US 2007/0190746 A1 · SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

An SOI substrate which has a thick SOI layer is first prepared. Then, the SOI layer is thinned to a target film thickness using as a unit a predetermined thickness not more than that of one lattice. This thinning is performed by repeating a unit thinning step which includes an oxidation step of oxidizing the surface of the SOI layer by the predetermined thickness not more than that of one lattice and a removal step of selectively removing silicon oxide formed by the oxidation. The SOI layer of the SOI substrate is chemically etched by supplying a chemical solution to the SOI layer, and the film thickness of the etched SOI layer is measured. When the measured film thickness of the SOI layer has a predetermined value, a process of chemically etching the SOI layer ends.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A substrate processing apparatus suitable for processing a substrate, which has a silicon layer on a insulating layer, the apparatus comprising:

an oxidizing agent supply mechanism, which supplies an oxidizing agent to the substrate to oxidize a surface of the silicon layer;
an etchant supply mechanism, which supplies to the substrate an etchant for selectively etching silicon oxide to selectively remove silicon oxide formed on the surface of the silicon layer;
and
a controller, which controls the oxidizing agent supply mechanism and the etchant supply mechanism so as to repeat a unit thinning step of thinning the silicon layer by oxidizing the surface of the silicon layer to form the silicon oxide and selectively removing the silicon oxide.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Substrate processing apparatus

Life of this patent

Substrate processing apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13