Substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, substrate processing apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

In order to improve step coverage of a film formed in a pattern formation on a substrate, the following processes are performed: a process of housing a substrate holder in a processing chamber, the substrate holder having a substrate support member that supports a substrate and a partition plate support member that supports an upper partition plate configured at an upper portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a first gas supply process of making a distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a first interval and supplying a first gas to the substrate from a gas supply port; and a second gas supply process of making a distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a second interval and supplying a second gas to the substrate from the gas supply port.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method of processing a substrate in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a heat treatment of a substrate (wafer) in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, the substrate is held by a substrate holder, and the substrate holder is carried into a processing chamber. Thereafter, a processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber in a state where the processing chamber is heated, and a thin film formation process is performed on the substrate. For example, it is described in Patent Literature 1 that when a nitride film is formed on a pattern including a recess formed on a surface of a substrate, a raw material gas is supplied and a first layer is nitrided to form an NH terminal, a part thereof is modified to an N terminal by plasma treatment, and the above process is repeated to improve embedding properties based on the nitride film in the recess.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-186174 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of improving step coverage of a film formed on a pattern formed on a substrate.

[0008] SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, for example, there is provided a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including: a process of housing a substrate holder in a processing chamber, the substrate holder having a substrate support member that supports a substrate and a partition plate support member that supports an upper partition plate configured at an upper portion of the substrate supported by the substrate support member; a first gas supply process of causing a distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate to be a first interval and supplying a first gas to the substrate from a gas supply port; and a second gas supply process of causing the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate to be a second interval and supplying a second gas to the substrate from the gas supply port.

[0010] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve step coverage of a pattern formed on a substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1is a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber and a storage chamber in a state in which a boat on which a substrate is mounted is carried into a transfer chamber, which can be appropriately applied to the substrate processing apparatus of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber and a storage chamber in a state in which a boat on which a substrate is mounted is carried into a transfer chamber, which can be appropriately applied to the substrate processing apparatus of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate and a partition plate indicating a gap between the substrate and the partition plate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 is a graph indicating a distribution of a concentration of a material gas on a surface of a substrate when a gap between the substrate and a partition plate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure is switched.

[0016] Figure 5 is a graph in which a distribution of a concentration of a material gas on a surface of a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure is visualized, and indicates a distribution of a concentration of a material gas on a surface of a substrate when a gap between the substrate and a partition plate is set to be wider as indicated in (c) of Figure 3 is a perspective view of a substrate indicating a distribution of a concentration of a material gas on a surface of the substrate when the gap between the substrate and the partition plate is set to be wider as indicated in (c) of

[0017] Figure 6 is a block diagram indicating a configuration example of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7A is a flowchart indicating an outline of a semiconductor device manufacturing process of Example 1.

[0019] Figure 7B is a detailed flowchart indicating details of step S705 of the flowchart of Figure 7A

[0020] Figure 8 is a table indicating a process recipe list of a process recipe example which is read into a CPU of a substrate processing apparatus of Example 1.

[0021] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a pattern of a trench structure formed in a substrate which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a pattern of a trench structure formed in a substrate which can be appropriately applied to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and illustrates a state in which a Si-containing layer is formed on a surface of the substrate inside the pattern of the trench structure.

[0023] ​Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a pattern of a substrate-formed trench structure which can be appropriately applied in one aspect of the present disclosure, and shows a state where a first layer formed of a substrate inside the pattern of the substrate-formed trench structure is formed.

[0024] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a pattern of a substrate-formed trench structure which can be appropriately applied in one aspect of the present disclosure, and shows a state where a first layer formed of a substrate inside the pattern of the trench structure is formed.

[0025] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a pattern of a substrate-formed trench structure which can be appropriately applied in one aspect of the present disclosure, and shows a state where a first layer formed of a substrate inside the pattern of the trench structure is formed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] With respect to the present disclosure, a film is formed on a pattern formed on a substrate by switching the interval between a partition plate and the substrate and switching the kind of gas supplied in film formation processing using a substrate processing apparatus, thereby being able to form a film with good step coverage with respect to the pattern, the substrate processing apparatus including: a boat on which a plurality of substrates are placed; a plurality of partition plates which are independently constituted from the boat and disposed on the upper portions of the respective substrates placed on the boat; and a lifting mechanism which changes the positional relationship in the vertical direction between the substrates and the partition plates.

[0027] One aspect of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing used to describe the present embodiment, the same symbols are attached to parts having the same function, and repeated description is omitted in principle. Furthermore, each drawing used in the following description is a schematic view, and the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, and the like shown in the drawing can not necessarily be actual. In addition, the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, and the like can not necessarily be consistent between each drawing.

[0028] However, the present disclosure is not limited to the description of the following embodiments. Changes to the specific structure can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the idea or spirit of the present disclosure.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 One aspect of the present disclosure will be described.

[0030] [Substrate processing apparatus 100]

[0031] The substrate processing apparatus 100 is provided with a cylindrical reaction tube 110 extending in the vertical direction, a heater 101 serving as a heating section (furnace body) provided on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 110, and a nozzle 120 for gas supply that constitutes a gas supply section. The heater 101 is constituted by a zone heater that is divided into a plurality of blocks in the up-down direction and can set the temperature corresponding to each block.

[0032] The reaction tube 110 is formed of, for example, a material such as quartz, SiC, or the like. The inside of the reaction tube 110 is exhausted by an exhaust unit not shown by an exhaust pipe 130 that constitutes an exhaust section. The inside of the reaction tube 110 is hermetically sealed with respect to the outside atmosphere by a unit not shown.

[0033] Here, even if configured to have a second reaction tube inside the reaction tube 110, the technology of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0034] The nozzle for gas supply (hereinafter also simply referred to as nozzle) 120 is formed with a plurality of holes 121 that supply gas to the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0035] The raw material gas, reaction gas, and inert gas (carrier gas) are introduced into the inside of the reaction tube 110 through the plurality of holes 121 formed in the nozzle for gas supply 120.

[0036] The raw material gas, reaction gas, and inert gas (carrier gas) are respectively adjusted in flow rate by a mass flow controller (MFC) not shown from a raw material gas supply source, a reaction gas supply source, and an inert gas supply source not shown and supplied to the inside of the reaction tube 110 from the plurality of holes 121 formed in the nozzle 120.

[0037] The inside of the reaction tube 110 is vacuum-exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130 formed in the header 111 by an exhaust unit not shown.

[0038] [Chamber 180]

[0039] The chamber 180 is provided at the lower portion of the reaction tube 110 via the header 111 and is provided with a housing chamber 500. Inside the housing chamber 500, the substrate 10 can be placed (mounted) on the substrate support 300 via the substrate loading port 310 by a transfer robot not shown or extracted from the substrate support 300 by the transfer robot.

[0040] Here, the chamber 180 is constituted by a metal material such as SUS (stainless steel) or Al (aluminum), or the like.

[0041] Inside the chamber 180, there are a substrate support 300, a partition plate support portion 200, and a vertical direction driving mechanism portion 400 that drives the substrate support 300 and the partition plate support portion 200 (these are collectively referred to as a substrate holder) in the vertical direction and the rotational direction, which constitute a first driving portion.

