Substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, program, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The method includes: a first step of heating a processing container at a predetermined thermal gradient in a state in which a substrate is not processed in the processing container; and a second step in which, after the first step, the substrate to be processed is processed in a state in which the substrate to be processed is contained in the processing container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a program, and a substrate processing device. Background Art

[0002] As one of the steps in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a process of preheating a processing container may be performed before a substrate processing step (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2019 / 053806 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of suppressing the generation of particles in a processing container.

[0008] Means for solving problems

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology is provided for performing the following processes: a first process of heating a processing container with a predetermined thermal gradient when there is no processing substrate in the processing container; and a second process of processing the processing substrate after the first process when there is the processing substrate in the processing container.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, generation of particles in a processing container can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus that can be preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the principle of plasma generation in a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller 221 of a substrate processing apparatus that is preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram showing a control system of the controller 221 in the form of a block diagram.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing a processing procedure that can be preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5This is a flowchart showing a first step (preliminary processing step) among processing steps preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing a second step (substrate processing step) among the processing steps preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus that can be suitably used in another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] <One aspect of the present disclosure>

[0020] The following mainly refers to Figure 1 to Figure 6 One mode of the present disclosure is described. In addition, the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the relationship between the dimensions of the elements shown in the drawings, the ratio of the elements, etc. may not be consistent with the actual situation. In addition, the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. may not be consistent between multiple drawings.

[0021] (1) Structure of substrate processing apparatus

[0022] Below, use Figure 1 A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to mainly perform a nitridation process on a film or a base formed on a substrate surface.

[0023] (Processing Room)

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a reaction furnace 202 for accommodating a wafer 200 as a processing substrate and performing plasma processing. The reaction furnace 202 includes a processing container 203 constituting a processing chamber 201. The processing container 203 includes a dome-shaped upper container 210 as a first container and a bowl-shaped lower container 211 as a second container. The upper container 210 covers the lower container 211, thereby forming the processing chamber 201. The upper container 210 is made of a non-metallic material such as alumina (Al2O3) or quartz (SiO2), and the lower container 211 is made of aluminum (Al), for example.

[0025] A gate valve 244 serving as a loading / unloading port (gate valve) is provided on the lower side wall of the lower container 211. By opening the gate valve 244, the wafer 200 can be loaded and unloaded into and out of the processing chamber 201 through the loading / unloading port 245. By closing the gate valve 244, the airtightness of the processing chamber 201 can be maintained.

[0026] like Figure 2As shown, the processing chamber 201 includes a plasma generating space 201a and a substrate processing space 201b which is connected to the plasma generating space 201a and processes the wafer 200. The plasma generating space 201a is a space where plasma is generated, and refers to a space in the processing chamber 201, for example, a space lower than the lower end ( Figure 1 On the other hand, the substrate processing space 201b is a space where the substrate is processed by plasma, and refers to a space below the lower end of the resonant coil 212.

[0027] (Base)

[0028] A susceptor 217 as a substrate mounting table for mounting the wafer 200 is disposed at the center of the bottom side of the processing chamber 201. The susceptor 217 is made of a non-metal material such as aluminum nitride (AlN), ceramics, or quartz.

[0029] A heater 217 b as a heating mechanism is integrally embedded in the susceptor 217. The heater 217 b is configured to heat the surface of the wafer 200 to, for example, about 25°C to 750°C by being supplied with electric power.

[0030] The susceptor 217 is electrically insulated from the lower container 211. An impedance adjustment electrode 217c is provided inside the susceptor 217. The impedance adjustment electrode 217c is grounded via an impedance variable mechanism 275 as an impedance adjustment unit. By changing the impedance of the impedance variable mechanism 275 within a predetermined range, the potential (bias voltage) of the wafer 200 during plasma processing can be controlled via the impedance adjustment electrode 217c and the susceptor 217.

[0031] A susceptor lifting mechanism 268 for lifting the susceptor is provided below the susceptor 217. A through hole 217a is provided on the susceptor 217. Support pins 266 serving as a support body for supporting the wafer 200 are provided on the bottom surface of the lower container 211. The through holes 217a and the support pins 266 are provided at least three locations at mutually opposing positions. When the susceptor 217 is lowered by the susceptor lifting mechanism 268, the support pins 266 pass through the through holes 217a without contacting the susceptor 217. Thus, the wafer 200 can be held from below.

[0032] (Gas supply unit)

[0033] A gas supply head 236 is provided above the processing chamber 201, that is, above the upper container 210. The gas supply head 236 includes a lid 233, a gas inlet 234, a buffer chamber 237, an opening 238, a shielding plate 240, and a gas blowing port 239, and is configured to supply gas into the processing chamber 201. The buffer chamber 237 functions as a dispersion space for dispersing the gas introduced from the gas inlet 234.

