Substrate processing apparatus, heat insulation structure, method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and program

Abstract

Provided is a technique capable of reducing the flow rate of purge gas for purging the inside of a heat-insulating structure. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a substrate supporting part for supporting the substrate; the exhaust system is used for exhausting gas in the processing chamber; and a heat insulation structure disposed below the substrate support part. The present invention is provided with: a container configured so that the upper cross-sectional area in the interior in the horizontal direction is larger than the lower cross-sectional area; a first inert gas supply unit configured so as to be able to supply an inert gas into the interior of the container; and an opening unit configured so as to be able to communicate the interior and exterior of the container.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a shaft purge gas to an upper portion of a heat insulation module and exhausts the gas to the outside of the heat insulation module through an exhaust hole.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2019 / 058553 Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of reducing the flow rate of a purge gas used to purge the interior of a thermal insulation structure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a technology is provided, comprising:

[0008] a processing chamber for processing a substrate;

[0009] a substrate supporting portion supporting the substrate;

[0010] An exhaust system for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber; and

[0011] The heat-insulating structure arranged below the substrate support portion includes a container whose upper cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction is larger than the lower cross-sectional area, a first inert gas supply portion capable of supplying inert gas to the interior of the container, and an opening portion capable of connecting the inside and outside of the container.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, the flow rate of the purge gas for purging the inside of the heat insulation structure can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 (A) is an explanatory diagram showing a first gas supply unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 2 (B) is an explanatory diagram showing a second gas supply unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 2 (C) is an explanatory diagram showing a first inert gas supply unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 2(D) is an explanatory diagram showing a second inert gas supply unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a detailed explanatory diagram of the periphery of a heat insulation structure for explaining one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and is a diagram showing a control system of the controller using a block diagram.

[0018] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a substrate processing flow according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 Yes Description Figure 5 Flowchart of the membrane treatment process.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a detailed explanatory diagram for explaining the periphery of the heat insulation structure according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a detailed explanatory diagram for explaining the periphery of the heat insulation structure according to the third aspect of the present disclosure.

[0022] Fig. 9 It is a detailed explanatory diagram for explaining the periphery of the heat insulation structure according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following mainly refers to Figures 1 to 9 One aspect of the present disclosure is described. It should be noted that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. shown in the drawings are not necessarily consistent with reality. In addition, the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. between multiple drawings are not necessarily consistent.

[0024] (1) Configuration of substrate processing apparatus

[0025] use Figure 1 The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0026] The substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a reaction tube storage chamber 206, and a cylindrical reaction tube 210 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the reaction tube storage chamber 206, a heater 211 as a heating unit (furnace body) provided on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 210, a gas supply structure 212 as a processing gas supply unit, and a gas exhaust structure 213 as a processing gas exhaust unit. The processing gas supply unit may include an upstream side rectifying unit 214 and nozzles 223 and 224 described later. In addition, the processing gas exhaust unit may include a downstream side rectifying unit 215 described later.

[0027] The gas supply structure 212 is provided on the side of the reaction tube 210 and upstream in the gas flow direction. Gas is supplied from the gas supply structure 212 to the processing chamber 201 in the reaction tube 210, and the gas is supplied from the horizontal direction relative to the substrate S. The gas exhaust structure 213 is provided on the side of the reaction tube 210 and downstream in the gas flow direction. The gas in the reaction tube 210 is exhausted from the gas exhaust structure 213. The gas exhaust structure 213 is arranged opposite to the gas supply structure 212 across the reaction tube 210.

[0028] The processing chamber 201 includes a reaction tube 210 for carrying in a substrate S, a gas supply structure 212, and a gas exhaust structure 213. The substrate S is processed in the processing chamber 201. The gas supply structure 212, the interior of the reaction tube 210, and the gas exhaust structure 213 are connected in the horizontal direction.

[0029] An upstream rectifying section 214 for rectifying the flow of gas supplied from the gas supply structure 212 is provided on the upstream side of the reaction tube 210 between the reaction tube 210 and the gas supply structure 212. In addition, a downstream rectifying section 215 for rectifying the flow of gas exhausted from the reaction tube 210 is provided on the downstream side of the reaction tube 210 between the reaction tube 210 and the gas exhaust structure 213. The lower end of the reaction tube 210 is supported by a manifold 216.

[0030] The reaction tube 210, the upstream rectifying section 214, and the downstream rectifying section 215 are continuous structures, and are formed of materials such as quartz and SiC. These are composed of heat-transmissive members that transmit the heat radiated from the heater 211. The heat of the heater 211 heats the substrate S and the gas. In addition, the heater 211 is configured to be arranged on the side of the processing chamber 201 to heat the processing chamber 201.

[0031] A gas supply pipe 251 and a gas supply pipe 261 are connected to the gas supply structure 212. In addition, the gas supply structure 212 has a distribution unit 125 for distributing the gas supplied from each gas supply pipe. A nozzle 223 and a nozzle 224 are provided on the downstream side of the distribution unit 125. A plurality of nozzles 223 and 224 are connected to the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 251 and the gas supply pipe 261 via the distribution unit 125. The nozzles 223 and the nozzles 224 are arranged in a substantially horizontal manner. In addition, a plurality of these nozzles 223 and 224 are arranged in the vertical direction, respectively, at positions corresponding to the substrate S. The processing gas is supplied from the side of the substrate S in a state where the substrate S is present in the processing chamber 201.

[0032] The distribution unit 125 is configured to supply gas from the gas supply pipe 251 to the plurality of nozzles 223, and to supply gas from the gas supply pipe 261 to the plurality of nozzles 224. For example, a gas flow path is configured according to each combination of each gas supply pipe and nozzle. By configuring in this way, the gases supplied from the gas supply pipes are not mixed, and thus, the reaction byproducts (also referred to as particles) that may be generated by mixing the gases through the distribution unit 125 can be suppressed.

[0033] The upstream side rectifying section 214 includes a frame 227 and a dividing plate 226. The dividing plate 226 extends in the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction referred to here means the side wall direction of the frame 227. A plurality of dividing plates 226 are arranged in the vertical direction. The dividing plate 226 is fixed to the side wall of the frame 227, and is configured so that the gas does not move downward or upward to the adjacent area over the dividing plate 226. By setting it not to cross the dividing plate 226, the gas flow described later can be reliably formed.

[0034] The partition plates 226 are provided at positions corresponding to the respective substrates S. The nozzles 223 and 224 are arranged between the partition plates 226 or between the partition plates 226 and the frame 227 .

[0035] The gas ejected from the nozzles 223 and 224 is supplied to the surface of the substrate S. That is, from the perspective of the substrate S, the gas is supplied from the lateral direction of the substrate S. The partition plate 226 is a continuous structure extending in the horizontal direction and having no holes, so that the main flow of the gas is suppressed from moving in the vertical direction and the gas is moved in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the pressure loss of the gas reaching each substrate S can be made uniform in the entire vertical direction.

[0036] The downstream side rectifying section 215 is configured so that, when the substrate S is supported by the substrate support tool 300 as a substrate support part supporting the substrate S, the top is higher than the substrate S arranged at the uppermost position, and the bottom is lower than the substrate S arranged at the lowermost position of the substrate support tool 300.

