Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing substrate processing such as deposition, etching, and heat treatment on multiple substrates.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a reaction tube 100 having a processing space S1, in which multiple substrates 1 are accommodated to perform substrate processing; a nozzle installation part 200 protruding outward from a portion of a side surface of the reaction tube 100 so as to form a portion of an outer surface of the reaction tube 100; and multiple gas injection nozzles 300 disposed along a circumference of the substrates 1 in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle installation part 200 to inject a process gas into the reaction tube 100. The nozzle installation part 200 comprises multiple insertion parts corresponding to the gas injection nozzles 300 so that each of the gas injection nozzles 300 is inserted and installed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing substrate processing such as deposition, etching, and heat treatment on a plurality of substrates. [Background technology]

[0002] Manufacturing devices involves the process of depositing the necessary thin films on a substrate and then performing heat treatment to modify the deposited thin films. In particular, the thin film deposition process mainly uses sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), etc.

[0003] Sputtering is a technology in which argon ions generated in a plasma state are collided with the surface of a target, and the target material that is detached from the target surface is deposited as a thin film on a substrate. Although this method has the advantage of being able to form high-purity thin films with excellent adhesion, it has limitations in terms of forming fine patterns with high aspect ratios.

[0004] Chemical vapor deposition is a technique for depositing thin films on a substrate by injecting various gases into a reaction chamber and chemically reacting the reactant gases with the gases induced by high energy such as heat, light or plasma.

[0005] Because chemical vapor deposition utilizes rapid chemical reactions, it is very difficult to control the thermodynamic stability of atoms, which can lead to problems such as degradation of the physical, chemical and electrical properties of the thin film.

[0006] Atomic layer deposition is a technology that deposits thin films on a substrate in atomic layers by alternately supplying reactive gases, namely source gas and purge gas. It is suitable for forming fine patterns with high aspect ratios as it uses surface reactions to overcome the limitations of step coverage, and has the advantage of excellent electrical and physical properties of the thin film.

[0007] There are two types of atomic layer deposition equipment: single-wafer equipment, which loads substrates into the chamber one by one and processes them, and batch-type equipment, which loads multiple substrates into the chamber and processes them all at once.

[0008] Generally, in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, a spray nozzle installation position that protrudes outward is formed inside a reaction tube, and a plurality of gas spray nozzles are provided at the spray nozzle installation position to spray process gas to perform substrate processing.

[0009] In this case, a dead volume is formed at the installation position of the injection nozzles where multiple gas injection nozzles are provided, and various process gases, particularly source gas and reaction gas, remain in the reaction tube, generating various by-products in the reaction tube, which can cause particles.

[0010] In addition, as various process gases remain in the dead volume at the installation position of the injection nozzle, the flow rate of the injected process gas becomes insufficient, and a flow rate difference occurs depending on the position of the process gas injected into the processing space, which causes the substrate processing to be performed unsmoothly and reduces the uniformity of the processing. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing and minimizing gas residue near a nozzle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention has been created to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, and discloses a substrate processing apparatus including a reaction tube in which a processing space is formed in which a plurality of substrates are accommodated and in which substrate processing is performed, a nozzle mounting section which is provided so as to protrude outward from a portion of a side surface of the reaction tube and which forms a portion of the outer surface of the reaction tube, and a plurality of gas injection nozzles which are arranged along a periphery of the substrates in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle mounting section and which inject a process gas into the reaction tube, the nozzle mounting section being formed with a plurality of insertion sections corresponding to the gas injection nozzles so that the gas injection nozzles are respectively inserted and installed.

[0013] The insertion portions are a plurality of insertion grooves formed in an inner wall surface facing the processing space and having a shape corresponding to an outer surface of the gas injection nozzle so that the gas injection nozzle can be inserted therein.

[0014] The insertion portions are through-holes formed vertically and in which the gas injection nozzles are respectively provided.