[0034] The downstream end of a gas supply pipe 232a for supplying a first gas, the downstream end of a gas supply pipe 232b for supplying, for example, a helium (He)-containing gas, and a gas supply pipe 232c for supplying a second gas are connected to the gas inlet 234 in a confluent manner. The first gas is, for example, a nitrogen-containing gas, such as N2 gas. The second gas is, for example, a hydrogen-containing gas, such as H2 gas. On the gas supply pipe 232a, a first gas supply source 250a, a mass flow controller (MFC) 252a as a flow control device, and a valve 253a as an opening and closing valve are sequentially arranged from the upstream side. On the gas supply pipe 232b, a He-containing gas supply source 250b, MFC252b, and valve 253b are sequentially arranged from the upstream side. On the gas supply pipe 232c, a second gas supply source 250c, MFC252c, and valve 253c are sequentially arranged from the upstream side. A valve 243a is provided on the downstream side where the gas supply pipes 232a to 232c merge, and is connected to the upstream end of the gas inlet 234. By opening and closing the valves 253a to 253c and 243a, the first gas, the second gas, the He-containing gas and other processing gases can be supplied to the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply pipes 232a to 232c while adjusting the flow rate of each gas using the MFCs 252a to 252c.

[0035] The first gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply head 236 (cover 233, gas inlet 234, buffer chamber 237, opening 238, shielding plate 240, gas blow-off port 239), gas supply pipe 232a, MFC252a, valves 253a and 243a. In addition, the He-containing gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply head 236, gas supply pipe 232b, MFC252b, valves 253b and 243a. In addition, the second gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply head 236, gas supply pipe 232c, MFC252c, valves 253c and 243a.

[0036] (Exhaust section)

[0037] An exhaust port 235 for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber 201 is provided on the side wall of the lower container 211. The exhaust port 235 is connected to the upstream end of the exhaust pipe 231. On the exhaust pipe 231, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 242 as a pressure regulator (pressure regulating unit), a valve 243b, and a vacuum pump 246 as a vacuum exhaust device are provided in sequence from the upstream side. The exhaust portion is mainly composed of the exhaust port 235, the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 242, and the valve 243b. The vacuum pump 246 may also be included in the exhaust portion.

[0038] (Plasma generation unit)

[0039] A spiral resonant coil 212 is provided on the outer periphery of the processing chamber 201, that is, on the outer side of the side wall of the upper container 210 so as to surround the processing container 203. An RF (Radio Frequency) sensor 272, a high frequency power supply 273, and a frequency regulator (frequency control unit) 274 are connected to the resonant coil 212. A shielding plate 223 is provided on the outer periphery of the resonant coil 212.

[0040] The high frequency power source 273 is configured to supply high frequency power (RF power) to the resonant coil 212. The RF sensor 272 is provided on the output side of the high frequency power source 273. The RF sensor 272 is configured to monitor the information of the traveling wave and the reflected wave of the high frequency power supplied from the high frequency power source 273. The frequency adjuster 274 adjusts the frequency of the high frequency power output from the high frequency power source 273 in a manner to minimize the reflected wave based on the information of the reflected wave monitored by the RF sensor 272.

[0041] Both ends of the resonant coil 212 are electrically grounded. One end of the resonant coil 212 is grounded via a movable joint 213. The other end of the resonant coil 212 is grounded via a fixed ground 214. Between the two ends of the resonant coil 212, a movable joint 215 is provided, which can arbitrarily set the position at which the resonant coil 212 receives power from the high frequency power supply 273.

[0042] The shielding plate 223 is configured to shield electromagnetic waves from leaking to the outside of the resonance coil 212 , and to form a capacitance component required for constituting a resonance circuit between the shielding plate 223 and the resonance coil 212 .

[0043] The plasma generating section (plasma generating means) is mainly constituted by the resonance coil 212, the RF sensor 272, and the frequency adjuster 274. The high frequency power supply 273 and the shielding plate 223 may be included in the plasma generating section.

[0044] Below, use Figure 2 The operation of the plasma generating unit and the properties of the generated plasma are supplemented.

[0045] The resonant coil 212 is configured to function as a high-frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP) electrode. The resonant coil 212 forms a standing wave of a specified wavelength, and its winding diameter, winding pitch, number of turns, etc. are set in a manner to resonate in a full-wavelength mode. The electrical length of the resonant coil 212, that is, the electrode length between the ground and the ground is adjusted to a length that is an integer multiple of the wavelength of the high-frequency power supplied from the high-frequency power supply 273. These structures, the power supplied to the resonant coil 212, and the magnetic field strength generated by the resonant coil 212 are appropriately determined in consideration of the outer shape of the substrate processing apparatus 100, the processing content, etc. As an example, the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the resonant coil 212 is 50 to 300 mm 2The coil diameter is 200 to 500 mm, and the number of coil turns is 2 to 60.

