Film forming apparatus and maintenance method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a film forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof. And the downtime is shortened. The film forming apparatus includes: a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped processing chamber in which a substrate is accommodated; a stage heater disposed inside the processing chamber; a gas supply unit that supplies a raw material gas for film formation to the inside of the processing chamber; and a cylindrical sleeve disposed inside the processing chamber, the sleeve being disposed such that openings at both ends face the stage heater and the gas supply unit, respectively, one side surface of the processing chamber is provided with a maintenance door that can be opened and closed, and the inside of each side surface other than the one side surface is provided with a first side heater, and the inside of each side surface other than the one side surface is provided with a second side heater. The first-side heater is attached to the inner side of the maintenance door, the second-side heater is attached to the inner side of the maintenance door, the first-side heater and the second-side heater surround the sleeve when the maintenance door is closed, and the first-side heater is configured so that the first-side heater can be taken out from one side surface when the maintenance door is opened.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a film forming apparatus and a method for maintaining the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a film forming apparatus that forms a silicon carbide (SiC) film on a surface of a wafer as a substrate by a vapor deposition reaction, a hot CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus of a downflow type is known. The hot CVD apparatus is provided with a stage heater disposed in the inside of a processing chamber, a gas injector that supplies a raw material gas containing, for example, silane (SiH4) gas, propane (C3H8) gas to the inside of the processing chamber, and a sleeve of a cylindrical shape disposed in the inside of the processing chamber. The sleeve is disposed with its central axis along the vertical direction in a manner that the openings at both ends thereof are opposed to the stage heater and the gas injector, respectively, and the gas injector supplies the raw material gas toward the wafer via the inside of the sleeve. Further, a side heater of a cylindrical shape is disposed in the inside of the processing chamber in a manner of surrounding the sleeve, and the side heater heats the raw material gas that passes through the inside of the sleeve to a high temperature. Further, the stage heater also heats the wafer to a high temperature. At this time, if the raw material gas at a high temperature reaches the surface of the wafer, a SiC film is formed by a vapor deposition reaction (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 7023826 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] The technology of the present disclosure shortens the downtime.

[0008] SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0009] One aspect of the technology disclosed in the present disclosure is a film formation apparatus including: a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped processing chamber that houses a substrate; a stage heater disposed inside the processing chamber; a gas supply portion that supplies a raw material gas for film formation to the inside of the processing chamber; and a cylindrical sleeve disposed inside the processing chamber, the sleeve being disposed so that the openings at both ends thereof face the stage heater and the gas supply portion, respectively, a maintenance door that is openable and closable is disposed on one side surface of the processing chamber, a first side heater is disposed inside each side surface other than the one side surface, a second side heater is installed inside the maintenance door, the first side heater and the second side heater surround the sleeve when the maintenance door is closed, and the first side heater is configured to be able to be taken out from the one side surface when the maintenance door is opened.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the technology disclosed in the present disclosure, it is possible to shorten the downtime. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a substrate processing system including a film formation apparatus according to an embodiment of the technology disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the film formation apparatus of Figure 1 .

[0014] Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the film formation apparatus of Figure 1 .

[0015] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining a method of taking out the sleeve and the processing chamber side heater as a maintenance method of the film formation apparatus.

[0016] Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view schematically showing the structure of a modification of the film formation apparatus.

[0017] EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0018] W, wafer; 18, substrate transfer chamber; 23, film formation apparatus; 26, processing chamber; 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e, side surface; 27, stage heater; 28, gas injector; 29, sleeve; 32, maintenance door; 34, door side side heater; 36 to 38, side heater; 41, processing chamber side heater. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the thermal CVD apparatus of the downflow type, if the film formation processing is repeatedly performed, the generated product generated at the time of forming the SiC film adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve, and the side heater deteriorates over time. Therefore, in order to perform maintenance, it is necessary to periodically take out the sleeve and the side heater from the processing chamber. In particular, the side heater is in the cylindrical shape that surrounds the sleeve, and therefore it is necessary to move the side heater upward and take it out from the processing chamber so as not to interfere with the sleeve. However, in such a structure, it is necessary to secure a space for pulling out the side heater above the processing chamber, and the degree of freedom of arrangement of the thermal CVD apparatus decreases. In addition, the work of pulling out the side heater upward of the processing chamber is difficult work, and takes time, and therefore the downtime of the thermal CVD apparatus is lengthened.

