Substrate processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus and method that can effectively clean a chamber in which by-products have accumulated after thin film deposition on a substrate are provided. Further, a substrate processing apparatus and method that can effectively clean by-products including metal accumulated inside a chamber after metal organic chemical vapor deposition is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing a substrate, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for processing a substrate by depositing a thin film on the substrate and removing accumulated byproducts during the deposition process. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, various materials are deposited on a substrate in the form of thin films and then patterned to create semiconductor devices. This involves several steps in different processes, such as deposition, etching, cleaning, and drying. The deposition process aims to form a thin film on the substrate that possesses the properties required for a semiconductor device. However, during the deposition process, byproducts containing the deposited material are deposited not only in the region of interest on the substrate but also within the cavity where the deposition process takes place.

[0003] Byproducts accumulated in the cavity will peel off as the thickness of the byproducts increases, resulting in the generation of microparticles. These microparticles can enter the thin film formed on the substrate or attach to the surface of the thin film, causing defects in the semiconductor device and thus increasing the product defect rate. Therefore, byproducts deposited in the cavity need to be removed before peeling.

[0004] For metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), a periodic chamber cleaning process is performed to remove byproducts accumulated inside the chamber during the deposition process. In equipment for processing substrates using MOCVD, byproducts inside the chamber can be removed by wet etching using a cleaning solution or dry etching using a cleaning gas. When the byproducts accumulated inside the chamber contain metal, dry etching with a cleaning gas is often difficult. Therefore, in equipment for processing substrates using MOCVD, the chamber interior is typically cleaned by wet etching. During wet etching, the operator usually performs the cleaning manually with the chamber open. This increases cleaning costs and makes it difficult to ensure equipment reproducibility and operating ratio.

[0005] (Existing technical literature)

[0006] (Patent Document 1) KR10-2011-0074912A Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and method, which can effectively clean cavities in which byproducts have accumulated after a thin film has been deposited on a substrate.

[0009] The present invention also provides a substrate processing apparatus and method that can effectively clean up byproducts containing metals accumulated inside the cavity after performing organometallic chemical vapor deposition.

[0010] Technical means

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes a cavity, a substrate support unit, a gas dispersing unit, a first temperature control unit, and a second temperature control unit. The substrate support unit is located inside the cavity and supports the substrate located inside the cavity. The gas dispersing unit is located inside the cavity facing the substrate support unit and disperses a process gas toward the substrate support unit. The first temperature control unit is mounted in a central region of the gas dispersing unit and increases the temperature of the central region. The second temperature control unit is mounted in an edge region of the gas dispersing unit and causes the temperature of the edge region to increase faster than the temperature of the central region.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes a cavity, a substrate support unit, a gas dispersing unit, a first temperature control unit, and a second temperature control unit. The substrate support unit is located inside the cavity and supports the substrate located inside the cavity. The gas dispersing unit is located inside the cavity facing the substrate support unit and disperses a process gas toward the substrate support unit. The first temperature control unit is mounted in a central region of the gas dispersing unit and increases or decreases the temperature of the central region. The second temperature control unit is mounted in an edge region of the gas dispersing unit and increases the temperature of the edge region.

[0013] The second temperature control unit can heat the gas distribution unit to a higher temperature than the first temperature control unit.

[0014] The first temperature control unit may include a flow channel, an inlet, and an outlet. The flow channel allows a temperature control fluid to flow within a central region. The inlet supplies the temperature control fluid into the flow channel. The outlet discharges the temperature control fluid from the flow channel.

[0015] The second temperature control unit may include an electric heating wire embedded within the edge region.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for processing a substrate includes: depositing a thin film on the substrate in a cavity having a gas dispersing unit inside; increasing the temperature of a central region of the gas dispersing unit at a first temperature increase rate; increasing the temperature of an edge region of the gas dispersing unit at a second temperature increase rate higher than the first temperature increase rate; and supplying a cleaning gas into the cavity to clean the cavity.

[0017] Temperature increases in the central region and temperature increases in the peripheral regions can occur simultaneously.

[0018] The increase in temperature in the central region may include allowing a heating fluid to flow in the central region, thereby increasing the temperature of the central region, and the increase in temperature in the edge region may include heating an electric heating wire embedded in the edge region, thereby increasing the temperature of the edge region.

[0019] While cleaning the cavity, the temperature of all areas of the gas distribution unit can be kept constant, or the temperature of the edge area can be kept higher than that of the central area.

