# US 8,771,461 B2 · Plasma processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,461 B2 - Document ID: US8771461B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/922,520 - Filed: 2008-12-03 - Published: 2011-01-13 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-14 - Assignees: Spp Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Toshihiro Hayami; Yasuyuki Hayashi - Inventors: Toshihiro Hayami; Yasuyuki Hayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771461B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32458: {Vessel} - H01J 37/32623: {Mechanical discharge control means} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10P 72/7612: {characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus in which it is possible to efficiently perform maintenance of a processing chamber. A plasma processing apparatus has a processing chamber including a lower chamber and an upper chamber, a platen on which a silicon substrate is placed, a processing gas supply device, coils, high-frequency power supply unit for coil, an elevating board with a through hole provided to be vertically movable, an elevating mechanism for supporting and moving the elevating board, and a fixing mechanism for fixing the upper chamber. The fixing member is configured from a fixing board, first fixing bolts for connecting and fixing a top plate to the elevating board using the fixing board, second fixing bolts for fixing a flange portion of a holding member to an annular plate, and third fixing bolts for fixing the annular plate to a sidewall of the lower chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber configured in a vertically two-divided configuration of an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber having a substrate disposed therein; gas supply means for supplying a processing gas into the upper chamber; plasma generating means for forming a plasma from a processing gas supplied into the upper chamber; and voltage applying means for applying high-frequency voltage to the plasma generating means, the lower chamber having an inner space open at a top thereof, the upper chamber having an inner space open at a bottom thereof, said inner spaces communicating with each other, wherein the plasma processing apparatus further comprises an elevating board which is disposed horizontally and provided to be vertically movable and to which at least a part of members configuring the upper chamber are connected, elevating means for supporting and moving up and down the elevating board, and at least three fixing means, first, second and third fixing means, for fixing the upper chamber; the upper chamber is configured from at least an annular plate, wherein a lower surface on an outer peripheral side of which, is in contact with an upper portion of the lower chamber, a sidewall member which is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and a lower end portion of which is placed on the annular plate, and a top plate which is placed on an upper end portion of the sidewall member; the elevating board has a vertically penetrating through hole having a size that the top plate can pass therethrough, and the elevating board is disposed at a position wherein the at least part of members configuring the upper chamber can pass through the vertically penetrating through hole in the vertical direction; the plasma generating means is disposed outside an outer periphery of the sidewall member in a radial direction and fixed on a lower surface of the elevating board; the first fixing means is configured to connect and fix the elevating board and the top plate from outside them and to be capable of releasing the connection and fixing from outside them; the second fixing means is configured to connect and fix the elevating board and the annular plate from outside them and to be capable of releasing the connection and fixing from outside them; and the third fixing means is configured to fix the annular plate to the lower chamber from outside them and to be capable of releasing the fixing from outside them. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein engagement portions are formed on the top plate and at the upper end portion of the sidewall member respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the top plate with respect to the sidewall member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein engagement portions are formed in the lower surface of the annular plate and at the upper portion of the lower chamber respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the annular plate with respect to the lower chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating means and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating means and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein engagement portions are formed on the annular plate and at the lower end portion of the sidewall member respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the sidewall member with respect to annular plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating means and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating means and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elevating means comprises a ball screw which passes through a mounting hole formed in the elevating board and which is arranged so that its axis is aligned along the vertical direction and it is rotatable about its axis, a nut which is inserted into the mounting hole of the elevating board and fixed in a state of being screwed onto the ball screw, and a drive motor which drives the ball screw. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating means and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 11 A plasma processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber configured in a vertically two-divided configuration of an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber having a substrate disposed therein; gas supply mechanism for supplying a processing gas into the upper chamber; plasma generating mechanism for forming a plasma from a processing gas supplied into the upper chamber; and voltage applying mechanism for applying high-frequency voltage to the plasma generating mechanism, the lower chamber having an inner space open at a top thereof, the upper chamber having an inner space open at a bottom thereof, said inner spaces communicating with each other, wherein the plasma processing apparatus further comprises an elevating board which is disposed horizontally and provided to be vertically movable and to which at least a part of members configuring the upper chamber are connected, elevating mechanism for supporting and moving up and down the elevating board, and at least three fixing mechanisms, first, second and third fixing mechanisms, for fixing the upper chamber; the upper chamber is configured from at least an annular plate wherein a lower surface on an outer peripheral side of which; is in contact with an upper portion of the lower chamber, a sidewall member which is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and a lower end portion of which is placed on the annular plate, and a top plate which is placed on an upper end portion of the sidewall member; the elevating board has a vertically penetrating through hole having a size that the top plate can pass therethrough, and the elevating board is disposed at a position wherein the at least part of members configuring the upper chamber can pass through the vertically penetrating through hole in the vertical direction; the plasma generating mechanism is disposed outside an outer periphery of the sidewall member in a radial direction and fixed on a lower surface of the elevating board; the first fixing mechanism is configured to connect and fix the elevating board and the top plate with a first element partially disposed on an upper side of the elevating board and the top plate, and the first fixing mechanism is capable of releasing the connection between the elevating board and the top plate; the second fixing mechanism is configured to connect and fix the elevating board and the annular plate with a second element partially disposed on an upper side of the elevating board and the annular plate, and the second fixing mechanism is capable of releasing the connection between the elevating board and the annular plate; and the third fixing mechanism is configured to fix the annular plate to the lower chamber with a third element partially disposed on an upper side of the annular plate, and the third fixing mechanism is capable of releasing the fix between the annular plate and the lower chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein engagement portions are formed on the top plate and at the upper end portion of the sidewall member respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the top plate with respect to the sidewall member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein engagement portions are formed in the lower surface of the annular plate and at the upper portion of the lower chamber respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the annular plate with respect to the lower chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating mechanism and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating mechanism and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein engagement portions are formed on the annular plate and at the lower end portion of the sidewall member respectively, the engagement portions engaging with each other to position the sidewall member with respect to annular plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating mechanism and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating mechanism and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the elevating mechanism comprises a ball screw which passes through a mounting hole formed in the elevating board and which is arranged so that a longitudinal axis of the ball screw is aligned along the vertical direction and the ball screw is rotatable about the longitudinal axis, a nut which is inserted into the mounting hole of the elevating board and the nut is screwed onto the ball screw, and a drive motor for driving the ball screw. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The plasma processing apparatus as set forth in claim 19, wherein the apparatus further comprises a cover body for covering at least the elevating board, the elevating mechanism and the upper chamber, and the cover body has an operation hole penetrating from an outside to an inside thereof at a lateral position relative to the upper chamber, and a door for opening and closing the operation hole.