Cleaning method, method for manufacturing semiconductor device, substrate processing apparatus, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning method, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a recording medium. The present invention can reduce the amount of halogen elements remaining in a processing chamber after cleaning processing is performed in a short time while suppressing damage to members in the processing chamber. It has: (a) a process of, while performing vacuum exhaust on the processing chamber after the processing chamber is supplied with a cleaning gas containing halogen elements in a state of being heated to a first temperature, lowering the first temperature to a second temperature which is a temperature lower than a temperature at which substrate processing is performed in the processing chamber; and (b) a process of, after (a), supplying a gas containing water vapor to the processing chamber while performing vacuum exhaust on the processing chamber, and causing halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber to react with the water vapor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0002] Sometimes, a cleaning process is performed in which a cleaning gas is supplied to a processing chamber after a process of forming a film on a substrate is performed, and deposits adhering to the processing chamber are removed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-5090 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] However, there are cases in which, after a cleaning process is performed using a cleaning gas containing a halogen element, the halogen element remains in the processing chamber. It takes a long time to remove the halogen element by purging the processing chamber after the cleaning process is performed.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of reducing the amount of halogen element remaining in a processing chamber after a cleaning process is performed in a short time and with suppression of damage to members in the processing chamber.

[0009] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology is provided, which has:

[0011] (a) a process of reducing a processing chamber from a first temperature to a second temperature while performing vacuum exhaust on the processing chamber after the processing chamber is supplied with a cleaning gas containing a halogen element in a state where the processing chamber is heated to the first temperature, wherein the second temperature is a temperature lower than a temperature at which a substrate is processed in the processing chamber; and

[0012] (b) a process of supplying a gas containing water vapor to the processing chamber while performing vacuum exhaust on the processing chamber after (a), and causing the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber to react with the water vapor.

[0013] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the amount of halogen element remaining in a processing chamber after a cleaning process is performed in a short time and with suppression of damage to members in the processing chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] [ Figure 1FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a processing furnace portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] [ Figure 2 ] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic transverse sectional view of the processing furnace shown in FIG. 1 along the A-A line. Figure 1

[0017] [ Figure 3 ] FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a control unit of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] [ Figure 4 ] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the timing of gas supply in a substrate processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [ Figure 5 ] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the timing of gas supply, temperature conversion, and pressure conversion in a cleaning procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [ Figure 6 ] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the timing of gas supply, temperature conversion, and pressure conversion in a cleaning procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [ Figure 7 ] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] [ Figure 8 ] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modification of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] 200 wafer (substrate)

[0025] 201 processing chamber

[0026] 202 processing furnace

[0027] 203 reaction tube

[0028] 121 controller (control unit) DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] <EMBODIMENT>

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be mainly described with reference to Figures 1-5 The present embodiment will be described.

[0031] ​It should be noted that the accompanying drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily be consistent with reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of elements may not necessarily be consistent across multiple drawings.

[0032] (1) Composition of substrate processing device

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the processing furnace 202 has a heater 207 that functions as a temperature regulator (heating unit). The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism (excitation unit) that uses heat to activate (excite) the gas.

[0034] Inside the heater 207, a reaction tube 203 is arranged concentrically with the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC) and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end.

[0035] Below the reaction tube 203, a sealing cap 219, serving as a furnace opening cover, is provided to airtightly seal the lower opening of the reaction tube 203. A sealing member (hereinafter, an O-ring) 220 is disposed between the annular flange located at the lower opening end of the reaction tube 203 and the upper surface of the sealing cap 219, and the two are airtightly sealed. The processing chamber 201 is formed by at least the reaction tube 203 and the sealing cap 219. A wafer 200, serving as a substrate, is housed within this processing chamber 201, and processing of the wafer 200 is performed.

[0036] A crystal boat support platform 218 for supporting the crystal boat 217 is provided on the sealing cover 219.

[0037] The crystal boat 217, which serves as a substrate support, is configured to support multiple wafers (e.g., 25 to 200) 200 in a horizontal orientation with their centers aligned in the vertical direction in a multi-layered manner.

[0038] A crystal boat rotation mechanism 267 for rotating the crystal boat 217 is provided on the side of the sealing cover 219 opposite to the processing chamber 201.

[0039] The sealing cap 219 is configured to move vertically by means of a crystal boat elevator 115, which is provided outside the reaction tube 203 as a lifting mechanism.

[0040] The above-mentioned processing furnace 202 is configured such that a crystal boat 217 with wafers 200 arranged thereon is supported by a crystal boat support stage 218 and inserted into the processing chamber 201.

[0041] Nozzles 410, 420, 430 as gas nozzles are provided in the processing chamber 201. A gas supply pipe 510 is connected to the nozzle 410, a gas supply pipe 520 is connected to the nozzle 420, and a gas supply pipe 530 is connected to the nozzle 430.

[0042] On the gas supply pipes 510 to 530, mass flow controllers (MFCs) 512 to 532 as flow controllers (flow control sections) and valves 514 to 534 as on-off valves are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow.

[0043] A gas supply pipe 310 is connected to the gas supply pipe 510 at a position downstream of the valve 514. In addition, a gas supply pipe 320 is connected to the gas supply pipe 520 at a position downstream of the connection portion with the gas supply pipe 540. In addition, a gas supply pipe 330 is connected to the gas supply pipe 530 at a position downstream of the valve 534. On the gas supply pipes 310 to 330, MFCs 312 to 332 and valves 314 to 334 are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow.

[0044] The end portions of the gas supply pipes 510 to 530 are connected to the end portions of the nozzles 410 to 430, respectively.

[0045] The nozzles 410, 420 are each provided in a cylindrical space between the inner wall of the reaction pipe 203 and the wafer 200 from the lower portion of the inner wall of the reaction pipe 203 to the upper portion. A plurality of gas supply holes 410a, 420a for supplying a processing gas are provided in the side surface of each of the nozzles 410, 420.

[0046] The nozzle 430 is provided in a cylindrical space between the inner wall of the reaction pipe 203 and the wafer 200 from the lower portion of the inner wall of the reaction pipe 203 to the upper portion. No gas supply hole for supplying a processing gas is provided in the side surface of the nozzle 430, and a gas supply hole 430a is provided in the vertex of the nozzle 430 so as to be open.

[0047] An exhaust port 230 is provided in the lower portion of the reaction pipe 203. The exhaust port 230 is connected to an exhaust pipe 231.

[0048] A raw material gas containing a prescribed element as a processing gas and as a film formation gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 510 to the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 512, the valve 514, and the nozzle 410.