[0037] The downstream side rectifying section 215 has a frame 231 and a dividing plate 232. The dividing plate 232 extends in the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction mentioned here means the side wall direction of the frame 231. Moreover, a plurality of dividing plates 232 are arranged in the vertical direction. The dividing plate 232 is fixed to the side wall of the frame 231, and is configured so that the gas does not move downward or upward to the adjacent area across the dividing plate 232. By setting it not to cross the dividing plate 226, the gas flow described later can be reliably formed.

[0038] The upstream rectifying section 214 communicates with the space of the downstream rectifying section 215 via the processing chamber 201. The top of the frame 227 is configured to be at the same height as the top of the frame 231. The bottom of the frame 227 is configured to be higher than the bottom of the frame 231.

[0039] The dividing plate 232 is arranged at a position corresponding to each substrate S and at a position corresponding to each dividing plate 226. The corresponding dividing plates 226 and dividing plates 232 are preferably set to the same height. Moreover, when processing the substrate S, it is preferred to align the height of the substrate S with the height of the dividing plates 226 and 232. By setting it to such a structure, the gas supplied from each nozzle forms a horizontal flow passing through the substrate S and the dividing plate 232 as shown by the arrows in the figure. By setting the dividing plate 232 to such a structure, the pressure loss of the gas discharged from each substrate S can be made uniform. Therefore, the gas flow of the gas passing through each substrate S is suppressed from flowing in the vertical direction, and is formed in the horizontal direction toward the gas exhaust structure 213.

[0040] By setting the dividing plate 226 and the dividing plate 232, uniform pressure loss in the vertical direction can be achieved upstream and downstream of each substrate S. Therefore, a horizontal gas flow can be reliably formed from the dividing plate 226 and the substrate S to the dividing plate 232 to suppress the flow in the vertical direction.

[0041] That is, the partitioning plate 226 is respectively provided with respect to the plurality of substrates S, and the space separated by the frame 227 and the partitioning plate 226 is used as a plurality of gas supply holes for supplying the processing gas toward the upper surface of the substrate S. In addition, the partitioning plate 232 is respectively provided with respect to the plurality of substrates S, and the space separated by the frame 231 and the partitioning plate 232 is used as a plurality of second exhaust holes for connecting the processing chamber 201 and the second exhaust pipe 281. In this way, by providing the gas supply hole and the second exhaust hole with respect to each substrate S, the uniformity of processing the plurality of substrates S can be improved.

[0042] The gas exhaust structure 213 is provided downstream of the downstream side rectifying section 215. The gas exhaust structure 213 is mainly composed of a frame 241 and an exhaust hole 244. The gas exhaust structure 213 has a buffer portion, which is provided as a space for the gas exhausted from each partition plate 232, i.e., the second exhaust hole, to merge and exhaust using the second exhaust portion 280 as the exhaust system described later. In this way, the flow rate of the gas exhausted from each second exhaust hole is uniformized by the buffer portion, which can improve the uniformity of processing a plurality of substrates S. The exhaust hole 244 is formed on the lower side or in the horizontal direction on the downstream side of the frame 241. A second exhaust pipe 281 is connected to the processing chamber 201 via the exhaust hole 244.

[0043] The gas exhaust structure 213 is connected to the space of the downstream side rectifying section 215. The frame 231 and the frame 241 are highly continuous structures. The top of the frame 231 is configured to be at the same height as the top of the frame 241, and the bottom of the frame 231 is configured to be at the same height as the bottom of the frame 241.

[0044] The gas exhaust structure 213 is a lateral exhaust structure provided in the lateral direction of the reaction tube 210 and exhausts the gas from the lateral direction of the substrate S.

[0045] The processing chamber 201 includes a processing area A for processing the substrate S, and a heat insulating area B below the processing area A. The heat insulating area B is provided with a heat insulating portion 502 as a heat insulating structure described later when the substrate support 300 is carried into the processing chamber 201. The heat insulating portion 502 is also referred to as a heat insulating assembly.

[0046] The thermocouple 500 is configured to be installed on the bottom surface of the frame 231. By configuring the bottom of the frame 231 to be lower than the bottom of the frame 227 and configuring the space of the downstream rectifying section 215 to be larger than the space of the upstream rectifying section 214, a place for installing the thermocouple 500 can be ensured, and the inert gas supplied to the insulating section 502 and the ambient gas (including reaction byproducts) of the insulating region B can be suppressed from flowing into the processing region A. The gas flow of the gas passing through each substrate S is suppressed from flowing in the vertical direction and is formed in the horizontal direction toward the gas exhaust structure 213.

[0047] That is, the gas passing through the downstream side rectifying section 215 is exhausted from the exhaust hole 244. At this time, since the gas exhaust structure 213 does not have a structure such as a partition plate, the gas flow including the vertical direction is formed toward the exhaust hole 244.

[0048] The substrate support tool 300 includes a partition support portion 310 and a base portion 311, and is stored in the reaction tube 210. A substrate S is disposed directly below the inner wall of the top plate of the reaction tube 210. In addition, inside the transfer chamber 217, the substrate S supported by the substrate support tool 300 can be transferred by a vacuum transfer robot (not shown) through a substrate transfer port (not shown), and the transferred substrate S can be transferred to the inside of the reaction tube 210 to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate S. The substrate transfer port is provided, for example, at the side wall of the transfer chamber 217.

[0049] A plurality of disk-shaped partitions 314 are fixed to the partition support portion 310 at a predetermined interval. The partitions 314 are configured to support the substrate S at a predetermined interval. The partitions 314 are disposed directly below the substrate S, or disposed on one or both of the upper and lower portions of the substrate S. The partitions 314 partition the space between the substrates S.

[0050] A plurality of substrates S are stacked and supported at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction on the substrate support 300. The predetermined intervals between the plurality of substrates S placed on the substrate support 300 are the same as the upper and lower intervals of the partitions 314 fixed to the partition support 310. In addition, the diameter of the partition 314 is formed larger than the diameter of the substrate S.

[0051] The substrate support tool 300 supports a plurality of, for example, five, substrates S in a plurality of layers in the vertical direction (perpendicular direction). By processing a plurality of substrates S at one time, productivity can be improved. It should be noted that, here, an example in which five substrates S are supported by the substrate support tool 300 is shown, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the substrate support tool 300 that can support about 5 to 50 substrates S can also be configured.

[0052] It should be noted that the expression of the numerical range of "5 to 50 sheets" in this specification means that the lower limit and the upper limit are included in the range. Therefore, for example, "5 to 50 sheets" means "5 sheets or more and 50 sheets or less". The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0053] A heat insulating portion 502 is provided below the substrate support 300. Below the processing chamber 201 of the reaction tube 210, an exhaust hole 503 serving as a first exhaust hole is formed on the wall surface of the reaction tube 210 (i.e., the processing chamber 201) on the side of the heat insulating portion 502 and below the upper end of the heat insulating portion 502 when the substrate support 300 is loaded into the reaction tube 210. The exhaust hole 503 is connected to a first exhaust pipe 504 for exhausting the atmosphere of the heat insulating region B.