[0042] [Substrate support portion]

[0043] The substrate support portion is constituted by at least the substrate support 300, and a substrate 10 is moved in and out through a substrate loading / unloading port 310 by a not-shown transfer robot inside a housing chamber 500, or is carried into the inside of a reaction tube 110, and a process of forming a thin film on the surface of the substrate 10 is performed. Further, it is also conceivable to include the partition plate support portion 200 in the substrate support portion.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the partition plate support portion 200 fixes a plurality of circular plate-shaped partition plates 203 at predetermined intervals to a support column 202 that is supported between a base 201 and a top plate 204. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the substrate support 300 has a structure in which a plurality of support rods 302 are supported at the base 301, and a plurality of substrates 10 are supported at predetermined intervals by the plurality of support rods 302.

[0045] A plurality of substrates 10 are placed at predetermined intervals in the substrate support 300 by the plurality of support rods 302 supported by the base 301. The plurality of substrates 10 supported by the support rods 302 are partitioned by the circular plate-shaped partition plates 203 that are fixed (supported) at predetermined intervals to the support column 202 supported by the partition plate support portion 200. Here, the partition plates 203 are disposed on either one or both of the upper and lower portions of the substrates 10.

[0046] The predetermined intervals of the plurality of substrates 10 placed in the substrate support 300 are the same as the intervals of the upper and lower portions of the partition plates 203 fixed to the partition plate support portion 200. In addition, the diameter of the partition plates 203 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the substrates 10.

[0047] The substrate support 300 supports a plurality of, for example, 5 to 50, substrates 10 in multiple layers in the vertical direction by the plurality of support rods 302. The intervals of the upper and lower portions of the substrates 10 supported in multiple layers in the vertical direction are set to, for example, about 40 to 70 mm. The base 301 and the plurality of support rods 302 that constitute the substrate support 300 are formed of, for example, quartz, SiC, or the like. In addition, the partition plates 203 of the partition plate support portion 200 are also referred to as spacers.

[0048] The partition plate support 200 and the substrate support 300 are driven by the up-down drive mechanism 400 in the up-down direction between the reaction tube 110 and the storage chamber 500, and in the rotation direction around the center of the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support 300.

[0049] The vertical drive mechanism 400 constituting the first drive unit Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive source includes: a vertical drive motor 410, a rotary drive motor 430, and a crystal boat lifting mechanism 420, which includes a linear actuator that drives the substrate support 300 in the vertical direction as a substrate support lifting mechanism.

[0050] The up-and-down drive motor 410, which serves as the lifting mechanism for the partition plate support, rotates the ball screw 411, causing the nut 412, which is screwed onto the ball screw 412, to move up and down along the ball screw 412. This allows the partition plate support 200 and the substrate support 300, together with the base plate 402 to which the nut 412 is fixed, to move vertically between the reaction tube 110 and the receiving chamber 500. The base plate 402 is also fixed to the ball guide rail 415, which engages with the guide shaft 414, and is structured to move smoothly vertically along the guide shaft 414. The upper and lower ends of the ball screw 411 and the guide shaft 414 are fixed to the fixing plates 413 and 416, respectively. Alternatively, the lifting mechanism for the partition plate support may include components that transmit power to the up-and-down drive motor 410.

[0051] A rotary drive motor 430 and a boat-mounting mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator constitute the second drive unit. A base flange 401, which serves as the cover, is fixed to the base plate 402 and supported by a side plate 403. The side plate 403 helps to suppress the diffusion of dust particles emitted from the mounting mechanism, the rotary mechanism, etc. The cover is cylindrical or columnar in shape. A hole communicating with the transfer chamber is provided in a part of the cover shape or on the bottom surface. The communicating hole allows the interior of the cover shape to be configured with the same pressure as the transfer chamber.

[0052] Alternatively, a support column can be used instead of side plate 403. In this case, maintenance of the upper and lower mechanisms and the rotating mechanism is easier.

[0053] A rotary drive motor 430 drives a rotary transmission belt 432, which engages with a toothed portion 431 mounted on the front end of the rotary drive motor 430, thereby rotating the support member 440 that engages with the rotary transmission belt 432. The support member 440 supports the partition plate support portion 200 at the base 201 and is driven by the rotary drive motor 430 via the rotary transmission belt 432, thereby causing the partition plate support portion 200 and the substrate support member 300 to rotate.

[0054] The support member 440 is separated from the inner cylinder portion 4011 of the base flange 401 by a vacuum seal 444, and the lower portion of the support member 440 is guided by a bearing 445 so as to be rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder portion 4011 of the base flange 401.

[0055] The wafer boat up-down mechanism 420 having a linear actuator drives the shaft 421 in the up-down direction. The plate 422 is installed at the front end portion of the shaft 421. The plate 422 is connected to the support portion 441 via a bearing 423, and the support portion 441 is fixed to the base portion 301 of the wafer boat 300. The support portion 441 is connected to the plate 422 via the bearing 423, so that when the partition plate support portion 200 is rotationally driven by the rotation drive motor 430, the wafer boat support member 300 can also be rotated together with the partition plate support portion 200.

[0056] On the other hand, the support portion 441 is supported by the support member 440 via a linear guide bearing 442. With this structure, when the shaft 421 is driven in the up-down direction by the wafer boat up-down mechanism 420 having a linear actuator, the support portion 441 fixed to the wafer boat support member 300 can be relatively driven in the up-down direction with respect to the support member 440 fixed to the partition plate support portion 200.

[0057] By making the support member 440 and the support portion 441 concentric, the structure of the rotation mechanism using the rotation drive motor 430 can be simplified. In addition, it is easy to perform synchronization control of the rotation of the wafer boat support member 300 and the partition plate support portion 200.

[0058] However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the support member 440 and the support portion 441 can also be arranged non-concentrically.

[0059] The support member 440 fixed to the partition plate support portion 200 and the support portion 441 fixed to the wafer boat support member 300 are connected by a vacuum bellows 443.

[0060] An O-ring 446 for vacuum sealing is provided on the upper surface of the base flange 401 as a cover, and is driven by the up-down drive motor 410 so as to raise the upper surface of the base flange 401 to a position at which the chamber 180 is pressed, so that the inside of the reaction tube 110 can be kept airtight. Figure 2

[0061] Furthermore, the O-ring 446 for vacuum sealing is not necessary, and the inside of the reaction tube 110 can be kept airtight by pressing the upper surface of the base flange 401 to the chamber 180 without using the O-ring 446 for vacuum sealing. Furthermore, the vacuum bellows 443 is not necessarily provided.​

[0062] In the above-described structure, the substrate support portion is inserted into the inside of the reaction tube 110 with the upper surface of the base flange 401 raised to be in pressure contact with the chamber 180 by driving the upper and lower driving motors 410, and in this state, the raw material gas, or the reaction gas, or the inert gas (carrier gas) is introduced into the inside of the reaction tube 110 through the plurality of holes 121 formed in the gas supply nozzle 120. Figure 2

[0063] The pitch of the plurality of holes 121 formed in the gas supply nozzle 120 is the same as the interval between the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 10 placed on the boat 300 and the interval between the upper and lower surfaces of the partition plate 203 fixed on the partition plate support portion 200. Further, it can be configured that a plurality of nozzles are inserted from the lateral direction (horizontal direction with respect to the substrate 10) to supply gas to a plurality of substrates 10, respectively.