[0020] A byproduct located on the film or inside the cavity may contain a metal oxide.

[0021] Beneficial effects

[0022] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature change rate of the gas distribution unit 300 is controlled in different ways for multiple regions. Therefore, the interior of the cavity 100, which has a non-uniform temperature distribution in the thin film deposition process, can be quickly controlled to have a uniform temperature before the cleaning process is performed.

[0023] Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning process used to remove byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 can be maximized, especially the metal-containing byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 of the substrate processing equipment for performing organometallic chemical vapor deposition can be effectively cleaned.

[0024] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention, cleaning can be performed in situ during the chemical vapor deposition process without opening the cavity 100, which requires frequent cleaning. Therefore, operational efficiency can be improved, and high reproducibility and operating rate of the equipment can be ensured. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 The diagram is provided to schematically illustrate an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating the state of a thin film deposited in a processing substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 The diagram is provided to illustrate a gas distribution unit and a temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 A diagram illustrating the state of controlling the temperature of a gas distribution unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0029] Figure 5 The diagram is shown to illustrate a method for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in different forms and should not be considered as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments of the present invention are intended to enable the present invention to be fully and thoroughly understood and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for ease of explanation. Similar reference numerals are used throughout the specification to denote similar elements.

[0031] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the state of a thin film deposited in a processing substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a gas distribution unit and a temperature control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 3 An apparatus for processing a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate processing apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cavity 100, a substrate support unit 200, a gas dispersing unit 300, a first temperature control unit 410, and a second temperature control unit 420. The substrate support unit 200 is located inside the cavity 100 and supports a substrate S located inside the cavity 100. The gas dispersing unit 300 is located inside the cavity 100, facing the substrate support unit 200, and dispersing process gases toward the substrate support unit 200. The first temperature control unit 410 is installed in the central region GC of the gas dispersing unit 300 to increase the temperature of the central region GC. The second temperature control unit 420 is installed in the edge region GE of the gas dispersing unit 300 so that the temperature of the edge region GE increases faster than the temperature of the central region GC.

[0033] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cavity 100, a substrate support unit 200, a gas dispersing unit 300, a first temperature control unit 410, and a second temperature control unit 420. The substrate support unit 200 is located inside the cavity 100 and supports a substrate S located inside the cavity 100. The gas dispersing unit 300 is located inside the cavity 100, facing the substrate support unit 200 and dispersing process gases toward the substrate support unit 200. The first temperature control unit 410 is installed in the central region GC of the gas dispersing unit 300 to increase or decrease the temperature of the central region GC. The second temperature control unit 420 is installed in the edge region GE of the gas dispersing unit 300 to increase the temperature of the edge region GE.

[0034] Therefore, when the cleaning cycle for the cavity 100 is running, the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can continuously perform the cleaning process under vacuum conditions without opening the cavity 100 after the thin film deposition process is completed. That is, the substrate S is placed into the cavity 100, and a thin film is deposited on the substrate S. When the thin film deposition is completed, the substrate S is discharged from the cavity 100, and then the cleaning process for cleaning the interior of the cavity 100 is continuously performed. When the cleaning process is completed, another substrate S is placed into the cavity 100, and the thin film deposition process can be performed again. This process is performed in the cavity 100 without changing the pressure conditions used for the thin film deposition process to the pressure conditions used for opening the cavity 100.

[0035] Here, the thin film deposition process is a process of depositing zinc (Zn) oxide doped with indium (In) or gallium (Ga) on a substrate S. This oxide is, for example, a metal oxide such as indium zinc oxide (IZO), gallium zinc oxide (GZO), or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO). In this case, byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 may include metal oxides, such as zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium (Ga).

[0036] The cavity 100 provides a predetermined reaction space, which is hermetically sealed. The cavity 100 may include a body 120 and a cover 110. The body 120 has the predetermined reaction space and has a flat portion that is approximately quadrilateral and sidewalls extending upward from the flat portion. The cover 110 has a generally quadrilateral shape and is located on the body 120 to hermetically seal the reaction space of the cavity 100. However, the cavity 100 may be manufactured in various shapes corresponding to the shape of the substrate S.

