printing, drying, and sintering a metallic paste. In this case, in a forming a compact process, a green sheet layered body may be formed. For example, the green sheet layered body may be formed by preparing two disc-shaped green sheets, printing metallic paste for electrode on one surface of one green sheet, and stacking the other green sheet on the printed electrode. The green sheet layered body is then sintered. The base plate 30 is made of a composite material or metal. A coolant flow channel 60 may be formed in the base plate 30a as necessary.
Next, the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30 are joined via the jointing layer 20. First, multiple jointing materials differing in a thermal conductivity are arranged on the backside of the ceramic base 10 (the opposite surface to the substrate mounting surface 10a). Jointing materials are arranged by patterning jointing materials on the surface of the ceramic base 10 or the surface of the base plate 30 through printing. Alternatively, multiple sheets of jointing materials may be arranged at predetermined positions between the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30. Afterwards, the jointing materials are heated in vacuum or in the air up to a curing temperature, and a certain pressure is applied, thereby joining the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30.
Such substrate mounting apparatus may be used as a susceptor, an electrostatic chuck, a ceramic heater or the like to be used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or a liquid crystal display manufacturing process.
Simulation of temperature distribution in a substrate mounting surface is carried out for verification of effectiveness of the present invention and working examples of the present invention are described.
The jointing layer 20 arranged between the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30 is divided into multiple regions in a plane, and simulation of temperature distribution of the ceramic base 10 surface (substrate mounting surface 10a) in the case of arranging jointing materials differing in a thermal conductivity by regions is carried out using the finite element method. Note that the surface temperature of the ceramic base 10 rises due to heat input from plasma when the substrate mounting apparatus is arranged in a plasma processing apparatus, however, in this simulation, assuming that temperature uniformly rises in a plane.
The object for this simulation is the substrate mounting apparatus 2 shown in
Tables 2 and 3 show thermal conductivities and diameters of the jointing layer, and heat input power. The size of the first jointing material 20B in the central part is assumed to be 60 mm, 120 mm, and 140 mm in diameter. Note that it is assumed that the temperature at the bottom surface of the base plate 30 is 20° C., and the energy (heat input power) from plasma inputting to the ceramic base 10 is 300 W, 500 W, and 700 W.
Table 2 and
As shown in Tables 2 and 3 and
As a result, it is confirmed that in the case of substrate temperatures being not uniform due to the structure of the substrate mounting apparatus 2 when it is actually used in a plasma processing apparatus, changing the thermal conductivity of the jointing materials in the jointing layer by location allows provision of uniform temperature distribution of a substrate. Moreover, it is also confirmed that control of the temperature distribution of the substrate is possible by dividing the jointing layer into multiple regions in a plane and arranging jointing materials having different predetermined thermal conductivities in the respective regions. Furthermore, it is confirmed that easy and effective control of temperature distribution in the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base is possible by controlling sizes and shapes of divided regions of the jointing layer and thermal conductivities of jointing materials.
For example, in the case of the thermal conductivity of the jointing material in the central part of the jointing layer being at least double that of the jointing material in the peripheral part, a temperature difference between the central part and the peripheral part of the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base is controlled to be about 0° C. to about 5° C. Furthermore, changing setting of a thermal conductivity and in-plane distribution of jointing materials allows flexible temperature control. In the case of the thermal conductivity of the jointing material in the central part of the jointing layer being at least ten times that of the jointing material in the peripheral part, temperature difference between the central part and the peripheral part of the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base is controlled to be about 0° C. to about 30° C.
As working examples 1 and 2, a substrate mounting apparatus shown in
Specifically, the ceramic base 10 is formed under the following conditions. First, an acrylic resin binder is added to AIN powder obtained through reductive nitriding, and they are granulated through spray granulation to form granules. These granules are formed using a metal mold by applying pressure in a uniaxial direction. When forming a compact, Mo bulk electrode, which is planar mesh electrode, are buried in the compact. The compact is sintered by hot pressing method, thereby providing an integrated sintered body. Note that the pressure applied when hot pressing is 200 Kg/cm2, a sintering temperature is risen at a rate of 10° C./hour up to the maximum sintering temperature of 1900° C., and the maximum sintering temperature is then maintained for one hour. As a result, a disc-shaped ceramic base 10 made of AIN having a thickness of 5 mm is formed. The volume resistivity of the ceramic base 10 is 1×10 Ω·cm at room temperature. Note that the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base 10 is formed to be flat without forming protrusions.
On the other hand, an alumina plate is processed to have a diameter of approximately 240 mm and a thickness of 30 mm, and the coolant flow channel 60 is then formed therein by process. In this manner, the base plate 30a is formed.
In the substrate mounting apparatus according to working example 1, a circular acrylic sheet having a thermal conductivity of 1.4 W/mK and a diameter of 60 mm and a ring-shaped acrylic sheet having a thermal conductivity of 0.6 W/mK, an inner diameter of 60 mm, and an outer diameter of 200 mm are arranged between the ceramic base 10 made of aluminum nitride and base plate 30a, and a pressure of 200 psi (1.38×106 Pa) is then applied from above and below at 100° C. in vacuum, thereby joining the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30a.
In the substrate mounting apparatus according to working example 2, a circular acrylic sheet having a thermal conductivity of 1.4 W/mK and a diameter of 140 mm and a ring-shaped sheet having a thermal conductivity of 0.6 W/mK, an inner diameter of 140 mm, and an outer diameter of 200 mm are arranged between the ceramic base 10 made of aluminum nitride and the base plate 30a, and a pressure of 200 psi (1.38×106 Pa) is then applied from above and below at 100° C. in vacuum, thereby joining the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30a.
As shown in
The temperature of cooling water flowing through the coolant flow channel 60 in the base plate 30a is 20° C. Heat input from plasma to the Si substrate 80, which is generated when using the substrate mounting apparatus in a plasma processing apparatus, is simulated. Specifically, the Si substrate 80 is heated using the lamp heater 120 after setting a pressure of 1 Pa or less in the vacuum chamber 100. When the lamp heater 120 outputs power of 300W and 700W, temperatures of the center and the end of the Si substrate 80 are measured, respectively. Measurement results are shown in Table 4 and
Since heat input from the lamp heater 120 to the Si substrate 80 is controlled to be almost uniform, the jointing layer made of a single jointing material can provide an even temperature distribution of the substrate. Meanwhile, it is confirmed that in the case of dividing the jointing layer 20 in a plane between the ceramic base 10 and the base plate 30a into a central part and a peripheral part, and arranging a jointing material having a lower thermal conductivity in the central part while arranging a jointing material having a higher thermal conductivity in the peripheral part, a temperature distribution having a lower temperature in the peripheral part than in the central part of the substrate mounting surface of the ceramic base 10 can be provided.
Furthermore, it is also confirmed that the simulation results and actual measurement results are consistent and that the control method of substrate temperature, which is controlling in-plane thermal conductivity distribution in the jointing layer, is extremely effective in actual as the simulation.
Although the inventions have been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the inventions, the inventions are not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art, in light of the above teachings.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2004-191106 | Jun 2004 | JP | national |
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. P2004-191106, filed on Jun. 29, 2004; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.