[0015] The nozzle installation portion includes an injection port formed to communicate the processing space with the through hole.

[0016] The injection ports are a plurality of injection holes formed at positions corresponding to the gas injection holes formed in the gas injection nozzle.

[0017] The injection port is an injection slit formed in the vertical direction and having a width smaller than the diameter of the gas injection nozzle at a position corresponding to a plurality of gas injection holes formed in the gas injection nozzle in the vertical direction.

[0018] The through hole is formed in a shape corresponding to an outer surface of the gas injection nozzle. The gas injection nozzles are inserted into and spaced apart from the inner wall surfaces of the corresponding insertion portions.

[0019] The nozzle installation portion has an inner surface that extends to the inner surface of the reaction tube and has the same curvature.

[0020] A first distance, which is the shortest horizontal distance between an inner surface of the nozzle installation part and a center of the reaction tube, is equal to a second distance, which is the shortest horizontal distance between the centers at positions on the inner surface of the reaction tube excluding the nozzle installation part.

[0021] The nozzle installation portion includes a pair of protruding surfaces protruding outward from a side surface of the reaction tube, and an outer surface portion formed between the protruding surfaces.

[0022] The nozzle installation portion includes an installation member that is provided in a region surrounded by the pair of protruding surfaces and the outer surface portion, and has a plurality of the insertion portions formed on an inner surface facing the processing space.

[0023] The nozzle installation portion has an outer surface on which the pair of protruding surfaces and the outer surface portion are formed, and a plurality of the insertion portions are integrally formed on an inner surface on the processing space side.

[0024] The outer surface portion is formed with the same curvature as the outer surface of the reaction tube.

[0025] The reaction tube includes an exhaust port formed at a position facing the nozzle installation portion. On a plane, they are arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary horizontal line connecting the center of the exhaust port and the center of the nozzle installation portion.

[0026] The gas injection nozzle is arranged such that a plurality of gas injection holes formed in a vertical direction inject the process gas in parallel to each other.

[0027] The apparatus further includes an outer tube in which the reaction tube is housed and which defines an exhaust space between the reaction tube and the outer tube.

[0028] The side surface of the outer tube, the inner surface of the nozzle installation portion, and the side surface of the reaction tube are formed with the same curvature. Effect of the Invention

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has an advantage in that the dead volume around the gas injection nozzles is minimized, thereby preventing and minimizing gas residue near the gas injection nozzles.

[0030] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has an advantage that the dead volume around the gas injection nozzles can be minimized, and residual gas located near the gas injection nozzles can be smoothly purged.

[0031] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has an advantage in that it can improve the quality of substrate processing uniformity and step coverage by minimizing residual gas in a reaction tube. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a nozzle installation portion of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a nozzle installation portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing the state of injection holes in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a view showing the state of an injection slit in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a nozzle installation portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9A-9C]9A is a graph showing the effect of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 9A is a graph showing the residual gas concentration over time at a position adjacent to the gas nozzle portion in the substrate, FIG. 9B is a graph showing the residual gas concentration over time at a position adjacent to the exhaust port in the substrate, and FIG. 9C is a graph showing the residual gas concentration over time in the exhaust pipe portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing system including the same according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a reaction tube 100 in which a processing space S1 is formed in which a plurality of substrates 1 are accommodated and substrate processing is performed, a nozzle mounting section 200 that protrudes outward from a portion of the side of the reaction tube 100 and forms a portion of the outer surface of the reaction tube 100, and a plurality of gas injection nozzles 300 that are arranged along the periphery of the substrates 1 perpendicular to the nozzle mounting section 200 and inject a process gas into the reaction tube 100.

[0035] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include an outer tube 400 in which the reaction tube 100 is accommodated and which defines an exhaust space S2 between the reaction tube 100 and the outer tube 400.

[0036] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a substrate loading unit 10 accommodated in the processing space S1 so that a plurality of substrates 1 are stacked and substrate processing is performed on the plurality of substrates 1.