[0037] An exhaust port (not shown) may be located in a predetermined area on the bottom surface of the cavity 100, and an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the exhaust port may be located on the outside of the cavity 100. Furthermore, the exhaust pipe may be connected to an exhaust device (not shown). A vacuum pump, such as a turbomolecular pump, may be used as the exhaust device. Therefore, the interior of the cavity 100 can be evacuated to a predetermined decompressed atmosphere via the exhaust device, such as approximately 0.1 mTorr or a lower predetermined pressure. As described below, the exhaust pipe may be installed not only on the bottom surface of the cavity 100 but also on the side surface of the cavity 100 below the substrate support unit 200. Furthermore, multiple exhaust pipes and corresponding exhaust devices may be installed to reduce exhaust time.

[0038] The substrate support unit 200 is located inside the cavity 100 and supports the substrate S located in the cavity 100. As described below, the substrate support unit 200 can be mounted facing the gas distribution unit 300. For example, the substrate support unit 200 can be located on the bottom side of the cavity 100, and the gas distribution unit 300 can be located on the top side of the cavity 100.

[0039] Here, the substrate S located in the cavity 100 for the thin film deposition process can be placed on the substrate support unit 200. Furthermore, the substrate support unit 200 may be provided with an electrostatic chuck, for example, to place and support the substrate S, thereby allowing the substrate S to be attracted and positioned by electrostatic force. Alternatively, the substrate S may be supported by a vacuum suction force or mechanical force.

[0040] The substrate support unit 200 may include a substrate support 210 and a lifter 220. The shape of the substrate support 210 corresponds to the shape of the substrate S and is, for example, quadrilateral, and the substrate S is placed on the substrate support 210. The lifter 220 is disposed below the substrate support 210 to raise or lower the substrate support 210. Here, the substrate support 210 may be manufactured to be longer than the substrate S. The lifter 220 is provided to support at least one region (such as the central portion) of the substrate support 210, and the substrate support 210 can be moved to a position close to the gas distribution unit 300 via the lifter 220 when the substrate S is placed on the substrate support 210. Furthermore, a heater (not shown) may be installed in the substrate support 210. The heater generates heat energy at a preset temperature to heat the substrate support 210 and the substrate S placed on the substrate support 210, thereby causing a thin film to be uniformly deposited on the substrate S.

[0041] A gas dispersing unit 300 is located on the top side of the cavity 100 to disperse process gases toward the substrate S. Furthermore, the gas dispersing unit 300 can also disperse cleaning gases into the cavity 100. That is, the gas dispersing unit 300 can disperse process gases toward the substrate S during the thin film deposition process and can also disperse cleaning gases into the cavity 100 during the cleaning process. The aforementioned gas dispersing unit 300 can be provided as a showerhead type.

[0042] The gas distribution unit 300 has a predetermined space therein. A gas supply unit (not shown) is connected to the top of the gas distribution unit 300, and a plurality of distribution holes (not shown) for distributing process gas to the substrate S are located in the bottom of the gas distribution unit 300. The shape of the gas distribution unit 300 can be manufactured to correspond to the shape of the substrate S and can be approximately quadrilateral. Here, a conductive material such as aluminum can be used to manufacture the gas distribution unit 300, and the gas distribution unit 300 can be spaced at predetermined distances from the cover 110 and the sidewalls of the cavity 100. When the gas distribution unit 300 is made of a conductive material, the gas distribution unit 300 can serve as a top electrode for receiving power from the plasma generation unit (not shown).

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, in the thin film deposition process, the substrate S is placed on the substrate support unit 200, and the process gas is dispersed from the gas distribution unit 300. Here, the process gas thermally decomposes on the substrate S and deposits as a thin film. As described above, a heater is installed in the substrate support unit 200. Here, the heater generates heat energy at a preset temperature to heat the substrate support member 210 and the substrate S placed on the substrate support member 210. Therefore, the substrate S is uniformly heated by the heater, and the thin film can be uniformly deposited on the substrate S.

[0044] In this process, the cavity 100 is also heated by the heat generated by the heater during the thin film deposition process. That is, when the substrate support 210 is heated by the heater, the heat generated from the substrate support 210 is transferred to the cavity 100 due to convection or similar phenomena. Therefore, the cavity 100 becomes heated. However, because the substrate support 210 is located in the bottom center of the cavity 100 as described above, the amount of heat generated from the substrate support 210 and transferred to the cavity 100 varies for different areas. For example, relatively less heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the edge region CE of the cover 110, causing the edge region CE, which is the area adjacent to the sidewall of the cavity 100 on the bottom surface of the cover 110, to be heated to a relatively low temperature. On the other hand, relatively more heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the central region CC of the cover 110, causing the central region CC, which is the area on the bottom surface of the cover 110 other than the edge region CE, to be heated to a relatively high temperature.

