Control system, processing apparatus, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system, a processing apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. Provided is a technique for controlling the flow rate of a starting material having a low vapor pressure and supplying the starting material to a processing chamber. According to the technology, the device is provided with a flow rate controller which is provided with an adjusting part capable of adjusting the flow rate of gas; and a control unit configured so as to be capable of switching between a first mode in which the flow rate of the gas is adjusted to a predetermined flow rate by operating the adjustment unit and a second mode in which the adjustment unit is brought into a fully open state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system, a processing device, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0002] As one of the manufacturing processes of a semiconductor device, a substrate processing process may be performed in which a process gas (e.g., a raw material gas, a reaction gas, etc.) whose flow rate is controlled is supplied to a substrate to form a film on the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a manufacturing process, it is required to appropriately set the flow rate and pressure of a fluid, and a mass flow controller (flow controller) for controlling the fluid flow rate is provided. However, in the supply of a solid raw material (a raw material with a low vapor pressure) used in recent years, there is a case where the life of the flow controller becomes short.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-085236 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a technique capable of extending the life of a flow controller.

[0008] Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a technique including: a flow controller having an adjustment unit configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of a gas; and a control unit configured to be able to switch between a first mode in which the flow rate of the gas is adjusted to a specified flow rate by operating the adjustment unit and a second mode in which the adjustment unit is in a fully open state.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a technique capable of extending the life of a flow controller can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in

[0014] Figure 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating details of the configuration of a mass flow controller 100 of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the mass flow controller 100 of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the controller of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing the substrate processing steps performed by the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a timing chart of the operations of the mass flow controller 100, valves AV1, AV2, and AV3 in the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 8 It shows an example of the input screen of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9 It is a flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 10 It is a flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 11 It is a flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Description of Reference Numerals

[0024] 41 Controller

[0025] 100 Mass Flow Controller

[0026] 101 Piezoelectric Actuator

[0027] 102 Valve

[0028] 103 Adjusting Unit Detailed Embodiment

[0029] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the accompanying drawings show embodiments according to the principles of the present invention, these drawings are for understanding the present invention and are by no means for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. The description in this specification is only a typical illustration and is not a limitation of the claims or application examples of the present invention in any sense.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the description has been made in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the present invention. However, it should be understood that other installations and methods are also possible, and changes in the structure and replacement of various elements can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the following description should not be construed as being limited thereto.

[0031] <Structure of Substrate Processing Apparatus>

[0032] First, Figure 1 A schematic overview of the substrate processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described. It should be noted that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of the various elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily the same as those of the actual apparatus. In addition, the dimensional relationships and ratios of the various elements are not necessarily the same among the multiple drawings.

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus includes a reaction tube 1 and a susceptor 32. A predetermined number of substrates 31 to be processed are loaded in the susceptor 32 as a holding member. When the substrate 31 is loaded into the susceptor 32, the susceptor 32 is raised by a susceptor elevator (not shown), and the susceptor 32 is carried into the interior of the reaction tube 1.

[0034] In addition, as a configuration for hermetically closing the lower part of the reaction tube 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes: a sealing cover 35 as a lid, O-rings 18 and 46 as airtight members, and a manifold 44. In a state where the susceptor 32 is carried into the interior of the reaction tube 1, the lower end opening (furnace port portion) of the manifold 44 is hermetically closed by the lid 35 via the O-ring 18. At least the reaction tube 1, the manifold 44, and the lid 35 constitute a processing container, and a processing chamber 2 is defined inside the processing container. In addition, the susceptor 32 is erected on the lid 35 via a susceptor support 45. The susceptor support 45 serves as a holding body for holding the susceptor 32. In addition, a susceptor rotation mechanism 69 is provided on the lid 35. The susceptor rotation mechanism 69 is configured to be able to rotate the susceptor 32 in order to improve the uniformity of processing.

[0035] In the processing container, while supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber 2 through supply pipes (47, 48) and discharging the atmosphere of the processing chamber 2 from the gas exhaust pipe 66 by means of a pump 68 serving as an exhaust device according to the selected processing process, the substrate 31 is processed. A valve 67 serving as a pressure regulating valve is provided on the gas exhaust pipe 66. The processing gas here includes, for example, a source gas, a reaction gas, and a mixed gas of these gases and a carrier gas, etc. In this specification, sometimes all the gases participating in the processing of the substrate 31 are referred to as the processing gas. In addition, in addition to such processing gases, an inert gas that does not participate in the processing of the substrate 31 is also supplied to the processing chamber 2. It should be noted that sometimes all the gases supplied to the processing chamber 2, including the processing gas and the inert gas, are simply referred to as "fluid".

[0036] A control unit 41 is provided as a control unit for controlling the above-described substrate processing apparatus. In addition, a reaction tube 1 is provided inside a heater 42 serving as a heating device (heating mechanism), and the reaction tube 1 is heated by the heat of the heater 42. A control system for controlling the fluid flow rate, etc. is constituted by a fluid controller of the fluid including the MFC100 and the control unit 41.

[0037] For Figure 1 the exemplified first gas supply pipe 47 and second gas supply pipe 48 will be described. In Figure 1 the example, two gas supply pipes (first gas supply pipe 47, second gas supply pipe 48) are provided as supply paths for supplying a plurality of (here, two types) of processing gases.

