Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus for controlling the supply of process gas via a valve block. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate support on which a substrate is supported; a spray head assembly disposed facing the substrate support and configured to spray process gas toward the substrate; and a gas supply assembly configured to supply process gas to the spray head assembly. The gas supply assembly includes a valve block assembly mounted on the upper portion of the spray head assembly to adjust the flow rate of the process gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing device, and more particularly, to a substrate processing device that controls the supply of process gas through a valve block. Prior Art

[0002] A substrate processing apparatus is a device that deposits reactive particles contained in a process gas onto a substrate using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method after placing the substrate in a process space. Substrate processing apparatuses are classified into a single wafer type that can perform a processing process on one substrate and a batch type that can perform a processing process on multiple substrates.

[0003] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is performed by instantaneously supplying and exhausting a large amount of gas at a pressure higher than a specific pressure to increase the unit per hour (UPH) production rate. However, there is a limit in minimizing the time because the distance between chambers after the last valve causes a delay depending on the position of the valve installed in the gas line supplied to the chamber.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a substrate processing apparatus that can improve productivity by shortening the gas supply time.

[0005] [Prior Art Document] [Patent document] Korean Patent No. 10-2028202 Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus for controlling supply of a process gas by installing a valve block part on an upper portion of a showerhead part.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing device includes: a substrate support member on which a substrate is supported; a shower head component, which is arranged to face the substrate support member and is configured to spray a process gas toward the substrate; and a gas supply component, which is configured to supply the process gas to the shower head component, wherein the gas supply component includes a valve block component, which is installed on an upper portion of the shower head component to adjust the flow rate of the process gas.

[0008] The process gas may include a plurality of gases, and the gas supply component may be configured to sequentially supply the plurality of gases to the showerhead component.

[0009] The valve block component may include: a plurality of valves to which a plurality of gas pipelines for supplying the plurality of gases are respectively connected; and a valve block fixed to a top surface of the showerhead component to support the plurality of valves.

[0010] The valve block component may further include a heater configured to heat the valve block.

[0011] The valve block component may further include a temperature measuring member configured to measure a temperature of the valve block.

[0012] The valve block may include an internal gas passage connected to each of the plurality of gas lines, and the valve may be configured to control a flow rate of each of the plurality of gases in the internal gas passage.

[0013] The interior surface of the internal gas passage may be surface treated.

[0014] The valve block component may further include a plurality of gaskets, each of the plurality of gaskets being disposed between each of the plurality of valves and the valve block.

[0015] The valve block assembly can be connected directly to the inlet of the sprinkler head assembly.

[0016] The plurality of gases may include a source gas and a reactant gas, and the source gas and the reactant gas may be separated to be introduced into an inlet of the showerhead assembly.

[0017] The substrate processing device may further include a plurality of sub-chambers, each of the plurality of sub-chambers being provided with a substrate support and a shower head component and a plurality of processes being independently performed in the plurality of sub-chambers, and the gas supply component may include: a gas collector to which the process gas is supplied; and a branch pipeline component consisting of gas pipelines branching from the gas collector among the plurality of gas pipelines and respectively connected to the shower head component of each of the plurality of sub-chambers.

[0018] The gas collector may be provided in plurality and each of the plurality of gases may be supplied to each of the plurality of gas collectors, and the branch line component may be provided in each of the plurality of gas collectors.

[0019] The plurality of valves may be respectively connected to gas lines among the plurality of gas lines connected to a showerhead part of a same sub-chamber among the plurality of sub-chambers by extending in the same direction from different gas collectors among the plurality of gas collectors.

[0020] The valve block components may be configured as a single piece. Simple diagram description

[0021] The exemplary embodiments may be understood in more detail by reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a valve block component according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a gas supply member for supplying a process gas to a plurality of sub-chambers according to an exemplary embodiment. Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and these embodiments will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the description, the same elements are represented by the same reference numerals. In the figures, the dimensions of the layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. The same reference numerals always refer to the same elements.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] 1 , a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a substrate support 110 on which a substrate 10 is supported; a shower head component 120 disposed to face the substrate support 110 and spray a process gas toward the substrate 10; and a gas supply component 130 to supply a process gas to the shower head component 120.

[0025] The substrate support 110 may support a substrate 10 to be processed, and substrate processing such as deposition may be performed by spraying a process gas onto the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support 110 .

[0026] The shower head part 120 may be disposed to face the substrate support 110 to supply a process gas toward the substrate 10 and spray the process gas for substrate processing onto the substrate 10 .

[0027] The gas supply part 130 may supply a process gas to the shower head part 120 , may supply the process gas from a gas supply source (not shown), and may supply the process gas to the shower head part 120 through a gas line 132 .

