SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SIDE WALL COMPONENT

Abstract

a substrate processing apparatus that enables abnormal electrical discharges and metal contamination to be prevented from occurring. A processing chamber is configured to house and carry out predetermined plasma processing on a substrate. A lower electrode is disposed on a bottom portion of the processing chamber and has the substrate mounted thereon. An upper electrode is disposed in a ceiling portion of the processing chamber. A side wall component covering a side wall of the processing chamber faces onto a processing space between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. The side wall component has at least one electrode layer to which a DC voltage is applied. An insulating portion made of an insulating material is present at least between the electrode layer and the processing space and covers the electrode layer. The insulating portion is formed by thermally spraying the insulating material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view which is useful in explaining a particle removal method for the substrate processing apparatus according to the above embodiment;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are sequence diagrams showing the timing of application of a DC voltage to an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer of a deposit shield appearing in FIG. 1, FIG. 3A showing an example of the timing of the DC voltage application, and FIG. 3B showing another example of the timing of the DC voltage application;

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram which is useful in explaining a deposit removal method carried out in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber configured to house and carry out predetermined plasma processing on a substrate, a lower electrode that is disposed on a bottom portion of said processing chamber and has the substrate mounted thereon, and an upper electrode that is disposed in a ceiling portion of said processing chamber, the substrate processing apparatus further comprising: a side wall component covering a side wall of said processing chamber that faces onto a processing space between said upper electrode and said lower electrode;wherein said side wall component has at least one electrode layer to which a DC voltage is applied, and an insulating portion made of an insulating material that is present at least between said electrode layer and said processing space and that covers said electrode layer, andsaid insulating portion is formed by thermally spraying said insulating material.

2. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side wall component is disposed such as to not face a front surface of the substrate mounted on said lower electrode.

3. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an exhaust portion configured to exhaust gas out from said processing chamber, wherein said electrode layer comprises at least a first electrode and a second electrode, said second electrode is disposed between said first electrode and said exhaust portion, and an absolute value of a DC voltage applied to said second electrode is greater than an absolute value of a DC voltage applied to said first electrode.

4. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an exhaust portion configured to exhaust gas out from said processing chamber, wherein said electrode layer comprises at least a first electrode and a second electrode, said second electrode is disposed between said first electrode and said exhaust portion, and an absolute value of a DC voltage applied to said second electrode is greater than an absolute value of a DC voltage applied to said first electrode.

5. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an exhaust portion configured to exhaust gas out from said processing chamber, wherein a thickness of said insulating portion decreases from said processing space toward said exhaust portion.

6. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an exhaust portion configured to exhaust gas out from said processing chamber, wherein a thickness of said insulating portion decreases from said processing space toward said exhaust portion.

7. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said electrode layer has at least a first terminal and a second terminal, and a predetermined difference is set between a voltage applied to said first terminal and a voltage applied to said second terminal.

8. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said electrode layer has at least a first terminal and a second terminal, and a predetermined difference is set between a voltage applied to said first terminal and a voltage applied to said second terminal.

9. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said electrode layer has at least a first terminal and a second terminal, and a predetermined difference is set between a voltage applied to said first terminal and a voltage applied to said second terminal.

10. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a gas introducing apparatus configured to introduce a predetermined gas into said processing chamber, wherein a fluctuating DC voltage is applied to each of said electrode layer while said gas introducing apparatus is introducing the predetermined gas into said processing chamber.

11. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a gas introducing apparatus configured to introduce a predetermined gas into said processing chamber, wherein a fluctuating DC voltage is applied to each of said electrode layer while said gas introducing apparatus is introducing the predetermined gas into said processing chamber.

12. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a gas introducing apparatus configured to introduce a predetermined gas into said processing chamber, wherein a fluctuating DC voltage is applied to each of said electrode layer while said gas introducing apparatus is introducing the predetermined gas into said processing chamber.

13. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a gas introducing apparatus configured to introduce a predetermined gas into said processing chamber, wherein a fluctuating DC voltage is applied to each of said electrode layer while said gas introducing apparatus is introducing the predetermined gas into said processing chamber.

14. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said electrode layer is formed through thermal spraying of a conductive material.

15. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said electrode layer is formed through thermal spraying of a conductive material.

16. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said electrode layer is formed through thermal spraying of a conductive material.

17. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said electrode layer is formed through thermal spraying of a conductive material.

18. A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said electrode layer is formed through thermal spraying of a conductive material.

19. A side wall component in a substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing chamber configured to house and carry out predetermined plasma processing on a substrate, a lower electrode that is disposed on a bottom portion of the processing chamber and has the substrate mounted thereon, and an upper electrode that is disposed in a ceiling portion of the processing chamber, the side wall component covering a side wall of the processing chamber such as to face onto a processing space between the upper electrode and the lower electrode; wherein the side wall component has at least one electrode layer to which a DC voltage is applied, and an insulating portion made of an insulating material that is present at least between said electrode layer and the processing space and that covers said electrode layer;and said insulating portion is formed by thermally spraying said insulating material.