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

Abstract

The invention provides a technology capable of improving uniformity of each substrate in substrate processing. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, the substrate support having a plurality of placement portions on which the substrate is placed so that a substrate interval between an upper region and a lower region of the processing region is narrower than a substrate interval between a central region of the processing region; a processing container that accommodates the substrate support; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into the processing container; and an exhaust unit that exhausts ambient gas in the processing container.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As a word line of a NAND flash memory or DRAM having a three-dimensional structure, a low-resistance metal film is sometimes used, and a barrier film is sometimes formed between the metal film and an insulating film (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-252221

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-069407 Summary of the invention

[0007] However, when a film is formed on a substrate, the amount of reaction by-products generated may differ depending on the arrangement position of the substrate, and the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate may differ.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a technology capable of improving the uniformity of substrate processing for each substrate.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure provides the following technology, which has:

[0010] A substrate support having a processing area for placing a substrate, and a plurality of placing portions for placing the substrate are arranged in such a manner that the substrate intervals between the upper and lower areas of the processing area are narrower than the substrate intervals in the central area of ​​the processing area;

[0011] a processing container housing the substrate support;

[0012] a gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and

[0013] The exhaust part exhausts the ambient gas in the processing container.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present disclosure, the uniformity of substrate processing for each substrate can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic transverse cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a diagram for explaining the arrangement position of the hole of the nozzle and the arrangement position of the substrate support relative to the processing region of the substrate in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the relationship between a substrate support material and the thickness of a film formed on a substrate in a comparative example of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a substrate support in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the relationship between a substrate support material and the thickness of a film formed on a substrate in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the pattern of the substrate interval of the substrate support and the thickness of the film formed on the substrate in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram showing a control system of the controller in the form of a block diagram.

[0024] Fig. 9 1 is a diagram showing a substrate processing sequence in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing a modified example of the substrate processing sequence in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig.11 This is a modified example of the third nozzle of the substrate processing apparatus in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram for explaining the arrangement position of the hole of the third nozzle with respect to the processing region of the substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following mainly refers to Figures 1 to 9 To illustrate one mode of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the relationship between the dimensions of the elements and the ratio of the elements shown in the drawings may not be consistent with reality. In addition, the relationship between the dimensions of the elements and the ratio of the elements between multiple drawings may not be consistent.

[0028] (1) Configuration of substrate processing apparatus

[0029] Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a processing furnace 202 provided in a substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as substrate processing apparatus 10) capable of implementing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the processing furnace 202. In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which a film containing a metal is formed on a wafer 200 as a substrate in the processing furnace 202 is described.

[0030] The processing furnace 202 includes a heater 207 as a heating system (heating mechanism, heating system, heating unit). The heater 207 has a cylindrical shape and is vertically assembled by being supported by a heater base (not shown) as a holding plate.

[0031] An outer tube 203 constituting a reaction vessel (processing vessel) is arranged concentrically with the heater 207 on the inner side of the heater 207. The outer tube 203 is also referred to as an external reaction tube (outer tube). The outer tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. A manifold (intake flange) 209 is arranged concentrically with the outer tube 203 below the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal such as stainless steel (SUS), and is formed into a cylindrical shape with an open upper end and a lower end. An O-ring 220a as a sealing member is provided between the upper end of the manifold 209 and the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is supported on the heater base, thereby forming a state where the outer tube 203 is vertically assembled.

[0032] An inner tube 204 constituting a reaction vessel is arranged on the inner side of the outer tube 203. The inner tube 204 is also referred to as an internal reaction tube (inner tube). The inner tube 204 is made of a heat-resistant material such as SiO2, SiC, etc., and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The processing container is mainly composed of the outer tube 203, the inner tube 204 and the manifold 209. A processing chamber 201 is formed in the hollow portion of the tube of the processing container (inside the inner tube 204). It should be noted that in this specification, the inner tube 204 is included in the structure of the processing container and the processing chamber 201, but it can also be a structure without the inner tube 204.

[0033] The processing chamber 201 is configured to accommodate the wafers 200 in a state where multiple layers of the wafers 200 are arranged in a horizontal posture and in a vertical direction by a boat 217 as a substrate support member described later.

[0034] The nozzle 410 as the first nozzle, the nozzle 420 as the second nozzle, and the nozzle 430 as the third nozzle are installed in the processing chamber 201 so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. The nozzles 410, 420, 430 are connected to the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330 as gas supply lines, respectively. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with three nozzles 410, 420, 430 and three gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, so that a plurality of gases can be supplied into the processing chamber 201. However, the processing furnace 202 of the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned form.

[0035] Mass flow controllers (MFCs) 312, 322, 332 as flow controllers (flow control units) are provided in order from the upstream side on the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, respectively. In addition, valves 314, 324, 334 as on-off valves are provided on the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, respectively. Gas supply pipes 510, 520, 530 for supplying inert gas are connected to the downstream sides of the valves 314, 324, 334 of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, respectively. MFCs 512, 522, 532 and valves 514, 524, 534 are provided in order from the upstream side on the gas supply pipes 510, 520, 530, respectively.

[0036] Nozzles 410, 420, 430 are connected to the front ends of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, respectively. The nozzles 410, 420, 430 are configured as L-shaped nozzles, and the horizontal portions thereof are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. The vertical portions of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 are provided inside the channel-shaped (groove-shaped) preparation chamber 205, and are provided upward (above the arrangement direction of the wafers 200) along the inner wall of the inner tube 204 in the preparation chamber 205, and the channel shape is formed so as to protrude radially outward from the inner tube 204 and extend in the vertical direction.

[0037] The nozzles 410, 420, 430 are arranged in a manner extending from the lower area of ​​the processing chamber 201 to the upper area of ​​the processing chamber 201, and a plurality of gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a are respectively arranged at positions opposite to the wafer 200. Thus, the processing gas is supplied to the wafer 200 from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430, respectively. The gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a are arranged in plurality from the lower part to the upper part of the inner tube 204, each having the same opening area, and are arranged at the same opening spacing. However, the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a are not limited to the above manner. For example, the opening area may be gradually increased from the lower part to the upper part of the inner tube 204. Thus, the flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a can be made more uniform.