[0045] When the thin film deposition process is complete, a cleaning process for cleaning the interior of the cavity 100 is performed continuously. During this cleaning process, cleaning gas is supplied to the cavity 100, and byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 are dry-etched and removed. However, as mentioned above, the edge region CE of the cover 110 is heated to a relatively low temperature, while the central region CC of the cover 110 is heated to a relatively high temperature. Therefore, the cavity 100 has different temperatures for multiple regions, resulting in differences in etching rates. That is, the edge region CE of the cover 110 is heated to a relatively low temperature and has a low etching rate, but the central region CC of the cover 110 is heated to a higher temperature and has a high etching rate. Therefore, byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 may not be etched uniformly.

[0046] In the cleaning process following the thin film deposition process, the cleaning process is performed by heating the gas distribution unit 300 to maintain the temperature inside the cavity 100 at a temperature higher than that used in the thin film deposition process. A temperature control unit 400 may be installed in the gas distribution unit 300, and the temperature control unit 400 heats the gas distribution unit 300 to increase the temperature inside the cavity 100.

[0047] In order to uniformly etch the byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100, the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first temperature control unit 410 installed in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 to increase the temperature of the central region GC, and a second temperature control unit 420 installed in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 to increase the temperature of the edge region GE faster than the temperature of the central region GC.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, the gas distribution unit 300 is divided into an edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 adjacent to the sidewall of the cavity 100 and a central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. Here, the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 can be as follows: Figure 3 Part (a) shows the entire edge region along the outer periphery of the gas distribution unit 300, or as shown in the image. Figure 3 Part (b) shows the edge region along the outer periphery of the gas distribution unit 300. Here, the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 can be the remaining region other than the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300.

[0049] Herein, a first temperature control unit 410 is installed in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and a second temperature control unit 420 is installed in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. The first temperature control unit 410 increases the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. The second temperature control unit 420 can use a temperature control element that increases the temperature faster than the first temperature control unit 410.

[0050] As described above, the edge region CE of the cover 110 is heated to a relatively low temperature, while the central region CC of the cover 110 is heated to a relatively high temperature. However, the first temperature control unit 410 increases the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. Therefore, when the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 increases at a faster rate relative to the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, the edge region CE and the central region CC of the cover 110 can achieve a more uniform temperature more quickly.

[0051] In order to increase the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 faster than the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, the second temperature control unit 420 may heat the gas distribution unit 300 to a higher temperature than the first temperature control unit 410. For this purpose, the first temperature control unit 410 may include a heat exchanger, and the second temperature control unit 420 may include a sheath heater.

[0052] In other words, the first temperature control unit 410 can increase the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 by allowing the heating fluid to flow in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 can increase the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 by heating the electric heating wire embedded in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300.

[0053] Therefore, the first temperature control unit 410 may include a flow channel 414, an inlet 412, and an outlet 416. The flow channel 414 is provided to allow heating fluid to flow within the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. The inlet 412 is used to supply heating fluid to the flow channel 414. The outlet 416 is used to discharge heating fluid from the flow channel 414. Figure 3 In section (b), two first temperature control units 410 are provided, and each first temperature control unit 410 is shown extending in one direction in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. However, the number of first temperature control units 410 and the direction of extension of the flow channel 414 can be provided in various ways.

[0054] Furthermore, the first temperature control unit 410 can reduce the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. That is, the first temperature control unit 410 can cool the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 by supplying and discharging cooling fluid through inlet 412 and outlet 416. This operation for cooling the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 is implemented to perform a thin film deposition process upon completion of the cleaning process, as will be described below. Figure 4 illustrate.

[0055] Furthermore, the second temperature control unit 420 may include an electrically heated wire embedded within the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. Figure 3 In this diagram, one or two electric heating wires are depicted extending along the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. However, the number of second temperature control units 420 and the direction of extension of the electric heating wires can also be provided in various ways.

[0056] The following will refer to Figure 4 The temperature control of the gas distribution unit 300 is described in detail.

[0057] The thin film deposition process is performed during the thin film deposition stage. The thin film deposition process can be implemented by either not heating the gas distribution unit 300 or by heating the central region GC and the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 to the same temperature. That is, during the thin film deposition process, within the gas distribution unit 300, the central region GC and the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 can be maintained at the same temperature. The temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 can be a first temperature T1 lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas, for example, approximately 80°C or lower.

