JP7366952B2 - Inspection method for plasma processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus.

A dry process using plasma is used, for example, when manufacturing microstructures. For example, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, flat panel displays, photomasks, and the like, various plasma treatments such as etching treatment, ashing treatment, and damage removal are performed.

A plasma processing apparatus that performs such plasma processing includes, for example, a process chamber that performs plasma processing on a processed object, a transfer chamber that is connected to the process chamber via a gate valve, and a process chamber that is installed inside the transfer chamber. A transport robot or the like is installed to transport the processed material between the two. Further, in order to maintain a reduced pressure atmosphere inside the transfer chamber, a load lock chamber may be provided which is connected to the transfer chamber via a gate valve.

In the plasma processing apparatus described above, plasma processing is performed within a process chamber. When plasma treatment is repeatedly performed, particles may be generated due to reaction products generated by the plasma treatment. If the generated particles fall and adhere to the surface of the object to be processed, the yield will decrease.

Furthermore, particles are not necessarily generated only within the process chamber. For example, it may be generated by the operation of a transfer robot in a transfer chamber, it may be mixed in when processing objects are brought into a load lock chamber from an external space, or it may be generated by the opening and closing operations of gate valves that connect chambers. .

Therefore, before processing the object, it is necessary to check whether particles are generated or not before starting the processing. Alternatively, if it is found that a defect is caused by particles, it is necessary to find out in which chamber the particles are generated.
Therefore, the condition inside the processing chamber can be inspected by transporting a test wafer, which is different from the product wafer, to the processing chamber to be inspected, and measuring the particles on this test wafer. A method for testing is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

However, when inspecting the state inside the chamber, particles on the inspection wafer may not be accurately measured.
Therefore, it has been desired to develop a technique that can accurately measure particles on a wafer for inspection when inspecting the state inside the chamber.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-179528

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus that can accurately measure particles on a wafer for inspection when inspecting the state inside a chamber.

The plasma processing apparatus inspection method according to the embodiment includes:
a first chamber that maintains an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure and in which a processing object can be placed;
a first exhaust part that can reduce the pressure inside the first chamber to a predetermined pressure;
a plasma generating section capable of generating plasma inside the first chamber ;
a first gas supply unit that is inside the first chamber and can supply a process gas to a region where the plasma is generated;
a second chamber connected to the first chamber via a gate valve and capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure;
a transport unit provided inside the second chamber and capable of transporting the processed material between the first chamber and the first chamber;
a second exhaust part that can reduce the pressure inside the second chamber to a predetermined pressure;
a second gas supply unit capable of supplying gas into the second chamber;
a controller capable of controlling the transport section, the second exhaust section, and the second gas supply section;
In an inspection method for a plasma processing apparatus equipped with
When the wafer for inspection is transferred from the second chamber to the first chamber by the transfer section, the second exhaust section is controlled so that the internal pressure of the second chamber is equal to the pressure within the second chamber. A step of making the pressure approximately equal to the pressure inside the first chamber;
When the transport unit finishes transporting the inspection wafer to the first chamber, controlling the second gas supply unit to supply the gas into the second chamber. and,
The step of performing plasma processing in the first chamber into which the test wafer has been carried, and the step of transporting the test wafer from the first chamber to the second chamber by the transport section, controlling a second exhaust section so that the pressure inside the second chamber is approximately equal to the pressure inside the first chamber;
When the transfer of the inspection wafer to the second chamber by the transfer unit is completed, controlling the second gas supply unit to supply the gas into the second chamber. and,
measuring particles attached to the test wafer carried out from the second chamber;
The first particle measurement step includes:

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus is provided, which allows particles on a wafer for inspection to be accurately measured when inspecting a state inside a chamber.

1 is a layout diagram for illustrating a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. It is _a vapor pressure curve _{of C16H30O4} . FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating an example of a processing section. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating a delivery section. 7 is a timing chart for illustrating gas supply during inspection of a plasma processing apparatus having a first particle measurement step. 7 is a timing chart for illustrating gas supply during inspection of a plasma processing apparatus having a second particle measurement step.

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram illustrating a plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
Details of each part of the plasma processing apparatus 1 will be described later.
First, the present inventors discovered the following through an experiment using the plasma processing apparatus 1.
That is, the present inventors confirmed the presence or absence of particles inside the plasma processing apparatus 1 described above. More specifically, the present inventors measured particles inside each of the load lock section 5, the processing section 6, and the delivery section 7 using the test wafer 100a.

Then, the number of particles attached to the inspection wafer 100a inside the delivery section 7 may be greater than the number of particles attached to the inspection wafer 100a inside the processing section 6. Normally, the number of particles adhering to the processing section 6 increases. When measuring particles inside the processing section 6, the inspection wafer 100a needs to pass through the inside of the delivery section 7. In other words, if particles are generated inside the transfer section 7, the particles should also adhere to the inspection wafer 100a used to measure the particles inside the processing section 6.

Therefore, the present inventors further measured the particles inside the delivery section 7 several times. As a result, it was found that there are cases where the number of particles adhering to the inspection wafer 100a increases compared to the processing section 6, and there are cases where the number does not, and there are cases where particle measurement cannot be performed accurately.

The present inventor conducted extensive research on the inspection wafer 100a in which the number of attached particles increased. Then, it was discovered that a watermark was formed on the surface of the inspection wafer 100a. In other words, watermarks were recognized as particles and counted. When determining where particles are generated, if a watermark is mistaken for a particle, the location where particles are generated cannot be accurately identified. Alternatively, maintenance may be performed on locations that do not require maintenance, reducing the productivity of the device.

Therefore, the present inventors investigated the components of watermarks. As a result, it was determined that the main component of the watermark was C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ . After extensive investigation into this C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ , we found that it is a component of a sealing member used to prevent gas from flowing into the load lock section 5, processing section 6, and delivery section 7. found.

