Film forming method and film forming apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a technology capable of easily and accurately forming a film with a desired film thickness. This film formation method forms a film on a substrate. The film forming method includes: (A) forming a film on the substrate by rotating the substrate inside the processing container, moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism relative to each other so that the discharge port of the nozzle mechanism passes through the center of the substrate, and discharging the processing gas from the discharge port to the substrate; in the step (A), the discharge condition of the processing gas is changed from the discharge condition in the step (A), the substrate is rotated inside the processing container, the substrate or the nozzle mechanism part is relatively moved, and the processing gas is discharged from the discharge port to the substrate, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming method and a film forming device. Background Art

[0002] In the past, there has been known a film forming apparatus that forms a desired film on the surface of a substrate by causing multiple wafers (substrates) held on a susceptor to revolve while supplying multiple processing gases from above. In recent years, with the miniaturization and high performance of semiconductor devices, a film forming method is desired that forms a film with excellent in-plane uniformity of film thickness in a thin film.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a film forming apparatus that forms a film by disposing a gas supply unit above each of two substrates arranged horizontally in a processing container, rotating each gas supply unit around an axis between the two substrates while exhausting gas toward each substrate.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Literature]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-62703 Summary of the invention

[0007] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a technique capable of forming a film having a desired film thickness easily and with high precision.

[0009]

Methods to solve the problem

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a film forming method, which is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate, comprising: (A) step, in which the substrate is rotated inside a processing container, and at the same time, the substrate or the nozzle mechanism part is relatively moved in a manner that the discharge port of the nozzle mechanism part passes through the center of the substrate, and a processing gas is discharged from the discharge port to the substrate, thereby forming a film on the substrate; (B) step, in which the discharge condition of the processing gas is changed from the discharge condition of the (A) step, the substrate is rotated inside the processing container, and at the same time, the substrate or the nozzle mechanism part is relatively moved, and the processing gas is discharged from the discharge port to the substrate, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate.

[0011] [Effects of the invention]

[0012] According to one embodiment, a film having a desired film thickness can be formed easily and accurately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]

Figure 1

[0014]

Figure 2

[0015]

Figure 3

[0016]

Figure 4

[0017]

Figure 5

[0018]

Figure 6

[0019]

Figure 7

[0020]

Figure 8

[0021] Figure 8 (B) is a schematic side view showing the second film forming step in which a partial film forming process is performed.

[0022]

Fig. 9

[0023]

Fig.10

[0024]

Fig.11

[0025] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions may be omitted.

[0026] [Structure of film forming apparatus 1]

[0027] The film forming device 1 according to the embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the film forming device 1 is configured as a blade-type device that processes each substrate W separately. As a substrate process, the film forming device 1 performs a film forming process based on an atomic layer deposition (ALD: Atomic Layer Deposition) method or a molecular layer deposition (MLD: Molecular Layer Deposition) method. As the substrate W to be subjected to the film forming process, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon semiconductor, a compound semiconductor or an oxide semiconductor can be cited. The substrate W can have a pattern such as a groove or a via.

[0028] The film forming apparatus 1 includes a processing container 10, a substrate support unit 20, a gas supply unit 30, a gas exhaust unit 40, and a nozzle mechanism unit 50. The film forming apparatus 1 also includes a control unit 90 for controlling the operation of each component of the film forming apparatus 1.

[0029] The processing container 10 is a rectangular box-shaped container having an internal space IS capable of accommodating the substrate W. The size of the processing container 10 is preferably set according to the size of the substrate W to be processed. For example, when the diameter of the substrate W is 300 mm, the length of each side of the processing container 10 is formed to be about 400 mm to 500 mm. In addition, the shape of the processing container 10 is not particularly limited, and can be formed into, for example, a cylindrical shape (circular in top view).

[0030] A gate valve that can open and close the internal space IS is provided on the side of the processing container 10. The film forming device 1 opens the gate valve before film forming, and moves the substrate W from the outside of the processing container 10 into the internal space IS through the transport device 2 provided in the substrate processing system (not shown). After moving in, the film forming device 1 closes the gate valve to perform film forming. After film forming, the film forming device 1 opens the gate valve, and then allows the transport device 2 to enter the internal space IS to move the substrate W out of the processing container 10. In addition, Figure 1 The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a plurality of (three) gate valves, and the substrate W can be loaded and unloaded through any gate valve. However, at least one gate valve is sufficient in the processing container 10 .

[0031] like Figure 2As shown, the processing container 10 includes a lower concave container 11 with an open upper side, and an upper concave container 12 with an open lower side covering the lower concave container 11. The lower concave container 11 and the upper concave container 12 are fixed in a form of blocking each other's openings, thereby forming an internal space IS of the processing container 10. In addition, Figure 1 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, the film forming device 1 is shown with the upper concave container 12 removed.

[0032] The lower concave container 11 has a bottom wall 111 formed in a substantially square shape when viewed from above, and an outer edge protrusion 112 protruding relatively short from the outer edges of the four sides of the bottom wall 111 to the upper side in the vertical direction. The lower concave container 11 is provided with a substrate support portion 20 on the inner side. A through hole 111a is formed at the center of the bottom wall 111, into which the shaft portion 22 of the substrate support portion 20 described later is inserted. The central area including the center of the bottom wall 111 is a concave portion 111b that is depressed downward relative to the adjacent annular area. In addition, a peripheral platform portion 111c that protrudes upward relative to the annular area is formed outside the bottom wall 111 relative to the annular area and between the outer edge protrusion 112.

[0033] The concave portion 111b is provided with a temperature control unit 14 for controlling the temperature of the substrate W held on the substrate support unit 20. The temperature control unit 14 is not particularly limited, and may be a structure using a heater such as an electric heating wire, or a structure using a flow path that circulates a temperature control medium that controls the temperature through a heat exchanger, or a combination thereof. The temperature control unit 14 is connected to the control unit 90 through a temperature control driver (not shown) and the like, and controls the temperature under the control of the control unit 90.

[0034] On the other hand, the upper concave container 12 has a top wall 121 that is roughly square (the same shape as the bottom wall 111) when viewed from above, and a side wall 122 that protrudes shorter in the vertical direction downward from the outer edges of the four sides of the top wall 121. The processing container 10 is fixed in a state where the lower end of the side wall 122 and the upper end of the outer edge protrusion 112 face each other. A sealing component (not shown) is provided between the lower end of the side wall 122 and the upper end of the outer edge protrusion 112, thereby the internal space IS is airtightly closed. The above-mentioned gate valve, for example, opens and closes the side port 122a (see Figure 1 ).

[0035] In addition, the substrate support part 20 provided on the processing container 10 rotatably holds the substrate W. The substrate support part 20 includes a susceptor 21 directly holding the substrate W, a shaft 22 supporting the susceptor 21 , and a substrate rotating part 23 connected to the shaft 22 outside the processing container 10 .

[0036] The base 21 is formed in a perfect circular shape that is slightly larger than the substrate W in a plan view, and has a placement surface 21a that extends horizontally in the processing container 10. The placement surface 21a is surrounded by an edge that is consistent with the thickness of the placed substrate W or larger than the thickness of the substrate W and protrudes. In addition, the substrate support 20 is provided with a plurality of lifting pin lifting mechanisms (not shown) for receiving and transferring the substrate W to and from the transport device 2. In addition, the base 21 may be configured such that when the substrate W is placed on the placement surface 21a, the substrate W is fixed by an appropriate holding means (mechanical lock, adsorption, electrostatic suction cup, etc.).

[0037] The shaft portion 22 is connected to the center of the lower surface of the base 21 and extends along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the processing container 10. The shaft portion 22 is rotated around the axis by the substrate rotating operation portion 23, thereby rotating the base 21. A magnetic fluid sealing portion 24 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 22 and the through hole 111a of the bottom wall 111 of the processing container 10 to seal the shaft portion 22 rotatably.

[0038] The substrate rotating action part 23 has a motor and a drive transmission part (not shown) connecting the motor and the shaft part 22. The motor of the substrate rotating action part 23 is connected to the control part 90 through a driver (not shown). In the substrate rotating action part 23, based on the command of the control part 90, the power adjusted by the driver is supplied to the motor, thereby rotating the shaft part 22 at an appropriate rotation speed.