[0049] An oxygen-containing gas containing oxygen (O) is supplied from the gas supply pipe 520 via the MFC 522, the valve 524, and the nozzle 420 into the processing chamber 201 as a processing gas, a film formation gas, and a reaction gas that reacts with the source gas.

[0050] A cleaning gas containing a halogen element is supplied from the gas supply pipe 530 via the MFC 532, the valve 534, and the nozzle 430 into the processing chamber 201.

[0051] Air (atmosphere) as a gas containing water vapor is supplied from the gas supply pipe 540 via the filter 543, the MFC 542, the valve 544, the gas supply pipe 520, and the nozzle 420 into the processing chamber 201. Note that the so-called air (atmosphere) of the present disclosure refers to, for example, air in the substrate processing apparatus 10, air in a clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 10 is installed, air in and outside a facility captured by a device provided in the facility for the substrate processing apparatus 10, and the like.

[0052] Non-active gases are supplied from the gas supply pipes 310 to 330 via the MFCs 312 to 332, the valves 314 to 334, the gas supply pipes 510 to 530, and the nozzles 410 to 430 into the processing chamber 201. The non-active gases function as purge gas, carrier gas, dilution gas, and the like. As the non-active gases, for example, nitrogen (N2) gas, argon (Ar) gas, helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, xenon (Xe) gas, and the like can be used. One or more of the above can be used as the non-active gases. The same applies to the non-active gases described later.

[0053] The source gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 510, the MFC 512, and the valve 514. The reaction gas supply system (also referred to as the oxygen-containing gas supply system) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 520, the MFC 522, and the valve 524. The cleaning gas supply system (also referred to as the halogen element-containing gas supply system) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 530, the MFC 532, and the valve 534. The air supply system (also referred to as the water vapor-containing gas supply system) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 540, the filter 543, the MFC 542, and the valve 544. The non-active gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipes 310 to 330, the MFCs 312 to 332, and the valves 314 to 334. In addition, the source gas supply system, the reaction gas supply system, the cleaning gas supply system, the air supply system, and the non-active gas supply system can be referred to as the processing gas supply system. In addition, the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 can be included in the processing gas supply system.

[0054] A vacuum pump 246, serving as a vacuum exhaust device, is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 via a pressure sensor 245 (which acts as a pressure detector, or pressure detection unit) and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 243 (which acts as a pressure regulator, or pressure regulating unit). The APC valve 243 is configured to allow vacuum exhaust from the processing chamber 201 and to stop vacuum exhaust by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. Furthermore, the APC valve 243 is configured to regulate the pressure within the processing chamber 201 by adjusting the valve opening based on the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 245 while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. The exhaust system mainly consists of the exhaust port 230, the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 243, and the pressure sensor 245. Including the vacuum pump 246 in the exhaust system is also an option.

[0055] A temperature sensor 263, which serves as a temperature detector, is installed inside the reaction tube 203. By adjusting the energizing state of the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263, the temperature inside the processing chamber 201 can be set to the desired temperature distribution.

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, the controller 121, which serves as the control unit (control unit), is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d. The RAM 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d are configured to exchange data with the CPU 121a via an internal bus 121e. An input / output device 122, such as a touch panel, is connected to the controller 121.

[0057] The storage device 121c is configured from, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like. In the storage device 121c, a control program that controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe in which steps, conditions, and the like of a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device (substrate processing method, cleaning method) described later are described, and the like are stored in a readable manner. The process recipe is a function that is combined in a manner that enables the controller 121 to execute each process (each step) in the manufacturing method of a semiconductor device (substrate processing method, cleaning method) described later and obtain a prescribed result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, the control program, and the like are simply referred to as a program. In addition, the process recipe is simply referred to as a recipe. In this specification, the case where the term program is used includes the case where only the recipe is included, the case where only the control program is included, or the case where both are included. The RAM 121b is configured as a storage area (work area) that temporarily holds a program, data, and the like read by the CPU 121a.

[0058] The I / O port 121d is connected to the MFCs 312 to 332, 512 to 542, the valves 314 to 334, 514 to 544, the pressure sensor 245, the APC valve 243, the vacuum pump 246, the heater 207, the temperature sensor 263, the rotation mechanism 267, the wafer boat elevator 115, and the like described above.

[0059] The CPU 121a is configured in a manner that enables the reading and execution of the control program from the storage device 121c, and the reading of the recipe from the storage device 121c in accordance with the input of an operation command from the input output device 122 or the like. The CPU 121a is configured to be able to control the following operations in accordance with the content of the recipe read: the flow rate adjustment operation of each gas by the MFCs 312 to 332, 512 to 542, the opening and closing operation of the valves 314 to 334, 514 to 544, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve 243, the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 243 based on the pressure sensor 245, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor 263, the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the wafer boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267, the raising and lowering operation of the wafer boat 217 by the wafer boat elevator 115, and the like.

[0060] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-described program stored in the external storage device 123 in the computer. The external storage device 123 includes, for example, a magnetic disk such as an HDD, an optical magnetic disk such as a CD, an optical disk such as an MO, a USB memory, a semiconductor memory such as an SSD, and the like. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured in the form of a recording medium that is readable by a computer. Hereinafter, they will also be simply referred to as a recording medium. In this specification, the case of using the term "recording medium" includes the case of including only the storage device 121c, the case of including only the external storage device 123, or the case of including both. Note that the program can also be provided to the computer using a communication means such as the Internet, a dedicated line, or the like, instead of using the external storage device 123.

[0061] (2) Substrate processing step

[0062] Next, one example of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device (apparatus) by forming a prescribed film on a wafer using the above-described substrate processing apparatus 10 as one step of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (apparatus) to which the present embodiment is applied will be described using Figure 4 The operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10 is controlled by the controller 121 in the following description.

[0063] Note that in this specification, the case of using the term "wafer" includes the case of indicating "the wafer itself" and the case of indicating "a laminate (aggregate) of the wafer and a prescribed layer, film formed on the surface thereof" (i.e., the case of including a prescribed layer, film, or the like formed on the surface and being referred to as a wafer). In addition, in this specification, the case of using the term "surface of the wafer" includes the case of indicating "the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself" and the case of indicating "the surface of a prescribed layer or the like formed on the wafer, i.e., the surface of the wafer as a laminate". Note that in this specification, the case of using the term "substrate" has the same meaning as the case of using the term "wafer".