[0037] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a manifold 30 coupled to the lower side of the reaction tube 100, connected to a gas injection nozzle 300 described below, and provided with an injector for supplying a process gas to the gas injection nozzle 300.

[0038] Here, the substrate 1 to be processed includes a semiconductor substrate, a substrate used in a display device such as an LED or LCD, a solar cell substrate, a glass substrate, etc., and any type of target substrate disclosed in the past can be used.

[0039] In addition, the substrate treatment refers to a deposition process, more preferably a deposition process using atomic layer deposition (ALD), but is not limited thereto, and may also include a deposition process using chemical vapor deposition, a heat treatment process, etc.

[0040] Meanwhile, the process gas is a gas supplied and injected for substrate processing in the processing space S1, and may include a purge gas, a source gas, and a reaction gas, each of which is injected through a plurality of gas injection nozzles 300 described below.

[0041] The substrate loading section 10 is configured so that a plurality of substrates 1 are stacked, and various configurations are possible.

[0042] For example, the substrate loading unit 10 may include a plurality of support tables installed in a vertical direction, and a placement unit for placing the plurality of substrates 1 on the support tables in a stacked form.

[0043] On the other hand, the substrate loading unit 10 may have any configuration as long as it is a configuration used in a conventionally disclosed batch-type, that is, vertical substrate processing apparatus.

[0044] The manifold 30 is disposed below the reaction tube 100 and includes an injector connected to a process gas supply unit 50 disposed outside. A gas injection nozzle 300 described below is fixed to the manifold 30 and connected to the injector, thereby supplying a process gas to the gas injection nozzle 300.

[0045] That is, the manifold 30 may be provided with a plurality of injectors penetrating therethrough corresponding to a plurality of gas injection nozzles 300, and the lower ends of the gas injection nozzles 300 may be coupled to each injector to supply process gas to the gas injection nozzles 300.

[0046] The reaction tube 100 is configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates 1, to form a processing space S1 in which substrate processing is performed, and to have an opening 101 formed in a part of the side wall, and various configurations are possible.

[0047] For example, the reaction tube 100 may include a body 110 having an opening 101 formed on one side of a sidewall thereof and an exhaust port 120 formed on the other side of the sidewall of the body 110 .

[0048] In this case, the reaction tube 100 may be made of a quartz material and may have a dome-shaped upper end or may be flat.

[0049] The exhaust port 120 is a component for exhausting gas to the processing space S1, and can exhaust exhaust gas containing the process gas supplied via the gas injection nozzle 300 described below and various by-products generated thereby. The exhaust at this time means exhausting gas in the processing space S1 to the exhaust space S2 formed via the outer tube 400 described below.

[0050] That is, the exhaust port 120 can exhaust air from the processing space S1 to the exhaust space S2.

[0051] Meanwhile, the exhaust port 120 may be formed at a position corresponding to the main exhaust port 411 on the plane of the side surface of the reaction tube 100 and adjacent to the main exhaust port 411 .

[0052] More specifically, the exhaust port 120 may be formed at a position facing a gas injection nozzle 300 (described later) and adjacent to a main exhaust port 411 on the side surface of the reaction tube 100 as shown in FIG.

[0053] For example, the exhaust port 120 may be formed as a vertical slit on the sidewall of the reaction tube 100, more specifically, the exhaust port 120 may be formed to have a vertical length corresponding to the maximum height and minimum height of the substrates 1 loaded vertically on the sidewall of the reaction tube 100.

[0054] On the other hand, the process gas exhausted into the exhaust space S2 through the exhaust port 120 is discharged to the outside through the main exhaust port 411 described below. At this time, as the main exhaust port 411 is formed on the lower side of the side wall of the outer tube 400, a downward flow of the process gas exhausted through the exhaust port 120 may be generated.