[0039] Figure 1 He Ru Figure 2 As shown, the gas supply unit 30 has a plurality of supply passages 31 for circulating processing gas (adsorbed gas, reactive gas), cleaning gas, etc., outside the processing container 10, and the gas is supplied into the processing container 10 through each supply passage 31. The processing gas supplied to the processing container 10 is selected to be a suitable gas according to the type of film formed on the substrate W. For example, when forming a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film), a silicon-containing gas such as a silane-based gas can be used as an adsorbed gas. In addition, an oxygen-containing gas such as oxygen (O2) gas and ozone (O3) gas can be used as a reactive gas. Furthermore, an inactive gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas and argon (Ar) gas can be used as a cleaning gas.

[0040] Examples of the plurality of supply passages 31 include an adsorption gas supply passage 31A through which an adsorption gas flows, a reaction gas supply passage 31B through which a reaction gas flows, and a cleaning gas supply passage 31C through which a cleaning gas flows.

[0041] Each supply passage 31 includes a plurality of boxes 32 for storing gas, a plurality of on-off valves 33 for opening and closing each supply passage 31, and a plurality of flow regulators 34 for regulating the flow rate of gas flowing in each supply passage 31. The plurality of boxes 32 include an adsorption gas box 32A for storing adsorption gas, a reaction gas box 32B for storing reaction gas, and a cleaning gas box 32C for storing cleaning gas. In addition, each on-off valve 33 and each flow regulator 34 are connected to the control unit 90 through a driver not shown. The control unit 90 opens the on-off valve 33 of each supply passage 31 of the specified gas at an appropriate time, and regulates the flow rate of the gas through the flow regulator 34, thereby supplying the specified gas to the processing container 10.

[0042] On the other hand, the gas exhaust unit 40 has a plurality of exhaust passages 41 for circulating gas (reacted gas, unreacted gas, cleaning gas, etc.) outside the processing container 10, and exhausts the gas supplied into the processing container 10 through the exhaust passages 41. The plurality of exhaust passages 41 are divided into two systems according to two mechanisms (a first nozzle mechanism 60 and a second nozzle mechanism 70) of the nozzle mechanism unit 50 described later.

[0043] The first exhaust passage 42 is connected to the first nozzle mechanism 60 and its vicinity, and mainly exhausts the gas exhausted from the first nozzle mechanism 60. The first exhaust passage 42 has a plurality of (two) branch exhaust passages 421, and a confluent exhaust passage 422 where each branch exhaust passage 421 merges and collects the exhaust gas. A branch exhaust passage 421A is directly connected to the first nozzle mechanism 60, and exhausts the gas of the first nozzle mechanism 60. A pressure regulating valve 423A for adjusting the suction pressure in the first nozzle mechanism 60 is provided in the branch exhaust passage 421A.

[0044] The other branch exhaust passage 421B is connected to the annular area of ​​the bottom wall 111 of the processing container 10, and exhausts the gas in the internal space IS around the base 21. The bottom wall 111 is provided with an annular exhaust groove 15 (see Figure 1 The branch discharge passage 421B is connected to the bottom of the discharge groove 15. In addition, an exhaust net 16 is preferably provided on the upper opening of the discharge groove 15 to make the conduction of the gas uniform in the circumferential direction during the discharge.

[0045] A suction mechanism 424 (such as a turbomolecular pump or a vacuum pump) is connected to one end of the confluent discharge passage 422 to suck the gas of the entire first discharge passage 42. Furthermore, a pressure regulating valve 423B is provided on the confluent discharge passage 422 to adjust the pressure of the gas sucked in the entire first system.

[0046] The second exhaust passage 43 is connected to the second nozzle mechanism 70 and its vicinity, and mainly exhausts the gas from the second nozzle mechanism 70. The second exhaust passage 43 also has a plurality of (two) branch exhaust passages 431, and a combined exhaust passage 432 that combines the branch exhaust passages 431 and collects and exhausts the gas, similar to the first exhaust passage 42. One branch exhaust passage 431A is connected to the second nozzle mechanism 70, and exhausts the gas from the second nozzle mechanism 70. A pressure regulating valve 433A for adjusting the suction pressure in the second nozzle mechanism 70 is provided at a midway position of the branch exhaust passage 431A. Another branch exhaust passage 431B is connected to the annular area (the bottom of the exhaust groove 15) of the bottom wall 111 of the processing container 10, and exhausts the gas in the internal space IS around the susceptor 21.

[0047] A suction mechanism 434 (e.g., a turbomolecular pump, a vacuum pump) is connected to one end of the confluent discharge passage 432 in order to suck the gas of the entire second discharge passage 43. Furthermore, a pressure regulating valve 433B is provided at a midway position of the confluent discharge passage 432 for adjusting the suction pressure in the entire second system.

[0048] Furthermore, the nozzle mechanism unit 50 has the function of discharging the processing gas and the cleaning gas toward the surface (upper surface) of the substrate W held on the susceptor 21 in the processing container 10, and simultaneously sucking the gas above the substrate W. The nozzle mechanism unit 50 includes a first nozzle mechanism 60 and a second nozzle mechanism 70 according to the type of processing gas (adsorption gas, reaction gas) supplied to the substrate W. Furthermore, the film forming apparatus 1 causes the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 to swing relative to the substrate support unit 20 in the processing container 10. Thus, the first processing point region PR1 (refer to Figure 3 (A)) and the second processing point area PR2 (refer to Figure 4 (A)) move independently of each other.

[0049] The first nozzle mechanism 60 is provided at one of the four corners of the processing container 10 (the lower concave container 11). Figure 1 The first nozzle mechanism 60 discharges the adsorbed gas and the cleaning gas and simultaneously sucks the discharged gas. Specifically, the first nozzle mechanism 60 includes a first nozzle 61, a first nozzle operating portion 62 provided at the base end of the first nozzle 61, and a first head portion 63 provided at the protruding end (front end) of the first nozzle 61.

[0050] The first nozzle 61 is provided on the peripheral stage 111c of the bottom wall 111, and extends parallel to the mounting surface 21a of the susceptor 21 (in the horizontal direction) at a position higher than the substrate W mounted on the susceptor 21. The first nozzle 61 is formed to have a length that can extend from the first nozzle operation portion 62 in the processing container 10 to the center of the processing container 10. The center of the processing container 10 coincides with the center of the susceptor 21 (substrate W), and the first nozzle 61 extends to the center of the susceptor 21. That is, the extension length of the first nozzle 61 is set to be slightly shorter than half of the diagonal line of the processing container 10, and on the other hand, longer than the radius of the susceptor 21.

[0051] The first nozzle 61 is formed, for example, as a square tube with a rectangular cross section, and has a flow path 611 inside which a gas can flow. In addition, a plurality of pipes 612 and 614 are provided at appropriate positions (e.g., the surface) of the outer peripheral surface of the first nozzle 61 in the processing container 10. The plurality of pipes 612 and 614 extend from the base end of the first nozzle 61 to the first head 63 of the first nozzle 61 in parallel with the extension direction of the first nozzle 61.

[0052] The pipe 612 has a flow path 612a extending in the axial direction, and its base end is connected to a connection pipe 613 provided on the processing container 10. The connection pipe 613 has appropriate flexibility so that the pipe 612 can move along the rotation of the first nozzle 61. The connection pipe 613 is connected to the adsorption gas supply passage 31A outside the processing container 10 through a connector provided on the processing container 10. Thus, the adsorption gas can flow from the base end of the pipe 612 to the first head 63 along the flow path 612a.

[0053] The pipe 614 has a flow path 614a extending in the axial direction, and its base end is connected to a connection pipe 615 provided on the processing container 10. The connection pipe 615 also has appropriate flexibility so that the pipe 614 can move along the rotation of the first nozzle 61. The connection pipe 615 is connected to the cleaning gas supply passage 31C outside the processing container 10 through a connector provided on the processing container 10. Thus, the cleaning gas can flow from the base end of the pipe 614 to the first head 63 along the flow path 614a.