[0054] The transfer chamber 217 is provided at the lower part of the reaction tube 210 via the manifold 216. In the transfer chamber 217, the substrate S is placed (mounted) on the substrate support (hereinafter also referred to as a wafer boat) 300 via the substrate carrying inlet by a vacuum transfer robot, or the substrate S is taken out from the substrate support 300 by the vacuum transfer robot.

[0055] The transfer chamber 217 can store a vertical direction driving mechanism 400 for driving the substrate support 300 and the partition support 310 in the vertical direction. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , the substrate support 300 is shown in a state where it is raised by the vertical driving mechanism 400 and stored in the reaction tube 210. In addition, when the substrate support 300 is stored in the reaction tube 210, the heat insulating portion 502 is disposed at the lower part of the reaction tube 210, and the heat insulating portion 502 forms a heat insulating region B provided at the lower part of the processing chamber 201. Thus, heat transfer to the transfer chamber 217 in the processing chamber 201 is reduced.

[0056] The vertical driving mechanism unit 400 includes a rotation driving mechanism 430 that rotates the substrate support 300 together with the spacer support 310 , and a boat vertical mechanism 420 that drives the substrate support 300 in the vertical direction relative to the spacer support 310 .

[0057] The rotation drive mechanism 430 and the boat vertical mechanism 420 are fixed to a base flange 401 as a cover body supported by a side plate 403 on the base plate 402 .

[0058] An annular space is formed between the support portion 441 and the support tool 440. A gas supply pipe 271 is connected to the annular space below the heat insulating portion 502. The inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 271 to supply the inert gas to the heat insulating portion 502 from below.

[0059] An O-ring 446 is provided on the upper surface of the base flange 401. Figure 1 As shown, the upper surface of the susceptor flange 401 is raised to a position abutting against the transfer chamber 217 by driving the vertical drive motor 410 , thereby making it possible to maintain the interior of the reaction tube 210 airtight.

[0060] In addition, a hole 401a through which the support tool 440 passes is formed at the center of the base flange 401, and an annular space is formed between the hole 401a and the support tool 440. The annular space is connected to a gas supply pipe 701. Inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 701, and inert gas is supplied from the upper surface of the base flange 401, around the support tool 440, and from below the heat insulating portion 502.

[0061] Next, use Figure 2 The details of the gas supply unit will be described.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), the gas supply pipe 251 is provided with a first gas source 252, a mass flow controller (MFC) 253 as a flow controller (flow control unit), a valve 254 as an opening and closing valve, a tank 259 as a storage unit for storing gas, and a valve 275 in sequence from the upstream direction.

[0063] The first gas source 252 is a source of a first gas containing a first element (also referred to as a "first element containing gas"). The first gas is a raw material gas, that is, one of the process gases.

[0064] The first gas supply unit 250 (also referred to as a silicon-containing gas supply unit) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 251 , the MFC 253 , the valve 254 , the tank 259 , and the valve 275 . The first gas source 252 may be included in the first gas supply unit 250 .

[0065] A gas supply pipe 255 is connected to the gas supply pipe 251 on the downstream side of the valve 254 and the upstream side of the tank 259. The gas supply pipe 255 is provided with an inert gas source 256, an MFC 257, and a valve 258 in order from the upstream direction. An inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, is supplied from the inert gas source 256.

[0066] The inert gas supply unit 255a is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 255, the MFC 257, and the valve 258. The inert gas supplied from the inert gas source 256 acts as a purge gas for purging the gas remaining in the reaction tube 210 during the substrate processing step. The inert gas source 256 may be included in the inert gas supply unit 255a. The inert gas supply unit 255a may also be added to the first gas supply unit 250.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown in (B) , the gas supply pipe 261 is provided with a second gas source 262 , an MFC 263 , and a valve 264 in order from the upstream direction.

[0068] The second gas source 262 is a source of a second gas containing a second element (hereinafter also referred to as "second element containing gas"). The second gas is one of the processing gases. It should be noted that the second gas can also be considered as a reaction gas or a modified gas.

[0069] The second gas supply unit 260 is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 261, the MFC 263, and the valve 264. The second gas supply unit 260 may include the second gas source 262.

[0070] A gas supply pipe 265 is connected to the downstream side of the valve 264 in the gas supply pipe 261. The gas supply pipe 265 is provided with an inert gas source 266, an MFC 267, and a valve 268 in order from the upstream direction. The inert gas source 266 supplies an inert gas, for example, N2 gas.

[0071] The inert gas supply unit 265a is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 265, the MFC 267, and the valve 268. The inert gas supplied from the inert gas source 266 functions as a purge gas for purging the gas remaining in the reaction tube 210 during the substrate processing step. The inert gas source 266 may be included in the inert gas supply unit 265a. The inert gas supply unit 265a may also be added to the second gas supply unit 260.

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown in (C), the gas supply pipe 271 is provided with an inert gas source 272, an MFC 273, and a valve 274 in this order from the upstream direction. The inert gas source 272 supplies an inert gas, for example, N2 gas.

[0073] The inert gas supply unit 270 as the first inert gas supply unit is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 271, the MFC 273, and the valve 274. The inert gas source 272 may be included in the inert gas supply unit 270. The inert gas supply unit 270 is configured to supply the inert gas toward the sub-heater as the heating unit in the insulating unit 502. The inert gas supplied from the inert gas source 272 functions as a purge gas capable of purging the inside of the insulating unit 502 constituting the insulating region B disposed below the processing chamber 201 and the periphery of the insulating unit 502 when the substrate support 300 is moved into the processing chamber 201.

[0074] like Figure 2 As shown in (D), an inert gas source 702, an MFC 703, and a valve 704 are provided in order from the upstream direction in the gas supply pipe 701. The inert gas source 702 supplies an inert gas, for example, N2 gas.

[0075] The inert gas supply unit 700 as the second inert gas supply unit is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 701, the MFC 703, and the valve 704. The inert gas source 702 may also be included in the inert gas supply unit 700. The inert gas supply unit 700 is configured to supply the inert gas from below the insulating unit 502 to the processing chamber 201. The inert gas supplied from the inert gas source 702 functions as a purge gas that can purge the lower part of the insulating unit 502 constituting the insulating region B arranged below the processing chamber 201, the upper surface of the susceptor flange 401, and the surroundings of the support 440 when the substrate support 300 is moved into the processing chamber 201.

[0076] Next, the exhaust portion will be described.

[0077] A vacuum pump 284 serving as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the second exhaust pipe 281 via a valve 282 and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 283 serving as a pressure regulator (pressure regulating unit), and is configured to perform vacuum exhaust in a manner that allows the pressure in the reaction tube 210 to become a specified pressure (vacuum degree).

[0078] The second exhaust pipe 281, the valve 282, and the APC valve 283 constitute a second exhaust unit 280 as an exhaust system for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber 201. It should be noted that the second exhaust unit 280 may also include a vacuum pump 284. That is, the second exhaust unit 280 is configured to have a second exhaust pipe 281 connected to the processing chamber 201 of the reaction tube 210, and the atmosphere of the processing chamber 201 is exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 281. The second exhaust unit 280 is configured to be able to exhaust the processing gas from a direction different from the side where the processing gas is supplied.