[0058] In detail, the thin film is generally deposited by thermally decomposing the process gas on the substrate S during a thin film deposition process. Here, the temperature inside the cavity 100 can be controlled by heating the substrate support unit 200 or by simultaneously heating the substrate support unit 200 and the gas distribution unit 300. Therefore, the process gas is thermally decomposed on the substrate S and deposited as a thin film. Here, the thin film deposition process can be a process for depositing zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium on the substrate S, such as indium zinc oxide, gallium zinc oxide, indium gallium zinc oxide, etc.

[0059] Therefore, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 located inside the cavity 100 can be increased by heating the substrate support unit 200 or by heating both the substrate support unit 200 and the gas distribution unit 300. However, in this case, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 needs to be maintained below the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas. When the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 increases to or above the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas, the process gas will thermally decompose inside the gas distribution unit 300 before reaching the substrate S. This thermally decomposed process gas will accumulate inside the gas distribution unit 300 in the form of a large number of byproducts. Furthermore, the process gas thermally decomposed inside the gas distribution unit 300 will degrade. Therefore, when this thermally decomposed and degraded original gas is supplied from the gas distribution unit 300, it may be impossible to deposit the required thin film on the substrate S. Therefore, the heating of the substrate support unit 200 is limited so that the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is maintained at a first temperature T1 below the thermal decomposition temperature of the original gas.

[0060] During the temperature increase phase, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 inside the cavity 100 is controlled at a second temperature T2 higher than the first temperature T1 of the gas distribution unit 300 in the thin film deposition process. That is, after the thin film deposition process for depositing a thin film on the substrate S, a cleaning process is performed continuously to clean the cavity 100 in place while maintaining a vacuum state and preventing the cavity 100 from opening. A process for increasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is performed between the thin film deposition process and the cleaning process. This process for increasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is performed because cleaning efficiency can be maximized when the gas distribution unit 300 is at a high temperature.

[0061] The process for increasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is performed such that the temperature increase rate of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 is higher than the temperature increase rate of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. That is, the first temperature control unit 410 increases the temperature GCT of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature GET of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. The second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature GET of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the temperature GCT of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300.

[0062] As described above, the cavity 100 is heated by a heater during the thin film deposition stage. However, because the substrate support 210 is located in the bottom center of the cavity 100, the amount of heat generated from the substrate support 210 and transferred to the cavity 100 varies for different regions. That is, relatively less heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the edge region CE of the cover 110, which is the region adjacent to the sidewall of the cavity 100 on the bottom surface of the cover 110, and therefore the edge region CE is heated to a relatively low temperature. On the other hand, relatively more heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the central region CC of the cover 110, which is the region on the bottom surface of the cover 110 other than the edge region CE, and therefore the central region CC is heated to a relatively high temperature.

[0063] Therefore, during the temperature increase phase, the second temperature control unit 420 installed in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 increases the temperature at a higher rate than the first temperature control unit 410 installed in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. Consequently, the interior of the cavity 100 is heated uniformly. That is, the second temperature control unit 420 heats the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the first temperature control unit 410, thus the temperature of the edge region CE of the cover 110 and the temperature of the central region CC of the cover 110 are increased rapidly and uniformly.

[0064] During the temperature increase phase, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 can be increased to the same temperature in multiple regions, or the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 can be increased to a higher temperature than the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. This is because the temperature of the edge region CE of the cover 110, which is the region on the bottom surface of the cover 110 adjacent to the side wall of the cavity 100, is easier to decrease than the temperature of the central region CC of the cover 110. However, even when the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 is increased to a higher temperature than the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, it is still necessary to control the edge region CE and the central region CC of the cover 110 to have a substantially uniform temperature.

[0065] As described above, the second temperature control unit 420 heats the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the first temperature control unit 410. Therefore, when the first temperature control unit 410 reaches the second temperature T2, the edge region CE and the central region CC of the cover 110 can have a substantially uniform temperature. Therefore, when the first temperature control unit 410 reaches the target temperature, a cleaning process for cleaning the interior of the cavity 100 is performed.