[0046] The high-frequency power supply 273 includes a power supply control unit and an amplifier. The power supply control unit is configured to output a predetermined high-frequency signal (control signal) to the amplifier based on the output conditions related to power and frequency pre-set through the operation panel. The amplifier is configured to output the high-frequency power obtained by amplifying the control signal received from the power supply control unit toward the resonant coil 212 via the transmission line. As described above, an RF sensor 272 is provided on the output side of the amplifier to detect the reflected wave power in the transmission line and to feed back its voltage signal to the frequency regulator 274.

[0047] The frequency regulator 274 receives a voltage signal related to the reflected wave power from the RF sensor 272 and performs correction control to increase or decrease the frequency (oscillation frequency) of the high frequency power output by the high frequency power source 273 so as to minimize the reflected wave power.

[0048] With the above configuration, the induction plasma excited in the plasma generation space 201a is high-quality induction plasma with almost no capacitive coupling with the inner wall of the processing chamber 201, the susceptor 217, etc. In the plasma generation space 201a, a ring-shaped plasma with extremely low potential is generated.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, the controller 221 as a control unit is configured as a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 221a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 221b, a storage device 221c, and an I / O port 221d. The RAM 221b, the storage device 221c, and the I / O port 221d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 221a via an internal bus 221e. The controller 221 may also be connected to an input / output device 225 such as a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, an operation terminal, etc. The controller 221 may also be connected to a display such as a monitor as a display unit.

[0050] The storage device 221c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a CD-ROM, etc. A control program for controlling the actions of the substrate processing device 100, a process that records the steps and conditions of substrate processing, etc., are recorded and saved in a readable manner in the storage device 221c. The process is composed in a manner that enables the substrate processing device 100 to execute each step in the substrate processing process described later and obtain a predetermined result using the controller 221 configured as a computer, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process, control program, etc. are also collectively referred to as a program. In addition, when the term "program" is used in this specification, there is a case where only a process unit is included, a case where only a control program unit is included, or a case where both are included. RAM221b is configured as a storage area (work area) for temporarily holding programs, data, etc. read by CPU221a.

[0051] The I / O port 221d is connected to the above-mentioned MFC252a~252c, valves 253a~253c, 243a, 243b, gate valve 244, APC valve 242, vacuum pump 246, heater 217b, RF sensor 272, high-frequency power supply 273, frequency regulator 274, base lifting mechanism 268, impedance variable mechanism 275, etc.

[0052] The CPU 221a is configured to read out the control program from the storage device 221c and execute it, and to read out the process recipe from the storage device 221c according to the input of the operation command from the input / output device 225. Figure 1 As shown, CPU 221a is constructed to control the opening adjustment action of APC valve 242, the opening and closing action of valve 243b, and the start and stop of vacuum pump 246 through I / O port 221d and signal line A according to the content of the read process flow, control the lifting action of base lifting mechanism 268 through signal line B, control the power supply adjustment action (temperature adjustment action) to heater 217b based on the temperature sensor by heater power adjustment mechanism 276 and the impedance value adjustment action of impedance variable mechanism 275 through signal line C, control the opening and closing action of gate valve 244 through signal line D, control the action of RF sensor 272, frequency regulator 274 and high-frequency power supply 273 through signal line E, and control the flow adjustment action of various gases of MFC252a~252c and the opening and closing actions of valves 253a~253c and 243a through signal line F.

[0053] In addition, the controller 221 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer, but can also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk such as a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD, a DVD, an optical magnetic disk such as an MO, a USB memory, a semiconductor memory such as a memory card) 226 that records and stores the above-mentioned program is prepared, and the external storage device 226 is used to install the program to a general-purpose computer, thereby constituting the controller 221 of this embodiment. In addition, the means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to the case of supplying via the external storage device 226. For example, a communication unit such as the Internet or a dedicated line can also be used to supply the program without passing through the external storage device 226. In addition, the storage device 221c and the external storage device 226 are configured as a computer-readable recording medium. Hereinafter, they are collectively referred to as recording media. In addition, in this specification, when the term recording medium is used, there is a case where only the storage device 221c monomer is included, a case where only the external storage device 226 monomer is included, or a case where both are included.

[0054] (2) Processing

[0055] Main Use Figures 4 to 6 An example of a process sequence for modifying a film formed on the surface of a wafer 200 as one step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process using the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described. In the following description, the operations of the various components constituting the substrate processing apparatus 100 are controlled by the controller 221 .

[0056] In the substrate processing sequence of this method, the following are performed: a first process, in which the processing container 203 is heated with a predetermined thermal gradient when there is no wafer 200 in the processing container 203; and a second process, in which the wafer 200 is processed when there is a wafer 200 in the processing container 203 after the first process.

[0057] In this embodiment, an example is described in which, in a first step, a first gas is supplied into the processing container 203 , and a first power is input (supplied) to the resonance coil 212 as an electrode to excite the first gas into a plasma state and heat the processing container 203 .