[0064] Here, in the state where the upper surface of the base flange 401 is in pressure contact with the chamber 180, the position of the partition plate 203 fixed on the support 202 of the partition plate support portion 200 in the height direction is fixed, and in contrast, the boat up and down mechanism 420 provided with a linear actuator is driven to actuate the support portion 441 fixed on the base portion 301 of the substrate support member 300 in the up and down directions, so that the position of the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support member 300 with respect to the height direction of the partition plate 203 can be changed. Since the position of the holes 121 formed in the gas supply nozzle 120 is also fixed, the position (relative position) of the substrate 10 supported by the boat 300 with respect to the holes 121 can also be changed.

[0065] That is, with respect to the reference positional relationship of the conveyance as shown in (a) of FIG. 10, the position of the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support member 300 is adjusted in the up and down directions by driving the boat up and down mechanism 420 provided with a linear actuator, so that the positional relationship between the holes 121 formed in the nozzle 120 and the partition plate 203 can be as follows: as shown in (b) of FIG. 10, the position of the substrate 10 is higher than the conveyance point (start position) 10-1 to narrow the gap G1 between the substrate 10 and the upper partition plate 2032, or as shown in (c) of FIG. 10, the position of the substrate 10 is lower than the conveyance point (start position) 10-1 to expand the gap G2 between the substrate 10 and the upper partition plate 2032. Figure 3 Figure 3 Figure 3

[0066] By thus changing the position of the substrate 10 with respect to the holes 121 formed in the nozzle 120, the positional relationship between the gas stream 122 ejected from the holes 121 and the substrate 10 can be changed.

[0067] For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 10, the position of the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support member 300 is higher than the conveyance point (start position) 10-1, so that the gap G1 between the substrate 10 and the upper partition plate 2032 is narrowed.​​​​Figure 3 the state in which the position of the substrate 10 is raised to narrow the gap G1 from the partition plate 2032 on the upper side, and the state in which the position of the substrate 10 is lowered to expand the gap G2 from the partition plate 2032 on the upper side as shown in (c) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the in-plane distribution of the film formed on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 are shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 6, respectively. Figure 3 Figure 4

[0068] In (b) of FIG. 6, the point column 510 shown by Narrow indicates the state in which the position of the substrate 10 is raised to narrow the gap G1 from the partition plate 2032 on the upper side, and the film is formed in a state in which the substrate 10 is higher than the position of the gas flow 122 ejected from the hole 121. At this time, a thicker film is formed in the peripheral portion of the substrate 10, and a concave film thickness distribution in which the film formed in the central portion of the substrate 10 is thinner than the peripheral portion is formed. Figure 4 Figure 3 On the other hand, the point column 521 shown by Wide indicates the state in which the position of the substrate 10 is lowered to expand the gap G2 from the partition plate 2032 on the upper side, and the film is formed in a state in which the substrate 10 is lower than the position of the gas flow 122 ejected from the hole 121. At this time, a convex film thickness distribution in which the central portion of the substrate 10 is formed with a thicker film than the peripheral portion is formed.

[0069] Thus, it is found that the in-plane distribution of the thin film formed on the surface of the substrate 10 is changed by changing the position of the substrate 10. Figure 3

[0070] As shown in (b) of FIG. 6, when the relationship of the substrate 10 with the partition plate 2032 and the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 is set to the positional relationship of (b) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the distribution of the gas partial pressure on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the direction of the arrow 611 are shown.

[0071] Figure 5 As shown in (b) of FIG. 6, when the relationship of the substrate 10 with the partition plate 2032 and the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 is set to the positional relationship of (b) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the distribution of the gas partial pressure on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the direction of the arrow 611 are shown. Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 As shown in (b) of FIG. 6, when the relationship of the substrate 10 with the partition plate 2032 and the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 is set to the positional relationship of (b) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the distribution of the gas partial pressure on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the direction of the arrow 611 are shown.

[0072] As shown in (b) of FIG. 6, when the relationship of the substrate 10 with the partition plate 2032 and the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 is set to the positional relationship of (b) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the distribution of the gas partial pressure on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the direction of the arrow 611 are shown. Figure 5 Figure 3 As shown in (b) of FIG. 6, when the relationship of the substrate 10 with the partition plate 2032 and the hole 121 formed in the nozzle 120 is set to the positional relationship of (b) of FIG. 6, the results of simulation of the distribution of the gas partial pressure on the surface of the substrate 10 when gas is supplied from the direction of the arrow 611 are shown.​​​​​​​

[0073] In this state, the rotation drive motor 430 drives the rotation drive support 440, thereby rotating the partition plate support 200 and the substrate support 300, and causing the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support 300 to rotate, thereby reducing the circumferential film thickness deviation (film thickness distribution) of the substrate 10.

[0074] [Controller]

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 100 is connected to a controller 260 that controls the operation of each part.

[0076] The controller 260 is summarized as follows: Figure 6 As shown. The control unit (control unit), i.e., the controller 260, is composed of a computer, which includes: a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 260a, RAM (Random Access Memory) 260b, a storage device 260c, and an input / output port (I / O port) 260d. The RAM 260b, storage device 260c, and I / O port 260d are configured to exchange data with the CPU 260a via an internal bus 260e. The controller 260 is configured to connect to an input / output device 261, such as a touch panel, and an external storage device 262.

[0077] The storage device 260c is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage device 260c stores in a readable manner: control programs for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, process recipes recording substrate processing steps or conditions (described later), and databases, etc.

[0078] Furthermore, the process formulation is combined to enable the controller 260 to perform the various steps in the substrate processing steps described later to obtain a predetermined result and functions as a program.

[0079] Hereinafter, the program recipe, control program, etc., will be collectively referred to as a program. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "program" has the following meanings: referring only to the program recipe itself; referring only to the control program itself; or referring to both. Additionally, RAM260b consists of a storage area (working area) that temporarily stores programs, data, etc., read by CPU260a.

[0080] The I / O port 260d is connected to the substrate loading port 310, the up-down driving motor 410, the boat up-down mechanism 420 provided with a linear actuator, the rotation driving motor 430, the heater 101, a mass flow controller (not shown), a temperature regulator (not shown), a vacuum pump (not shown), and the like.

[0081] Further, in the present disclosure, the meaning of "connection" includes connecting each part with a physical cable, and also includes being able to directly or indirectly transmit / receive signals (electronic data) of each part. For example, a device that relays signals, a device that transforms or operates signals can be provided between each part.

[0082] The CPU 260a is configured to be able to read and execute a control program from the storage device 260c, and to be able to read a process recipe from the storage device 260c according to an operation instruction or the like input from the controller 260. Further, the CPU 260a is configured to be able to control the opening / closing operation of the substrate loading port 310, the driving of the up-down driving motor 410, the driving of the boat up-down mechanism 420 and 1240 provided with a linear actuator, the rotation operation of the rotation driving motor 430, the operation of supplying power to the heater 101, and the like, in accordance with the content of the read process recipe.

[0083] Further, the controller 260 is not limited to being constituted by a dedicated computer, and can be constituted by a general-purpose computer. For example, an external storage device (for example, a magnetic tape, a disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk or a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, an optical magnetic disk such as an MO, a USB memory, a semiconductor memory such as an SSD or a memory card) 262 that stores the above-described program can be prepared, and the controller 260 of the present embodiment can be constituted by a general-purpose computer or the like by installing the program in the general-purpose computer or the like using the external storage device 262.