[0079] The first exhaust pipe 504 and the valve 506 constitute a first exhaust section 508. The downstream end of the first exhaust pipe 504 is connected to the second exhaust pipe 281 so as to merge with the upstream side of the valve 282.

[0080] That is, when the substrate support 300 is carried into the processing chamber 201, the first exhaust pipe 504 is connected to the side of the heat insulating portion 502 between the inert gas supply unit 270 and the processing chamber 201 in the vertical direction. Thus, the inert gas supplied from the bottom to the heat insulating portion 502 flows through the heat insulating region B of the processing chamber 201 and can be exhausted from the side of the heat insulating portion 502. That is, the first exhaust unit 508 is configured to have the first exhaust pipe 504 connected to the heat insulating region of the reaction tube 210, and exhausts the inert gas supplied to the heat insulating region B and the atmosphere of the heat insulating region B.

[0081] That is, the process gas supplied to the process area A of the process chamber 201 is exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 281, and the inert gas supplied to the heat-insulating area B of the process chamber 201 is exhausted through the first exhaust pipe 504. Therefore, the heat-insulating area B can be purged with the inert gas to suppress the adhesion of reaction by-products, while suppressing the influence of the inert gas on the process area A. That is, by diluting the process gas with the inert gas to prevent the process efficiency from decreasing, the uniformity of processing the plurality of substrates S can be improved.

[0082] Next, use Figure 3 The details of the heat insulating portion 502 and its surroundings will be described.

[0083] The heat insulating portion 502 is arranged below the substrate support tool 300. The heat insulating portion 502 has a container 510, a sub-heater 513 arranged above the inside of the container 510, and a plurality of heat insulating plates 512 as heat insulating members arranged below the sub-heater 513. Thus, the temperature drop of the substrate S below can be suppressed, and the substrate S can be heated from below. In addition, the sub-heater 513 can be used to heat the vicinity of the center of the substrate S, where the temperature is easy to drop compared to the edge side of the substrate S. Therefore, the uniformity of processing a plurality of substrates S and the uniformity of processing within the surface of the substrate S can be improved. The sub-heater 513 is supported by the support part 441. The plurality of heat insulating plates 512 are respectively supported by the support tool 440 in a substantially horizontal stacked vertical direction. That is, the sub-heater 513 supported by the support part 441 and the plurality of heat insulating plates 512 supported by the support tool 440 in a substantially horizontal stacked vertical direction are accommodated in the container 510.

[0084] The container 510 is a hollow structure in which the outer wall surface (i.e., the outer surface) is cylindrical and the inner wall surface (i.e., the inner surface) is an inverted truncated cone. That is, the outer diameter of the container 510 is constant, and the container 510 is formed so that the inner diameter decreases from the upper surface to the lower surface of the container 510. In other words, the inner side surface of the container 510 is configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the interior in the horizontal direction continuously increases at the upper side compared with the lower side.

[0085] The support portion 441 and the support tool 440 concentrically penetrate the center of the bottom surface of the container 510. In addition, an opening portion 511 is formed on the bottom surface of the container 510 so as to allow the inside and outside of the container 510 to communicate with each other.

[0086] In addition, the distance between the inner side surface of the container 510 at a specific height and the end of the heat insulating plate 512 is configured to be shorter than the distance between the inner side surface of the container 510 located above the specific height and the end of the heat insulating plate 512. As a result, the width of the flow path of the inert gas below the container 510 is narrowed, and the inert gas can be retained in the upper part of the container 510.

[0087] The heat insulating plate 512 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. As a result, heat from the processing chamber 201 is not easily transferred to the transfer chamber 217. It should be noted that the heat insulating member is not limited to a plurality of heat insulating plates 512, and a heat insulating cylinder made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC can be configured.

[0088] The annular space between the support portion 441 and the support tool 440 is used as an inert gas flow path 507 for the inert gas to flow. The gas supply pipe 271 is connected to the inert gas flow path 507, and the inert gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 271 is configured to be supplied toward the sub-heater 513 inside the container 510 through the inert gas flow path 507. As a result, it is possible to suppress the attachment of the processing gas and the reaction by-products to the sub-heater 513. Then, the inert gas supplied to the sub-heater 513 in the container 510 flows downward in the container 510, passes through the opening portion 511, and then passes through the inert gas flow path 509 which is the upper surface of the base flange 401, the outer side surface of the container 510 and the space between the reaction tube 210, and the exhaust hole 503, and is exhausted from the first exhaust portion 508. The inner diameter of the container 510 is formed to decrease from the upper surface of the container 510 to the lower surface. Therefore, the inert gas becomes easy to stay in the upper part of the container 510. That is, the processing gas supplied to the processing area A is not easy to flow into the container 510. In addition, compared with a hollow cylindrical container having the same inner diameter as the upper surface of the container 510, the volume of the container 510 is smaller. In other words, the flow rate of the inert gas used for purging is small. As described above, by using the heat insulating portion 502, the flow rate of the purge gas for purging the inside of the heat insulating portion 502 can be reduced.

[0089] In addition, a gas supply pipe 701 is connected to the annular space between the hole 401a and the support 440, and the inert gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 701 below the heat insulating portion 502 is exhausted from the first exhaust portion 508 through the periphery of the support 440 in the processing chamber 201, the upper surface of the base flange 401, the inert gas flow path 509, and the exhaust hole 503. Thus, it is possible to suppress the attachment of reaction byproducts around the support 440, below the heat insulating portion 502, and the like.

[0090] That is, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply pipes 271 and 701 purges the inside of the heat insulating portion 502 and the heat insulating region B and is exhausted from the first exhaust portion 508 .

[0091] Next, use Figure 4 The controller as the control unit (control unit) will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a controller 600 that controls the operation of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 10 .

[0092] Figure 4The controller 600 is schematically shown. The controller 600 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 602, a storage device 603 as a storage unit, and an I / O port 604. The RAM 602, the storage device 603, and the I / O port 604 are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 601 via an internal bus 605. The transmission and reception of data in the substrate processing apparatus 10 is performed by the instruction of the transmission and reception instruction unit 606 which is also a function of the CPU 601.

[0093] The controller 600 is provided with a network transceiver 683 connected to the host device 670 via a network. The network transceiver 683 can receive, from the host device 670, information on the processing history of the substrate S stored in the cassette and the processing schedule.

[0094] The storage device 603 is composed of, for example, a flash memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage device 603 stores processing conditions for each type of substrate processing. That is, the storage device 603 stores a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10, a process recipe recording the order and conditions of substrate processing, etc., in a readable manner.

[0095] It should be noted that the process recipe is combined in such a way that the controller 600 can obtain a predetermined result by executing each sequence in the substrate processing process described later, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. are collectively referred to as a program. It should be noted that the term "program" is used in this specification in some cases including only the process recipe alone, only the control program alone, or both. In addition, the RAM 602 is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily holding programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 601.