[0064] (Wafer loading)

[0065] A plurality of wafers 200 are loaded (wafer boat loading) into the processing chamber 201. Specifically, if the plurality of wafers 200 are filled (wafer filling) in the wafer boat 217, the wafer boat 217 on which the plurality of wafers 200 are supported is lifted by the wafer boat lifter 115 as shown in FIG. 2A, and is loaded into the processing chamber 201. In this state, the seal cap 219 becomes a state in which the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is occluded by the O-ring 220. Figure 1

[0066] (Pressure adjustment and temperature adjustment)

[0067] ​The vacuum pump 246 is used to perform vacuum exhaust so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 becomes a desired pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and feedback control (pressure adjustment) is performed on the APC valve 243 based on the measured pressure information. In addition, the heater 207 is used to perform heating so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 becomes a desired temperature. At this time, the power supplied to the heater 207 is controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 becomes a desired temperature distribution.

[0068] In addition, the wafer boat 217 and the wafer 200 are rotated by the rotation mechanism 267.

[0069] (Film formation processing)

[0070] Then, the raw material gas supply step, the residual gas removal step, the reaction gas supply step, and the residual gas removal step are sequentially performed a predetermined number of times.

[0071] [Raw material gas supply step]

[0072] The valve 514 is opened, and the raw material gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 510. The raw material gas is flow-adjusted by the MFC 512, and is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201. At the same time, the valve 314 is opened, and the inactive gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 310. The inactive gas is flow-adjusted by the MFC 312, and is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201 together with the raw material gas, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. In addition, in order to prevent the raw material gas 530 from intruding into the gas supply pipe 520 (to prevent backflow), the valves 324 and 334 are opened, and the inactive gas is supplied to the gas supply pipes 320 and 330. The inactive gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipes 320 and 330, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0073] At this time, the pressure of the processing chamber 201 is adjusted by appropriately adjusting the APC valve 243, and is set to a pressure in the range of, for example, 1 to 1000 Pa, preferably 1 to 100 Pa, and more preferably 10 to 50 Pa. Note that the expression of the numerical range such as "1 to 1000 Pa" in this specification means that the lower limit value and the upper limit value are included in the range. Therefore, for example, "1 to 1000 Pa" means "1 Pa or more and 1000 Pa or less". The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0074] The supply flow rate of the raw material gas controlled by the MFC 512 is set to a flow rate in the range of, for example, 10 to 2000 seem, preferably 50 to 1000 seem, and more preferably 100 to 500 seem.

[0075] The supply flow rate of the non-reactive gas controlled by the MFC 312 is set to a flow rate in the range of, for example, 1 to 30 slm. The time for which the raw material gas is supplied to the wafer 200 is set to a range of, for example, 1 to 60 seconds, preferably 1 to 20 seconds, and more preferably 2 to 15 seconds.

[0076] The heater 207 heats the wafer 200 to a process temperature in the range of, for example, room temperature to 350°C, and preferably 150°C to 250°C.

[0077] As the raw material gas, for example, an Al-containing raw material gas (Al-containing raw material, Al-containing gas) containing aluminum (Al) as a metal element as a prescribed element as a metal-containing gas can be used. As the Al-containing raw material gas, for example, an aluminum chloride (AlCl3) gas and the like as a halogen-based Al-containing gas, a trimethylaluminum ((CH3)3Al, TMA) gas and the like as an organic-based Al-containing gas can be used.

[0078] By supplying the raw material gas to the processing chamber 201 under the aforementioned conditions, a first layer is formed on the topmost surface of the wafer 200. For example, in the case where an Al-containing gas is used as the raw material gas, an Al-containing layer is formed as the first layer. The Al-containing layer can be an adsorption layer (physical adsorption layer, chemical adsorption layer) formed from the Al-containing gas, a partial decomposition of the Al-containing gas, or an Al deposition layer (Al layer).

[0079] [Residual gas removal step]

[0080] Next, the valve 514 is closed, and the supply of the raw material gas is stopped. At this time, the APC valve 243 is maintained in an open state, and the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted by the vacuum pump 246, and the raw material gas remaining in the processing chamber 201, which has not reacted or has contributed to layer formation, is exhausted from the processing chamber 201. The valves 314, 324, and 334 are maintained in an open state to supply the non-reactive gas to the processing chamber 201.

[0081] [Reaction gas supply step]

[0082] After the residual gas is removed from the processing chamber 201, the valve 524 is opened, and a reaction gas is caused to flow into the gas supply pipe 520. The reaction gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 522, and is supplied from the gas supply pipe 520 to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. That is, the wafer 200 is exposed to the reaction gas.

[0083] At this time, the valve 324 is opened, and the non-reactive gas is caused to flow into the gas supply pipe 320. The non-reactive gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 322, supplied into the processing chamber 201 together with the reaction gas, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, in order to prevent the reaction gas from intruding into the gas supply pipes 510, 530 (to prevent backflow), the valves 314, 334 are opened, and the non-reactive gas is caused to flow into the gas supply pipes 310, 330. The non-reactive gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipes 310, 510, the gas supply pipes 330, 530, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0084] At this time, the APC valve 243 is appropriately regulated, and the pressure of the processing chamber 201 is set to a pressure in the range of, for example, 1 to 1000 Pa. The supply flow rate of the reaction gas, which is controlled by the MFC 522, is set to a flow rate in the range of, for example, 5 to 40 slm, preferably 5 to 30 slm, more preferably 10 to 20 slm. The time for which the reaction gas is supplied to the wafer 200 is set to a range of, for example, 1 to 60 seconds. The other processing conditions are set to the same processing conditions as in the aforementioned raw material gas supply step.

[0085] As the reaction gas, a gas that reacts with the raw material gas, such as an oxygen-containing gas, can be used. As the oxygen-containing gas, an oxygen (O2) gas, an ozone (O3) gas, a plasma-excited O2 (O2*) gas, an O2 gas + hydrogen (H2) gas, a water vapor (H2O gas), a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) gas, a nitrous oxide (N2O) gas, a nitric oxide (NO) gas, a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas, a carbon monoxide (CO) gas, a carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, or the like can be used. As the oxygen-containing gas, one or more of the above can be used.

[0086] At this time, the gas flowing into the processing chamber 201 is only the reaction gas and the non-reactive gas. The reaction gas reacts with at least a portion of the first layer formed on the wafer 200 in the raw material gas supply step. That is, the Al-containing layer formed as the first layer in the raw material gas supply step is oxidized as a metal oxide layer as the second layer, and an aluminum oxide layer (AlO layer) containing Al and O is formed. That is, the Al-containing layer is modified to the AlO layer.

[0087] [Residual gas removal step]

[0088] Next, the valve 524 is closed, and the supply of the reaction gas is stopped. Also, by the same processing step as in the residual gas removal step after the raw material gas supply step, the reaction gas, the reaction byproduct, or the like remaining in the processing chamber 201 is exhausted from the processing chamber 201.

