Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium

Abstract

The present application relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium, and can reduce consumption of non-active gas. The present application provides a substrate processing apparatus having: a processing chamber that processes a substrate; a processing gas supply portion that supplies a processing gas to the processing chamber; a transfer chamber that can communicate with the processing chamber; a first non-active gas supply portion that supplies a non-active gas to the transfer chamber; a first exhaust portion that exhausts an atmosphere from the transfer chamber; and a second non-active gas supply portion that supplies the non-active gas exhausted by the first exhaust portion to the processing chamber or a downstream portion of the processing chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium. Background Technology

[0002] As a substrate processing apparatus used in one step of the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, there exists a device having a processing chamber for processing substrates and a transport chamber connected and communicating with thereto (for example, Patent Document 1). In such a configuration, there is a case where an inactive gas is supplied to the transport chamber and the processing chamber.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-69315 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] This disclosure provides a technique for reducing the consumption of inactive gases.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] According to one method, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0010] Processing chamber for processing substrates,

[0011] The processing gas supply unit supplies processing gas to the aforementioned processing chamber.

[0012] A transport room that can connect to the aforementioned processing room,

[0013] The first inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas to the aforementioned transport chamber.

[0014] The first exhaust section exhausts the atmosphere from the aforementioned transport chamber, and

[0015] The inactive gas discharged from the first exhaust section is supplied to the second inactive gas supply section to the processing chamber or the downstream section of the processing chamber.

[0016] Invention Effects

[0017] According to this disclosure, the consumption of inactive gases can be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the general configuration of the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the essential components of the gas supply system and gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a summary flowchart of the substrate processing steps according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a display Figure 5 A flowchart detailing the film formation process in the substrate processing steps.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the essential components of the gas supply system and gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of this disclosure.

[0025] Symbol Explanation

[0026] 103…Vacuum transport chamber (transfer module), 112…Vacuum transport robot, 122, 123…Pre-loading chamber (pre-loading module), 121…Atmospheric transport chamber (front-end module), 105…IO stage (loading interface), 200…Substrate, 201, 201a~201d…Processing module, 202, 202a~202d…Processing chamber, 203, 203a~203d…Processing container, 209…Exhaust buffer chamber, 210…Substrate support (base), 211…Placement surface, 150, 151, 212…Substrate placement stage, 213…Heater, 222…Exhaust piping, 224…Vacuum pump, 225…Scrubber, 230 …Dispersion nozzle, 232…Buffer space, 243…Raw material gas supply system, 244…Reaction gas supply system, 245…Purge gas supply system, 248…Clean gas supply system (clean gas supply section), 251a, 252a…Inactive gas supply pipes, 261a, 262a…Exhaust piping, 261b, 262b…Vacuum pump, 270…Filter, 271, 271a~271d…Inactive gas supply pipes, 272, 272a~272d…Valves, 273, 273a~273d…Inactive gas replenishment pipes, 274, 274a~274d…Valves, 275…Heat exchanger, 281…Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The substrate processing apparatus described below is used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and is configured to perform a predetermined processing on the substrate to be processed.

[0029] The substrate being processed is, for example, a silicon wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") that serves as a semiconductor substrate for improving a semiconductor device (semiconductor equipment). In this specification, the term "substrate" is used in two ways: it can mean "the substrate itself" or "a laminate (assembly) of the substrate and predetermined layers or films formed on its surface" (i.e., including predetermined layers or films formed on the surface when referring to the substrate). Furthermore, the term "substrate surface" is used in two ways: it can mean "the surface of the substrate itself (exposed surface)" or "the surface of the predetermined layers or films formed on the substrate, i.e., the outermost surface of the substrate as a laminate." The term "substrate" is used in the same way as the term "wafer" in this specification.

[0030] Examples of predetermined processing procedures (hereinafter referred to as "processes") performed on the substrate include oxidation processing, diffusion processing, annealing processing, etching processing, pre-cleaning processing, chamber cleaning processing, and film formation processing. In this embodiment, the case of film formation processing is specifically exemplified.

[0031] <First Implementation>

[0032] First, the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail.

[0033] (1) Overall structure of the substrate processing device

[0034] Regarding the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Please provide an explanation. Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the substrate processing apparatus illustrated here is a so-called "cluster type" having multiple processing modules 201a to 201d around the vacuum transport chamber 103. More specifically, the substrate processing apparatus illustrated is an apparatus for processing substrate 200, and is generally configured to have a vacuum transport chamber (transfer module) 103, preloading chambers (preloading modules) 122, 123, an atmospheric transport chamber (front-end module) 121, an IO stage (loading interface) 105, multiple processing modules (processing modules) 201a to 201d, and a controller 281 as a control unit.

[0036] The following is a detailed explanation of each of these components. In the following explanation, front, back, left, and right refer to the X1 direction as right, the X2 direction as left, the Y1 direction as front, and the Y2 direction as back.

[0037] (Vacuum transport chamber)

[0038] The vacuum transport chamber 103 functions as a transport space, i.e., a transport chamber, for transporting the substrate 200 under negative pressure. The frame 101 constituting the vacuum transport chamber 103 is hexagonal in plan view. Furthermore, each side of the hexagon is connected to the preloading chambers 122, 123 and each of the processing modules 201a to 201d via gate valves 160, 165, 161a to 161d, respectively.

[0039] At approximately the center of the vacuum transport chamber 103, with a flange 115 as its base, a vacuum transport robot 112 is installed as a transport robot for transferring (transporting) the substrate 200 under negative pressure. The vacuum transport robot 112 is configured to be able to move up and down while maintaining the airtightness of the vacuum transport chamber 103 via a lift 116 and a flange 115 (see reference). Figure 2 ).

[0040] (Preloading chamber)

[0041] Of the six side walls of the frame 101 constituting the vacuum transport chamber 103, the two front side walls are connected to the pre-loading chamber 122 for loading into the vacuum chamber and the pre-loading chamber 123 for unloading from the vacuum chamber 103 via gate valves 160 and 165, respectively. A substrate mounting stage 150 for loading into the vacuum chamber 122 is provided in the pre-loading chamber 122, and a substrate mounting stage 151 for unloading from the vacuum chamber 123 is provided in the pre-loading chamber 123. It should be noted that each pre-loading chamber 122, 123 is configured to withstand negative pressure.

[0042] (Atmospheric transport room)

[0043] The preloading chambers 122 and 123 are connected to the atmospheric transport chamber 121 via gate valves 128 and 129 at their front sides. The atmospheric transport chamber 121 is used at approximately atmospheric pressure.

[0044] An atmospheric transport robot 124 for transferring the substrate 200 is installed inside the atmospheric transport chamber 121. The atmospheric transport robot 124 is configured to move up and down via a lift 126 installed inside the atmospheric transport chamber 121, and is also configured to reciprocate in the left-right direction via a linear actuator 132 (see reference). Figure 2 ).

[0045] Above the atmospheric transport chamber 121, a cleaning unit 118 for supplying clean air is provided (see reference). Figure 2 Furthermore, on the left side of the atmospheric transport chamber 121, a device (hereinafter referred to as a "pre-aligner") 106 is provided for aligning a notch or orientation plane formed on the substrate 200 (see reference). Figure 1 ).

[0046] (IO platform)

[0047] On the front side of the frame 125 of the atmospheric transport chamber 121, there is a substrate loading / unloading outlet 134 and a cell opener 108 for moving the substrate 200 into and out of the atmospheric transport chamber 121. On the opposite side of the cell opener 108, that is, on the outside of the frame 125, which is sandwiched between the substrate loading / unloading outlet 134, an IO stage 105 is provided.

[0048] On the I / O stage 105, multiple FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod, hereinafter referred to as "cells") 100 are mounted, each accommodating multiple substrates 200. The cells 100 serve as carriers for transporting substrates 200 such as silicon (Si) substrates. They are configured to horizontally accommodate multiple unprocessed substrates 200 and processed substrates 200 within the cells 100. The cells 100 are supplied and discharged relative to the I / O stage 105 by an in-process transport device (RGV), not shown.

[0049] The cassette 100 on the I / O stage 105 is opened and closed by a cassette opener 108. The cassette opener 108 opens and closes the cap 100a of the cassette 100 and has a closure 142 capable of moving a substrate into and out of the loading / unloading outlet 134 and a drive mechanism 109 for driving the closure 142. The cassette opener 108 opens and closes the cap 100a of the cassette 100 placed on the I / O stage 105, allowing the substrate 200 to enter and exit relative to the cassette 100 by opening and closing the substrate loading / unloading outlet.

[0050] (Processing Module)

[0051] Processing modules 201a to 201d, which perform the desired processing on the substrate 200, are connected via gate valves 161a to 161d to the remaining four sidewalls of the frame 101 constituting the vacuum transport chamber 103 that are not connected to the pre-loading chambers 122 and 123, and are located radially from the vacuum transport chamber 103. Each processing module 201a to 201d is composed of cold-walled processing containers 203a to 203d, and each forms a processing chamber 202a to 202d. Within each processing chamber 202a to 202d, the substrate 200 is processed as a step in the manufacturing process of semiconductors and semiconductor devices. Examples of processing performed within each processing chamber 202a to 202d include, for example, forming a thin film on the substrate, oxidizing, nitriding, or carburizing the substrate surface, forming films such as silicides or metals, etching the substrate surface, and various substrate processing such as pre-flow treatment.