[0096] The I / O port 604 is connected to each component of the substrate processing apparatus 10 .

[0097] The CPU 601 is configured to read and execute the control program from the storage device 603, and read the process recipe from the storage device 603 according to the input of the operation command from the input / output device 681. Then, the CPU 601 is configured to be able to control the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the content of the read process recipe. In addition, the CPU 601 is configured to be able to set the supply amount of the inert gas supplied from each of the inert gas supply units 270 and 700 according to the type of substrate processing. In addition, the CPU 601 can control the first exhaust unit 508 connected to the insulation area B and the second exhaust unit 280 connected to the processing area A according to the type and conditions of the substrate processing.

[0098] The CPU 601 has a sending and receiving instruction unit 606. The controller 600 can constitute the controller 600 of this aspect by installing the program on the computer using an external storage device (for example, a disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a DVD, an optical disk such as an MO, a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 682 that stores the above-mentioned program. It should be noted that the means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to the case of supplying it via the external storage device 682. For example, it can also be configured to use a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line to supply the program without passing through the external storage device 682. It should be noted that the storage device 603 and the external storage device 682 are configured as a recording medium that can be read by a computer. Hereinafter, these are also collectively referred to as recording media. It should be noted that the term recording medium is used in this specification in the case of including only the storage device 603 alone, only the external storage device 682 alone, or both.

[0099] (2) Substrate processing step (substrate processing method)

[0100] Next, as one step of the semiconductor manufacturing process (semiconductor device manufacturing method), a step of forming a film on the substrate S using the substrate processing apparatus 10 having the above configuration will be described. In the following description, the operations of the various components constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10 are controlled by the controller 600 .

[0101] Here, use Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 A film forming process in which a film is formed on the substrate S by using a first gas and a second gas as process gases and supplying these gases alternately will be described.

[0102] The term "substrate" used in this specification may refer to the substrate itself or to a laminate of a substrate and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "surface of the substrate" used in this specification may refer to the surface of the substrate itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer, etc., formed on the substrate. In this specification, "a predetermined layer is formed on the substrate" may refer to directly forming a predetermined layer on the surface of the substrate itself or to forming a predetermined layer on a layer, etc., formed on the substrate. The use of the term "substrate" in this specification is synonymous with the use of the term "wafer".

[0103] (S10)

[0104] The transfer chamber pressure adjustment step S10 will be described. Here, the pressure in the transfer chamber 217 is set to the same level as the pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber (not shown) adjacent to the transfer chamber 217.

[0105] (S11)

[0106] Next, the substrate carrying-in step S11 will be described.

[0107] When the transfer chamber 217 reaches the vacuum level, the transfer of the substrate S is started. When the substrate S reaches the vacuum transfer chamber, the gate valve is opened, and the vacuum transfer robot transfers the substrate S into the transfer chamber 217 .

[0108] At this time, the substrate support 300 is on standby in the transfer chamber 217, and the substrate S is transferred to the substrate support 300. When a predetermined number of substrates S are transferred to the substrate support 300, the vacuum transfer robot is withdrawn, and the substrate support 300 is raised by the vertical direction driving mechanism 400 to move the substrate S into the processing chamber 201 that is the inside of the reaction tube 210. The substrates S are moved in the processing chamber 201 in a state where a plurality of substrates S are stacked in the vertical direction.

[0109] By moving to the reaction tube 210 , the substrate S is positioned so that the surface of the substrate S is aligned with the heights of the partition plates 226 and 232 .

[0110] (S12)

[0111] Next, the heating step S12 will be described.

[0112] When the substrate S is loaded into the processing chamber 201 as the reaction tube 210 , the heater 211 and the sub-heater 513 are controlled so that the pressure in the reaction tube 210 becomes a predetermined pressure and the surface temperature of the substrate S becomes a predetermined temperature.

[0113] (S13)

[0114] Next, the film processing step S13 will be described. In the film processing step S13, according to the process recipe, the following steps are performed on the substrate S in a state where the substrate S is stacked on the substrate support 300 and the substrate S is accommodated in the processing chamber.

[0115] <First Gas Rapid Supply, Step S100>

[0116] First, the first gas is flash-supplied into the reaction tube 210. Specifically, the valve 275 is opened, and the first gas is supplied from the tank 259 in which the first gas is stored in advance into the gas supply pipe 251. After a predetermined time has passed, the valve 275 is closed to stop the supply of the first gas into the gas supply pipe 251. The first gas is supplied in large quantities from the gas supply structure 212 via the distribution section 125 and the nozzle 223, and the first gas is supplied in large quantities into the reaction tube 210 via the upstream side rectifying section 214, and the gas is exhausted via the space on the substrate S, the downstream side rectifying section 215, the gas exhaust structure 213, and the second exhaust pipe 281. Here, during the period of supplying the first gas into the processing chamber 201, the valve 254 may be in an open state or a closed state. In addition, the valve 258 may be opened, and an inactive gas such as N2 gas may flow into the gas supply pipe 251 via the gas supply pipe 255. In order to prevent the first gas from entering the gas supply pipe 261 , the valve 268 may be opened to allow an inert gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 261 .

[0117] At this time, the APC valve 283 is adjusted to set the pressure in the reaction tube 210 to, for example, 1 to 3990 Pa. The temperature of the heater 211 is set to, for example, a temperature within a range of 100 to 1500° C. and to heat the substrate S at 400 to 800° C.

[0118] At this time, a large amount of the first gas is supplied at once from the side of the substrate S in a horizontal direction relative to the substrate S through the gas supply structure 212 communicating with the inside of the reaction tube 210 , and is exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 281 .

[0119] In addition, at this time, the valve 274 is controlled to be opened and the valve 506 is not fully closed, preferably controlled to be fully opened. The inert gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 273, supplied to the sub-heater 513 in the container 510 through the gas supply pipe 271 and the inert gas flow path 507, flows from the upper surface of the base flange 401 outside the container 510 through the opening 511 at the bottom of the container 510, and flows through the inert gas flow path 509, and is discharged from the first exhaust pipe 504 through the exhaust hole 503.

[0120] In addition, at this time, the valve 704 is opened. The inert gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 703, supplied to the periphery of the support tool 440 below the heat insulating portion 502 in the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply pipe 701, flows in the inert gas flow path 509 between the lower surface of the container 510 and the upper surface of the base flange 401, and is discharged from the first exhaust pipe 504 through the exhaust hole 503.

[0121] The flash supply of the first gas instantly increases the pressure above the processing chamber 201. Therefore, the amount of inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply unit 270, 700 to the insulating unit 502 is increased compared to the purge described later.

[0122] That is, in a state where the substrate S carried into the processing chamber 201 is heated, the first gas is supplied to the processing region A of the substrate S, and the valve 282 is opened to exhaust gas from the second exhaust pipe 281. At this time, in the heat-insulating region B below the processing region A, the inert gas is supplied by the inert gas supply unit 270, 700, and the valve 506 is opened to exhaust gas from the first exhaust pipe 504.

