Batch-type substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus capable of effectively suppressing particle generation near a sealing cap component. A batch substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes: a reaction tube configured to provide a substrate processing space extending in a first direction; a hollow manifold configured to support the reaction tube; a substrate boat configured to load a plurality of substrates in the first direction; a sealing cap component having a sealing cap flange, the central portion of which defines a first through-hole; a nozzle component extending in the first direction to supply processing gas to the substrate processing space; a rotation drive component inserted into the first through-hole and having a rotation shaft; and a first purge gas supply component configured to supply purge gas having a temperature higher than room temperature to the space between the first through-hole and the rotation shaft.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a batch substrate treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a batch substrate treatment apparatus capable of effectively suppressing the generation of particles near the sealing cap component. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In a batch substrate processing apparatus capable of performing substrate processing on multiple substrates simultaneously, not only the temperature of the processing space, but also the temperature of each substrate rises due to the hot wall-type heating unit surrounding the processing space.

[0003] When the processing gas supplied by the nozzle component is heated to a high temperature in the processing space and then moves to the lower part of the processing space where the exhaust component is provided to cool down, there may be insufficient heat energy near the sealing cover component. Therefore, particles may be generated in the state of introducing non-reaction processing gas, or a sufficient reaction may not occur.

[0004] Non-reactive processing gases and particles may become contaminants or degrade components of the substrate processing apparatus during the substrate processing process. As a result, there is a limitation that not only the quality of the film on the substrate deteriorates, but also the efficiency of the substrate processing process deteriorates.

[0005] Existing methods attempt to supply purge gas near the sealing cap component to suppress the introduction of non-reactive processing gas or the generation of particles, but there is still a limitation that the efficiency of suppressing particle generation is degraded because the supplied purge gas causes a local temperature drop near the sealing cap, resulting in a cold spot.

[0006] [Prior Technical Documents]

[0007] [Patent Documents]

[0008] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-1750633 [Summary of the Invention]

[0009] This disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus that can effectively suppress the generation of particles near the sealing cap component.

[0010] According to one embodiment, a batch substrate processing apparatus includes: a reaction tube configured to provide a substrate processing space extending in a first direction; a hollow manifold configured to support the reaction tube; a substrate boat configured to load a plurality of substrates in the first direction; a sealing cap component having a sealing cap flange, the central portion of which defines a first through hole and is configured to support the substrate boat and open and close the open lower end of the manifold; a nozzle component extending in the first direction to provide processing gas to the substrate processing space; a rotation drive component inserted into the first through hole and having a rotation shaft configured to transmit rotational force to the substrate boat; and a first purge gas supply component configured to supply purge gas having a temperature higher than room temperature to the space between the first through hole and the rotation shaft.

[0011] The sealing cover component may include: a sealing cover plate disposed on a sealing cover flange and having a second through hole in its central portion; a guide block inserted at least partially into the second through hole and coupled to the upper end of the rotating shaft; and a turntable coupled to the upper end of the guide block to rotate according to the rotation of the rotating shaft, thereby rotating the base boat.

[0012] The space between the bottom surface of the guide block and the top surface of the sealing cover flange, the space between the side surface of the second through hole and the side surface of the guide block, and the space between the top surface of the sealing cover and the bottom surface of the turntable can communicate with each other to provide a channel for the flow of purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply component.

[0013] The batch substrate processing apparatus may further include a base having an upper end connected to the base boat and an other end connected to cover at least a portion of the top and side surfaces of the turntable, wherein the sealing cover may further include a partition wall extending along the edge of the lower end of the base to at least partially surround the edge of the lower end of the base.

[0014] Multiple partition walls can be set up, and the multiple partition walls are separated from each other by the space between them.

[0015] The first purge gas supply component may include: a first heat exchanger configured to supply heat energy to the purge gas to increase the temperature of the purge gas; and a first flow regulating component configured to control the flow rate of the purge gas.

[0016] The batch substrate treatment apparatus may further include a second purge gas supply component configured to supply purge gas having a temperature higher than room temperature between the sealing cover plate and the sealing cover flange.

[0017] The sealing cover flange may further include a first recess having an annular shape and disposed in its top surface to surround a first through hole, and the second purge gas supply component may include an injection component configured to inject purge gas into the first recess through the sealing cover flange.

[0018] The sealing cover flange may further include an injection component receiving groove defined in its top surface to receive the end of the injection component, and the injection component may be configured to inject purge gas into the side surface of the first recess.

[0019] The sealing cover may further include a second recess disposed in its bottom surface and connected to the annular first recess to extend outward toward its edge.

[0020] The second recess can be configured as multiple recesses that are spaced apart from each other.

[0021] One of the plurality of second recesses may extend toward the direction in which the nozzle component is disposed.

[0022] The batch substrate treatment apparatus may further include: a temperature measuring component extending in a first direction to measure the temperature of the substrate treatment space; or a cleaning gas nozzle component connected to a manifold to provide cleaning gas to the hollow portion of the manifold, wherein one of a plurality of second recesses may extend toward the direction in which the temperature measuring component or the cleaning gas nozzle component is disposed.

[0023] The sealing cover may further include a third recess that extends along the edge of the sealing cover to provide an annular shape and connects to a plurality of second recesses spaced apart from each other.