[0038] First, the first gas supply pipe 47 will be described. On the first gas supply pipe 47, a source container 91, a valve AV3 (sometimes also referred to as an opening / closing valve or an opening / closing part), a pressure sensor P1, a first mass flow controller 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as MFC100) serving as a flow controller, a pressure sensor P2, and a valve 97 are provided in order from the upstream. It should be noted that a supply valve (not shown) is provided on the pipe on the upstream side of the pressure sensor P2 and on the downstream side of the MFC100. As will be described later, the MFC100 is an MFC of a normally open specification in which the valve is in an open state when no voltage is applied. In addition, valves AV1 and AV2 are provided on the input side (primary side) and output side (secondary side) of the MFC100.

[0039] The pressure sensor P2 serving as a vacuum gauge is located on the downstream side of the MFC100 and is a sensor for measuring the internal pressure of the first gas supply pipe 47 during source supply. On the other hand, the pressure sensor P1 is a sensor for measuring the pressure on the primary side of the MFC100, and as an example, it is a pressure sensor capable of measuring a wide range of pressures from 10 Torr to 1000 Torr. In Figure 1In this case, only one pressure sensor P1 and P2 are shown respectively, but multiple ones can also be provided respectively.

[0040] In addition, the pipe on the downstream side of the valve 97 merges with the first carrier gas supply pipe 53 that supplies an inert gas. On the first carrier gas supply pipe 53, a carrier gas supply unit 72, an MFC 54 as a flow controller (flow control unit), and a valve 55 as an on-off valve are provided in sequence from the upstream. In addition, the front end (downstream side) of the first gas supply pipe 47 is connected to the first nozzle 56. The first nozzle 56 is arranged so as to extend upward from the lower part along the inner wall of the reaction tube 1. In addition, a first gas supply hole 57 for supplying a fluid is provided on the side surface of the first nozzle 56. The first gas supply holes 57 are provided at the same intervals from the lower part to the upper part of the reaction tube 1 and each has the same opening area. It should be noted that a regulator (automatic pressure control valve) can also be provided instead of the MFC 54.

[0041] Here, the first gas supply pipe 47, the raw material container 91, the MFC 100, the pressure sensor P2, and the valve 97 are collectively referred to as the first gas supply unit (first gas supply pipeline). In addition, the first nozzle 56 formed in the reaction tube 1 can also be included as the first gas supply unit. It should be noted that on the above basis, the first carrier gas supply pipe 53, the carrier gas supply unit 72, the MFC 54, and the valve 55 can also be included in the first gas supply unit. In addition, sometimes the purge gas supply pipe 49 described later is included in the first gas supply unit, and in this case, it is sometimes called the carrier gas supply pipe 49.

[0042] Raw materials such as liquid raw materials and solid raw materials accommodated in the raw material container 91 are transformed into a gaseous state in the raw material container 91 to become raw material gas (gaseous fluid). This raw material gas passes through the MFC 100, via the valve 97, through the supply pipe 47a, merges with the first carrier gas supply pipe 53, and is supplied to the processing chamber 2 via the first nozzle 56. In the present embodiment, when supplying a solid raw material to the processing chamber 2, the raw material container 91 is configured as a raw material tank. That is, the raw material container 91 can be a raw material tank that generates a raw material gas as a processing gas by heating a solid raw material to sublimate it. The processing gas sublimated in the raw material container 91 as the raw material tank is supplied to the processing chamber 2. Specifically, a solid raw material is arranged in the raw material container 91, and the raw material container 91 is heated by a sub-heater as a heating unit (not shown), so that the heated solid raw material sublimates, thereby supplying a gaseous raw material gas to the processing chamber 2.

[0043] It should be noted that when supplying the liquid raw material to the processing chamber 2, the raw material container 91 can be configured as a vaporizer that generates a raw material gas serving as a processing gas by heating the raw material supplied in a liquid form to vaporize it. The raw material container 91 is heated by a sub-heater, and the raw material gas in a vaporized state (gaseous state) in the raw material container 91 is supplied to the processing chamber 2. In addition, a gas formed by mixing an inert gas as a carrier gas with the raw material gas is also included in the processing gas. It should be noted that although not particularly described, the raw material container 91 can also be a container configured to be able to accommodate a raw material gas in a gaseous state at room temperature.

[0044] The raw material container 91 is configured to be able to be controlled to a temperature above the temperature at which the above-mentioned raw material changes into a gaseous state by the heating of the sub-heater. In addition to such a sub-heater, a heating unit for heating the supply pipe 47a between the MFC 100 and the valve 97, the supply pipe 47b between the valve 97 and the first nozzle 56, the MFC 100, the valve 97, etc. can also be provided. It should be noted that it is preferable to control the heating unit including the sub-heater so as to perform temperature control in such a way that the temperature becomes above the vaporization temperature of the above-mentioned raw material and the raw material serving as the fluid source.

[0045] It should be noted that a purge gas supply pipe 49 for performing a purge process is connected to the raw material container 91 and the first gas supply pipe 47. In this purge process, an inert gas such as nitrogen is made to flow to remove the residual gas remaining in the raw material container 91, the first gas supply pipe 47, and the processing chamber 2. A valve AV4 is provided on the purge gas supply pipe 49, and a valve AV5 is provided on a pipe (hereinafter referred to as a bypass pipe) that connects the purge gas supply pipe 49 and the first gas supply pipe 47 (supply pipe 47a) without passing through the raw material container 91, and the inflow of nitrogen is appropriately controlled. According to this configuration, since the pipe including the MFC 100 between the valves AV1 and AV2 can be purged, the retention of the raw material gas can be suppressed.