[0054] The flow path 611 of the first nozzle 61 has a flow path cross-sectional area larger than the flow path 612a of the pipe 612 and the flow path 614a of the pipe 614. The flow path 611 allows the gas sucked in the outer peripheral portion of the first head 63 to be discharged to the branch discharge passage 421A through the support shaft 621. The base end of the first nozzle 61 is connected to the support shaft 621 of the first nozzle operation portion 62. The first nozzle 61 swings (reciprocates) the first nozzle 61 and the first head 63 in an arc shape with the support shaft 621 as the base point.

[0055] The first nozzle operation unit 62 rotates the support shaft 621 while ensuring the flow of gas in the flow path 611 of the first nozzle 61. Therefore, the first nozzle operation unit 62 includes a cover portion 622, a magnetic fluid seal portion 623, and a drive body 624 in addition to the support shaft 621.

[0056] The support shaft 621 extends in the vertical direction and is formed as a hard round tube having a flow path 621a inside. The upper end of the support shaft 621 firmly fixes the first nozzle 61 extending in the horizontal direction with a suitable fixing member. In addition, the lower end of the support shaft 621 is connected to the branch discharge passage 421A outside the processing container 10 through a connector (not shown) provided on the processing container 10. Thus, the first nozzle 61 can give a suction force (negative pressure) to the first head 63 provided on the front end of the first nozzle 61 in the order of the branch discharge passage 421A, the flow path 621a, and the flow path 611, and suck gas.

[0057] The magnetic fluid seal 623 hermetically seals the bottom wall 111 and the support shaft 621, thereby limiting the leakage of gas from the processing container 10 through the first nozzle action unit 62. In addition, the drive body 624 is equipped with a rotating motor and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and the support shaft 621 is rotated within a set angle range based on the rotation drive of the rotating motor. As the support shaft 621 rotates, the first nozzle 61 swings with the base end connected to the support shaft 621 as the base point. The drive body 624 is connected to the control unit 90 through a driver (not shown), and the rotation speed, rotation direction, etc. of the rotating motor are controlled under the control of the control unit 90.

[0058] The first nozzle operation unit 62 is controlled so as to repeat the operation in a range of approximately 90 degrees. Figure 1 The clockwise rotation and Figure 1 By the operation of the first nozzle operating unit 62, the first nozzle 61 swings between the first nozzle moving one end N11 provided near one side of the processing container 10 and the first nozzle moving other end N12 provided near the other side vertically connected to the one side of the processing container 10. The first nozzle moving one end N11 and the first nozzle moving other end N12 are located at a position appropriately spaced apart from the base 21 in the horizontal direction (a position not overlapping with the base 21 in the vertical direction).

[0059] like Figure 3 (A) and Figure 3As shown in (B), the first head 63 provided at the front end of the first nozzle 61 forms a long rectangle in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first nozzle 61 when viewed from above. The first head 63 forms a first processing point area PR1, which discharges the adsorbed gas toward the substrate W during film forming processing, discharges the cleaning gas toward the substrate W around the adsorbed gas, and also sucks gas outside the discharge portion of the adsorbed gas and the cleaning gas. The first head 63 reciprocates in the first circular arc path according to the swing of the first nozzle movement end N11 and the first nozzle movement end N12 of the first nozzle 61, facing the substrate W during this movement (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0060] In detail, the first head 63 has a rectangular head body 631 that is long in the tangential direction of the first arc passage, and a protrusion 632 that protrudes from the surface of the head body 631. The first nozzle 61 is directly connected to the head body 631, and the above-mentioned pipe 612 and pipe 614 are connected to the protrusion 632. In addition, the first head 63 has a processing gas exhaust part 633 that exhausts the adsorbed gas at the center of the head body 631 and the center of the protrusion 632.

[0061] The processing gas discharge part 633 is a part surrounded by the inner wall extending from the head body 631 and the protrusion 632 and the bottom wall (discharge plate 637) of the head body 631 facing the substrate W. The processing gas discharge part 633 has a discharge path 633a inside and a plurality of discharge ports 633b connected to the discharge path 633a at the bottom wall. The pipe 612 is connected to the protrusion 632 in such a way that the discharge path 633a is connected to the flow path 612a. In addition, the processing gas discharge part 633 may be provided with a heater 636 in the discharge path 633a for heating the adsorption gas supplied from the flow path 612a.

[0062] The exhaust ports 633b of the processing gas exhaust part 633 are arranged in a matrix shape and are rectangular as a whole, which is long in the tangent direction of the first arc path. Thus, the processing gas exhaust part 633 forms a rectangular adsorption gas exhaust area PR11 at the center of the first processing point area PR1. That is, the processing gas exhaust part 633 can blow the adsorption gas in a sufficiently narrow range relative to the entire area of ​​the substrate W during film formation.

[0063] Furthermore, the first head 63 has a cleaning gas discharge portion 634 for discharging cleaning gas around the processing gas discharge portion 633. The cleaning gas discharge portion 634 is a portion surrounded by the inner wall and outer wall of the protruding portion 632, the inner wall and the partition wall of the head body 631, and the bottom wall. The cleaning gas discharge portion 634 has a discharge path 634a inside, and has a plurality of discharge ports 634b connected to the discharge path 634a at the bottom wall. The pipe 614 is connected to the protruding portion 632 in such a manner that the discharge path 634a is connected to the flow path 613a.

[0064] The outlets 634b of the cleaning gas exhaust part 634 are arranged in a matrix shape similarly to the outlets 633b, and are in a square ring shape surrounding the outlets 633b of the processing gas exhaust part 633. Thus, the cleaning gas exhaust part 634 forms a square ring-shaped cleaning gas exhaust region PR12 outside the exhaust region of the adsorbed gas. The cleaning gas exhaust part 634 suppresses the adsorbed gas discharged from the processing gas exhaust part 633 from diffusing to the outside by discharging the cleaning gas during the film forming process.

[0065] In addition, the first head 63 has a gas suction part 635 for sucking gas around the cleaning gas discharge part 634. The gas suction part 635 is a part surrounded by the partition wall and the outer wall of the head body 631. The gas suction part 635 has a suction path 635a inside and a series of openings 635b connected to the suction path 635a. The first nozzle 61 and the head body 631 are connected in such a way that the suction path 635a is connected to the flow path 611.

[0066] The opening 635b is formed in a square ring shape surrounding the outer peripheral portion of the bottom wall of the head body 631. Thus, the gas suction unit 635 forms a square ring-shaped suction area PR13 outside the discharge area of ​​the cleaning gas. The gas suction unit 635 can smoothly suck the adsorption gas and the cleaning gas discharged onto the substrate W around the discharge area PR12 during the film forming process.

[0067] Back to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second nozzle mechanism 70 is disposed at another corner ( Figure 1 The second nozzle mechanism 70 discharges the reaction gas and the cleaning gas and simultaneously sucks the discharged gas. Specifically, the second nozzle mechanism 70 includes a second nozzle 71, a second nozzle operation portion 72 provided at the base end of the second nozzle 71, and a second head portion 73 provided at the protruding end (front end) of the second nozzle 71.

[0068] The second nozzle 71 is formed in a shape substantially the same as the first nozzle 61. A flow path 711 is provided inside the second nozzle 71. In addition, a plurality of pipes 712 and 714 are provided at appropriate positions (e.g., the surface) of the outer peripheral surface of the second nozzle 71. The pipe 712 has a flow path 712a inside, and its base end is connected to a connecting pipe 713 provided on the processing container 10. The connecting pipe 713 is connected to a supply passage 31B for a reaction gas provided outside the processing container 10. The pipe 714 has a flow path 714a inside, and its base end is connected to a connecting pipe 715 provided on the processing container 10. The connecting pipe 715 is connected to a supply passage 31C for a cleaning gas provided outside the processing container 10.

[0069] The second nozzle action part 72 is also formed in the same manner as the first nozzle action part 62. The second nozzle action part 72 includes a support shaft 721, a covering part 722, a magnetic fluid sealing part 723, and a driving body 724. The support shaft 721 is formed as a hard circular tube having a flow path 721a inside. The support shaft 721 supports the second nozzle 71 at the upper end and is connected to a branch discharge passage 431A provided outside the processing container 10 at the lower end. In addition, the driving body 724 includes a rotating motor and a driving transmission mechanism not shown in the figure, and the support shaft 721 is rotated within a set angle range based on the rotation drive of the rotating motor. The driving body 724 is connected to the control unit 90 through a driver not shown in the figure, and the rotation speed, rotation direction, etc. of the rotating motor are controlled under the control of the control unit 90.