[0024] The second purge gas supply component may include: a second heat exchanger configured to supply heat energy to the purge gas to increase the temperature of the purge gas; and a second flow regulating component configured to control the flow rate of the purge gas.

[0025] The sealing cover flange may further include an alignment pin configured to determine the assembly position of the sealing cover flange and the sealing cover plate.

Implementation Method

[0027] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the description, the same elements are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the drawings, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. The same element symbols refer to the same elements throughout the text.

[0028] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating a batch substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment, FIG2 is an exploded perspective view of a sealing cap component according to an exemplary embodiment, FIG3 is a bottom view of the shape of a sealing cap plate according to an exemplary embodiment, FIG4 is a diagram illustrating the assembled state of the sealing cap component according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG5 is a diagram illustrating the flow path of purge gas in a batch substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the batch substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment may include: a reaction tube 100 providing a substrate processing space extending in a first direction; a hollow manifold 110 supporting the reaction tube 100; a substrate boat 200 loading a plurality of substrates in the first direction; a sealing cap component 300 having a sealing cap flange 310 having a first through hole 311 defined in a central portion, supporting the substrate boat 200, and opening and closing the open lower portion of the manifold 110; a nozzle component 400 extending in the first direction and supplying processing gas to the substrate processing space; a rotation drive component 500 having a rotation shaft 510 inserted into the first through hole 311 and transmitting rotational force to the substrate boat 200; and a first purge gas supply component 710 supplying purge gas having a temperature higher than room temperature to the space 530 between the side surface of the first through hole 311 and the rotation shaft 510.

[0030] The reaction tube 100 may extend in a first direction (e.g., vertically) to provide a substrate processing space extending in the first direction. The reaction tube 100 may have a cylindrical shape with a closed upper portion and an open lower portion, and may be made of a material capable of withstanding high temperatures (e.g., quartz or silicon carbide (SiC)). The reaction tube 100 may have a dual structure of an outer tube and an inner tube, and a nozzle component 400 may be disposed in the space between the outer tube and the inner tube, the inner tube may have a through-hole through which the processing gas passes.

[0031] The processing space of the reaction tube 100 may be the space of a substrate boat 200 that accommodates multiple substrates stacked in a substrate processing process, and the substrate processing process, such as a deposition process or a cleaning process, is performed in the processing space. A heating element 130 for heating the processing space of the reaction tube 100 to a processing temperature may be configured to surround the reaction tube 100.

[0032] The manifold 110 may have an open upper and lower hollow cylindrical shape, and a central hollow portion that supports the reaction tube 100 and is coupled to the lower part of the reaction tube 100. The manifold 110 may be made of a metallic material. An exhaust component 120 may be provided on one side of the manifold 110, through which the process gas, purge gas, and reaction byproducts are discharged.

[0033] The substrate boat 200 can be configured to support multiple substrates and can be configured to load the multiple substrates in multiple stages at predetermined intervals in a first direction, and can also define multiple unit processing spaces in which the multiple substrates are processed individually. The substrate boat 200 can be loaded or unloaded in the processing space of the reaction tube 100 by raising and lowering the sealing cap member 300 through the hollow portion of the manifold 110. The substrate boat 200 can be made of heat-resistant materials such as quartz or SiC.

[0034] Multiple insulating plates (insulating members made of heat-resistant materials such as quartz and SiC) may be installed on the lower part of the base boat 200 to provide a base 210, which inhibits the transfer of heat from the heating element 130 to the sealing cover element 300 and the rotation drive element 500.

[0035] The sealing cap component 300 may have a sealing cap flange 310 with a first through hole 311 in the central portion, a supporting base boat 200, and open and close the open lower end of the manifold 110. The sealing cap flange 310 may be made of metal and may be in close contact with the bottom surface of the manifold 110 by means of a sealing member 111 disposed between a pair of protrusions 314 and 3315 provided on the edge, so as to form a space (hollow part) separated from the external environment. Therefore, the sealing cap flange 310 needs to have rigidity that can withstand exhaust pressure.

[0036] The batch substrate processing apparatus disclosed herein may include a loading chamber 600, which communicates with the reaction tube 100 and provides a loading space capable of loading substrates into a substrate boat 200. The substrate boat 200 can be moved between a loading position and a processing position by means of a movable shaft 610 fixed between the upper and lower portions of the loading chamber 600 and extending along a first direction, and a linearly movable member 620 movably connected to the movable shaft 610 and linearly movable along the first direction of a sealing cap member 300. When the substrate boat 200 reaches the processing position, the sealing cap member 300 coupled to the movable member 620 can close the open lower portion of the manifold 110. A sealing member 111 may be disposed between the reaction tube 100 and the manifold 110, and between the manifold 110 and the sealing cap member 300, to provide a seal.

[0037] The nozzle component 400 may extend in a first direction to provide processing gas to the substrate processing space. The nozzle component 400 may be used for processing gas (e.g., source gas or reaction gas for thin film deposition, purge gas for purging the processing space, cleaning gas for cleaning the processing space, etc.) applied to the processing space of the reaction tube 100, and may include a processing gas injection port disposed in the first direction in a gas supply pipe extending in the first direction.