[0084] Further, the method for providing a program to a computer is not limited to the case of providing by the external storage device 262. For example, a program can be provided using a communication method such as a network 263 (the Internet, a dedicated line) instead of the external storage device 262. Further, the storage device 260c and the external storage device 262 are constituted by a storage medium that is readable by a computer. These will also be simply referred to collectively as a storage medium below. Further, in the present specification, the meaning of the term "storage medium" includes only the storage device 260c itself, only the external storage device 262 itself, or both.

[0085] [Substrate processing step (film forming step)]

[0086] Next, the use of the film forming method by Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 to Figure 13 will be described below. Figure 1 and Figure 2The illustrated substrate processing apparatus performs a substrate processing process (film formation process) of forming a film on a substrate.

[0087] The present disclosure is applicable to both a film formation process and an etching process as a process of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (device), and is applicable to a process of forming a pattern 1210 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a trench 1210) of a trench structure on a substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 12A. Figure 9 A first layer 1220 is formed on the surface of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure as shown in FIG. 12B. In addition, the first layer contains elements contained in a raw material gas. Then, the first layer reacts with a reaction gas to form a second layer 1221 having an NH terminal on the surface as shown in FIG. 12C. In addition, the second layer contains elements contained in the raw material gas and elements contained in the reaction gas. In addition, it becomes a structure in which a Cl terminal 1230 is formed at a part of the NH terminal as shown in FIG. 12D. Thereafter, a new third layer 1222 is formed on the second layer 1221 having the NH terminal on the surface and a part of which is covered with the Cl terminal 1230 as shown in FIG. 12E. In addition, the third layer contains elements contained in the raw material gas. In addition, a method in which the NH terminal is formed on the surface thereof, the Cl terminal is formed at a part of the NH terminal, and the process is repeatedly performed a predetermined number of times is described. Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13

[0088] The process of forming a film containing Si on a substrate and the process of forming an NH terminal, a Cl terminal, or the like on the surface of the formed film are performed inside the reaction tube 110 of the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above. As described above, the execution of the manufacturing process is realized by the program execution of the CPU 260a of the controller 260. Figure 6

[0089] For the substrate processing process (manufacturing process of a semiconductor device) of the present embodiment, first, the upper surface of the base flange 401 is raised to be in pressure contact with the chamber 180 and the substrate support portion is inserted into the inside of the reaction tube 110 by driving the up-down driving motor 410 as shown in FIG. 13A. Figure 2

[0090] Next, in this state, the shaft 421 is driven in the up-down direction by the wafer boat up-down mechanism 420 provided with a linear actuator, from the initial state shown in (a) of FIG. 14, to the state shown in (b) of FIG. 14. Figure 3 Figure 3 ​​​​​​​The substrate 10 is lowered to a position lower than the conveyance point (start position) 10-1, and the interval between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is expanded, so that the height (interval) of the substrate 10 on which the boat 300 is placed with respect to the partition plate 203 is set to the interval G2. By setting the position of the substrate 10 to a position lower than the hole 121 for supplying the gas provided in the nozzle 120, the height (interval between the partition plate 203 and the substrate 10) of the substrate 10 with respect to the partition plate 203 is adjusted to a first desired value.

[0091] In this state, (a) a process of supplying a raw material gas to the substrate 10 housed in the inside of the reaction tube 110 from the nozzle 120 for supplying the gas, and forming a Si-containing layer on the surface of the substrate 10 and in the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, and (b) a process of removing the residual gas containing the raw material gas from the inside of the reaction tube 110 are performed.

[0092] The Si-containing layer is formed on the surface of the substrate 10 by supplying the raw material gas. At this time, since the interval G2 between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is set to be large, the flow rate of the raw material gas flowing between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is slow. As a result, the raw material gas is supplied to the vicinity of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, and a first layer 1220 is formed on the surface of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure containing the pattern 1210 of the trench structure as shown in FIG. 12B. Figure 10 The first layer contains the elements contained in the raw material gas.

[0093] Next, in a state where the interval between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is maintained to be G2, (c) a process of supplying a reaction gas to the substrate 10 housed in the inside of the reaction tube 110 from the nozzle 120 for supplying the gas, and reacting with the first layer 1220 formed by the raw material gas, and (d) a process of removing the residual gas containing the reaction gas from the inside of the reaction tube 110 are performed.

[0094] The reaction gas is supplied to the surface of the substrate 10 on which the first layer 1220 is formed in a heated state, and reacts with the first layer 1220, so that a second layer 1221 having an NH terminal is formed on the surface of the first layer 1220. The second layer contains the elements contained in the raw material gas and the elements contained in the reaction gas.

[0095] At this time, the interval between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is maintained to be the same interval G2 as when the raw material gas is supplied, and therefore, as in the case of the raw material gas, in the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, the reaction gas is supplied to the vicinity of the bottom 1212, and a second layer 1221 having an NH terminal is formed on the surface of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure as shown in FIG. 12D. Figure 10As shown, NH ends are also formed on the surface of the first layer 1220 formed on the surface of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 containing the groove structure.

[0096] Next, while raising the substrate 10 to a position higher than the transport point (starting position) 10-1 and keeping the gap between the substrate 10 and the separator 203 as narrower than G2 (G1), the following steps are performed: (e) supplying film-forming barrier gas to the substrate 10 from the gas supply nozzle 120 to replace a portion of the NH ends formed on the surface of the first layer 1220 formed by the raw material gas with Cl ends 1230; and (f) removing residual gas containing the reaction gas from the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0097] At this time, the interval between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is set to G1, which is narrower than the interval G2 when the raw material gas and the reaction gas are supplied, thus slowing down the flow rate of the film-forming barrier gas flowing between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203.

[0098] Therefore, as Figure 12 As shown, Cl ends 1230 are formed on the surface of the substrate 10 and near the entrance 1211 of the trench structure pattern 1210. On the other hand, due to the high flow rate, the film-forming barrier gas does not reach the bottom 1212 of the trench structure pattern 1210, and Cl ends 1230 are not formed at or near the bottom 1212 of the trench structure pattern, resulting in the exposure of NH ends.

[0099] The Cl-terminal 1230 acts as a film-forming inhibition layer (adsorption inhibition layer), i.e., an inhibitor, relative to the third layer 1222 formed by the feed gas. As a result, when the third layer 1222 is formed on the surface of the substrate 10 including the portion where the Cl-terminal 1230 is formed, the film-forming rate of the third layer 1222 in the portion where the Cl-terminal 1230 is formed is slower compared to the portion where the second layer 1221 is exposed without the Cl-terminal 1230. Furthermore, the third layer contains elements contained in the feed gas.

[0100] In addition, the film-forming barrier layer can also be referred to as an inhibitor, and the film-forming barrier gas supplied to the substrate for forming the film-forming barrier layer can also be referred to as an inhibitor. In this specification, the term "inhibitor" has the meaning of: referring only to the film-forming barrier layer; referring only to the film-forming barrier gas; or referring to both.