[0058] In this embodiment, an example is described in which, in the second step, the second gas is supplied into the processing container 203 , the second power is input to the resonance coil 212 , the second gas is excited into a plasma state, and the wafer 200 is processed.

[0059] like Figure 4As shown, the processing steps of this embodiment mainly include a first step (preliminary processing step) S400 for heating the processing container 203 and a second step (substrate processing step) S500 for processing the wafer 200. The processing steps of this embodiment will be described below.

[0060] (2-1) Heater Heating Step (S100)

[0061] First, power is supplied to the heater 217b to start heating the susceptor 217. The heater 217b is controlled so that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor becomes a predetermined temperature. Thereafter, heating by the heater 217b is continued until all the processing steps are completed.

[0062] (2-2) Idle Step (Substrate Processing Instruction Waiting Step) (S200)

[0063] In this step, the substrate processing device 100 becomes an indication waiting state (standby state) waiting for an indication to process the wafer 200 (instruction to execute the second process). The standby state is a state of waiting for the indication while maintaining the base 217 at a predetermined temperature. For example, it may occur during the period from the time when the processed wafer 200 is moved out of the processing container 203 to the time when the processing of the next wafer 200 begins, or from the time when the processing of the previous batch (substrate group) ends to the time when the processing of the next batch begins. Depending on the timing of the indication, the duration of the standby state, that is, the length of the time of the standby process (standby time) varies. In this step, it is determined whether the indication is input. If the indication is not input, the determination is performed again at a constant interval. If the indication is input, the next step is entered. In the indication, an indication of the number of wafers 200 to be processed in the second process (that is, the number of times the second process is executed) is also input.

[0064] (2-3) Step of determining heating conditions in the first step (S300)

[0065] In this step, the time of the standby step (S200) is confirmed, and based on the time, the heating conditions of the processing container 203 in the first step (S400) as the next step are determined.

[0066] (2-4) First step (preliminary processing step) (S400)

[0067] In this step, as a preliminary treatment for the next step, that is, the second process (S500), the processing container 203 is heated. Figure 5The steps constituting the first step will be described. The first step can also be performed with the dummy substrate placed on the susceptor 217, but here an example in which the dummy substrate is not used will be described.

[0068] (Vacuum Exhaust Step S410)

[0069] First, the processing chamber 201 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 so that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 reaches a predetermined value. The vacuum pump 246 is operated at least until the exhaust / pressure adjustment step S440 is completed.

[0070] (First Gas Supplying Step S420)

[0071] In this step, the first gas is excited into a plasma state and supplied into the processing container 203 .

[0072] Specifically, the valve 253a is opened to allow the first gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 232a. The first gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 252a, supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the buffer chamber 237, and exhausted from the exhaust port 235. Thus, the first gas is supplied into the processing container 203 (first gas supply).

[0073] At this time, high frequency (RF) power is supplied to the resonant coil 212 from the high frequency power supply 273. As a result, the first gas is concentrated in the plasma generation space 201a, especially at each height position of the upper end, the middle point and the lower end of the resonant coil 212, and discharged, thereby generating plasma discharge. The generated plasma discharge can heat the processing container 203 from the inside. In particular, the portion of the processing container 203 corresponding to the above-mentioned height position where the plasma discharge is concentrated and its vicinity are concentratedly heated. In this embodiment, the resonant coil 212 is also referred to as a heating portion. In addition, the power is continuously supplied to the resonant coil 212 until the second step is completed.

[0074] By heating the processing container 203 under predetermined processing conditions, the temperature inside the processing container 203 can be raised to a predetermined temperature.

[0075] The heating conditions in this step are set according to the time of the standby process. When the standby process time is relatively short, that is, shorter than the predetermined time, the RF power is set to be larger than the predetermined power. On the other hand, when the standby process time is relatively long, that is, longer than the predetermined time, the RF power is set to be relatively small.

[0076] By setting such heating conditions, the temperature rise rate per unit time in the processing container 203, that is, the thermal gradient, can be made different according to the time of the standby process. Specifically, when the time of the standby process is relatively short, the thermal gradient is made steeper, and when the time of the standby process is relatively long, the thermal gradient is made gentler (hereinafter, these thermal gradients are sometimes referred to as "predetermined thermal gradients"). That is, when the standby process is shorter than the predetermined time, heating is performed with the first thermal gradient, and when the standby process is longer than the predetermined time, heating is performed with the second thermal gradient smaller than the first thermal gradient.

[0077] As the first gas, for example, a N-containing gas can be used. As the N-containing gas, for example, in addition to N2 gas, ammonia (NH3) gas, diazine (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, N3H8 gas and other hydrogen nitride-based gases can be used. As the N-containing gas, one or more of them can be used. In addition, as the N-containing gas, a mixed gas of a N-containing gas and a H-containing gas such as a mixed gas of N2 gas and hydrogen (H2) gas can be used.