[0020] Therefore, a structure in which the processing chamber of the thermal CVD apparatus is formed in the rectangular parallelepiped shape, and independent side heaters are installed at the respective side surfaces so as to surround the sleeve with the side heaters is studied. In this case, the respective side surfaces are configured to be detachable from the processing chamber, or maintenance doors for taking out the side heaters are provided at the respective side surfaces. Further, by detaching the respective side surfaces or opening the maintenance doors of the respective side surfaces, the respective side heaters can be easily taken out.

[0021] In addition, generally, in the substrate processing system, the thermal CVD apparatus is connected with a conveyance apparatus that conveys the substrate. In this case, one side surface of the processing chamber of the rectangular parallelepiped shape is connected with the conveyance apparatus, and therefore the detachment of the one side surface and the opening of the maintenance door of the one side surface cannot be performed while the thermal CVD apparatus is connected with the conveyance apparatus. Therefore, when all the side heaters are taken out, it is necessary to separate the thermal CVD apparatus from the conveyance apparatus and move it. However, in such a structure, a space for moving the thermal CVD apparatus is necessary to be secured, and the occupied space of the substrate processing system increases. In addition, the thermal CVD apparatus is heavy, and therefore the movement of the thermal CVD apparatus is difficult work and takes time. Therefore, the downtime of the substrate processing system is lengthened.

[0022] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view that schematically shows the structure of a substrate processing system that is provided with a film formation apparatus of the present embodiment.

[0023] In Figure 1 In the substrate processing system 10, three load ports 11 for installing front opening unified pods (not shown) that are containers that accommodate a plurality of wafers W (substrates) are provided. These load ports 11 are connected with a load chamber 12 that is a conveyance chamber of the wafers W. The load chamber 12 is in the substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a conveyance robot 13 for conveying the wafers W is arranged inside thereof.

[0024] The transport robot 13 has a base 14 that is movable in the longitudinal direction of the load chamber 12, an arm 15 that is rotatable with respect to the base 14 in the horizontal plane and is extendable and retractable, and a pickup 16 that is provided at the front end of the arm 15 and holds a wafer W. The transport robot 13 performs the carrying-in and carrying-out of the wafer W with respect to each front opening unified pod, each load interlock chamber 17 described later, by moving the base 14 and rotating and extending and retracting the arm 15.

[0025] Further, two load interlock chambers 17 are arranged on the side opposite to each load port 11 with the load chamber 12 interposed therebetween, and the load interlock chambers 17 function as intermediate transport chambers for transferring the wafer W between the load chamber 12 and a substrate transport chamber 18 described later.

[0026] Further, the substrate transport chamber 18 is arranged on the side opposite to the load chamber 12 with each load interlock chamber 17 interposed therebetween. The substrate transport chamber 18 (transport device) has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a transport robot 19 for transporting the wafer W is arranged inside thereof. The transport robot 19 has a base 20 that is movable in the longitudinal direction of the substrate transport chamber 18, an arm 21 that is rotatable with respect to the base 20 in the horizontal plane and is extendable and retractable, and a pickup 22 that is provided at the front end of the arm 21 and holds the wafer W. The transport robot 19 performs the carrying-in and carrying-out of the wafer W with respect to each load interlock chamber 17, each film formation device 23 described later, by moving the base 20 and rotating and extending and retracting the arm 21.

[0027] Four film formation devices 23 are connected to the substrate transport chamber 18 via gate valves 24 that control the communication between each film formation device 23 and the substrate transport chamber 18. Each film formation device 23 performs a film formation process on the wafer W, thereby forming, for example, a SiC film on the surface of the wafer W.

[0028] Further, the substrate processing system 10 is provided with a control section 25 that controls the operation of each constituent element of the substrate processing system 10. The control section 25 has a CPU, a memory, and the like, and the CPU performs a film formation process using each film formation device 23 in accordance with a process stored in the memory or the like.

[0029] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the film formation device 23 of Figure 1 , and is a sectional view at line A-A in Figure 1 . Further, Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the film formation device 23 of Figure 1 , and is a sectional view at line B-B in Figure 2 .