[0055] In order to complement this downward airflow, the amount of exhaust gas discharged per hour from the upper side of the reaction tube 100 can be induced to be greater than the amount of exhaust gas discharged per hour from the lower side.

[0056] To this end, when the exhaust port 120 is formed as a vertical slit in the sidewall of the reaction tube 100, the exhaust port 120 may be formed to have a width that gradually or stepwise increases toward the upper side.

[0057] As another example, the exhaust port 120 may be a plurality of exhaust holes formed at a distance from each other in the vertical direction on the sidewall of the reaction tube 100, and in this case, the area of ​​the exhaust hole may be gradually or stepwise increased toward the upper side.

[0058] Meanwhile, the reaction tube 100 includes an opening 101 in which a part of a side wall is opened and a nozzle installation part 200 described later is provided, and the nozzle installation part 200 may be coupled to cover the opening 101 to form an outer surface.

[0059] In this case, the open part 101 can be formed at a position facing the exhaust port 120. More specifically, the inside of the reaction tube 100 can be arranged so as to be symmetrical with respect to a virtual horizontal line connecting the center of the exhaust port 120 and the center of the open part 101 on a plane.

[0060] That is, the open portion 101 and the exhaust port 120 can be formed at positions facing each other, thereby enabling them to be symmetrical with respect to an imaginary horizontal line connecting the center of the nozzle installation portion 200 and the center of the open portion 101.

[0061] In this case, the objects of line symmetry may include not only the nozzle installation part 200, the opening part 101, and the exhaust port 120, but also the reaction tube main body 110 and the gas injection nozzle 300 and the insertion part provided thereon.

[0062] The nozzle installation part 200 is provided so as to protrude outward from the open part 101 and form a part of the outer surface of the reaction tube 100, and various configurations are possible.

[0063] In particular, the nozzle installation part 200 is formed with a plurality of insertion parts corresponding to the gas injection nozzles 300 so that the gas injection nozzles 300 are inserted therein, respectively.

[0064] That is, the nozzle installation part 200 may be installed in a state where it protrudes outward from a part of the side surface of the reaction tube 100, and the gas injection nozzle 300 is inserted into the insertion part, thereby minimizing a dead volume generated due to the installation of the gas injection nozzle 300.

[0065] For this purpose, the nozzle installation part 200 is configured to have an insertion part for inserting and installing the gas injection nozzle 300, respectively, and occupies a volume, and may be provided as a main body 201 in which no empty space is formed inside except for the insertion part described below.

[0066] In this case, the nozzle installation part 200 may be integrally formed with the reaction tube 100, or as another example, may be provided at both ends of the open part 101 by joining via welding or the like.

[0067] Meanwhile, the nozzle installation part 200 may be made of the same material as the reaction tube 100 described above, and may have an insertion part formed therein and protrude outward from the reaction tube 100 to secure an installation space for the gas injection nozzle 300.

[0068] In this case, the nozzle installation part 200 may have an inner surface that extends to the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 and has the same curvature.

[0069] That is, the inner surface of the nozzle installation part 200 may be formed to extend with the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 at the open part 101 and have the same curvature as the inner surface of the reaction tube 100, or as another example, the inner surface of the nozzle installation part 200 may have the same curvature as the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 and may not extend with the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 and may be discontinuous.

[0070] In this case, the nozzle installation part 200 may have a first distance D1, which is the shortest horizontal distance between the inner surface excluding the position where the insertion part is formed and the center C of the reaction tube 100, and a second distance D2, which is the shortest horizontal distance from the center C to the inner surface of the reaction tube 100, which is the shortest horizontal distance.

[0071] In this case, the second distance D2 may refer to the shortest horizontal distance between the centers C of the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 excluding the region where the nozzle installation part 200 is formed.

[0072] That is, the nozzle installation part 200 may have an inner surface extending to the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 and may form a circular shape together with the inner surface of the reaction tube 100 in a plan view.