[0038] The gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 are provided in a plurality of positions at a height from the lower part to the upper part of the boat 217 described later. Therefore, the processing gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 into the processing chamber 201 is supplied to the wafers 200 accommodated from the lower part to the upper part of the boat 217, that is, the entire area of ​​the wafers 200 accommodated in the boat 217. The nozzles 410, 420, 430 may be provided to extend from the lower area to the upper area of ​​the processing chamber 201, but are preferably provided to extend to the vicinity of the top of the boat 217.

[0039] A first processing gas as a processing gas is supplied from a gas supply pipe 310 into the processing chamber 201 via an MFC 312 , a valve 314 , and a nozzle 410 .

[0040] The second process gas as the process gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 320 into the process chamber 201 via the MFC 322 , the valve 324 , and the nozzle 420 .

[0041] The third process gas as the process gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 330 into the process chamber 201 via the MFC 332 , the valve 334 , and the nozzle 430 .

[0042] The inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipes 510 , 520 , 530 into the processing chamber 201 via the MFCs 512 , 522 , 532 , the valves 514 , 524 , 534 , and the nozzles 410 , 420 , 430 , respectively.

[0043] The processing gas supply system as a gas supply unit is mainly composed of gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330, MFC312, 322, 332, valves 314, 324, 334, and nozzles 410, 420, and 430, but only nozzles 410, 420, and 430 may be regarded as the processing gas supply system. The processing gas supply system may also be simply referred to as the gas supply system. When the first processing gas is caused to flow from the gas supply pipe 310, the first processing gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 310, MFC312, and valve 314, but the nozzle 410 may also be considered to be included in the first processing gas supply system. In addition, when the second processing gas is caused to flow from the gas supply pipe 320, the second processing gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 320, MFC322, and valve 324, but the nozzle 420 may also be considered to be included in the second processing gas supply system. When nitrogen-containing gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 320 as the second process gas, the second process gas supply system may also be referred to as a nitrogen-containing gas supply system. In addition, when the third process gas is made to flow from the gas supply pipe 330, the third process gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 330, the MFC 332, and the valve 334, but it is also possible to consider including the nozzle 430 in the third process gas supply system. In the case of supplying an adsorption-inhibiting gas from the gas supply pipe 330 as the third process gas, the third process gas supply system may also be referred to as an adsorption-inhibiting gas supply system. In addition, the inactive gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipes 510, 520, 530, the MFCs 512, 522, 532, and the valves 514, 524, and 534.

[0044] In the gas supply method of the present embodiment, the gas is transported through the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 disposed in the preparatory chamber 205 in the cylindrical space, which is an annular longitudinal space defined by the inner wall of the inner tube 204 and the ends of the plurality of wafers 200. Then, the gas is ejected into the inner tube 204 from the plurality of gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a provided in the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 at positions facing the wafers 200. More specifically, the processing gas is ejected from the gas supply holes 410a of the nozzle 410, the gas supply holes 420a of the nozzle 420, and the gas supply holes 430a of the nozzle 430 in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafer 200, that is, in a horizontal direction.

[0045] The exhaust hole (exhaust port) 204a is a through hole formed in the side wall of the inner tube 204 at a position opposite to the nozzles 410, 420, 430, that is, at a position on the opposite side of the preparatory chamber 205 at 180 degrees, and is, for example, a slit-shaped through hole opened in a vertically elongated manner. Therefore, the gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 into the processing chamber 201 and flowing on the surface of the wafer 200, that is, the remaining gas (residual gas) flows into the exhaust path 206 formed by the gap formed between the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 203 through the exhaust hole 204a. Then, the gas flowing into the exhaust path 206 flows into the exhaust pipe 231 and is exhausted to the outside of the processing furnace 202.

[0046] The exhaust hole 204a is provided at a position opposite to the plurality of wafers 200 (preferably at a position opposite to the upper and lower parts of the boat 217), and the gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a to the vicinity of the wafers 200 in the processing chamber 201 flows in a horizontal direction, i.e., in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafer 200, and then flows into the exhaust path 206 through the exhaust hole 204a. That is, the gas remaining in the processing chamber 201 is exhausted in parallel to the main surface of the wafer 200 through the exhaust hole 204a. It should be noted that the exhaust hole 204a is not limited to the case of being a slit-shaped through hole, and may also be composed of a plurality of holes.

[0047] The manifold 209 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201. The exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the pressure sensor 245 as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure in the processing chamber 201, the APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 243, and the vacuum pump 246 as a vacuum exhaust device in sequence from the upstream side. The APC valve 243 can open and close the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is in operation, thereby performing vacuum exhaust in the processing chamber 201 and stopping vacuum exhaust. In addition, by adjusting the valve opening while the vacuum pump 246 is in operation, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 can be adjusted. The exhaust system as the exhaust unit, i.e., the exhaust line, is mainly composed of the exhaust hole 204a, the exhaust path 206, the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 243, and the pressure sensor 245. It should be noted that the vacuum pump 246 can also be included in the exhaust system.