[0070] The second nozzle operation unit 72 is also controlled to repeat the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the support shaft 721 within a range of approximately 90 degrees. Therefore, the second nozzle 71 swings between the second nozzle movement end N21 provided near one side of the processing container 10 and the second nozzle movement end N22 provided near the other side perpendicularly connected to the one side of the processing container 10 by the operation of the second nozzle operation unit 72. The second nozzle movement end N21 and the second nozzle movement end N22 are located at a position appropriately spaced apart from the base 21 in the horizontal direction (a position not overlapping with the base 21 in the vertical direction).

[0071] like Figure 4 (A) and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 6B , the second head 73 is also formed in the same manner as the first head 63. The second head 73 forms a second processing point region PR2, and during film forming, discharges the reaction gas toward the substrate W, discharges the cleaning gas toward the substrate W around the reaction gas, and also sucks the gas outside the discharge portion of the reaction gas and the cleaning gas. The second head 73 reciprocates in the second arc path according to the swing of the second nozzle movement end N21 and the second nozzle movement end N22 of the second nozzle 71, and faces the substrate W during the movement.

[0072] In detail, the second head 73 has a rectangular head body 731 that is long in the tangential direction of the second arc passage, and a protrusion 732 that protrudes from the surface of the head body 731, and the protrusion 732 is connected to the pipe 712 and the pipe 714. In addition, the second head 73 has a processing gas exhaust portion 733 for exhausting the reaction gas at the center of the head body 731 and the center of the protrusion 732.

[0073] The processing gas exhaust portion 733 is a portion surrounded by the inner wall extending from the head body 731 and the protrusion 732, and the bottom wall (exhaust plate 738) of the head body 731 facing the substrate W. The processing gas exhaust portion 733 has an exhaust path 733a inside, and also has an exhaust port 733b connected to the exhaust path 733a. The pipe 712 is connected to the protrusion 732 in such a way that the exhaust path 733a is connected to the flow path 712a. In addition, in the embodiment, the exhaust port 733b is a square connected in the length direction, but is not limited to this. The second head 73 may be a structure with multiple exhaust ports, similar to the first head 63. In addition, the processing gas exhaust portion 733 may have a heater 736 in the exhaust path 733a for heating the reaction gas supplied from the flow path 712a.

[0074] Furthermore, the processing gas exhaust portion 733 may be a structure that exhausts the reaction gas as it is (or heated) or a structure that exhausts the reaction gas in the form of plasma, depending on the requirements of the film forming process. The following specifically describes the structure of the processing gas exhaust portion 733 that exhausts the reaction gas in the form of plasma. The processing gas exhaust portion 733 has a plasma antenna 737 that surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall of the protrusion 732. The antenna 737 is connected to a high-frequency power supply portion (not shown) provided outside the processing container 10 through wiring that is not shown. The wiring extends, for example, along the outer peripheral surface of the second nozzle 71. Therefore, during the film forming process, high-frequency power is supplied from the high-frequency power supply portion to the antenna 737 through the wiring, so that the reaction gas flowing in the exhaust path 733a generates plasma.

[0075] When the reaction gas is plasmatized, a mixed gas of, for example, O2, H2, NH3, Ar, N2, etc. may be used. In addition, in order to form a high-quality oxide film, a cleaning gas containing O3 may be supplied as the cleaning gas during the generation of plasma. Thus, the processing gas discharge portion 733 may form a discharge region PR21 of the plasmatized reaction gas at the center of the second processing point region PR2 when the reaction gas is discharged.

[0076] Furthermore, the second head 73 has a cleaning gas discharge portion 734 for discharging cleaning gas around the processing gas discharge portion 733. The cleaning gas discharge portion 734 may have the same structure as the cleaning gas discharge portion 634 of the first head 63, and may have a discharge path 734a and a plurality of discharge ports 734b to form a cleaning gas discharge region PR22. In addition, the second head 73 has a gas suction portion 735 for sucking gas around the cleaning gas discharge portion 734. The gas suction portion 735 may also have the same structure as the gas suction portion 735 of the first head 63, and may have a suction path 735a and an opening 735b to form a gas suction region PR23.

[0077] Back to Figure 2 The film forming apparatus 1 further has a structure for supplying cleaning gas from the upper part (above the nozzle mechanism 50) of the processing container 10 to the lower internal space IS. For example, the top wall 121 of the upper concave container 12 has a gas introduction port 17 for introducing the cleaning gas. The gas introduction port 17 is connected to a cleaning gas box 32C storing the cleaning gas through a cleaning gas supply passage 31C having an opening and closing valve 33 and a flow regulator 34.

[0078] In addition, a shower head 18 may be provided in the upper concave container 12 to diffuse the cleaning gas introduced from the gas introduction port 17 in the horizontal direction. The shower head 18 is formed in a flat plate shape with a plurality of gas holes 18a, and the cleaning gas supplied to the space between the shower head 18 and the top wall 121 is uniformly discharged to the space below the shower head 18 (the space having the substrate W and the nozzle mechanism 50).

[0079] The control unit 90 controls the film forming apparatus 1 as follows: Figure 1 As shown, a computer having a processor 91, a memory 92, an input / output interface (not shown), etc. can be used. The processor 91 is one or a combination of multiple CPUs (central processing unit), GPUs (graphics processing unit), ASICs (application integrated circuits), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), circuits composed of multiple discrete semiconductors, etc. The memory 92 includes a main storage device composed of a semiconductor memory, etc. and an auxiliary storage device composed of a disk, a drive, a semiconductor memory (flash memory), etc.

[0080] The memory 92 stores programs for operating the film forming apparatus 1 and recipes for process conditions of the film forming process, etc. The processor 91 reads out and executes the programs in the memory 92, thereby controlling each component of the film forming apparatus 1. In addition, the control unit 90 may be composed of a host computer or a plurality of client computers that perform information communication via a network.

[0081] The control unit 90 controls each structure of the film forming apparatus 1 to form a desired film on the substrate W held on the substrate support unit 20. At this time, the control unit 90 controls the operation of the first nozzle operation unit 62 to swing the first nozzle 61 in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate W, and controls the operation of the second nozzle operation unit 72 to swing the second nozzle 71 in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate W.

[0082] As described above, the first head 63 reciprocates on the first circular arc track based on the swing of the first nozzle 61. The second head 73 reciprocates on the second circular arc track based on the swing of the second nozzle. The first circular arc track and the second circular arc track intersect at the center of the base 21 (substrate W). For example, the control unit 90 makes the swing speed of the first nozzle 61 and the swing speed of the second nozzle 71 the same, and on the other hand, controls the start timing of the swing of the first nozzle 61 and the start timing of the swing of the second nozzle 71 to be staggered. As a result, the film forming device 1 avoids interference between the first head 63 and the second head 73, and can stably repeat the reciprocating movement of the first head 63 and the reciprocating movement of the second head 73.

[0083] The control unit 90 operates the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 40 simultaneously with the reciprocating movement of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the reciprocating movement of the second nozzle mechanism 70 to supply the processing gas (adsorption gas, reaction gas) and to extract the gas using the nozzle mechanism unit 50 .

[0084] The discharge port 633b of the first head 63 moves along the first arc track. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1A , an adsorbed gas discharge area PR11 is formed on the lower side in the vertical direction, so that the rotating substrate W adsorbs the adsorbed gas. Furthermore, the first head 63 forms a cleaning gas discharge area PR12 around the adsorbed gas discharge area PR11, thereby suppressing the diffusion of the adsorbed gas and making it easy to control the adsorbed gas discharge area PR11. In addition, the first head 63 can reduce the residual adsorbed gas near the surface of the substrate W by sucking gas in the suction area PR13 outside the discharge area PR12, and can suppress the adhesion of the adsorbed gas to the position other than the first processing point area PR1 of the substrate W.