[0101] The result is, such as Figure 13As shown, it is possible to prevent the film formation rate of the third layer 1222 near the bottom 1212 of the trench pattern 1210 from decreasing, and to reduce the film formation rate of the Si-containing third layer 1222 near the surface of the substrate 10 where the Cl end 1230 is formed and near the entrance portion 1211 of the trench pattern 1210.

[0102] The above steps (a) to (f) are repeated multiple times to form a thin film on the surface of the trench structure pattern formed on the substrate 10.

[0103] In addition, during the repeated execution of the above-described (a) to (f) processes, or in the above-described (a), (c), and (e) processes, the support member 440, which is connected to the rotary drive motor 430 via the rotary transmission belt 432, is rotated using the rotary drive motor 430 to form a thin film.

[0104] The height (gap) of the substrate 10 relative to the separator 203 is such that when the raw material gas is supplied and when the reactant gas is supplied, the height (gap) of the substrate 10 is as follows: Figure 3 (c) shows a state where the substrate 10 is processed and the distance G2 between the substrate 10 and the separator 203 is relatively large. On the other hand, when a film-forming barrier gas is supplied, it becomes as shown... Figure 3 As shown in (b), the substrate 10 is raised to reduce the distance G1 between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203. In this way, the distance between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is periodically changed between G1 and G2, and the process is performed.

[0105] This reduces the film-forming speed of the first layer 1220 near the entrance 1211 of the groove pattern 1210, thereby enabling the first layer 1220 to be formed to a sufficient thickness near the bottom 1212 of the groove pattern 1210, which can improve the step coverage of the first layer 1220 of the groove pattern 1210 compared with the process of forming Cl end 1230.

[0106] That is, such as Figure 13 As shown, a third layer 1222 is stacked on a second layer 1221 on which Cl ends are formed in a portion, and the third layer 1222 is silicon nitride-laminated to form Cl ends in a portion, and then a new third layer 1222 is stacked on it. By repeating the above process in sequence, a third layer 1222 can be stacked near the bottom 1212 of the trench structure pattern 1210 as a thickness sufficient for forming signal circuits before the entrance 1211 of the trench structure pattern 1210 is blocked.

[0107] Further, in this specification, the meaning of the term "substrate" includes: only the substrate itself; a case where the substrate and a layer stack (assembly) of a predetermined layer or film, etc. formed on the surface thereof are referred to (i.e., a case where the predetermined layer or film, etc. formed on the surface is included in the substrate). In addition, in this specification, the meaning of "surface of the substrate" includes: only the surface (exposed surface) of the substrate itself; a surface of a predetermined layer or film, etc. formed on the substrate, i.e., the uppermost surface of the substrate as a layer stack.

[0108] Further, in this specification, the meaning of "substrate" is the same as the meaning of "wafer".

[0109] Next, a specific film formation process example will be described in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. Figure 7A

[0110] (Process condition setting): S701

[0111] First, the CPU 260a reads the process recipe and the associated database stored in the storage device 260c, and sets the process conditions. Instead of the storage device 260c, the process recipe and the associated database can be acquired via a network.

[0112] Figure 8 An example of the process recipe 800 read by the CPU 260a is shown. As main items of the process recipe 800, there are included: a gas flow rate 810, temperature data 820, a number of processing cycles 830, a boat height 840, a boat height adjustment time interval 850, and the like.

[0113] The gas flow rate 810 includes: a first gas flow rate 811, a second gas flow rate 812, a carrier gas flow rate 813, and the like. However, in the present embodiment, the display of the film formation hindering gas flow rate is omitted. As the temperature data 820, there is included: a heating temperature 821 at which the inside of the reaction tube 110 is heated by the heater 101. Figure 8 As shown in (b) of FIG. 9 and (c) of FIG. 10, the boat height 840 contains set values of the minimum value (Gl) and the maximum value (G2) of the interval of the substrate 10 from the partition plate 203.

[0114] Figure 3 As shown in (b) of FIG. 9 and (c) of FIG. 10, the boat height 840 contains set values of the minimum value (Gl) and the maximum value (G2) of the interval of the substrate 10 from the partition plate 203. Figure 3 As for the boat height adjustment time interval 850, a time interval of switching the time during which the interval of the substrate 10 from the partition plate 203 is maintained at the minimum value shown in (b) of FIG. 9 and the time during which the interval of the substrate 10 from the partition plate 203 is maintained at the maximum value shown in (c) of FIG. 10 is set. That is, the interval of the surface of the substrate 10 from the partition plate 203 (the position of the substrate 10 with respect to the position of the hole 121 for gas supply of the nozzle 120) is switched as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 and (c) of FIG. 10.

[0115] Figure 3 Figure 3 Figure 3 ​​​​​The situation set up as in (b) and such Figure 3 The processing is performed alternately according to the conditions set in (c) to form a thin film on the substrate 10. As a result, a flat film thickness distribution with approximately the same film thickness in the central and outer peripheral portions can be formed on the surface of the substrate 10, and a film with excellent coverage of the internal steps of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure formed on the substrate 10 is formed.

[0116] (Substrate loading): S702

[0117] With the crystal boat 300 stored in the storage chamber 500, the up-and-down drive motor 410 drives the drive ball screw 411 to rotate, and feeds the crystal boat 300 at intervals. New substrates 10 are then placed one by one onto the crystal boat 300 and held in place through the substrate loading port 310 of the storage chamber 500.

[0118] A portion of the substrate 10 is formed with a shape such as Figure 9 Pattern 1210 shows a groove structure with a cross-sectional shape as shown.

[0119] When the new substrate 10 is loaded onto the crystal boat 300, the substrate loading inlet 310 is closed to seal the interior of the storage chamber 500 relative to the outside. In this state, the up-and-down drive motor 410 is driven to rotate the drive ball screw 411 to raise the crystal boat 300, thereby moving the crystal boat 300 from the storage chamber 500 into the interior of the reaction tube 110.

[0120] At this time, regarding the height of the crystal boat 300, which is lifted using the up-and-down drive motor 410, according to the process recipe read in S701, the difference in the height direction between the position of the gas supplied from the nozzle 120 to the interior of the reaction tube 110 through the hole 123 formed in the tube wall of the reaction tube 110 and the position of the gas outlet (the height of the front end portion of the nozzle 120) is set as follows: Figure 3 (b) or Figure 3 The state shown in (c).

[0121] (Pressure adjustment): S703

[0122] With the crystal boat 300 inside the reaction tube 110, a vacuum pump (not shown) is used to vent the inside of the reaction tube 110 through the exhaust pipe 130, adjusting the pressure inside the reaction tube 110 to the required level.

[0123] (Temperature adjustment): S704

[0124] With vacuum venting performed using a vacuum pump (not shown), the interior of the reaction tube 110 is heated using heater 101 according to the recipe read in step S704, so that the interior of the reaction tube 110 reaches the desired pressure (vacuum). At this time, to achieve the desired temperature distribution inside the reaction tube 110, the power supply to heater 101 is controlled by feedback based on temperature information detected by a temperature sensor (not shown). Heating of the interior of the reaction tube 110 using heater 101 continues at least until the processing of the substrate 10 is completed.

[0125] [Membrane formation process]: S705

[0126] Next, in order to deposit a Si-containing layer on the surface of the substrate 10 inside the pattern 1210 containing the trench structure, such as Figure 7B Perform the detailed steps as shown below.