[0048] A sealing cover 219 as a furnace cover body capable of closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209 in an airtight manner is provided below the manifold 209. The sealing cover 219 is configured to abut against the lower end of the manifold 209 from the lower side in the vertical direction. The sealing cover 219 is made of a metal such as SUS and is formed in a disc shape. An O-ring 220b as a sealing member abutting against the lower end of the manifold 209 is provided on the upper surface of the sealing cover 219. A rotating mechanism 267 for rotating the boat 217 containing the wafer 200 is provided on the opposite side of the processing chamber 201 in the sealing cover 219. The rotating shaft 255 of the rotating mechanism 267 penetrates the sealing cover 219 and is connected to the boat 217. The rotating mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the wafer 200 by rotating the boat 217. The sealing cover 219 is configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by the boat elevator 115 as a lifting mechanism vertically provided outside the outer tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured to move the boat 217 into and out of the processing chamber 201 by raising and lowering the sealing cap 219. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transport device (transport mechanism) that transports the boat 217 and the wafers 200 accommodated in the boat 217 into and out of the processing chamber 201.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , a temperature sensor 263 as a temperature detector is provided in the inner tube 204, and the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is set to a desired temperature distribution by adjusting the amount of current supplied to the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263. The temperature sensor 263 is configured to be L-shaped like the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, and is provided along the inner wall of the inner tube 204.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, the boat 217 is configured to arrange a plurality of wafers 200, for example, 25 to 200 wafers, in a horizontal posture and with their centers aligned with each other in a vertical direction and support them in layers, that is, arrange them at intervals. The wafers 200 are placed on a placement portion of a column provided on the boat 217. The boat 217 is made of, for example, a heat-resistant material such as SiO2, SiC, etc. The heat-insulating plate 218 made of, for example, a heat-resistant material such as SiO2, SiC, etc. is supported in layers in a horizontal posture at the bottom of the boat 217. With this configuration, the heat from the heater 207 is not easily transferred to the sealing cover 219 side. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned method. For example, instead of setting the heat-insulating plate 218 at the bottom of the boat 217, a heat-insulating tube may be provided, and the heat-insulating tube may be a cylindrical component made of a heat-resistant material such as SiO2, SiC, etc.

[0051] In addition, a region of the boat 217 where the wafers 200 are mounted and which faces the gas supply holes 410 a of the nozzle 410 is referred to as a processing region.

[0052] Here, when using the above-mentioned substrate processing device 10 to form a film on a product substrate (product wafer, also referred to as wafer) using a processing gas, the amount of reaction by-products generated in the upper area (also referred to as the upper end side) and the lower area (also referred to as the lower end side) in the processing area is less than that in the central area (also referred to as the central side) of the processing area. This is a phenomenon caused by the fact that the number of product substrates on the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area is less than that on the central side of the processing area (lower density). Here, the product substrate is a substrate on which a fine pattern of a structure of a semiconductor device is formed. The reaction by-products have the effect of hindering the formation of a film on the product substrate. Therefore, the film thickness of the film formed on the product substrates on the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area where the amount of reaction by-products generated is small is thicker than the film thickness formed on the product substrate in the center of the processing area, and the uniformity of each wafer is sometimes deteriorated. In addition, when a dummy substrate (also called a dummy wafer) is provided on the upper and lower ends of the boat 217, the surface area of ​​the dummy wafer is smaller than that of the product substrate, so the amount of reaction byproducts is reduced at the upper and lower ends of the processing area, and the film thickness of the film formed on the product substrate at the upper and lower ends of the processing area is thicker than that of the film formed on the product substrate at the center of the processing area, and the uniformity of each substrate is sometimes deteriorated. It should be noted that this phenomenon is significantly reflected in the case where the surface area of ​​the product substrate is a large surface area.

[0053] Figure 4 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the film thickness formed on the wafer 200 placed on the boat 217 and the position of the upper end side, the center side, and the lower end side of the boat 217 in the comparative example. The spacing of the placing portion of the boat 217 in the comparative example is fixed in the processing area of ​​the upper end side, the center side, and the lower end side. Figure 4 As shown, the film thickness on the upper and lower sides of the boat 217 is greater than that on the wafer 200 disposed on the center side of the boat 217. In addition, when comparing the upper side with the lower side, the film thickness on the lower side tends to be greater. This is believed to be due to Figure 1As shown, the exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the lower part of the outer tube 203, and the reaction byproducts at the lower end side of the processing area are easily exhausted, and the concentration of the reaction byproducts in the space at the lower end side of the processing area is reduced. According to this structure, the length b of the lower region at the lower end side of the boat 217 (the length in the arrangement direction of the wafers 200) is longer than the length a of the upper region at the upper end side of the boat 217. Compared with the structure in which the lower region is close to the exhaust pipe 231, since the upper region is far away from the exhaust pipe 231, the exhaust ease of the gas on the wafer 200 arranged in the upper region is smaller than the exhaust ease of the gas on the wafer 200 arranged in the central region of the central side of the boat 217, and the influence caused by the difference in exhaust ease (exhaust conductance coefficient) becomes smaller. Therefore, it can be considered that the film thickness in the lower region changes due to the influence caused by the difference in the amount of reaction byproducts generated and the influence caused by the exhaust ease (exhaust conductance coefficient), and the change in the film thickness in the lower region is affected by the difference in the amount of reaction byproducts generated.

[0054] Figure 5 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the boat 217 in the present disclosure. Figure 6 Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the film thickness formed on the wafer 200 placed on the boat 217 and the position of the upper end side, the central side, and the lower end side of the boat 217 in the present disclosure. According to the present disclosure, the interval of the wafer 200 of the boat 217 corresponding to the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area, which is a region where the amount of reaction byproducts is less than that of other regions of the processing area, is adjusted. For example, the interval of the wafer 200 of the boat 217 corresponding to the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area is made narrower than the interval of the wafer 200 of the boat 217 corresponding to the central side of the processing area. That is, the interval of the loading part 217a of the boat 217 corresponding to the upper region and the lower region is made narrower than the interval of the loading part 217a of the boat 217 corresponding to the central region. By making the interval of the wafer 200 narrow, at least one of the following modes can be achieved. For example, the concentration of the generated amount of the reaction byproducts on the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area is made close to the concentration on the central side of the processing area. By narrowing the interval between the substrates, the number (density) of the wafers 200 can be increased. Thus, the amount of reaction byproducts generated near the surface of the substrate can be increased. In addition, by narrowing the interval between the substrates, it is difficult for the gas to flow between the wafers 200, and the amount of processing gas supplied to the wafers 200 arranged at the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area is less than the amount of processing gas supplied to the wafer 200 arranged at the center side. Thus, the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 at the upper end side and the lower end side can be reduced. Thus, it is possible to suppress the situation where the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 at the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area is greater than the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 at the center side, and the uniformity of the film thickness formed on each substrate of the wafer 200 can be improved, and the film characteristics can be made uniform.

