CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0111560, filed on Sep. 9, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

The inventive concept relates to a vacuum chuck and a substrate processing apparatus including the vacuum chuck, and a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices using the substrate processing apparatus.

A substrate may be mounted on a vacuum chuck for processing. In more detail, a substrate, on which semiconductor devices are formed, may be mounted on a vacuum chuck via vacuum pressure provided below the substrate. Recently, as the semiconductor devices are formed on the substrate become smaller, the substrate may be provided on the vacuum chuck in a bent state. Thus, methods of stably mounting the bent substrate on the vacuum chuck have been studied. For example, methods of increasing the magnitude of vacuum pressure that a vacuum chuck provides to a substrate have been studied.

SUMMARY

The inventive concept provides a vacuum chuck for stably mounting a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus including the vacuum chuck.

The inventive concept also provides a vacuum chuck having improved heat transfer performance and a substrate processing apparatus including the vacuum chuck.

The inventive concept also provides a vacuum chuck for reducing a risk of physical damage to a substrate in a process for processing a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus including the vacuum chuck.

The inventive concept also provides for a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices with a substrate processing apparatus having an improved vacuum chuck as disclosed herein.

According to some embodiments, a vacuum chuck comprises a pedestal comprising a first surface configured to have a substrate mounted thereon, the pedestal having a vacuum groove formed in the first surface and a vacuum hole in fluid communication with the vacuum groove, wherein the vacuum groove and vacuum hole form a vacuum passage configured to provide a vacuum pressure below the substrate; a heater in the pedestal, the heater being configured to generate heat; and a vacuum pipe connected to the vacuum hole, wherein the vacuum hole has a diameter in the range of 2 to 3 micrometers, and the vacuum groove has a width in the range of 1.6 to 2.5 micrometers. According to some embodiments, a vacuum chuck comprises a pedestal comprising a first surface configured to have a substrate mounted thereon, the pedestal having a vacuum groove formed in the first surface and a vacuum hole in fluid communication with the vacuum groove, wherein the vacuum groove and vacuum hole form a vacuum passage configured to provide a vacuum pressure below the substrate, the pedestal having a gas hole formed in the first surface and surrounding the vacuum groove configured to transmit a bottom gas to the substrate; a heater in the pedestal, the heater being configured to generate heat; a vacuum pipe connected to the vacuum hole; a vacuum pump configured to provide vacuum pressure to the vacuum pipe; a gas pipe connected to the gas hole; a bottom gas supply configured to provide bottom gas to the gas pipe; a cover ring on the pedestal, the cover ring configured to overlap an edge portion of the substrate; and a clamp configured to support the substrate, wherein sidewalls of the vacuum groove meet with the first surface at respective rounded corner portions forming respective curved surfaces.

According to some examples, a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate comprises a chamber defining an inner space configured to process a substrate; a vacuum chuck configured to support the substrate in the inner space; a pressure pump configured to regulate pressure in the inner space; and a top gas supply above the vacuum chuck, the top gas supply comprising a nozzle configured to inject a fluid into the chamber, wherein the vacuum chuck comprises: a pedestal comprising a first surface configured to have the substrate mounted thereon, the pedestal having a first vacuum groove formed in the first surface and a first vacuum hole in fluid communication with the first vacuum groove, wherein the first vacuum groove and first vacuum hole form a vacuum passage configured to provide a vacuum pressure below the substrate, and the pedestal having a gas hole formed in the first surface and surrounding the first vacuum groove configured to transmit a bottom gas to the substrate; a heater in the pedestal, the heater being configured to generate heat; a vacuum pipe connected to the first vacuum hole; and a gas pipe connected to the gas hole, wherein a diameter of the first vacuum hole is in a range of 2 to 3 micrometers, and a width of the first vacuum groove is in a range of 1.6 to 2.5 micrometers.

