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  Processing apparatus and processing methodUSPTO Application #: 20060194516Title: Processing apparatus and processing method Abstract: A processing apparatus according to the present invention, which conditions a substrate placed on a table equipped with a heater by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate while heating the substrate with the heater, includes at least three projecting portions for holding the substrate at a predetermined distance from the table. This structure minimizes the extent of uneven heating of the substrate, which, in turn, enables uniform processing of the surface on the substrate. (end of abstract) Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C. - Alexandria, VA, US Inventors: Akiko Kamigori, Tadashi Onishi USPTO Applicaton #: 20060194516 - Class: 451041000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Abrading, Abrading Process, Glass Or Stone Abrading The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060194516. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This document claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-024271, filed Jan. 31, 2005 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/653,100 filed Feb. 16, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method. More specifically, it relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method with which the surface of a substrate, such as a wafer, is processed by radiating, for instance, an electron beam. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] A semiconductor device formed on a work substrate (hereafter simply referred to as a "substrate") normally adopts a multilayer wiring structure which includes a plurality of wiring films and a plurality of insulating films insulating the individual wiring films from one another. It is crucial that the parasitic capacity at the insulating films disposed between the wiring films be minimized in order to assure higher processing speed at such a semiconductor device. The parasitic capacity at the insulating films can be kept to a low level by constituting them with a material having a lower dielectric constant (a low K material). [0004] Such an insulating film is coated onto the surface of the substrate by employing, for instance, a spin coater and a baking furnace. Since the insulating film is usually constituted of an organic material and a low dielectric constant is sometimes achieved by raising the porosity of the material, it tends to have inferior mechanical strength. [0005] In some processing apparatuses, an electron beam, an ultraviolet beam or the like is radiated onto the substrate having an insulating film formed thereupon so as to improve the mechanical strength of the insulating film constituted of an organic material. For instance, in a processing apparatus in which an electron beam is radiated, the insulating film on the surface of the substrate placed on a table at which a heater is disposed is conditioned by radiating the electron beam onto the substrate surface while heating the substrate with the heater, so as to assure a desired level of mechanical strength. [0006] During this process, the electron beam must be radiated while the temperature over the surface of the substrate is controlled so as to achieve the highest possible level of temperature consistency, in order to ensure that the insulating film is uniformly processed over its entire surface. The processing apparatuses proposed in the related art by addressing this need include the following. [0007] Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2004-207314 (reference 1) discloses an electron beam processing apparatus that monitors the intensity of electron beam radiation by utilizing a current monitor disposed in the vicinity of the substrate placed on the table. [0008] International Publication No. 03/067636 (reference 2) discloses a surface processing apparatus that includes a table capable of moving up/down to facilitate an optimal adjustment of the distance between an electron beam radiating mechanism and the table and evenly processes the insulating film formed at the surface of the substrate by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate. In this surface processing apparatus, the energy level of the electron beam is controlled by applying a DC voltage to the table in order to process the insulating film to a uniform depth over the entire surface thereof. [0009] However, there is a problem in the art disclosed in reference 1 in that since the substrate is placed directly on the table, thermal deformation of the substrate, which may occur during the processing of the substrate, will result in uneven contact between the substrate and the table. Such uneven contact, in turn, will lead to uneven heating at the substrate surface, which will make it very difficult to process the substrate uniformly over its entire surface. In addition, since the intensity of the electron beam radiation on the substrate is measured with the current monitor disposed near the substrate, the intensity of the electron beam radiation at the substrate surface is not directly measured. [0010] In addition, while the insulating film is processed to a uniform depth by processing the surface of the substrate with the table moved up/down so as to set it at an optimal distance from the electron beam radiating mechanism or by controlling the energy of the electron beam with the DC voltage applied to the table in the art disclosed in reference 2, the substrate is placed directly on the table in this case, too, which gives rise to uneven heating of the substrate, as in reference 1. Also, the intensity of the electron beam radiation at the substrate surface cannot be directly measured. [0011] Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H10-261695 (reference 3) discloses a technology for achieving a high level of pattern alignment accuracy in an electron beam patterning apparatus by holding the substrate without allowing