Semiconductor fabrication apparatus and temperature adjustment method

A semiconductor fabrication apparatus comprising:

• a semiconductor wafer mounting table having a cavity therein;
• a temperature adjustment medium feeding hole which feeds a saturated vaporized temperature adjustment medium having a feed temperature equal to or greater than a target temperature into the cavity in order to adjust a temperature of the semiconductor wafer mounting table to the target temperature;
• a pressure detecting unit for detecting an internal pressure of the cavity;
• and
• a vacuum pump which discharges gas from the cavity such that the internal pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit is controlled to be equal to or greater than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the target temperature and the internal pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit is also controlled to be equal to or less than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the feed temperature.

A temperature adjustment method for adjusting a temperature of a semiconductor wafer mounting table having a cavity therein to a target temperature, wherein the method comprises jetting a liquefied temperature adjustment medium having a jet temperature equal to or less than the target temperature to an inner wall of the cavity, the method further comprising:

• detecting an internal pressure of the cavity;
• determining a target internal pressure of the cavity such that the target internal pressure is equal to or greater than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the jet temperature and also such that the target internal pressure is equal to or less than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the target temperature;
• and
• controlling the vacuum pump to discharge gas from the cavity;
• such that the internal pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit is controlled to become the target internal pressure.

A temperature adjustment method for adjusting a temperature of a semiconductor wafer mounting table having a cavity therein to a target temperature by detecting the temperature of the semiconductor wafer mounting table, wherein the method comprises jetting a liquefied temperature adjustment medium having a jet temperature equal to or less than the target temperature to an inner wall of the cavity if the detected temperature exceeds the target temperature, and feeding a saturated vaporized temperature adjustment medium having a feed temperature equal to or greater than the target temperature into the cavity if the detected temperature is less than the target temperature, the method further comprising:

• detecting an internal pressure of the cavity;
• discharging gas from the cavity such that, if the detected temperature exceeds the target temperature, the detected pressure is controlled to be equal to or greater than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the jet temperature and the detected pressure is also controlled to be equal to or less than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the target temperature;
• and
• discharging gas from the cavity such that, if the detected temperature is less than the target temperature, the detected pressure is controlled to be equal to or greater than the saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the target temperature and the detected pressure is also controlled to be equal to or less than a saturated vapor pressure of the temperature adjustment medium at the feed temperature.