[0123] As the first gas, a raw material gas such as a silicon (Si)-containing gas can be used. As the Si-containing gas, for example, a gas containing Si and chlorine (Cl), that is, hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, hexachlorodisilane, abbreviated as: HCDS) gas can be used.

[0124] <Purge, Step S101>

[0125] In this step, while closing valve 254 and stopping the supply of the first gas, valves 258, 275, 268, 274, and 704 are opened to supply inactive gas as a purge gas to the gas supply pipes 255, 265, 271, and 701, and valve 282 of the second exhaust pipe 281, APC valve 283, and valve 506 of the first exhaust pipe 504 are opened to exhaust the reaction tube 210 using the vacuum pump 284.

[0126] <Second Gas Supply, Step S102>

[0127] After a predetermined time has passed since the start of the purge, the valve 268 is closed, the valve 264 is opened, and the second gas is circulated into the gas supply pipe 261. The second gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 263, and is supplied into the reaction tube 210 from the gas supply structure 212 through the upstream rectifying section 214 via the distribution section 125 and the nozzle 224, and is exhausted through the space on the substrate S, the downstream rectifying section 215, the gas exhaust structure 213, and the second exhaust pipe 281. At this time, in order to prevent the second gas from invading the gas supply pipe 251, the valves 258 and 275 are opened, and the inert gas is circulated from the nozzle 223.

[0128] At this time, the second gas is supplied in a horizontal direction with respect to the substrate S from the side of the substrate S through the gas supply structure 212 communicating with the inside of the reaction tube 210 , and is exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 281 .

[0129] In addition, at this time, the valve 274 is controlled to be opened and the valve 506 is not fully closed, preferably controlled to be fully opened. The inert gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 273, supplied to the sub-heater 513 in the container 510 through the gas supply pipe 271 and the inert gas flow path 507, flows from the upper surface of the base flange 401 outside the container 510 through the opening 511 at the bottom of the container 510, and flows through the inert gas flow path 509, and is discharged from the first exhaust pipe 504 through the exhaust hole 503.

[0130] In addition, at this time, the valve 704 is opened. The inert gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 703, supplied toward the periphery of the support tool 440 below the heat insulating portion 502 in the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply pipe 701, flows in the inert gas flow path 509 between the lower surface of the container 510 and the upper surface of the base flange 401, and is exhausted from the first exhaust pipe 504 through the exhaust hole 503.

[0131] That is, in a state where the substrate S carried into the processing chamber 201 is heated, the second gas is supplied to the processing region A of the substrate S, and the valve 282 is opened to exhaust gas from the second exhaust pipe 281. At this time, the inert gas is supplied to the insulation region B below the processing region A by the inert gas supply unit 270, 700, and the valve 506 is opened to exhaust gas from the first exhaust pipe 504.

[0132] As the second gas, a gas that is a reaction gas reacting with the first gas and contains, for example, hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N). As the gas containing H and N, for example, ammonia (NH3), diazolyl (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, N3H8 gas, etc. can be used.

[0133] <Purge, Step S103>

[0134] After a predetermined time has passed since the start of the supply of the second gas, the valve 264 is closed to stop the supply of the second gas. At this time, the valves 258, 275, 268, 274, and 704 are opened, and the inert gas as the purge gas is supplied to the gas supply pipes 255, 265, 271, and 701, and the valve 282 of the second exhaust pipe 281, the APC valve 283, and the valve 506 of the first exhaust pipe 504 are opened, and the reaction tube 210 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 284. In this way, the reaction between the first gas and the second gas in the gas phase present in the reaction tube 210 can be suppressed.

[0135] <Implementing a prescribed number of times, step S104>

[0136] The above-mentioned steps S100 to S103 are cycled a predetermined number of times (n times, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1) in a non-simultaneous order. Thus, a film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the substrate S. Here, for example, a silicon nitride (SiN) film is formed.

[0137] In the above-mentioned step S100 and step S102, the first gas and the second gas supplied to the processing chamber 201 form gas flows using the upstream rectifying section 214, the space on the substrate S, and the downstream rectifying section 215. At this time, the first gas and the second gas are respectively supplied to the substrate S without pressure loss on each substrate S, so that uniform processing can be performed between each substrate S. In this way, the first gas and the second gas are respectively supplied from the gas supply structure 212 to the gas exhaust structure 213, thereby forming a side flow of gas in the processing chamber 201, thereby suppressing the influence of the inactive gas supplied to the insulation area B.

[0138] In addition, the first gas and the second gas are alternately supplied to the processing chamber 201 while the substrate S carried into the processing chamber 201 is heated, and the first gas, the second gas, and the reaction byproducts are exhausted from the second exhaust pipe 281 connected to the processing chamber 201. At this time, the inert gas is supplied from the inside of the heat insulating portion 502 constituting the heat insulating region B provided below the processing chamber 201 and from below the heat insulating portion 502, and the inert gas is exhausted from the first exhaust pipe 504 connected to the side of the heat insulating portion 502. That is, in the heat insulating portion 502, the inert gas supplied from the periphery of the support tool 440 and the like is exhausted through the first exhaust pipe 504 before flowing into the upper part of the heat insulating portion 502. Therefore, the inert gas supplied to the heat insulating region B is not easy to flow into the processing region A.

[0139] That is, in the substrate S arranged at the bottom of the substrate support device 300, the influence on the side flow can be suppressed, and the same gas flow is formed above and below the processing chamber 201. As a result, multiple substrates S stacked in the vertical direction can be uniformly processed, and the uniformity of processing multiple substrates S can be improved.

[0140] In addition, the first gas, the second gas, and the reaction by-products can be prevented from flowing into the heat insulating portion 502 and depositing a film in or around the container 510. Furthermore, by exhausting the ambient gas of the heat insulating region B through the first exhaust pipe 504 which is different from the pipe for exhausting the ambient gas of the processing region A, the reaction by-products can be prevented from attaching to the components such as the sub-heater 513 and the support tool 440 arranged in the heat insulating region B or around the valve 506, and the reaction by-products (also called particles) can be further prevented from entering the processing region A.

[0141] (S14)

[0142] Next, the substrate unloading step S14 is described. In S14, the processed substrate S is unloaded to the outside of the transfer chamber 217 in the reverse order of the above-mentioned substrate loading step S11.

[0143] (S15)

[0144] Next, determination S15 is described. Here, it is determined whether the substrates have been processed a predetermined number of times. If it is determined that the substrates have not been processed a predetermined number of times, the process returns to the substrate loading step S11 and the next substrate S is processed. If it is determined that the substrates have been processed a predetermined number of times, the process ends.

[0145] It should be noted that in the above description, the gas flow is formed in the horizontal direction, but as long as the mainstream of the gas is formed in the horizontal direction as a whole, the gas flow can also be diffused in the vertical direction as long as it does not affect the uniform processing of multiple substrates.

[0146] In addition, there are expressions such as the same, the same degree, the same, and the equivalent as mentioned above, but these of course include substantially the same.

