Vacuum processing apparatus, vacuum processing method, and electronic device manufacturing method

Abstract

A vacuum processing apparatus includes an evacuatable vacuum chamber, a substrate holder which is provided in the vacuum chamber, has a substrate chuck surface vertically facing down, and includes an electrostatic chuck mechanism which electrostatically chucks a substrate, a substrate support member which is provided in the vacuum chamber to keep the substrate parallel to the substrate chuck surface and support the substrate in an orientation that allows the substrate chuck surface to chuck the substrate, and a moving mechanism which moves at least one of the substrate holder and the substrate supported by the substrate support member so as to bring the substrate and the substrate holder into contact with each other, thereby causing the substrate holder to chuck the substrate.

1 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:
 an evacuatable vacuum chamber;   a substrate holder which is provided in said vacuum chamber, has a substrate chuck surface vertically facing down, and includes an electrostatic chuck mechanism which electrostatically chucks a substrate;   a substrate support member which is provided in said vacuum chamber to support the substrate in an orientation that allows the substrate chuck surface to chuck the substrate;   moving means for moving at least one of said substrate holder and the substrate supported by said substrate support member so as to bring the substrate and said substrate holder into contact with each other, thereby causing said substrate holder to chuck the substrate;   a shield which is provided in said vacuum chamber to separate a process space of the substrate and a space on a side of an inner wall of said vacuum chamber from each other, and has an opening to communicate the process space with the space on the inner wall side; and   substrate support member driving means, provided outside said vacuum chamber, for, after said moving means causes the substrate to be chucked, making said substrate support member retreat from a position where the substrate has been chucked to the space on the side of the inner wall through the opening of said shield.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said substrate support member supports the substrate in parallel to said substrate holder. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a temperature adjustment mechanism incorporated in said substrate holder; and   a controller,   wherein said temperature adjustment mechanism adjusts a temperature of the substrate chuck surface, and   said controller controls said electrostatic chuck mechanism, said temperature adjustment mechanism, and said moving means so as to bring said substrate holder and the substrate supported by said substrate support member close to each other while operating said temperature adjustment mechanism, make an operation of said electrostatic chuck mechanism wait until a predetermined time has elapsed while keeping the substrate and said substrate holder close to each other, and operate said electrostatic chuck mechanism after the elapse of the predetermined time while keeping the substrate in contact with the substrate chuck surface.   
     
     
         4 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein if a substrate holding force to hold the substrate lowers during a process, said substrate support member is arranged at a position under said substrate holder. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a biasing member which continuously biases said substrate support member located at the retreat position toward the position under said substrate holder,
 wherein if the substrate holding force lowers during the process, said substrate support member is moved to the position under said substrate holder by a biasing force of said biasing member.   
     
     
         6 . A vacuum processing method of performing a vacuum process using a substrate holder while keeping the substrate holder electrostatically chucking a substrate, the substrate holder being provided in an evacuatable vacuum chamber, having a substrate chuck surface, and including an electrostatic chuck mechanism which electrostatically chucks the substrate, comprising the steps of:
 causing a substrate transport mechanism to transport the substrate into a process space of the substrate separated from a space on a side of an inner wall of the vacuum chamber by a shield which is provided in the vacuum chamber;   transferring the substrate to a substrate support member which supports the substrate in an orientation that allows the substrate chuck surface to chuck the substrate;   bringing the substrate and the substrate chuck surface into contact with each other while keeping the substrate support member supporting the substrate;   operating the electrostatic chuck mechanism to electrostatically chuck the substrate while keeping the substrate and the substrate chuck surface in contact with each other; and   after the substrate has been chucked, making the substrate support member retreat from a position where the substrate has been chucked to the space on the side of the inner wall through an opening of the shield.   
     
     
         7 . An electronic device manufacturing method using a vacuum processing apparatus for performing a vacuum process while keeping a substrate holder electrostatically chucking a substrate, the substrate holder being provided in an evacuatable vacuum chamber, having a substrate chuck surface vertically facing down, and including an electrostatic chuck mechanism which electrostatically chucks the substrate, comprising the steps of:
 causing a substrate transport mechanism to transport the substrate into a process space of the substrate separated from a space on a side of an inner wall of the vacuum chamber by a shield which is provided in the vacuum chamber;   transferring the substrate to a substrate support member which supports the substrate in an orientation that allows the substrate chuck surface to chuck the substrate;   bringing the substrate and the substrate chuck surface into contact with each other while keeping the substrate support member supporting the substrate;   operating the electrostatic chuck mechanism to electrostatically chuck the substrate while keeping the substrate and the substrate chuck surface in contact with each other; and   performing the vacuum process for the electrostatically chucked substrate; and   after the substrate has been chucked, making the substrate support member retreat from a position where the substrate has been chucked to the space on the side of the inner wall through an opening of the shield.   
     
     
         8 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said substrate support member driving means drives said substrate support member in a direction parallel to the substrate, and   when causing said substrate holder to chuck the substrate, said substrate support member is driven by said substrate support member driving means up to a position under said substrate holder through an opening of said shield to support the substrate at not less than three points from a periphery of the substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said moving means can drive said substrate holder in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a cathode portion for discharge which faces said substrate holder.