[0085] On the other hand, the discharge port 733b of the second head 73 moves along the second arc track. Figure 4As shown in (A), a discharge area PR21 of the reaction gas is formed on the lower side in the vertical direction, and the plasma-formed reaction gas is discharged on the rotating substrate W. Furthermore, the second head 73 forms a discharge area PR22 of the cleaning gas around the discharge area PR21 of the reaction gas, thereby suppressing the diffusion of the reaction gas and making it easy to control the discharge area PR21 of the reaction gas. In addition, the second head 73 can reduce the residual reaction gas near the surface of the substrate W by sucking the gas in the suction area PR23 outside the discharge area PR22, and suppress the reaction of the reaction gas at the position other than the second processing point area PR2 of the substrate W.

[0086] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, the film forming apparatus 1 can control the movement speed of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the movement speed of the second nozzle mechanism 70. Hereinafter, the swinging motion of the first nozzle mechanism 60 will be representatively described, and the description of the second nozzle mechanism 70 performing the same swinging motion will be omitted.

[0087] When the radial interval is equally divided into a plurality of sections from the center of the substrate W toward the radial outside, the surface area of ​​each section is smaller on the center side and larger on the outer edge side. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the surface of the substrate W is divided into three sections (hereinafter, the divided sections are referred to as the first section R1 to the third section R3 from the center to the outer edge of the substrate W). In addition, the number of divided sections is not limited to three, and may be two or more than four.

[0088] The first section R1 is in the shape of a perfect circle at the center of the substrate W. The second section R2 is adjacent to the outer side of the first section R1 and is in the shape of a ring surrounding the first section R1. In addition, the third section R3 is also adjacent to the outer side of the second section R2 and is in the shape of a ring surrounding the second section R2. At this time, the relationship between the surface areas of the sections is that the first section R1 < the second section R2 < the third section R3. Therefore, in the film forming method, more processing gas is supplied to the third section R3 side of the rotating substrate W, and on the other hand, less processing gas is supplied to the first section R1 side of the rotating substrate W, thereby achieving in-plane uniformity of film formation.

[0089] Specifically, the control unit 90 makes the discharge ports 633b and 733b of the nozzle mechanism unit 50 face the third zone R3 (outer edge side) for a longer time than the first zone R1 (center side), thereby increasing the supply amount of the processing gas in the third zone R3. That is, the control unit 90 controls the swinging action of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 so that the moving speed Vr1 of the first zone R1> the moving speed Vr2 of the second zone R2> the moving speed Vr3 of the third zone R3. Thus, the film thickness of the film formed on the surface of the substrate W can be appropriately adjusted.

[0090] Here, the surface area of ​​each section of the substrate W is not limited to being calculated based on the top view area of ​​the substrate W. The surface area of ​​each section of the substrate W varies depending on the concave-convex pattern (e.g., grooves, vias) of the semiconductor device formed on the surface. Therefore, for example, when there is no concave-convex pattern on the surface, such as Figure 6 As shown in (A), it is easy to form a film B having a uniform film thickness on the surface of the substrate W.

[0091] On the other hand, when the surface has a concavo-convex pattern, the ratio of the surface area on the outer edge side of the substrate W to the surface area on the center side of the substrate W becomes larger, such as Figure 6 As shown in (B), it is easy to form a mountain-shaped film B1 with a large thickness on the center side. Figure 6 The plan view of (B) shows that the greater the whiteness, the thicker the film thickness. In other words, due to the concave-convex pattern, a load effect of the film thickness change on the substrate W during film formation is generated. For example, Figure 6 As shown by the dotted line in (B), the outer edge side of the substrate W is a portion where the film thickness is smaller than that of the center side of the substrate W.

[0092] As described above, when a film having a different shape from a target film shape (e.g., a flat film) is formed, the film forming apparatus 1 additionally performs film formation while limiting the respective motion ranges of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70, thereby adjusting the film thickness on the substrate W and forming a film having a target shape. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Provide explanation.

[0093] Film forming device 1 Figure 7 As shown in (A), under the control of the control unit 90, the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 can be reciprocated in the range of motion from the outer edge of the substrate W to the center of the substrate. As a result, the discharge port 633b of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the discharge port 733b of the second nozzle mechanism 70 face the substrate W in the limited range of motion for a long time. A large amount of processing gas is supplied to the position facing for a long time at each discharge port 633b, 733b. As a result, the film forming apparatus 1 can reduce the film forming amount on the center side of the substrate W (or make it zero) and increase the film forming amount on the outer edge side of the substrate W. Hereinafter, film forming in which the range of motion of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 is limited is also referred to as partial film forming processing.

[0094] In the partial film forming process, the more insufficient the film thickness is relative to the film thickness of the target shape, the longer the time the film faces the discharge port 633b of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the discharge port 733b of the second nozzle mechanism 70. Therefore, more processing gas can be supplied to the position where the film thickness is insufficient, and the film thickness can be increased. On the other hand, at the position where the film of the substrate W is thicker, the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 are not made to face each other (or are made to face each other for only a short time), thereby suppressing the increase in film thickness. In addition, when performing the partial film forming process, the swing speed of the first nozzle 61 and the swing speed of the second nozzle 71 can be changed in multiple intervals on the substrate W. Therefore, for example, at the end of the reciprocating movement on the center side of the substrate W, the speed of the first nozzle 61 and the second nozzle 71 can be suppressed from slowing down, and more film can be formed than on other parts.

[0095] In particular, the control unit 90 can move the reciprocating end portions of the first nozzle 61 and the second nozzle 71 on the center side of the substrate W toward the outer edge side of the substrate W as the time of the partial film forming process elapses. Figure 7 (B) shows an example in which the operating range of the first nozzle 61 and the operating range of the second nozzle 71 are relative to each other. Figure 7 The operating range of (A) is reduced to about 1 / 2. As a result, the film forming apparatus 1 can make the film thickness gradually increase toward the outer edge of the substrate W without almost changing the film thickness on the center side of the substrate W.

[0096] The film forming device 1 can form a mountain-shaped film in the initial film forming process by performing the above-mentioned partial film forming process, and can also adjust the film thickness to a flat state. In addition, the initial film forming process refers to a process of forming a film on the entire surface of the substrate W by reciprocating the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 from one outer edge to the other outer edge of the substrate W (hereinafter also referred to as the entire film forming process).

[0097] Specifically, during the entire film forming process, the film forming apparatus 1 reciprocates the first nozzle 61 of the first nozzle mechanism 60 between the first nozzle moving end N11 and the first nozzle moving end N12 (an operating range of approximately 90 degrees) (see FIG. Figure 1 ). Similarly, in the film forming process of the film forming apparatus 1, the second nozzle 71 of the second nozzle mechanism 70 reciprocates between the second nozzle one end N21 and the second nozzle other end N22 (approximately 90° range of motion). In other words, in the film forming process of the whole, as the exhaust condition of the processing gas, the range of motion of the nozzle mechanism 50 is the limit position of the reciprocating motion. Figure 8 As shown in the left figure of (A), the first head 63 and the second head 73 form a film on the entire surface of the substrate W while swinging on the entire surface of the substrate W. Here, as described above, when the concave-convex pattern is formed on the substrate W, a mountain-shaped film B1 (see Figure 8 (right image of (A)).

[0098] Therefore, if Figure 8 As shown in the left figure of (B), the film forming device 1 performs a partial film forming process after the entire film forming process, thereby increasing the film thickness at the location where the film thickness is thinner. In the partial film forming process, the film forming device 1 changes the exhaust conditions of the processing gas, and reduces the reciprocating movement range of the first head 63 and the second head 73 to a position from the outer edge of the substrate W to a position that does not reach the center of the substrate W (or a position that just reaches the center). In other words, in the partial film forming process, as a condition for exhausting the processing gas, the movement range of the nozzle mechanism 50 is greatly reduced compared to the entire film forming process. Furthermore, the film forming device 1 controls the reciprocating movement range of the first head 63 and the second head 73 as follows: it is gradually reduced with the passage of time. Specifically, the movement range is reduced so that the end of the center side of the reciprocating movement of the first head 63 and the second head 73 gradually approaches the outer edge side.