[0073] Meanwhile, the nozzle installation part 200 may protrude outward from both ends of the opening part 101 to form a pair of protruding surfaces 230, and an outer surface part 240 is formed between the protruding surfaces 230 to form a part of the outer surface of the reaction tube 100.

[0074] At this time, the pair of protruding surfaces 230 are formed at the open portion 101 of the reaction tube 100, i.e., at preset positions, protruding outward, and can be coupled to the open portion 101 by welding or the like.

[0075] The pair of protruding surfaces 230 may protrude in the radial direction of the reaction tube 100, i.e., in the direction connecting the center C and a position on the circumference, or as another example, may protrude in a direction parallel to the injection direction of a gas injection nozzle 300 described later, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0076] In addition, the outer surface portion 240 may be formed with the same curvature as the outer surface of the reaction tube 100, and further, may be formed with the same curvature as the outer tube 400 described later, so that the horizontal distance between the outer surface portion 240 and the outer tube 400 can be kept equal at any position.

[0077] In this case, the nozzle installation portion 200 may include, as an example, an installation member 270 that is provided in an area surrounded by a pair of protruding surfaces 230 and an outer surface portion 240, as shown in FIG. 8, and has a plurality of insertion portions formed on its inner surface facing the processing space S1.

[0078] That is, the nozzle installation part 200 is formed with a pair of protruding surfaces 230 extending from the reaction tube 100 and protruding from the outer surface side, and an outer surface part 240 formed to form an outer surface between the pair of protruding surfaces 230, and an empty space surrounded by the pair of protruding surfaces 230 and the outer surface part 240 can be formed.

[0079] The installation member 270 is arranged to be coupled to the pair of protruding surfaces 230 and the outer surface portion 240 in an empty space surrounded by the pair of protruding surfaces 230 and the outer surface portion 240, and a plurality of insertion portions are formed on the processing space S1 side, so as to eliminate dead volume.

[0080] In addition, the installation member 270 can be easily modified through a relatively simple connection structure to form a corresponding insertion portion when the number, size, and position of the gas injection nozzle 300 are changed, thereby optimizing and eliminating dead volume even when various specifications of the gas injection nozzle 300 are changed.

[0081] As another example, the nozzle installation portion 200 may be configured as shown in FIG. 4, in which a pair of protruding surfaces 230 and an outer surface portion 240 are formed on the outer surface, and a plurality of insertion portions are integrally formed on the inner surface on the processing space S1 side.

[0082] As an example, the insertion portion may be a plurality of insertion grooves 210 formed in the inner wall surface on the processing space S1 side in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the gas injection nozzle 300 so that the gas injection nozzle 300 is inserted therein, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0083] The insertion grooves 210 may be formed in the inner wall surface of the body 201 facing the processing space S1 in correspondence with the plurality of gas injection nozzles 300, and may be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

[0084] At this time, the insertion groove 210 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the gas injection nozzle 300, and more specifically, it may be formed in a circular recessed groove shape that is elongated in the vertical direction to correspond to the gas injection nozzle 300 having a cylindrical shape and a length in the vertical direction.

[0085] Meanwhile, the insertion groove 210 is formed corresponding to the outer surface of the gas injection nozzle 300, and when the gas injection nozzle 300 has a polygonal shape, the insertion groove 210 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the polygonal shape.

[0086] In addition, the insertion groove 210 may be formed to a size corresponding to the gas injection nozzle 300 so that the gas injection nozzle 300 does not protrude outward, and may be formed to be larger than the diameter of the gas injection nozzle 300 so that the gas injection nozzle 300 can be inserted into the processing space S1.

[0087] Furthermore, if the gas injection nozzle 300 is installed in contact with the insertion groove 210, various vibrations may occur due to the characteristics of the gas injection nozzle 300, which has a vertical length and is only connected at the bottom, and may hit the insertion groove 210 and cause damage. Therefore, the insertion groove 210 and the gas injection nozzle 300 are spaced apart at a certain interval to prevent contact and may have a size corresponding to that.