[0038] The rotary drive component 500 may be provided with a rotary shaft 510, which is inserted into the first through hole 311 to transmit rotational force to the substrate boat 200. The rotary drive component 500 can rotate the substrate boat 200 and the base 210 to ensure the uniformity of substrate processing (e.g., uniformity of film deposition thickness) by the processing gas supplied by the nozzle component 400.

[0039] The hollow section, which is the internal space of the manifold 110, can be set at a temperature relatively lower than that of the processing space of the reaction tube 100. The processing gas supplied through the nozzle component 400 fixed to one side of the manifold 110 can flow along the surface of the loaded substrate and then be discharged through the exhaust component 120 provided on the other side of the manifold 110. When the non-reactive processing gas and gaseous processing byproducts reach the upper space of the sealing cap component 300, which has a lower temperature than that of the processing space of the manifold 110, due to insufficient thermal energy, components such as the sealing cap component 300 and the rotation drive component 500 may deteriorate or generate solid byproducts in the form of particles.

[0040] In order to suppress component degradation or the generation of solid byproducts in the form of particles, purge gas can be supplied to the space near the sealing cap component so that non-reactive processing gases and gaseous processing byproducts do not enter the space near the sealing cap. However, there may still be a limitation on the efficiency of suppressing particle generation, which may be caused by a localized decrease in temperature near the sealing cap component due to the supplied purge gas.

[0041] To overcome this limitation, the first purge gas supply component 710 disclosed herein can supply purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature to the space between the first through hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510.

[0042] When the first purge gas supply component 710 supplies purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature into the space between the first through-hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510, the purge gas can be injected between the first through-hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510 to push the introduced non-reactive processing gas and gaseous processing byproducts, which can then be discharged through the exhaust component 120. Therefore, this can effectively suppress corrosion of the internal components of the rotary drive component 500 or the generation of particles. In particular, the purge gas, which is normally used and has a room temperature, can be heated to use a purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature to suppress the generation of cold spots, which are localized low-temperature areas near the sealing cap component 300 and reduce the suppression effect on particle generation.

[0043] An inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2), can be used as a purging gas to purge the components of the batch substrate processing apparatus, including the sealing cover component 300, the rotating unit 510, and the processing space, without contaminating the components and the processing space.

[0044] The rotary drive component 500 may further include a housing 520 that provides a rotary shaft hollow portion 530 for accommodating the rotary shaft 510, and a rotary shaft sealing member 540 that rotatably supports the rotary shaft 510 while sealing the rotary shaft 510 and the housing 520.

[0045] When the first purge gas supply component 710 supplies high-temperature purge gas to the hollow rotating shaft portion 530, which serves as the internal space of the housing 520, the high-temperature purge gas can be discharged into the space between the first through hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510. By supplying and discharging the high-temperature purge gas into the hollow rotating shaft portion 530, substrate processing gas can be prevented from being introduced into the hollow rotating shaft portion 530, thereby suppressing corrosion of the rotating shaft 510 or particle generation within the hollow rotating shaft portion 530.

[0046] The temperature of the purge gas supplied to the hollow portion 530 of the rotating shaft can be higher than room temperature, therefore a temperature higher than room temperature but lower than approximately 200 degrees Celsius can be selected. The temperature of the purge gas can be selected within a range that will not degrade the sealing performance of the rotating shaft sealing member 540. If the temperature of the purge gas is too low, it may not be able to effectively suppress the generation of cold spots, and if the temperature of the purge gas is too high, the sealing performance of the rotating shaft sealing member 540 may degrade, leading to gas leakage.

[0047] As the rotary shaft sealing member 540, a magnetic sealing member can be used, such as a magnetic fluid M-type seal or a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mechanical M-type seal that can achieve a seal while allowing the rotary shaft 510 to rotate smoothly. When a self-sealing member is used, the temperature of the purging gas can be in the range of about 70 degrees Celsius to about 180 degrees Celsius.

[0048] The sealing cap component 300 may include: a sealing cap plate 320 disposed on the sealing cap flange 310 and having a second through hole 321 in the central portion; a guide block 330 inserted at least partially into the second through hole 321 and coupled to the upper end of the rotating shaft 510; and a turntable 340 coupled to the upper end of the guide block 330 to rotate according to the rotation of the rotating shaft 510, thereby rotating the base boat 200.

[0049] The sealing cover plate 320 may have a second through hole 321 in its central portion and may be disposed on the sealing cover flange 310. The sealing cover flange 310 may be made of metal and may be corroded or deteriorated by the processed gases, etc. For example, the surface of the sealing cover flange 310 may be corroded and blackened by the cleaning gases. On the other hand, the sealing cover plate 320 may be made of quartz, which is a very stable material and therefore may not be corroded or deteriorated by the processed gases. Therefore, the sealing cover plate 320 may be disposed on the sealing cover flange 310 to prevent the processed gases, etc., from directly contacting the sealing cover flange 310, thereby inhibiting the corrosion or deterioration of the sealing cover flange 310. The second through hole 321 may be aligned with the first through hole 311 so that the rotating shaft 510 and the guide block 330 can be inserted and connected to each other.

[0050] The guide block 330 can be at least partially inserted into the second through hole 321 and coupled to the upper end of the rotating shaft 510. The guide block 330 can be configured to connect the rotating shaft 510 to the turntable 340, such that the rotating shaft 510 and the turntable 340 rotate as a unit. The guide block 330 and the rotating shaft 510, as well as the guide block 330 and the turntable 340, can be securely fixed by bolts through through holes 333 and 511, and 334 and 341 defined therein.