[0078] After the temperature in the processing container 203 reaches a desired temperature, supply of the first gas into the processing container 203 is stopped.

[0079] (Exhaust / pressure adjustment process S430)

[0080] The gas in the processing chamber 201 is exhausted to the outside of the processing chamber 201. Thereafter, the opening of the APC valve 242 is adjusted so that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 becomes the same as the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber.

[0081] (2-5) Second Step (Substrate Processing Step) (S500)

[0082] In this step, as an example, a silicon (Si) film formed on the surface of the wafer 200 is subjected to a nitriding plasma treatment as a modification treatment to form a silicon nitride film (SiN film). Figure 6 Each step constituting the second step will be described.

[0083] (Substrate Loading Step S510)

[0084] The susceptor lifting mechanism 268 lowers the susceptor 217 so that the support pins 266 protrude by a predetermined height from the surface of the susceptor 217. Next, the wafer 200 is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber adjacent to the processing chamber 201 to the support pins 266 using the wafer transfer mechanism. Thereafter, the susceptor lifting mechanism 268 raises the susceptor 217 to a predetermined position between the lower end of the resonant coil 212 and the upper end 245a of the loading / unloading port 245, whereby the wafer 200 is supported by the upper surface of the susceptor 217. In addition, in this step, the power supplied to the resonant coil 212 may be changed to a power greater than the first power.

[0085] (Vacuum Exhaust Step S520)

[0086] In this step, the processing chamber 201 is evacuated via the exhaust pipe 231 by the vacuum pump 246 so that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 becomes a predetermined value.

[0087] (Second Gas Supplying Step S530)

[0088] In this step, the first gas is excited by plasma and supplied to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201 .

[0089] Specifically, valve 253a is opened to allow the first gas to flow into gas supply pipe 232a. The first gas is flow-regulated by MFC 252a, supplied into processing chamber 201 via buffer chamber 237, and exhausted from exhaust port 235. At this time, the first gas is supplied to wafer 200 from above wafer 200 (first gas supply). At this time, valve 243c may also be opened to supply the second gas into processing chamber 201 via buffer chamber 237.

[0090] Here, high frequency (RF) power is applied to the resonant coil 212 from the high frequency power supply 273. As a result, an annular induction plasma is excited at the height positions corresponding to the upper and lower grounding points and the electrical neutral point of the resonant coil 212 in the plasma generation space 201a. By the excitation of the induction plasma, when, for example, a N-containing gas is used as the first gas, the N-containing gas is activated to generate a nitride substance. The nitride substance contains excited N atoms (N * ) and at least one of ionized N atoms. In addition, * represents free radicals. The same applies to the following description. In addition, when a gas containing H is used as the N-containing gas or a gas containing H is supplied as the second gas, the nitriding material also contains excited NH groups (NH * ), and at least one of ions containing N and H. In this case, excited H atoms (H * ), ionized H atoms and other reaction substances. These reaction substances can also be understood as part of the nitriding substance.

[0091] The N-containing gas is excited by plasma under predetermined processing conditions and supplied to the wafer 200, thereby supplying a nitriding substance to the surface of the wafer 200. At least a portion of the Si film formed on the surface of the wafer 200 is modified into a SiN film by the supplied nitriding substance.

[0092] At this time, since the nitriding substance is also supplied to the inner wall of the processing container 203, when the processing container 203 is composed of SiO2, for example, the inner wall surface of the processing container 203 may be modified to SiON. As described above, there is a portion where plasma discharge is concentrated in the processing container 203, and the inner wall surface of the processing container 203 corresponding to this portion is densely modified compared with the inner wall surface of other portions. In this way, there is a deviation in the nitriding state of the inner wall surface of the processing container 203, and thus the stress of the inner wall surface of the processing container 203 is also varied. Therefore, for example, when the temperature of the inner wall of the processing container 203 rises sharply from a low temperature due to the generation of plasma discharge in the substrate processing step, the inner wall of the processing container 203 may fall off and generate particles. In this method, by performing the first step of heating the processing container 203 to a predetermined temperature before performing this step, it is possible to avoid the inner wall of the processing container 203 from a low temperature to a high temperature in this step, thereby preventing the generation of particles.

[0093] After a predetermined processing time has passed, the power output from the high frequency power supply 273 is stopped, and the plasma discharge in the processing chamber 201 is stopped. The supply of the first gas into the processing chamber 201 is stopped. If the second gas is being supplied, the supply of the second gas is stopped.

[0094] (Vacuum Exhaust Step S540)

[0095] The reaction gas and the like in the processing chamber 201 are exhausted to the outside of the processing chamber 201 through the exhaust pipe 231. Then, the opening of the APC valve 242 is adjusted to adjust the pressure in the processing chamber 201 to the same pressure as that of the vacuum transfer chamber adjacent to the processing chamber 201.

