# US 2021/0241997 A1 · Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

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- Number: US 2021/0241997 A1
- Document ID: US20210241997A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/886,543
- Filed: 2020-05-28
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-04
- Assignees: Psk Inc.
- Applicants: Psk Inc.
- Inventors: Jong Chan LEE; Geon Jong KIM; Kwang Sung YOO; Seok June YUN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241997A1

## CPC

- H01J 37/32385: {Treating the edge of the workpieces}
- H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow}
- H01J 37/32541: {Shape}
- H05H 1/46: using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/26 takes precedence)
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- H10P 72/76: using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus are provided. The substrate processing apparatus allows a supply flow rate per unit time for process gas supplied to the central area of a substrate to be greater than a supply flow rate per unit time for process gas supplied to an edge area of the substrate, when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a housing having a process space;
a support unit configured to support a substrate in the process space;
a gas supply unit to supply process gas to the process space;
a dielectric plate disposed to face the substrate supported by the support unit in the process space;
an upper electrode spaced apart from the dielectric plate while surrounding the dielectric plate when viewed from atop; and
a controller,
wherein the support unit includes:
a chuck having a support surface to support the substrate and connected with a power source; and
a lower electrode disposed to face the upper electrode while surrounding the chuck when viewed from a top,
wherein the gas supply unit includes:
a first gas supply part configured to supply the process gas to a central area of the substrate supported by the chuck; and
a second gas supply part configured to supply the process gas through a space between the dielectric plate and the upper electrode which are provided on an edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the gas supply unit such that a supply flow rate per unit time for the process gas supplied from the first gas supply part is greater than a supply flow rate per unit time for the process gas supplied from the second gas supply part when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:
control the gas supply unit such that only the first gas supply part supplies the process gas, when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support unit, the dielectric plate, and the upper electrode are provided, such that a volume of a space, in which the process gas supplied by the gas supply unit flows, is larger in the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck than the central area of the substrate supported by the chuck, when viewed from the top.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support unit further includes:
an insulating ring interposed between the chuck and the lower electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the insulating ring and the lower electrode are spaced apart from a bottom surface of the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a molecular weight of the process gas supplied from the first gas supply part is equal to a molecular weight of the process gas supplied from the second gas supply part.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:
control the support unit and the gas supply unit such that the power source applies power to the chuck to generate plasma at the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck when the first gas supply part and/or the second gas supply part supplies the process gas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method for processing a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:
processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck by supplying plasma,
wherein a supply flow rate unit time for the process gas supplied to the central area of the substrate is greater than a supply flow rate unit time for the process gas supplied to the edge area of the substrate, when the edge area of the substrate is processed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the process gas is supplied only to the central area of the substrate, when the edge area of the substrate is processed.

### Claim 10

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a housing having a process space;
a support unit configured to support a substrate in the process space;
a gas supply unit to supply process gas to the process space;
a dielectric plate disposed to face the substrate supported by the support unit in the process space;
an upper electrode spaced apart from the dielectric plate while surrounding the dielectric plate when viewed from a top; and
a controller,
wherein the support unit further includes:
a chuck having a support surface to support the substrate and connected with a power source; and
a lower electrode disposed to face the upper electrode while surrounding the chuck when viewed from the top,
wherein the gas supply unit includes:
a first gas supply part configured to supply the process gas to a central area of the substrate supported by the chuck; and
wherein the support unit, the dielectric plate, and the upper electrode are provided, such that a volume of a space, in which the process gas supplied by the gas supply unit flows, is larger in the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck than the central area of the substrate supported by the chuck, when viewed from the top, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the gas supply unit such that only the first gas supply part supplies the process gas, when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gas supply unit includes:
a second gas supply part configured to supply the process gas through a space between the dielectric plate and the upper electrode which are provided on the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck, and
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the gas supply unit such that a total molecular weight per unit time for the process gas supplied from the first gas supply part is greater than a total molecular weight per unit time for the process gas supplied from the second gas supply part, when processing the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support unit further includes:
an insulating ring interposed between the chuck and the lower electrode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating ring and the lower electrode are spaced apart from a bottom surface of the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11,
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the support unit and the gas supply unit such that the power source applies power to the chuck to generate plasma at the edge area of the substrate supported by the chuck when the first gas supply part and/or the second gas supply part supplies the process gas.