[0028] Here, the gas supply part 130 may be installed on the upper portion of the showerhead part 120, and may include a valve block part 131 for controlling the flow rate of the process gas. The valve block part 131 may be installed on the upper portion of the showerhead part 120, and may adjust (or control) the flow rate (or supply) of the process gas supplied to the showerhead part 120 through the gas pipeline 132.

[0029] In the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure, a valve block component 131 may be installed on the upper portion of the shower head component 120, so that a valve 131a for controlling the supply of a process gas may be positioned as close as possible to an inlet 121 of the shower head component 120, thereby shortening the supply time of the process gas, thereby enabling a stable supply of the process gas and improving substrate processing efficiency (or productivity).

[0030] Here, the process gas may include a plurality of gases, and the gas supply part 130 may sequentially supply the plurality of gases to the shower head part 120. The process gas may include a plurality of gases, a thin film or the like may be deposited on the substrate 10 by a reaction of two or more gases, and the plurality of gases may include a purge gas in addition to a (direct) process gas (e.g., a deposition gas or an etching gas).

[0031] In addition, the gas supply part 130 may sequentially supply the plurality of gases to the showerhead part 120, and use an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to deposit reactive particles contained in the process gas (or each of the plurality of gases) on the substrate 10. In the case of atomic layer deposition (ALD), each reactive particle may be stacked (or deposited) in units of atomic layers while alternately supplying the plurality of gases, and each of the alternately supplied gases may be instantaneously supplied for a short time, thereby performing stacking in units of atomic layers.

[0032] In the related art, a valve may be installed in the middle of the gas line 132 between the gas supply source (not shown) and the showerhead component 120, thereby causing a time delay due to the distance between the valve and the showerhead component 120, which may inevitably increase the total substrate processing time. In addition, even if the valve is closed, the (process) gas may remain in the gas line 132 between the valve and the showerhead component 120 and be continuously supplied to the showerhead component 120, making it difficult to control the (one-time) deposition thickness of each reaction particle in an atomic layer unit, and since each of the multiple gases is not supplied completely separately (e.g., separated in time and / or space), two or more of the gases may react in the air or in the showerhead component 120 before reaching the substrate 10.

[0033] However, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure, the valve block part 131 may be installed on the upper part of the showerhead part 120 to immediately supply and stop (or block) each gas according to the supply control of the process gas through the valve 131a, thereby easily controlling the (primary) deposition thickness of each reaction particle and completely supplying and separating each of the plurality of gases. That is, the two or more gases among the gases may be prevented and / or inhibited from reacting in the air or in the showerhead part 120 before reaching the substrate 10.

[0034] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a valve block component according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] 2, the valve block part 131 may include: a plurality of valves 131a to which a plurality of gas pipelines 132 for respectively supplying the plurality of gases are respectively connected; and a valve block 131b fixed to the top surface of the showerhead part 120 to support the plurality of valves 131a. The plurality of valves 131a may be respectively connected (or linked) to the plurality of gas pipelines 132 for respectively supplying the plurality of gases, and may supply and block (or stop) the plurality of gases by opening and closing each of the plurality of gas pipelines 132.

[0036] The valve block 131b may be fixed to the top surface of the showerhead part 120 and may support the plurality of valves 131a, and the valve block 131b may be fixed to the top surface of the showerhead part 120 close to the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120, so that the plurality of valves 131a are disposed to (as close as possible to) the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120 through the valve block 131b. Therefore, supply and stop of each of the gases may be immediately performed according to supply control of the process gas passing through the valve 131a, and the (primary) deposition thickness of each of the reaction particles may be easily controlled, and in addition, each of the plurality of gases may be completely separated and supplied to prevent the two or more gases of the gases from reacting in the air or in the showerhead part 120 before reaching the substrate 10.

[0037] Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure, since the distance between each of the plurality of valves 131 a and the showerhead part 120 is minimized, there may be no limitation in instantaneously supplying the process gas, and since the gas is supplied at a rate of 0.2 ms or less, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process can be stably performed without a time delay caused by the length of the gas pipeline 132.

[0038] In addition, the valve block component 131 may further include a heater 131d for heating the valve block 131b. The heater 131d may heat the valve block 131b, maintain (or heat) the temperature of the delivered (or supplied) process gas at a predetermined temperature (or constant temperature), and prevent the temperature of the process gas from decreasing and prevent particles from being generated due to the temperature decrease during the process. That is, when the process gas is supplied, the heater 131d may heat the valve block 131b to eliminate cold spots, thereby preventing the temperature of the process gas from decreasing (or becoming lower) (below the predetermined temperature), and preventing particles from being generated due to the temperature decrease of the process gas during the process. The heater 131d may be attached to and detached from the valve block 131b, and may be replaced by being coupled to and detached from the valve block 131b.

[0039] Here, the valve block component 131 may further include a temperature measuring member 131e for measuring the temperature of the valve block 131b. The temperature measuring member 131e may measure the temperature of the valve block 131b, and may control the temperature of the valve block 131b by measuring the temperature of the valve block 131b. Here, the temperature measuring member 131e may include a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple TC.