[0096] (Substrate unloading step S550)

[0097] When the pressure in the processing chamber 201 reaches a predetermined level, the susceptor 217 is lowered to the transfer position of the wafer 200, and the wafer 200 on the support pins 266 is transferred out of the processing chamber 201 using the wafer transfer mechanism. The above process completes the second step (S500).

[0098] (2-6) Determination of the number of repetitions (S600)

[0099] After the second step (S500) is completed, the number of wafers 200 to be processed input during the standby step (S200) is referred to to determine whether the processing of the indicated number of wafers is completed. If it is determined to be completed, the next step is entered. If it is determined to be unfinished, the second step is performed again on other wafers 200.

[0100] (2-7) Device operation stop determination (S700)

[0101] After the repetition count determination (S600) is completed, if an instruction to stop the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is input, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is stopped and the processing is completed. If no operation stop instruction is input, the steps after the standby step (S200) are executed again.

[0102] (3) Effects of this method

[0103] According to this aspect, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0104] (a) By performing the first step before starting the second step to preheat the inside of the processing container 203, it is possible to avoid a sharp rise in temperature in the processing container 203 during the second step, thereby preventing the generation of particles. In addition, in the first step, the processing container 203 is heated at a predetermined thermal gradient to avoid a sharp rise in the inner wall of the processing container 203 from a low temperature to a high temperature, thereby also suppressing the generation of particles in the first step.

[0105] (b) By setting a predetermined thermal gradient under the heating conditions corresponding to the time of the standby process, in the first process, the inner wall of the processing container 203 can be reliably prevented from rapidly rising from a low temperature to a high temperature, thereby reliably preventing the generation of particles.

[0106] Specifically, for example, when the waiting process time is relatively short, the RF power is set relatively high, and when the waiting process time is relatively long, the RF power is set relatively low. By setting such heating conditions, when the waiting process time is relatively short, the thermal gradient is set to be relatively steep, and when the waiting process time is relatively long, the thermal gradient is set to be relatively gentle. Thus, the above-mentioned effect can be reliably achieved.

[0107] This is because, as the time of the standby process becomes longer, the temperature inside the processing container 203 that has been heated in the heater heating process may gradually decrease. In addition, in the first process, when, for example, N-containing gas is supplied as the first gas into the processing chamber 201, the inner wall of the processing container 203 is nitrided, but as described above, there is a deviation in the nitridation condition of the inner wall surface of the processing container 203, so there is also a deviation in the stress of the inner wall surface of the processing container 203. Therefore, in the first process, when the temperature of the inner wall of the processing container 203 rises sharply from a low temperature to a high temperature, the inner wall may fall off and generate particles in the processing container 203.

[0108] When the waiting process time is relatively long, the temperature in the processing container 203 is relatively low at the start of the first process, so when the temperature in the processing container 203 is rapidly increased, particles may be generated. In this case, in the present embodiment, for example, the thermal gradient is set to be relatively gentle based on the heating conditions determined based on the temperature data in the processing container 203 corresponding to the waiting process time prepared in advance, so that the temperature in the processing container 203 is gradually increased. This can prevent the generation of particles in the processing container 203.

[0109] On the other hand, when the standby process is relatively short, a relatively high temperature is maintained in the processing container 203 at the start of the first process. In this embodiment, in this case, the thermal gradient is set to be relatively steep, for example, based on the heating conditions determined based on the above-mentioned data prepared in advance, so that the temperature in the processing container 203 rises sharply. Even with such a thermal gradient, a relatively high temperature is maintained in the processing container 203 at the start of the first process, so the temperature of the inner wall of the processing container 203 does not rise sharply from a low temperature to a high temperature, and thus the possibility of generating particles is small. By setting such a thermal gradient, it is also possible to achieve an improvement in productivity.

[0110] In this way, by making the thermal gradient different according to the time of the standby process, it is possible to reliably prevent the generation of particles in the processing container 203 .

[0111] (c) In the second step, the temperature in the processing container 203 can be raised to the desired substrate processing temperature in a short time by inputting a second power greater than the first power input in the first step to the resonant coil 212. This can prevent the generation of particles in the processing container 203 and improve productivity.

[0112] (d) In the first step, if the power input state of inputting power to the resonant coil 212 is started, the power input state can be maintained even during the execution of the second step, thereby avoiding the steps of repeatedly inputting power and stopping the power input, thereby achieving further improvement in production capacity.

[0113] <Other aspects of the present disclosure>

[0114] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0115] In the above-mentioned manner, an example in which a constant power (first power) is supplied (input) to the resonant coil 212 in the first step is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the power input to the resonant coil 212 may be changed (increased) in stages according to the temperature rise in the processing container 203. By changing (increasing) the power supplied to the resonant coil 212, the temperature in the processing container 203 rises sharply, but since the temperature in the processing container 203 rises sharply after it has risen to a predetermined temperature, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles in the processing container 203. In addition, by changing the power supplied to the resonant coil 212, it is also possible to achieve an increase in production capacity. In addition, the change in the power input to the resonant coil 212 is not limited to the above-mentioned two stages, but also includes other multiple stages.