[0055] That is, in order to improve the non-uniformity of the film thickness of each wafer 200, as Figure 5 As shown, the substrate spacing in the central region of the central side of the boat 217 is set to the first spacing, the substrate spacing in the upper region of the upper end side of the boat 217 is set to the second spacing, and the substrate spacing in the lower region of the lower end side of the boat 217 is set to the third spacing. The second spacing and the third spacing are smaller than the first spacing. By narrowing the spacing between the wafers 200, the inflow of the processing gas flowing into the wafers 200 can be reduced, and the film thickness formed on the wafers 200 can be reduced. As a result, the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 arranged in the region with narrow substrate spacing (the region of the second spacing and the third spacing) can be made close to the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 arranged in the region of the first spacing. That is, the difference between the film thickness formed on the wafers 200 arranged on the upper end side and the lower end side of the boat 217 and the film thickness formed on the wafer 200 arranged on the central side of the boat 217 can be reduced.

[0056] For example, the substrate spacing is set to Figure 7 The interval of pattern A shown in FIG. Pattern A is in the relationship of 1st interval > (2nd interval = 3rd interval). Figure 4 As shown, the film thickness tends to be thicker at the lower end. Therefore, it is preferable to configure the third interval to be smaller than the second interval. In this way, the difference in film thickness between the upper end and the lower end can be reduced. For example, Figure 7 The spacing of pattern B shown in FIG. Pattern B is in the relationship of 1st spacing>2nd spacing>3rd spacing. In other words, since the film thickness tends to be thicker near the exhaust pipe 231, the spacing near the exhaust pipe 231 is made narrower than the spacing farthest from the exhaust pipe 231 in the processing area. Figure 1 In the substrate processing apparatus 10 shown in the figure, since the exhaust pipe 231 is provided on the lower end side of the boat 217, the third space is formed to be small.

[0057] With respect to each interval, when the first interval is set to 1, the second interval is set to 0.5 to 0.9 times the first interval, and the third interval is set to 0.2 to 0.9 times the first interval. It should be noted that the expression of the numerical range of "0.5 to 0.9" in the present disclosure indicates that the lower limit and the upper limit are included in the range. Thus, for example, "0.5 to 0.9" indicates "above 0.5 and below 0.9". The same is true for other numerical ranges. In addition, as described above, the length b of the arrangement direction of the wafers 200 in the lower region is configured to be longer than the length a of the arrangement direction of the wafers 200 in the upper region. The upper region is a region of, for example, 1 / 7 to 1 / 20 of the total length of the boat 217 from the upper end of the boat 217. In addition, the lower region is a region of, for example, 1 / 7 to 1 / 20 of the total length of the boat 217 from the lower end of the boat 217.

[0058] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, on the upper end side, there is a tendency for the film thickness to increase as it approaches the upper end. On the lower end side, there is a tendency for the film thickness to increase as it approaches the lower end. In this way, the spacing between the substrates may be configured to be different in stages on the upper end side and the lower end side of the boat 217 in a manner corresponding to the stepwise (continuous) increase in film thickness depending on the position. For example, Figure 7The styles C, D, and E shown. In styles C and D, two or more regions with different substrate spacing are provided on the upper end side and the lower end side, respectively. Style C is an example in which the upper end side and the lower end side are configured with the same spacing. Style D is an example in which the substrate spacing on the lower end side is narrower than the substrate spacing on the upper end side. More preferably, it can also be configured as style E so that the spacing between each substrate is continuously different on the upper end side and the lower end side of the boat 217. Here, continuously making the substrate spacing different means that the substrate spacing of each substrate is different. That is, it can also be configured so that the spacing between each substrate becomes wider as it approaches the central side on the upper end side and the lower end side of the boat 217. At this time, the substrate spacing on the uppermost side of the boat 217 can also be configured to be wider than the substrate spacing on the lowermost side. In addition, a product substrate can be placed on at least one of the lower area and the upper area, and a dummy chip can also be placed. In addition, a product substrate and a dummy chip can also be placed on at least one of the lower area and the upper area. At this time, the substrate spacing of the area where the dummy wafer is mounted is narrower than the substrate spacing of the area where the product substrate is mounted. Thus, the uniformity of the film thickness formed on the product substrate can be improved, and the film characteristics can be uniformed. In addition, the dummy wafer can also be mounted in the area where the substrate spacing is wide in the lower area and the upper area. That is, the substrate spacing of the area where the dummy wafer is mounted can also be configured to be wider than the substrate spacing of the area where the product substrate is mounted. For example, compared with the upper area, the lower area is closer to the exhaust pipe 231, so the residence time of the processing gas supplied to the processing chamber 201 is short (also referred to as the short passage time of the gas in the processing chamber 201). In such a structure, by configuring the substrate spacing of the area where the dummy wafer is mounted to be not wider than the substrate spacing of the area where the product substrate is mounted, the gas passage time in the processing chamber 201 can be further shortened. Thus, the adsorption amount of the processing gas to the dummy wafer or the product wafer configured in the lower area can be reduced, and the increase in film thickness can be reduced.

[0059] It should be noted that in Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the substrate spacing between the upper and lower regions is narrower than the substrate spacing in the central region, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the substrate spacing in the region close to the exhaust pipe 231, where the influence is significant, may be narrower. In other words, the substrate spacing in the lower region is narrower than that in other regions. Specifically, the relationship of the third spacing>(the first spacing=the second spacing) may be sufficient.

[0060] (Configuration of the control unit)

[0061] like Figure 8As shown, the controller 121 as a control unit is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d. The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 121a via an internal bus. The controller 121 is connected to an input / output device 122 such as a touch panel.

[0062] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing device 10, the process recipe recording the steps or conditions of the semiconductor device manufacturing method described later, etc. are stored in the storage device 121c in a readable manner. The process recipe is a combination of the various processes (steps) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method described later in a manner that enables the controller 121 to execute and obtain a specified result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. are also simply referred to as programs. In this specification, the term "program" may be used in a case where only the process recipe alone is included, only the control program recipe alone is included, or a combination of the process recipe and the control program. RAM121b is configured as a memory area (work area) that temporarily holds programs or data read by CPU121a.

[0063] The I / O port 121d is connected to the MFC312, 322, 332, 512, 522, 532, valves 314, 324, 334, 514, 524, 534, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 243, vacuum pump 246, heater 207, temperature sensor 263, rotating mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, etc. of the above-mentioned processing furnace 202.