[0066] During the cleaning phase, the interior of the cavity 100 is cleaned by supplying cleaning gas from the gas dispersing unit 300. During the cleaning process, the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 is maintained at a second temperature T2, which is higher than the first temperature T1. Therefore, during the cleaning phase, the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 can be maintained at approximately 200°C or higher. During the cleaning phase, cleaning gas is supplied from the gas dispersing unit 300, and the cleaning gas is excited by plasma or the like to remove byproducts inside the cavity 100. As described above, the thin film deposition process is a process for depositing zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium on a substrate S, such oxide being, for example, indium zinc oxide, gallium zinc oxide, or indium gallium zinc oxide. Therefore, byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 may include metal oxides, such as zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium. The cleaning efficiency of byproducts containing metal oxides can be maximized when the gas dispersing unit 300 is at a high temperature. Therefore, during the cleaning operation, the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 is controlled at a second temperature T2, which is higher than the first temperature T1, which is the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 when depositing the thin film. Then, the gas dispersing unit 300 cleans the cavity 100 while maintaining the second temperature T2.

[0067] During the temperature reduction phase, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, which has already been increased to clean the cavity 100, will be reduced again for the thin film deposition process. That is, during the temperature reduction phase, a process is performed to reduce the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300. As described above, the first temperature control unit 410 selectively allows heating or cooling fluid to flow into the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, while the second temperature control unit 420 heats the electric heating wires in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. Therefore, during the process of reducing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the first temperature control unit 410 can allow cooling fluid to flow into the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, thereby cooling the gas distribution unit 300. Furthermore, the second temperature control unit 420 does not have an independent cooling function and can therefore be maintained in a state where the heating of the electric heating wires is stopped. Therefore, the first temperature control unit 410 can reduce the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 more quickly than the second temperature control unit 420.

[0068] As described above, when the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is controlled from the second temperature T2 to the first temperature T1 in the temperature reduction stage, the thin film deposition process in the thin film deposition stage is performed again.

[0069] The following will refer to Figure 5 A method for processing a substrate according to the present invention will be described in detail. In describing the method for processing a substrate according to the present invention, descriptions that are repeated in the above description of the substrate processing apparatus will be omitted.

[0070] Figure 5 The diagram is shown to illustrate a method for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Please see Figure 5 A method for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the substrate processing method) includes a step S100 of depositing a thin film on a substrate S in a cavity 100 in which a gas dispersing unit 300 is provided, a step S200 of increasing the temperature of the central region GC of the gas dispersing unit 300 at a first temperature increase rate, a step S300 of increasing the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas dispersing unit 300 at a second temperature increase rate higher than the first temperature increase rate, and a step S400 of supplying cleaning gas into the cavity 100 to clean the cavity 100.

[0072] In step S100, where a thin film is deposited on a substrate S, process gas is supplied to the substrate S through a gas distribution unit 300 provided in a cavity 100, thereby depositing a thin film on the substrate S.

[0073] Step S100, which involves depositing a thin film onto the substrate S, can be performed by either not heating the gas dispersing unit 300 or by heating the central region GC and the edge region GE of the gas dispersing unit 300 to the same temperature. That is, during the thin film deposition stage for the gas dispersing unit 300, the central region GC and the edge region GE of the gas dispersing unit 300 can be maintained at the same temperature. The temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 can be a first temperature T1 lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas, for example, 80°C or lower.

[0074] In detail, the thin film is deposited by thermally decomposing the process gas on the substrate S during the thin film deposition process. Here, the temperature inside the cavity 100 can be controlled by heating the substrate support unit 200 or by heating both the substrate support unit 200 and the gas distribution unit 300. Therefore, the process gas is thermally decomposed on the substrate S and deposited as a thin film. Here, the thin film deposition process can be a process for depositing zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium on the substrate S, such as indium zinc oxide, gallium zinc oxide, indium gallium zinc oxide, etc.

[0075] Therefore, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 located inside the cavity 100 can be increased by heating the substrate support unit 200 or by heating both the substrate support unit 200 and the gas distribution unit 300. However, in this case, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 needs to be maintained below the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas. When the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 increases to the thermal decomposition temperature of the process gas or higher, the process gas may thermally decompose inside the gas distribution unit 300 before reaching the substrate S. This thermally decomposed process gas will accumulate inside the gas distribution unit 300 in the form of a large number of byproducts. Furthermore, the process gas thermally decomposed inside the gas distribution unit 300 will degrade. Therefore, when this thermally decomposed and degraded original gas is supplied from the gas distribution unit 300, it may be impossible to deposit the required thin film on the substrate S. Therefore, the heating of the substrate support unit 200 is limited so that the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is maintained below the thermal decomposition temperature of the original gas.