[0046] In addition, a heat exchanger HEx is provided on the purge gas supply pipe 49 and is configured to be able to heat and supply nitrogen. By supplying the heated nitrogen, the residual gas can be discharged to the outside of the processing chamber 2 without causing clogging of the pipe due to cooling of the residual gas. In the purge process, the valve AV4 is closed so that the purge gas does not flow into the raw material container 91.

[0047] Next, the second gas supply pipe 48 will be described. On the second gas supply pipe 48, a reaction gas supply unit 73, an MFC 58 as a flow controller, and a valve 59 as an on-off valve are provided in order from the upstream direction. The second gas supply pipe 48 joins the second carrier gas supply pipe 61 that supplies the carrier gas on the downstream side of the valve 59. On the second carrier gas supply pipe 61, a carrier gas supply unit 74, an MFC 62 as a flow controller, and a valve 63 are provided in order from the upstream. The front end portion (downstream side) of the second gas supply pipe 48 is connected to the second nozzle 64. The second nozzle 64 is provided inside the reaction tube 1 so as to extend in parallel with the first nozzle 56, and a second gas supply hole 65 as a supply hole for the supply gas is provided on the side surface of the second nozzle 64. The second gas supply holes 65 can be provided at the same intervals from the lower part to the upper part and each have the same opening area.

[0048] Here, the second gas supply pipe 48, the MFC 58, the valve 59, and the second nozzle 64 are collectively referred to as the second gas supply unit (second gas supply pipeline). It should be noted that the second carrier gas supply pipe 61, the MFC 62, and the valve 63 can also be included in the second gas supply unit. In addition, the reaction gas supply unit 73 and the carrier gas supply unit 74 can also be included in the second gas supply unit. Further, the reaction gas supplied from the reaction gas supply unit 73 passes through the MFC 58 and the valve 59 and reaches the second carrier gas supply pipe 61, and is supplied to the processing chamber 2 via the second nozzle 64.

[0049] The processing chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump 68 as an exhaust device (exhaust unit) via a gas exhaust pipe 66 for exhausting gas, and vacuum exhaust is performed. It should be noted that the valve 67 as a pressure regulating valve is an on-off valve that can perform vacuum exhaust and stop of vacuum exhaust of the processing chamber 2 by opening and closing the valve, and can perform pressure regulation by adjusting the opening degree of the valve.

[0050] Next, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4, the details of the structure and operation of MFC100 are described. MFC100 includes a piezoelectric actuator 101 and a valve 102 (piezoelectric valve). MFC100 controls the valve 102 by using the piezoelectric actuator 101, thereby being able to adjust the flow rate of the gas (fluid) flowing through the first gas supply pipe 47 by itself. The piezoelectric actuator 101 and the valve 102 function as a regulating unit 103 for regulating the flow rate. Through the operation of the regulating unit 103, the MFC100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to switch to any one of a control mode (first mode) for regulating the flow rate of the gas to a specified flow rate and a fully open mode (second mode) for making the regulating unit 103 fully open. The fully open mode is an operation mode in which the flow rate control based on the valve 102 inside the MFC100 is not performed, and the flow path is opened to the maximum extent. In the fully open mode, it becomes a state in which a signal for controlling the valve is not input to the MFC100. In other words, the full-open mode is a mode in which the regulator 103 is in a non-operating state, whereas the control mode is a mode in which the regulator 103 is in an operating state. The control unit 41 performs a switching operation to switch the regulator 103 to either the first mode or the second mode.

[0051] On the basis of the above, MFC100 is configured to have valve AV1 and valve AV2 on its input side (primary side) and output side (secondary side). Valves AV1 and AV2 are set to either a control state of the opening of the control valve 102 or a fully open state of fully opening the valve 102, depending on which mode the MFC100 is set to, among the control mode (first mode) and the fully open mode (second mode). In the present embodiment, MFC100 is configured to have valves AV1 and AV2 at the front and back. Due to such a configuration, the configuration is capable of shortening the time of voltage application in MFC100, thereby extending the life of MFC100, and the detailed operation will be described later.

[0052] Generally, MFCs with high temperature specifications have the problem that some of the piezoelectric actuators are not heat-resistant and have a shorter lifespan than ordinary MFCs. In particular, in MFCs with normally open specifications in which the valve is in an open state when no voltage is applied, the valve is maintained in a closed state even when the raw gas is not flowing in order to make the gas flow rate zero. That is, it is configured to continuously apply voltage to the piezoelectric actuator. In this way, if the period of applying voltage to the piezoelectric actuator in order to make the gas flow rate zero is unnecessarily prolonged, the consumption of the piezoelectric actuator is further accelerated, and the lifespan of the MFC is shortened.