[0064] The CPU 121a is configured to read a control program from the storage device 121c and execute it, and to read a recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122. The CPU 121a is configured to control flow rate adjustment operations of various gases by the MFCs 312, 322, 332, 512, 522, and 532, opening and closing operations of the valves 314, 324, 334, 514, 524, and 534, opening and closing operations of the APC valve 243 and pressure adjustment operations by the pressure sensor 245 by the APC valve 243, temperature adjustment operations of the heater 207 by the temperature sensor 263, start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, rotation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267 and rotation speed adjustment operations, lifting and lowering operations of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, and storage operations of the wafers 200 in the boat 217, etc., according to the contents of the read recipe.

[0065] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program stored in 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) 123 into a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as a computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon. Hereinafter, they are also simply collectively referred to as recording media. In this specification, the recording medium may include only the storage device 121c monomer, only the external storage device 123 monomer, or both. It should be noted that providing the program to the computer may also be performed without using the external storage device 123 and using a communication system such as the Internet or a dedicated line.

[0066] (2) Substrate processing steps

[0067] As one of the manufacturing processes of semiconductor devices (devices), the use Fig. 9 An example of a process of forming a film on the wafer 200 will be described. This process is performed using the processing furnace 202 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured to be controllable by the controller 121.

[0068] When an adsorption-inhibiting gas is used as the third process gas in the substrate processing step (semiconductor device manufacturing step) of the present embodiment,

[0069] (a) a step of supplying a third processing gas to the wafer 200;

[0070] (b) a step of supplying a first processing gas to the wafer 200;

[0071] (c) a step of supplying a second treatment to the wafer 200;

[0072] (d) After performing (a), (b) and (c) are performed to form a film on the wafer 200.

[0073] The term "wafer" used in this specification may refer to the wafer itself or to a laminate of a wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "surface of the wafer" used in this specification may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer, etc. formed on the wafer. In this specification, the phrase "a predetermined layer is formed on the wafer" may refer to directly forming the predetermined layer on the surface of the wafer itself or to forming the predetermined layer on the layer, etc. formed on the wafer. The term "substrate" used in this specification has the same meaning as the term "wafer".

[0074] (Move in chip)

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , when a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded onto the boat 217 (wafer loading), the boat 217 supporting the plurality of wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and carried into the processing chamber 201 (boat loading), and is accommodated in the processing container. In this state, the sealing cap 219 is in a state of closing the lower end opening of the outer tube 203 by means of the O-ring 220.

[0076] (Pressure regulation and temperature regulation)

[0077] The vacuum pump 246 is used to perform vacuum exhaust so that the space in the processing chamber 201, i.e., the space where the wafer 200 is located, reaches the desired pressure (vacuum degree). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the APC valve 243 is feedback-controlled (pressure regulated) based on the measured pressure information. The vacuum pump 246 is always kept in an operating state at least until the processing of the wafer 200 is completed. In addition, the heater 207 is used to heat so that the processing chamber 201 reaches the desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled (temperature regulated) based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the processing chamber 201 reaches the desired temperature distribution. The heater 207 continues to heat the processing chamber 201 at least until the processing of the wafer 200 is completed.

[0078] (Supplying the third processing gas, step 1)

[0079] The valve 334 is opened to allow the third process gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 330. The third process gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 332, supplied from the gas supply hole 430a of the nozzle 430 into the process chamber 201, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the valve 534 may be opened at the same time to allow the inactive gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 530. In addition, the valves 514 and 524 may be opened to allow the inactive gas to flow into the gas supply pipes 510 and 520 to prevent the third process gas from intruding into the nozzles 410 and 420.

[0080] At this time, the supply flow rate of the third process gas controlled by the MFC 332 is, for example, within a range of 0.1 to 5.0 slm.

[0081] At this time, the third process gas is supplied to the wafer 200. Here, an adsorption inhibiting gas can be used as the third process gas.

[0082] As the inert gas, for example, nitrogen (N2) gas can be used. In addition, as the inert gas, in addition to N2 gas, for example, argon (Ar) gas, helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, xenon (Xe) gas and other rare gases can also be used. As the inert gas, more than one of them can be used.

[0083] (Purge, Step 2)

[0084] After a predetermined time has passed since the third process gas was supplied, the valve 334 is closed to stop the supply of the third process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is kept open, and the processing chamber 201 is vacuum-exhausted by the vacuum pump 246 to remove the residual gas from the wafer 200, and the unreacted third process gas and reaction byproducts remaining in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, and 534 are opened to supply an inert gas as a purge gas into the processing chamber 201. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, which can improve the effect of removing the residual gas from the wafer 200 and removing the unreacted third process gas and reaction byproducts remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201. The supply flow rate of the inert gas controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, and 532 is set to, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm.

[0085] (Supplying the first processing gas, step 3)

[0086] The valve 314 is opened to allow the first process gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 310. The first process gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 312, supplied from the gas supply hole 410a of the nozzle 410 into the process chamber 201, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the valve 514 may be opened at the same time to allow the inactive gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 510. In addition, the valves 524 and 534 may be opened to allow the inactive gas to flow into the gas supply pipes 520 and 530 to prevent the first process gas from intruding into the nozzles 420 and 430.

[0087] At this time, the APC valve 243 is adjusted to set the pressure in the processing chamber 201 to a pressure in the range of, for example, 1 to 3990 Pa. The supply flow rate of the first processing gas controlled by the MFC 312 is set to a flow rate in the range of, for example, 0.01 to 7.0 slm. Next, the temperature of the heater 207 is set so that the temperature of the wafer 200 is, for example, in the range of 300 to 650° C.

[0088] At this time, the first processing gas is supplied to the entire processing area of ​​the wafer 200. As the first processing gas, a gas containing halogen can be used, for example, a gas containing the main element constituting the film and Cl as a halogen can be used. By supplying the first processing gas, molecules of the first processing gas are adsorbed on the wafer 200 (underlying film on the surface), forming a main element-containing layer.