[0099] In addition, the time (discharge condition) that the discharge port 633b of the first head 63 and the discharge port 733b of the second head 73 face the substrate W can be set, for example, by the difference in film thickness between the substrate W without a concave-convex pattern and the substrate W with a concave-convex pattern. For example, when the film thickness on the outer edge side of the substrate W with a concave-convex pattern is low due to the load effect, the rotation speed of the substrate support part 20 and the moving speed of the nozzle mechanism part 50 can be calculated based on the film thickness difference, and controlled according to the calculation result. In addition, in the actual overall film forming process, the surface area of ​​the substrate W changes based on the film thickness of the film formed as a concave-convex pattern, which is sometimes different from the calculation result calculated previously. Therefore, the actual film forming state of the substrate W can be monitored to determine the number of additional cycles and the range of motion. The film forming device 1 can set the discharge condition by repeating it several times, and it can form a film with the desired film thickness and the best in-plane uniformity.

[0100] Therefore, if Figure 8 As shown in the right figure of (A), the thickness of the film on the outer edge side can be increased in the partial film forming process relative to the mountain-shaped film formed by the film forming device 1 in the overall film forming process. That is, the film forming device 1 can freely adjust the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W by performing the partial film forming process. For example, the film forming device 1 improves the load effect on the substrate W with a concave-convex pattern without significantly changing the process conditions, and can obtain a flat film thickness (a film with excellent in-plane uniformity) (see Figure 8 (B) right panel).

[0101] [Film forming method]

[0102] Hereinafter, regarding the film forming method according to the above-mentioned embodiment, Fig. 9 In the film forming method, if Fig. 9As shown, after the preliminary preparation steps for film formation are performed, the first film formation step as the entire film formation process and the second film formation step as the partial film formation process are sequentially performed.

[0103] More specifically, the film forming apparatus 1 executes the following operations under the control of the control unit 90: Fig. 9 The control unit 90 first adjusts the internal pressure of the processing container 10 to the target pressure after placing the substrate W on the susceptor 21 of the substrate support unit 20 (step S101). The control unit 90 supplies the cleaning gas from the upper part of the processing container 10 through the gas supply unit 30, and exhausts the internal gas through the gas exhaust unit 40. Thus, the control unit 90 adjusts the internal pressure of the processing container 10 to the target pressure set in the range of 1 Torr to 10 Torr, for example.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 90 operates the temperature control unit 14 in the processing container 10 to adjust the temperature of the substrate W placed on the susceptor 21 to a target temperature (step S102). The control unit 90 adjusts the temperature of the substrate W to a target temperature set within a range of about 100°C to 800°C, for example.

[0105] Then, the control unit 90 operates the substrate rotation operation unit 23 of the substrate support unit 20 to rotate the susceptor 21 at a target speed (step S103). The control unit 90 rotates the susceptor 21 at a target speed set, for example, in the range of 10 rpm to 1000 rpm. As a result, the substrate W held on the susceptor 21 also rotates (rotates) with its center as the base point.

[0106] When the internal pressure of the processing container 10, the temperature of the substrate W, the rotation speed of the substrate W, etc. are stable, the control unit 90 ends the preliminary preparation and starts the first film forming process as the overall film forming process. Specifically, the control unit 90 sets the movement ranges of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 as a whole, and swings the first head 63 and the second head 73 (step S104). Figure 8 As shown in (A), the first head 63 and the second head 73 swing above the substrate W and face the entire surface of the substrate W. At this time, the control unit 90 staggers the timing of the swing of the first head 63 and the swing of the second head 73 so that the first head 63 and the second head 73 do not interfere with each other.

[0107] Furthermore, the control unit 90 operates the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 40 at the same time as the nozzle mechanism unit 50 operates, and starts supplying the processing gas (adsorbed gas, reactive gas) and sucking the gas using the nozzle mechanism unit 50 (step S105). In addition, there is no particular restriction on the timing of the operation of the gas supply unit 30 and the gas exhaust unit 40, and the operation can be performed before or after the reciprocating movement of the first nozzle 61 and the second nozzle 71. As a result, the adsorbed gas is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate W, and the reactive gas can react with the adsorbed gas. Therefore, a film based on the adsorbed gas and the reactive gas is formed on the entire surface of the substrate W.

[0108] Furthermore, the control unit 90 monitors whether the first film forming process is completed during the execution of the first film forming process (step S106). For example, the control unit 90 compares the target time of the first film forming process set in the plan or the like (or the processing time set according to the target film thickness or the like) and the actual operation time of the nozzle mechanism unit 50, and determines the completion of the first film forming process based on the actual operation time reaching the target time. In addition, the film forming apparatus 1 is provided with a film thickness measuring device (not shown) for measuring the film thickness in the processing container 10, and the completion of the first film forming process can be determined based on the measured film thickness.

[0109] Next, the control unit 90 determines whether to implement the second film forming process as a partial film forming process (step S107). As described above, if the substrate W has a concave-convex pattern, a mountain-shaped film is formed in the first film forming process. Whether a mountain-shaped film is formed on the substrate W and the state of the film (difference in thickness between the center side and the outer edge side, etc.) can be known in advance by conducting experiments, simulations, etc. in advance.

[0110] The control unit 90 determines that the second film forming step is implemented (step S107: Yes) when a mountain-shaped film is formed with a flat film as the target shape, and proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, when a flat film is obtained with a flat film as the target shape, the control unit 90 determines that the second film forming step is not implemented (step S107: No), and proceeds to step S110 without performing the subsequent steps S108 and S109.

[0111] In step S108, as the second film forming process, the control unit 90 changes the operating range (discharging condition) of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 to a part, and causes the first head 63 and the second head 73 to swing. Figure 8As shown in (B), the movement range of each of the first head 63 and the second head 73 is reduced to a range from the outer edge of the substrate W to a range that does not reach the center of the substrate W, so that the first head 63 and the second head 73 are swung. At this time, the control unit 90 continues to supply the same processing gas as in the first film forming process, and also continues to attract the gas. In addition, the control unit 90 changes the position or timing of the swing in a manner that the first head 63 and the second head 73 do not interfere with each other. Thus, the nozzle mechanism unit 50 can form a film in the circumferential direction with respect to a radial portion of the surface of the substrate W. In addition, the control unit 90 can gradually reduce the movement range of the first head 63 and the second head 73 to focus on the film formation at a position (outer edge side) where the film thickness is thinner in the overall film forming process.

[0112] The control unit 90 monitors whether the second film forming process is completed during the execution of the second film forming process (step S109). For example, the control unit 90 compares the target time of the second film forming process set in the plan or the like (or the processing time set according to the target film thickness or the like) and the actual operation time of the nozzle mechanism unit 50, and determines the completion of the second film forming process based on the actual operation time reaching the target time. The target time of the second film forming process can be set by performing experiments or simulations in advance using the state of the film formed on the substrate W in the first film forming process (the difference in thickness between the center side and the outer edge side, etc.).

[0113] Finally, the control unit 90 performs the end processing of the film forming apparatus 1, thereby the film forming method ends (step S110). In the end processing, the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 are stopped, and the rotation of the substrate support unit 20, the supply of gas by the gas supply unit 30, the temperature control of the temperature control unit 14, etc. are stopped. As a result, the film forming apparatus 1 can carry the substrate W out of the processing container 10.

[0114] In addition, the film forming apparatus 1 and the film forming method involved in the embodiment are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be taken. For example, the film forming method is not limited to sequentially performing the first film forming step (whole film forming process) and the second film forming step (partial film forming process), and can be a structure in which the partial film forming process is first performed and then the whole film forming process is performed. Furthermore, in the film forming method, the first film forming step (whole film forming process) and the second film forming step (partial film forming process) can be repeated alternately multiple times.