[0040] For example, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure may further include a controller (not shown), which controls the heater 131d to control the temperature of the valve block 131b, and the temperature of the valve block 131b may be controlled by the controller (not shown) to control the temperature of the process gas to a target temperature (or a desired temperature). Here, the controller (not shown) may read the temperature of the valve block 131b through the temperature measuring member 131e, and control the output (e.g., output energy or energy emission intensity) of the heater 131d so that the valve block 131b reaches a control temperature (or a target temperature) for controlling the temperature of the process gas to a target temperature. Here, a thermocouple installed outside the valve block 131b may be used to read the temperature of the valve block 131b, and a control thermocouple and a monitoring thermocouple may also be installed. The control thermocouple may be used to control the temperature of the valve block 131b, and the monitoring thermocouple may be used to detect abnormal temperature to operate an automatic locking device (e.g., an interlock device).

[0041] That is, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure may implement stability by mounting (or installing) a temperature measuring member 131e such as a thermocouple TC, thereby eliminating risk factors occurring when the valve block 131b is heated.

[0042] In addition, the valve block 131b may include an internal gas passage connected to the plurality of gas pipelines 132, and the valve 131a may control the flow rate of each of the plurality of gases in the internal gas passage. The internal gas passage may be provided inside the valve block 131b, and each of the plurality of gases may flow, and in addition, the plurality of gases may flow to be separated in space, or the plurality of gases may flow to be separated in time.

[0043] In addition, the valve 131a can control the flow rate of the multiple gases in the internal gas channel, and the multiple valves 131a can open and close each of the multiple gas pipelines 132 by blocking and releasing (or opening) the internal gas channel to supply and block each of the multiple gases.

[0044] For example, the internal gas channel may be provided in plural (or two or more), and the number of the internal gas channels may be the same as the number of the gas pipelines 132. The internal gas channels may be connected to the plurality of gas pipelines 132, respectively, and each of the plurality of gases may be introduced (or supplied) into the valve block 131b (i.e., each of the internal gas channels) individually (or independently). Each of the plurality of gases may be separated (independently) to different outlets through each of the internal gas channels, and then discharged from the inside of the valve block 131b, but two or more of the internal gas channels may be mixed so that the two or more of the gases are discharged from the inside of the valve block 131b through the same outlet.

[0045] The two or more gases exhausted from the interior of the valve block 131b through the same outlet may include: a purge gas; a source purge gas SP, which may be exhausted (or supplied) through an outlet for supplying the source gas S to the shower head component 120 to purge the source gas S; and a reactant purge gas RP, which may be exhausted through an outlet for supplying the reactant gas R to the shower head component 120 to purge the reactant gas R.

[0046] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure can reduce the occupied area of ​​the valve block 131b for supplying the plurality of gases to the showerhead assembly 120 including the internal gas channel, and thus, can reduce the overall size of the equipment. In addition, it can facilitate flow control of the plurality of gases passing through the valve (s) 131a.

[0047] Here, the inner surface of the inner gas channel may be subjected to surface treatment. In order to suppress the generation of particles when the gas is introduced into the valve block 131b (i.e., the inner gas channel), the surface roughness of the inner surface of the inner gas channel may be managed, and the surface roughness of the inner surface of the inner gas channel may be controlled (or adjusted) by performing surface treatment on the inner surface of the inner gas channel.

[0048] If the inner surface of the inner gas channel is not smooth but bumpy (or has sharp protrusions), then when the gas flow is strong (or fast), the bumpy protruding parts of the inner surface of the inner gas channel may be worn away by the gas flow, thereby generating contaminants such as particles. In addition, when the gas flow is weak (or slow), the gas remains between the bumpy parts of the inner surface of the inner gas channel, adheres to the inner surface of the inner gas channel in the form of particles and / or films (or thin films), and then may be sprayed onto the substrate 10 together with the gas supplied by the gas supply source (gas supply), thereby acting as impurities. However, in the substrate processing device 100 according to the present disclosure, the inner surface of the inner gas channel may be surface treated to make it smooth, thereby inhibiting and / or preventing the inner surface of the inner gas channel from being worn away by the fast (or strong) gas flow, and preventing and / or inhibiting the gas from remaining on the inner gas channel (e.g., the inner surface of the inner gas channel).

[0049] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure can use the integrated valve block 131b having the internal gas channel therein to maximize the purging effect of the gas pipeline 132 and / or the internal gas channel, and can improve the contamination caused by particles and the like by installing the heater 131d on the valve block 131b to operate, thereby maintaining a stable temperature.