[0127] (Set the spacing between the substrate and the separator to G2): S7051

[0128] First, the relative position (height) of the nozzle 120 orifice 121 and the surface of the substrate 10 mounted in the crystal boat 300 relative to the partition plate 203 of the partition plate support 200 is adjusted, and the spacing between the partition plate 203 and the substrate 10 is set to a relatively wide distance. Figure 3 G2 is shown in (c). However, when the spacing between the separator 203 and the substrate 10 is set to G2 in the temperature adjustment process of S704, the height of the surface of the substrate 10 remains unchanged. Furthermore, the spacing of G2 is adjusted to, for example, 14 to 30 mm. In addition, in this specification, the numerical range of "14 to 30 mm" refers to a range that includes both the lower and upper limits. Therefore, "14 to 30 mm" means "more than 14 mm and less than 30 mm". The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0129] The height of the substrate 10 surface is set by driving the shaft 421 in the up-down direction by actuating the boat lifting mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator according to the process recipe read in step S701.

[0130] (Raw gas supply): S7052

[0131] Next, the rotary drive motor 430 is used to drive the rotation, and the support member 440 is rotated via the rotary transmission belt 432, thereby causing the partition plate support 200 and the crystal boat 300 to rotate.

[0132] While the rotation of the boat 300 is maintained, the source gas is introduced into the inside of the reaction tube 110 from the holes 121 of the nozzle 120 in a state where the flow rate of the source gas is adjusted, and a first layer 1220 is formed on the surface of the substrate 10. The source gas that is not used for the reaction on the surface of the substrate 10 among the source gas supplied to the reaction tube 110 is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130.

[0133] Thus, the source gas is supplied to the substrate 10 mounted in the boat 300. The flow rate of the source gas supplied is adjusted by a mass flow controller (MFC) not shown.

[0134] At this time, the inert gas is supplied as a carrier gas to the inside of the reaction tube 110 together with the source gas and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130.

[0135] As the source gas, for example, a chlorosilane gas such as monochlorosilane (SiH3Cl, abbreviated as MCS) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviated as DCS) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl3, abbreviated as TCS) gas, tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4, abbreviated as STC) gas, hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS) gas, and octachlorotrisilane (Si3Cl8, abbreviated as OCTS) gas can be used. In addition, as the source gas, for example, a fluorosilane gas such as silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) gas and disilane (SiH2F2) gas, a bromosilane gas such as silicon tetrabromide (SiBr4) gas and disilane (SiH2Br2) gas, and an iodosilane gas such as silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) gas and diiodosilane (SiH2I2) gas can be used. In addition, as the source gas, for example, an aminosilane gas such as tetrakis(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH3)2]4, abbreviated as 4DMAS) gas, tris(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH3)2]3H, abbreviated as 3DMAS) gas, bis(diethylamino)silane (Si[N(C2H5)2]2H2, abbreviated as BDEAS) gas, and bis(tert-butylamino)silane (SiH2[NH(C4H9)]2, abbreviated as BTEAS) gas can be used. One or more of these gases can be used as the source gas.

[0136] In addition, as the inert gas, for example, nitrogen (N2) can be used, and in addition, a rare gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), and xenon (Xe) can be used. One or more of these gases can be used as the carrier gas.

[0137] The carrier gas is supplied to the inside of the reaction tube 110 via the nozzle 120 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130. At this time, the temperature of the heater 101 is set so that the temperature of the substrate 10 becomes a temperature in the range of, for example, 250 to 550°C.

[0138] By thus expanding the gap G2 between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203, the flow of the raw material gas between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is made slower in a state where the gap between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is set to be wide.

[0139] As a result, the raw material gas is easily supplied to the vicinity of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, and as shown in FIG. 12B, the first layer 1220 is formed not only on the surface of the substrate 10 but also in the region including the bottom 1212 inside the pattern 1210 of the trench structure. Figure 10

[0140] (raw material gas exhaust): S7053

[0141] After the raw material gas is supplied to the inside of the reaction tube 110 through the nozzle 120 for a predetermined time to form the first layer 1220 also on the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure of the substrate 10, the supply of the raw material gas is stopped. At this time, the inside of the reaction tube 110 is vacuum-exhausted by a not-shown vacuum pump, and the raw material gas remaining in the reaction tube 110, which has not reacted or has already functioned when the first layer 1220 is formed, is exhausted from the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0142] At this time, the supply of the carrier gas (inert gas) from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110 is continued. The carrier gas can function as a purge gas, and improves the effect of exhausting the raw material gas remaining in the reaction tube 110, which has not reacted or has already functioned when the first layer 1220 is formed, from the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0143] In addition, as the purge gas, for example, a rare gas such as nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), or the like can be used.

[0144] (implementation of predetermined number of times): S7054

[0145] The cycle in which the steps from S7051 to S7059 inclusive of the above-described detailed steps in step S705 are executed in order is checked whether it is executed for a predetermined number of times (n times), and when it is executed for the predetermined number of times, it proceeds to step S706.

[0146] On the other hand, when the predetermined number of times is not reached, it proceeds to step S7055.

[0147] (raw material gas supply): S7055

[0148] ​After the inside of the reaction tube 110 is evacuated, the reaction gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110 while the rotation of the wafer boat 300 is maintained by driving the motor 430 for rotation, and the reaction gas that is not used for the reaction is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130. Thus, the reaction gas is supplied to the substrate 10. The flow rate of the reaction gas that is actually supplied is adjusted by a mass flow controller that is not shown. The temperature of the heater 101 at this time is set to the same temperature as in the raw material gas supply step.

[0149] Here, the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 are set to the same interval G2 (for example, 14 to 30 mm) as when the raw material gas is supplied, and thus the flow rate of the reaction gas flowing between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is made fast. As a result, the reaction gas is supplied to the vicinity of the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, like the raw material gas.

[0150] The reaction gas is supplied to the surface of the substrate 10 in a state of being heated and activated, and thus the surface of the first layer 1220 formed by the raw material gas on the surface of the substrate 10 and the inside of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure including the bottom 1212 is nitrided, as shown in Figure 12 Thus, the second layer 1221 is formed. Also, the NH terminal is formed on the surface of the second layer 1221.

[0151] Further, as the reaction gas, a hydrazine gas (N2H2), ammonia gas (NH3), hydrazine gas (N2H4), N3H8 gas, or the like can be used.

[0152] (residual gas exhaust): S7056

[0153] After the reaction gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110 for a constant time, the supply of the reaction gas from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110 is stopped. Also, by the same process as in step S7053, the inside of the reaction tube 110 is vacuum-exhausted by a vacuum pump that is not shown, and the unreacted reaction gas and the reaction byproduct remaining in the inside of the reaction tube 110 are exhausted from the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0154] At this time, the inert gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110. The inert gas can function as a purge gas, and thus the effect of exhausting the reaction gas remaining in the inside of the reaction tube 110 or the reaction gas that has functioned when the second layer 1221 is formed from the inside of the reaction tube 110 is improved. Further, the same gas as that described in S7052 can be used as the inert gas.