[0147] (3) Other aspects

[0148] The above specifically describes the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following aspects can be modified, and other configurations can be made similar to the following aspects. Figure 1 The substrate processing device shown is the same as that in Figure 1 Elements that are substantially the same as those described in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

[0149] (Second aspect)

[0150] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the periphery of the heat insulating portion 705 according to the second aspect.

[0151] The heat insulating portion 705 in the second aspect is different in shape from the heat insulating portion 502 described above.

[0152] The heat insulating part 705 has a hollow cylindrical container 710a and a hollow cylindrical container 710b arranged below the container 710a. The container 710a and the container 710b are arranged in a concentric circle and are configured to communicate with each other. An opening portion 711 is formed on the bottom surface of the container 710b. In addition, the outer diameter of the container 710b is configured to be smaller than the outer diameter of the container 710a, and the inner diameter of the container 710b is configured to be smaller than the inner diameter of the container 710a. That is, the heat insulating part 705 is configured so that the volume and cross-sectional area of ​​the container 710b arranged below are smaller than the container 710a arranged above, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the inside in the horizontal direction decreases stepwise from the top to the bottom, and a step portion is formed on the inner side and the outer side of the heat insulating part 705. Therefore, the inert gas can be easily retained in the container 710a where the auxiliary heater 513 is arranged, and the processing gas supplied to the processing area A is not easy to flow into the container 710a. As described above, by using the heat insulating portion 705 , the flow rate of the inert gas for purging the heat insulating portion 705 can be reduced.

[0153] In addition, the interval (i.e., distance) between the inner side surface of the container 710b and the end of the heat insulating plate 512 is configured to be narrower (i.e., smaller) than the interval (i.e., distance) between the inner side surface of the upper container 710a and the end of the heat insulating plate 512. That is, by narrowing the flow path in the lower part of the heat insulating portion 705, the inert gas can be easily retained above the heat insulating portion 705, and the processing gas supplied to the processing area A becomes less likely to flow into the inside of the container 710a and the container 710b. In other words, the flow rate of the purge gas used to purge the heat insulating portion 705 can be reduced.

[0154] In addition, the interval between the outer side surface of the container 710b and the inner side surface of the reaction tube 210 is configured to be wider than the interval between the outer side surface of the container 710a and the inner side surface of the reaction tube 210. In addition, a plurality of grooves 712 as grooves are formed, for example, approximately horizontally, at the height position of the exhaust hole 503 on the surface of the outer side surface of the container 710b. That is, it can also be said that the heat insulating part 705 includes a container configured to promote the flow of gas in the horizontal direction in a region (which can also be set as a range of space or height) set to be at the same position as the first exhaust hole or a position lower than the first exhaust hole on its outer peripheral side. As a result, in the heat insulating part 705, the inert gas supplied to the periphery of the support tool 440 can flow approximately horizontally in the space between the outer side surface of the container 710b and the inner side surface of the reaction tube 210. Furthermore, exhaust holes 503 are provided on the wall surface of the reaction tube 210 on the side of the step portion of the connection portion of the container 710b with the container 710a, which is located below the upper end of the heat insulating portion 705, at positions corresponding to the plurality of grooves 712. Thus, the inert gas supplied into the heat insulating portion 705 or around the support member 440 can be easily exhausted from the processing chamber 201. It should be noted that the grooves 712 may be formed from the upper part to the lower part of the outer side surface of the container 710b to the lowermost end of the container 710b.

[0155] That is, exhaust holes 503 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of grooves 712 on the wall surface of the reaction tube 210 below the upper end of the heat insulating portion 705 and on the side of the step portion of the connection portion of the container 710b with the container 710a. In addition, the space in the height range including the height corresponding to the exhaust holes 503 on the outer periphery of the container 710b is formed to be wider than the space above it. That is, it is configured so that the inert gas supplied from the lower part of the heat insulating portion 705 to the heat insulating region B easily flows in the horizontal direction, and the gas conductivity becomes larger and the pressure loss becomes smaller than the space above the exhaust holes 503. In addition, the lowermost part of the container 710b is also formed wider than the space above the exhaust holes 503, and the inert gas supplied to the heat insulating region B does not flow to the processing region A, but easily flows from the side of the container 710b to the horizontal direction. That is, the inert gas supplied from the insulating part 705 or the periphery of the support 440 is exhausted through the first exhaust pipe 504 before flowing into the upper part of the container 710b. Therefore, the inert gas supplied to the insulating area B becomes less likely to flow into the processing area A.

[0156] (Third aspect)

[0157] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the periphery of the heat insulating portion 902 according to the third aspect.

[0158] The heat insulating part 902 in the third aspect includes a container 910a and a container 910b, and an opening 911 is formed on the bottom surface of the container 910b. That is, the heat insulating part 902 is different from the heat insulating part 705 in the second aspect only in that the groove 712 is not provided on the outer side surface of the container 910b, and other than that, the heat insulating part 902 has the same shape. Even in the case where the groove 712 is not provided, the exhaust hole 503 is provided on the side of the container 910b at the step portion which is the connection portion between the container 910a and the container 910b, so that the inert gas can easily flow toward the exhaust hole 503 in the horizontal direction. In addition, in this aspect, a partition support part 800 which is independently raised and lowered is provided separately from the substrate support tool 300. A plurality of disk-shaped partitions 801 are fixed to the partition support part 800 at a predetermined interval. The partition support part 800 is connected to a partition lifting mechanism 802. The partition support part 800 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction up and down by the partition lifting mechanism 802. The partition support part 800 is configured to arrange the partition 801 between the plurality of substrates S. In other words, the interval (distance) between the substrate S and the partition 801 can be moved up and down. Thus, the interval between the partition 801 and the substrate S can be adjusted according to the processing content.

[0159] Here, the flow pattern of the processing gas is changed by adjusting the interval between the substrate S and the partition 801. As a result, the concentration distribution of the processing gas on the surface of the substrate S changes. That is, the concentration distribution of the processing gas on the surface of the substrate S changes when the interval between the surface of the substrate S and the partition 801 is narrowed and when the interval between the surface of the substrate S and the partition 801 is increased. Therefore, by adjusting the interval between the surface of the substrate S and the partition 801 according to the processing content, the uniformity of the processing in the surface of the substrate S can be improved.

[0160] The partition support part 800 and the partition lifting mechanism 802 are connected together by a connecting part 803. The connecting part 803 is arranged between the outer side surface of the container 910b and the inner side surface of the reaction tube 210. That is, the connecting part 803 is arranged within the range of the height of the container 910b, which is formed by using the outer side surface of the container 910a and the inner side surface of the reaction tube 210 to have a wide interval. The connecting part 803 may include a metal component, but by configuring the connecting part 803 to be raised and lowered within the range of the height of the container 910b, the inert gas flows around the connecting part 803, thereby suppressing the attachment of reaction byproducts to the connecting part 803, and preventing the metal component used in the connecting part 803 from flowing into the processing area A.

[0161] It should be noted that, as the third aspect, the partition plate 801 is configured to be movable up and down relative to the substrate S, but the same effect can be obtained even when the substrate S is configured to be movable up and down relative to the partition plate 314 as in the first aspect.