[0050] In addition, the valve block member 131 may further include a plurality of gaskets 131c, each of which is disposed between each of the plurality of valves 131a and the valve block 131b. The plurality of gaskets 131c may be disposed between the plurality of valves 131a and the valve block 131b, respectively, and may maintain a gas seal between each of the valves 131a and the valve block 131b, thereby preventing gas leakage between the valve 131a and the internal gas passage. For example, the plurality of gaskets 131c may include metal gaskets and have excellent pressure resistance and heat resistance, so that a seal is maintained between each valve 131a and the valve block 131b even when gas flows under high pressure, and a seal is stably maintained between each valve 131a and the valve block 131b without deformation even when the valve block 131b is heated by the heater 131d.

[0051] Here, the valve block part 131 may be directly connected to the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120. The valve block part 131 may be directly connected to the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120 to minimize the distance between the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120 and the valve 131a, and thus, the plurality of gases may be sequentially supplied while each gas is supplied instantaneously, and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process may be stably performed without a time delay caused by the long distance between the inlet 121 of the showerhead part 120 and the valve 131a.

[0052] The plurality of gases may include a source gas S and a reactant gas R, and the source gas S and the reactant gas R may be introduced into the inlet 121 of the shower head part 120, respectively. The plurality of gases may include a source gas S and a reactant gas R that reacts with the source gas. The source gas S may include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and dichlorosilane (DCS, SiH2Cl2). In addition, the reactant gas R may react with the source gas, is different from the source gas, and includes ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2), etc.

[0053] Here, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process may be performed by spraying (or supplying) a source gas S and a reactant gas R onto the substrate 10 while temporally (and / or spatially) separating them from each other. To this end, the source gas S and the reactant gas R may be introduced into the inlet 121 of the showerhead component 120 while temporally and / or spatially separating them from each other. For example, the inlet 121 of the showerhead component 120 may be provided as an inlet port or may be provided in the form of a nozzle capable of spraying gas inside the showerhead component 120 (e.g., the inner (wall) surface of the showerhead component). In order to spatially separate and supply the source gas S and the reactant gas R, two outlet ports may be provided in the valve block 131b, and the inlet 121 may be provided with two inlet ports or nozzles in the showerhead component 120 to communicate with the two outlet ports.

[0054] In addition, the plurality of gases may further include a source purge gas SP and a reactant purge gas RP. The source purge gas SP may purge the source gas, and the reactant purge gas RP may purge the reactant gas. Each of the source purge gas SP and the reactant purge gas RP may be an inert gas, and may include nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2) and argon (Ar), but is not particularly limited thereto. Here, the source purge gas SP and the reactant purge gas RP may be the same type of gas or different types of gas, and at least their functions and supplies (or injections) may be different from each other. According to their functions, the source purge gas SP and the reactant purge gas RP may be different in at least one of the injection amount, injection pressure or injection rate, but all the injection amounts, injection pressures and injection rates may be the same.

[0055] The valve 131a may be configured as an on-off valve, but may also be configured as a split valve. When the valve 131a is configured as a split valve, the valve 131a may be provided in plural, or one valve 131a may be provided. Here, the split valve may selectively supply the plurality of gases according to the rotation angle of the switching member (not shown). For example, when four gases are provided and the angle of 360° is divided into four angles, the first gas (e.g., source gas) may be supplied at an angle of about 0° (or an angle range of about 0° to about 90°), the second gas (e.g., source purge gas) may be supplied at an angle of about 90° (or an angle range of about 90° to about 180°), the third gas (e.g., reactant gas) may be supplied at an angle of about 180° (or an angle range of about 180° to about 270°), and the fourth gas (e.g., reactant purge gas) may be supplied at an angle of about 270° (or an angle range of about 270° to about 360°).

[0056] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a gas supply member for supplying a process gas to a plurality of sub-chambers according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0057] 3 , the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure may be provided with a substrate support 110 and a showerhead assembly 120 , and may further include a plurality of sub-chambers 150 in which processes are independently performed.

[0058] Each of the plurality of sub-chambers 150 may be provided with a substrate support 110 and a showerhead part 120 to perform a process for the substrate 10. In the plurality of sub-chambers 150, processes may be performed independently, and processes for the plurality of substrates 10 may be performed in each of the plurality of sub-chambers 150. Here, the plurality of sub-chambers 150 may be spatially separated (or isolated) by a partition wall or the like to form a chamber module, or may be divided into the plurality of sub-chambers 150 by area, in which processes are independently performed within a chamber wall 155 (e.g., divided into a first sub-chamber, a second sub-chamber, a third sub-chamber, and a fourth sub-chamber) to form a chamber module. For example, the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c and the fourth sub-chamber 150d arranged in the chamber wall 155 of the chamber module can be separated from each other by area in the chamber wall 155, but can be connected to each other so as not to be spatially separated by partition walls or similar devices.

[0059] Each of the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d may independently perform the plurality of processes and be configured with the same structure, such as the substrate support 110 and the showerhead part 120, and the number of sub-chambers 150 may be distinguished from each other by position (or area).