[0089] By repeating the above-described raw material gas supply step, residual gas removal step, reaction gas supply step, and residual gas removal step in this order for a predetermined number of times (one or more times, n times), a prescribed film is formed on the wafer 200. For example, an aluminum oxide film (AlO film) as a film containing Al and O is formed on the wafer 200.

[0090] (Post Purge and Atmospheric Pressure Recovery)

[0091] From each of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, a non-reactive gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The non-reactive gas functions as a purge gas, whereby the processing chamber 201 is purged with the non-reactive gas, and gases and by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (post purge). Then, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 is replaced with the non-reactive gas (non-reactive gas replacement), and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is returned to the normal pressure (atmospheric pressure recovery). Note that, in the present disclosure, the atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) refers to, for example, the pressure in a clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 10 is installed, the pressure outside and inside a facility in which the substrate processing apparatus 10 is installed, the pressure in a housing of the substrate processing apparatus 10, and the pressure outside the processing chamber 201. That is, the atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) in the present disclosure sometimes includes a pressure variation due to circulation of the atmosphere in the housing and outside the processing chamber 201, or a slight increase or decrease in pressure for the purpose of suppressing inflow of particles. In the following description, the atmospheric pressure is described as the pressure outside the processing chamber 201.

[0092] (Wafer Unloading)

[0093] Then, the sealed lid 219 is lowered by the wafer boat lifter 115, and the lower end of the manifold 209 is opened. Then, the processed wafer 200 on which the prescribed film is formed is unloaded from the lower end of the reaction pipe 203 to the outside of the reaction pipe 203 in a state of being supported by the wafer boat 217 (wafer boat unloading). Then, the processed wafer 200 is taken out from the wafer boat 217 (wafer taking-out).

[0094] If the above film formation processing is performed, a film is deposited on the inner wall of the reaction pipe 203, the surfaces of the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, the inner wall of the manifold 209, the surface of the wafer boat 217, the upper surface of the sealed lid 219, the surface of the wafer boat support table 218, and the like. In this way, the deposits deposited in the processing chamber 201 become a main cause of generation of particles (impurities) in the subsequent film formation processing, and sometimes cause a decrease in quality of the film formed on the wafer 200 and the equipment. Therefore, in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in the present embodiment, a cleaning process described later is performed before the cumulative film thickness of the film deposited in the processing chamber 201 reaches a prescribed film thickness before peeling and falling occur.

[0095] (3) Cleaning step

[0096] Next, a step of etching deposits such as films adhering to the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the like by the film formation treatment will be described as a cleaning step using the above-described cleaning gas supply system. Figure 5

[0097] (Crystal boat loading)

[0098] The empty crystal boat 217, i.e., the crystal boat 217 not loaded with the wafer 200, is lifted by the crystal boat elevator 115 and carried into the processing chamber 201. In this state, the seal cap 219 is in a state of sealing the lower end of the manifold 209 with the O-ring 220.

[0099] (Pressure adjustment and temperature adjustment)

[0100] The vacuum pump 246 is used to perform vacuum exhaust (also referred to as exhaust or pressure reduction) in such a manner that the inside of the processing chamber 201 becomes a predetermined cleaning pressure (etching pressure) described later. The vacuum pump 246 is maintained in an always-on state at least until the start of the atmospheric pressure recovery step described later. In addition, the heater 207 is used to perform heating in such a manner that the inside of the processing chamber 201 becomes a predetermined cleaning temperature (etching temperature) described later.

[0101] (Cleaning step)

[0102] In this step, a cleaning gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 after the film formation treatment on the wafer 200, i.e., the processing chamber 201 to which the deposits adhere. That is, the valve 534 is opened, and the cleaning gas is caused to flow into the gas supply pipe 530. The cleaning gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 532 and supplied to the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipe 530 and the nozzle 430. The non-active gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipes 510 and 520 and the nozzles 410 and 420 and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0103] As the cleaning gas, for example, a halogen element-containing gas including at least any one selected from the group consisting of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), hydrogen chloride (HCl), boron trichloride (BCl3), chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), hydrogen fluoride (HF), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), chlorine trifluoride (ClF3), boron tribromide (BBr3), silicon tetrabromide (SiBr4), and bromine (Br2) can be used.

[0104] ​The cleaning gas supplied into the processing chamber 201 passes through the inside of the processing chamber 201 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231, and at this time, the deposits such as films attached to the members in the processing chamber 201 are removed by thermal chemical reaction. That is, by the etching reaction of the cleaning gas with the deposits, the cleaning gas reacts with at least a part of the deposits attached to the inside of the processing chamber 201, and thus the deposits are removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201.

[0105] For example, in the case where a Cl-containing gas is used as the cleaning gas, by the supply of the Cl-containing gas, Al contained in the AlO film attached to the inside of the processing chamber 201 bonds with Cl contained in the cleaning gas, and thus aluminum chloride (AlCl3) or the like is generated in the processing chamber 201. In other words, at least a part of the AlO film attached to the inside of the processing chamber 201 reacts with the Cl-containing gas, the etching reaction of the deposits is enabled, and the deposits can be removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201. In this way, by supplying the Cl-containing gas into the processing chamber 201 in which the deposits containing the O-containing film are attached, the etching reaction of the above-described deposits can be performed in a non-plasma atmosphere.

[0106] At this time, the heater 207 is controlled by the controller 121, and the cleaning gas is activated in a state where the inside of the processing chamber 201 is heated to a predetermined temperature, for example, 600°C, in the range of 400 to 800°C, preferably 600 to 800°C, as the first temperature and as the cleaning temperature. The processing temperature in this step becomes a temperature higher than the processing temperature, that is, the process temperature, in the raw material gas supply step and the reaction gas supply step of the film formation processing in the substrate processing step. Note that the processing temperature means the temperature of the wafer 200 in the substrate processing step, and the temperature in the processing chamber 201 in the cleaning step.

[0107] At this time, the APC valve 243 is closed or substantially closed to the extent that does not affect the processing, and the cleaning gas is sealed in the processing chamber 201. Also, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is maintained at a predetermined pressure in the range of, for example, 1 to 40,000 Pa, preferably 10,000 to 30,000 Pa, and more preferably 20,000 to 30,000 Pa.

[0108] At this time, the supply flow rate of the cleaning gas controlled by the MFC 532 is set to a predetermined flow rate in the range of, for example, 1 to 10 slm, and preferably 3 to 8 slm.

[0109] The time for which the cleaning gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 is set to a predetermined time in the range of, for example, 60 to 600 seconds.