FIG. 2 is a vapor pressure curve of C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ .
C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ is a component often contained in seal members such as O-rings.
Moreover, points B1 and B2 in FIG. 2 are measured values, and a dotted line in FIG. 2 is an approximate curve based on points B1 and B2.

In the region below the vapor pressure curve, the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ component evaporates easily. In the upper region of the vapor pressure curve, the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ component becomes difficult to evaporate. For example, if the temperature inside the delivery section 7 is 50 degrees Celsius, the pressure value inside the delivery section 7 is lower than the pressure value where the vapor pressure curve in FIG. 2 intersects with the 50 degrees Celsius scale line. In this case, the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ component tends to evaporate. On the other hand, if the pressure value inside the delivery section 7 is higher than the pressure value where the vapor pressure curve in FIG. 2 and the temperature scale line inside the delivery section 7 intersect, C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O Component ₄ becomes difficult to evaporate.

That is, when measuring particles in the delivery section 7, if the pressure inside the delivery section 7 is set to be in the region above the vapor pressure curve, release of the components of the sealing member can be suppressed.

By the way, since the inside of the processing section 6 is exposed to plasma, the processing section 6 may be heated to about 80.degree. C. to 100.degree. In the above case, since the delivery section 7 is connected to the processing section 6, the temperature of the delivery section 7 also rises to about 50.degree. C. to 70.degree.

According to the vapor pressure curve in FIG. 2, if the pressure inside the delivery part 7 is set to 5×10 ^-3 Pa or more after the processed material 100 is transported into the processing part 6, then the temperature of the delivery part 7 Even if the temperature is about 50° C., it is possible to suppress evaporation of the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ component.

However, depending on the type of plasma processing, processing conditions, etc., the temperature of the delivery section 7 may become even higher.
As a result of studies, the present inventors found that if the pressure inside the delivery section 7 is set to 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more, even if the type of plasma treatment or treatment conditions are changed, the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ The first finding was that evaporation of components can be almost eliminated.

By the way, the seal member used in the processing section 6 is the same as the seal member used in the delivery section 7. Moreover, the pressure inside the processing section 6 is maintained at a pressure that can cause evaporation of the components of the sealing member during periods other than when plasma processing is performed. Therefore, the components of the sealing member may evaporate, be released into the processing section 6, and adhere to the processing object 100. However, the inventor conducted extensive research and found that the probability that contaminants (components of the evaporated sealing member) would adhere inside the processing section 6 was higher than the probability that contaminants would adhere inside the delivery section 7. .

As a result of studies, the present inventors found that since a process gas is introduced into the processing section 6 to perform plasma processing, contaminants (components of the evaporated sealing member) are transferred to the processing section 6 along with the process gas. This is thought to be due to the fact that it is being discharged from inside the body. In other words, even if the pressure inside the delivery section 7 is lower than the pressure at which the components of the sealing member can evaporate, by introducing gas into the delivery section 7, contaminants (components of the evaporated sealing member) can be transferred to the processed material 100. The second finding was that it is possible to suppress the adhesion to the skin.

Originally, as described above, it is preferable for the pressure inside the transfer section 7 to be within the upper region of the vapor pressure curve during transportation in order to suppress release of the components of the sealing member. However, when plasma processing is performed on the processing object 100 in the processing section 6, in order to remove the influence of residual gas, the pressure inside the processing section 6 must be between 1×10 ^-3 Pa and 5×10 ^-3 Pa. After that, process gas was introduced. When the processing material 100 is transported to the processing section 6, if the pressure inside the delivery section 7 is within the upper region of the vapor pressure curve (for example, 1 x 10 ^-1 Pa), the delivery section 7 flows into the processing section 6, and the pressure in the processing section 6 rises to the same level as the pressure inside the delivery section 7.

If the pressure in the processing section 6 rises to the same level as the pressure included in the upper region of the vapor pressure curve, it will take a long time to wait for the pressure to drop to a specified value, and the processing time in the processing section 6 will increase. Become. Furthermore, due to the pressure difference between the internal pressure of the delivery section 7 and the internal pressure of the processing section 6, there is a possibility that particles may fly up inside the processing section 6. Therefore, when transferring the processed material 100 between the transfer section 7 and the processing section 6, the pressure of the transfer section 7 is temporarily set to a pressure included in the region below the vapor pressure curve.

Based on the above-mentioned first and second findings, the present inventors have determined that if the pressure inside the delivery section 7 is set to be in the upper region of the vapor pressure curve before and after the material to be processed 100 is transported, It has been found that it is possible to suppress the adhesion of contaminants (evaporated components of the sealing member) to the processing object 100 while suppressing the release of the components of the sealing member.

When inspecting the plasma processing apparatus 1, it is preferable to perform the inspection under the same conditions as when the workpiece 100 is actually processed in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The present inventors have discovered an inspection method for accurately measuring particles based on the first knowledge and the second knowledge, and have completed the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram illustrating a plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a controller 2, a storage section 3, a transport section 4, a load lock section 5, a processing section 6, and a delivery section 7.

The controller 2 includes, for example, a calculation unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The controller 2 is, for example, a computer. The controller 2 controls the operation of each element provided in the plasma processing apparatus 1 based on, for example, a control program stored in a storage unit.

The storage unit 3 stores, for example, the processed materials 100 in a stacked (multi-tiered) manner. The storage unit 3 is, for example, a so-called pod or a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod), which is a front-opening carrier. However, the storage section 3 is not limited to the one illustrated, and may be any structure as long as it can store the processed material 100. At least one storage section 3 can be provided.

The transport section 4 is provided between the storage section 3 and the load lock section 5. The transport unit 4 transports and transfers the processed material 100 between the storage unit 3 and the load lock unit 5. In this case, the transport section 4 transports and transfers the processing object 100 in an environment with a pressure higher than the pressure (for example, atmospheric pressure) when performing plasma processing. The transport unit 4 is, for example, a transport robot that has an arm that holds the object 100 to be processed.