[0060] For example, the first sub-chamber 150a may include: a first substrate support 110 on which a first substrate 10 is supported; and a first shower head component 120, which is disposed on the first substrate support 110 to spray gas for substrate processing onto the first substrate 10 supported by the first substrate support 110, and the second sub-chamber 150b may include: a second substrate support 110 on which a second substrate 10 is supported; and a second shower head component 120, which is disposed on the second substrate support 110 to spray gas for substrate processing onto the second substrate 10 supported by the second substrate support 110.

[0061] The first showerhead component 120 and the second showerhead component 120 may be connected to the gas pipeline 132 and may be respectively provided to the first sub-chamber 150a and the second sub-chamber 150b. Any one of the plurality of gases may be selectively supplied to the first showerhead component 120 and the second showerhead component 120 so that the supplied gas is sprayed. Here, the same gas or different gases may be supplied to the first showerhead component 120 and the second showerhead component 120.

[0062] In addition, the first substrate support member 110 and the second substrate support member 110 may be disposed in the first sub-chamber 150a and the second sub-chamber 150b to respectively support the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 10. Therefore, the plurality of substrates 10 may be processed simultaneously in one chamber module to improve the process yield.

[0063] Here, the gas supply part 130 may further include: a gas collector 133 to which the process gas is supplied; and a branch line part 135 composed of gas lines 132 branched from the gas collector 133 and respectively connected to the showerhead part 120 of each of the plurality of sub-chambers 150. The gas collector 133 may be configured to supply the process gas from a gas supply source (not shown), and the gas supply line (not shown) may be connected to the gas collector 133 so that the process gas is supplied from the gas supply source (not shown) through the gas supply line (not shown). Here, the gas collector 133 may be first (or mainly) filled with the process gas, and after the process gas is tightly (or completely) filled inside so that the internal pressure becomes uniform overall, the gas may be branched into the branch line part 135 composed of gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d, and then supplied to the plurality of gas lines 132. For example, the gas collector 133 may have the same number of subspaces as the branch gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d of the branch line part 135, and each of the subspaces may be connected to each other, and thus, the process gas supplied from one gas supply line (not shown) may be completely filled and partially blocked by a partition wall or the like, so that the area is divided (or partitioned). Here, in a state in which the pressures of all the subspaces become the same (or uniform) (or after the pressures of all the subspaces become the same (or uniform)), the process gas may be first filled into each of the subspaces and supplied to each of the gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d.

[0064] The branch line part 135 may be composed of gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d branched from the gas manifold 133 and connected to the showerhead part 120 of each of the plurality of sub-chambers 150, and a process gas branched from the gas manifold 133 may be supplied to flow, and the supplied process gas may be delivered to each sub-chamber 150 and / or the showerhead part 120. For example, each of the gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d of the branch line part 135 branched from the gas manifold 133 may be connected to a different sub-chamber 150 and / or the showerhead part 120, and a treatment process for each substrate 10 may be performed in each sub-chamber 150. Here, the process may be independently performed in each sub-chamber 150, and in each sub-chamber 150, the same process may be performed or different processes may be performed.

[0065] Here, the gas collector 133 may be provided in plurality so as to supply the plurality of gases respectively, and a branch line part 135 may be provided in each of the gas collectors 133. The gas collector 133 may be provided in plurality and may be stacked in a vertical direction (or a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the gas collector), and each of the plurality of gases may be supplied to each of the plurality of gas collectors 133, and the plurality of gases may be respectively (independently or individually) filled into the plurality of gas collectors 133. Here, each gas collector 133 may be filled with the same gas or may be filled with different gases, and according to the number of the plurality of gases, some groups of the gas collectors 133 may be filled with the same gas, and each of the remaining gas collectors 133 may be filled with a different gas that is different from the gas filled in some groups of the gas collectors 133. In addition, the plurality of gas collectors 133 may be stacked in a vertical direction (e.g., in an upward direction and a downward direction), and at least two gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d may be branched and connected to each gas collector 133, and the gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d of the branch line part 135 connected (or branched) to each gas collector 133 may extend in a radial direction from each gas collector 133. Therefore, there may be no interference between the plurality of gas lines 132, and the plurality of gases may be stably supplied to each showerhead part 120. In addition, when the multiple gas collectors 133 are stacked in the vertical direction, the gas pipelines 132a, 132b, 132c and 132d of the branch pipeline component 135 can be horizontally branched from each gas collector 133 to extend, so that the gas flows (or is supplied) evenly to each of the gas pipelines 132a, 132b, 132c and 132d of the branch pipeline component 135 branching from each gas collector 133.

[0066] That is, the branch line part 135 may be provided to each gas header 133, and the gas lines 132a, 132b, 132c, and 132d of the branch line part 135 branched from each gas header 133 may stably supply the plurality of gases to each showerhead part 120 without interference.