[0030] The film formation apparatus 23 has a processing chamber 26 of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape for housing the wafer W and is arranged with the length direction along the vertical direction. Inside the processing chamber 26, a stage heater 27 functioning as a stage for placing the wafer W is arranged at the bottom 26a of the processing chamber 26. Further, at the upper portion of the processing chamber 26, a gas injector 28 (gas supply portion) for supplying a raw material gas to the inside of the processing chamber 26 is arranged opposite to the stage heater 27. Further, inside the processing chamber 26, a sleeve 29 of a cylindrical shape is arranged between the stage heater 27 and the gas injector 28. The sleeve 29 is arranged with the central axis thereof along the vertical direction with the opening of the lower end thereof opposite to the stage heater 27 and the opening of the upper end thereof opposite to the gas injector 28. Further, the sleeve 29 is composed of a material of high heat resistance such as carbon, SiC, carbon coated with SiC, or carbon coated with tantalum carbide (TaC). Further, an exhaust mechanism (not shown) having a vacuum pump is connected to the processing chamber 26, and the inside of the processing chamber 26 is exhausted and the pressure thereof is adjusted to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust mechanism.

[0031] The film formation apparatus 23 has four side surfaces, and a side surface 26b of the four side surfaces, which is connected to the substrate transfer chamber 18 via the gate valve 24, is provided with a carry-in / carry-out port 30 for carrying in and out the wafer W. The carry-in / carry-out port 30 is opened and closed by the gate valve 24, and when the carry-in / carry-out port 30 is opened, the arm 21 of the transfer robot 19 enters the inside of the processing chamber 26 via the carry-in / carry-out port 30 to carry in and out the wafer W.

[0032] Further, a side surface 26c (one side surface) of the four side surfaces opposite to the side surface 26b is constituted as an openable and closable maintenance door 32 by being turned in the horizontal direction about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction by means of a hinge 31. When the maintenance door 32 is opened, the inside of the processing chamber 26 is opened. Further, in order to maintain the airtightness of the inside of the processing chamber 26 when the maintenance door 32 is closed, a sealing member 33 such as an O-ring is arranged between the maintenance door 32 and the other side surfaces 26d, 26e, the bottom 26a, and the top 26f of the processing chamber 26 which are in contact with the maintenance door 32. Note that the side surface 26c itself need not constitute the maintenance door 32, and for example, a maintenance opening can be provided in the side surface 26c, and the maintenance door 32 can be arranged in the side surface 26c so as to be openable and closable with respect to the maintenance opening.

[0033] A door-side side heater 34 (a second side heater) using an electric resistance is arranged on the inner side of the maintenance door 32. The door-side side heater 34 is composed of a plate heater, an electric resistance wire arranged in a planar manner by folding, and is attached to the maintenance door 32 by a support member 35 which also functions as a current introduction portion for introducing electric current from the outside to the door-side side heater 34. Further, the door-side side heater 34 is in the shape of I in plan view, and a heat insulating material (not shown) is arranged between the door-side side heater 34 and the maintenance door 32.

[0034] Further, side heaters 36 to 38 (first side heaters) using an electric resistance are arranged on the inner side of each of the side surfaces 26b, 26d, and 26e other than the side surface 26c. The side heaters 36 to 38 are each composed of a plate heater, an electric resistance wire arranged in a planar manner by folding. The side heaters 36 to 38 are integrated by being connected to each other by connection members 39 and 40 composed of an electrically conductive material, and constitute a processing chamber side heater 41 in the shape of "コ" in plan view. The processing chamber side heater 41 is attached to the portion of the maintenance door 32 on the side of the top surface 26f by a support member 43 which also functions as a current introduction portion for introducing electric current from the outside. Further, a heat insulating material (not shown) is arranged between the processing chamber side heater 41 and the side surfaces 26b, 26d, and 26e.

[0035] In the film formation apparatus 23, the sleeve 29 is arranged in the central portion of the processing chamber 26, and therefore the sleeve 29 is surrounded by the door-side side heater 34 and the processing chamber side heater 41 when the maintenance door 32 is closed. Further, at this time, the door-side side heater 34 and the processing chamber side heater 41 are in the shape of a square tube.

[0036] The stage heater 27 is internally provided with a heater (not shown) using an electric resistance, and heats the wafer W placed thereon. Further, the stage heater 27 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction, and rotates the wafer W placed thereon in the horizontal plane.

[0037] The gas injector 28 supplies a raw material gas for film formation, such as a SiH4 gas, a C3H8 gas, a hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, and nitrogen (N2) gas, to the inside of the sleeve 29 via a gas supply port 42 provided in the top surface 26f of the processing chamber 26. Further, the gas injector 28 also supplies a hydrogen (H2) gas as a carrier gas for the raw material gas.