[0110] Here, in the case where the cleaning process is performed using a cleaning gas containing a halogen element, sometimes a halogen element contained in a by-product (for example, AlCl3or the like) generated by the reaction of the cleaning gas with the deposits, unreacted cleaning gas (residual gas), or the like remains in the processing chamber 201. If the wafer 200 is carried into the processing chamber 201 in which the halogen element remains and a film formation process is performed, the halogen element becomes a factor that hinders film formation and a cause of the halogen element mixing into the film. In addition, in the case where only a non-active gas is used for purging after the cleaning process, in order to remove the halogen element from the processing chamber 201, a long time is required for purging, and the throughput of the apparatus decreases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the cleaning step and a purging step based on a non-active gas described later, in order to effectively remove the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201, a deactivation step described later is further performed.

[0111] (cooling step (non-active gas purging step))

[0112] After the cleaning gas is supplied for a prescribed time, the valve 534 is closed, and the supply of the cleaning gas is stopped. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is opened, and the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted using the vacuum pump 246, and the temperature is decreased from the first temperature, which is the cleaning temperature (for example, 600°C), to a second temperature, which is a temperature (for example, 200°C) lower than the temperature at which the substrate processing step is performed in the processing chamber 201 (process temperature) (cooling). If the deactivation step is performed in the state where the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is, for example, 600°C or higher than 600°C, which is the cleaning temperature, the reaction of the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 with the deactivation gas proceeds rapidly, and a large amount of by-product gas as a corrosive gas is generated.

[0113] That is, after the supply of the cleaning gas is stopped, the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is decreased from the cleaning temperature (first temperature) to a prescribed temperature that is lower than the process temperature (second temperature) from the start of the cooling step to the end of the cooling step, that is, from the end of the cleaning step to the start of the deactivation step. Therefore, after the cleaning gas is supplied, the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is decreased from the cleaning temperature to lower than the process temperature.

[0114] Further, in this step, while vacuum exhaust is performed in the processing chamber 201, non-active gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201, and thus the processing chamber 201 is purged. Thereby, at least a part of the by-products and residual gas remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be removed from the processing chamber 201 in the cleaning step. At this time, by controlling at least any one of, preferably all of, the valves 314, 324, 334, the step of supplying non-active gas into the processing chamber 201 and the step of stopping the supply of non-active gas are alternately performed. That is, the cycle of supplying and stopping non-active gas is performed a plurality of times while the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is decreased to a predetermined temperature below the process temperature. That is, the processing chamber 201 is cyclically purged with non-active gas while the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is decreased. In other words, the processing chamber 201 is cooled to a predetermined temperature below the process temperature while the processing chamber 201 is purged by intermittently supplying non-active gas into the processing chamber 201. The supply and stop of gas, that is, the cyclic purge, or the purge of the cycle, is alternately repeated a plurality of times in this way. Note that, instead of the cyclic purge with non-active gas, continuous flow purge can be performed in which non-active gas is continuously supplied while the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is decreased to a predetermined temperature below the process temperature.

[0115] At this time, the supply flow rate of non-active gas controlled by the MFCs 314, 324, 334 is a predetermined flow rate in the range of, for example, 0.5 to 30 slm. If the flow rate is more than 30 slm, it is sometimes difficult to maintain the pressure in the processing chamber 201 below the predetermined pressure, and if the flow rate is less than 0.5 slm, it is sometimes not possible to sufficiently remove the residual gas containing halogen elements and the like.

[0116] At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is maintained at a predetermined pressure lower than the pressure in the processing chamber 201 in the cleaning step, for example, a predetermined pressure of 1 to 30,000 Pa. If it is higher than 30,000 Pa, it is sometimes not possible to sufficiently remove the residual gas, and if the pressure is lower than 1 Pa, it is sometimes difficult to maintain the pressure in the processing chamber 201 below the predetermined pressure.

[0117] By this step, the residual gas containing halogen elements such as cleaning gas and by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 is removed from the processing chamber 201. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 before the subsequent deactivation step is performed. In addition, it is also possible to reduce the amount of production of corrosive by-product gas generated by the subsequent deactivation step.

[0118] (Deactivation Step)

[0119] After the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is lowered to the process temperature (second temperature) (cooling), the valves 314, 324, 334 are closed and the supply of the inactive gas is stopped while the processing chamber 201 is maintained at the process temperature. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is kept open and the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted by the vacuum pump 246 while the processing chamber 201 is supplied with the atmosphere containing water vapor as the inactive gas. The pressure in the processing chamber 201 regulated by the APC valve 243 is preferably set to the same pressure as in the cooling step.

[0120] That is, the step of supplying the processing chamber 201 with the atmosphere and the step of stopping the supply of the atmosphere are alternately controlled by the opening and closing of the valve 544 for a predetermined number of times. That is, the cycle of supplying and stopping the supply of the atmosphere is repeated a plurality of times. That is, the processing chamber 201 is cyclically purged with the atmosphere. In other words, the processing chamber 201 is intermittently supplied with the atmosphere.

[0121] The atmosphere is removed of impurities by the filter 543, regulated in flow rate by the MFC 542, supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the nozzle 420 provided in the processing chamber 201, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. That is, the atmosphere is introduced into the processing chamber 201 via the filter 543, the gas supply pipe 520, and the nozzle 420. Thus, the water vapor contained in the atmosphere introduced into the processing chamber 201 reacts with the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 to deactivate the halogen elements. By this reaction, byproduct gas containing at least any one selected from the group consisting of HCl, HF, and hydrogen bromide (HBr) is generated from a molecule containing halogen elements and hydrogen. By using the atmosphere as the gas containing water vapor, the gas containing a predetermined concentration of moisture can be easily captured in the processing chamber 201 in a large flow rate. Therefore, the halogen elements can be deactivated in a short time and the amount of the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be reduced. In addition, by supplying the atmosphere from the nozzle 240, the atmosphere can be substantially uniformly supplied to the entire space in the processing chamber 201.

[0122] Thus, by cyclically purging the processing chamber 201 with the atmosphere, the reaction of the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 with the water vapor contained in the atmosphere and the removal of the byproduct gas generated by the reaction can be more efficiently performed. Note that, instead of the cyclic purging with the atmosphere, continuous flow purging in which the atmosphere is continuously supplied for a predetermined time can be performed.

[0123] At this time, the supply flow rate of the atmosphere controlled by the MFC 542 is a prescribed flow rate within a range of, for example, 0.5 to 30 slm. If the flow rate is more than 30 slm, it is sometimes difficult to maintain the pressure in the processing chamber 201 at or below the prescribed pressure, and if the flow rate is less than 0.5 slm, it is sometimes impossible to perform deactivation substantially. In addition, it is also possible to supply a non-reactive gas into the processing chamber 201 via at least any one of the nozzle 420 and / or the nozzles 410, 430 while supplying the atmosphere. By thus supplying the non-reactive gas together, it is possible to easily adjust the concentration of the atmosphere (or water vapor) in the processing chamber 201.