[0067] In addition, the plurality of valves 131a may be respectively connected to the gas lines 132 connected to the showerhead part 120 of the same (or identical) sub-chamber 150 by extending in the same direction from different gas headers 133, and each of the gas lines 132 connected to the showerhead part 120 of the same sub-chamber 150 may be included in each of the branch line parts 135 (one by one) and disposed in each branch line part 135. The plurality of valves 131a may be connected to the gas line 132 for each of the gases supplied from different gas headers 133, and each of the gas lines 132 for the gases may be one gas line 132 from each of the plurality of branch line parts 135 (or for each of the branch line parts), and may extend in the same direction from different gas headers 133 and be connected to the showerhead part 120 of the same (or identical) sub-chamber 150. Therefore, the plurality of gases may be supplied to each sub-chamber 150, and the plurality of valves 131a may be controlled to selectively (eg, sequentially) supply the plurality of gases. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process may be performed by sequentially supplying the plurality of gases.

[0068] The gas collector 133 and the plurality of gas pipelines 132 may be heated synchronously by an integrated heater (not shown). The integrated heater (not shown) may include: a heat conductive block surrounding the plurality of gas pipelines 132 and the gas collector 133; and a heating element at least partially contacting the heat conductive block to heat the heat conductive block. The heat conductive block may surround the plurality of gas pipelines 132 and the gas collector 133 and may be heated by the heating element to transfer heat to the plurality of gas pipelines 132 and the gas collector 133, thereby heating the process gas in the gas collector 133 and the plurality of gas pipelines 132. For example, the heat conductive block may surround the plurality of gas pipelines 132 and the gas collector 133 at the same time, and the gas collector 133 and the plurality of gas pipelines 132 may be heated synchronously by heat conduction.

[0069] The heating element may at least partially contact the heat conductive block to heat the heat conductive block, and may transfer heat to the plurality of gas pipelines 132 and the gas collector 133 through the heat conductive block for heating. Here, the heating element may be in close contact with the heat conductive block so that heat is well conducted (or transferred) to the heat conductive block. The heating element may be attached to and detached from the heat conductive block, and may be replaced by coupling to and detaching from the heat conductive block.

[0070] Here, the heat conductive block may include: a collector receiving part surrounding the gas collector 133; and a gas pipeline receiving part surrounding the plurality of gas pipelines 132. The collector receiving part may surround the gas collector 133, cover the entire outer surface of the gas collector 133, and contact (or bond to) the outer surface of the gas collector 133 to transfer (or conduct) the heat of the heating element to the gas collector 133, thereby heating the gas collector 133 and heating the process gas.

[0071] The gas line accommodating member may be (integrally) coupled (or connected) to the header accommodating member, and may surround the plurality of gas lines 132, and each gas line 132 may extend from the header accommodating member in the direction in which each gas line 132 branches from the gas header 133. For example, the gas line accommodating member may extend outward (in the direction) from the outer surface (or peripheral surface) of the header accommodating member by surrounding (or enclosing) the circumference of the header accommodating member, thereby immediately surrounding the plurality of gas lines 132, or may extend in the branching direction of the gas lines 132 by contacting the outer surface of the header accommodating member, thereby surrounding each (other) gas line 132 in each (branching) direction (or the same direction). Here, the gas line accommodating member may surround the gas line 132 connected to the showerhead member 120 of the same sub-chamber 150 in each of the branch line members 135 (or immediately surround the gas line of each gas). Therefore, the gas line accommodating member can conduct (or transfer) the heat of the heating element to all the gas lines 132 by closely contacting (or contacting) with the outer surface of each of the plurality of gas lines 132, thereby heating the plurality of gas lines 132 and heating the process gas within the plurality of gas lines 132. The gas line accommodating member may be composed of two blocks, and each block may have a groove defined to fit into the shape of the gas line 132 so as to be able to surround the gas line 132.

[0072] In addition, the valve block component 131 may be configured as an integrated type. For example, the valve block component 131 may be an integrated gas supply system (IGS), and may be a modular and / or miniaturized system that controls the supply of fluid (e.g., the supply of process gas) by connecting and integrating a pipeline (e.g., a gas pipeline) used in semiconductor pre-processing equipment (CVD, etching, metal, etc.) with a block and a metal gasket (e.g., a valve block and the plurality of gaskets), and the plurality of valves 131a may be valves of an integrated gas supply system (IGS) type. Therefore, the space (dead volume) not used for gas supply (e.g., the supply of process gas) in the valve block 131b may be reduced to reduce the overall equipment size.