[0053] In view of such problems, Figure 4As shown, the MFC100 of the present invention is configured such that by operating the adjustment unit 103, a control mode (first mode) for adjusting the flow rate of the raw material gas to a specified flow rate and a full-open mode (second mode) in which the valve 102 is fully opened without applying a voltage load to the adjustment unit 103 can be set. The switching between the first mode and the full-open mode (second mode) is performed according to a command signal from the control unit 41. In the full-open mode, as will be described later, the valves AV1 and AV2 are controlled to the closed state (CLOSE). In the control mode, on the contrary, the valves AV1 and AV2 are controlled to the open state (OPEN). It is appropriate that the valve AV1 and the valve AV2 are configured to perform the same operation (be in the same state) in principle. Thus, even in the full-open mode (fully opening the valve 102), since the valves AV1 and AV2 are in the closed state, gas leakage in the MFC100 can be suppressed, and reverse diffusion of gas can be suppressed.

[0054] Next, the control unit 41 will be described with reference to Figure 5 the block diagram of. As Figure 5 shown, the control unit 41 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 41b, a storage device 41c, and an I / O port 41d. The RAM 41b, the storage device 41c, and the I / O port 41d are configured to be able to perform data exchange with the CPU 41a via an internal bus 41e. The control unit 41 is configured to be able to connect an input / output device 411 configured as, for example, a touch panel and an external storage device 412 thereto. Further, a receiving unit 413 connected to an upper device 75 via a network is provided. The receiving unit 413 can receive information of other devices from the upper device 75.

[0055] The storage device 41c is constituted by, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. A control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing device, a process recipe that describes steps, conditions, etc. of substrate processing to be described later, etc. are stored in the storage device 41c in a readable manner. It should be noted that the process recipe is combined in such a way that the control unit 41 can execute each step in the substrate processing steps implemented in the substrate processing mode and obtain a specified result, and functions as a program. It should be noted that in this specification, when the term "program" is used, it sometimes includes the process recipe, sometimes only includes the control program alone, or sometimes includes both. In addition, the RAM 41b is configured as a memory area (work area) that temporarily holds programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 41a. In addition, the I / O port 41d is connected to a lifting member, a pump, each MFC, each valve, a heater, a pressure sensor (pressure detector), a tank, a regulating valve, etc.

[0056] The control unit 41 performs operation control such as flow rate adjustment of each MFC included in the substrate processing device, opening and closing operations of valves, temperature adjustment of heaters, starting and stopping of pumps, rotation speed adjustment of the susceptor rotation mechanism, lifting operation control of the susceptor lifting mechanism, etc.

[0057] It should be noted that the control unit 41 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer, and may also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, by preparing an external storage device (e.g., a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory, a memory card, etc.) 412 that stores the above program and installing the program on a general-purpose computer or the like using the external storage device 412, the control unit 41 of the present embodiment can be configured. It should be noted that the route for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to being supplied via the external storage device 412. For example, the program may be supplied without passing through the external storage device 412 using a communication unit such as the Internet or a dedicated line. It should be noted that the storage device 41c and the external storage device 412 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, they will also be collectively referred to simply as recording media. It should be noted that in this specification, when the term "recording medium" is used, it sometimes only includes the storage device 41c alone, sometimes only includes the external storage device 412 alone, or sometimes includes both.

[0058] <Substrate Processing Method>

[0059] Next, with reference to Figure 6A flowchart showing an example of the execution steps of the substrate processing method (manufacturing method of semiconductor devices) of the present embodiment. Here, as an example of the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a cyclic process of alternately supplying a source gas (raw material gas) and a reactant gas (reaction gas) to the processing chamber 2 for processing is described. In the present embodiment, an example of forming a film on a substrate is described.

[0060] In the processing of the present embodiment, for the substrate 31 in the processing chamber 2, by performing the following 4 processes in a non-simultaneous manner for a specified number of times (1 or more times), a film is formed on the substrate 31.

[0061] · Process of supplying a raw material gas to the substrate 31 in the processing chamber 2 (film formation process 1: Figure 6 Step S3 in

[0062] · Purge process of removing the raw material gas (residual gas) from the processing chamber 2 (film formation process 2: Figure 6 Step S4 in

[0063] · Process of supplying a nitrogen-containing gas to the substrate 31 in the processing chamber 2 (film formation process 3: Figure 6 Step S5 in

[0064] · Purge process of removing the nitrogen-containing gas (residual gas) from the processing chamber 2 (film formation process 4: Figure 6 Step S6 in

[0065] First, the substrate 31 is loaded into the susceptor 32 and transferred into the processing chamber 2 (step S1). At this time, after the susceptor 32 is transferred into the processing chamber 2, the pressure and temperature of the processing chamber 2 are adjusted (step S2). Then, the four steps of film formation processes 1 to 4 are sequentially executed. Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

[0066] (Film formation process 1)

[0067] In the film formation process 1 (step S3), first, the raw material gas is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate 31. Specifically, in the first gas supply pipeline, the valves AV3 and 97 are opened, and the raw material gas generated in the raw material container 91 is supplied to the processing chamber 2 through the MFC100.

[0068] (Film formation process 2)

[0069] In the film formation process 2 (step S4), valves AV3, valve 97 of the first gas supply pipe 47, and valve 55 of the first carrier gas supply pipe 53 are closed to stop the supply of the source gas and the carrier gas. On the other hand, valve 67 of the gas exhaust pipe 66 is kept open, and the reaction tube 1 is evacuated to 20 Pa or less by the vacuum pump 68 to remove the residual source gas from the processing chamber 2. At this time, if an inert gas such as N2 gas used as the carrier gas is supplied to the processing chamber 2, the effect of removing the residual source gas is further improved.