[0051] The turntable 340 can be coupled to the upper end of the guide block 330 to rotate according to the rotation of the rotation shaft 510, thereby rotating the base boat 200 supported on the upper side to ensure the uniformity of the processing. A base 210 made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC can be disposed between the base boat 200 and the turntable 340. In order to prevent the turntable 340, which is made of metal, from being corroded or degraded by processing gases, the base 210 can cover at least the top and side surfaces of the turntable 340 so that the processing gases do not come into direct contact with the turntable 340. A base alignment pin 316 for alignment with the base 210 can be disposed on the top surface of the turntable 340.

[0052] In order for the high-temperature purge gas supplied from the first purge gas supply component 710 to the space between the side surface of the first through hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510 to push the processing gas and particles into the space above the sealing cover component 300, the high-temperature purge gas discharged to the exhaust component 120 can flow into the space above the sealing cover component 300 and then diffuse. That is, since the rotational power of the rotating shaft 510 is transmitted to the turntable 340 through the guide block 330, which is at least partially inserted into the second through hole 321, the high-temperature purge gas supplied to the space between the side surface of the first through hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510 must be able to flow along the guide block 330 and the turntable 340.

[0053] Therefore, in this disclosure, the space between the bottom surface of the guide block 330 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 210, the space between the side surface of the second through hole 321 and the side surface of the guide block 330, and the space between the top surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the bottom surface of the turntable 340 can be communicated with each other to provide a channel for the flow of high-temperature purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply component 710. Here, in order for the high-temperature purge gas to flow stably and be discharged through the space between the elements constituting the sealing cover component 300, the space must be stably maintained at a fixed interval.

[0054] In this disclosure, the size of the guide block 330 can be adjusted to not only effectively define the spacing between the elements constituting the sealing cover component 300, but also stably maintain the assembled state of the sealing cover component 300.

[0055] The bottom surface of the guide block 330 may include a recess into which the upper part of the rotating shaft 510 is inserted. The depth of the recess may be shallower than the height of the rotating shaft 510 protruding from the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310, so that the gap space between the bottom surface of the guide block 330 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310 can be defined.

[0056] The diameter of the lower part of the guide block 330 inserted into the second through hole 321 may be smaller than the diameter of the second through hole 321, and the gap space between the side surface of the second through hole 321 and the side surface of the guide block 330 is defined.

[0057] An upper portion 332, having a diameter smaller than that of the lower portion 331 of the guide block 330, can be inserted into a recess defined in the bottom surface of the turntable 340. The lower portion 331 and upper portion 332 of the guide block 330 may provide stepped protrusions (or steps) due to their different diameters, such that the top surface of the lower portion of the guide block 330 (or the top surface of the stepped protrusion) supports the bottom surface of the turntable 340. The height of the lower portion 331 of the guide block 330 may be greater than the thickness of the sealing cover 320 to define the space between the top surface of the sealing cover 320 and the bottom surface of the turntable 340. Furthermore, the recess may be defined in the bottom surface of the base 210 into which the turntable 340 is inserted. The depth of the recess in the base 210 and the thickness of the turntable 340 may be matched to each other, so that the flow of purge gas through the space between the top surface of the sealing cover 320 and the bottom surface of the turntable 340 is unobstructed.

[0058] The batch substrate processing apparatus may further include a base 210 having an upper end connected to the substrate boat 200 and a lower end connected to cover at least a portion of the top and side surfaces of the turntable 340. The sealing cover 320 may further include a partition wall 322 configured to project from the top surface 323 and extend along the lower edge of the base 210 to at least partially surround the lower edge of the base 210.

[0059] To suppress component corrosion and particle generation caused by the processing gas introduced toward the rotating shaft 510, the partition wall 322 may be configured to at least partially surround the lower edge of the base 210, thereby primarily blocking the entire gap space between the top surface of the sealing cover 320 and the bottom surface of the turntable 340.

[0060] The nozzle component 400 is flexible and extends in a first direction through the side surface of the manifold 110 to define an L-shape. Therefore, the nozzle component 400 may further include a nozzle component fixing portion 420, which fixes and supports the portion near the curved portion of the nozzle component 400 so that the nozzle component 400 extending in length will not vibrate or move. Since the nozzle component fixing portion 420 and the extended portion of the nozzle component 400 are positioned on the upper part of the sealing cover plate 320, the partition wall 322 may not be provided in the corresponding section so that the partition wall 322 will not physically interfere with the nozzle fixing portion 420 and the nozzle component 400, and thus the top surface 323a of the empty space can remain unchanged.

[0061] The batch substrate treatment apparatus may further include a cleaning gas nozzle component 800 connected to the manifold 110 to provide cleaning gas to the hollow portion of the manifold 110.