[0073] In addition, the gas supply component 130 can selectively supply the multiple gases to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, and can separately supply the multiple gases to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c and the fourth sub-chamber 150d. The gas supply part 130 may generally supply the same gas to all of the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, but may also supply different gases to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d by distinguishing the plurality of gases, and may also supply a gas different from the gas supplied from the other sub-chambers 150s to at least one of the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d. Here, the number of gas supply sources (not shown) of the gas supply part 130 may be the same as the number of the plurality of gases, and the number of the plurality of gases may be the same as the number of sub-chambers 150.

[0074] Here, a controller (not shown) may control the gas supply component 130 so that the multiple gases are sequentially (or successively) supplied to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d by alternately supplying gases between the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, and the corresponding supply gases may be alternately supplied to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, and the multiple gases may be supplied sequentially differently from the immediately preceding (or previous) supply gas.

[0075] For example, the multiple gases can be supplied to each of the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c and the fourth sub-chamber 150d in a predetermined order, and the (next or subsequent) gas to be supplied can be determined based on the gas supplied immediately before, and the gas can be supplied without overlapping (or repeating) with the gas supplied immediately before.

[0076] Here, the multiple gases may circulate in the following order: source gas S → source purge gas SP → reactant gas R → reactant purge gas RP, and in addition, the source gas S may be supplied after the reactant purge gas RP, and the (supply) starting gas may be different for each sub-chamber 150 so that different gases are supplied simultaneously.

[0077] That is, the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d can perform different processes by simultaneously supplying different gases using a controller (not shown). Here, the different gases may include gases (or conditions) of the same type but with different functions.

[0078] For example, the first sub-chamber 150a can perform a process of depositing a source material layer (or an atomic layer) by supplying a source gas S (first), the second sub-chamber 150b can perform a process of purging (reactant gas) by supplying a reactant purge gas RP (first), the third sub-chamber 150c can perform a process of depositing a reactive material layer (or an atomic layer) by supplying a reactant gas R (first), and the fourth sub-chamber 150d can perform a process of purging (source gas) by supplying a source purge gas SP (first). The substrate processing apparatus 100 disclosed in the present invention can perform not only chemical vapor deposition (CVD), but also atomic layer deposition (ALD), and can deposit source gas and reactant gas in units of atomic layers.

[0079] That is, gas can be supplied to the first sub-chamber 150a in the following order: source gas S → source purge gas SP → reactant gas R → reactant purge gas RP, gas can be supplied to the second sub-chamber 150b in the following order: reactant purge gas RP → source gas S → source purge gas SP → reactant gas R, gas can be supplied to the third sub-chamber 150c in the following order: reactant gas R → reactant purge gas RP → source gas S → source purge gas SP, and gas can be supplied to the fourth sub-chamber 150d in the following order: source purge gas SP → reactant gas R → reactant purge gas RP → source gas S.

[0080] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure can supply the plurality of gases (i.e., source gas, reactant gas, source purge gas, and reactant purge gas) separately to the first sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, so that a constant amount of gas is always supplied in the plurality of sub-chambers 150, and therefore, the pressure in the plurality of sub-chambers 150 can be controlled to be a stable process pressure, and the process pressure in the plurality of sub-chambers 150 can be maintained constant (or the same). Therefore, contamination of the plurality of sub-chambers 150 caused by rapid changes in the process pressure in the plurality of sub-chambers 150 according to changes in the gas can also be improved.

[0081] Here, the plurality of valve block components 131 may be installed close to (or adjacent to) each of the showerhead components 120 of the sub-chamber 150a, the second sub-chamber 150b, the third sub-chamber 150c, and the fourth sub-chamber 150d, and the plurality of valves 131a supported by each valve block 131b may be (directly) connected to (each) showerhead component 120 (or communicate with (each) showerhead component 120). Therefore, each of the plurality of valve block components 131 may be controlled by a controller (not shown), and therefore, each gas may be immediately (or instantly) sprayed (or supplied) or stopped (or blocked). That is, according to the opening and closing of the multiple valves 131a, the source gas S can be immediately sprayed or stopped through the (corresponding) shower head, the reactant gas R can be immediately sprayed or stopped through the (corresponding) shower head, the source purge gas SP can be immediately sprayed or stopped through the (corresponding) shower head, and the reactant purge gas RP can be immediately sprayed or stopped through the (corresponding) shower head.

[0082] Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the supply of the process gas from being (temporarily) cut off (or delayed) due to the opening and closing of the plurality of valves 131a according to the change of the gas. In the related art, even when the distance between the (each) showerhead part 120 and each valve is long and thus the valve is opened, it may take time to supply (or move) the gas from the valve to the (each) showerhead part 120, and the gas may not be immediately ejected from the (each) showerhead part 120. In addition, even when the valve is closed, there is a limitation that the gas still remains between the valve and the (each) showerhead part 120, and the gas is not immediately blocked but continues to be ejected until all the remaining gas is ejected. However, in the present disclosure, the plurality of valves 131a can be installed to (as close as possible to) the (each) showerhead part 120 through the valve block part 131, so that the source gas S, the reactant gas R, the source purge gas SP, and the reactant purge gas RP are immediately ejected or stopped through the (each) showerhead part 120 according to the opening and closing of the plurality of valves 131a.