[0155] (height of substrate is set to G1): S7057

[0156] Next, the position of the substrate 10 is raised relative to the partition plate 203, so that the gap between the partition plate 203 and the substrate 10 is narrower than G2, such as... Figure 3 As shown in (b), it is set as G1. For G2, according to the process recipe read in step S701, the boat lifting mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator is actuated to drive the shaft 421 upward, so that the relative position (height) of the orifice 121 of the nozzle 120 and the surface of the substrate 10 mounted in the boat 300 relative to the partition plate 203 of the partition plate support 200 is switched from a first height to a second height. In addition, the interval of G1 is adjusted to 3 to 14 mm.

[0157] (Film formation hinders gas supply): S7055

[0158] After removing the residual gas inside the reaction tube 110, the crystal boat 300 is kept rotating by the rotation drive motor 430. Film-forming barrier gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 into the reaction tube 110, and any unused film-forming barrier gas is discharged from the exhaust pipe 130. Thus, film-forming barrier gas is supplied to the substrate 10. The flow rate of the supplied film-forming barrier gas is adjusted by a mass flow controller (not shown).

[0159] At this time, the temperature of heater 101 is maintained at the same temperature as that of the feed gas supply step and the reactant gas supply step.

[0160] Here, the gap G1 between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is set to be narrower than the gap G2 when the raw material gas flows. As a result, the flow rate of the film-forming barrier gas flowing between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 is slower than that of the raw material gas and the reaction gas. Compared with the raw material gas and the reaction gas, the film-forming barrier gas is less likely to be supplied to the vicinity of the bottom 1212 of the trench structure pattern 1210.

[0161] If the film-forming barrier gas is circulated in this state, the supplied film-forming barrier gas reacts with the second layer 1221 formed on the surface of the substrate 10, forming a layer with Cl-terminals 1230 on the surface of the substrate 10.

[0162] In addition, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, chlorine (Cl2) gas, etc. can be used as film-forming barrier gases.

[0163] On the other hand, for the trench pattern 1210, the film-forming barrier gas will only reach the vicinity of the inlet 1211 and will not reach the bottom 1212 of the trench pattern 1210. As a result, as... Figure 12 As shown, Cl ends 1230 are not formed at the bottom 1212 of the groove structure pattern 1210, resulting in the NH ends of the second layer 1221 being exposed.

[0164] (residual gas exhaust): S7056

[0165] After the Cl-terminus 1230 is formed in the part of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure, the supply of the film formation hindering gas from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110 is stopped. Also, by the same process step as the step S7053, the film formation hindering gas, the reaction by-products, which remain in the inside of the reaction tube 110 or which have functioned when the Cl-terminus 1230 is formed, are exhausted from the inside of the reaction tube 110.

[0166] At this time, the carrier gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110. The carrier gas can function as a purge gas, and the effect of exhausting the film formation hindering gas, which remains in the inside of the reaction tube 110 or which has functioned when the Cl-terminus 1230 is formed, from the inside of the reaction tube 110 is improved.

[0167] (return to S7051)

[0168] When the exhaust of the residual gas of the film formation hindering gas, the reaction by-products from the inside of the reaction tube 110 is completed, the process returns to S7051, and the position of the substrate 10 with respect to the partition plate 203 is lowered to set the interval between the partition plate 203 and the substrate 10 to G2.

[0169] Next, S7052 is entered, and the surface of the substrate 10 including the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure is formed with the third layer 1222 from the raw material gas.

[0170] Here, the Cl-terminus 1230 formed near the entrance portion 1211 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure on the surface of the substrate 10 functions as an inhibitor (film formation hindering layer) with respect to the formation of the Si-containing layer from the raw material gas.

[0171] Thus, the Cl-terminus 1230 functions as an inhibitor with respect to the formation of the Si-containing layer, and the film formation speed of the third layer 1222 is slower near the entrance portion 1211 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure and the surface of the substrate 10 where the Cl-terminus 1230 is formed. Thus, it is possible to delay the clogging of the entrance portion 1211 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure by the third layer 1222 grown therearound.

[0172] On the other hand, near the bottom 1212 of the pattern 1210 of the trench structure where the NH-terminus is exposed without the Cl-terminus 1230, the third layer 1222 is formed without lowering the film formation speed.

[0173] When the third layer 1222 is formed in the trench pattern 1210 without the Cl end 1230, the growth rate of the third layer 1222 at the entrance 1211 is usually faster than the growth rate near the bottom 1212. Therefore, when the bottom 1212 of the trench pattern 1210 is deeper, the entrance 1211 of the trench pattern 1210 will be blocked by the third layer 1222 before the third layer 1222 near the bottom 1212 is fully formed.

[0174] In contrast, in this disclosure, as described above, Cl-terminals 1230 are formed on the surface of the substrate 10 and near the entrance 1211 of the trench pattern 1210, thus... Figure 13 As shown, before the entrance 1211 of the trench pattern 1210 is sealed, a third layer 1222 can be formed on the inner surface of the trench pattern 1210 including the bottom 1212. The third layer 1222 has a sufficient film thickness for constituting the circuit pattern. Compared with not forming the Cl end 1230, a third layer 1222 with sufficient step coverage can be formed on the inner surface of the trench pattern 1210.

[0175] This slows down the growth of the third layer 1222 near the entrance 1211 of the groove pattern 1210 and causes the third layer 1222 to grow near the bottom 1212 of the groove pattern 1210, thereby improving the step coverage of the groove pattern 1210 compared to when the Cl end 1230 is not formed.

[0176] (Number of times to be implemented): S7054

[0177] By performing an inspection in S7054, the cycle of detailed steps S7051 to S7053 and steps S7055 to S7059 in step S705 is repeated a predetermined number of times (n times). Thus, in the portion of the trench structure pattern 1210 of the substrate 10, a new third layer 1222 is stacked on the second layer 1221, where NH ends are formed on the surface and a portion is covered by Cl ends 1230. Cl ends are formed on a portion of this third layer 1222, and then a new third layer 1222 is stacked on top of it. By repeating this process sequentially, sufficient thickness for forming a signal circuit can be achieved by stacking the third layer 1222 near the bottom 1212 of the trench structure pattern 1210 before the entrance 1211 of the trench structure pattern 1210 is blocked. The above cycle is preferably repeated multiple times, for example, preferably 10 to 80 times, and more preferably 10 to 15 times.

[0178] Thus, the substrate boat up-down mechanism 420 provided with a linear actuator is operated in accordance with the process recipe read in step S701 to drive the shaft 421 in the up-down direction, thereby repeatedly performing each of the processes including the raw material gas supply process (S7052), the reaction gas supply process (S7055), and the film formation hindering gas supply process (S7058) while switching the gap G2 between the separation plate 203 and the substrate 10 at the time of formation of the first layer 1220 and the second layer 1221 and the gap Gl between the separation plate 203 and the substrate 10 at the time of formation of the Cl end 1230, thereby enabling the partial layering of the third layer 1222 in the pattern 1210 of the trench structure of the substrate 10.

[0179] Further, in the above-described example, an example in which the substrate boat 300 on which the substrate 10 is mounted is rotated by the rotation drive motor 430 during the raw material gas supply process (S7052), the reaction gas supply process (S7055), and the film formation hindering gas supply process (S7057) is described, but the rotation can continue during the residual gas exhaust processes (S7053, S7056, S7058).