[0062] When cleaning gas is supplied through nozzle component 400 during the cleaning process of the batch substrate treatment apparatus, the cleaning gas can be discharged through exhaust component 120 after cleaning the processing space. Therefore, the hollow portion of manifold 110 and the upper part of sealing cap component 300 may not be sufficiently cleaned. Therefore, cleaning gas nozzle component 800 through the sidewall of manifold 110 can be used to supply cleaning gas to the hollow portion of manifold 110, thereby cleaning the hollow portion of manifold 110 and the upper part of sealing cap component 300. Unlike nozzle component 400 extending along the first direction, since cleaning gas nozzle component 800 supplies cleaning gas to the hollow portion of manifold 110, it may be sufficient to supply cleaning gas by passing through the sidewall of manifold 110 in a second direction (e.g., horizontal direction) intersecting the first direction without bending.

[0063] Due to the complex structure of the nozzle component 400 and the nozzle component fixing part 420, particles may be generated at this location more easily than at other locations, and once generated, they may not be easily removed even through a cleaning process. To overcome this limitation, the end of the cleaning gas nozzle component 800, which is provided with an injection port, can be configured to face outwards toward the outer surface of the partition wall 322. Therefore, the supplied cleaning gas can flow along the outer surface of the partition wall, and a large amount of cleaning gas can reach the nozzle component 400 and the nozzle component fixing part 420, thereby achieving effective cleaning. The nozzle located at the end of the cleaning gas nozzle component 800 can inject cleaning gas in two directions, causing the cleaning gas to flow along the outer surface of the partition wall.

[0064] The batch substrate processing apparatus may further include a temperature measuring member 900 extending in a first direction to measure the temperature of the substrate processing space. The temperature measuring member 900 may also be L-shaped, like the nozzle member 400, and the curved portion of the temperature measuring member 900 may be fixedly supported by a temperature measuring member fixing portion 910. Since the temperature measuring member fixing portion 910 and the extended portion of the temperature measuring member 900 are located on the upper part of the sealing cover plate 320, the partition wall 322 may not be located in the corresponding section, so that the partition wall 322 will not physically interfere with the temperature measuring member fixing portion 910 and the temperature measuring member 900. Therefore, the partition wall 322 may be configured as a plurality of partition walls spaced apart by a partition space, and the nozzle member 400 and the temperature measuring member 900 may be located in the partition space without physical interference.

[0065] The first purge gas supply component 710 may include a first heat exchanger 712 that supplies heat energy to the purge gas to increase its temperature, and a first flow regulating component 711 that controls the flow rate of the purge gas. The first purge gas supply component 710 may further include a valve that opens and closes a passage for the flow of the purge gas.

[0066] The first flow regulating component 711 can regulate the flow rate of the purge gas disposed between the first through hole 311 and the rotating shaft 510. The first flow regulating component 711 can be a mass flow controller (MFC), which is a flow controller.

[0067] The first heat exchanger 712 can exchange heat with purge gas supplied at room temperature to increase the temperature of the purge gas to a temperature above room temperature. The first heat exchanger 712 can be a heater component, which is arranged around a gas pipe through which the purge gas passes.

[0068] The first flow regulating component 711 and the first heat exchanger 712 can control the temperature and flow rate of the purge gas according to the substrate processing process (processing gas supply, pressure of the substrate processing space, etc.) and the amount of particles to be removed by the controller (not shown) to be installed in the batch substrate processing device.

[0069] The batch substrate treatment apparatus disclosed herein may further include a second purge gas supply component 720, which supplies purge gas having a temperature above room temperature between the sealing cover plate 320 and the sealing cover flange.

[0070] The purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply component 710 can flow through the gap between the top surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the bottom surface of the turntable 340 until it covers the lower end of the base 210 of the turntable 340, and then be discharged onto the sealing cover component 300. Therefore, the purge gas may not reach the edge of the sealing cover component 300 or the inner wall of the manifold 110. The second purge gas supply component 720 can supply high-temperature purge gas between the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310, so that the purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature reaches the edge of the sealing cover component 300 or the inner wall of the manifold 110. The high-temperature purge gas flowing between the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310 can be discharged into the gap between the edge of the sealing cover plate 320 and the inner wall of the manifold 110 to purge the gap near the inner wall of the manifold 110.

[0071] In this disclosure, the purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply component 710 is discharged between the partition wall 322 of the first sealing cover 320 and the base 210 (see the dashed arrow in FIG5), and the purge gas supplied by the second purge gas supply component 720 can be discharged between the edge of the sealing cover 320 and the inner wall of the manifold 110 (see the solid arrow in FIG5) to remove non-reactive processing gas and gaseous processing byproducts from the entire hollow portion of the manifold 110 on the sealing cover component 300, thereby effectively suppressing particle generation.

[0072] The high-temperature purge gas supplied by the second purge gas supply component 720 must diffuse in all directions at an angle of approximately 360° between the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310, centered on the first through-hole 311 and the second through-hole 321, to effectively purge the space between the edge of the sealing cover plate 320 and the inner wall of the manifold 110. A separate injection mechanism can be installed to inject purge gas in all directions at 360°, but ensuring sufficient space in the sealing cover component 300 or in the adjacent area where the separate injection mechanism is installed is not easy. Even if the space is ensured, the additional injection mechanism may trap the process gas, or provide a location where particles are easily generated.