it to become deformed and also by preventing a charge buildup at the substrate. In order to prevent a charge buildup, one of the holding numbers, i.e., either an upper holding member or a lower holding member, for holding the substrate is formed by using an electrically conductive material, and the holding member constituted of the electrically conductive material is grounded. In addition, Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H11-111599 (reference 4) discloses an electron beam patterning apparatus in which the potential at the substrate electrostatically held by an electrostatic holding device during substrate processing is minimized so as to reduce the extent to which the electron beam trajectory is affected by the potential. In this art, in order to minimize the potential attributable to the leak current at the wafer when electrostatically holding the wafer, a reverse potential is applied to the conducting jig which achieves electrical continuity with the wafer. Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. H3-011541 (reference 5) discloses a technology adopted in an ion transplanting device to prevent electrons from becoming deposited on the wafer in a large quantity by applying a DC voltage to the wafer. [0012] However, the technologies in references 3, 4 and 5 each intended to prevent a charge buildup at the substrate by using a conductive material so as to improve the patterning accuracy of an electron beam patterning apparatus or to reduce the extent of the adverse effect of the potential at the substrate on the electron beam trajectory in the vicinity of the substrate by minimizing the potential, are not designed to condition the substrate surface. For this reason, none of these references refer to a specific technology for detecting the intensity of electron beam radiation onto the substrate. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] An object of the present invention, which has been conceived to address the problems discussed above, is to uniformly process the entire surface of the substrate by reducing the extent of uneven heating at the substrate. Another object of the present invention is to enable direct measurement of the intensity of electron beam radiation onto the substrate. [0014] The objects described above are achieved in an aspect of the present invention by providing A processing apparatus that conditions a substrate placed on a table equipped with a heater by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate while heating the substrate with the heater, characterized in that at least three projecting portions for holding the substrate at a specific distance from the table are disposed at the table. [0015] The projecting portions in the present invention may be constituted of, for instance, an electrically conductive material and may be electrically grounded via a current detecting means. Such an apparatus may include a current control means for controlling a current flowing through the current detecting means. In addition, the processing apparatus may include a switch capable of switching the projecting portions between an electrically grounded state and an ungrounded state. Alternatively a voltage detecting means and a DC power source may be connected with the projecting portions which may be constituted with an electrically conductive material. [0016] The objects described above are achieved in another aspect of the present invention by providing an apparatus that conditions a substrate placed on a table by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate, comprising a ground wiring that electrically grounds the substrate and a current control means disposed at the ground wiring to control a current flowing through the ground wiring. The current control means may have, for instance, a variable resistance element with an adjustable current resistance value. [0017] The objects described above are also achieved in yet another aspect of the present invention by providing a method for conditioning a substrate placed on a table equipped with a heater by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate while heating the substrate with the heater, characterized in that when processing the substrate, the substrate is lifted from the table by a predetermined distance via at least three projecting portions. [0018] The projecting portions may be constituted of, for instance, an electrically conductive material and may be electrically grounded via a current detecting means. In this method a current flowing through the current detecting means may be controlled via a current control means. In addition, the projecting portions may be switched between an electrically grounded state and an ungrounded state. Alternatively, a voltage detecting means and a DC power source may be connected to the projecting portions constituted of, for instance, an electrically conductive material may be connected with a voltage detecting means and a DC power source so as to enable application of a DC voltage to the projecting portions. [0019] The objects described above are achieved in a further aspect of the present invention by providing a processing method for conditioning a substrate placed on a table by radiating an electron beam onto the substrate, comprising steps for electrically grounding the substrate via a ground wiring when processing the substrate and controlling a current flowing through the ground wiring with a current control means. The current control means used in this method may be a variable resistance element and the method may further include a step for adjusting a current resistance value at the variable resistance element. [0020] According to the present invention described above, the entire surface of the substrate can be processed uniformly by minimizing the extent of uneven heating of the substrate and the intensity of the electron beam radiation at the substrate can be directly measured. Continue reading... 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