[0088] Meanwhile, as another example, the insertion part may be a through hole 220 formed through in a vertical direction and in which a gas injection nozzle 300 is respectively provided, as shown in FIG.

[0089] That is, the insertion portion is a through hole 220 formed to penetrate the main body 201 in a vertical direction, and the gas injection nozzle 300 may be formed as the through hole 220 so that it is inserted vertically into the main body 201 from the top or bottom.

[0090] In this case, the through hole 220 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the gas injection nozzle 300, and while injecting the process gas through an injection port having a smaller diameter than the gas injection nozzle 300, it is possible to prevent the process gas from penetrating from the processing space S1, thereby minimizing the generation of residual gas in the through hole 220.

[0091] At this time, the nozzle installation part 200 may include an injection port formed to communicate the processing space S1 with the through hole 220 so that the process gas can be injected through the gas injection nozzle 300 installed in the through hole 220.

[0092] For example, the injection holes may be a plurality of hole-shaped injection holes 290 formed at positions corresponding to gas injection holes 301 formed in a gas injection nozzle 300 as shown in FIGS.

[0093] As another example, the injection port may be an injection slit 280 formed in the vertical direction with a width smaller than the diameter of the gas injection nozzle 300 at a position corresponding to a plurality of gas injection holes 301 formed in the gas injection nozzle 300 in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG.

[0094] In other words, the through hole 220 is connected to the processing space S1 so that the process gas injected through the gas injection hole 301 can be appropriately injected into the processing space S1, and an injection hole 290 and an injection slit 280 can be formed.

[0095] The gas injection nozzle 300 is arranged along the periphery of the substrate 1 in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle installation portion 200 and is configured to inject a process gas into the reaction tube 100, and various configurations are possible.

[0096] In this case, the gas injection nozzle 300 may be inserted into the insertion portion of the nozzle installation part 200 and disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the nozzle installation part 200, so that the process gas injected from the gas injection nozzle 300 can be injected by forming a straight airflow toward the exhaust port 120 formed at the opposite position.

[0097] Meanwhile, the gas injection nozzles 300 may be provided in plurality to inject a source gas, a reaction gas, and an inert gas as the above-mentioned process gas, respectively, and each of the plurality of gas injection nozzles 300 may inject a predetermined gas.

[0098] In this case, the gas injection nozzles 300 for injecting the source gas and the reaction gas are disposed at the center, and the gas injection nozzles 300 for injecting the inert gas are disposed on the outer periphery thereof, so that the source gas and the reaction gas can be injected with enhanced linearity through the role of the inert gas as a guide.

[0099] In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the multiple gas injection nozzles 300 can inject process gases, including a source gas, a reaction gas, and a purge gas, in the same direction to form parallel gas flows, thereby allowing the process gases to flow in the same direction within the processing space S1.

[0100] More specifically, the multiple gas injection nozzles 300 have multiple gas injection holes 301 formed vertically in the same direction relative to each gas injection nozzle 300, and the multiple gas injection nozzles 300 are arranged so that the gas injection holes 301 are parallel to each other, thereby directing the process gas on the substrate 1 to flow in the same direction, i.e., parallel to each other from the nozzle installation portion 200 to the exhaust port 120 side.

[0101] On the other hand, the gas injection nozzle 300 may simply be formed to have a length in the vertical direction, and a plurality of gas injection holes 301 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface.

[0102] As another example, the gas injection nozzle 300 may be generally inverted U-shaped and may include a first injection nozzle having one end connected to an injector that supplies a process gas from the lower portion of the reaction tube 100 and having a plurality of gas injection holes 301 formed in a vertical direction, a second injection nozzle arranged parallel to the first injection nozzle and having a plurality of gas injection holes 301 formed in a vertical direction, and a connector that connects the other end of the first injection nozzle to the second injection nozzle.