The load lock section 5 is provided between the transport section 4 and the delivery section 7. The load lock section 5 transfers the processed material 100 between the transport section 4 and the transfer section 7, which have different atmospheric pressures. Therefore, the load lock section 5 includes a chamber 51, an exhaust section 52, and a gas supply section 53.

The chamber 51 has an airtight structure capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure. The side wall of the chamber 51 is provided with an opening for carrying in and out the processing object 100 . Further, a gate valve 51a is provided to open and close the opening. The chamber 51 is connected to a chamber 71 (corresponding to an example of a second chamber) of the delivery section 7 via a gate valve 51a.

The exhaust section 52 exhausts the inside of the chamber 51 so that the pressure inside the chamber 51 and the ultimate vacuum degree are approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 . The exhaust section 52 can include, for example, a turbo molecular pump (TMP), a pressure control section (APC: Auto Pressure Controller), and the like. Note that the term "the ultimate vacuum degrees are substantially the same" means that the difference in the ultimate vacuum degrees between the pressure inside the chamber 51 and the pressure inside the chamber 71 is within 5×10 ⁻² Pa.

The gas supply section 53 supplies gas to the inside of the chamber 51 so that the pressure inside the chamber 51 is approximately equal to the pressure of the transport section 4 . The supplied gas can be, for example, air or nitrogen gas.

The processing section 6 performs plasma processing on the processing object 100 in an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure.
The processing unit 6 can be, for example, a plasma processing device such as a plasma etching device, a plasma ashing device, a sputtering device, or a plasma CVD device.
In this case, there is no particular limitation on the method of generating plasma, and for example, plasma can be generated using high frequency waves, microwaves, or the like.
However, the type of plasma processing apparatus and the plasma generation method are not limited to those illustrated. In other words, the processing section 6 may be one that performs plasma processing on the processing object 100 in an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure.

Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the number of processing units 6. At least one processing section 6 may be provided. When providing a plurality of processing units 6, the same type of plasma processing apparatuses or different types of plasma processing apparatuses may be provided. Further, when a plurality of plasma processing apparatuses of the same type are provided, the processing conditions can be set to be different for each, or the processing conditions can be set to be the same for each.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating an example of the processing section 6. As shown in FIG.
The processing section 6 illustrated in FIG. 3 is an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus. That is, this is an example of a plasma processing apparatus that generates a plasma product from a process gas G using plasma P excited and generated by high frequency energy, and processes the processing object 100.

As shown in FIG. 3, the processing section 6 includes, for example, a chamber 61 (corresponding to an example of a first chamber), a mounting section 62, an antenna 63, high frequency power supplies 64a and 64b, and a gas supply section 65 (corresponding to a first chamber). (corresponding to an example of a gas supply section), an exhaust section 66 (corresponding to an example of a first exhaust section), and the like.

The chamber 61 has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has an airtight structure capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure. A transmission window 61a is provided in the upper part of the chamber 61 so as to be airtight. The transmission window 61a has a plate shape, has a high transmittance to high frequency energy, and can be formed from a material that is difficult to be etched during plasma processing. The transmission window 61a can be formed from a dielectric material such as quartz, for example.

The side wall of the chamber 61 is provided with an opening 61b for carrying in and out the processing object 100. Further, a gate valve 61c is provided to open and close the opening 61b. The chamber 61 is connected to a chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 via a gate valve 61c.

The mounting section 62 is provided inside the chamber 61. The processing object 100 is placed on the upper surface of the placing section 62 . In this case, the processing object 100 may be placed directly on the upper surface of the placing section 62, or may be placed on the placing section 62 via a support member (not shown) or the like. Further, the mounting portion 62 can be provided with a holding device such as an electrostatic chuck.

The antenna 63 supplies high frequency energy (electromagnetic energy) to a region inside the chamber 61 where plasma P is generated. Plasma P is generated by the high frequency energy supplied inside the chamber 61. For example, the antenna 63 supplies high frequency energy to the interior of the chamber 61 through the transmission window 61a.

The high frequency power source 64a is electrically connected to the antenna 63 via a matching box 64a1. The matching box 64a1 is provided with a matching circuit and the like for matching the impedance on the high frequency power source 64a side and the impedance on the plasma P side. The high frequency power source 64a is a power source for generating plasma P. That is, the high frequency power supply 64a is provided to generate plasma P by causing high frequency discharge inside the chamber 61. The high frequency power source 64a applies high frequency power having a frequency of about 100 KHz to 100 MHz to the antenna 63.
In this embodiment, the antenna 63 and the high frequency power supply 64a serve as a plasma generation section that generates plasma P.

The high frequency power source 64b is electrically connected to the mounting section 62 via a matching box 64b1. The matching box 64b1 is provided with a matching circuit for matching the impedance on the high frequency power source 64b side and the impedance on the plasma P side. The high-frequency power source 64b controls the energy of ions drawn into the processing object 100 placed on the placement section 62. The high frequency power source 64b applies high frequency power having a relatively low frequency (for example, 13.56 MHz or less) suitable for drawing in ions to the mounting portion 62.

The gas supply section 65 supplies the process gas G to a region inside the chamber 61 where plasma P is generated via the flow rate control section 65a. The flow rate control unit 65a can be, for example, a mass flow controller (MFC). The gas supply section 65 can be connected to, for example, a side wall of the chamber 61 near the transmission window 61a.

The process gas G is appropriately selected depending on the type of processing, the material of the processing surface of the processing object 100, and the like. For example, in the case of etching processing, the process gas G may contain fluorine atoms such as CF ₄ or CF ₃ so that highly reactive radicals are generated. In this case, the process gas G can be, for example, only a gas containing fluorine atoms, or a mixed gas of a gas containing fluorine atoms and a rare gas.

