# US 11,441,224 B2 · Method of controlling substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,224 B2 - Document ID: US11441224B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/775,520 - Filed: 2020-01-29 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-31 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Daisuke Toriya; Yuichi Furuya; Toshiaki Fujisato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441224B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/4586: {Elements in the interior of the support, e.g. electrodes, heating or cooling devices} - C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally} - C23C 16/466: {using thermal contact gas} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) ## Abstract A method of controlling a substrate processing apparatus that includes a stage, an annular member, a gas introduction mechanism, an exhaust part and a heat transfer gas introduction supply/exhaust part, the method including: mounting a substrate on the stage, and mounting the annular member on the substrate to press the substrate; creating a pressure of a heat transfer gas to be supplied into a space formed between a rear surface of the substrate and a front surface of the stage using the heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part; supplying the heat transfer gas into the space from the heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part; introducing the gas from the gas introduction mechanism into a container; exhausting the heat transfer gas from the space through an orifice; subsequently, exhausting the heat transfer gas from the space; and removing the annular member from the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a substrate processing apparatus that includes: a stage provided inside a main body container and configured to mount a substrate thereon; an annular member configured to press the substrate mounted on the stage; a gas introduction mechanism configured to introduce a processing gas into the main body container; an exhaust part configured to exhaust an interior of the main body container; and a heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part configured to supply or exhaust a heat transfer gas to or from a rear surface-side space which is a space between a rear surface of the substrate and a front surface of the stage, through a pipe having one end in communication with the rear surface-side space and the other end connected to a junction node in the heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part, the method comprising: mounting the substrate on the stage, and mounting the annular member on the substrate to press the substrate; setting a pressure at the junction node in the heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part to a predetermined pressure; after the setting the pressure, supplying the heat transfer gas into the rear surface-side space from the heat transfer gas supply/exhaust part through the pipe and a supply path connected to the junction node; processing the substrate by introducing the processing gas from the gas introduction mechanism into the main body container; after the processing the substrate, exhausting the heat transfer gas from the rear surface-side space, including: a first exhaust process of exhausting the heat transfer gas from the rear surface-side space through the pipe and a first exhaust path, which is connected to the junction node and includes an orifice; and after the first exhaust process, a second exhaust process of exhausting the heat transfer gas from the rear surface-side space through the pipe, the first exhaust path, and a second exhaust path connected to the junction node and bypassing the orifice; and removing the annular member from the substrate, wherein the second exhaust path includes an on-off valve, and the second exhaust process includes controlling opening the on-off valve in an intermittent manner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising exhausting the interior of the main body container before the mounting the substrate on the stage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling the introduction of the gas into the main body container and the supply of the heat transfer gas into the rear surface-side space before the processing the substrate, such that an internal pressure of the main body container becomes higher than a pressure of the rear surface-side space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the setting the pressure includes a preliminary heating process of heating the substrate before the supplying the heat transfer gas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the stage, the main body container, and the gas introduction mechanism includes a heating part, and the preliminary heating process heats the substrate using a heat provided from the heating part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising separating the substrate from the stage after the removing the annular member from the substrate, wherein the separating the substrate includes controlling the exhaust part such that a pressure difference between the internal pressure of the main body container and the pressure of the rear surface-side space is decreased. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the introduction of the gas into the main body container and the supply of the heat transfer gas into the rear surface-side space before the processing the substrate, such that an internal pressure of the main body container becomes higher than a pressure of the rear surface-side space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the setting the pressure includes a preliminary heating process of heating the substrate before the supplying the heat transfer gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the stage, the main body container, and the gas introduction mechanism includes a heating part, and the preliminary heating process heats the substrate using a heat provided from the heating part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the substrate from the stage after the removing the annular member from the substrate, wherein the separating the substrate includes controlling the exhaust part such that a pressure difference between the internal pressure of the main body container and the pressure of the rear surface-side space is decreased. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the setting the pressure includes setting the pressure at the junction node to be a pressure in the rear surface-side space in the processing the substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the setting the pressure includes setting the pressure at the junction node to 1 Torr to 10 Torr.