[0073] In this disclosure, the sealing flange 310 may further include an annular first recess 313, the first recess 313 being configured to surround a first through-hole 311 on its top surface, and the second purge gas supply component 720 may include an injection component 723, which injects purge gas through the sealing flange 310 and into the first recess. High-temperature purge gas supplied by the injection component 723 of the second purge gas supply component 720 can be injected into the annular first recess 313, the first recess 313 being configured to surround the first through-hole 311 defined in the top surface of the sealing flange 310. Even if the purge gas is supplied from a single location, the high-temperature purge gas can be distributed at a uniform pressure throughout the first recess 313 when injected into it, the first recess 313 being a space wider than the injection port of the injection component 723.

[0074] After the first recess 313, which is arranged in a ring shape to surround the first through hole 311, is filled, the high-temperature purging gas can diffuse outward in a 360° direction from the first recess 313 through the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 320 and the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310. The first recess 313 may have a ring shape.

[0075] The sealing cover flange 310 may further include an injection component receiving groove 312, which is disposed in the top surface to receive one end of the injection component 723, and the injection component 723 may be injected with purge gas from the side surface of the first recess 313.

[0076] When the injection component 723 supplies high-temperature purge gas to the annular first recess 313, the injection component 723 can inject the purge gas laterally from the side surface of the first recess 313, so that the first recess 313 is preferably injected. For this purpose, the injection component 723 may have a plurality of circular injection ports arranged in a transverse direction parallel to the extension direction of the first recess 313, or it may have a rectangular or elliptical injection port 723a, the transverse width of which is wider than the vertical height.

[0077] Furthermore, since injecting purge gas at the middle height of the first recess 313 of the injection component 723 is effective for uniform distribution, one end of the injection component 723 can be inserted into and accommodated in the injection component receiving groove 312 provided in the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310, so that the injection port of the injection component 723 is located at the middle height of the first recess 313.

[0078] The sealing cover plate 320 may be disposed on the bottom surface 324 and may further include a second recess 325, which is connected to the annular first recess 313 and extends outward toward the edge.

[0079] After the high-temperature purge gas supplied by the injection component 723 is injected into the annular first recess 313, it must flow along the bottom surface of the sealing cover 320 and continue to diffuse to the edge of the sealing cover 320. In order to provide a channel for the high-temperature purge gas to flow rapidly along the bottom surface of the sealing cover 320, a second recess 325 may be defined in the bottom surface 324 of the sealing cover 320. The second recess 325 has one end configured to overlap with the annular first recess 313, and the other end of the second recess 325 extends outward toward the edge of the sealing cover 320.

[0080] A plurality of second recesses 325 may be provided to provide a channel for high-temperature purge gas to move from the first recess 313 to the edge of the sealing cover plate 320. Here, one of the plurality of second recesses 325 325a may extend toward the direction in which the nozzle component 400 is disposed.

[0081] If the second recess 325 is provided in an excessively wide area on the bottom surface 324 of the sealing cover 320, the thickness of the portion where the second recess 325 is provided becomes thinner, thereby weakening the strength of the sealing cover 320 made of brittle quartz. In this disclosure, a plurality of spaced-apart second recesses 325 can be provided in the bottom surface 324 of the sealing cover 320, and the space between the plurality of second recesses 325 can be retained as the bottom surface 324 to maintain the original thickness of the sealing cover 320, thereby ensuring good strength of the sealing cover 320. Furthermore, the bottom surface 324 between the plurality of second recesses 325 can be firmly supported by contact with the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310 to further stabilize the structure.

[0082] The nozzle component 400, nozzle component fixing part 420, temperature measuring component 900, temperature measuring component fixing part 910, and cleaning gas nozzle component 800, which are disposed in the hollow portion of the manifold 110 on the sealing cover component 300, may have a complex exposure structure. Therefore, the introduced processing gas may remain for a long time or be trapped, and thus particles may be generated more easily than in other locations. Furthermore, when particles are generated, they may be difficult to remove even during the cleaning process.

[0083] Therefore, it may be necessary to supply more high-temperature purge gas to exposed structures such as nozzle component 400, nozzle component fixing part 420, temperature measuring component 900, temperature measuring component fixing part 910, and cleaning gas nozzle component 800 to remove the treatment gas. The second recess 325 may be configured to face the exposed structures such as nozzle component 400, so that more high-temperature purge gas can be supplied below the exposed structures such as nozzle component 400.

[0084] The nozzle component 400 may be configured with multiple nozzle components 400a to 400f to supply various processing gases and ensure the uniformity of substrate processing. Since multiple nozzle components 400a to 400f and the nozzle component fixing portion 420 for fixing the nozzle components 400a to 400f are provided in a narrow area, a large amount of purge gas must be able to be provided rapidly below the location where the nozzle component 400 is provided. Therefore, one of the multiple second recesses 325, 325a, may extend in the direction in which the nozzle component 400 is provided to provide a channel through which the high-temperature purge gas flows rapidly, thereby enabling a large amount of purge gas to be continuously supplied around the nozzle component 400 and the nozzle component fixing portion 420.

[0085] Furthermore, one of the plurality of second recesses 325 spaced apart from each other, 325b or 325c, may extend toward the direction in which the temperature measuring component 900 or the cleaning gas nozzle component 800 is disposed, to provide a channel through which the high-temperature purge gas flows rapidly, thereby supplying a large amount of purge gas around the temperature measuring component 900 and the temperature measuring component fixing portion 910 or the cleaning gas nozzle component 800.