The exhaust section 66 reduces the pressure inside the chamber 61 to a predetermined pressure. The exhaust section 66 can be, for example, a turbo molecular pump (TMP). The exhaust section 66 can be connected to the bottom surface of the chamber 61 via the pressure control section 66a. The pressure control unit 66a controls the inside of the chamber 61 to a predetermined pressure based on the output of a pressure gauge (not shown) that detects the inside pressure of the chamber 61. The pressure control unit 66a can be, for example, an auto pressure controller (APC).

When performing plasma processing on the processing object 100, the inside of the chamber 61 is reduced to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust section 66, and a predetermined amount of process gas G (for example, CF ₄ , etc.) is supplied to the chamber 61 from the gas supply section 65. is supplied to a region in which plasma P is generated. On the other hand, high frequency power of a predetermined power is applied to the antenna 63 from the high frequency power source 64a, and electromagnetic energy is radiated into the chamber 61 through the transmission window 61a. Further, high frequency power of a predetermined power is applied from the high frequency power source 64b to the mounting portion 62 on which the workpiece 100 is placed, and an electric field is formed that accelerates ions from the plasma P toward the workpiece 100.

Plasma P is generated by the electromagnetic energy radiated into the chamber 61, and the generated plasma P excites and activates the process gas G to generate plasma products such as neutral active species and ions. Then, the generated plasma product is supplied to the processing object 100, whereby the processing object 100 is subjected to plasma processing.

Note that although an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) processing apparatus has been described above as an example of a processing section, the processing section is not limited to these plasma processing apparatuses. For example, the processing section may be a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) processing device (for example, a parallel plate type RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) device). Alternatively, it may be a microwave excitation type plasma processing apparatus (for example, a remote plasma apparatus (CDE apparatus), a SWP (Surface Wave Plasma) apparatus), or the like. Note that since known techniques can be applied to the basic configuration of other plasma processing apparatuses, detailed explanations will be omitted.

Next, the delivery section 7 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery section 7 is provided between the processing section 6 and the load lock section 5. The transfer section 7 transfers the processed material 100 between the processing section 6 and the load lock section 5.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating the delivery section 7. As shown in FIG.
Note that FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the delivery section 7 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the delivery section 7 includes a chamber 71, a transport section 72, an exhaust section 73 (corresponding to an example of a second exhaust section), and a gas supply section 74 (corresponding to an example of a second gas supply section). equivalent).

The chamber 71 has an airtight structure capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure. Chamber 71 is connected to chamber 61 via gate valve 61c.

The transport section 72 is provided inside the chamber 71 . The transport section 72 transfers the processed material 100 between the processing section 6 and the load lock section 5 . For example, the transport section 72 transports (carries in and out) the processing object 100 to and from the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 . The transport unit 72 can be, for example, a transport robot (for example, an articulated robot) having an arm that holds the processing object 100.

The exhaust section 73 reduces the pressure inside the chamber 71 to a predetermined pressure. The exhaust section 73 can be connected to the bottom surface of the chamber 71, for example, via the pressure control section 66a.
The exhaust section 73 can be similar to the exhaust section 66 described above, for example.
The pressure control unit 66a controls the pressure inside the chamber 71 to a predetermined pressure based on the output of a pressure gauge (not shown) that detects the pressure inside the chamber 71.

Here, as described above, some process gases G used in plasma processing have high reactivity, such as gases containing fluorine atoms, for example. When the highly reactive gas flows from the inside of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 to the inside of the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7, the highly reactive gas reacts with the elements exposed inside the chamber 71. Contaminants may be generated.

Further, byproducts generated during plasma processing may adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 or to elements exposed inside the chamber 61. Therefore, when an airflow is formed that flows from the inside of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 toward the inside of the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7, by-products separated from the inner wall of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 flow into the airflow. There is a risk that the object may get on the object and enter the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7. By-products that have entered the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 become contaminants for the processing object 100.

Therefore, when carrying the processing object 100 into the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 or carrying out the processing object 100 from the chamber 61 of the processing section 6, the exhaust section 73 and the pressure control section 66a attached to the chamber 71 The pressure inside the chamber 71 is made to be approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 (for example, the pressure when performing plasma processing). For example, the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 can be approximately 1×10 ⁻³ Pa to 1×10 ⁻² Pa.

In this case, the expression that the pressure inside the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 is approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 means that the pressure inside the chamber 71 is changed from the same pressure as the pressure inside the chamber 61 to the pressure inside the chamber 61. It means a pressure range that is 5×10 ⁻² Pa higher than the same pressure as the internal pressure. In this way, highly reactive gases and by-products can be effectively prevented from entering the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 .

Note that if the pressure inside the chamber 71 is made too high, the airflow from the chamber 71 toward the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 may cause the by-products attached to the inner wall of the chamber 61 to peel off, or the by-products may be removed from the chamber. There is a possibility that the particles may float inside the 61. Therefore, when carrying in and out the processing object 100 from the processing section 6, it is preferable that the pressure inside the chamber 71 is approximately 8×10 ⁻³ Pa to 5×10 ⁻² Pa. Note that the pressure inside the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 is determined to be slightly higher than the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 in the above pressure range.

Although the pressure in the chamber 71 can be controlled by the exhaust section 73 and the pressure control section 66a, it is difficult to quickly increase the low pressure.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the delivery section 7 according to this embodiment is provided with a gas supply section 74.
The gas supply section 74 supplies the gas G1 into the chamber 71 via the flow rate control section 74a. The flow rate control unit 74a can be, for example, a mass flow controller (MFC).

The gas G1 can be, for example, a gas that does not easily react with the processing object 100 or elements exposed inside the chamber 71. For example, the gas G1 can be a rare gas such as nitrogen gas or argon gas, or a mixed gas thereof.

Further, the gas G1 is supplied to control the pressure inside the chamber 71, and the amount of pressure control is small, so the amount of the gas G1 supplied to the inside of the chamber 71 is small. For example, the flow rate of the gas G1 is 10 sccm or more and 1000 sccm or less.

