Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

A plasma processing apparatus, comprising:

• a tray for conveying substrates, the tray being formed with a plurality of substrate accommodation holes for respectively accommodating the substrates and having a plurality of substrate support portions provided on a hole wall of each of the substrate accommodation holes, and the substrate support portions projecting from the hole wall;
• a dielectric member provided with a tray support portion, a plurality of substrate placement portions respectively projecting upward from the tray support portion and respectively having a substrate placement surface at its upper end surface on which a lower surface of the substrate is placed, and an electrostatic attraction electrode embedded therein for electrostatically attracting the substrates to the substrate placement surfaces;
• a dc voltage applying mechanism for applying a dc voltage to the electrostatic attraction electrode;
• a heat conduction gas supply mechanism for supplying a heat conduction gas between the lower surface of the substrate and the substrate placement surface;
• a guide plate having a loop-like shape so as to surround the plurality of substrate placement portions with an interval and having an inner peripheral surface that expands from a lower surface thereof toward an upper surface thereof,
• wherein, when the substrate is conveyed, outer peripheral edges of the lower surfaces of the substrates accommodated in the substrate accommodation holes are supported by the substrate support portions, and
• wherein, when the substrate is processed, the substrate placement portions are inserted to the substrate accommodation holes, which allow the substrate placement surfaces to pass in thickness direction of the tray, from a lower surface of the tray so that the lower surface of the tray is placed on the tray support portion of the dielectric member, and a distance from the tray support portion to upper surfaces of the substrate support portions shorter than a distance from the tray support portion to the substrate placement surfaces results in that the lower surfaces of the substrates are placed on the substrate placement surfaces in a manner where the substrates float above the upper surfaces of the substrate support portions, and
• wherein, when the lower surface of the tray is placed on the tray support portion, an outer peripheral surface of the tray having an outside dimension enlarged from the lower surface thereof toward an upper surface thereof is guided by the inner peripheral surface of the guide plate.

A plasma processing method, comprising:

• providing a tray for conveying a substrate, the tray being formed with a substrate accommodation hole for accommodating the substrate and having a plurality of substrate support portions provided on a hole wall of the substrate accommodation hole at intervals in a circumferential direction of the hole wall, and the substrate support portions projecting from the hole wall;
• providing a dielectric member accommodated in a depressurizable chamber, the dielectric member provided with a tray support portion, a substrate placement portion projecting upward from the tray support portion, and an electrostatic attraction electrode embedded therein, an outer peripheral surface of the substrate placement portion being formed with a plurality of receiving grooves extending from a substrate placement surface toward the tray support portion;
• carrying the tray into the chamber with the substrate being accommodated in the substrate accommodation hole so that an outer peripheral edge of a lower surface of the substrate is supported by the substrate support portions;
• downwardly moving the tray toward the dielectric member so that the substrate placement portion is inserted to the substrate accommodation hole from a lower surface of the tray thereby the lower surface of the tray being placed on the tray support portion of the dielectric member and the lower surface of the substrate being placed on the substrate placement surface at an upper end surface of the substrate placement portion in a manner where the substrate floats above upper surfaces of the substrate support portions received in the receiving grooves;
• applying a dc voltage to the electrostatic attraction electrode so that the substrate is electrostatically attracted onto the substrate placement surface;
• supplying a heat conduction gas between the substrate and the substrate placement surface;
• and
• generating plasma in the chamber with supplying an etching gas.

A plasma processing method, comprising:

• providing a tray for conveying substrates, the tray being formed with a plurality of substrate accommodation holes for respectively accommodating the substrates and having a plurality of substrate support portions provided on a hole wall of each of the substrate accommodation holes, and the substrate support portions projecting from the hole wall;
• accommodating, in a depressurizable chamber, a dielectric member provided with a tray support portion, a plurality of substrate placement portions respectively projecting upward from the tray support portion, and an electrostatic attraction electrode embedded therein, and guide plate having a loop-like shape so as to surround the plurality of substrate placement portions with an interval and having an inner peripheral surface that extends from a lower surface thereof toward an upper surface thereof;
• carrying the tray into the chamber with the substrate being accommodated in the substrate accommodation holes so that an outer peripheral edge of a lower surface of each of the substrates is supported by the substrate support portions;
• downwardly moving the tray toward the dielectric member so that the substrate placement portions are inserted to the substrate accommodation holes from a lower surface of the tray with a outer peripheral surface of the tray which has an outside dimension enlarged from the lower surface thereof toward an upper surface thereof being guided by the inner peripheral surface of the guide plate thereby the lower surface of the tray being placed on the tray support portion of the dielectric member and the lower surface of the substrates being placed on substrate placement surfaces at upper end surfaces of the substrate placement portions in a manner where the substrate float above upper surfaces of the substrate support portions received in the receiving grooves;
• applying a dc voltage to the electrostatic attraction electrode so that the substrates are electrostatically attracted onto the substrate placement surfaces;
• supplying a heat conduction gas between the substrates and the substrates placement surfaces;
• and
• generating plasma in the chamber with supplying an etching gas.