[0052] The detailed structure of each processing module 201a to 201d will be described later.

[0053] (Controller)

[0054] The controller 281 functions as a control unit (control unit) that controls the operation of each component constituting the board processing apparatus. Therefore, the controller 281, as the control unit, is composed of a computer device having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0055] The detailed configuration of controller 281 will be described later.

[0056] (2) Composition of the processing module

[0057] Next, the detailed structure of each processing module 201a to 201d will be explained.

[0058] Each of the processing modules 201a to 201d functions as a monolithic substrate processing device and has the same configuration.

[0059] Here, the specific configuration will be described using one of the processing modules 201a to 201d as an example. Since one of the processing modules 201a to 201d is exemplified, in the following description, the processing modules 201a to 201d will be referred to as "processing module 201", the cold-walled processing containers 203a to 203d constituting each processing module 201a to 201d will also be referred to as "processing container 203", the processing chambers 202a to 202d formed in each processing container 203a to 203d will be referred to as "processing chamber 202", and the gate valves 161a to 161d corresponding to each processing module 201a to 201d will also be referred to as "gate valve 161".

[0060] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the general configuration of the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0061] (Processing containers)

[0062] As described above, the processing module 201 is composed of a cold-walled processing container 203. The processing container 203 is, for example, a flat, sealed container with a circular cross-section, made of a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or stainless steel (SUS). The processing container 203 is composed of an upper container 203a and a lower container 203b.

[0063] A processing chamber 202 is formed inside the processing container 203. The processing chamber 202 has a processing space 202a located above it (a space above the substrate stage 212 described later) for processing substrates 200 such as silicon wafers, and a transport space 202b located below it as a space surrounded by the lower container 203b.

[0064] An exhaust buffer chamber 209 is provided near the outer periphery of the interior of the upper container 203a. The exhaust buffer chamber 209 functions as a buffer space for the gas in the processing chamber 202 to be discharged to the side and around. Therefore, the exhaust buffer chamber 209 has a space arranged around the outer periphery of the processing chamber 202. That is, the exhaust buffer chamber 209 has a space that is annular (circular) when viewed from above and formed on the outer periphery of the processing chamber 202.

[0065] On the side of the lower container 203b, which forms one of the walls of the processing container 203, a substrate loading / unloading outlet 206 adjacent to the gate valve 205 is provided. The substrate 200 is loaded into the transport space 202b via the substrate loading / unloading outlet 206. At the bottom of the lower container 203b, a plurality of lifting pins 207 are provided.

[0066] (Substrate support portion)

[0067] Inside the processing chamber 202, a substrate support (base) 210 for supporting the substrate 200 is provided. The substrate support 210 mainly includes a substrate mounting surface 211 for mounting the substrate 200, a substrate mounting stage 212 having the substrate mounting surface 211 on its surface, and a heater 213 serving as a heating source enclosed within the substrate mounting stage 212. In the substrate mounting stage 212, through holes 214 are provided at positions corresponding to the lifting pins 207, through which the lifting pins 207 pass.

[0068] The substrate mounting stage 212 is supported by the spindle 217. The spindle 217 passes through the bottom of the processing container 203 and is connected to the lifting mechanism 218 outside the processing container 203. By operating the lifting mechanism 218, the spindle 217 and the substrate mounting stage 212 are raised and lowered, thereby enabling the substrate 200 placed on the substrate mounting surface 211 to be raised and lowered. It should be noted that the lower end of the spindle 217 is covered by a bellows 219 to maintain the airtightness of the processing container 203.

[0069] During the transport of substrate 200, substrate stage 212 descends to a position where substrate placement surface 211 is opposite to substrate loading / unloading outlet 206 (substrate transport position). During the processing of substrate 200, substrate 200 rises to a processing position within processing space 202a (substrate processing position).

[0070] Specifically, when the substrate stage 212 is lowered to the substrate transport position, the upper end of the lifting pin 207 protrudes from the upper surface of the substrate mounting surface 211, and the lifting pin 207 supports the substrate 200 from below. Furthermore, when the substrate stage 212 is raised to the substrate processing position, the lifting pin 207 is submerged below the upper surface of the substrate mounting surface 211, and the substrate mounting surface 211 supports the substrate 200 from below.

[0071] (Dispersion nozzle)

[0072] A dispersion nozzle 230, serving as a gas dispersion mechanism, is provided above the processing space 202a (upstream of the gas supply direction). A gas inlet 241 is provided in the cover 231 of the dispersion nozzle 230. This gas inlet 241 is configured to communicate with the gas supply system described later. Gas introduced from the gas inlet 241 is supplied to the buffer space 232 of the dispersion nozzle 230.

[0073] The cover 231 of the dispersion nozzle 230 is formed of a conductive metal and is used as an electrode for generating plasma in the buffer space 232 or the processing space 202a. An insulating block 233 is provided between the cover 231 and the upper container 203a to insulate the cover 231 from the upper container 203a.

[0074] The dispersion nozzle 230 has a dispersion plate 234 for dispersing gas supplied from the gas supply system via a gas inlet 241. An upstream buffer space 232 is located on the upstream side of the dispersion plate 234, and a processing space 202a is located on the downstream side. A plurality of through holes 234a are provided in the dispersion plate 234. The dispersion plate 234 is configured to face the substrate mounting surface 211.

[0075] (Gas supply system)

[0076] The cap 231 of the dispersion nozzle 230 is connected to a common gas supply pipe 242, so that the common gas supply pipe 242 communicates with a gas inlet port 241. The common gas supply pipe 242 communicates with a buffer space 232 within the dispersion nozzle 230 via the gas inlet port 241. Furthermore, the common gas supply pipe 242 is connected to a first gas supply pipe 243a, a second gas supply pipe 244a, and a third gas supply pipe 245a. The second gas supply pipe 244a is connected to the common gas supply pipe 242 via a remote plasma unit 244e.

[0077] Among these, the raw material gas supply system 243, including the first gas supply pipe 243a, mainly supplies the raw material gas, which is one of the processing gases. The reaction gas supply system 244, including the second gas supply pipe 244a, mainly supplies the other reaction gas, which is also one of the processing gases. The purge gas supply system 245, including the third gas supply pipe 245a, mainly supplies the inactive gas, which is used as a purge gas, when processing the substrate 200, and mainly supplies the cleaning gas when cleaning the dispersion nozzle 230 and the processing chamber 202. It should be noted that the gases supplied from the gas supply system are also referred to as the first gas, the reaction gas as the second gas, the inactive gas as the third gas, and the cleaning gas as the fourth gas.

[0078] (Raw material gas supply system)

[0079] In the first gas supply pipe 243a, a raw material gas supply source 243b, a mass flow controller (MFC) 243c (flow controller unit), and a valve 243d (on / off valve) are sequentially arranged from upstream. Furthermore, the raw material gas is supplied from the first gas supply pipe 243a to the dispersion nozzle 230 via the MFC 243c, the valve 243d, and the common gas supply pipe 242.

[0080] The feed gas (first gas) is one of the process gases, for example, a gas containing silicon (Si) as the first element. Specifically, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, dichlorosilane: DCS) gas, tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC2H5)4, tetraethoxysilane: TEOS) gas, etc., are used. In the following explanation, DCS gas will be used as an example.

[0081] The raw material gas supply system 243 mainly consists of a first gas supply pipe 243a, an MFC 243c, and a valve 243d. Alternatively, the raw material gas supply source 243b and the inactive gas supply system described later can also be incorporated into the raw material gas supply system 243. Since the raw material gas supply system 243 is used to supply the raw material gas as one of the processing gases, it is equivalent to one of the processing gas supply systems (processing gas supply units).

[0082] Further downstream of valve 243d in the first gas supply pipe 243a, it is connected to the downstream end of inactive gas supply pipe 246a. In inactive gas supply pipe 246a, inactive gas supply source 246b, MFC 246c, and valve 246d are sequentially arranged from upstream. Furthermore, inactive gas is supplied from inactive gas supply pipe 246a via MFC 246c, valve 246d, and the first gas supply pipe 243a to the dispersion nozzle 230.

[0083] An inert gas serves as the carrier gas for the feedstock, and it is preferable to use a gas that does not react with the feedstock. Specifically, for example, nitrogen (N2) gas can be used. In addition to N2 gas, inert gases such as helium (He), neon (Ne), and argon (Ar) gas can be used.

[0084] The inactive gas supply system mainly consists of an inactive gas supply pipe 246a, an MFC 246c, and a valve 246d. Alternatively, the inactive gas supply source 246b and the first gas supply pipe 243a can also be incorporated into this inactive gas supply system. Furthermore, this inactive gas supply system can also be incorporated into the raw material gas supply system 243.

[0085] (Reaction gas supply system)

[0086] In the second gas supply pipe 244a, an RPU 244e is provided downstream. Upstream, a reactant gas supply source 244b, an MFC 244c, and a valve 244d are sequentially arranged from upstream. The reactant gas is supplied from the second gas supply pipe 244a via the MFC 244c, valve 244d, RPU 244e, and common gas supply pipe 242 to the dispersion nozzle 230. The reactant gas is converted into a plasma state by the remote plasma unit 244e and irradiates the substrate 200.