The processed material 100 is transported from the storage section 3 to the inside of the processing section 6 via the load lock section 5 and the delivery section 7 . The processing object 100 transported into the processing section 6 is subjected to plasma processing. The plasma-treated workpiece 100 is returned to the storage section 3 via the load lock section 5 and the transfer section 7. Then, the next processing object 100 is subjected to plasma processing in the same manner. As the plasma processing apparatus 1 performs the above-described operations, the processing of the processing object 100 proceeds.

By the way, when plasma treatment is repeatedly performed, there is a possibility that particles derived from reaction products generated by the plasma treatment may be generated. If the generated particles fall and adhere to the surface of the object to be processed, the yield will decrease.

Furthermore, particles are not necessarily generated only within the process chamber. For example, it may be generated by the operation of a transfer robot in a transfer chamber, it may be mixed in when processing objects are brought into a load lock chamber from an external space, or it may be generated by the opening and closing operations of gate valves that connect chambers. .

Therefore, it is necessary to periodically inspect whether particles are generated within the plasma processing apparatus 1.

Next, a method for inspecting the plasma processing apparatus 1 will be explained.
FIG. 5 is a timing chart illustrating the supply of gas G1 during inspection of a plasma processing apparatus having a first particle measurement step. Note that when executing the particle measurement step, the operator operates an input device such as an operation panel of the controller 2 to switch the control mode of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to an inspection mode (particle measurement mode). In this inspection mode, it is also possible to select an operation depending on the object to be inspected. For example, it is possible to select an operation in which the processing section 6 performs particle measurement, an operation in which the transfer section 7 performs particle measurement, and the like. The example in FIG. 5 is an example in which the operation of the processing unit 6 to measure particles is selected.

T1 in FIG. 5 is the timing at which the processing object 100 starts to be carried from the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 to the chamber 61 of the processing section 6.
T2 in FIG. 5 is the timing of starting to carry out the processing object 100 from the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 to the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7.

When there is no processing object 100 to be processed, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state. When the plasma processing apparatus 1 is in a standby state, the inside of the chamber 51 of the load lock section 5 is evacuated by the exhaust section 52 and maintained at a pressure of about 1.times.10.sup. ^-2 Pa to 1.times.10.sup. ^-1 Pa. In this embodiment, it is, for example, 5×10 ⁻² Pa.
The pressure inside the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 is maintained at a pressure of 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more that can suppress the evaporation of the C ₁₆ H ₃₀ O ₄ component. Specifically, the controller 2 controls the pressure control unit 66a attached to the chamber 71 based on the output of a pressure gauge (not shown) that detects the pressure inside the chamber 71, and controls the pressure inside the chamber 71. is set to a pressure of 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more.
The inside of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 is evacuated by the exhaust section 66 and maintained at a pressure of 1.times.10.sup. ^-3 Pa to 1.times.10.sup. ^-2 Pa. In this embodiment, it is, for example, 1×10 ⁻³ Pa.

When inspecting the plasma processing apparatus 1, the inside of the chamber 51 of the load lock section 5 is vented to make the inside pressure of the chamber 51 the same as the atmospheric pressure. The transport section 4 takes out the test wafer 100a from the storage section 3 and carries it into the chamber 51 of the load lock section 5 ((1) in FIG. 5). That is, by switching to the inspection mode, the controller 2 controls the transport section 4 to take out the inspection wafer 100a from the inspection wafer storage position stored in advance in the storage section 3.

After the test wafer 100a is carried into the chamber 51, the pressure inside the chamber 51 is reduced. When the pressure inside the chamber 51 is reduced to a predetermined pressure, the gas G1 is supplied from the gas supply section 74 to the inside of the chamber 71, and the pressure inside the chamber 71 is made to be 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more. Note that the predetermined pressure is a pressure of 1×10 ⁻² Pa or more and less than 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa. In this embodiment, it is, for example, 5×10 ⁻² Pa.
When the pressure inside the chamber 51 and the pressure inside the chamber 71 reach the above pressures, the gate valve 51a is opened. The inspection wafer 100a is then carried into the chamber 71 by the transport section 72 ((2) in FIG. 5).

The chamber 51 communicates with a space outside the plasma processing apparatus 1 . Therefore, air from the outside space is drawn into the chamber 51 when the inspection wafer 100a is transported. The air in the outside space may contain water vapor and particles. By setting the pressure inside the chamber 71 to be higher than the pressure inside the chamber 51, it is possible to suppress water vapor and particles from flowing into the chamber 71 from the chamber 51.

After the inspection wafer 100a is transferred into the chamber 71, the gate valve 51a is closed. When the gate valve 51a is closed, the supply of the gas G1 into the chamber 71 is stopped. Note that the reduced pressure inside the chamber 51 is maintained.
When the pressure inside the chamber 71 reaches, for example, 5×10 ⁻² Pa, the gate valve 61c is opened. The inspection wafer 100a is then carried into the chamber 61 by the transport section 72 (T1 in FIG. 5).

Inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6, a plasma product is generated from a highly reactive gas using plasma, and the processing object 100 is processed. Therefore, highly reactive gas may remain inside the chamber 61, or by-products generated during plasma processing may adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 61 of the processing section 6. If the pressure inside the chamber 71 is made to be approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6, highly reactive gases and by-products will enter the inside of the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7. can be suppressed.

After the test wafer 100a is carried into the chamber 61, the gate valve 61c is closed. The period from opening to closing the gate valve 61c is defined as a loading period T1a for the inspection wafer 100a. When the gate valve 61c is closed, the gas G1 is supplied from the gas supply section 74 into the chamber 71. Thereby, the pressure inside the chamber 71 is maintained at 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or higher.