[0076] After step S100, where the thin film is deposited on the substrate S, the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 increases. That is, after step S100, the temperature of the gas dispersing unit 300 is increased such that the rate of temperature increase is different in multiple regions. The temperature increase may include step S200, which increases the temperature of the central region of the gas dispersing unit at a first temperature increase rate, and step S300, which increases the temperature of the edge regions of the gas dispersing unit at a second temperature increase rate higher than the first temperature increase rate. Here, step S200, which increases the temperature of the central region, and step S300, which increases the temperature of the edge regions, can be performed simultaneously.

[0077] After step S100, where a thin film is deposited on the substrate S, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 inside the cavity 100 is controlled at a second temperature T2, which is higher than the first temperature T1, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 during the thin film deposition process. That is, after the thin film deposition process for depositing the thin film on the substrate S, a cleaning process is performed continuously to clean the cavity 100 in place while maintaining a vacuum state and preventing the cavity 100 from being opened. Between the thin film deposition process and the cleaning process, a process is performed to increase the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300. This process is performed to increase the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 because cleaning efficiency can be maximized when the gas distribution unit 300 is at a high temperature.

[0078] As described above, the process for increasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is performed such that the temperature increase rate of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 is higher than the temperature increase rate of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. That is, the first temperature control unit 410 increases the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. The second temperature control unit 420 increases the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300.

[0079] In the thin film deposition step S100, the cavity 100 is heated by a heater. However, because the substrate support 210 is located in the bottom center of the cavity 100, the amount of heat generated from the substrate support 210 and transferred to the cavity 100 varies across different regions. That is, relatively less heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the edge region CE of the cover 110, which is the region adjacent to the sidewall of the cavity 100 on the bottom surface of the cover 110, and therefore the edge region CE is heated to a relatively low temperature. On the other hand, relatively more heat is transferred from the substrate support 210 to the central region CC of the cover 110, which is the region on the bottom surface of the cover 110 other than the edge region CE, and therefore the central region CC is heated to a relatively high temperature.

[0080] Therefore, in the process of increasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the second temperature control unit 420 installed in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 increases the temperature at a higher rate than the first temperature control unit 410 installed in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300. As a result, the interior of the cavity 100 is heated uniformly. That is, the second temperature control unit 420 heats the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the first temperature control unit 410, thus the temperature of the edge region CE of the cover 110 and the temperature of the central region CC of the cover 110 are increased rapidly and uniformly.

[0081] In step S400 of cleaning the cavity 100, cleaning gas is supplied to the cavity 100 to clean it. In step S400 of cleaning the cavity 100, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is maintained at a second temperature T2, which is higher than the first temperature T1. Therefore, during the cleaning stage, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 can be maintained at approximately 200°C or higher. During the cleaning stage, cleaning gas is supplied from the gas distribution unit 300, and the cleaning gas is excited by plasma or the like to remove byproducts inside the cavity 100. As described above, the thin film deposition process is a process for depositing zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium on a substrate S, such oxide being, for example, indium zinc oxide, gallium zinc oxide, or indium gallium zinc oxide. Therefore, byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 may include metal oxides, such as zinc oxide doped with indium or gallium. The cleaning efficiency of byproducts containing metal oxides can be maximized when the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is high. Therefore, during the cleaning operation, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is controlled at a second temperature T2 that is higher than the first temperature T1, which is the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 when depositing the thin film. Then, the gas distribution unit 300 cleans the cavity 100 while maintaining the second temperature T2.

[0082] Therefore, while performing step S400 of cleaning the cavity 100, the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 can be maintained constant for all areas, or the temperature of the edge area GE of the gas distribution unit 300 can be maintained higher than the temperature of the central area GC of the gas distribution unit 300. This is because the temperature of the edge area CE of the cover 110, which is the area on the bottom surface of the cover 110 adjacent to the side wall of the cavity 100, is easier to lower than the temperature of the central area CC of the cover 110. However, even if the temperature of the edge area GE of the gas distribution unit 300 is increased to be higher than the temperature of the central area GC of the gas distribution unit 300, it is still necessary to control the edge area CE and the central area CC of the cover 110 to have a substantially uniform temperature.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing method may further include a step S500 of reducing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 after step S400 of cleaning the cavity 100. In step S500 of reducing the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the temperature of the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300 may be reduced by allowing cooling fluid to flow in the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the temperature of the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300 may be reduced by stopping the heating of the electric heating wires embedded in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300.