[0087] The reaction gas (second gas) is another type of process gas, which is a gas containing a second element (e.g., nitrogen) that is different from the first element (e.g., Si) contained in the feed gas. Specifically, for example, ammonia (NH3) gas, which is a nitrogen (N) gas, can be used.

[0088] The reaction gas supply system 244 mainly consists of a second gas supply pipe 244a, an MFC 244c, and a valve 244d. Alternatively, the reaction gas supply source 244b, the RPU 244e, and the inactive gas supply system described later can also be incorporated into the reaction gas supply system 244. Since the reaction gas supply system 244 supplies the reaction gas as one of the process gases, it is equivalent to another type of process gas supply system (process gas supply unit).

[0089] Further downstream of valve 244d in the second gas supply pipe 244a, it is connected to the downstream end of inactive gas supply pipe 247a. In inactive gas supply pipe 247a, inactive gas supply source 247b, MFC 247c, and valve 247d are sequentially arranged from upstream. Furthermore, inactive gas is supplied from inactive gas supply pipe 247a via MFC 247c, valve 247d, second gas supply pipe 244a, and RPU 244e to the dispersion nozzle 230.

[0090] Inert gases function as carrier gases or diluent gases in the reaction mixture. Specifically, for example, N2 gas can be used. In addition to N2 gas, inert gases such as He, Ne, and Ar can also be used.

[0091] The inactive gas supply system mainly consists of inactive gas supply pipe 247a, MFC 247c, and valve 247d. Alternatively, inactive gas supply source 247b, second gas supply pipe 244a, and RPU 244e can also be incorporated into this inactive gas supply system. Furthermore, this inactive gas supply system can also be incorporated into the reaction gas supply system 244.

[0092] (Purge gas supply system)

[0093] In the third gas supply pipe 245a, a purge gas supply source 245b, an MFC 245c, and a valve 245d are sequentially arranged from upstream. Furthermore, during the substrate processing step, an inactive gas, serving as the purge gas, is supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a to the dispersion nozzle 230 via the MFC 245c, the valve 245d, and the common gas supply pipe 242. Additionally, during the processing space cleaning step, as needed, an inactive gas, serving as the cleaning gas or a dilution gas, is supplied to the dispersion nozzle 230 via the MFC 245c, the valve 245d, and the common gas supply pipe 242.

[0094] In the substrate processing step, the inert gas supplied from the purge gas supply source 245b functions as a purge gas to purge residual gas in the processing container 203 and the dispersion nozzle 230. Furthermore, it can also function as a carrier gas or dilution gas in the processing space cleaning step. Specifically, N2 gas can be used as an inert gas, for example. In addition to N2 gas, inert gases such as He, Ne, and Ar can also be used.

[0095] The purge gas supply system 245 mainly consists of a third gas supply pipe 245a, an MFC 245c, and a valve 245d. Alternatively, the purge gas supply source 245b and the clean gas supply system 248 (described later) can also be incorporated into the purge gas supply system 245.

[0096] It should be noted that the inert gas supplied from the purge gas supply source 245b, as detailed later, contains inert gas discharged from the vacuum transport chamber 103. That is, the purge gas supply system 245 functions as a second inert gas supply system (second inert gas supply unit) that supplies the inert gas discharged from the vacuum transport chamber 103 to the processing chamber 202.

[0097] (Clean gas supply system)

[0098] Further downstream of valve 245d in the third gas supply pipe 245a, it is connected to the downstream end of clean gas supply pipe 248a. In clean gas supply pipe 248a, clean gas supply source 248b, MFC 248c, and valve 248d are sequentially arranged from upstream. Furthermore, during the space cleaning process, clean gas is supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a via MFC 248c, valve 248d, and common gas supply pipe 242 to the dispersion nozzle 230.

[0099] The cleaning gas (fourth gas) supplied from the cleaning gas supply source 248b functions as a cleaning gas to remove byproducts and the like adhering to the dispersion nozzle 230 and the treatment container 203 during the space cleaning process. Specifically, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas can be considered as a cleaning gas, for example. In addition, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) gas, fluorine (F2) gas, etc., can also be used, and combinations of these can also be used.

[0100] The clean gas supply system (clean gas supply unit) 248 mainly consists of a clean gas supply pipe 248a, an MFC 248c, and a valve 248d. Alternatively, a clean gas supply source 248b and a third gas supply pipe 245a can be incorporated into the clean gas supply system 248. Furthermore, the clean gas supply system 248 can be incorporated into the purge gas supply system 245.

[0101] Clean gas is supplied from the clean gas supply system 248 to the treatment chamber 202 via the dispersion nozzle 230. That is, the clean gas supply system 248 functions as a clean gas supply unit that supplies clean gas to the treatment chamber 202.

[0102] Here, a configuration example is described in which the raw material gas supply system 243, the reaction gas supply system 244, the purge gas supply system 245, and the processing space cleaning gas supply system 248 are respectively connected to the processing chamber 202 via the common gas supply pipe (first supply pipe) 242, but it is not limited to this. For example, the gas supply pipes of the raw material gas supply system 243, the reaction gas supply system 244, the purge gas supply system 245, and the processing space cleaning gas supply system 248 may be directly connected to the dispersion nozzle 230, the processing chamber 202, etc.

[0103] (Gas exhaust system)

[0104] The treatment container 203 is connected to the exhaust pipe 222. The exhaust pipe 222 is connected to the exhaust buffer chamber 209 via an exhaust port 221 disposed on the upper surface or side of the exhaust buffer chamber 209. Thus, the exhaust pipe 222 communicates with the treatment chamber 202.

[0105] An APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 223 is installed in the exhaust pipe 222. This valve is a pressure controller that maintains a predetermined pressure within the processing chamber 202, which is connected to the exhaust buffer chamber 209. The APC valve 223 has a valve body (not shown) capable of adjusting its opening degree, and adjusts the conductivity of the exhaust pipe 222 according to instructions from the controller 281 described later. Hereinafter, the APC valve 223 configured in the exhaust pipe 222 will sometimes be simply referred to as valve 223.

[0106] Furthermore, a vacuum pump 224 is installed downstream of the APC valve 223 in the exhaust pipe 222. The vacuum pump 224 exhausts the atmosphere of the exhaust buffer chamber 209 and the processing chamber 202 connected thereto via the exhaust pipe 222. Thus, the exhaust pipe 222 functions as an exhaust pipe for exhausting the gas from the processing chamber 202.

[0107] Furthermore, a scrubber 225 is installed downstream of the vacuum pump 224. The scrubber 225 functions as a purifying (cleaning) device for the gas exhausted from the exhaust pipe 222.

[0108] The gas exhaust system mainly consists of exhaust pipe 222, APC valve 223, vacuum pump 224 and scrubber 225.

[0109] (3) Composition of other gas supply systems and gas exhaust systems

[0110] Next, refer to Figure 4 The gas supply system and gas exhaust system, other than those described above, will be explained. Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the main components of the gas supply system and gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0111] (First inactive gas supply system)

[0112] In addition to supplying inactive gas to each of the above-mentioned processing modules 201a to 201d, the substrate processing apparatus described in this embodiment can also supply inactive gas to a transport chamber that can communicate with these processing modules.

[0113] Therefore, the vacuum transport chamber 103, which functions as a transport chamber, is connected to the inert gas supply pipe 251a. An MFC 251b and a valve 251c are installed in the inert gas supply pipe 251a, and an inert gas supply source (not shown) is located upstream of it. The inert gas supply source can also be the purge gas supply source 245b of the purge gas supply system 245. For example, N2 gas can be used as the inert gas supplied to the vacuum transport chamber 103. In addition to N2 gas, inert gases such as He, Ne, and Ar can also be used.

[0114] Furthermore, similar to the vacuum transport chamber 103, the preloading chambers 122 and 123, which function as transport chambers, are connected to the inert gas supply pipe 252a. An MFC 252b and a valve 252c are installed in the inert gas supply pipe 252a, and an inert gas supply source (not shown) is located upstream of it. The inert gas supply source can also be the purge gas supply source 245b of the purge gas supply system 245. For example, N2 gas can be used as the inert gas supplied to the preloading chambers 122 and 123. In addition to N2 gas, inert gases such as He, Ne, and Ar can also be used.

[0115] The first inactive gas supply system (first inactive gas supply unit) mainly consists of an inactive gas supply pipe 251a, an MFC 251b, and a valve 251c. Alternatively, an inactive gas supply source can be incorporated into the first inactive gas supply system. Furthermore, it is also possible to incorporate the inactive gas supply pipe 252a, MFC 252b, valve 252c, and inactive gas supply source that supply gas to the pre-loading chambers 122 and 123 into the first inactive gas supply system.

[0116] (First exhaust system)

[0117] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus described in this embodiment can not only supply inactive gas to the aforementioned transport chamber, but also exhaust the atmosphere from the transport chamber.

[0118] Therefore, the vacuum transport chamber 103, which functions as a transport chamber, is connected to the exhaust pipe 261a. A vacuum pump 261b is installed in the exhaust pipe 261a. The vacuum pump 261b exhausts the atmosphere in the vacuum transport chamber 103 via the exhaust pipe 261a. It should be noted that downstream of the vacuum pump 261b, the exhaust pipe 261a branches into two branches, each containing valves 261c and 261d. One branch of the exhaust pipe 261a is also connected to the filter 270, which will be described later.