[0124] Here, if the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 is caused to react with water vapor (deactivated) in a high-temperature state immediately after the cleaning process, corrosive byproduct gases such as HCl, HF, HBr, etc. are generated in a large amount quickly, and as a result, etching occurs at the quartz member in the processing chamber 201 and corrosion of the metal member sometimes occurs. In the present disclosure, after the processing chamber 201 is cooled to below the process temperature after the cleaning gas is supplied, the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 is caused to react with water vapor contained in the atmosphere (deactivated). By this, it is possible to reduce the generation of byproduct gases and suppress etching of the quartz member and corrosion of the metal member. In addition, by deactivating the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 using water vapor, it is possible to reduce the remaining halogen element in a short time and more effectively perform removal of the halogen element compared to the case where purge is performed based on only a non-reactive gas.

[0125] That is, in the cooling step, supply of the atmosphere containing water vapor into the processing chamber 201 is not performed, and circulation purge is performed using a non-reactive gas in the cooling. After the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is reduced to the process temperature from the cleaning temperature, the deactivation step of performing circulation purge of the processing chamber 201 with the atmosphere is performed. By not performing supply of the atmosphere until the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is reduced to the process temperature before the deactivation step is performed, it is possible to suppress the corrosive byproduct gases generated by the reaction of the halogen element with water vapor from being generated quickly. Therefore, it is possible to suppress corrosion of the metal member, etc.

[0126] Note that, as described above, in the case where an oxygen-containing gas is used in the substrate processing process, it is preferable that the atmosphere be supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipe 520 and the gas nozzle 420 through which the oxygen-containing gas is supplied. By this, it is possible to reduce the number of ports without a dedicated nozzle for introducing the atmosphere.

[0127] (Purge Step)

[0128] Next, in a state where the inside of the processing chamber 201 is maintained at a temperature lower than the process temperature, the valve 544 is closed, and the supply of the atmosphere is stopped. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is opened, and the inside of the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted by the vacuum pump 246, and the inside of the processing chamber 201 is supplied with the non-active gas, and thus the inside of the processing chamber 201 is purged.

[0129] At this time, by controlling at least any one of the valves 314, 324, 334, preferably all of them, the step of supplying the non-active gas to the inside of the processing chamber 201 and the step of stopping the supply of the non-active gas are alternately performed a prescribed number of times. That is, the cycle of the supply and stop of the non-active gas is performed a plurality of times. That is, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is cyclically purged with the non-active gas. In other words, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is purged while the non-active gas is intermittently supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201.

[0130] Thus, the by-product gas generated by the deactivation step can be removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201 before the opening of the processing chamber 201 at the time of the unloading of the wafer boat described later. In addition, by cyclically purging the inside of the processing chamber 201 with the non-active gas, the removal of the by-product gas can be performed more efficiently. Note that, instead of the cyclic purging with the non-active gas, continuous flow purging can be performed in which the inside of the processing chamber 201 is maintained at the second temperature, and the non-active gas is continuously supplied for a prescribed time.

[0131] At this time, the supply flow rate of the non-active gas controlled by the MFCs 314, 324, 334 is a prescribed flow rate in the range of, for example, 0.5 to 30 slm. If the flow rate is more than 30 slm, it is sometimes difficult to maintain the pressure in the inside of the processing chamber 201 at a prescribed pressure or less, and if the flow rate is less than 0.5 slm, it is sometimes impossible to sufficiently remove the by-product gas.

[0132] Note that, in this step, the supply of the atmosphere containing water vapor to the inside of the processing chamber 201 is not performed. Thus, the generation of the by-product gas is suppressed, and the by-product gas can be more reliably removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201.

[0133] (Atmosphere pressure recovery step)

[0134] Next, the APC valve 243 is controlled, and the pressure in the inside of the processing chamber 201 is set to the atmospheric pressure. At this time, any one of the valves 314, 324, 334, preferably all of them, is opened, and the non-active gas is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201 from any one of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330. Then, in a state where the atmosphere in the inside of the processing chamber 201 is set to the non-active gas, the pressure in the inside of the processing chamber 201 is returned to the normal pressure (atmosphere pressure recovery).

[0135] At this time, the supply flow rate of the non-active gas controlled by the MFCs 314, 324, 334 is a prescribed flow rate that is larger than the supply flow rate of the non-active gas controlled by the MFCs 314, 324, 334 in the above-described cooling step and the purge step.

[0136] Note that, in this step, the exhaust from the exhaust pipe 231 can be continuously performed at a low exhaust rate (slow exhaust), and thus the purge based on the non-active gas can be continuously performed. Also, at this time, the valve 544 can be simultaneously opened to supply the atmosphere into the processing chamber 201. Thus, the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be deactivated for a longer period of time, and the amount of the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be further reduced.

[0137] (boat unloading)

[0138] With the pressure in the processing chamber 201 maintained at the atmospheric pressure, the sealed lid 219 is lowered by the boat lifter 115, and the lower end of the manifold 209 is opened. Then, the empty boat 217 is carried out from the lower end of the manifold 209 to the outside of the reaction pipe 203 (boat unloading).

[0139] At this time, the valves 314, 324, 334 are opened to supply the non-active gas into the processing chamber 201, and the valve 544 is opened to supply the atmosphere into the processing chamber 201. Thus, the concentration of the water vapor in the processing chamber 201 can be adjusted by the supply flow rate of the non-active gas. The flow rate of the atmosphere supplied into the processing chamber 201 at this time is larger than the flow rate of the atmosphere supplied into the processing chamber 201 in the above-described deactivation step, and is, for example, 10 slm or more. For example, the partial pressure of the atmosphere (or the water vapor) in this step is made about three times the partial pressure of the atmosphere (or the water vapor) in the deactivation step. Also, for example, the partial pressure of the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 at this time is made 50% or more with respect to the total pressure in the processing chamber 201. Also, in this step, the slow exhaust from the exhaust pipe 231 is performed while the non-active gas and the atmosphere are supplied.

[0140] Thus, in the boat unloading, by performing the exhaust in the processing chamber 201 while the non-active gas and the atmosphere are supplied, the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be effectively removed even in the atmospheric pressure state. Note that, it is preferable that the atmosphere outside the processing chamber 201 be composed of the non-active gas when the processing chamber 201 is opened. The atmosphere outside the processing chamber 201 can also be composed of a gas containing the atmosphere, in which case, by supplying the atmosphere from the nozzle 420, the atmosphere (water vapor) can also be substantially uniformly supplied to the entire space in the processing chamber 201.