[0089] (Purge, Step 4)

[0090] After a predetermined time has passed since the first process gas was supplied, the valve 314 is closed to stop the supply of the first process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 remains open, and the vacuum pump 246 performs vacuum exhaust in the process chamber 201 to remove residual gas from the wafer 200, and remove the unreacted first process gas and reaction byproducts remaining in the process chamber 201 from the process chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, and 534 are opened to supply an inert gas as a purge gas into the process chamber 201. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, which can improve the effect of removing residual gas from the wafer 200 and removing the unreacted first process gas and reaction byproducts remaining in the process chamber 201 from the process chamber 201. The supply flow rate of the inert gas controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, and 532 is set to, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm.

[0091] (Supplying the second processing gas, step 5)

[0092] The valve 324 is opened to allow the second process gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 320. The second process gas is flow-regulated by the MFC 322, supplied from the gas supply hole 420a of the nozzle 420 into the process chamber 201, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the second process gas is supplied to the wafer 200.

[0093] At this time, the APC valve 243 is adjusted to set the pressure in the process chamber 201 to, for example, a pressure in the range of 1 to 3990 Pa. The supply flow rate of the second process gas controlled by the MFC 322 is set to, for example, a flow rate in the range of 0.1 to 150 slm.

[0094] At this time, the second process gas is supplied to the wafer 200 in the entire process area. Here, the second process gas is a reaction gas. The reaction gas undergoes a substitution reaction with at least a portion of the main element-containing layer formed on the wafer 200. During the substitution reaction, the main element contained in the main element-containing layer is bonded to the element contained in the reaction gas, and a layer containing the main element and the element contained in the reaction gas is formed on the wafer 200. In addition, reaction byproducts are generated during the substitution reaction.

[0095] (Purge, step 6)

[0096] After a predetermined time has passed since the supply of the second process gas started, the valve 324 is closed to stop the supply of the second process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 remains open, and the vacuum pump 246 performs vacuum exhaust in the process chamber 201 to remove residual gas from the wafer 200, and remove the unreacted or film-forming second process gas and reaction byproducts remaining in the process chamber 201 from the process chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, and 534 are opened to supply an inert gas as a purge gas into the process chamber 201. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, which can improve the effect of removing residual gas from the wafer 200 and removing the unreacted second process gas and the above-mentioned reaction byproducts from the process chamber 201. The supply flow rate of the inert gas controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, and 532 is set to, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm.

[0097] That is, the second process gas which has not reacted or has been used for film formation and the above-mentioned reaction byproducts which remain in the process chamber 201 are removed from the process chamber 201. The inert gas functions as a purge gas.

[0098] (Specified number of implementations)

[0099] By performing the cycle of the first step to the sixth step described above in sequence a predetermined number of times (n times, where n is an integer of 1 or 2 or more), a film having a predetermined thickness is formed on the wafer 200 .

[0100] (Post-purge and atmospheric pressure recovery)

[0101] Inert gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530, respectively, and exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, and thus the processing chamber 201 is purged with the inert gas, and the residual gas and reaction by-products in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (post-purge). Then, the ambient gas in the processing chamber 201 is replaced with the inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is restored to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure recovery).

[0102] (Wafer removal)

[0103] Then, the sealing cover 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115, and the lower end of the outer tube 203 is opened. Then, the processed wafers 200 are carried out from the lower end of the outer tube 203 to the outside of the outer tube 203 while being supported by the boat 217 (boat unloading). Then, the processed wafers 200 are taken out of the boat 217 (wafer unloading).

[0104] That is, by performing batch processing for collectively processing a plurality of wafers 200 using the above-described substrate processing apparatus 10 , the processing uniformity of each of the plurality of wafers 200 processed can be improved through the batch processing.

[0105] (3) Effects of one embodiment of the present disclosure

[0106] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0107] (a) The processing uniformity of each substrate in the substrate processing can be improved.

[0108] (b) The processing uniformity within the substrate surface during substrate processing can be improved.

[0109] (c) The characteristics (electrical characteristics) of a film formed on a substrate can be made uniform.

[0110] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0111] For example, in the above-mentioned substrate processing step, Fig.10 The third process gas is supplied in this manner. Fig.10 This is an example of using the third process gas as a dilution gas, and the third process gas is supplied during the supply process of the first process gas and the supply process of the second process gas. In this variation, the same effect as the above method can be obtained. In addition, in this variation, the processing time can be further shortened.

[0112] In addition, in the above embodiment, a method of performing purge between the first process gas supply, the second process gas supply, and the third process gas supply is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and purge may not be performed between the first process gas supply, the second process gas supply, and the third process gas supply. In this variation, the same effect as in the above method can be obtained. In addition, in this variation, the processing time can be further shortened.

[0113] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the nozzle 430 having a plurality of gas supply holes 430a is provided in the entire region of the processing region from the upper end side to the lower end side is used as an example for description, but it is not limited to this. Fig.11 As shown, the plurality of gas supply holes 430a may also use the nozzle 430 which is provided only at a position opposite to the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area. That is, the nozzle 430 in this modified example is configured to supply the third processing gas to the lower area and the upper area. As the third processing gas, for example, an inert gas, a reaction-inhibiting gas, and an adsorption-inhibiting gas can be cited. For example, by supplying an inert gas, the first processing gas and the second processing gas supplied to the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area can be diluted, and the amount of the first processing gas and the second processing gas supplied to the wafer 200 can be adjusted by dilution. For example, by increasing the supply amount of the inert gas and increasing the dilution amount of the first processing gas and the second processing gas, the amount of reaction on the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area can be reduced, and the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 located at the upper end side and the lower end side of the processing area can be made close to the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 located at the center side of the processing area.

[0114] When an adsorption inhibiting gas (reaction inhibiting gas) is used as the third process gas, the adsorption inhibiting gas can be supplied to the wafers 200 located at the upper end and the lower end of the process region. In the wafer 200 on which molecules of the adsorption inhibiting gas are adsorbed, adsorption of at least one of the first process gas and the second process gas can be suppressed. That is, the amount of reaction between the molecules of the first process gas and the molecules of the second process gas on the wafer 200 can be limited.

