US 11,901,163 B2
Plasma processing system and edge ring replacement method
Shin Matsuura, Miyagi (JP); and Kenichi Kato, Miyagi (JP)
Assigned to TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/190,447.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-035948 (JP), filed on Mar. 3, 2020; and application No. 2020-178354 (JP), filed on Oct. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0280395 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32642 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32715 (2013.01); H01L 21/68742 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasma processing system comprising:
a plasma processing device including a substrate support and a pressure-reducible processing chamber in which the substrate support is provided, the plasma processing device being configured to perform plasma processing on a substrate on the substrate support;
a transfer device having a holder configured to support the substrate, the transfer device being configured to insert or extract the holder into or from the processing chamber to load or unload the substrate into or from the processing chamber; and
a control device,
wherein the substrate support includes
a substrate support surface on which the substrate is placed,
an annular member support surface on which a cover ring, covering an outer surface of an edge ring disposed to surround the substrate placed on the substrate support surface, is placed in a state where the cover ring supports the edge ring,
a lifter configured to be vertically moved to protrude beyond a portion of the annular member support surface that overlaps the cover ring in a plan view,
an elevating mechanism configured to raise or lower the lifter,
a different lifter configured to be vertically moved to protrude beyond the substrate support surface, and
a different elevating mechanism configured to raise or lower the different lifter,
wherein the holder of the transfer device is configured to support the cover ring supporting the edge ring and a jig having a portion longer than an inner diameter of the edge ring, and
wherein the control device controls the elevating mechanism, the transfer device, and the different elevating mechanism to execute:
raising the lifter to deliver the cover ring supporting the edge ring from the annular member support surface to the lifter;
moving the jig supported by the holder to a space between the cover ring supporting the edge ring and the substrate support surface/the annular member support surface;
raising the different lifter to deliver the jig from the holder to the different lifter;
extracting the holder, and then moving the lifter and the different lifter relatively with each other to deliver the edge ring from the cover ring to the jig;
lowering only the lifter to deliver the cover ring from the lifter to the annular member support surface;
moving the holder to a space between the cover ring and the jig supporting the edge ring, and then lowering the different lifter to deliver the jig supporting the edge ring from the different lifter to the holder; and
extracting the holder from the processing chamber to transfer the jig supporting the edge ring from the processing chamber.