[0141] (atmospheric pressure deactivation step)

[0142] After the unloading of the boat is completed, that is, after the opening of the processing chamber 201, the supply of the inactive gas and the atmosphere and the exhaust of the processing chamber 201 are continuously performed while the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is maintained at the atmospheric pressure. The supply flow rate of the inactive gas and the atmosphere, the exhaust speed from the exhaust pipe 231, and the like can be the same as those at the time of the unloading of the boat. Thus, by continuously removing the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 after the opening of the processing chamber 201, the amount of the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be further reduced. In addition, by continuously performing the exhaust, the byproduct gas generated by the reaction of the halogen elements with the water vapor contained in the atmosphere can be continuously removed from the processing chamber 201.

[0143] That is, the inactive gas and the atmosphere can be simultaneously and continuously introduced into the processing chamber 201 at the time of the unloading of the boat and the opening of the processing chamber 201. Thus, the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be deactivated for a longer period of time, and the amount of the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be further reduced. Note that the partial pressure of the atmosphere (or the water vapor) in the processing chamber 201 at this time can be the same as that at the time of the unloading of the boat. In addition, the slow exhaust is continuously performed at the time of the atmospheric pressure opening. Thus, the amount of the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be further reduced during the period until the next substrate processing process is started.

[0144] Then, before the wafer 200 to be processed is carried into the processing chamber 201 (boat loading), the valve 544 is closed to stop the supply of the atmosphere, and the processing chamber 201 is purged with the inactive gas. Thus, the wafer 200 to be processed is not exposed to the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201, and the oxidation of the surface of the wafer 200 can be suppressed.

[0145] In addition, the supply of the atmosphere can be continuously performed after the opening of the processing chamber 201 until the wafer 200 to be processed is carried in (boat loading), or the supply of the atmosphere can be continuously performed until the furnace port is sealed with the sealing cover 219. Thus, the halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be deactivated for a longer period of time, and the amount of the halogen elements remaining can be further reduced. Then, the film formation processing described above is restarted.

[0146] (4) Modification

[0147] Next, a modification of the cleaning process and the substrate processing apparatus in the above-described embodiment will be described in detail. In the following modification, only the points different from the above-described embodiment will be described in detail.

[0148] (Modification 1)

[0149] A modification of the cleaning process in the above-described embodiment will be described using Figure 6 as an example.

[0150] In the above-described embodiment, the temperature in the processing chamber 201 from the temperature reduction step to the purge step is different. That is, in the above-described temperature reduction step, while the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted, the purge is performed until the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is reduced from the first temperature to a third temperature (for example, a prescribed temperature of 100°C or less) which is lower than the temperature (process temperature) at which the substrate processing step is performed in the processing chamber 201 (temperature reduction) after the cleaning step ends and before the deactivation step starts. Then, after the third temperature is reached in the processing chamber 201, the above-described deactivation step is performed while the third temperature is maintained. Then, after the deactivation step ends and before the purge step, the purge is performed until the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is increased from the third temperature to the second temperature which is the process temperature before the next atmospheric pressure recovery step starts. By performing the deactivation step after the temperature is reduced to the third temperature which is lower than the process temperature, compared with the above-described embodiment, the amount of corrosive by-product gas generated by the reaction of the halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201 with water vapor contained in the atmosphere can be further reduced, and the corrosion of the furnace inner member can be suppressed while reducing the amount of halogen element remaining in the processing chamber 201.

[0151] (Modified Example 2)

[0152] Next, a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus in the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7 FIG. 6.

[0153] In the modified example, water vapor (H2O gas) is used as the oxygen-containing gas used as the reaction gas in the film formation processing, which is supplied from the gas supply pipe 520. In this case, as the gas containing water vapor used in the deactivation step in the cleaning step, the H2O gas can be used. That is, instead of providing the above-described atmosphere supply system (the gas supply pipe 540, the filter 543, the MFC 542, and the valve 544), the reaction gas supply system (oxygen-containing gas supply system) can be used as the water vapor-containing gas supply system. That is, in the above-described deactivation step, the boat unloading, and the atmospheric pressure deactivation step, as the gas containing water vapor, the H2O gas can be supplied from the gas supply pipe 520 instead of the atmosphere. That is, the same supply system as the processing gas supply system that supplies the film formation gas in the substrate processing step can be shared in the cleaning step. In other words, in the deactivation step, the boat unloading, and the atmospheric pressure deactivation step in the cleaning step, the gas used as the film formation gas supplied into the processing chamber 201 when the substrate processing step is performed can be used. Thus, the number of gas supply pipes can be reduced.

[0154] (Modified Example 3)

[0155] A modified example of the substrate processing apparatus in the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8Other modifications of the substrate processing apparatus in the above embodiments will be described. In this modification, the supply of the non-active gas and the supply of the atmosphere in the above cleaning process are performed using a rotating shaft purge gas supply system that purges the rotating shaft 255 that rotates the boat 217.

[0156] A hollow portion 600 is formed around the rotating shaft 255 of the boat 217. The hollow portion 600 is sealed by a magnetic fluid seal, and the upper end is open to the inside of the processing chamber 201. The lower flow end of a gas supply pipe 550 is connected to the hollow portion 600. On the gas supply pipe 550, an MFC 552 and a valve 554 are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. Further, a gas supply pipe 560 is connected to the downstream side of the valve 554 of the gas supply pipe 550. On the gas supply pipe 560, a filter 563, an MFC 562, and a valve 564 are provided in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow.

[0157] The non-active gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 550 to the inside of the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 552, the valve 554, and the hollow portion 600.

[0158] The atmosphere as the gas containing water vapor is supplied from the gas supply pipe 560 to the inside of the processing chamber 201 via the filter 563, the MFC 562, the valve 564, the gas supply pipe 550, and the hollow portion 600.

[0159] That is, the non-active gas and the atmosphere are supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201 via the hollow portion 600. The rotating shaft purge gas supply system that purges the surroundings of the rotating shaft 255 is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 550, the MFC 552, the valve 554, the gas supply pipe 560, the filter 563, the MFC 562, and the valve 564.

[0160] Then, in the cleaning process, the supply of the non-active gas and the atmosphere in the above cleaning process is performed from the surroundings of the rotating shaft 255 of the boat 217 while the boat 217 is housed in the processing chamber 201.

[0161] That is, in the above cooling step, the purge step, the atmospheric pressure recovery step, the boat unloading, and the atmospheric pressure inactivation step, the non-active gas is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 201 via the hollow portion 600 by controlling the valve 554, and the cycle of the supply and the stop of the non-active gas is performed a plurality of times. Thus, the mouth portion of the processing chamber 201 in which the halogen element is difficult to remove because the gas is easily stagnated can be particularly concentratedly (locally) purged.