[0070] (Film formation process 3)

[0071] In the film formation process 3 (step S5), a nitrogen-containing gas and a carrier gas are introduced. First, valve 59 provided in the second gas supply pipe 48 and valve 63 provided in the second carrier gas supply pipe 61 are opened together. The nitrogen-containing gas whose flow rate has been adjusted by the MFC58 from the second gas supply pipe 48 and the carrier gas whose flow rate has been adjusted by the MFC62 from the second carrier gas supply pipe 61 are mixed. While supplying the mixed gas to the processing chamber 2 through the second gas supply hole 65 of the second nozzle 64, exhaust is carried out from the gas exhaust pipe 66. By supplying the nitrogen-containing gas, the film on the base film of the substrate 31 reacts with the nitrogen-containing gas, and a nitride film is formed on the substrate 31.

[0072] (Film formation process 4)

[0073] In the film formation process 4, after the film is formed, valve 59 and valve 63 are closed, and the processing chamber 2 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 68 to remove the residual nitrogen-containing gas remaining after contributing to the film formation. At this time, if an inert gas such as N2 gas used as the carrier gas is supplied to the processing chamber 2, the effect of removing the residual nitrogen-containing gas from the processing chamber 2 is further improved.

[0074] Then, the above film formation processes 1 to 4 are taken as one cycle. In Figure 6 step S7, the cycles of the film formation processes 1 to 4 are carried out a specified number of times, whereby a film with a specified film thickness can be formed on the substrate 31. In this embodiment, the film formation processes 1 to 4 are repeated multiple times.

[0075] After the above film formation treatment is completed, in Figure 6 step S8, the pressure in the processing chamber 2 is restored to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). Specifically, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) is supplied to the processing chamber 2 and exhausted. Thereby, the processing chamber 2 is purged with the inert gas, and the gas remaining in the processing chamber 2 is removed from the processing chamber 2 (inert gas purge). Then, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 2 is replaced with the inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure in the processing chamber 2 is restored to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). Then, in Figure 6 step S9, if the substrate 31 is taken out from the processing chamber 2, the substrate treatment of this embodiment is completed.

[0076] Refer to Figure 7 The timing chart of Figure 7 illustrates the operations of MFC100 and valves AV1 to AV3. The timing chart exemplarily shows the operations of MFC100 and valves AV1 to AV3 in the film formation process and the purge process. MFC100 and valves AV1 and AV2 are configured to execute the above control mode (the first mode) and the fully open mode (the second mode).

[0077] MFC100 is set to the fully open mode (the second mode) in the initial state ( Figure 7 before the time t1 of Figure 7 ). In the fully open mode (the second mode), no control voltage is applied to MFC100, and valve 102 is in the fully open state. However, since the front and rear valves AV1 and AV2 are both in the closed valve state (closed state), the gas does not flow in the gas supply system where MFC100 is provided. At this time, in the substrate processing process shown in Figure 6 Figure 6 , the process of transporting the substrate 31 as step S1 or step S9 is executed.

[0078] At time t1, valve AV3 opens to a state where the source gas can flow in from the source gas container 91, but MFC100 still remains in the fully open mode (MFC100 is in the fully open state, but valves AV1 and AV2 are closed). As a result, the pressure on the primary side of MFC100 rises, and a pressure suitable for source gas supply is obtained.

[0079] This corresponds to the film formation preparation process as step S2 in the substrate processing process shown in Figure 6 Figure 6 . It should be noted that on the premise that valve 97 is in the closed state, it can also be included in step S3 (the above film formation process 1). At this time, the film formation process 1 includes two processes: a process (process A) of rising to a pressure suitable for source gas supply and a process (process B) of opening valves AV1, AV2, and valve 97 to supply the source gas. It should be noted that in process A, MFC100 is in the fully open mode, and in process B, MFC100 is in the control mode.

[0080] As shown in Figure 7 Figure 7 , at time t2, MFC100 switches from the fully open mode to the control mode, and the built-in valve 102 starts to drive, starting the control of the fluid flow rate. On the other hand, valves AV1 and AV2 switch to the open valve state at time t2. As a result, the source gas for film formation is supplied to the processing chamber 2 via MFC100. By appropriately adjusting valve 102 of MFC100, the supply of the source gas to the processing chamber 2 can be executed at an appropriate pressure. It should be noted that in Figure 6In the film formation process (steps S3 to S6) shown, the control mode (first mode) and the fully open mode (second mode) can also be appropriately repeated multiple times according to the determination result of step S7. The control unit 41 can appropriately switch the operation mode of the MFC100 between the control mode (first mode) and the fully open mode (second mode) while executing the film formation process (steps S3 to S6). During the execution of the film formation process (steps S3 to S6), the flow rate of the source gas is also appropriately adjusted, and a situation may occur where the supply of the source gas can be stopped. In this case, if the MFC100 can be appropriately set to the fully open mode (first mode), the load on the piezoelectric actuator 101 of the MFC100 can be reduced, and accordingly, the life of the MFC100 can be extended.

