# US 12,763,293 B2 · Substrate support, plasma processing system, and plasma etching method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,763,293 B2 - Document ID: US12763293B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/668,429 - Filed: 2022-02-10 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-10 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Naoto Hayasaka; Tomoyuki Takahashi; Yuki Kawada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12763293B2 ## CPC - H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/3244: {Gas supply means} - H01J 37/32623: {Mechanical discharge control means} - H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder} - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - H10P 72/7606: {characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring} - H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile} - H10P 72/7612: {characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins} - H01J 2237/334: Etching - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract There is a substrate support for use in a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate support comprising: a base; a ceramic plate disposed on the base, the ceramic plate having a substrate supporting region and a ring supporting region surrounding the substrate supporting region; an insulating annular member disposed around the base and the ceramic plate; a fixed edge ring having an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion being supported on the ring supporting region, the outer portion being supported on the insulating annular member, the outer portion having a first width; a movable edge ring disposed above the outer portion of the fixed edge ring, the movable edge ring having a second width smaller than the first width; and an actuator configured to vertically move the movable edge ring with respect to the fixed edge ring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate support for use in a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate support comprising: a substrate support member; a base; a ceramic plate disposed on the base, the ceramic plate having a substrate supporting region and a ring supporting region surrounding the substrate supporting region; an insulating annular member disposed around the base and the ceramic plate; a fixed edge ring having an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, the inner peripheral portion being supported on the ring supporting region, the outer peripheral portion being supported on the insulating annular member, the outer peripheral portion having a first width; a movable edge ring disposed on or above the outer peripheral portion of the fixed edge ring, the movable edge ring having a second width smaller than the first width; a lifter pin extending through the fixed edge ring, extending through the insulating annular member and contacting the movable edge ring to move the movable edge ring; and an actuator configured to vertically move the lifter pin to move the movable edge ring with respect to the fixed edge ring, wherein the fixed edge ring is disposed on the insulating annular member and the fixed edge ring is disposed on the ceramic plate, wherein the insulating annular member and the base are disposed directly on the substrate support member, wherein the substrate support member is disposed at a bottom of a chamber of the plasma processing apparatus, wherein an entirety of the fixed edge ring is disposed below the movable edge ring in a vertical direction, wherein most of the outer peripheral portion of the fixed edge ring is not covered by the movable edge ring, wherein the movable edge ring and the lifter pin are disposed radially outside of an RF path through which RF current passes, and wherein the fixed edge ring is disposed above the insulating annular member in the vertical direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein a displacement of the movable edge ring by the actuator is in a range of 0 mm to 40 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the second width is in a range of 20 mm to 40 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the movable edge ring has a thickness in a range of 2 mm to 10 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein each of the fixed edge ring and the movable edge ring is made of quartz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate support of claim 5, wherein the lifter pin is made of quartz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate support of claim 6, wherein the movable edge ring has a recess on a bottom surface of the movable edge ring, and the lifter pin is inserted into the recess to support the movable edge ring by an upper surface of the lifter pin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate support of claim 7, wherein the upper surface of the lifter pin is flat. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the movable edge ring overlaps the insulating annular member in the vertical direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate support of claim 9, wherein: the second width of the movable edge ring is an entire extension of the movable edge ring in a radial direction, wherein the radial direction is transverse to the vertical direction, the first width of the fixed edge ring extends from a first circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring to a second circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring, and the movable edge ring being disposed between the first circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring and the second circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The substrate support of claim 1, wherein the fixed edge ring remains fixed relative to the ceramic plate. ### Claim 12 A plasma processing system comprising: a plasma processing apparatus; and a controller, wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes: a plasma processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the plasma processing chamber; a gas supply configured to supply a processing gas to the plasma processing chamber; and a plasma generator configured to generate a plasma from the processing gas, wherein the substrate support includes: a substrate support member; a base; a ceramic plate disposed on the base and having a substrate supporting region and a ring supporting region surrounding the substrate supporting region; an insulating annular member disposed around the base and the ceramic plate; a fixed edge ring having an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, the inner peripheral portion being supported on the ring supporting region, the outer peripheral portion being supported on the insulating annular member, the outer peripheral portion having a first width; a movable edge ring disposed on or above the outer peripheral portion of the fixed edge ring and having a second width smaller than the first width; a lifter pin extending through the fixed edge ring, extending through the insulating annular member and contacting the movable edge ring to move the movable edge ring; and an actuator configured to vertically move the lifter pin to move the movable edge ring with respect to the fixed edge ring by the lifter pin, wherein the fixed edge ring is disposed on the insulating annular member and the fixed edge ring is disposed on the ceramic plate, wherein the insulating annular member and the base are disposed directly on the substrate support member, wherein the substrate support member is disposed at a bottom of a chamber of the plasma processing apparatus, wherein each of the fixed edge ring, the movable edge ring and the lifter pin is made of an insulating material, wherein an entirety of the fixed edge ring is disposed below the movable edge ring in a vertical direction, wherein most of the outer peripheral portion of the fixed edge ring is not covered by the movable edge ring, wherein the movable edge ring and the lifter pin are disposed radially outside of an RF path through which RF current passes, and wherein the fixed edge ring is disposed above the insulating annular member in the vertical direction, and wherein the controller is configured to control the plasma processing apparatus to perform: supplying the processing gas to the plasma processing chamber; generating the plasma from the processing gas; etching a substrate; and vertically moving the movable edge ring by the lifter pin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The plasma processing system of claim 12, wherein the movable edge ring overlaps the insulating annular member in the vertical direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The plasma processing system of claim 13, wherein: the second width of the movable edge ring is an entire extension of the movable edge ring in a radial direction, wherein the radial direction is transverse to the vertical direction, the first width of the fixed edge ring extends from a first circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring to a second circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring, and the movable edge ring being disposed between the first circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring and the second circumferential surface of the fixed edge ring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The plasma processing system of claim 12, wherein during the vertically moving of the movable edge ring by the lifter pin, the fixed edge ring remains fixed relative to the ceramic plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The plasma processing system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator to adjust a movement amount of the movable edge ring to control an electron density at an edge portion of the substrate.