[0084] In step S500, which involves lowering the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the gas distribution unit 300, whose temperature has already been increased to clean the cavity 100, will be lowered again for the thin film deposition process. That is, during the temperature reduction phase, a process for lowering the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is performed. As described above, the first temperature control unit 410 selectively allows heating or cooling fluid to flow into the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, and the second temperature control unit 420 heats the electric heating wires in the edge region GE of the gas distribution unit 300. Therefore, during the process for lowering the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the first temperature control unit 410 can allow cooling fluid to flow into the central region GC of the gas distribution unit 300, thereby cooling the gas distribution unit 300. Furthermore, the second temperature control unit 420 does not have an independent cooling function and can therefore be maintained in a state where the heating of the electric heating wires is stopped. Therefore, the first temperature control unit 410 can lower the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 at a faster rate than the second temperature control unit 420. As described above, when the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300 is controlled from the second temperature T2 to the first temperature T1 in the step S500 of lowering the temperature of the gas distribution unit 300, the step S100 of depositing the thin film can be performed again.

[0085] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature change rate of the gas distribution unit 300 is controlled in different ways for multiple regions. Therefore, the interior of the cavity 100, which has a non-uniform temperature distribution in the thin film deposition process, can be quickly controlled to have a uniform temperature before the cleaning process is performed.

[0086] Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning process used to remove byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 can be maximized, especially the metal-containing byproducts accumulated inside the cavity 100 of the substrate processing equipment for performing organometallic chemical vapor deposition can be effectively cleaned.

[0087] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention, cleaning can be performed in situ during the chemical vapor deposition process without opening the cavity 100, which requires frequent cleaning. Therefore, operational efficiency can be improved, and high reproducibility and operating rate of the equipment can be ensured.

[0088] While specific terminology has been used to describe and illustrate the present invention and its preferred embodiments, such terminology is intended only to clearly describe the invention, and it will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments and terminology described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims. Such modified embodiments should not be construed as independent of the spirit and scope of the invention but should be understood as falling within the scope of the claims of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber; a substrate support unit inside the chamber and configured to support the substrate inside the chamber; a gas distribution unit inside the chamber and facing the substrate support unit and configured to distribute a process gas toward the substrate support unit; a first temperature control unit installed in a central region of the gas distribution unit; and a second temperature control unit installed in an edge region of the gas distribution unit, wherein the first temperature control unit comprises: a flow passage configured to allow a heating fluid or a cooling fluid to flow inside the central region; an inlet configured to selectively supply the heating fluid or the cooling fluid into the flow passage; and an outlet configured to discharge the heating fluid or the cooling fluid from the flow passage, wherein the second temperature control unit comprises an electric heating wire embedded inside the edge region, wherein when increasing a temperature of the gas distribution unit, the first temperature control unit allows the heating fluid to flow and the second temperature control unit heats the electric heating wire, such that the second temperature control unit increases the temperature of the edge region at a faster rate than the temperature of the central region, and when decreasing the temperature of the gas distribution unit, the first temperature control unit allows the cooling fluid to flow and the second temperature control unit stops heating the electric heating wire, such that the first temperature control unit decreases the temperature of the central region at a faster rate than the temperature of the edge region.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second temperature control unit heats the gas distribution unit to a higher temperature than the first temperature control unit.

3. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: depositing a film on the substrate in a chamber having a gas distribution unit inside; allowing a heating fluid to flow to a central region of the gas distribution unit to increase a temperature of the central region; heating an electric heating wire embedded inside an edge region of the gas distribution unit to increase a temperature of the edge region; and supplying a cleaning gas into the chamber to clean the chamber, allowing a cooling fluid to flow to the central region to decrease the temperature of the central region of the gas distribution unit; and stopping heating of the electric heating wire to decrease the temperature of the edge region of the gas distribution unit, wherein when increasing the temperature of the edge region, the heating fluid is allowed to flow in the central region and the electric heating wire is heated in the edge region, such that the temperature of the edge region increases at a faster rate than the temperature of the central region, and wherein when decreasing the temperature of the central region, the cooling fluid is allowed to flow in the central region and heating of the electric heating wire is stopped in the edge region, such that the temperature of the central region decreases at a faster rate than the temperature of the edge region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the increase of the temperature of the central region and the increase of the temperature of the edge region are performed simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the cleaning of the chamber is performed while maintaining the temperature of all areas of the gas distribution unit constant or maintaining the temperature of the edge area higher than the temperature of the center area.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein a byproduct located on the thin film or inside the chamber comprises a metal oxide.

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