[0086] In order for the high-temperature purging gas to effectively purge the space around the edge of the sealing cover 320 or the inner wall of the manifold 110, the purging gas must be discharged in all directions of 360° and in the direction in which exposed structures such as the nozzle component 400 are provided. For this purpose, the sealing cover 320 may further include a third recess 326, which is disposed in the bottom surface and extends along the edge of the sealing cover 320 to provide an annular shape and connect to a plurality of second recesses 325a to 325c spaced apart from each other.

[0087] One end of the second recess 325 can be connected to the first recess 313, and the other end of the second recess 325 can be connected to the third recess 326. The high-temperature purging gas supplied to the first recess 313 can flow rapidly to the edge of the sealing cover 320 through the second recess 325, and then be stably discharged into the space between the sealing cover 320 and the inner wall of the manifold 110 through the third recess 326 provided in the bottom surface of the edge of the sealing cover 320.

[0088] The sealing cover flange 310 may further include an alignment pin 316, which determines the assembly position of the sealing cover flange 310 and the sealing cover plate 320.

[0089] As described above, the assembly positions of the plurality of partition walls 322 and the plurality of second recesses 325 must be determined based on the positions of the nozzle component 400, temperature measuring component 900 or cleaning gas nozzle component 800 connected to the manifold 110.

[0090] Since the sealing cover flange 310, coupled to the moving shaft 610 and the linear moving member 620 disposed within the loading chamber 600, is fixed in its relative position to the manifold 110, the relative positions of the plurality of partition walls 322 and the plurality of second recesses 325 relative to the nozzle component 400, etc., can be determined when the sealing cover plate 320 is assembled to the correct position of the sealing cover flange 310. Therefore, the alignment pins 316 disposed on the top surface of the sealing cover flange 310 and the alignment grooves 327 disposed on the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 320 can be aligned with each other and then assembled, thus the plurality of partition walls 322 and the plurality of second recesses 325 can be configured based on the placement position of the nozzle component 400, etc. Since the sealing cover flange 310 and the sealing cover plate 320 must be accurately aligned not only in position but also in direction, the plurality of alignment pins 316 and the plurality of alignment grooves 327 can be configured to correspond to each other.

[0091] The second purge gas supply component 720 disclosed herein may further include a second heat exchanger 722 that supplies heat energy to the purge gas to increase the temperature of the purge gas, and a second flow regulating component 721 that controls the flow rate of the purge gas.

[0092] The second flow regulating component 721 can control the flow rate of the purge gas supplied between the lower part of the sealing cover plate 320 and the upper part of the sealing cover flange 310. The second flow regulating component 721 can be a mass flow controller (MFC), which is a flow controller.

[0093] The second heat exchanger 722 can exchange heat with purge gas supplied at room temperature to increase the temperature of the purge gas to a temperature above room temperature. The second heat exchanger 722 can be a heater component arranged around a gas pipe through which the purge gas passes.

[0094] The second flow regulating component 721 and the second heat exchanger 722 can control the temperature and flow rate of the purge gas based on the substrate processing process (processing gas supply, pressure of the substrate processing space, etc.) and the amount of particles to be removed by the controller (not shown) to be installed in the batch substrate processing device.

[0095] The location of particle generation may also vary depending on the substrate processing process. Since the first purge gas supply unit 710 and the second purge gas supply unit 720 supply purge gas at different locations, the quality of the substrate processing process may be affected by the temperature and flow rate of the purge gas supplied to different locations. Therefore, the first purge gas supply unit 710 and the second purge gas supply unit 720 can be controlled independently of each other depending on the substrate processing process or the amount of particles generated at each location.

[0096] The first purge gas supply component 710 and the second purge gas supply component 720 can be mounted on the bottom surface of the sealing cover component 300, and the purge gas distribution component 700, which distributes purge gas to the first purge gas supply component 710 and the second purge gas supply component 720 respectively, can be mounted on the linear moving member 620 and move linearly in a first direction. The purge gas distribution component 700 can receive purge gas from an external purge gas supply source via a flexible gas supply pipe.

[0097] According to the batch substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, a purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature in the space near the sealing cap component can be supplied to suppress the generation of local low temperature areas, i.e., cold spots, near the sealing cap component, and also effectively suppress the introduction of non-reactive processing gas and the generation of particles near the sealing cap component.

[0098] By supplying high-temperature purging gas to the gap between the inner wall of the through hole and the rotating shaft, and by supplying high-temperature purging gas to the gap between the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate and the top surface of the sealing cover flange, the introduction of non-reactive processing gas and the generation of particles into the internal space of the sealing cover component and the space around the nozzle can be effectively suppressed.

[0099] The structure of the sealing cover flange, sealing cover plate, guide block and turntable can be modified to provide a passage for high-temperature purge gas to flow through, so a simple structure can be used to supply purge gas without the use of additional components.

[0100] The temperature and flow rate of the purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply unit and the second purge gas supply unit can be controlled independently to precisely control the local pressure of the process gas flow within the processing space.

[0101] According to the batch substrate processing apparatus disclosed herein, a purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature in the space near the sealing cap component can be supplied to suppress the generation of local low-temperature areas, i.e., cold spots, near the sealing cap component, and also effectively suppress the introduction of non-reactive processing gases and the generation of particles near the sealing cap component.