[0081] When the film formation process ends ( Figure 7 at time t3), it returns to the initial state. Specifically, the valve AV3 is switched to the closed state, and the MFC100 is also switched to the fully open mode (the MFC100 is in the fully open state, and the valves AV1 and AV2 are in the closed state). This is equivalent to the step of making the pressure in the processing chamber 2 in step S8 normal pressure (atmospheric pressure) in the Figure 6 substrate processing process shown. Specifically, in step S8, the valve 97 is set to the closed state, and the valve 55 is set to the open state, so that an inert gas whose flow rate is controlled by the MFC54 is supplied from the carrier gas supply unit 72 to the processing chamber 2. It should be noted that in step S8, a purge process described later may be performed. After that, the purge process starts from time t4. In the purge process, the valves AV3, AV4, and valve 97 are closed to stop the supply of the source gas. The MFC100 is switched to the control mode (first mode), and the valves AV1 and AV2 are opened. AV5 becomes open, and the nitrogen gas supplied from the purge gas supply pipe 49 is heated by the heat exchanger HEx and then transported to the MFC100 through the bypass pipe to perform the purge. The purge gas that has passed through the MFC100 is exhausted through an exhaust pipe line (not shown). Thus, when the purge process (nitrogen replacement) of the piping of the source gas supply system ends at time t5, the supply of the purge gas from the purge gas supply pipe 49 is stopped, AV5 becomes closed, and the MFC100, valves AV1, and AV2 are again set to the fully open mode (initial state). At this time, since the piping between the valve AV1 and the valve AV2 is in a state where the purge gas (nitrogen) is enclosed, there is no problem even if the valve 102 becomes fully open. In addition, by performing the purge process, gas leakage in the MFC100 can be suppressed, and reverse diffusion of gas can be suppressed. Furthermore, by reducing the voltage load applied to the valve 102, the replacement period of the MFC100 can be extended.

[0082] It should be noted that in Figure 7In the example, when the valve AV3 of the raw material container 91 is set to the open state to increase the pressure on the primary side of the MFC100 (time t1), or when the supply of the raw material gas from the raw material container 91 is stopped (time t3), both of the valves AV1 and AV2 before and after the MFC100 are set to the closed valve state, and the MFC100 is set to the fully open mode (the second mode). However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, either one of the valves AV1 and AV2 may be set to the closed valve state and the other may be set to the open valve state, so that the MFC100 is in the control mode.

[0083] It should be noted that in multiple steps constituting the substrate processing process, it may be configured such that the user of the substrate processing apparatus can arbitrarily set whether the MFC100 is in the control mode (the first mode) or the fully open mode (the second mode). For example, it may also be displayed on the display of the substrate processing apparatus Figure 8 the setting screen shown, and it is possible to specify whether to execute the fully open mode (the second mode) that forcibly makes the MFC100 in the open state for each step among the multiple steps. For the Figure 8 steps N to N + 4, as an example, it may be set as an empty load process as a standby process for loading the substrate 31, a substrate loading process (filling) for loading the substrate 31 into the processing chamber 2, a preparation process (standby) for preparing for the next step, a film forming process (deposition), an unloading process (unloading) for unloading the substrate 31 from the processing chamber 2, a cooling process (cooling) for cooling the processed substrate 31, etc. In addition, it is also possible to set an alarm process for issuing an alarm, a cassette loading process (loading) for loading the cassette 32, a cassette unloading process (unloading) for unloading the cassette 32, etc. The operation mode of the MFC100 suitable for various processes for substrate processing can be set according to the user's operation. For example, in the cassette unloading process of the cassette 32, the MFC100 can be set to the fully open mode (the second mode). It should be noted that for multiple steps that are sometimes executed multiple times as batch processing, as Figure 8 shown, "BATCH" is displayed.

[0084] As Figure 8 shown, in the setting screen, it is possible to select the start / stop (ON / OFF) of the fully open mode (the second mode) for each step through an input device (such as a mouse). In Figure 8In the setting screen, as an example, regarding the initial values of the control mode (first mode) / fully open mode (second mode) in each step, it is possible to set the fully open mode (second mode) for all modes. However, in the steps associated with the film forming process, the initial value can also be set to the control mode (first mode). In other words, it is preferably configured such that in each process other than the film forming process, MFC100 can always (as the initial value) be set to the fully open mode (second mode). By initially setting the fully open mode in the processes other than the film forming process, the load on the piezoelectric actuator of MFC100 can be suppressed to the minimum.

[0085] When the control mode (first mode) or the fully open mode (second mode) is set through such a setting screen, the control unit 41 controls MFC100 and the valves AV1, AV2 based on this setting information.

[0086] Figure 9 It is to explain the use of Figure 8 The flowchart shows the actions after the settings of each step of the control mode (first mode) or the fully open mode (second mode) are made using such a setting screen. If the control mode (first mode) or the fully open mode (second mode) is set in step S11, then in step S12, it is determined whether the set mode is the control mode (first mode) or the fully open mode (second mode). If the set mode is the control mode (first mode), the control unit 41 issues an instruction to set the valves AV1, AV2 to the open valve state to MFC100 (step S13), and sets MFC100 to the state where the valve 102 is appropriately controlled (step S14). On the other hand, if the set mode is the fully open mode (second mode), the control unit 41 issues an instruction to set the valves AV1, AV2 to the closed valve state to MFC100 (step S15), and sets MFC100 to the fully open state where the valve 102 is not controlled (step S16). It can also be configured such that the control unit 41 determines the opening and closing states of the valves AV1, AV2, and if both are in the closed state, it determines that MFC100 is in the fully open mode (second mode) and issues an instruction to set the fully open mode. In addition, the control unit 41 can also be configured to issue an instruction to make the valve AV1 or AV2 in the open state, which is in the open state, into the closed state when it is determined that although the set mode is the fully open mode (second mode) but any one of the valves AV1, AV2 is in the open state.