[0119] Furthermore, similar to the vacuum transport chamber 103, the preloading chambers 122 and 123, which function as transport chambers, are connected to the exhaust pipe 262a. A vacuum pump 262b is installed in the exhaust pipe 262a. The vacuum pump 262b exhausts the atmosphere in the preloading chambers 122 and 123 via the exhaust pipe 262a. A valve 262c is installed downstream of the vacuum pump 262b. It should be noted that, similar to the exhaust pipe 261a described above, the exhaust pipe 262a can branch into two streams downstream of the vacuum pump 262b.

[0120] The first exhaust system (first exhaust section) mainly consists of exhaust piping 261a, vacuum pump 261b, and valves 261c and 261d that exhaust from vacuum transport chamber 103. Alternatively, exhaust piping 262a, vacuum pump 262b, and valves 262c that exhaust from preloading chambers 122 and 123 may also be incorporated into the first exhaust system.

[0121] (Second inactive gas supply system)

[0122] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus described in this embodiment may also supply inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber to the processing chambers 202a to 202d formed in each processing module 201a to 201d.

[0123] Therefore, a filter 270 is installed downstream of the exhaust pipes 261a and 262a constituting the first exhaust system. Furthermore, the filter 270 is connected to inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d, which are respectively provided for each of the processing modules 201a to 201d. It should be noted that the figure shows the inactive gas supply pipe 271a corresponding to processing module 201a and the inactive gas supply pipe 271d corresponding to processing module 201d; other figures are omitted.

[0124] A valve 272a is installed in the inactive gas supply pipe 271a. Furthermore, its downstream end is connected to the purge gas supply system 245 in the processing module 201a. Thus, the inactive gas discharged from the first exhaust section is supplied from the dispersion nozzle 230 of the processing module 201a to the processing chamber 202 via the inactive gas supply pipe 271a. That is, the inactive gas supply pipe 271a is connected to the third gas supply pipe 245a of the purge gas supply system 245 in the processing module 201a, or functions as a purge gas supply source 245b for that purge gas supply system 245.

[0125] It should be noted that the other inactive gas supply pipes, starting with the inactive gas supply pipe 271d, are configured in the same way as the aforementioned inactive gas supply pipe 271a. That is, each inactive gas supply pipe 271a to 271d supplies inactive gas to the processing chambers 202a to 202d in each of the processing modules 201a to 201d. However, the inactive gas mainly used is the gas exhausted from the first exhaust system.

[0126] The second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) mainly consists of inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d and valves 272a to 272d respectively disposed therein. Alternatively, the second inactive gas supply system may incorporate a filter 270, through which it is connected to the first exhaust system.

[0127] In each of the inactive gas supply pipes 271a-271d in the second inactive gas supply system, an inactive gas replenishment pipe 273a-273d can also be connected upstream of the valves 272a-272d. Valves 274a-274d are installed in the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a-273d, and an inactive gas supply source (not shown) is then arranged upstream of them. The inactive gas supply source is used to replenish the inactive gas (e.g., N2 gas, He gas, Ne gas, Ar gas, etc.) flowing through each inactive gas supply pipe 271a-271d to these pipes; the purge gas supply source 245b of the purge gas supply system 245 can also be used. Preferably, each inactive gas replenishment pipe 273a-273d is connected downstream of the valves 272a-272d. If valves 272a to 272d are tightened and inactive gas is supplied from each inactive gas supply pipe 273a to 273d, the formation of inactive gas flow to filter 270 can be suppressed, and thus the pressure of each processing chamber 202 can be easily adjusted.

[0128] The inactive gas replenishment system (inactive gas replenishment unit) capable of replenishing inactive gases mainly consists of inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a to 273d and valves 274a to 274d respectively disposed therein. It is also possible to incorporate the inactive gas replenishment system into a second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit).

[0129] (4) Controller Composition

[0130] Next, the detailed configuration of controller 281 will be explained.

[0131] As described above, the controller 281 functions as a control unit (control unit) that controls the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus, and is therefore composed of a computer device having at least an arithmetic unit and a storage unit. Furthermore, the controller 281 is connected to each structure of the aforementioned substrate processing apparatus, and in response to instructions from the host device or the user, it retrieves programs and recipes from the storage unit and controls the operation of each structure according to their contents.

[0132] Specifically, the controller 281 is configured to be electrically connected to the vacuum handling robot 112, the atmospheric handling robot 124, the gate valves 160, 161a, 161b, 161c, 161d, 165, 128, 129, the crystal box opener 108, the pre-aligner 106, and the cleaning unit 118, respectively, and to provide action instructions to each of these components.

[0133] Furthermore, the controller 281 is configured to be electrically connected to the lifting mechanism 218, heater 213, MFCs 243c-248c, valves 243d-248d, MFCs 249c, 251b, 252b, valves 243d-248d, 251c, 252c, 261c, 261d, 262c, 274a-274d, APC valve 223, vacuum pumps 224, 261b, 262b, etc., of each of the processing modules 201a-201d, and to provide operation instructions to these components. That is, the objects controlled by the controller 281 include at least gas supply from the gas supply system, gas exhaust from the gas exhaust system, supply of inactive gas from the first inactive gas supply system and the second inactive gas supply system, and gas exhaust from the first exhaust system.

[0134] It should be noted that the controller 281 can be configured as a dedicated computer or as a general-purpose computer. For example, by preparing an external storage device (e.g., magnetic tape, floppy disk, hard disk, CD, DVD, MO, USB memory, memory card, etc.) storing the above-mentioned program, the program can be installed on a general-purpose computer using these external storage devices, thereby configuring the controller 281 in this embodiment.

[0135] Furthermore, the method of providing programs to a computer is not limited to providing them via external storage devices. For example, programs can also be provided without external storage devices using communication facilities such as the Internet or leased lines. It should be noted that storage devices and external storage devices constitute a recording medium that a computer can read. Hereinafter, these will be simply referred to collectively as recording media. It should be noted that when the term "recording medium" is used in this specification, it includes cases where it is a storage device alone, cases where it is an external storage device alone, or cases that include both.

[0136] (5) Substrate processing process

[0137] Next, as a step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, a substrate processing step will be described for processing the substrate 200 using the substrate processing apparatus configured as described above. It should be noted that, in the following description, the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 281.

[0138] Here, as a substrate processing step, the formation of a thin film on the substrate 200 is exemplified. In particular, in this embodiment, an example is described in which DCS gas is used as the raw material gas (first gas) and NH3 gas is used as the reactant gas (second gas), and these gases are alternately supplied to form a SiN (silicon nitride) film as a silicon-containing film on the substrate 200.

[0139] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an outline of the substrate processing steps involved in the first embodiment. Figure 6 It is a display Figure 5 A flowchart detailing the film-forming process.

[0140] (Substrate handling and heating process: S102)

[0141] During the substrate processing process, such as Figure 5 As shown, firstly, a substrate loading and heating process (S102) is performed. In this process (S102), while the atmosphere in the pre-loading chambers 122 and 123 is vented through the exhaust pipe 262a, N2 gas, as an inactive gas, is supplied to the pre-loading chambers 122 and 123 through the inactive gas supply pipe 252a, thereby creating an N2 gas atmosphere in the pre-loading chambers 122 and 123. Next, while the atmosphere in the vacuum transport chamber 103 is vented through the exhaust pipe 261a, N2 gas, as an inactive gas, is supplied to the vacuum transport chamber 103 through the inactive gas supply pipe 251a, thereby creating an N2 gas atmosphere in the vacuum transport chamber 103. Furthermore, the substrate 200 is loaded into each processing container 203 using a vacuum transport robot 112 within the vacuum transport chamber 103.

[0142] After the substrate 200 is moved into the processing container 203, the vacuum handling robot 112 exits the processing container 203 and closes the gate valve 205, sealing the processing container 203. Then, by lifting the substrate placement stage 212, the substrate 200 is placed onto the substrate placement surface 211 of the substrate placement stage 212. Furthermore, by lifting the substrate placement stage 212, the substrate 200 is lifted to the processing position (substrate processing position) within the processing chamber 202.

[0143] After the substrate 200 is raised to the substrate processing position, the APC valve 223 is activated to connect the exhaust buffer chamber 209 to the vacuum pump 224. The APC valve 223 controls the exhaust flow rate of the exhaust buffer chamber 209 by adjusting the conductivity of the exhaust pipe 222, thereby maintaining the processing chamber 202 connected to the exhaust buffer chamber 209 at a predetermined pressure.

[0144] Furthermore, when the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate mounting stage 212, power is supplied to the heater 213 embedded inside the substrate mounting stage 212 to control the surface of the substrate 200 to a predetermined processing temperature. At this time, the temperature of the heater 213 is adjusted by controlling the power supply to the heater 213 based on temperature information detected by a temperature sensor (not shown).

[0145] Thus, in the substrate loading and heating process (S102), while controlling the processing chamber 202 to a predetermined processing pressure, the surface temperature of the substrate 200 is also controlled to a predetermined processing temperature. Here, the predetermined processing temperature and pressure refer to the processing temperature and pressure at which a SiN film can be formed by the alternating supply method in the film formation process (S104) described later. That is, it is the processing temperature and pressure at which the raw material gas supplied in the first processing gas (raw material gas) supply process (S202) does not decompose. Specifically, the processing temperature can be considered to be above room temperature and below 500°C, preferably above room temperature and below 400°C, and the processing pressure is 50 to 5000 Pa. This processing temperature and pressure are also maintained in the film formation process (S104) described later.