[0103] At this time, the second injection nozzle may be disposed in parallel to and adjacent to the first injection nozzle, and may be formed at a height corresponding to the loading range of the substrates 10 loaded on the substrate loading unit 10 .

[0104] Meanwhile, the gas injection holes 301 may be formed in a vertical direction so as to be spaced apart from one another, or may be arranged at regular intervals from one another, or may be formed corresponding to the positions where the substrate 1 is placed.

[0105] The reaction tube 100 is accommodated in an outer tube 400, and an exhaust space S2 is formed between the reaction tube 100 and the outer tube 400.

[0106] The outer tube 400 accommodates the reaction tube 100, and forms an exhaust space S2 between the inner reaction tube 100 and the outer tube 400. The outer tube 400 is configured to form a main exhaust port 411 that discharges the exhaust gas transmitted from the processing space S1 through the exhaust port 120 to the outside, and various configurations are possible.

[0107] The outer tube 400 may be made of a quartz material and may have a dome-shaped upper end, or may be flat or circular in plan view.

[0108] Meanwhile, the outer tube 400 may be configured to apply a double tube structure to improve the problem that a horizontal airflow of the process gas is not maintained as the main exhaust port 411 is formed on the lower side, and smooth substrate processing cannot be performed as an airflow is formed below the main exhaust port 411.

[0109] Therefore, the outer tube 400 can accommodate the reaction tube 100 therein and form an exhaust space S2 between the reaction tube 100 and the outer tube 400.

[0110] At this time, the main exhaust port 411 formed on the lower side of the outer tube body 410 is configured to discharge the exhaust gas transmitted to the exhaust space S2 through the exhaust port 120 to the outside, and may have various configurations.

[0111] For example, the main exhaust port 411 is formed on the lower side of the outer tube body 410, and exhaust can be performed through the pump 40 disposed outside.

[0112] In this case, the main exhaust port 411 may be disposed at an appropriate position on the side of the outer tube body 410, but may be formed on the lower side of the side taking into consideration the heater section 20 provided outside the outer tube body 410.

[0113] In this case, the main exhaust port 411 may be formed to penetrate the outer tube 400, or may be formed in a circular shape corresponding to an exhaust pipe portion 420 described later.

[0114] The outer tube 400 may further include an exhaust pipe portion 420 disposed at a position corresponding to the main exhaust port 411 .

[0115] The exhaust pipe section 420 may be provided in the outer tube 400 and configured to discharge the exhaust gas exhausted through the main exhaust port 411 to the outside, and for this purpose, may be connected to a pump 40 provided outside.

[0116] For example, the exhaust pipe part 420 may include a coupling part 421 provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of the lower side of the outer tube 400, and an exhaust pipe 422 formed at a position corresponding to the main exhaust port 411 from the coupling part 421.

[0117] Meanwhile, in this case, the side surface of the outer tube 400, the inner surface of the nozzle installation part 200, and the side surface of the reaction tube 100 may be formed to have the same curvature as each other as a circle on a plane, or as another example, may be formed to have a corresponding shape such that the horizontal distance to the shortest distance at any position is maintained to be the same as each other.

[0118] The effects of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C.

[0119] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention has an advantage that the residual gas can be reduced by minimizing an additional space at the position where the gas injection nozzle 300 is installed, thereby improving the substrate processing quality.

[0120] In particular, Figures 9A, 9B, and 9C are graphs showing the residual gas concentrations of the source gas during substrate processing using ALD, one embodiment of the present invention, at the position closest to the gas injection nozzle 300 on the substrate 1, the position closest to the exhaust port 120 on the substrate 1, and the main exhaust port 411, respectively.