[0162] (Aspect 4)

[0163] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing a modified example using the heat insulating portion 902 according to the third aspect.

[0164] In the fourth aspect, the reaction tube 210 is provided concentrically with the inner tube 210 a forming the processing chamber 201 , and is constituted by the outer tube 210 b disposed outside the inner tube 210 a .

[0165] An opening 903 is formed at a height position of the inner tube 210a where a plurality of substrates S are arranged. An opening 904 serving as a first exhaust hole is formed over the entire surface of the inner tube 210a at a height position where the container 910b of the heat insulating unit 902 is arranged. An exhaust hole 244 is formed on the side of the container 910a at a height position between the opening 903 and the opening 904 of the outer tube 210b.

[0166] That is, the space in the height range including the height corresponding to the opening 904 on the periphery of the container 910b is configured to be larger than the space above it, and the inert gas supplied from the bottom of the insulation part 902 to the insulation area B is easy to flow in the horizontal direction. The opening 904 is provided on the side of the container 910b at the step portion which is the connection part between the container 910a and the container 910b, so that the inert gas is easy to flow in the horizontal direction toward the exhaust hole 244. That is, the processing gas supplied to the processing area A is exhausted from the exhaust hole 244 through the opening 903 and supplied toward the sub-heater 513, and the inert gas supplied to the insulation area B does not flow to the processing area A, but flows in the horizontal direction from the side of the container 910b through the opening 904 and is exhausted from the exhaust hole 244.

[0167] In the above aspect, an example is given of a case where a film is formed using HCDS gas as the first gas and NH 3 gas as the second gas in the film treatment step S13 , but the present aspect is not limited thereto.

[0168] In addition, in the above aspect, in the film treatment step S13, the first gas and the second gas are alternately supplied to the treatment chamber 201 with respect to the substrate S, and the inert gas is supplied to the heat insulation area B according to the process, but the present aspect is not limited thereto. That is, the first gas and the second gas may be simultaneously supplied to the treatment chamber 201, and the inert gas may be supplied to the heat insulation area B to perform film treatment.

[0169] In addition, even when the first gas or the second gas, or both the first gas and the second gas are placed in a plasma state to perform film processing, the same effects as those in the above aspect can be obtained.

[0170] Furthermore, when the first gas is not flashed in the first gas supply S100 of the membrane treatment step S13 , the second gas is flashed in the second gas supply S102 , and this aspect can also achieve the same effects as those in the above aspect.

[0171] In addition, in the above aspect, the film forming process is taken as an example as the process performed by the substrate processing device, but the present aspect is not limited to this. That is, in addition to the film forming process given as an example in the above, the present aspect can also be applied to film forming processes other than the thin film exemplified in the above aspect.

[0172] In addition, in the above aspects, an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing device that processes a plurality of substrates at a time is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above aspects, and for example, it can also be appropriately applied to the case where a film is formed using a single-type substrate processing device that processes one or several substrates at a time. In addition, in the above aspects, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing device having a hot wall type processing furnace is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above aspects, and it can also be appropriately applied to the case where a film is formed using a substrate processing device having a cold wall type processing furnace.

[0173] When these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed using the same processing sequence and processing conditions as those in the above aspect, and the same effects as those in the above aspect can be obtained.

[0174] It should be noted that the above aspects can be combined appropriately. The processing order and processing conditions at this time can be, for example, the same as the processing order and processing conditions of the above aspects.

[0175] Description of Reference Numerals

[0176] 10Substrate processing device

[0177] Processing Room 201

[0178] 280 Second exhaust section (exhaust system)

[0179] 300 substrate support tool (substrate support part)

[0180] 502, 705, 902 insulation part (insulation structure).

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a substrate supporting portion supporting the substrate; An exhaust system for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber; and The heat-insulating structure arranged below the substrate support portion includes a container whose upper cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction is larger than the lower cross-sectional area, a first inert gas supply portion configured to supply inert gas to the interior of the container, and an opening portion configured to connect the inside and outside of the container.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The container is configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the interior thereof in the horizontal direction decreases stepwise from the upper side to the lower side.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal insulation structure further comprises a thermal insulation member provided inside the container. The distance between the container and the heat insulating member at the specific height is configured to be shorter than that above the specific height.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The process chamber further includes a second inert gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas to the process chamber from below the thermal insulation structure.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A first exhaust hole is provided on a wall surface of the processing chamber below an upper end of the heat insulating structure.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The container is configured to promote the horizontal flow of the gas in the outer periphery of the container in a region which is located on the outer periphery of the container and is set at the same position as the first exhaust hole or at a position lower than the first exhaust hole.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The region includes the lowest height position of the outer side surface of the container.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The distance between the outer side surface of the container and the inner side surface of the processing chamber in the region is configured to be wider than that above the region.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: A groove portion that facilitates the flow of gas in a horizontal direction is provided on the surface of the outer side surface of the container in the region.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The device further includes a heating unit disposed above the interior of the container.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The first inert gas supply unit supplies an inert gas toward the heating unit.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate support portion supports a plurality of substrates.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a plurality of gas supply holes respectively provided with respect to the plurality of substrates and supplying a processing gas toward the upper surface of the substrate; and A plurality of second exhaust holes are respectively provided with respect to the plurality of substrates and connect the processing chamber with the exhaust system.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein: A buffer portion is further provided, the buffer portion being a space where gases exhausted from the plurality of second exhaust holes merge and are exhausted by the exhaust system.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a spacer disposed between each of the plurality of substrates; and A partition support portion supports the partition.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: A partition lifting mechanism is further provided to move the partition support portion up and down.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: The container is configured such that the distance between the outer side surface of the container and the inner side surface of the processing chamber is wider in the region than in the upper portion of the region set on the outer peripheral side of the container. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a connection portion disposed in the region, the connection portion connecting the partition support portion and the partition lifting mechanism.

18. A thermal insulation structure comprising: A container configured such that the upper cross-sectional area of ​​the interior in the horizontal direction is larger than the lower cross-sectional area; as well as The opening portion is configured to connect the inside and outside of the container. The thermal insulation structure is configured to be able to supply an inert gas into the interior.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: The process of supplying gas to the substrate in the processing chamber; A step of supplying an inert gas into an interior of a heat-insulating structure including a container and an opening portion, which is arranged below a substrate support portion supporting the substrate in the processing chamber, and discharging the inert gas from the opening portion, wherein the container is configured such that an upper cross-sectional area of ​​the interior in a horizontal direction is larger than a lower cross-sectional area, and the opening portion is configured such that the inside and outside of the container can be connected; and and exhausting the gas in the processing chamber.

20. A program for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute the following steps through a computer: supplying gas to the substrate in the processing chamber; supplying an inert gas into an interior of a heat-insulating structure including a container and an opening portion, which is arranged below a substrate support portion supporting the substrate in the processing chamber, and discharging the inert gas from the opening portion, wherein the container is configured such that an upper cross-sectional area of ​​the interior in a horizontal direction is larger than a lower cross-sectional area, and the opening portion is configured such that the inside and outside of the container can be communicated; and The gas in the processing chamber is exhausted.

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