Vacuum processing method and vacuum processing apparatus

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus produces fluorine radicals by activating a fluorinating gas containing at least fluorine atoms and fluorinates the surface of a component formed of an organic material ( 32 ) exposed to an atmosphere of a processing chamber ( 2 ) before carrying an object (S) into the processing chamber ( 2 ). The object (S) is carried into the processing chamber ( 2 ) after the completion of a fluorinating process. The object (S) is processed with a processing gas containing at least oxygen radicals. Etching of the component formed of the organic material ( 32 ) can be prevented by the fluorination of surface of the component formed of the organic material ( 32 ) and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber ( 2 ).

1 . A vacuum processing method of processing an object to be processed with an oxygen radical in a processing chamber defined by a vacuum vessel of a vacuum processing apparatus, which comprises the steps of: 
 fluorinating a surface of a component formed of an organic material and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber with a fluorine radical produced by activating a fluorinating gas containing at least a fluorine atom with the vacuum processing apparatus before carrying the object into the processing chamber;    carrying the object into the processing chamber; and    processing the object with the oxygen radical produced by activating a process gas containing at least an oxygen atom.    
     
     
         2 . The vacuum processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum processing apparatus comprises an object support table disposed in the processing chamber to support the object thereon, and an electrostatic chuck mounted on a surface of the object support table to hold the object on the object support table; 
 the electrostatic chuck comprises an electrode, and an electrode covering sheet covering the electrode; and    the organic material includes both a material forming the electrode covering sheet and an organic adhesive bonding the electrostatic chuck to the surface of the object support table.    
     
     
         3 . The vacuum processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum processing apparatus comprises an object support table disposed in the processing chamber to support the object thereon, an electrostatic chuck mounted on a surface of the object support table to hold the object on the object support table, and a protective sheet of a fluororesin covering the electrostatic chuck to protect the electrostatic chuck; 
 the organic material includes an organic adhesive used to bond the protective sheet.    
     
     
         4 . The vacuum processing method according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the fluorinating gas is a mixed gas including a gas containing at least a fluorine atom and an O 2  gas.  
     
     
         5 . The vacuum processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein the gas containing at least a fluorine atom is one of CF 4  , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , NF 3  and SF 6 , or a mixture of some of these gases.  
     
     
         6 . The vacuum processing method according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the O 2  gas to a flow rate of the fluorinating gas including the O 2  gas is 40% or below.  
     
     
         7 . The vacuum processing method according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the process gas contains at least an O 2  gas.  
     
     
         8 . The vacuum processing method according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , wherein the process gas and the fluorinating gas are activated in a plasma producing chamber separated from the processing chamber, and the fluorine radical or the oxygen radical is supplied into the processing chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The vacuum processing method according to any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the object processing step processes a plurality of objects successively, and the fluorinating step is performed after the object processing step, and the object processing step and the fluorinating step are repeated alternately.  
     
     
         10 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum vessel defining a processing chamber to be evacuated;    radical producing means for producing a fluorine radical by activating a fluorinating gas including at least a fluorine atom and for producing an oxygen radical by activating a process gas containing at least an oxygen atom;    gas supply means for supplying the fluorinating gas or the process gas to the radical producing means; and    an object support table disposed in the processing chamber to support an object to be processed thereon;    wherein a surface of a component formed of an organic material and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber is fluorinated by the fluorine radical, and then the object is mounted on the object support table and processed with the oxygen radical.    
     
     
         11 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vacuum vessel defining a processing chamber to be evacuated;    radical producing means for producing an oxygen radical by activating a process gas containing at least an oxygen atom;    gas supply means for supplying the process gas to the radical producing means;    an object support table disposed in the processing chamber to support an object to be processed thereon;    an electrostatic chuck mounted on a surface of the object support table to hold the object on the object support table; and    a protective sheet formed of a fluororesin and covering the electrostatic chuck to protect the electrostatic chuck.    
     
     
         12 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 10  or  11 , wherein a surface of a component formed of an organic material and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber is fluorinated with a fluorine radical produced by activating a fluorinating gas containing at least a fluorine atom with the radical producing means.  
     
     
         13 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the fluorinating gas is a mixed gas including a gas containing at least a fluorine atom and an O 2  gas.  
     
     
         14 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the gas containing at least a fluorine atom is one of CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , NF 3  and SF 6 , or a mixture of some of these gases.  
     
     
         15 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 13  or  14 , wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the O 2  gas to a flow rate of the fluorinating gas including the O 2  gas is 40% or below.  
     
     
         16 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  15 , wherein the process gas contains at least an O 2  gas.  
     
     
         17 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  16 , wherein the radical producing means has a plasma producing chamber separated from the processing chamber, and the radical produced in the plasma producing chamber is supplied into the processing chamber.  
     
     
         18 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to any one of  claims 10  to  17 , wherein a cycle of fluorinating a component formed of an organic material and exposed to an atmosphere in the processing chamber and successively processing a plurality of objects is repeated.