[0102] By supplying high-temperature purging gas to the gap between the inner wall of the through hole and the rotating shaft, and by supplying high-temperature purging gas to the gap between the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate and the top surface of the sealing cover flange, the introduction of non-reactive processing gas and the generation of particles into the internal space of the sealing cover component and the space around the nozzle can be effectively suppressed.

[0103] The structure of the sealing cover flange, sealing cover plate, guide block and turntable can be modified to provide a passage for high-temperature purge gas to flow through, so a simple structure can be used to supply purge gas without the use of additional components.

[0104] The temperature and flow rate of the purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply unit and the second purge gas supply unit can be controlled independently to precisely control the local pressure of the process gas flow within the processing space.

[0105] The term "~upper" used in the above description includes direct and indirect contact with the upper and lower parts relative to each other. It can be located not only on the entire top surface or the entire bottom surface, but also on a portion of the top or bottom surface, and is used to indicate that the upper or bottom surface is in relative or direct contact with it in position. Furthermore, the terms "top," "bottom," "front end," "rear end," "above," "below," "upper end," and "lower end," etc., used in the above description are defined based on the drawings for convenience, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0106] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to several illustrative examples, the embodiments of the invention are not limited to the foregoing embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can devise numerous other modifications and embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of the invention. Thus, the true scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the scope of the technology described in the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0026] Exemplary embodiments can be understood in more detail from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG1 is a diagram illustrating a batch substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG2 is an exploded perspective view of a sealing cap component according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG3 is a bottom view illustrating the shape of a sealing cap plate according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG4 is a diagram illustrating the assembled state of the sealing cap component according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG5 is a diagram illustrating the flow path of purge gas in a batch substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. A batch substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The reaction tube is configured to provide a substrate processing space extending in a first direction; A hollow manifold is configured to support the reaction tube; A base boat is configured to load a plurality of bases in the first direction; A sealing cap component is provided with a sealing cap flange, the central portion of which defines a first through hole and is configured to support the substrate boat and open and close the open lower end of the manifold; a nozzle component extends in the first direction to provide processing gas to the substrate processing space; a rotary drive component is inserted into the first through hole and is provided with a rotary shaft, the rotary shaft being configured to transmit rotational force to the substrate boat; A first purge gas supply component is configured to supply purge gas with a temperature higher than room temperature to the space between the first through-hole and the rotating shaft, wherein the first purge gas supply component includes a first heat exchanger configured to supply heat energy to the purge gas to increase the temperature of the purge gas.

2. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing cap component comprises: A sealing cover plate is disposed on the sealing cover flange and has a second through hole in the central portion of the sealing cover plate; a guide block is inserted at least partially into the second through hole and coupled to the upper end of the rotating shaft; and a turntable is coupled to the upper end of the guide block to rotate according to the rotation of the rotating shaft, thereby rotating the base boat.

3. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the space between the bottom surface of the guide block and the top surface of the sealing cover flange, the space between the side surface of the second through hole and the side surface of the guide block, and the space between the top surface of the sealing cover and the bottom surface of the turntable are in communication with each other to provide a channel for the flow of the purge gas supplied by the first purge gas supply component.

4. The batch substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a base having an upper end connected to the substrate boat and an other end connected to cover at least a portion of the top and side surfaces of the turntable, wherein the sealing cover further comprises a partition wall extending along an edge of the lower end of the base to at least partially surround the edge of the lower end of the base.

5. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the partition walls are configured as a plurality of partition walls, the plurality of partition walls being spaced apart from each other by a spacing space.

6. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first purge gas supply component further comprises: The first flow regulating component is configured to control the flow rate of the purge gas.

7. The batch substrate treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second purge gas supply component configured to supply the purge gas having a temperature above room temperature between the sealing cover and the sealing cover flange.

8. The batch substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sealing cap flange further includes a first recess having an annular shape and disposed in the top surface of the sealing cap flange to surround the first through hole, and the second purge gas supply component includes an injection component configured to inject the purge gas into the first recess through the sealing cap flange.

9. The batch substrate treatment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sealing cap flange further includes an injection component receiving groove defined in the top surface of the sealing cap flange to receive an end of the injection component, and the injection component is configured to inject the purge gas into the side surface of the first recess.

10. The batch substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sealing cover further includes a second recess disposed in the bottom surface of the sealing cover and connected to the annular first recess to extend outward toward the edge of the sealing cover.

11. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second recesses are provided as a plurality and spaced apart from each other.

12. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of second recesses extends toward the direction in which the nozzle component is disposed.

13. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: A temperature measuring component extends in the first direction to measure the temperature of the substrate processing space; Alternatively, a cleaning gas nozzle component is connected to the manifold to provide cleaning gas to the hollow portion of the manifold, wherein one of the plurality of second recesses extends toward the direction in which the temperature measuring component or the cleaning gas nozzle component is disposed.

14. The batch substrate processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sealing cover further includes a third recess extending along the edge of the sealing cover to provide an annular shape and connecting to the plurality of second recesses spaced apart from each other.

15. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second purge gas supply component comprises: A second heat exchanger is configured to supply heat energy to the purge gas to increase the temperature of the purge gas; And a second flow regulating component, configured to control the flow rate of the purge gas.

16. The batch substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing cover flange further includes an alignment pin configured to determine the assembly position of the sealing cover flange and the sealing cover plate.

Images