When the pressure inside the chamber 61 is reduced to a predetermined pressure, the gas supply section 65 is controlled to supply the process gas G until the pressure inside the chamber 61 reaches a pressure for performing plasma processing. The pressure at which the plasma treatment is performed is approximately 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa to 10 Pa. In this embodiment, for example, it is 1 Pa. Note that the predetermined pressure is 1×10 ⁻³ Pa to 1×10 ⁻² Pa.

When the pressure inside the chamber 61 reaches a pressure for performing plasma processing, a high frequency voltage is applied to the antenna 63 from the high frequency power source 64a to generate plasma P. Then, the plasma P is maintained for the same time as the time to process the object 100.

When the plasma processing is completed, the application of the high frequency voltage from the high frequency power source 64a and the supply of the process gas G are stopped. The pressure inside the chamber 61 is reduced to a pressure of 1×10 ⁻³ Pa to 1×10 ⁻² Pa. In this embodiment, the pressure inside the chamber 61 is reduced to, for example, 1×10 ⁻³ Pa.

When the pressure inside the chamber 61 reaches 1×10 ⁻³ Pa, the supply of the gas G1 from the gas supply section 74 is stopped. Then, when the pressure inside the chamber 71 reaches, for example, 5×10 ⁻² Pa, the gate valve 61c is opened. The inspection wafer 100a is carried out from the chamber 61 by the transfer section 72 (T2 in FIG. 5).

After the inspection wafer 100a is transferred into the chamber 71 by the transfer section 72, the gate valve 61c is closed. The period from opening the gate valve 61c to closing the gate valve 61c is defined as the unloading period T2a of the inspection wafer 100a. After the carry-out period T2a, the gas G1 is supplied into the chamber 71 from the gas supply section 74.

When the pressure inside the chamber 71 reaches 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more, the gate valve 51a is opened and the inspection wafer 100a is transferred to the chamber 51 by the transfer section 72 ((4) in FIG. 5).

After the inspection wafer 100a is transferred into the chamber 51, the gate valve 51a is closed. In the delivery section 7, the supply of the gas G1 to the inside of the chamber 71 is stopped. The pressure inside the chamber 71 is maintained at 1×10 ⁻² Pa or higher by reducing the exhaust amount of the exhaust portion 73 by the pressure control unit 66 a attached to the chamber 71 . Alternatively, the pressure inside the chamber 71 is maintained at 1×10 ⁻² Pa or higher by adjusting the flow rate of the gas G1. In the load lock section 5, the inside of the chamber 51 is vented to bring the pressure inside the chamber 51 to atmospheric pressure. When the pressure inside the chamber 51 becomes approximately the same as the atmospheric pressure, the test wafer 100a is taken out from the inside of the chamber 51 by the transfer section 4 and stored in the original storage position of the storage section 3 (see FIG. 5). 5)). Then, the number of particles attached to the inspection wafer 100a is measured. For example, the test wafer 100a is placed in the storage unit 3 and transported to a particle measuring device (not shown), and the particle measuring device measures the number of particles attached to the test wafer 100a.

As described above, during the loading period T1a of the test wafer 100a after T1 and the unloading period T2a of the test wafer 100a after T2, the pressure in the transfer section 7 is temporarily adjusted to the lower region of the vapor pressure curve in FIG. Let the pressure contained in Specifically, when the gate valve 61c opens, the gas inside the chamber 71 flows into the processing section 6. Therefore, the pressure inside the chamber 71 is reduced so that it becomes approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 (for example, 1×10 ⁻³ Pa, which is a predetermined pressure immediately before plasma processing). be done. Therefore. During the carry-in period T1a and the carry-out period T2a, the components of the sealing member evaporate and are released into the chamber 71. Note that "approximately the same" in this case means that the pressure inside the chamber 71 is the same as the pressure inside the chamber 61 to a pressure that is 5×10 ^-2 Pa higher than the same pressure as the inside pressure of the chamber 61. means range.

However, after the carry-in period T1a and the carry-out period T2a have elapsed, the gap between the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 and the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 is closed by the gate valve 61c. The gas supply unit 74 supplies the gas G1 to the inside of the chamber 71 of the delivery unit 7, so that the pressure inside the chamber 71 is increased to 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more, preferably 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more. be done. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the components of the sealing member from evaporating.

Further, even if the pressure inside the chamber 71 of the delivery section 7 and the chamber 61 of the processing section 6 is set to a pressure below which the components of the sealing member can evaporate, gas can be introduced into the inside of the delivery section 7 to prevent contaminants (evaporation). (components of the sealing member) can be prevented from adhering to the inspection wafer 100a. The interiors of chamber 71 and chamber 61 are evacuated to maintain a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere. The exhaust speeds (L/min) of the exhaust section 73 and the exhaust section 66 are fixed. Then, when the gas G1 is supplied into the chamber 71 and the chamber 61, the pressure inside the chamber 71 increases, and the amount of the gas G1 discharged per unit volume increases. As a result, it appears that the interior of the chamber was evacuated to the extent that gas G1 was supplied. In other words, this exhaust allows contaminants to be exhausted together with the gas G1.

As described above, contaminants that cause watermarks can be prevented from adhering to the inspection wafer 100a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent watermarks from being mistakenly recognized as particles, so that particles can be measured accurately.

Further, as can be seen from FIG. 5, the pressure inside the chamber 71 is set to be below the pressure at which the components of the sealing member can evaporate, that is, approximately equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61 of the processing section 6. The period during which the pressure is reduced can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the components of the sealing member from evaporating.

In order to measure the number of particles attached to the inspection wafer 100a, if there is no processing object 100 inside the chamber 71 of the transfer section 7 for a long time, the pressure control section 66a attached to the chamber 71 is controlled. Therefore, the exhaust amount of the exhaust section 73 may be reduced. By reducing the exhaust volume of the exhaust section 73, the amount of gas G1 required to increase the internal pressure of the chamber 71 to 1×10 ⁻² Pa or more can be reduced. Note that the period of time during which there is no processing object 100 inside the chamber 71 is, for example, the time from when the supply of the gas G1 is stopped until the pressure inside the chamber 71 reaches 1×10 ⁻² Pa. .