[0115] In addition, in the film forming method according to the above-mentioned embodiment, as the exhaust condition of the processing gas in the second film forming process, the reciprocating movement range of the nozzle mechanism unit 50 is reduced compared to the movement range of the first film forming process. However, it is not limited to this. The film forming method can change the exhaust condition of the processing gas, increase the time that the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 face the substrate W for the position with thinner film thickness, or increase the exhaust amount of the processing gas supplied to the substrate W. That is, in the second film forming process, the exhaust condition (the movement of the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70, the rotation speed of the substrate W side, the exhaust amount of the processing gas, etc.) can be set to supplement the portion where the film thickness is thinner. In this way, the film forming method can appropriately adjust the film thickness of the formed film.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, as the final target shape of the film formed on the surface of the substrate W, the following is exemplified. Fig.10 (A) shows a flat film B. However, the final target shape of the film formed on the surface of the substrate W is not limited to a flat shape, and can be set as follows Fig.10 (B)~ Fig.10 (F) Various shapes shown.

[0117] For example, Fig.10 (B) shows an example in which a mountain-shaped film B1 in which the film thickness is thicker on the center side of the substrate W and thinner on the outer edge side of the substrate W is used as a target shape. Fig.10 (C) As an example, a concave (bowl-shaped) film B2 is used as the target shape, in which the film thickness is thinner on the center side of the substrate W and thicker on the outer edge side of the substrate W. Fig.10 (D) shows an example in which a circular film B3 is formed on the center side of the substrate W as a target shape. Fig.10 (E) shows an example in which a film B4 is formed in a ring shape around the middle position of the radius of the substrate W as a target shape. Fig.10 (F) It is exemplified that a film B5 is formed in a ring shape surrounding the outer edge of the substrate W as a target shape.

[0118] Furthermore, the film forming apparatus 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment is described as an apparatus in which the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 are relatively moved (swung) with respect to the substrate W. Without being limited thereto, the film forming apparatus 1 may also be a structure in which the nozzle mechanism portion for supplying the processing gas is fixed, and the substrate supporting portion 20 for supporting the substrate W is relatively moved with respect to the nozzle. Fig.11 An example of the film forming apparatus 1A in this case will be described.

[0119] like Fig.11The film forming apparatus 1A according to the modified example shown includes a processing container 1010, a substrate support unit 1020, a gas supply unit 1030, a gas exhaust unit 1040, and a nozzle mechanism unit 1050. Fig.11 For the sake of convenience, the top plate of the processing container 1010 is omitted.

[0120] The processing container 1010 is formed of quartz or the like, and accommodates a plurality of substrates W. In addition, it has an internal space that can be decompressed. The processing container 1010 has a perfect circular shape when viewed from above, and is formed into a cylindrical shape having a vertical length shorter than a horizontal diameter. The processing container 1010 has a side port 1112a on the side wall 1112, through which the transport device 2 that transports the substrate W enters and retreats. In addition, a gate valve 1015 for opening and closing the side port 1112a is provided on the side wall 1112.

[0121] The substrate support part 1020 receives the plurality of substrates ( Fig.11 The substrates W (4 in the figure) are held so as to be revolvable and rotatable. Therefore, the substrate support portion 1020 has a rotating table 1021 and a plurality of (4) mounting tables 1022 that respectively support each substrate W on the surface of the outer peripheral portion of the rotating table 1021. The four mounting tables 1022 are arranged at the same distance (radial position) from the center of the rotating table 1021, and are also arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (i.e., each is 90° apart). In addition, the substrate support portion 1020 causes the rotating table 1021 to reciprocate in the circumferential direction. For example, the following action is performed: the substrate support portion 1020 causes the rotating table 1021 to reciprocate in the circumferential direction. Fig.11 After rotating the rotating table 1021 by 90° clockwise, Fig.11 Rotate 90° counterclockwise.

[0122] The gas supply unit 1030 has a plurality of supply passages (not shown) through which process gas (adsorbed gas, reactive gas), cleaning gas, etc., are circulated outside the processing container 1010, and the gas is supplied into the processing container 1010 through the respective supply passages. The gas exhaust unit 1040 has a plurality of exhaust passages (not shown) through which gas (reacted gas, unreacted gas, cleaning gas, etc.) is circulated outside the processing container 1010, and the gas supplied into the processing container 1010 is exhausted through the respective exhaust passages.

[0123] Furthermore, the nozzle mechanism 1050 discharges the processing gas and the cleaning gas toward the surface (surface) of each substrate W at an appropriate position in the processing container 1010, and simultaneously sucks the gas above the substrate W. The nozzle mechanism 1050 includes a first nozzle 1060 for discharging the processing gas and the cleaning gas, and a second nozzle 1070 for discharging the reaction gas and the cleaning gas. Four first nozzles 1060 and four second nozzles 1070 are provided in the processing container 1010, respectively.

[0124] The first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070 are each fixed to four partition wall members 1122. For example, each partition wall member 1122 is Figure 1 The first nozzle 1060 is held on the counterclockwise side of the Figure 1 In other words, one first nozzle 1060 and one second nozzle 1070 are arranged in each of the first to fourth quadrants Q1 to Q4 partitioned by the partition wall members 1122 .

[0125] The first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070 are respectively arranged to penetrate the top plate of the processing container 1010, and are connected to the gas supply part 1030 and the gas exhaust part 40 on the outside of the processing container 1010. In addition, in the processing container 1010, the first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070 on the inside discharge and suck gas to the lower side in the vertical direction. The structure for discharging and sucking gas in the first nozzle 1060 is substantially the same as the structure of the first head 63 involved in the embodiment. The structure for discharging and sucking gas in the second nozzle 1070 is substantially the same as the structure of the second head 73 involved in the embodiment. As a result, a first processing point area PR1 is formed on the lower side in the vertical direction of the first nozzle 1060 (refer to Figure 3 (A)) a second processing point region is formed on the vertical lower side of the second nozzle 1070 (refer to Figure 4 (A)).

[0126] In addition, the center of the first nozzle 1060 and the center of the second nozzle 1070 face the center of each mounting table 1022 provided on the rotating table 1021. Thus, the first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070 pass through the center of each mounting table 1022 on the vertical upper side of the substrate W mounted on the mounting table 1022 as the rotating table 1021 rotates. Furthermore, each mounting table 1022 rotates during film formation, so that the first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070 can face the entire surface of the substrate W as a result.

[0127] The control unit 1090 of the film forming apparatus 1A causes the rotating table surface 1021 to reciprocate clockwise and counterclockwise while causing each stage 1022 to rotate (rotate) to perform film forming processing on the substrate W on each stage 1022. That is, in the film forming method, each substrate W is relatively moved with respect to the fixed first nozzle 1060 and the second nozzle 1070, thereby forming a desired film on the surface of the substrate W.

[0128] And, with Fig. 9Similarly, the control unit 1090 performs the first film forming step and the second film forming step. That is, in the first film forming step, the rotating table 1021 is reciprocated clockwise and counterclockwise within a range of 90°, thereby performing a whole film forming process for forming a film on the entire surface of the substrate W. In the second film forming step, by narrowing the range of the clockwise and counterclockwise reciprocating movement of the rotating table 1021, a partial film forming process for forming a film on a part of the surface of the substrate W (for example, the outer edge side) is performed. Thus, the film forming apparatus 1A and the film forming method can appropriately control film forming so that the film on the surface of the substrate W has a target shape.

[0129] The technical idea and effects of the present invention described in the above embodiments are described below.

[0130] The first mode of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate W, comprising: (A) step, in which the substrate W is rotated inside a processing container 10, and at the same time, the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism unit 50 is relatively moved in a manner that the discharge port 633b, 733b of the nozzle mechanism unit 50 passes through the center of the substrate W, and a processing gas is discharged from the discharge port 633b, 733b to the substrate W, thereby forming a film on the substrate W; (B) step, in which the discharge condition of the processing gas is changed from the discharge condition of the (A) step, the substrate W is rotated inside the processing container 10, and at the same time, the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism unit 50 is relatively moved, and the processing gas is discharged from the discharge port 633b, 733b to the substrate W, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W.

[0131] According to the above, the film forming method can form a film of a desired thickness easily and accurately by having a (B) step for adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W. For example, due to the concave-convex pattern formed on the substrate W, the film thickness formed in the (A) step is not the target shape, and the film forming method can also adjust the film thickness to be close to the target shape by the (B) step. In other words, the film forming method can freely adjust the shape of the film including the film thickness by performing the (A) step and the (B) step to form a film.