[0146] It should be noted that during the substrate handling and heating process (S102), N2 gas, which is an inactive gas, can also be supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a of the purge gas supply system 245 to adjust the pressure of the processing chamber 202 until the processing chamber 202 reaches the predetermined processing pressure (i.e., the pressure of the processed substrate 200). At this time, if the N2 gas supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a is the same N2 gas obtained through the inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d of the second inactive gas supply system, it becomes the N2 gas that was supplied to the vacuum transport chamber 103 or the pre-loading chambers 122, 123, which can be reused, thereby suppressing the amount of N2 gas used (consumption).

[0147] (Film forming process: S104)

[0148] Following the substrate transfer and heating process (S102), the film formation process (S104) is performed. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 6 The film-forming process (S104) will be described in detail. It should be noted that the film-forming process (S104) is, for example, a cyclic process in which different processing gases are alternately supplied.

[0149] (First processing gas supply step: S202)

[0150] In the film formation process (S104), a first processing gas (raw material gas) supply process (S202) is first performed. In the first processing gas supply process (S202), DCS gas, which serves as the raw material gas (first gas), is supplied from the raw material gas supply system 243 into the processing chamber 202. The DCS gas supplied into the processing chamber 202 reaches the surface of the substrate 200 located at the substrate processing position. As a result, a silicon-containing layer, which serves as a "first element containing layer," is formed on the surface of the substrate 200 by contacting the DCS gas. For example, the silicon-containing layer is formed with a predetermined thickness and a predetermined distribution, depending on factors such as the pressure inside the processing container 203, the flow rate of the DCS gas, the temperature of the substrate stage 212, and the time required to pass through the processing chamber 202.

[0151] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of DCS gas supply, valve 243d is closed to stop the DCS gas supply. It should be noted that in the first processing gas supply process (S202), the pressure in the processing chamber 202 is controlled to a predetermined pressure by APC valve 223.

[0152] (Purge process: S204)

[0153] Following the first processing gas supply step (S202), N2 gas, which serves as the purge gas, is supplied from the purge gas supply system 245 to purge the processing chamber 202 and the dispersion nozzle 230. As a result, the DCS gas that did not bind to the energy substrate 200 during the first processing gas supply step (S202) is removed from the processing chamber 202 by the vacuum pump 224.

[0154] At this time, the N2 gas supplied to the processing chamber 202 is the N2 gas obtained through the inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d of the second inactive gas supply system. In this way, the N2 gas supplied to the vacuum transport chamber 103 or the preloading chambers 122, 123 is reused, thereby suppressing the amount of N2 gas used (consumption).

[0155] When reusing N2 gas, it passes through filter 270, thus ensuring that clean N2 gas is supplied to the processing chamber 202. For example, without filter 270, the atmosphere of the transport chamber (i.e., vacuum transport chamber 103 or pre-loading chambers 122, 123) would be directly supplied to the processing chamber 202, posing a risk of impurities contaminating and adversely affecting the processing of the processing chamber 202. In contrast, by using filter 270, impurities are removed, thus ensuring a clean supply of N2 gas and eliminating the risk of adverse effects caused by impurities.

[0156] The N2 gas to be reused is preferably the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103. That is, when reusing N2 gas, the transport chamber for exhausting the N2 gas is preferably the vacuum transport chamber 103.

[0157] Preloading chambers 122 and 123 are located between atmospheric transport chamber 121 and vacuum transport chamber 103, repeatedly switching between atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure. Therefore, when preloading chambers 122 and 123 are connected to atmospheric transport chamber 121, components from atmospheric transport chamber 121 (e.g., oxygen) may enter. If this component is supplied to processing chamber 202, it may adversely affect the substrate processing. For this purpose, a high-performance filter could be used as filter 270, but there are concerns that this would increase costs.

[0158] In contrast, the vacuum transport chamber 103 is connected to the atmospheric transport chamber 121, which is in a vacuum state. Therefore, if N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103 is used, unlike in the preloading chambers 122 and 123, clean N2 gas can be used, unaffected by impurities contained in the atmosphere. Thus, the risk of adverse effects on substrate processing can be eliminated without the need for a high-performance filter 270. Furthermore, since a filter 270 with a low removal level can be used, the increase in equipment cost can be suppressed.

[0159] When using N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, it is preferable to further provide a non-reactive gas exhaust pipe for venting the N2 gas in the first exhaust system (first exhaust section). Specifically, the N2 gas is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust pipe 261a (shown as 261e in the figure), which branches into two exhaust pipes 261a downstream of the vacuum pump 261b and is not connected to the filter 270. Doing so reduces the proportion of impurities in the atmosphere exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, which is suitable for providing clean N2 gas. It should be noted that this exhaust configuration is applicable not only to exhaust from the vacuum transport chamber 103 but also to exhaust from the preloading chambers 122 and 123.

[0160] Furthermore, when supplying N2 gas to the processing chamber 202, N2 gas flowing through the inactive gas supply pipes 271a-271d can be supplemented from the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a-273d, which are connected to the inactive gas supply pipes 271a-271d. If this is done, even in the case of reusing N2 gas, there will be no shortage of N2 gas supply. Moreover, by supplementing N2 gas from the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a-273d, the cleanliness of the reused N2 gas (i.e., the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc.) can be improved, which is suitable for eliminating the risk of adverse effects on the substrate processing.

[0161] (Second processing gas supply step: S206)

[0162] After the above purging process (S204) has been performed for a predetermined time, NH3 gas, which serves as the reaction gas (second gas), is supplied into the processing chamber 202 from the reaction gas supply system 244. The NH3 gas can be converted into a plasma state by the RPU 244e and irradiated onto the surface of the substrate 200 located at the substrate processing position. As a result, the silicon-containing layer that has already been formed on the surface of the substrate 200 is modified, for example, to form a SiN film as a layer containing Si and N elements.

[0163] Then, after a predetermined time, valve 244d is closed to stop the supply of NH3 gas. It should be noted that, in the second processing gas supply step (S206), similarly to the first processing gas supply step (S202) described above, the pressure of the processing chamber 202 is controlled to a predetermined pressure by APC valve 223.

[0164] (Purge process: S208)

[0165] After the second processing gas supply step (S206), a purging step (S208) is performed. The operation of each part in the purging step (S208) is the same as that in the purging step (S204) described above, so its description is omitted here.

[0166] (Judgment process: S210)

[0167] After the purging process (S208) is completed, the controller 281 determines whether the series of processes (S202 to S208) has been performed a predetermined number of times (n cycles) when considered as one cycle. If the predetermined number of cycles has not been performed, one cycle from the first processing gas supply process (S202) to the purging process (S208) is repeated. On the other hand, if the predetermined number of cycles has been performed, the film formation process (S104) ends.

[0168] In this way, in the film formation process (S104), a SiN film of a predetermined thickness is deposited on the surface of the substrate 200 by sequentially performing each process from the first processing gas supply process (S202) to the purging process (S208). Moreover, by treating each of these processes as one cycle and repeating this one cycle a predetermined number of times, the SiN film formed on the surface of the substrate 200 is controlled to the desired film thickness.

[0169] That is, in the film formation process (S104), with the substrate 200 present in the processing chamber 202, at least two processing gases (i.e., raw material gas and reactive gas) are alternately supplied by the processing gas supply systems (processing gas supply units) of the raw material gas supply system 243 and the reactive gas supply system 244 to form a SiN film of the desired thickness on the surface of the substrate 200. Then, while purging these processing gases, the second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) supplies N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc., to the processing chamber 202 through inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d. As a result, the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc., can be reused without affecting the processing gas, and the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0170] It should be noted that in the film-forming process (S104), the supply of N2 gas through the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a to 273d can also be carried out in parallel with the supply of process gas from the process gas supply system (process gas supply unit). In this case, by reusing the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc., the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0171] (Substrate removal process: S106)

[0172] After the film-forming process (S104) described above is completed, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, a substrate removal process (S106) is performed. In the substrate removal process (S106), the processed substrate 200 is removed from the processing container 203 following the reverse process of the substrate loading and heating process (S102). Then, following the same process as the substrate loading and heating process (S102), the subsequent unprocessed substrate 200 is loaded into the processing container 203. Then, a film formation process (S104) is performed on the loaded substrate 200.

[0173] It should be noted that in the substrate removal process (S106), N2 gas can also be supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a of the purge gas supply system 245 to adjust the pressure of the processing chamber 202 until the processing chamber 202 reaches a predetermined pressure (i.e., the pressure at which the processed substrate 200 can be removed). At this time, if the N2 gas supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a is the N2 gas obtained through the inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d of the second inactive gas supply system, it becomes the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc., which can be reused, thereby suppressing the amount of N2 gas used (consumption).

[0174] (Judgment process: S108)

[0175] After the substrate removal process (S106) is completed, the series of processes (S102 to S106) described above is treated as one cycle, and it is determined whether the predetermined number of cycles has been performed, that is, whether the predetermined number of substrates 200 processed in the film formation process (S104) has been reached. Then, if the predetermined number of cycles has not been performed, since the predetermined number of processed substrates 200 has not been reached, one cycle from the substrate loading and heating process (S102) to the substrate removal process (S106) is repeated. On the other hand, if the predetermined number of cycles has been performed, the substrate processing process ends.