An inspection method for the plasma processing apparatus 1 having a first particle measurement step of measuring particles using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 5 is performed, and if there are no particles, processing of the processing object 100 is started. If particles are detected, the plasma processing apparatus 1 is inspected using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart illustrating the supply of gas G1 during inspection of the plasma processing apparatus having the second particle measurement step. FIG. 6 illustrates the supply of gas G1 when the test wafer 100a is returned to the load lock section 5 without being transported into the processing section 6 after being transported to the delivery section 7. In other words, the example shown in FIG. 6 is an example in which the operation of measuring particles in the delivery section 7 is selected in the inspection mode.

(1) in FIG. 6 is the same as (1) in FIG. 5, and (2) in FIG. 6 is the same as (2) in FIG. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.
After the inspection wafer 100a is transferred into the chamber 71, the gate valve 51a is closed. The inspection wafer 100a remains inside the chamber 71 for several tens of seconds, for example. The time during which the inspection wafer 100a remains inside the chamber 71 is preferably the same as the time during which plasma processing is performed in the processing section 6, in order to approximate the conditions under which the processing object 100 is actually processed. While the inspection wafer 100a remains inside the chamber 71, the supply of the gas G1 from the gas supply section 74 is maintained.

After the inspection wafer 100a remains inside the chamber 71 for several tens of seconds, the gate valve 51a is opened and the inspection wafer 100a is transferred to the chamber 51 by the transfer unit 72 ((4) in FIG. 6).

After the inspection wafer 100a is transferred into the chamber 51, the gate valve 51a is closed. In the delivery section 7, the supply of the gas G1 to the inside of the chamber 71 is stopped. The pressure inside the chamber 71 is maintained at 1×10 ⁻² Pa or higher by reducing the exhaust amount of the exhaust portion 73 by the pressure control unit 66 a attached to the chamber 71 . In the load lock section 5, the inside of the chamber 51 is vented to bring the pressure inside the chamber 51 to atmospheric pressure. When the pressure inside the chamber 51 becomes approximately the same as the atmospheric pressure, the test wafer 100a is taken out from the inside of the chamber 51 by the transfer section 4 and stored in the storage section 3 ((5) in FIG. 6). Then, the number of particles attached to the inspection wafer 100a is measured using a particle measuring device (not shown).

By the gas supply unit 74 supplying the gas G1 to the inside of the chamber 71 of the delivery unit 7, the pressure inside the chamber 71 is set to 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more, preferably 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more. . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the components of the sealing member from evaporating. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contaminants that cause watermarks from adhering to the inspection wafer 100a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent watermarks from being mistakenly recognized as particles, so that particles can be measured accurately.

An inspection method for the plasma processing apparatus 1 having a second particle measurement step of measuring particles using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 6 is performed, and if there are no particles, cleaning of the inside of the processing section 6 is started. If particles are detected, cleaning of the inside of the load lock section 5 is started.

After cleaning the inside of the load lock section 5, an inspection method for the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 6 is carried out. If particles are detected again in this inspection, cleaning of the inside of the delivery section 7 is started.

The above procedure can be performed, for example, by the controller 2 controlling the transport section 72, the exhaust section 73, and the gas supply section 74.
For example, when the inspection wafer 100a is transferred (loaded and unloaded) by the transfer section 72, the controller 2 controls the exhaust section 73 so that the pressure inside the chamber 71 is equal to the pressure inside the chamber 61. Make sure that they are approximately equal. For example, when the transport section 72 finishes transporting the inspection wafer 100a, the controller 2 controls the gas supply section 74 to supply the gas G1 into the chamber 71.
For example, the controller 2 makes the pressure inside the chamber 71 higher than the pressure inside the chamber 61 by supplying the gas G1.
For example, the controller 2 supplies the gas G1 to increase the pressure inside the chamber 71 to 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more, preferably 1×10 ⁻¹ Pa or more.

Furthermore, as described above, the plasma processing apparatus inspection method according to the present embodiment can include the following steps.
a first chamber that maintains an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure and is capable of placing a processing object therein; a first exhaust section that is capable of reducing the pressure inside the first chamber to a predetermined pressure; a plasma generating section capable of generating plasma; a first gas supply section capable of supplying a process gas to a region inside the first chamber in which the plasma is generated; A second chamber connected to the first chamber and capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure, and a second chamber provided inside the second chamber and between the first chamber and the processed material a second exhaust section capable of reducing the pressure inside the second chamber to a predetermined pressure; and a second gas supply section capable of supplying gas into the second chamber. and a controller capable of controlling the transport section, the second exhaust section, and the second gas supply section. When the wafer for inspection is transferred from the second chamber to the first chamber by the transfer section, the second exhaust section is controlled so that the internal pressure of the second chamber is equal to the pressure within the second chamber. The step of making the pressure approximately equal to the internal pressure of the first chamber, and when the transfer of the inspection wafer to the first chamber by the transfer section is completed, the second gas supply section a step of controlling and supplying the gas into the second chamber; a step of performing plasma processing in the first chamber into which the wafer for inspection has been carried; and a step of controlling the gas to the inside of the second chamber; When the inspection wafer is transferred to the second chamber by the transfer section, the second exhaust section is controlled so that the pressure inside the second chamber is reduced to the pressure inside the first chamber. When the step of making the pressure substantially equal to the pressure and the transfer of the inspection wafer to the second chamber by the transfer section are completed, the second gas supply section is controlled to control the second gas supply section. and a step of measuring particles attached to the test wafer carried out from the second chamber.
For example, when transporting the inspection wafer from the outside to the second chamber via the load lock section, the gas is supplied to the second chamber to create a predetermined reduced pressure state, and then the load lock The method further includes the step of transporting the inspection wafer from the second chamber to the second chamber.
For example, when transporting the inspection wafer from the outside to the second chamber via the load lock section, the gas is supplied to the second chamber to create a predetermined reduced pressure state, and then the load lock a step of transporting the test wafer from the load lock part to the second chamber; and, after transporting the test wafer from the load lock part to the second chamber, fixing the test wafer in the second chamber. a step of transporting the test wafer from a second chamber to the load lock section without transporting the test wafer to the first chamber; and a step of measuring particles attached to the test wafer. The method further includes a second particle measurement step.
For example, if the first particle measurement step is performed and particles are detected, the second particle measurement step is performed.
For example, if the second particle measurement step is performed and no particles are detected, the first particle measurement step is performed.
For example, by supplying the gas, the internal pressure of the second chamber is set to 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more. Note that the contents of each step can be the same as those described above, so the details are as follows. Further explanation will be omitted.