[0083] As described above, in the present disclosure, the valve block component can be installed on the upper part of the showerhead component so that the position of the valve for controlling the supply of the process gas is as close as possible to the inlet of the showerhead component to shorten the supply time of the process gas, thereby achieving stable gas supply and improving productivity. That is, since the valve has a minimum distance from the inlet of the showerhead component, there may be no limitation in supplying the process gas instantaneously, and since the gas supply of about 0.2 ms or less can be performed, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process can be stably performed without time delay caused by the length of the gas pipeline. In addition, the valve block may include an internal gas channel to reduce the occupied area for supplying the multiple gases to the showerhead component, thereby reducing the overall size of the equipment and easily controlling the flow rate of the multiple gases through the valve. In addition, an integrated valve block with an internal gas channel can be used to maximize the purge effect of the gas pipeline, and a heater can be installed on the valve block to stably maintain the temperature, thereby improving contamination caused by particles.

[0084] In a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a valve block component can be installed on an upper portion of a shower head component so that a valve for controlling the supply of a process gas is positioned as close as possible to an inlet of the shower head component to shorten the supply time of the process gas, thereby achieving a stable gas supply and improving productivity.

[0085] That is, since the valve has a minimum distance from the inlet of the showerhead part, there may be no limitation in instantaneously supplying the process gas, and since the gas supply can be performed for about 0.2 ms or less, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process can be stably performed without a time delay caused by the length of the gas pipeline.

[0086] In addition, the valve block may include an internal gas passage to reduce an occupied area for supplying the plurality of gases to the showerhead component, thereby reducing the overall size of the equipment and easily controlling the flow of the plurality of gases through the valve.

[0087] Additionally, an integrated valve block with internal gas passages may be used to maximize the purge effect of the gas line, and a heater may be installed on the valve block to stably maintain the temperature, thereby improving contamination due to particles.

[0088] Although the embodiments have been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments thereof, the embodiments are not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and therefore, it should be understood that many other modifications and embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art, which will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of the present disclosure. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the present disclosure will be determined by the technical scope of the attached patent claims.

[0089] 10: Base 100: substrate processing device 110: substrate support 120: Sprinkler head parts 121: Entrance 130: Gas supply components 131: Valve block components 131a: Valve 131b: Valve block 131c: Washer 131d: Heater 131e: Temperature measurement component 132, 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d: Gas pipeline 133: Gas collector 135: Branch pipeline components 150, 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d: sub-chambers 155: Chamber wall

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: Base support component, on which the base is supported; The spray head assembly is configured to face the substrate support and spray process gas toward the substrate; A gas supply component is configured to supply the process gas to the spray head component, wherein the gas supply component includes a valve block component mounted on the upper portion of the spray head component to adjust the flow rate of the process gas, and the process gas includes multiple gases, wherein the valve block component includes: a valve block including an internal gas passage connected to multiple gas lines, the multiple gases being supplied via the gas lines respectively, and fixed to the top surface of the spray head component; and multiple valves supported on the valve block and used to control the flow rate of the multiple gases in the internal gas passage; and a heater configured to heat the valve block, wherein the plurality of valves are of the type of integrated gas supply system (IGS) and are used to control the flow rate of each of the plurality of gases introduced into the internal gas passage, and the valve block component is configured as an integral unit, wherein each of the plurality of valves is used to block and release the internal gas passage.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas supply component is configured to sequentially supply multiple of the gases to the spray head component.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve block component further includes a temperature measuring member configured to measure the temperature of the valve block.

4. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the internal gas channel is surface treated.

5. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve block component further includes a plurality of gaskets, each of the plurality of gaskets being disposed between each of the plurality of valves and the valve block.

6. The substrate treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve block component is directly connected to the inlet of the spray head component.

7. The substrate treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of gases includes a source gas and a reactant gas, and the source gas and the reactant gas are separated to be introduced into the inlet of the spray head component.

8. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: The system comprises multiple sub-chambers, each of which is provided with the base support and the spray head assembly and independently performs multiple processes in the multiple sub-chambers, wherein the gas supply assembly further comprises: a gas manifold to which the process gas is supplied; and a branch line assembly consisting of gas lines that branch off from the gas manifold and are respectively connected to the spray head assembly in each of the multiple sub-chambers.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the gas collectors are arranged in a plurality and each of the plurality of gases is supplied to each of the plurality of gas collectors, and the branch line component is disposed in each of the plurality of gas collectors.

10. The substrate treatment apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gas line of each of the branch line components extending in the same direction from each of the gas manifolds is connected to the spray head component of the same sub-chamber.

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