[0038] In the film deposition apparatus 23, during the film deposition process on the wafer W, the exhaust mechanism adjusts the pressure inside the processing chamber 26 to, for example, 26.7 kPa, and the gas injector 28 supplies raw material gas into the sleeve 29. At this time, the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 heat up, heating the wafer W, which is placed towards the stage heater 27, through the raw material gas inside the sleeve 29. Furthermore, the stage heater 27 rotates, causing the wafer W to rotate in the horizontal plane and heating the wafer W. In addition, the wafer W is also heated by radiant heat from the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41. Moreover, if the heated raw material gas reaches the surface of the wafer W, a SiC film is formed on the surface of the wafer W through a vapor deposition reaction.

[0039] In the film deposition apparatus 23, if the film deposition process is repeatedly performed, the byproducts generated during SiC film formation adhere to the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 29, causing a decrease in the heating efficiency of the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 for the feed gas. Therefore, in order to clean and replace the sleeve 29, it is necessary to periodically remove the sleeve 29 from inside the processing chamber 26. Furthermore, the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 will deteriorate over time, resulting in a decrease in the heating efficiency of the feed gas and the wafer W. Therefore, in order to repair and replace the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41, it is necessary to periodically remove the door-side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 from inside the processing chamber 26, just as with the sleeve 29.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a process diagram illustrating the removal method of the sleeve 29 and the treatment chamber side heater 41, which are used to explain the maintenance method of the film-forming apparatus 23. First, the maintenance door 32 is opened to expose the interior of the treatment chamber 26. At this time, it is preferable to rotate the maintenance door 32 at least 90° counterclockwise from its closed position when viewed from above. Figure 4 (A) Here, since the door-side heater 34 is mounted on the maintenance door 32 by means of the support member 35, the door-side heater 34 can be substantially removed from the inside of the processing chamber 26 by opening the maintenance door 32. Furthermore, as a result, the door-side heater 34 is no longer present between the side 26c and the sleeve 29, so the operator can directly access the sleeve 29.

[0041] Next, the operator contacts the sleeve 29, causing the sleeve 29 to move to the side opposite to the substrate transport chamber 18, and removes the sleeve 29 from the side 26c. Figure 4 (B)). At this point, there is no longer a sleeve 29 between the side 26c and the side heaters 36-38, so the operator can directly contact the side heaters 36-38.

[0042] After that, the worker detaches the side heaters 37, 38 from the support member 43, and moves the side heaters 37, 38 to the side opposite to the substrate transport chamber 18. At this time, since the side heater 36 is integrated with the side heaters 37, 38, the worker can take out the entire processing chamber side heater 41 from the side surface 26c in one process by the movement of the side heaters 37, 38. Figure 4

[0043] In addition, in the extraction method of the processing chamber side heater 41 according to the present embodiment, not only the sleeve 29 but also the processing chamber side heater 41 is extracted from the inside of the processing chamber 26, but it can be that only the sleeve 29 is extracted when the maintenance door 32 is opened. Figure 4

[0044] According to the present embodiment, in the processing chamber 26 of the film formation device 23, only the side surface 26c, i.e., the maintenance door 32, on the side opposite to the side surface 26b connected to the substrate transport chamber 18 is opened, and the sleeve 29 and the processing chamber side heater 41 can be extracted. That is, when the sleeve 29 and the processing chamber side heater 41 are extracted, it is not necessary to separate and move the film formation device 23 from the substrate transport chamber 18. Further, since the side heaters 36 to 38 are integrated as the processing chamber side heater 41, it is not necessary to extract the side heaters 36 to 38 one by one. Moreover, only by opening the maintenance door 32, the door side side heater 34 can be substantially extracted from the inside of the processing chamber 26. As described above, it is understood that the extraction of the sleeve 29, the door side side heater 34, and the processing chamber side heater 41 from the inside of the processing chamber 26 does not require time, and thus the downtime of the substrate processing system 10 can be shortened.