[0116] In the above-mentioned method, an example of using N-containing gas as the first gas is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the first gas may also be replaced by He gas or H2 gas. For example, among N2 gas, He gas, and H2 gas, when He gas or H2 gas is used, there is a tendency that the temperature in the processing container 203 is easy to rise. Therefore, for example, in the first process, when it is desired to increase the temperature in the processing container 203 sharply, He gas or H2 gas is used, and when it is desired to increase the temperature in the processing container 203 slowly, N2 gas is used, and the gas to be used can be selected according to the situation. The same effect as the above-mentioned method can also be obtained in this method. In addition, when He gas or H2 gas is used to heat the processing container 203, He gas and H2 gas are also referred to as heating medium gas, respectively. In addition, when a heating medium gas is used in the first process, a gas having a main component different from that of the heating medium gas, such as N-containing gas, can also be used in the second process.

[0117] In the above-mentioned manner, an example of using N-containing gas as the first gas is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as the first gas, a mixed gas of N2 gas and He gas, or a mixed gas of N2 gas and H2 gas can also be used. For example, in the case of N2 gas or a mixed gas of N2 gas and He gas, when the mixed gas is used, the temperature in the processing container 203 tends to rise easily. Therefore, for example, in the first process, when rapid heating is desired or efficient heating is desired with a smaller supply power, the mixed gas can also be used. By setting such a structure, the generation of particles can be more reliably suppressed.

[0118] In the above-mentioned method, an example of using N-containing gas as the first gas is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the first gas may be replaced with He gas or H2 gas. In this case, for example, various gases may be selected according to the standby time. Thus, it is possible to achieve a high degree of freedom in operation considering heating efficiency and heating time.

[0119] In the above-mentioned manner, an example of using an N-containing gas as the first gas is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the first gas may also be replaced with He gas or H2 gas. In this case, for example, the power supplied may also be set for each gas. Specifically, a power smaller than a predetermined power is supplied to a gas with relatively strong excitation energy (such as He gas), and a power larger than a predetermined power is supplied to a gas with relatively weak excitation energy (such as H2 gas). Thus, it is possible to prevent the inner wall of the processing container 203 from being etched due to excessive activation, and to efficiently heat it.

[0120] In the above-mentioned method, an example of setting a predetermined thermal gradient under the heating conditions corresponding to the time of the standby process is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in the heating condition determination step (S300) of the first process, the temperature in the processing container 203 at the beginning of the first process can be actually measured, and the heating conditions of the processing container 203 in the first process can be determined based on the temperature. It is also possible to set a predetermined thermal gradient under the heating conditions corresponding to the temperature. In this method, the same effect as the above-mentioned method can be obtained.

[0121] In the above-mentioned manner, an example is described in which the first gas is excited into a plasma state in the first step to heat the processing container 203 from the inside, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Figure 7As shown, the processing container 203 can also be heated from the outside by using a plurality of lamp heaters 461 as heating units arranged near the top of the shielding plate 223. In this method, the same effect as the above method can be obtained. The lamp heater 461 is connected to the lamp control unit 463 via the wiring 462. The supply of power, the on / off of the lamp heater 461, etc. are controlled by the lamp control unit 463 based on the instructions of the controller 221. In addition, Figure 7 In the figure, for convenience, a lamp heater 461 is shown near the top of the shielding plate 223. Figure 1 The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. Figure 7 Their records are omitted.

[0122] In the above-mentioned method, an example of heating the processing container 203 by exciting the first gas to a plasma state in the first process is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a small power that cannot excite the first gas to a plasma state can be supplied (input) to the resonant coil 212, and the inside of the processing container 203 is heated by dielectric heating. In this method, the same effect as the above-mentioned method can be obtained. In addition, in this method, for example, when the standby process time is a long time (for example, 35 hours), by heating the inside of the processing container 203 by dielectric heating, the temperature inside the processing container 203 can be increased more slowly than in the above-mentioned method.

[0123] In the above-mentioned method, an example of performing the first process in a state where neither the wafer 200 nor the dummy substrate that becomes a dummy product of the wafer 200 is placed on the base 217 is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the first process can also be performed in a state where the dummy substrate is placed on the base 217. In this method, the same effect as in the above-mentioned method can be obtained. In addition, in this method, sometimes a better effect than that in the above-mentioned method can be obtained.