[0087] Figure 10 It is to explain the use of Figure 8A flowchart of another operation example after setting in a setting screen like that, for a control mode (first mode) or a fully open mode (second mode), according to each step. In this operation example, in the set operation mode, when the operation of MFC100 does not correspond to the operations of valves AV1 and AV2, an alarm is issued to report to the user or the like. If in Figure 8 In a setting screen like that, if the control mode (first mode) or the fully open mode (second mode) is set (step S41), then in step S42, it is determined whether the control mode (first mode) or the second setting mode is set.

[0088] When it is determined that the fully open mode (second mode) is set (YES), the control unit 41 determines whether valves AV1 and AV2 are in the closed valve state (step S43). If valves AV1 and AV2 are in the closed valve state (YES), the control unit 41 determines whether MFC100 is in the fully open state (step S44). When it is determined that MFC100 is in the fully open state (YES), since it is suitable for the fully open mode (second mode), it is determined that the setting is normal and no alarm is issued.

[0089] On the other hand, when it is determined that MFC100 is not in the fully open state (NO in S44), it is recognized that the operation of MFC100 is abnormal, so an alarm is issued to notify the user or the like of this situation (step S45).

[0090] When it is determined in step S43 that either of valves AV1 and AV2 is in the open valve state (NO), since it is not suitable for the fully open mode (second mode), an alarm is issued to report this situation to the user or the like (step S45).

[0091] When it is determined in step S42 that the control mode (first mode) is set (NO), the control unit 41 determines whether valves AV1 and AV2 are in the open valve state (step S46). If valves AV1 and AV2 are in the open valve state (YES), it is determined whether MFC100 is set to the control state (the state in which valve 102 is controlled) (step S47).

[0092] When it is determined that MFC100 is not in the control state (NO), it is recognized that the operation of MFC100 is abnormal, so an alarm is issued and this situation is notified to the user or the like (step S48). On the other hand, when it is determined that MFC100 is in the control state (YES), since it is suitable for the control mode (first mode), it is determined that the setting is normal and no alarm is issued.

[0093] On the other hand, when it is determined that either of the valves AV1 and AV2 is not in the open valve state, since it does not suit the control mode (the first mode), an alarm is issued to report this situation to the user or the like (step S48). As described above, according to Figure 10 the operation example of

[0094] Figure 11 is to illustrate another operation example according to each step after the setting of the control mode (the first mode) or the fully open mode (the second mode) using the Figure 8 such a setting screen. In this operation example, after setting the control mode (the first mode) or the fully open mode (the second mode), when the open / closed states of the valves AV1 and AV2 change, the corresponding mode is switched.

[0095] In the Figure 8 such a setting screen, the control mode (the first mode) or the fully open mode (the second mode) is set (step S51), and then the set mode is determined (step S52). The settings of the MFC100 and the valves AV1 and AV2 are made according to the set mode, and the operation is started.

[0096] After that, it is determined whether the open / closed states of the valves AV1 or AV2 have been switched due to the user's manual operation, malfunction, or other reasons (steps S53, S55). When the states of the valves AV1 and AV2 are switched, the control unit 41 responds to the switching of the open / closed states of the valves AV1 and AV2 based on the operation mode set in the MFC100 (steps S54, S56).

[0097] (Other Embodiments)

[0098] The embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

[0099] In addition, for example, in the above embodiments, as the film formation process performed by the substrate processing apparatus, the raw material container is configured to use a solid raw material and heat the solid raw material to sublimate it to generate a raw material gas, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, in the above embodiments, an example is given in which a nitrogen-containing gas is used as a reactant (reaction gas) and a nitride film is formed on the substrate 31 by alternately supplying them, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0100] Here, as the solid raw material, there is a solid raw material chemical substance, especially an inorganic solid raw material metal or semiconductor precursor. For example, HfCl4, ZrCl4, AlCl3, MoO2Cl2, MoCl5, or SiI4, etc. are being used as the solid raw material.

[0101] In addition, it is configured to heat the raw material supplied in a liquid form to vaporize it and generate a raw material gas. As such a liquid raw material gas, for example, chlorosilane-based gases such as monochlorosilane (SiH3Cl) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl3) gas, tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4) gas, hexachloro-disilane (Si2Cl6) gas, octachloro-trisilane (Si3Cl8) gas, etc. can be used. In addition, as the raw material gas, for example, fluorosilane-based gases such as tetrafluorosilane (SiF4) gas, difluorosilane (SiH2F2) gas, etc., bromosilane-based gases such as tetrabromosilane (SiBr4) gas, dibromosilane (SiH2Br2) gas, etc., iodinosilane-based gases such as tetraiodosilane (SiI4) gas, diiodosilane (SiH2I2) gas, etc. can also be used. In addition, as the raw material gas, for example, aminosilane-based gases such as tetrakis(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH3)2]4) gas, tris(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH3)2]3H) gas, bis(diethylamino)silane (Si[N(C2H5)2]2H2) gas, bis(tert-butylamino)silane (SiH2[NH(C4H9)]2) gas, etc. can also be used. In addition, as the raw material gas, for example, organic-based silane raw material gases such as tetraethoxysilane (Si(OC2H5)4) gas can also be used. As the raw material gas, one or more of them can be used. That is, it can also contain raw materials stored in a liquid state by pressurization and cooling.