[0162] Further, in the above-described inactivation step, the boat unloading, and the atmospheric pressure inactivation step, the supply and stop of the atmosphere (air) is repeated a plurality of times by the control valve 564, and the atmosphere is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the atmosphere via the filter 563 and the hollow portion 600. Thus, the mouth of the furnace, which is particularly prone to stagnation of gas and makes it difficult to remove halogen elements, can be inactivated, and the amount of halogen elements remaining in the processing chamber 201 can be reduced. Note that, as with the above-described embodiments and other modifications, in addition to the supply of the non-reactive gas and the atmosphere via the hollow portion 600, the supply of the non-reactive gas and the atmosphere (or water vapor) via the nozzle 420 can also be performed.

[0163] Note that, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the case in which the atmosphere and H2O gas are used as the gas containing water vapor is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0164] Further, in the above-described embodiments, the case in which the cleaning process is performed with the furnace being closed by the gate in a state in which the empty boat 217 is moved into the processing chamber 201 is described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The cleaning process can be performed with the furnace being closed by the gate in a state in which the boat 217 is moved out of the processing chamber 201.

[0165] Further, in the above-described embodiments, the case in which the AlO film is formed on the wafer 200, and the AlO film deposited in the furnace is etched (removed) using the cleaning gas is described as an example, but the type of film in the present disclosure is not particularly limited. Further, the type of gas used in the film formation process, such as the raw material gas and the reaction gas, and the cleaning gas are not particularly limited.

[0166] The above describes one embodiment and modifications of the present disclosure in detail. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

Claims

1. A cleaning method, which has the following characteristics: (a) A process in which a cleaning gas containing halogen elements is supplied to a processing chamber that has been heated to a first temperature, and the temperature is reduced from the first temperature to a second temperature while the chamber is being evacuated under vacuum and without supplying a gas containing water vapor into the processing chamber, wherein, The second temperature is a temperature below the temperature at which the substrate is processed in the processing chamber; and (b) A process following (a) in which the gas containing water vapor is supplied to the processing chamber while the processing chamber is being evacuated, so that the residual halogen element in the processing chamber reacts with the water vapor.

2. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, (a) includes: (c) a step of purging the processing chamber by supplying an inactive gas into the processing chamber while simultaneously evacuating the processing chamber under vacuum.

3. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: (d) after (b), supplying an inactive gas into the processing chamber while performing vacuum exhaust in the processing chamber, thereby purging the processing chamber.

4. The cleaning method as described in claim 3, wherein, In (d), the cycle of supplying and stopping the inactive gas will be repeated multiple times.

5. The cleaning method as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein, In (d), the supply of the gas containing water vapor to the processing chamber is not implemented.

6. The cleaning method as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: (e) A process following (b) of setting the pressure inside the processing chamber to atmospheric pressure; (f) The process of opening the processing chamber after (e); and (g) In or after the execution of (f), the process of supplying the gas containing water vapor to the processing chamber while maintaining the pressure in the processing chamber at atmospheric pressure.

7. The cleaning method as described in claim 6, wherein, After (f) is executed and before the substrate is moved into the processing chamber, the execution of (g) is stopped.

8. The cleaning method as described in claim 7, wherein, After (f) is executed, (g) continues to be executed until (g) is stopped.

9. The cleaning method as described in claim 6, wherein, After (f) is executed, (g) continues until the processing chamber is sealed.

10. The cleaning method as described in claim 6, wherein, In (g), the inactive gas is supplied to the processing chamber along with the gas containing water vapor.

11. The cleaning method as described in claim 6, wherein, In (g), the exhaust of the processing chamber is continuously carried out.

12. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, The gas containing water vapor is the atmosphere.

13. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, The gas containing water vapor is supplied into the processing chamber from a gas nozzle located within the processing chamber.

14. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, (a) and (b) are performed with the substrate support member supporting the substrate being housed within the processing chamber during the substrate processing. The gas containing water vapor is supplied to the processing chamber from a rotary shaft purging gas supply system that purges the rotary shaft that rotates the substrate support.

15. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, The gas containing water vapor is atmospheric air captured by a filter.

16. The cleaning method as described in claim 1, wherein, In (a), the temperature inside the processing chamber is reduced from the first temperature to a third temperature, which is a temperature lower than the temperature at which the substrate is processed inside the processing chamber.

17. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: (a) A process of forming a film on a substrate by supplying a film-forming gas into a processing chamber containing the substrate; (b) The process of removing the substrate on which the film is formed from the processing chamber; (c) After (b), a process of supplying a clean gas containing halogen elements into the processing chamber while the processing chamber is heated to a first temperature; (d) Following (c), a process of lowering the temperature inside the processing chamber from the first temperature to a second temperature while simultaneously evacuating the processing chamber under vacuum and without supplying the processing chamber with a gas containing water vapor, wherein the second temperature is a temperature below the temperature of (a); and (e) Following (d), a process in which the gas containing water vapor is supplied to the processing chamber while the processing chamber is being evacuated, so that the residual halogen element in the processing chamber reacts with the water vapor.

18. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that enables a substrate processing apparatus to perform the following steps using a computer: (a) A step of reducing the temperature from the first temperature to a second temperature while simultaneously vacuum-venting the processing chamber of the substrate processing apparatus after it has been heated to a first temperature and supplied with a cleaning gas containing halogen elements, without supplying the processing chamber with a gas containing water vapor, wherein, The second temperature is a temperature below the temperature at which the substrate is processed in the processing chamber; and (b) Following (a), while evacuating the processing chamber under vacuum, the gas containing water vapor is supplied to the processing chamber, causing the residual halogen element in the processing chamber to react with the water vapor.

19. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The processing chamber contains the substrate; A heater that heats the processing chamber; A clean gas supply system that supplies clean gas containing halogens into the processing chamber; A gas supply system containing water vapor supplies gas containing water vapor into the processing chamber; An exhaust system that vents air from the processing chamber; and The control unit is configured to control the heater, the clean gas supply system, the water vapor-containing gas supply system, and the exhaust system to perform the following: (a) A process in which the cleaning gas is supplied to the processing chamber after it has been heated to a first temperature, while vacuum exhausting the chamber and reducing the temperature from the first temperature to a second temperature without supplying the gas containing water vapor into the processing chamber, wherein, The second temperature is a temperature below the temperature at which the substrate is processed in the processing chamber; and (b) Following (a), while evacuating the processing chamber under vacuum, the gas containing water vapor is supplied to the processing chamber, causing the residual halogen element in the processing chamber to react with the water vapor.

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