| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To improve the precision of etching without lowering the efficiency of operation by a construction wherein wafers are conveyed into chambers one by one and set therein, openings are closed by shutters, one wafer is etched in each chamber so that a plurality of wafers are processed simultaneously, and the processed wafers are collected in a holding chamber on the delivery side. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of wafers 2 are held in cassettes 8 in a holding chamber 3 on the reception side, and each shutter 6 is opened to open an opening 5a. Wafers 2 are conveyed to adjacent chambers 5 one for one and set first in the chamber 5 on the delivery side by driving conveyors 8. This setting is detected by position sensors 15, and thus one wafer 2 is set in each chamber 5. Thereafter the openings 5a are closed by closing the shutters 6. After the inside of each chamber 5 is evacuated to be of a prescribed vacuum. a gas of CF4+O2 is introduced through an introduction main pipe 10a, the pressure is controlled by a controller 12, plasma is generated by a generator 13, the wafers 2 are etched thereby, and silicon fluoride is discharged from an outlet pipe 11. The state of progress of this etching is detected by end sensors 16, and when the etching of the wafer 2 in each chamber 5 is completed, each valve 14 is closed. |