[0115] It should be noted that in Fig.11 In the nozzle 430 shown in the figure, an example is shown in which the gas supply holes 430a are provided only on the upper end side and the lower end side, but it is not limited to this. The gas supply holes 430a may be provided at all positions of the nozzle 430 that are opposite to the processing area, and the size of the gas supply holes 430a on the upper end side and the lower end side is configured to be larger than the size of the hole formed on the central side of the processing area. In addition, there is a tendency that the film thickness formed on the wafer 200 becomes thicker on the lower end side than on the upper end side. Fig.11As shown, the length of the gas supply hole 430a can also be configured such that the lower end side is greater than the upper end side. By configuring in this way, the film thickness of the wafer 200 at the lower end side can be made close to the film thickness of the wafer 200 arranged in other areas. It should be noted that Fig.11 In the case of a device, molecules of the adsorbed barrier gas or a portion of the material of the adsorbed barrier gas are adsorbed on the chip 200 (surface base film) on the upper and lower sides of the processing area.

[0116] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, it can be appropriately applied when at least one film including titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), ruthenium (Ru), silicon (Si), etc. is formed on the wafer 200. In addition, as the film, there is at least one film including a metal film, an oxide film, a nitride film, a carbide film, etc. containing a single body of these elements.

[0117] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a gas containing a metal element and a halogen (e.g., TiCl4 gas) can be used as the first processing gas. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be appropriately applied to the case where aluminum chloride (AlCl3) gas, hafnium chloride (HfCl4) gas, zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) gas, molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl5) gas, molybdenum dioxide dichloride (MoO2Cl2) gas, molybdenum tetrachloride (MoOCl4) gas, tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas, tungsten hexachloride (WCl6) gas, a gas containing Ru and a halogen, etc. In addition, as the first gas, a gas containing a Group 14 element (e.g., silicon (Si), germanium (Ge)) and a halogen, such as hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviated as DCS) gas, germanium chloride (Ge2Cl6) gas, etc. can also be appropriately applied. If it is such a gas containing a halogen element (especially, a gas containing Cl), the above-mentioned reaction by-product can be generated, and the same phenomenon can occur.

[0118] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, as the second processing gas, a gas containing N and H (such as NH3 gas) which is a reducing gas and a reactive gas can be used. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be appropriately applied to the case of using at least one of N2 and H2, diazene (N2H2), triazene (N3H3), hydrazine (N2H4), and other gases containing amine groups. It should be noted that when HCl gas is used as the adsorption-inhibiting gas, NH4Cl is generated by the reaction of HCl and NH3 gas, so it is preferred to use NH3 gas as the second processing gas.

[0119] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where a gas containing N and H is used as the second process gas is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a reducing gas that does not contain nitrogen may also be used. For example, it can also be appropriately applied to a case where at least one of a gas selected from H2 gas, tritium (D) gas, disilane (Si2H6) gas, trisilane (Si3H8) gas, germane (GeH4) gas, digermane (Ge2H6) gas, trigermane (Ge3H6) gas, borane (BH3) gas, diborane (B2H6) gas, and phosphine (PH3) gas is used. By using such a reducing gas that does not contain nitrogen, a non-nitride film can be formed.

[0120] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, HCl gas containing halogen, for example, can be used as an adsorption-inhibiting gas. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and if it is a gas containing the same halogen as the first process gas, it can also be appropriately applied to the case where, for example, NH4Cl gas, Cl2 gas, BCl3 gas, HF gas, fluorine (F2) gas, etc. are used. It should be noted that, as the adsorption-inhibiting gas, it is preferred to use a gas having the same composition as the reaction byproduct produced by the reaction of the first process gas with the second process gas. Specifically, a gas containing the same halogen as the halogen contained in the first process gas can be used. As a gas containing the same halogen as the halogen contained in the first process gas, a reaction byproduct (hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) gas, etc.) produced by the reaction of, for example, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) gas as the first process gas and, for example, ammonia (NH3) gas as the second process gas can be used. It should be noted that, as the adsorption-inhibiting gas, a gas containing chlorine (Cl) can be used. As the gas containing Cl, in addition to HCl gas, chlorine (Cl 2 ) gas, boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) gas, etc. can be used. As the third process gas, one or more of these can be used.

[0121] Here, a gas containing the same halogen as that contained in the first processing gas is used as the adsorption inhibiting gas. It is preferred to use a gas having the same components as the reaction byproducts generated by the reaction of the first processing gas with the second processing gas, thereby preventing the adsorption inhibiting gas from remaining in the film.

[0122] That is to say, it is difficult for the adsorption-inhibiting gas to remain in the film, but depending on the conditions and the type of gas, it may sometimes remain in the film and affect the electrical properties and other properties of the film. If a gas having the same composition as the reaction byproduct generated by reacting the first process gas with the second process gas is used, the possibility of affecting other films constituting the device can also be reduced. For example, when forming a titanium nitride (TiN) film, when hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas is supplied as an adsorption-inhibiting gas, there is a possibility that fluorine (F) remains and the function of the TiN film as a F barrier is reduced. In addition, when the substrate of the TiN film is an aluminum oxide (AlO) film, there is a possibility that F diffuses into the AlO film and reduces the insulation of the AlO film. If the adsorption-inhibiting gas is a gas having the same composition as the reaction byproduct generated by reacting the first process gas with the second process gas as described above, such a problem is not likely to occur.

[0123] In addition, in the above embodiment, a process of forming a film containing metal and N on the wafer 200 is described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. By appropriately selecting each gas, it can also be appropriately applied to the case of forming a metal film, a film containing a Group 14 element as a main component, an oxide film, an oxynitride film, a carbonized film, etc.

[0124] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing device that processes multiple wafers at a time is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and for example, it can also be appropriately applied to the case of forming a film using a single-wafer substrate processing device that processes one or more wafers at a time. The processing area of ​​the single-wafer device is between the wafer of the single-wafer device and the gas supply part such as the shower head, and the in-plane uniformity of the wafer can be improved by supplying an adsorption-blocking gas to a part of the processing area.

[0125] In the above embodiment, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot wall type processing furnace is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and can also be appropriately applied to the case of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold wall type processing furnace.

[0126] When the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus is used, each process can be performed with the same processing steps and processing conditions as those of the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, and the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example can be obtained.

