Processing device, electrode, electrode plate, and processing method

Abstract

A processing gas fed from a gas feed pipe ( 8 ) through a gas introducing port ( 9 ) flows first into an outer annular gas flow channel ( 20 a ), where it is circumferentially diffused, and then into an inner annular gas flow channel ( 20 b ) via a passageway ( 23 ), and from this inner annular gas flow channel ( 20 b ) it flows into a gas diffusion gap ( 7 ) in the back surface of a shower head ( 6 ) via a gas feed hole 25. Thereafter, the processing gas is diffused in the gas diffusion gap ( 7 ) and delivered from gas delivery holes ( 5 ) to a semiconductor wafer (W). This makes it possible to improve the uniformity of in-plane process, as compared with the prior art, and to make a uniform process.

1 . A processing device comprising: 
 a processing room for accommodating a substrate to be processed to perform a predetermined process;    a placing table provided in the processing room, the substrate to be processed being placed on the placing table;    a gas introducing port to which a gas feed pipe is connected;    a shower head provided above the placing table to be opposed to a placing face of the placing table, the shower head having a plurality of gas delivery holes;    a gas diffusion gap, provided on an opposite side of the shower head to the placing face, for diffusing a processing gas and delivering the processing gas into the processing room via the gas delivery holes;    a light transmitting window provided to be located at a center of the shower head;    a detection mechanism for optically detecting a processed state of the substrate to be processed via the light transmitting window; and    an annular gas flow channel, formed to be annular with its center located on an axis that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the placing table and passes through the light transmitting window, for diffusing the processing gas introduced from the gas introducing port and then supplying the processing gas to the gas diffusion gap.    
   
   
       2 . The processing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an annular baffle plate provided on a side of the annular gas flow channel that is a closer side to the gas diffusion gap, the annular baffle plate having a plurality of gas feed holes.  
   
   
       3 . The processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the annular gas flow channel comprises an outer annular gas flow channel and an inner annular gas flow channel that is in communication with the outer annular gas flow channel.    
   
   
       4 . The processing device according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the gas introducing port is connected to one of the outer annular gas flow channel and the inner annular gas flow channel, and the gas feed holes are provided in a region of the annular baffle plate that corresponds to the other of the outer annular gas flow channel and the inner annular gas flow channel.    
   
   
       5 . The processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the light transmitting window comprises gas delivery holes.  
   
   
       6 . The processing device according to  claim 5 , wherein the gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window are formed with a diameter and a pitch that are the same as those of the gas delivery holes provided in the shower head.  
   
   
       7 . The processing device according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the processing device is configured to perform the process on the substrate to be processed while an arranged direction of the gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an arranged direction of semiconductor chips formed on the substrate to be processed.    
   
   
       8 . A processing device comprising: 
 a processing room for accommodating a substrate to be processed to perform a predetermined process;    a placing table provided in the processing room, the substrate to be processed being placed on the placing table;    a shower head, provided above the placing table to be opposed to a placing face of the placing table, the shower head having a plurality of gas delivery holes;    a light transmitting window provided to be located at a center of the shower head;    a detection mechanism for optically detecting a processed state of the substrate to be processed via the light transmitting window; and    gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window, wherein a direction of the gas delivery holes formed in the shower head and a direction of the gas delivery holes formed in the light transmitting window are the same and are set in such a manner that all the gas delivery holes in the shower head and all the gas delivery holes in the light transmitting window face the placing face.    
   
   
       9 . The processing device according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 the gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window are formed with a diameter and a pitch that are the same as those of the gas delivery holes provided in the shower head.    
   
   
       10 . The processing device according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 the processing device is configured to perform the process on the substrate to be processed while an arranged direction of the gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an arranged direction of semiconductor chips formed on the substrate to be processed.    
   
   
       11 . An electrode provided in a processing device including: a processing room for accommodating a substrate to be processed, to perform a predetermined process; and a placing table provided in the processing room, the substrate to be processed being placed on the placing table, the electrode comprising: 
 a gas introducing port to which a gas feed pipe is connected;    a shower head provided above the placing table to be opposed to a placing face of the placing table, the shower head having a plurality of gas delivery holes;    a gas diffusion gap, provided on an opposite side of the shower head to the placing face, for diffusing a processing gas and delivering the processing gas into the processing room via the gas delivery holes;    a light transmitting window, provided to be located at a center of the shower head, for optically detecting a processed state of the substrate to be processed; and    an annular gas flow channel, formed to be annular with its center located on an axis that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the placing table and passes through the light transmitting window, for diffusing the processing gas introduced from the gas introducing port and then supplying the processing gas to the gas diffusion gap.    
   
   
       12 . An electrode plate provided in a processing device that includes: 
 a processing room for accommodating a substrate to be processed, to perform a predetermined process;    a placing table provided in the processing room, the substrate to be processed being placed on the placing table;    a gas introducing port to which a gas feed pipe is connected;    a shower head provided above the placing table to be opposed to a placing face of the placing table, the shower head having a plurality of gas delivery holes;    a gas diffusion gap, provided on an opposite side of the shower head to the placing face, for diffusing a processing gas and delivering the processing gas into the processing room via the gas delivery holes;    a light transmitting window provided to be located at a center of the shower head;    a detection mechanism for optically detecting a processed state of the substrate to be processed via the light transmitting window; and    an annular gas flow channel, formed to be annular with its center located on an axis that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the placing table and passes through the light transmitting window, for diffusing the processing gas introduced from the gas introducing port and then supplying the processing gas to the gas diffusion gap,    wherein the electrode plate is arranged to cover a surface of the shower head and to be attachable to and detachable from the shower head freely, the surface of the shower head being opposed to the placing face.    
   
   
       13 . A processing method using a processing device that includes: 
 a processing room for accommodating a substrate to be processed to perform a predetermined process;    a placing table provided in the processing room, the substrate to be processed being placed on the placing table;    a shower head provided above the placing table to be opposed to a placing face of the placing table, the shower head having a plurality of gas delivery holes; and    a detection mechanism for optically detecting a processed state of the substrate to be processed via a light transmitting window provided to be located at a center of the shower head, the light transmitting window having gas delivery holes provided therein, wherein a direction of the gas delivery holes formed in the shower head and a direction of the gas delivery holes formed in the light transmitting window are the same and are set in such a manner that all the gas delivery holes in the shower head and all the gas delivery holes in the light transmitting window face the placing face,    wherein the process is performed on the substrate to be processed while an arranged direction of the gas delivery holes provided in the light transmitting window is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an arranged direction of semiconductor chips formed on the substrate to be processed.