[0121] In each graph, G1 is a graph showing the residual gas concentration of the source gas in the conventional substrate processing apparatus, and G2 is a graph showing the residual gas concentration of the source gas in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0122] In this case, the X axis of each graph represents time, and the Y axis represents the amount of remaining gas. P1 represents the period during which the source gas is introduced, P2 represents the purge period, P3 represents the period during which the reaction gas is introduced, and P4 represents the purge period.

[0123] From each of the drawings, it can be seen that the residual gas of all source gases at each of the main positions has been reduced compared to conventional substrate processing apparatuses. This has the advantage that the amount of residual gas is significantly reduced, preventing the residual gas from acting as various by-products and degrading the substrate processing quality, ensuring injection uniformity, and inducing uniform substrate processing.

[0124] The above is merely a description of some of the preferred embodiments that can be realized by the present invention, and as is well known, the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the technical ideas of the above-mentioned invention and technical ideas combining such ideas are all included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 100 Reaction tube 200 Nozzle installation section 300 Gas Injection Nozzle

Claims

1. a reaction tube that accommodates a plurality of substrates and forms a processing space in which substrate processing is performed; a nozzle installation part that protrudes outward from a part of a side surface of the reaction tube, forms a part of an outer surface of the reaction tube, and has a rigid thickness that is thicker than that of the reaction tube; a plurality of gas injection nozzles arranged along the periphery of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle installation portion, and for injecting a process gas into the reaction tube; Including, The nozzle installation section a substrate processing apparatus having an inner surface that extends flush with the inner surface of the reaction tube, and a plurality of insertion portions corresponding to the gas injection nozzles are formed so that the gas injection nozzles are inserted therein, respectively.

2. The insertion portion is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of insertion grooves are formed in an inner wall surface on the processing space side so as to correspond to an outer surface of the gas injection nozzle, so that the gas injection nozzle is inserted therein.

3. The insertion portion is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the through holes are formed through in a vertical direction and are provided with the gas injection nozzles.

4. The nozzle installation section 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an injection port formed so that the processing space and the through hole communicate with each other.

5. The injection port is 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas injection nozzle has a plurality of injection holes formed at positions corresponding to the gas injection holes formed in the gas injection nozzle.

6. The injection port is 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas injection nozzle has a plurality of gas injection holes formed therein in a vertical direction, and the gas injection slits are formed in a width smaller than a diameter of the gas injection nozzle in a vertical direction at positions corresponding to the plurality of gas injection holes formed in the gas injection nozzle in a vertical direction.

7. The through hole is 4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the gas injection nozzle has a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the gas injection nozzle.

8. The gas injection nozzle is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inserting portions are inserted and spaced apart from the inner wall surfaces of the corresponding inserting portions.

9. The nozzle installation section 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the reaction tube extends and has the same curvature as the inner surface of the reaction tube.

10. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first distance, which is the shortest horizontal distance between an inner surface of the nozzle installation portion and a center of the reaction tube, is equal to a second distance, which is the shortest horizontal distance between the centers of positions on the inner surface of the reaction tube excluding the nozzle installation portion.

11. The reaction tube is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust port formed at a position opposite to the nozzle installation portion.

12. 12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary horizontal line connecting the center of the exhaust port and the center of the nozzle installation portion on a plane.

13. The gas injection nozzle is 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of gas injection holes formed in a vertical direction are arranged so as to inject the process gas in parallel with each other.

14. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an outer tube in which the reaction tube is housed and which defines an exhaust space between the reaction tube and an outer tube.

15. 15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the side surface of the outer tube, the inner surface of the nozzle mounting portion, and the side surface of the reaction tube are formed with the same curvature.

16. The gas injection nozzle 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle mounting portion is mounted on the insertion portion while preventing an inner surface of the nozzle mounting portion from protruding from outside, so as to minimize a dead volume of the processing space.

17. The insertion groove is 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gas injection nozzle has a cylindrical shape and a length in the vertical direction, and the gas injection nozzle has a recessed groove shape having a length in the vertical direction.

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