[0102] As the nitrogen-containing gas, for example, one or more of nitrous oxide (N2O) gas, nitric oxide (NO) gas, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas, ammonia (NH3) gas, etc. can be used.

[0103] In addition, as the reactant, it is not limited to the nitrogen-containing gas, and a gas that reacts with the source to perform film treatment can also be used to form other types of thin films. Furthermore, film formation treatment can also be performed using three or more types of treatment gases.

[0104] In addition, as the inert gas, an example of using N2 gas has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, noble gases such as Ar gas, He gas, Ne gas, Xe gas, etc. can also be used. However, in this case, a noble gas source needs to be prepared. In addition, it needs to be configured to connect the noble gas source to the first gas supply pipe 47 and introduce the noble gas.

[0105] In addition, for example, in each of the above-described embodiments, as the processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus, film formation processing in semiconductor devices is cited as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The technology of the present invention can be applied to all processes in which a workpiece having a pattern with a high aspect ratio (i.e., the depth is larger than the width) is exposed to a vaporized gas. That is, in addition to film formation processing, it can also be processing for forming an oxide film, a nitride film, or a film containing a metal. In addition, the specific content of the substrate processing is not limited, and it can be applied not only to film formation processing but also to other substrate processing such as annealing processing, oxidation processing, nitridation processing, diffusion processing, and lithography processing.

[0106] Moreover, the present invention can also be appropriately applied to other substrate processing apparatuses, such as annealing processing apparatuses, oxidation processing apparatuses, nitridation processing apparatuses, exposure apparatuses, coating apparatuses, drying apparatuses, heating apparatuses, and plasma-utilizing processing apparatuses. In addition, in the present invention, these apparatuses can also coexist.

[0107] In addition, in the present embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing process has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention can also be applied to substrate processing such as the manufacturing process of liquid crystal devices, the manufacturing process of solar cells, the manufacturing process of light-emitting devices, the processing process of glass substrates, the processing process of ceramic substrates, and the processing process of conductive substrates.

[0108] In addition, a part of the configuration of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and in addition, the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of a certain embodiment. In addition, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations to a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising: A flow controller having an adjustment unit configured to adjust the flow rate of a gas; and A control unit configured to be able to switch between a first mode in which the flow rate of the gas is adjusted to a specified flow rate by operating the adjustment unit and a second mode in which the adjustment unit is in a fully open state.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising: A first on-off valve provided in the pipe on the input side of the flow controller; and A second on-off valve provided in the pipe on the output side of the flow controller, Among them, The control unit is configured to be able to close the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve when the flow controller is in the second mode.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein The first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are configured to perform the same operation.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein, The flow controller is provided on the output side of a raw material container containing a solid raw material or a liquid raw material.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein, A purge gas supply unit for purging the pipe connecting the raw material container and the processing chamber is provided.

6. The control system according to claim 2, wherein, The first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are provided in a manner of clamping the flow controller.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein, The second mode is a mode in which flow control based on the flow controller is not performed.

8. The control system according to claim 1, wherein, In the first mode, the adjustment unit is in an operating state, and in the second mode, the adjustment unit is in a non-operating state.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit is configured to: when the flow controller is set to the second mode, notify that the adjustment unit is not in a fully open state when the adjustment unit is not in a fully open state.

10. The control system according to claim 2, wherein, Further, a first on-off valve is provided on the upstream side of the flow controller and a second on-off valve is provided on the downstream side of the flow controller, When the flow controller is set to the second mode, the control unit is configured to: if the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are in a closed state, issue an instruction to make the flow controller enter the second mode.

11. The control system according to claim 10, wherein, The control unit is configured to: if any one of the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve is in an open state, issue an instruction to close any one of the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve in the open state.

12. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting screen for setting the timing of issuing an instruction, The control unit switches the mode of the flow controller according to the content set in the setting screen.

13. The control system according to claim 12, wherein, The processes that can be set in the setting screen include: an empty process as a standby process for waiting for the substrate to be loaded; a substrate loading process for loading the substrate into the processing chamber, i.e., filling; a preparation process for preparing for the next step; a film forming process for forming a film on the substrate; an unloading process for unloading the substrate from the processing chamber; a cooling process for cooling the processed substrate.

14. The control system according to claim 13, wherein, In each process except the film forming process, the flow controller is configured to be able to be set to the second mode.

15. The control system according to claim 13, wherein, The control unit is configured to be able to switch between the second mode and the first mode for the mode of the flow controller while performing the substrate processing process.

16. A processing apparatus, comprising: A flow controller having an adjustment unit configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of a gas; and A control unit configured to be able to switch between a first mode in which the flow rate of the gas is adjusted to a specified flow rate and a second mode in which the adjustment unit is brought into a fully open state by operating the adjustment unit.

17. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising a step of supplying a gas to a substrate using a control system, wherein, The control system includes: A flow controller having an adjustment unit configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of a gas; and a control unit configured to be able to switch between a first mode in which the flow rate of the gas is adjusted to a specified flow rate and a second mode in which the adjustment unit is brought into a fully open state by operating the adjustment unit.

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