Substrate processing apparatus and substrate loading mechanism

A substrate processing apparatus for removing a silicon oxide film on a target substrate having an insulating film on which a predetermined pattern is formed and the silicon oxide film is formed in a silicon portion in a bottom portion of the pattern, the substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a process container configured to maintain an interior of the process container in a vacuum state;
• a process gas supply mechanism configured to supply a process gas into the process container;
• a substrate loading table including a loading surface on which the target substrate is loaded in the process container;
• a temperature adjusting medium passage which is installed in the substrate loading table and through which a temperature adjusting medium for adjusting a temperature of the target substrate loaded on the substrate loading table flows;
• a temperature adjusting medium supply unit configured to allow the temperature adjusting medium to flow through the temperature adjusting medium passage;
• a temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism configured to extract the temperature adjusting medium from the temperature adjusting medium passage;
• a heater installed at a position closer to the loading surface than the temperature adjusting medium passage of the substrate loading table;
• a plasma generating mechanism configured to generate plasma in the process container;
• a temperature controller configured to:
• adjust the temperature of the target substrate to a first temperature by allowing the temperature adjusting medium to flow through the temperature adjusting medium passage of the substrate loading table;
• and
• adjust the temperature of the target substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature by extracting the temperature adjusting medium of the temperature adjusting medium passage using the temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism while heating the target substrate using the heater;
• and
• a controller configured to control a process in the substrate processing apparatus,
• wherein the controller is configured to control the process in the substrate processing apparatus to execute:
• a first process in which a silicon-containing oxide film formed in the bottom portion of the pattern is removed through ionic anisotropic plasma etching using plasma generated by the plasma generating mechanism along with a supply of a carbon-based gas from the process gas supply mechanism to the process container;
• a second process of removing residues on the silicon-containing oxide film after the ionic anisotropic plasma etching of the target substrate through a chemical etching by a chemical gas supplied from the process gas supply mechanism;
• and
• a third process of removing a reaction product generated after the chemical etching, and
• wherein the temperature controller is configured to adjust the temperature of the target substrate to the first temperature during the first process and the second process, and to adjust the temperature of the target substrate to the second temperature during the third process,
• wherein a temperature adjusting medium supply path configured to supply the temperature adjusting medium to the temperature adjusting medium passage and a temperature adjusting medium discharge path configured to discharge the temperature adjusting medium from the temperature adjusting medium passage are connected to the temperature adjusting medium supply unit, and an opening/closing valve is installed in each of the temperature adjusting medium supply path and the temperature adjusting medium discharge path, and
• wherein the temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism has a syringe shape having a cylinder and a piston inserted into the cylinder, is connected to positions on a side of the temperature adjusting medium passage rather than the opening/closing valves of the temperature adjusting medium supply path and the temperature adjusting medium discharge path, and is configured to extract the temperature adjusting medium in the temperature adjusting medium passage by pulling the piston while closing the opening/closing valves.