[0176] If the substrate processing process is completed, the substrate 200 will no longer exist in the processing container 203.

[0177] (Cleaning process)

[0178] If the above-described substrate processing steps are repeated, there is a risk that unwanted reaction products, such as byproducts, will adhere to the walls of the processing container 203 (especially the processing chamber 202). Therefore, after the substrate processing steps are completed, it is preferable to perform a cleaning process for the processing chamber 202 at a predetermined time point (e.g., after performing a predetermined number of substrate processing steps, after processing a predetermined number of substrates 200, or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous cleaning process).

[0179] During the cleaning process, valve 248d remains open while valves 243d, 244d, 245d, 246d, 247d, and 249d are closed. In this way, cleaning gas is supplied to the processing chamber 202 from the cleaning gas supply source 248b of the cleaning gas supply system 248 via the third gas supply pipe 245a and the common gas supply pipe 242. Furthermore, the supplied cleaning gas removes any deposits (reaction byproducts, etc.) from the buffer chamber 232 and the processing chamber 202.

[0180] Therefore, even if byproducts or the like adhere to the walls inside the processing chamber 202, these byproducts or the like can be removed through cleaning at predetermined times.

[0181] At this time, the cleaning gas supply system 248 supplies cleaning gas to the processing chamber 202 when the substrate 200 is not present in the processing container 203. Furthermore, in conjunction with this, the second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) supplies N2 gas to the processing chamber 202. That is, the second inactive gas supply system and the cleaning gas supply system 248 supply N2 gas to the processing chamber 202 in parallel.

[0182] Therefore, while cleaning the treatment chamber 202, N2 gas can be reused, and the amount of N2 gas used in the cleaning process can be reduced.

[0183] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus that performs the substrate processing and cleaning processes described above has multiple processing modules 201a to 201d around the vacuum transport chamber 103, forming a so-called "cluster type". Each processing module 201a to 201d is equipped with processing chambers 202a to 202d for processing the substrate 200, and N2 gas can be supplied to each processing chamber 202a to 202d via inactive gas supply pipes 271a to 271d. In this case, the second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) supplies N2 gas to the operating processing chamber 202, but does not supply N2 gas to the non-operating processing chamber 202.

[0184] Here, "non-operating processing chamber" refers to processing chamber 202 during downtime. "Downtime" refers, for example, a situation where maintenance (replacing parts, etc.) is performed in a state where no gas is flowing. That is, "non-operating" means that no gas supply (processing gas, inactive gas, etc.) is made to processing chamber 202.

[0185] In this way, by switching the supply of N2 gas to the multiple processing chambers 202a to 202d according to their operating states, the substrate processing or cleaning process can be performed in parallel with the maintenance of the processing chamber 202 during downtime, enabling efficient use of the equipment. Moreover, since the N2 gas is reused during the substrate processing or cleaning process, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0186] (6) Effects of the implementation method

[0187] According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are achieved.

[0188] (a) According to this embodiment, since the second inactive gas supply system supplies N2 gas, which is an inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber, to the processing chamber 202, the N2 gas can be reused, and as a result, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0189] (b) According to this embodiment, when reusing N2 gas, it passes through filter 270, thus enabling the supply of clean N2 gas to the processing chamber 202. That is, since impurities are removed by filter 270, the risk of these impurities adversely affecting the substrate processing can be eliminated.

[0190] (c) According to this embodiment, in the film formation process (S104), with the substrate 200 present in the processing chamber 202, at least two processing gases are alternately supplied, enabling film formation on the surface of the substrate 200. Furthermore, during or in parallel with the supply of processing gases, reused N2 gas is supplied as a purging gas. This allows for the reuse of N2 gas without affecting the processing gases, resulting in reduced N2 gas consumption.

[0191] (d) According to this embodiment, in the substrate loading and heating process (S102), recycled N2 gas is supplied to adjust the pressure until the processing chamber 202 reaches the pressure required to process the substrate 200; or, in the substrate unloading process (S106), recycled N2 gas is supplied to adjust the pressure until the processing chamber 202 reaches the pressure required to unload the substrate 200. Therefore, even when N2 gas is used to adjust the pressure, it can be reused, resulting in the suppression of the amount of N2 gas used (consumption).

[0192] (e) According to this embodiment, since the transport chamber for venting the reused N2 gas is a vacuum transport chamber 103, clean N2 gas can be reused without being affected by impurities contained in the atmosphere. Therefore, the risk of adverse effects on substrate processing can be eliminated without the need for a high-performance filter 270. Furthermore, since a filter 270 with a low removal level can be used, the increase in equipment cost can be suppressed.

[0193] (f) According to this embodiment, since the reused N2 gas is supplied to the processing chamber 202 in parallel with the cleaning gas in the cleaning process, the N2 gas can be reused while the processing chamber 202 is being cleaned, and the amount of N2 gas used in the cleaning process can be suppressed.

[0194] (g) According to this embodiment, for each of the plurality of processing chambers 202a to 202d, when reusable N2 gas can be supplied, N2 gas is supplied to the processing chamber 202 that is in operation, and N2 gas is not supplied to the processing chamber 202 that is not in operation. If the supply of N2 gas is switched in accordance with the operating state of each processing chamber 202a to 202d, the substrate processing process or cleaning process can be performed in parallel with the maintenance of the processing chamber 202 during downtime, and efficient device operation can be achieved. Moreover, since N2 gas is reused in the substrate processing process or cleaning process, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0195] (h) According to this embodiment, N2 gas can be supplied from the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a-273d, which are connected to the inactive gas supply pipes 271a-271d. In this way, even when reusing N2 gas, there will be no shortage of N2 gas supply. Furthermore, by supplying N2 gas from the inactive gas replenishment pipes 273a-273d, the cleanliness of the reused N2 gas (i.e., the N2 gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, etc.) can be improved, which is suitable in eliminating the risk of adverse effects on substrate processing.

[0196] (i) According to this embodiment, N2 gas can be exhausted to the outside from the exhaust pipe 261a, which is not connected to the filter 270. If this is done, the proportion of impurities in the atmosphere exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103 can be reduced, which is suitable for supplying clean N2 gas.

[0197] <Second Implementation>

[0198] Next, the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail. Here, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be mainly explained, and other points will be omitted.

[0199] In this embodiment, the configuration of the second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) differs from that in the first embodiment.

[0200] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the main components of the gas supply system and gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0201] (Second inactive gas supply system)

[0202] The substrate processing apparatus described in this embodiment can supply inert gas discharged from the transport chamber to the downstream portion of the processing chamber 202 formed within the processing module 201. It should be noted that only one processing module 201 is shown in the illustrations, but multiple processing modules 201a to 201d may be provided, and a second inert gas supply system can be similarly configured for each of these modules, as in the first embodiment. That is, for the sake of simplicity, the following description uses a single processing module 201 as an example.

[0203] Downstream of the processing chamber 202 is an exhaust pipe 222 disposed between the vacuum pump 224 and the scrubber 225, particularly the portion near the downstream side of the vacuum pump 224 in this exhaust pipe 222. That is, in this embodiment, an exhaust pipe 222 serving as an exhaust pipe for the processing chamber is disposed between the vacuum pump 224, which serves as an exhaust pump for venting the processing chamber 202, and the scrubber 225, which serves as a purifying device for the exhaust gas from the vacuum pump 224. Downstream of the vacuum pump 224 in this exhaust pipe 222, inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber can be supplied to the portion near the vacuum pump 224.

[0204] Therefore, in this embodiment, a heat exchanger 275 is provided downstream of the exhaust pipe 261a constituting the first exhaust system. The heat exchanger 275 functions as a heating unit for heating the inert gas supplied to the exhaust pipe 222. It should be noted that, as long as the inert gas can be heated, a heating mechanism 275a, such as a heater for heating the pipe, may be provided instead of a heat exchanger 275.

[0205] The heat exchanger 275 is connected to the inactive gas supply pipe 271. A valve 272 is installed in the inactive gas supply pipe 271, and its downstream end is connected to the exhaust pipe 222 (i.e., the downstream part of the processing chamber 202). Thus, the inactive gas discharged from the first exhaust section is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 located in the downstream part of the processing chamber 202 via the inactive gas supply pipe 271.

[0206] The second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit) mainly consists of an inactive gas supply pipe 271 and a valve 272. Alternatively, the second inactive gas supply system may include a heat exchanger 275, which is connected to the first exhaust system.

[0207] Upstream of the heat exchanger 275, an inert gas supply pipe 273 can be connected. A valve 274 is installed in the inert gas supply pipe 273, and an inert gas supply source (not shown) is then located upstream of it. The inert gas supply source is used to supply the inert gas supply pipe 273 with an inert gas (e.g., N2, He, Ne, Ar, etc.) to flow within it; alternatively, a purge gas supply source 245b of the purge gas supply system 245 can be used.

[0208] The inactive gas replenishment system (inactive gas replenishment unit) capable of replenishing inactive gases mainly consists of an inactive gas replenishment pipe 273 and a valve 274. Alternatively, the inactive gas replenishment system can be incorporated into a second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply unit).

[0209] (Substrate processing process)

[0210] Next, the substrate processing steps using the second inactive gas supply system described above will be explained.