The present embodiment has been illustrated above. However, the invention is not limited to these descriptions.
Appropriate design changes made by those skilled in the art with respect to the above-described embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they have the characteristics of the present invention.
For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, number, etc. of each element included in the plasma processing apparatus 1 are not limited to those illustrated, and can be changed as appropriate.
Furthermore, the elements provided in each of the embodiments described above can be combined to the extent possible, and combinations of these are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

The method of inspecting the plasma processing apparatus 1 is not limited to the above. For example, if a defect due to particles occurs in a post-process, the plasma processing apparatus 1 may be inspected first by an inspection method of the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 6.
If particles are detected in the above inspection, the inside of the load lock section 5 is cleaned. After cleaning the inside of the load lock section 5, an inspection method for the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 6 is carried out. If particles are detected again in this inspection, cleaning of the inside of the delivery section 7 is started.

Further, if no particles are detected in the initial inspection shown in FIG. 6, it means that the particles are generated somewhere between the delivery section 7 and the processing section 6. In this case, before testing the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the gas G1 supply method shown in FIG. 5, the following tests may be performed.

For example, the test wafer 100a may be returned to the transfer section 7 after controlling the gas supply section 65 to supply the process gas G until the pressure reaches the inside of the chamber 61 to perform plasma processing. good. For example, after the test wafer 100a is carried into the chamber 61, the test wafer 100a may be returned to the delivery section 7. By doing this, it is possible to specify the location where particles are generated.

In this embodiment, the pressure control unit 66a attached to the chamber 71 controlled the pressure inside the chamber 71 to be maintained at 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or higher. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the exhaust section 73 may be a combination of a turbo molecular pump and a dry pump, and an exhaust port may be provided at the bottom of the chamber 71 to connect to the dry pump. If the processing object 100 is not inside the chamber 71 for a long time, the inside of the chamber 71 may be evacuated by a dry pump. Alternatively, the exhaust section 73 may be stopped when the pressure reaches 5×10 ⁻³ Pa.

1 plasma processing apparatus, 2 controller, 3 storage section, 4 transport section, 5 load lock section, 6 processing section, 7 delivery section, 71 chamber, 72 transport section, 73 exhaust section, 74 gas supply section, 100 processed material, G Process gas, G1 gas, P plasma

Claims (6)

a first chamber that maintains an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure and in which a processing object can be placed;
a first exhaust part that can reduce the pressure inside the first chamber to a predetermined pressure;
a plasma generating section capable of generating plasma inside the first chamber ;
a first gas supply unit that is inside the first chamber and can supply a process gas to a region where the plasma is generated;
a second chamber connected to the first chamber via a gate valve and capable of maintaining an atmosphere lower than atmospheric pressure;
a transport unit provided inside the second chamber and capable of transporting the processed material between the first chamber and the first chamber;
a second exhaust part that can reduce the pressure inside the second chamber to a predetermined pressure;
a second gas supply unit capable of supplying gas into the second chamber;
a controller capable of controlling the transport section, the second exhaust section, and the second gas supply section;
In an inspection method for a plasma processing apparatus equipped with
When the wafer for inspection is transferred from the second chamber to the first chamber by the transfer section, the second exhaust section is controlled so that the internal pressure of the second chamber is equal to the pressure within the second chamber. A step of making the pressure approximately equal to the pressure inside the first chamber;
When the transport unit finishes transporting the inspection wafer to the first chamber, controlling the second gas supply unit to supply the gas into the second chamber. and,
The step of performing plasma processing in the first chamber into which the test wafer has been carried, and the step of transporting the test wafer from the first chamber to the second chamber by the transport section, controlling a second exhaust section so that the pressure inside the second chamber is approximately equal to the pressure inside the first chamber;
When the transfer of the inspection wafer to the second chamber by the transfer unit is completed, controlling the second gas supply unit to supply the gas into the second chamber. and,
measuring particles attached to the test wafer carried out from the second chamber;
A method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus, comprising a first particle measurement step. When transporting the inspection wafer from the outside to the second chamber via the load lock section, the gas is supplied to the second chamber to achieve a predetermined reduced pressure state, and then from the load lock section. a step of transporting the inspection wafer to the second chamber;
The method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: When transporting the inspection wafer from the outside to the second chamber via the load lock section, the gas is supplied to the second chamber to achieve a predetermined reduced pressure state, and then from the load lock section. a step of transporting the inspection wafer to the second chamber;
After transporting the test wafer from the load lock section to the second chamber, retaining the test wafer in the second chamber;
A second method comprising: transporting the test wafer from a second chamber to the load lock section without transporting the test wafer to the first chamber; and measuring particles attached to the test wafer. The method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a particle measuring step. 4. The method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first particle measuring step is carried out, and if particles are detected, the second particle measuring step is carried out. 4. The method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second particle measuring step is performed, and if no particles are detected, the first particle measuring step is performed. 6. The method for inspecting a plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas is supplied to increase the internal pressure of the second chamber to 5×10 ⁻³ Pa or more.

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