[0132] In addition, in the step (B), the more the film thickness of the film formed in the step (A) is insufficient relative to the film thickness of the target shape, the longer the time that the exhaust ports 633b and 733b face each other. Thus, the film forming method can supply more processing gas to the position where the film thickness is insufficient, and the desired film thickness can be easily obtained.

[0133] In addition, in the step (B), the range of motion in which the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism 50 is relatively moved is narrower than that in the step (A). Thus, in the film forming method, the processing gas can be supplied in a narrow range of motion, and the thickness of a portion of the substrate W can be adjusted stably.

[0134] In addition, in step (B), the relative movement range of the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism 50 is gradually reduced over time. Thus, in the film forming method, the movement range can be reduced according to the location where the film thickness is thinner, and the partial film thickness of the substrate W can be adjusted more effectively.

[0135] In addition, in the step (A), the film is formed into a mountain-shaped shape in which the film thickness at the center side of the substrate is thicker than the film thickness at the outer edge side of the substrate W, and in the step (B), the film is formed so that the film thickness at the outer edge side of the substrate W and the film thickness at the center side of the substrate W are uniform. Thus, for example, if the substrate W has a concavo-convex pattern on its surface, when the film is formed into a mountain-shaped shape in the step (A), the film thickness can be adjusted to be flat with good accuracy in the step (B).

[0136] In addition, the film forming method performs step (B) after step (A). Thus, the exhaust conditions of the processing gas in step (B) can be changed according to the position where the actual film thickness is thin in step (A) to perform film forming.

[0137] In addition, after step (A), step (B) is performed without removing the substrate from the processing container 10. Thus, the film forming method can continuously perform step (A) and step (B), and the time involved in the entire film forming method can be shortened.

[0138] In addition, in the step (A) and / or the step (B), the speed at which the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism unit 50 is relatively moved is changed based on the position of the substrate W facing the discharge port 633b, 733b. Thus, for example, the film forming method can cope with the factor that the surface area becomes larger toward the outer edge side of the substrate W by changing the speed of the relative movement, so that the film on the substrate W can be made into a target shape and the film can be formed more stably.

[0139] In addition, the nozzle mechanism unit 50 includes a first nozzle mechanism 60 and a second nozzle mechanism 70 for discharging a processing gas toward the substrate W supported on the substrate support unit 20. In the (A) step and the (B) step, the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 are independently swung while the substrate W is rotated. Thus, in the film forming method, the first nozzle mechanism 60 and the second nozzle mechanism 70 do not interfere with each other, and appropriate processing gas is supplied to the substrate W.

[0140] In addition, the first nozzle mechanism 60 includes a first nozzle 61 extending inside the processing container 10, a first nozzle operation unit 62 provided at the base end of the first nozzle 61 to swing the first nozzle 61, and a first head 63 provided at the front end of the first nozzle 61 to discharge the adsorbed gas as the processing gas. The second nozzle mechanism 70 includes a second nozzle 71 extending inside the processing container 10, a second nozzle operation unit 72 provided at the base end of the second nozzle 71 to swing the second nozzle 71, and a second head 73 provided at the front end of the second nozzle 71 to discharge the reaction gas reacting with the adsorbed gas as the processing gas. Thus, the film forming method can form various films such as oxide films and nitride films on the surface of the substrate W.

[0141] In addition, a second embodiment of the present invention is a film forming apparatus 1, 1A for forming a film on a substrate W, comprising a processing container 10 for accommodating the substrate W, a substrate support unit 20 for supporting the substrate W in the processing container 10 and rotating the substrate W, a nozzle mechanism unit 50 having exhaust ports 633b, 733b for exhausting a processing gas toward the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 20, and a control unit 90 for controlling the operation of the substrate support unit 20 and the nozzle mechanism unit 50. The control unit 90 controls the step (A) to rotate the substrate W in the processing container 10 and to exhaust a processing gas. The substrate W or the nozzle mechanism 50 is relatively moved in a manner that the outlets 633b and 733b pass through the center of the substrate W, and the processing gas is discharged from the outlets 633b and 733b to the substrate W, thereby forming a film on the substrate W. In the (B) step, the exhaust condition of the processing gas is changed from the exhaust condition of the (A) step, the substrate W is rotated inside the processing container 10, and at the same time, the substrate W or the nozzle mechanism 50 is relatively moved, and the processing gas is discharged from the outlets 633b and 733b to the substrate W, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate W. At this time, the film forming apparatus 1 and 1A can easily and accurately form a film with a desired film thickness.

[0142] The film forming apparatus 1, 1A and the film forming method involved in the embodiments disclosed herein are exemplary and non-restrictive in all respects. The embodiments may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the appended claims and their gist. The matters described in the above-mentioned multiple embodiments may also take other structures within the scope of non-contradiction, and may also be combined within the scope of non-contradiction.

Claims

1. A film forming method is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate, comprising: (A) step, rotating the substrate in the processing container, and relatively moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism in such a manner that the discharge port of the nozzle mechanism passes through the center of the substrate, discharging the processing gas from the discharge port toward the substrate, thereby forming a film on the substrate, (B) step, changing the exhaust condition of the processing gas from the exhaust condition of the (A) step, rotating the substrate inside the processing container, and at the same time, relatively moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism, exhausting the processing gas toward the substrate from the exhaust port, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate.

2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the discharge conditions are changed to the following: the location where the film thickness of the film formed in the step (A) is less than the film thickness of the target shape, the longer the time the location faces the discharge port in the step (B). 3 . The film forming method according to claim 2 , wherein in the step (B), a range of motion for relatively moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism is narrower than a range of motion in the step (A). 4 . The film forming method according to claim 3 , wherein in the step (B), the range of motion for relatively moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism is gradually reduced as time passes.

5. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the step (A), the film is formed into a mountain-shaped shape in which the film thickness at the center side of the substrate is thicker than the film thickness at the outer edge side of the substrate, In the step (B), the film is formed so that the film thickness on the outer edge side of the substrate and the film thickness on the center side of the substrate are uniform. 6 . The film forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the step (B) is performed after the step (A). 7 . The film forming method according to claim 6 , wherein after the step (A), the step (B) is performed without removing the substrate from the processing container.

8. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the step (A) and / or the step (B), the speed at which the substrate or the nozzle mechanism is relatively moved is changed based on the position of the substrate facing the discharge port.

9. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the nozzle mechanism portion comprises a first nozzle mechanism and a second nozzle mechanism for discharging the processing gas toward the substrate, In the step (A) and the step (B), the first nozzle mechanism and the second nozzle mechanism are swung independently of each other while the substrate is rotated.

10. The film forming method according to claim 9, wherein the first nozzle mechanism comprises a first nozzle extending inside the processing container, a first nozzle operating portion provided at a base end of the first nozzle and causing the first nozzle to swing, and a first head provided at a front end of the first nozzle and discharging an adsorbed gas as the processing gas. The second nozzle mechanism comprises a second nozzle extending inside the processing container, a second nozzle action portion provided at the base end of the second nozzle for swinging the second nozzle, and a second head provided at the front end of the second nozzle for discharging the reaction gas reacting with the adsorbed gas as the processing gas.

11. A film forming device for forming a film on a substrate, comprising: a processing container that accommodates the substrate, a substrate supporting part that supports the substrate in the processing container and rotates the substrate; a nozzle mechanism having an outlet for discharging a processing gas toward the substrate supported by the substrate supporting portion, a control unit that controls the actions of the substrate support unit and the nozzle mechanism unit, The control unit controls: (A) step, wherein the substrate is rotated in the processing container, and the substrate or the nozzle mechanism is relatively moved in a manner such that the discharge port of the nozzle mechanism passes through the center of the substrate, and a processing gas is discharged from the discharge port toward the substrate, thereby forming a film on the substrate. (B) step, changing the exhaust condition of the processing gas from the exhaust condition of the (A) step, rotating the substrate inside the processing container, and at the same time, relatively moving the substrate or the nozzle mechanism to discharge the processing gas from the exhaust port toward the substrate, thereby adjusting the film thickness of the film formed on the substrate.

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