[0211] In the film formation step (S104) of the substrate processing process, similarly to the case in the first embodiment, with the substrate 200 present in the processing chamber 202, at least two processing gases (i.e., raw material gas and reactant gas) are alternately supplied to form a film on the surface of the substrate 200. In this case, in the gas exhaust system that exhausts gas from the processing chamber 202, at least two processing gases flow into the downstream section of the vacuum pump 224 (i.e., the exhaust pipe 222 further downstream of the vacuum pump 224).

[0212] If the processed gas flowing into the exhaust pipe 222 cools down, byproducts will be generated in the exhaust pipe 222 downstream of the vacuum pump 224. If byproducts are generated, they will accumulate in the exhaust pipe 222 between the vacuum pump 224 and the scrubber 225, increasing pressure loss. Therefore, there is a risk of a drop in the discharge pressure of the vacuum pump 224.

[0213] In this embodiment, to prevent the exhaust gas from condensing and clogging the exhaust pipe 222, the N2 gas, which is an inactive gas exhausted from the vacuum transport chamber 103, is heated by the heat exchanger 275. The heated N2 gas is then supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 downstream of the vacuum pump 224 via the inactive gas supply pipe 271. This prevents the exhaust gas from condensing within the exhaust pipe 222, suppressing the formation of byproducts and ensuring the discharge pressure of the vacuum pump 224. Furthermore, since the N2 gas supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 is reused from the N2 gas supplied to the vacuum transport chamber 103, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be reduced.

[0214] Specifically, in the substrate processing step, before processing the substrate 200 in the processing chamber 202, the heat exchanger 275 is operated. In this way, the N2 gas supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 can be heated before the exhaust gas from the processing chamber 202 passes through the vacuum pump 224, thereby reliably preventing the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust pipe 222 from condensing.

[0215] Then, in the film formation process (S104), as described in the first embodiment, with the substrate 200 present in the processing chamber 202, at least two processing gases (i.e., raw material gas and reactant gas) are alternately supplied to form a film on the surface of the substrate 200. Furthermore, in parallel with the supply of processing gas to the processing chamber 202, N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222. That is, in the exhaust pipe 222, the heated N2 gas is used to heat and dilute the processing gas exhausted from the processing chamber 202.

[0216] In this way, the heated N2 gas is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 in parallel with the supply of the treatment gas to the treatment chamber 202, ensuring that the supply times are consistent. For example, if the gas were supplied at different times, there would be a risk of condensation in the exhaust pipe 222 due to the low temperature of the treatment gas. In contrast, by synchronizing the supply times, the treatment gas is heated and diluted by the heated N2 gas, which more reliably prevents the exhaust gas from condensing.

[0217] Furthermore, if the treated gas can be diluted, then even when the treated gas contains flammable substances such as hydrogen, combustion and explosion can be prevented by dilution, thereby allowing the use of low-rigidity piping materials to construct the exhaust piping 222.

[0218] Furthermore, in the film-forming process (S104), as described in the first embodiment, at least two processing gases (i.e., raw material gas and reactant gas) are alternately supplied, and the processing chamber 202 is purged during the supply of each processing gas. Moreover, N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 in parallel with the purging of the processing chamber 202. That is, heated N2 gas is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 as a purging gas.

[0219] In this way, by supplying heated N2 gas to the exhaust pipe 222 in parallel with the purging chamber 202, not only the purging chamber 202 can be purged, but also the exhaust pipe 222 downstream of the vacuum pump 224 can be purged. Therefore, the processed gas discharged from the purging chamber 202 can be prevented from remaining as residual gas in the exhaust pipe 222, thereby preventing the exhaust gas from condensing in the exhaust pipe 222.

[0220] In addition, during the substrate loading and heating process (S102) performed before the film formation process (S104), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 can be supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 until the processing chamber 202 reaches the predetermined processing pressure (i.e., the pressure at which the substrate 200 is processed).

[0221] Furthermore, in the substrate removal process (S106) following the film formation process (S104), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 can be supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 until the processing chamber 202 reaches a predetermined pressure (i.e., the pressure at which the processed substrate 200 can be removed). In other words, in this case, the heated N2 gas can also be used for pressure adjustment within the exhaust pipe 222.

[0222] In this way, if the heated N2 gas is used for pressure adjustment in the exhaust pipe 222, it can prevent the residual gas from adhering firmly to the exhaust pipe 222, and at the same time, pressure adjustment can reliably prevent the gas from flowing back into the treatment chamber 202.

[0223] When multiple processing chambers 202 for processing the substrate 200 are provided, heated N2 gas can be supplied to the downstream portion of the processing chamber 202 that is in operation, and heated N2 gas is not supplied to the downstream portion of the processing chamber 202 that is not in operation.

[0224] In this way, if the supply of N2 gas to the multiple processing chambers 202 is switched according to the operating status of each processing chamber 202, the substrate processing process or cleaning process can be performed in parallel with the processing chambers 202 during maintenance downtime, achieving efficient use of the equipment. Moreover, since N2 gas is reused in the substrate processing process or cleaning process, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0225] (Effects of the implementation method)

[0226] According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are achieved.

[0227] (j) According to this embodiment, the second inactive gas supply system supplies N2 gas, which is an inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber, to the downstream part of the processing chamber 202. Therefore, while suppressing the generation of by-products in the exhaust pipe 222, the reuse of N2 gas can be realized, and as a result, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0228] (k) According to this embodiment, N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 downstream of the processing chamber 202. Therefore, the temperature drop of the exhaust gas in the exhaust pipe 222 can be suppressed, and condensation of the exhaust gas can be more reliably prevented. That is, condensation of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust pipe 222 can be reliably avoided, thereby suppressing the generation of byproducts in the exhaust pipe 222, and as a result, ensuring the discharge pressure of the vacuum pump 224.

[0229] (l) According to this embodiment, the heat exchanger 275 is operated in the processing chamber 202 before the processing substrate 200, so that the exhaust gas from the processing chamber 202 can be heated before passing through the vacuum pump 224, and the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust pipe 222 can be reliably prevented from condensing.

[0230] (m) According to this embodiment, in the film-forming process (S104), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 in parallel with the supply of processing gas to the processing chamber 202. In this way, by synchronizing the timing of the supply of processing gas to the processing chamber 202 with the supply of heated N2 gas to the exhaust pipe 222, the heated N2 gas can heat and dilute the processing gas, thus more reliably preventing exhaust gas condensation. Furthermore, if the processing gas can be diluted, the exhaust pipe 222 can be constructed using a pipe material with low rigidity.

[0231] (n) According to this embodiment, in the film-forming process (S104), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 in parallel with the purging chamber 202. In this way, not only the purging chamber 202 is purged, but also the exhaust pipe 222 downstream of the vacuum pump 224 is purged, thereby preventing the processed gas discharged from the purging chamber 202 from remaining as residual gas in the exhaust pipe 222, and thus preventing the exhaust gas from condensing in the exhaust pipe 222.

[0232] (o) According to this embodiment, in the substrate loading and heating process (S102), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 until the processing chamber 202 reaches the pressure required to process the substrate 200; or in the substrate unloading process (S106), N2 gas heated by the heat exchanger 275 is supplied to the exhaust pipe 222 until the processing chamber 202 reaches the pressure required to unload the substrate 200. In this way, the heated N2 gas is used for pressure adjustment within the exhaust pipe 222, thereby preventing residual gas from firmly adhering to the exhaust pipe 222.

[0233] (p) According to this embodiment, when multiple processing chambers 202 are provided, heated N2 gas is supplied to the downstream portion of the processing chamber 202 that is in operation, and heated N2 gas is not supplied to the downstream portion of the processing chamber 202 that is not in operation. In this way, if the supply of N2 gas to the multiple processing chambers 202 is switched according to the operating state of each processing chamber 202, the substrate processing process or cleaning process can be performed in parallel with the processing chambers 202 during maintenance downtime, and efficient use of the device can be achieved. Moreover, since N2 gas can be reused in the substrate processing process or cleaning process, the amount of N2 gas used (consumption) can be suppressed.

[0234] <Third Implementation Method>

[0235] Next, the third embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail. Here, the main focus will be on the differences from the first or second embodiment described above, and other points will be omitted.

[0236] In the substrate processing apparatus described in this embodiment, in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, a detection unit for detecting impurity concentration is provided in either the first exhaust system (first exhaust section) that exhausts gas from the transport chamber or the second inactive gas supply system (second inactive gas supply section) that supplies N2 gas as an inactive gas to the processing chamber 202 or the downstream part of the processing chamber 202. Figure 4 The detection sections 276a and 276d in the text refer to this detection section. Furthermore, Figure 7 The detection unit 276 in the text is this detection unit. The detection unit is, for example, an O2 sensor that detects the concentration of oxygen component (O2 component) as an impurity.

[0237] It is believed that the N2 gas supplied to the transport chamber (i.e., vacuum transport chamber 103 or preloading chambers 122, 123) contains oxygen. In particular, in the preloading chambers 122, 123, oxygen may be introduced as an impurity that can adversely affect the substrate processing when it is replaced with the atmosphere.

[0238] Therefore, in this embodiment, a detection unit is used to detect the impurity concentration of the N2 gas exhausted from the transport chamber or the N2 gas supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion. In this way, the degree of impurities (oxygen content) contained in the N2 gas to be supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion can be quantitatively determined.