[0127] The process (a program recording the processing steps, processing conditions, etc.) in the formation of the above-mentioned various thin films is preferably prepared separately (prepared in plurality) according to the content of the substrate processing (film type, composition ratio, film quality, film thickness, processing steps, processing conditions, etc. of the thin film to be formed). Furthermore, at the beginning of the substrate processing, it is preferred to appropriately select an appropriate process from a plurality of process procedures according to the content of the substrate processing. Specifically, it is preferred that a plurality of process procedures prepared separately according to the content of the substrate processing be pre-stored (installed) in the storage device 121c possessed by the substrate processing device via an electrical communication line and a recording medium (external storage device 123) recording the process procedures. Furthermore, at the beginning of the substrate processing, it is preferred that the CPU 121a possessed by the substrate processing device appropriately selects an appropriate process from a plurality of process procedures stored in the storage device 121c according to the content of the substrate processing. By configuring in this way, it is possible to form thin films of a plurality of film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses in a common and reproducible manner with one substrate processing device. In addition, the operator's operational burden (the burden of inputting processing steps, processing conditions, etc.) can be reduced, operational errors can be avoided, and substrate processing can be started quickly.

[0128] In addition, the present disclosure can also be implemented by, for example, changing the process of an existing substrate processing device. When changing the process, the process of the present disclosure can be installed in the existing substrate processing device via an electrical communication line and a recording medium recording the process, and the input and output devices of the existing substrate processing device can be operated to change the process itself to the process of the present disclosure.

[0129] Furthermore, the present disclosure can be used, for example, for a word line portion of a NAND flash memory, DRAM, or the like having a three-dimensional structure.

[0130] The above-mentioned forms and modified examples can be used in combination as appropriate. The processing steps and processing conditions at this time can be, for example, the same as the processing steps and processing conditions of the above-mentioned forms and modified examples.

[0131] Description of Reference Numerals

[0132] 10Substrate processing device

[0133] 200 wafers (substrates)

[0134] 203 outer tube

[0135] 217 Boat (substrate support)

[0136] 217a Loading section

[0137] 231 Exhaust pipe

[0138] 310, 320, 330 gas supply pipe

[0139] 410, 420, 430 nozzles.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, comprising: A substrate support having a processing area for placing a substrate, and a plurality of placing portions for placing the substrate, arranged in such a manner that the intervals between substrates in the upper and lower areas of the processing area are narrower than the intervals between substrates in the central area of ​​the processing area; a processing container housing the substrate support; a gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and The exhaust part exhausts the ambient gas in the processing container.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate spacing in the lower region is configured to be narrower than the substrate spacing in the upper region.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lower region is located on a side close to the exhaust portion.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one of the lower region and the upper region has two or more regions where the substrate intervals are different.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one of the lower region and the upper region has a region where the substrate interval continuously changes toward the central region.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one of the lower region and the upper region is configured such that the substrate interval increases toward the central region.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The length of the lower region in the direction in which the substrates are arranged is configured to be longer than the length of the upper region in the direction in which the substrates are arranged.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The upper region is a region extending from the upper end of the substrate support material to 1 / 7 to 1 / 20 of the entire length of the substrate support material.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lower region is a region extending from the lower end of the substrate support material to 1 / 7 to 1 / 20 of the entire length of the substrate support material.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A dummy substrate is placed on a portion of at least one of the lower region and the upper region.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: A product substrate is placed on a portion of at least one of the lower region and the upper region.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate interval in a region where dummy substrates are placed in at least one of the lower region and the upper region is configured to be narrower than the substrate interval in a region where product substrates are placed.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate interval in a region where dummy substrates are placed in at least one of the lower region and the upper region is configured to be wider than the substrate interval in a region where product substrates are placed.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The gas supply unit includes a first nozzle for supplying a first process gas, a second nozzle for supplying a second process gas, and a third nozzle for supplying a third process gas. The first nozzle is configured to supply the first processing gas to the entire processing area. The second nozzle is configured to supply the second processing gas to the entire processing area. The third nozzle is configured to supply the third process gas to the lower region and the upper region.

15. A substrate support member that is carried into a processing container of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein: In the processing container, a plurality of substrate placement portions are arranged such that the intervals between substrates in the upper and lower regions of the processing region where the substrates are placed are narrower than the interval between substrates in the central region of the processing region.

16. A substrate processing method, comprising: performing a process in a substrate processing apparatus; The substrate processing apparatus comprises: a substrate support having a processing area for placing substrates, a plurality of placement portions for placing the substrates arranged in such a manner that the intervals between substrates in the upper and lower areas of the processing area are narrower than the intervals between substrates in the central area of ​​the processing area; a processing container for accommodating the substrate support; and a gas supply portion for supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and an exhaust portion for exhausting the ambient gas in the processing container, The process comprises: The step of moving the substrate support on which the substrate is mounted into the processing container; supplying the processing gas to the substrate; and A step of exhausting the atmosphere in the processing container.

17. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising performing a process in a substrate processing apparatus, The substrate processing device comprises: A substrate support having a processing area for placing substrates, and a plurality of placement portions for placing the substrates in a manner that the intervals between substrates in the upper and lower areas of the processing area are narrower than the intervals between substrates in the central area of ​​the processing area; a processing container for accommodating the substrate support; and a gas supply portion for supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and an exhaust portion for exhausting the ambient gas in the processing container, The process comprises: The step of moving the substrate support member on which the substrate is mounted into the processing container; supplying the processing gas to the substrate; and A step of exhausting the atmosphere in the processing container.

18. A program for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute steps by a computer, The substrate processing device comprises: A substrate support having a processing area for placing substrates, and a plurality of placement portions for placing the substrates in a manner that the intervals between substrates in the upper and lower areas of the processing area are narrower than the intervals between substrates in the central area of ​​the processing area; a processing container for accommodating the substrate support; and a gas supply portion for supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and an exhaust portion for exhausting the ambient gas in the processing container, The steps include: The step of moving the substrate support on which the substrate is mounted into the processing container; supplying the processing gas to the substrate; and The step of exhausting the ambient gas in the processing container.

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