[0124] This is because, in the above-mentioned method, after the first process is performed in a state where the wafer 200 is not placed on the susceptor 217, the second process is performed in a state where the wafer 200 is placed on the susceptor 217, so in the second process, the heater 217b and the inner wall of the processing container 203 are separated by the wafer 200. Therefore, in the second process, the temperature of the inner wall of the processing container 203 drops sharply, and particles may be generated. Therefore, in this method, the first process is performed in a state where the dummy substrate is placed on the susceptor 217. In this way, in the first process, the dummy substrate is also arranged between the heater 217b and the inner wall of the processing container 203 to reduce the influence of the radiant heat from the heater 217b. As a result, in the second process, the temperature of the inner wall of the processing container 203 can be prevented from dropping sharply, so the generation of particles can be reliably prevented.

[0125] In the above-mentioned method, an example of supplying N-containing gas to the wafer 200 in the second step to form a SiN film is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, an oxygen (O)-containing gas may be supplied to the wafer 200 to form a silicon oxide film (SiO film). In this method, the same effect as in the above-mentioned method can be obtained.

[0126] The process used in each treatment is preferably prepared separately according to the treatment content, and recorded and stored in the storage device 221c via the electrical communication line and the external storage device 226. Moreover, it is preferred that when each treatment is started, the CPU 221a appropriately selects a suitable process from the multiple processes recorded and stored in the storage device 221c according to the treatment content. Thus, a film of various film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses can be formed with good reproducibility using one substrate processing device. In addition, the burden on the operator can be reduced, operational errors can be avoided, and each treatment can be started quickly.

[0127] The above-mentioned process is not limited to the case of newly making, and can also be prepared by, for example, changing an existing process already installed in a substrate processing device. When changing a process, the changed process can also be installed in the substrate processing device via an electrical communication line or a recording medium recording the process. In addition, the input / output device 225 of the existing substrate processing device can also be operated to directly change the existing process already installed in the substrate processing device.

[0128] In the above embodiment, an example of a single-wafer type apparatus that processes substrates one by one is described. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, it can also be appropriately applied to a case where a batch type substrate processing apparatus that processes a plurality of substrates at a time is used.

[0129] When these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed in the same process steps and process conditions as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the same effects as those in the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[0130] The above-mentioned methods can be used in combination as appropriate. The processing steps and processing conditions in this case can be, for example, the same as the processing steps and processing conditions in the above-mentioned methods.

[0131] Description of Reference Numerals

[0132] 200 wafers (processing substrate)

[0133] 203 Processing container.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method, characterized in that: have: A first step is to heat the processing container at a predetermined thermal gradient when no substrate is being processed in the processing container; and The second step is to process the processing substrate after the first step while the processing substrate is in the processing container.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a standby step before the first step, The predetermined thermal gradient is set under heating conditions corresponding to the duration of the standby process.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first step, heating is performed with a first thermal gradient when the waiting step is shorter than a predetermined time, and heating is performed with a second thermal gradient smaller than the first thermal gradient when the waiting step is longer than the predetermined time.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first step, a first gas or a heating medium gas is supplied into the processing container, and a first power is input to an electrode disposed outside the processing container to excite the first gas or the heating medium gas into a plasma state to heat the processing container.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The power input to the electrode is set according to the type of gas supplied into the processing container.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the second step, the first gas is supplied into the processing container, and a second power greater than the first power is input to the electrode to excite the first gas into a plasma state, thereby processing the processing substrate.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the first step, the power when the standby step is shorter than a predetermined time is greater than the power when the standby step is longer than the predetermined time.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first step, power is input to a lamp heater provided outside the processing container to heat the processing container.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first step is performed with the dummy substrate mounted on a substrate mounting table provided in the processing container.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The dummy substrate is disposed between a heater built into the substrate mounting table and an inner wall of the processing container.

11. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the first step, the magnitude of the input power is changed in stages.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first step, a first gas is supplied into the processing container, and a power smaller than a power capable of exciting the first gas into a plasma state is input to an electrode provided outside the processing container to heat the processing container.

13. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: If the power input state in which power is input to the electrode is started in the first step, the power input state is maintained even during execution of the second step.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first step, heating medium gas is supplied.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The heating medium gas is a hydrogen-containing gas or a helium-containing gas.

16. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, characterized in that: In the second step, the first gas having a main component different from that of the heating medium gas is supplied.

17. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that: have: A first step is to heat the processing container at a predetermined thermal gradient when no substrate is being processed in the processing container; and The second step is to process the processing substrate after the first step while the processing substrate is in the processing container.

18. A program, characterized in that The program enables the substrate processing device to execute the following steps through a computer: The first step is to heat the processing container at a predetermined thermal gradient when no substrate is processed in the processing container. as well as In a second step, after the first step, the processing substrate is processed in a state where the processing substrate is in the processing container.

19. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: The substrate processing device comprises: a processing container for processing a processing substrate; a heating portion for heating the processing container; a gas supply system for supplying gas to the processing substrate in the processing container; and The control unit is configured to control the heating unit and the gas supply system so as to perform the following processes: a first process of heating the process container with a predetermined thermal gradient when there is no process substrate in the process container; and a second process of processing the process substrate after the first process when there is the process substrate in the process container.

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