[0180] (Post purge): S706

[0181] After the series of processes of the above-described step S705 are repeatedly performed for a predetermined number of times, N2 gas is supplied from the nozzle 120 to the inside of the reaction tube 110, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 130. The N2 gas functions as a purge gas, whereby the inside of the reaction tube 110 is purged with an inert gas, and the gas and by-products remaining in the reaction tube 110 are removed from the reaction tube 110.

[0182] (Substrate unloading): S707

[0183] Subsequently, the up-down drive motor 410 is driven to reversely rotate drive the ball screw 411, and the separation plate support portion 200 and the substrate boat 300 are lowered from the reaction tube 110, and the substrate boat 300 on which the substrate 10 on which a film of a predetermined thickness is formed is carried to the housing chamber 500.

[0184] (Cooling): S706

[0185] In the housing chamber 500, the substrate 10 on which a film is formed is taken out from the substrate boat 300 to the outside of the housing chamber 500 via the substrate loading / unloading port 310, and the temperature inside the housing chamber 500 is then reduced in a state in which the heater 101 is stopped, and the processing of the substrate 10 is ended.

[0186] In the above example, the third layer 1222 was formed by partially stacking the pattern 1210 of the trench structure on the substrate 10, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, SiO2 film, Si3N4 (silicon nitride) film, or TiN (titanium nitride) film can also be formed. In addition, it is not limited to these films. For example, films of elemental substances composed of W, Ta, Ru, Mo, Zr, HF, Al, Si, Ge, Ga, or elements in the same group as these elements, compound films of these elements with nitrogen (nitride films), compound films of these elements with oxygen (oxide films), etc., can also be applied. Furthermore, when forming these films, at least one of the halogen-containing gases, halogens, amino groups, cyclopentyl groups, oxygen (O), carbon (C), alkyl groups, etc., can be used.

[0187] According to this disclosure, the growth of the third layer 1222 near the entrance portion 1211 of the trench pattern 1210 is slower, and the third layer 1222 grows near the bottom portion 1212 of the trench pattern 1210, thereby improving the step coverage of the trench pattern 1210 compared to when the Cl end 1230 is not formed.

[0188] Furthermore, since the Cl terminator 1230 is achieved by supplying heated film-forming barrier gas, there is no need for a plasma generation unit to excite the film-forming barrier gas, and the step coverage of the trench pattern 1210 can be improved using a device with a relatively simple structure.

[0189] The film formation process has been described as an application example of this disclosure, but this disclosure is not limited thereto and can also be applied to etching processes.

[0190] When this disclosure is applied to an etching process, by actuating the boat lifting mechanism 420 equipped with a linear actuator, the shaft 421 is driven in the vertical direction, thereby enabling a narrowing of the gap between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 on the upper side of the substrate 10. Figure 3 In state (b), etching gas is supplied so that E treatment can be performed in the DED (Deposition Etch Depo) process. Here, DED process refers to a process in which a predetermined film is formed by repeatedly performing film formation and etching processes. The E treatment mentioned above refers to the etching process.

[0191] Furthermore, when etch gas is supplied, the distance between the substrate 10 and the partition plate 203 on the upper side of the substrate 10 can be increased. Figure 3 The state of (c) is used to adjust the in-plane uniformity of the etched substrate.

[0192] Explanation of symbols

[0193] 100, 900, 1000, 1100 - substrate processing apparatus; 101 - heater; 110 - reaction tube; 120 - nozzle for gas supply; 121 - hole; 200 - partition plate support portion; 203 - partition plate; 260 - controller; 300 - substrate support (boat); 400 - up-down direction driving mechanism portion; 500 - housing chamber.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, characterized in that, have: The process of housing a substrate holder in a processing chamber, the substrate holder having a substrate support for supporting a substrate with grooves and a partition plate support for supporting an upper partition plate, the upper partition plate being disposed on the upper part of the substrate supported by the substrate support. A first step to make the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a first interval; A first gas supply process that supplies a first gas to the substrate from the gas supply port at the first interval; A second step to make the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate narrower than the first interval; and A second gas supply process in which a second gas, serving as a film-forming barrier gas, is supplied to the substrate from the gas supply port at the second interval.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the second gas supply process, the substrate is positioned above the gas supply port.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate support supports multiple substrates with predetermined gaps in the vertical direction, and the partition plate support supports the upper partition plate between the multiple substrates respectively.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Between the first gas supply process and the second gas supply process, there is a third gas supply process in which a third gas is supplied to the substrate from the gas supply port to maintain the distance between the substrate and the upper partition at the first interval.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first gas is a raw material gas, and the third gas is a reactant gas.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film-forming barrier gas forms a film-forming barrier layer at the inlet of the trench.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The film-forming barrier gas is hydrogen chloride gas or chlorine gas.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a driving unit that adjusts the spacing between the substrate and the upper partition plate. Using the driving unit, the distance between the substrate and the upper partition is adjusted to a first distance through the first process, and the distance between the substrate and the upper partition is adjusted to a second distance through the second process.

9. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that, have: The process of housing a substrate holder in a processing chamber, the substrate holder having a substrate support for supporting a substrate with grooves and a partition plate support for supporting an upper partition plate, the upper partition plate being disposed on the upper part of the substrate supported by the substrate support. A first step to make the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a first interval; A first gas supply process that supplies a first gas to the substrate from the gas supply port at the first interval; A second step to make the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate narrower than the first interval; and A second gas supply process in which a second gas, serving as a film-forming barrier gas, is supplied to the substrate from the gas supply port at the second interval.

10. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, have: The processing chamber houses a substrate holder having a substrate support member for supporting a substrate with grooves and a partition plate support member for supporting an upper partition plate, the upper partition plate being disposed on the upper part of the substrate supported by the substrate support member. The driving unit drives either the substrate support member or the partition plate support member in the vertical direction to adjust the spacing between the substrate and the partition plate. A gas supply unit supplies gas to the substrate housed inside the processing chamber; and The control unit is configured to control the drive unit and the gas supply unit in a manner that includes processes for housing the substrate holder in the processing chamber, a first process, a first gas supply process, a second process, and a second gas supply process. The first process sets the distance between the substrate and the upper partition to a first interval. The first gas supply process supplies a first gas to the substrate from a gas supply port provided in the gas supply unit at the first interval. The second process sets the distance between the substrate and the upper partition to a second interval that is narrower than the first interval. The second gas supply process supplies a second gas, which serves as a film-forming barrier gas, to the substrate from a gas supply port provided in the gas supply unit at the second interval.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The substrate support supports multiple substrates with predetermined gaps in the vertical direction, and the partition plate support supports the upper partition plate between the multiple substrates respectively.

12. A storage medium that can be read by a computer, characterized in that, The program stores a sequence of steps that the substrate processing apparatus performs via a computer: The step of housing a substrate holder in the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder having a substrate support for supporting a substrate with grooves and a partition plate support for supporting an upper partition plate, the upper partition plate being disposed on the upper part of the substrate supported by the substrate support. The step of making the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a first interval; A first gas supply step of supplying a first gas to the substrate from the gas supply port at the first interval; The step of making the distance between the substrate and the upper partition plate a second interval that is narrower than the first interval; and A second gas supply step, in which a second gas, serving as a film-forming barrier gas, is supplied to the substrate from the gas supply port at the second interval.

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