[0239] Furthermore, when the impurity concentration detected by the detection unit is above a predetermined value, the second inactive gas supply system that supplies N2 gas to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream section ceases to supply it. Here, the predetermined value, which serves as the judgment criterion, is a value equivalent to the impurity concentration that adversely affects the substrate processing, and is a predetermined value. By not supplying N2 gas when the impurity concentration is above the predetermined value, the generation of waste substrate 200 as a result of substrate processing in the processing chamber 202 can be avoided in advance.

[0240] Furthermore, when the impurity concentration detected by the detection unit is above a predetermined value, N2 gas can be supplied from the inactive gas replenishment unit, which can replenish N2 gas, without supplying N2 gas. That is, for the N2 gas exhausted from the transport chamber, since the impurity concentration is above the predetermined value, it is not supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion. On the other hand, the inactive gas replenishment pipe 273 is connected to the inactive gas supply pipe 271. Since N2 gas can be replenished from the inactive gas replenishment pipe 273, the N2 gas replenished from the inactive gas replenishment pipe 273 is supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion instead of the N2 gas exhausted from the transport chamber. In this way, the generation of waste substrate 200 can be avoided in advance, and the substrate processing in the processing chamber 202 can continue using the N2 gas replenished from the inactive gas replenishment pipe 273. As a result, the yield of substrate processing of substrate 200 can be expected to be improved.

[0241] According to the above-described embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first or second embodiment, the following effects are also achieved.

[0242] (q) According to this embodiment, by having a detection unit that detects impurity concentration, the amount of impurities (oxygen content) contained in the N2 gas to be supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion can be quantitatively determined. Therefore, for example, by not supplying N2 gas when the impurity concentration is above a predetermined value, the generation of waste substrates 200 as a result of substrate processing in the processing chamber 202 can be avoided beforehand. Furthermore, for example, when the impurity concentration is above a predetermined value, instead of the N2 gas exhausted from the transport chamber, N2 gas supplied from the inactive gas supply pipe 273 is supplied to the processing chamber 202 or its downstream portion, thereby preventing the generation of waste substrates 200 beforehand, while allowing substrate processing within the processing chamber 202 to continue, and an improvement in the yield of substrates 200 can be expected.

[0243] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0244] The above describes in detail the various embodiments of this disclosure, but this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0245] For example, in the above embodiments, regarding the film formation process performed by the substrate processing apparatus, an example is the formation of a SiN film on the substrate 200 by alternately supplying DCS gas as the first element containing gas (first gas) and NH3 gas as the second element containing gas (second gas), but this disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the processing gas used in the film formation process is not limited to DCS gas, NH3 gas, etc., and other types of gases can be used to form other types of thin films. Furthermore, even if three or more processing gases are used, this disclosure can be applied as long as these gases are supplied alternately for the film formation process. Specifically, the first element may not be Si, but various elements such as Ti, Zr, Hf, etc. Furthermore, the second element may not be N, but such as O, etc.

[0246] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiments, film formation processing is exemplified as the processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus, but this disclosure is not limited to this. That is, this disclosure is applicable not only to the film formation processing exemplified in each embodiment, but also to film formation processing other than thin films exemplified in each embodiment. Furthermore, regardless of the specific content of the substrate processing, it is applicable not only to film formation processing, but also to other substrate processing such as annealing, diffusion, oxidation, nitriding, and photolithography. Moreover, this disclosure is also applicable to other substrate processing apparatuses, such as annealing apparatuses, etching apparatuses, oxidation apparatuses, nitriding apparatuses, exposure apparatuses, coating apparatuses, drying apparatuses, heating apparatuses, plasma processing apparatuses, and other substrate processing apparatuses. Furthermore, these apparatuses can be combined in this disclosure. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of one embodiment can be incorporated into the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, other configurations can be added, removed, or replaced for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: Processing chamber for processing substrates, A processing gas supply unit that supplies processing gas to the processing chamber. A transport room that can communicate with the processing room. A first inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas to the transport chamber. A first exhaust section that exhausts air from the transport chamber, and The inactive gas discharged from the first exhaust section is supplied to the processing chamber or a second inactive gas supply section downstream of the processing chamber. The downstream portion of the processing chamber is an exhaust pipe for the processing chamber, disposed between an exhaust pump and a purging device. The exhaust pump exhausts gas from the processing chamber, and the purging device purifies the exhaust gas discharged by the exhaust pump. The second inactive gas supply unit is provided with a heating unit for heating the inactive gas supplied to the processing chamber via an exhaust pipe.

2. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, It has a filter disposed downstream of the first exhaust section. The first exhaust section is connected to the second inactive gas supply section via the filter.

3. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, With a substrate present in the processing chamber, the processing gas supply unit alternately supplies at least two types of processing gases. While purging the processing gas supplied to the processing chamber, or in parallel with the processing gas supply by the processing gas supply unit, the second inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas.

4. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The second inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas before the substrate is processed in the processing chamber until the processing chamber reaches the pressure required to process the substrate, or after the substrate is processed in the processing chamber until the processing chamber reaches the pressure required to remove the substrate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, It has a cleaning gas supply unit that supplies cleaning gas to the processing chamber. When there is no substrate in the processing chamber, the cleaning gas supply unit supplies cleaning gas. In parallel with the supply of clean gas by the clean gas supply unit, the second inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas.

6. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Multiple processing chambers are provided. The second inactive gas supply unit is capable of supplying inactive gas to multiple processing chambers, supplying inactive gas to the processing chambers that are in operation, and not supplying inactive gas to the processing chambers that are not in operation.

7. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The second inactive gas supply unit is provided with an inactive gas replenishment unit capable of replenishing inactive gas.

8. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The first exhaust section is provided with an inactive gas exhaust pipe for venting inactive gases.

9. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The heating section is a heating section that heats the heat exchanger or piping.

10. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The heating unit is operated before the substrate is processed by the substrate processing apparatus.

11. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, With a substrate present in the processing chamber, the processing gas supply unit supplies processing gas. In parallel with the processing gas supply provided by the processing gas supply unit, the second inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas heated by the heating unit to the exhaust pipe for the processing chamber.

12. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, At least two types of processing gases are alternately supplied to the processing chamber by the processing gas supply unit, and the processing chamber is purged between the supply of the two types of processing gases. In parallel with the purging, the second inactive gas supply unit supplies the inactive gas heated by the heating unit to the exhaust pipe of the processing chamber.

13. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Before the substrate is processed in the processing chamber until the processing chamber reaches the pressure required to process the substrate, or after the substrate is processed in the processing chamber until the processing chamber reaches the pressure required to remove the substrate, the second inactive gas supply unit supplies inactive gas heated by the heating unit to the exhaust pipe of the processing chamber.

14. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Multiple processing chambers are provided. The second inactive gas supply unit is capable of supplying inactive gas to the downstream parts of the plurality of processing chambers, supplying inactive gas to the downstream parts of the processing chambers that are in operation, and not supplying inactive gas to the downstream parts of the processing chambers that are not in operation.

15. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, A detection unit for detecting impurity concentration is provided in either the first exhaust section or the second inactive gas supply section.

16. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein, When the concentration detected by the detection unit is above a predetermined value, the second inactive gas supply unit does not supply inactive gas.

17. The substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein, When the concentration detected by the detection unit is above a predetermined value, the second inactive gas supply unit does not supply inactive gas, and instead supplies inactive gas from the inactive gas replenishment unit that can replenish inactive gas.

18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: The process of supplying inactive gas to a transport chamber that can communicate with the processing chamber of the substrate. The process of exhausting the atmosphere from the transport chamber. The process of supplying inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber to the processing chamber or a downstream portion of the processing chamber, and In the process of processing the substrate in the processing chamber, The downstream portion of the processing chamber is an exhaust pipe for the processing chamber, disposed between an exhaust pump and a purging device. The exhaust pump exhausts gas from the processing chamber, and the purging device purifies the exhaust gas discharged by the exhaust pump. In the process of supplying inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber, heated inactive gas is supplied to the processing chamber through an exhaust pipe.

19. A recording medium having a program recorded thereon that causes a substrate processing apparatus to perform the following process via a computer: The process of supplying inactive gas to a transport chamber that can communicate with the processing chamber of the processing substrate. The process of exhausting the atmosphere from the transport chamber. The process of supplying inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber to the processing chamber or a downstream portion of the processing chamber, and During the process of processing the substrate in the processing chamber, The downstream portion of the processing chamber is an exhaust pipe for the processing chamber, disposed between an exhaust pump and a purging device. The exhaust pump exhausts gas from the processing chamber, and the purging device purifies the exhaust gas discharged by the exhaust pump. During the supply of inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber, heated inactive gas is supplied to the processing chamber via an exhaust pipe.

20. A substrate processing method, comprising: The process of supplying inactive gas to a transport chamber that can communicate with the processing chamber of the substrate. The process of exhausting the atmosphere from the transport chamber. The process of supplying inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber to the processing chamber or a downstream portion of the processing chamber, and In the process of processing the substrate in the processing chamber, The downstream portion of the processing chamber is an exhaust pipe for the processing chamber, disposed between an exhaust pump and a purging device. The exhaust pump exhausts gas from the processing chamber, and the purging device purifies the exhaust gas discharged by the exhaust pump. In the process of supplying inactive gas discharged from the transport chamber, heated inactive gas is supplied to the processing chamber through an exhaust pipe.

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