[0045] Further, according to the present embodiment, as described above, it is not necessary to separate and move the film formation device 23 from the substrate transport chamber 18, and thus it is not necessary to secure a space for the movement of the film formation device 23. Moreover, the support member 35 of the door side side heater 34 is installed to the maintenance door 32 on the side of the top portion 26f, and the support member 43 of the processing chamber side heater 41 is installed to the portion of the maintenance door 32 on the side of the top portion 26f. In addition, the support member 43 can be installed to the portion of the maintenance door 32 on the side of the bottom portion 26a. That is, the current introduction portions of the door side side heater 34 and the processing chamber side heater 41 are concentratedly arranged to the portion of the processing chamber 26 on the side of the maintenance door 32 (the side surface 26c). Further, since the side heater 36 is integrated with the side heaters 37, 38, it is not necessary to provide the current introduction portion for the side heater 36. Thus, the current introduction portion does not protrude toward the side surfaces 26b, 26e, 26d, and it is possible to prevent the processing chamber 26 of the film formation device 23 from being enlarged in the horizontal direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the increase in the occupied space of the substrate processing system 10.

[0046] ​​In addition, compared with the frequency of deterioration of the door-side side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 over time, the frequency of the decrease in the heating efficiency of the source gas due to the attachment of the product to the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 29 and the increase in the defects due to the attachment of the particles generated from the product attached to the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 29 to the wafer W is high, and thus there is a demand to extract only the sleeve 29. In this regard, in the present embodiment, when the maintenance door 32 is opened, the sleeve 29 can be extracted only without performing the dismounting work of the door-side side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41, and thus the above demand can be satisfied. Thus, the frequency of the replacement and the manufacturing of the sleeve 29 can be increased, and further the decrease in the heating efficiency of the source gas can be suppressed.

[0047] The above describes the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0048] For example, in the film formation apparatus 23, the side heaters 36 to 38 and the door-side side heater 34 are configured such that the door-side side heater 34 and the processing chamber-side heater 41 surround the sleeve 29 in a square tube shape when the maintenance door 32 is closed. However, each of the heaters can be configured such that the heater surrounding the sleeve 29 is in a circular tube shape when the maintenance door 32 is closed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the door-side side heater 44 in a circular arc shape in plan view is arranged inside the maintenance door 32, and the processing chamber-side heater 45 in a letter C shape in plan view is arranged inside the side surface 26b, 26d, 26e. Figure 5

[0049] Further, the side heaters 36 to 38 can not be integrated, and the side heaters 36 to 38 can be respectively installed to the side surfaces 26b, 26d, 26e by the support members. However, in this case, it is also preferable to concentrate the current introduction portions of the side heaters 36 to 38 to the maintenance door 32 (side surface 26c) side.​

Claims

1. A film-forming apparatus, wherein, The film-forming device has the following features: A rectangular processing chamber for storing substrates; A stage heater is disposed inside the processing chamber; A gas supply unit supplies the raw material gas for film formation to the interior of the processing chamber; and A cylindrical sleeve is disposed inside the processing chamber. The sleeve is configured such that its two ends are opposite to the stage heater and the gas supply unit, respectively. A maintenance door that can be opened and closed is provided on one side of the processing chamber. A first-side heater is disposed on the inner side of each of the sides other than the one mentioned side. A second heater is installed on the inside of the maintenance door. When the maintenance door is closed, the first-side heater and the second-side heater surround the sleeve. The first side heater is configured such that it can be removed from one side when the maintenance door is opened.

2. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first side heater, which is disposed on the inner side of each of the aforementioned sides, is integrated.

3. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The sleeve is configured such that it can be removed from one side when the maintenance door is opened.

4. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The film-forming device is installed on the conveying device, and the side with the maintenance door is the side opposite to the side connected to the conveying device.

5. The film-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The current inlet of the first-side heater and the current inlet of the second-side heater are disposed on the maintenance door side in the processing chamber.

6. A method for maintaining a film-forming device, wherein, The film-forming device has the following features: A rectangular processing chamber for storing substrates; A stage heater is disposed inside the processing chamber; A gas supply unit supplies the raw material gas for film formation to the interior of the processing chamber; and A cylindrical sleeve is disposed inside the processing chamber. The sleeve is configured such that its two ends are opposite to the stage heater and the gas supply unit, respectively. A maintenance door that can be opened and closed is provided on one side of the processing chamber. A first-side heater is disposed on the inner side of each of the sides other than the one mentioned side. A second heater is installed on the inside of the maintenance door. When the maintenance door is closed, the first-side heater and the second-side heater surround the sleeve. In the maintenance method of this film-forming device, the maintenance door is opened and the first side heater is removed from one side.

7. The maintenance method for the film-forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, Open the maintenance door and remove the sleeve from one side.

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