Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a technology that can avoid interference between a supply member in a processing vessel and a substrate, as well as to perform substrate processing with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel for processing substrates, a rotary table that is rotatable inside the processing vessel and places a plurality of substrates at a position radially away from the center of rotation, a supply member that supplies gas to the substrate placed on the rotary table. The substrate processing apparatus also has an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the supply member relative to the rotary table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] The substrate processing apparatus performs substrate processing such as film formation processing and etching processing by heating the substrate accommodated in a processing vessel and supplying a processing gas to the substrate. In this type of substrate processing apparatus, the processing vessel is heated to a high temperature before the substrate is accommodated in the processing vessel, which may cause the substrate to warp and interfere with components in the processing vessel (e.g., a supply member that supplies gas).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate warpage monitoring device that detects warpage occurring in a substrate placed on a turntable in a processing chamber. This substrate processing apparatus monitors the warpage of the substrate using the substrate warpage monitoring device and controls the rotation speed and stopping of the turntable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-16662 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can prevent interference between a gas supply member and a substrate and can perform substrate processing with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a processing vessel for processing substrates, a rotating table rotatably arranged inside the processing vessel and for placing a plurality of the substrates at positions radially spaced from a center of rotation, and a supply member for supplying gas to the substrates placed on the rotating table, the substrate processing apparatus including a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the supply member relative to the rotating table. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect, interference between a supply member that supplies gas and a substrate can be avoided, and substrate processing can be performed with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view showing a configuration inside a processing container of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a turntable and a mounting table of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a source gas supply unit of the substrate processing apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing components of a lifting mechanism provided outside the processing vessel; [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing adjustment of the up-down position of the shower head by the drive mechanism, where FIG. 6A shows the raised position of the shower head and FIG. 6B shows the processing position of the shower head. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing method of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism according to a first modified example. [Figure 9] Fig. 9(A) is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism according to a second modified example, and Fig. 9(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism according to a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0010] [Configuration of substrate processing apparatus 1] A substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration inside a processing vessel 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. For ease of explanation, a top plate 112 of the processing vessel 11 is not shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a turntable 21 and a mounting table 211 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a film formation process to form a film on the surface of the substrate W by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or molecular layer deposition (MLD). The substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to the film formation process, and may be, for example, an etching process or a cleaning process. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing unit 10, a rotary drive unit 20, a lifter unit 30, and a control unit 90.

[0012] The processing section 10 performs a film formation process to form a film on a substrate W. The processing section 10 has a processing container 11, a gas inlet section 12, a gas exhaust section 13, a transfer port 14, a heating section 15, and a cooling section 16.

[0013] The processing vessel 11 is a vacuum vessel capable of reducing the pressure of its internal space and switching it to a vacuum atmosphere. The processing vessel 11 is formed as a flat housing having a substantially circular planar shape, and can accommodate a plurality of substrates W in its internal space. The substrates W may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. The processing vessel 11 includes a main body 111, a top plate 112, a sidewall 113, and a bottom plate 114 (FIG. 1). The main body 111 has a cylindrical shape. The top plate 112 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the main body 111. The main body 111 and the top plate 112 are airtightly attached to each other by a seal portion 115. The sidewall 113 has a cylindrical shape, and is airtightly connected to the lower surface of the main body 111. The bottom plate 114 is airtightly connected to the bottom surface of the sidewall 113.

[0014] The gas introduction unit 12 includes a raw material gas supply unit 121, a reactive gas supply unit 122, and separation gas supply units 123 and 124 (FIG. 2). The raw material gas supply unit 121, the reactive gas supply unit 122, and the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 are arranged above a turntable 21 described later, spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the processing vessel 11 (the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2). In the illustrated example, the separation gas supply unit 123, the raw material gas supply unit 121, the separation gas supply unit 124, and the reactive gas supply unit 122 are arranged in this order clockwise (the rotation direction of the turntable 21) from the transfer port 14.

[0015] The raw material gas supply unit 121 supplies a raw material gas into the processing vessel 11. The raw material gas supply unit 121 according to the embodiment includes a shower head 60 that covers a set circumferential range in the processing vessel 11, and a raw material gas supply pipe 121t and an inert gas supply pipe 121i that extend outside the processing vessel 11 and are connected to the shower head 60.

[0016] The raw material gas supply pipe 121t is connected to a raw material gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. The raw material gas supply path is equipped with a flow rate controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position, and is connected to a raw material gas supply source (not shown). For example, a silicon-containing gas or a metal-containing gas can be used as the raw material gas. The raw material gas supply unit 121 supplies the raw material gas to the shower head 60 via the raw material gas supply pipe 121t, and discharges the raw material gas from the shower head 60 into the internal space of the processing vessel 11. The region below the shower head 60 becomes a raw material gas processing region P1 for adsorbing the raw material gas onto the substrate W.

[0017] The inert gas supply pipe 121i is connected to an inert gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. The inert gas supply path also includes a flow controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position, and is connected to an inert gas supply source (not shown). For example, nitrogen (N2) gas or argon (Ar) can be used as the inert gas. The source gas supply unit 121 supplies the inert gas to the shower head 60 via the inert gas supply pipe 121i, and discharges the inert gas into the internal space of the processing vessel 11 from a position of the shower head 60 different from the position of the source gas. The configuration of the shower head 60 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The reactive gas supply unit 122 supplies a reactive gas into the processing vessel 11. The reactive gas supply unit 122 according to the embodiment includes a reactive gas nozzle 122N extending in a radial direction of the processing vessel 11. The reactive gas nozzle 122N is fixed to a sidewall of the main body 111 and has a gas introduction port 122p protruding to the outside of the main body 111. The reactive gas nozzle 122N is made of, for example, quartz, and is disposed in parallel to the turntable 21 in the processing vessel 11.

[0019] The reactive gas nozzle 122N is connected to a reactive gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. The reactive gas supply path is provided with a flow rate controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position, and is connected to a reactive gas supply source (not shown). For example, an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas can be used as the reactive gas. The reactive gas nozzle 122N has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the turntable 21 and are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reactive gas nozzle 122N. The area below the reactive gas nozzle 122N becomes a reactive gas processing region P2 where the source gas adsorbed on the substrate W is oxidized or nitridized. In the embodiment, the processing gas for processing the substrate W corresponds to the above-mentioned source gas and reactive gas.

[0020] The separation gas supply units 123 and 124 supply a separation gas into the processing vessel 11. The separation gas supply units 123 and 124 according to the embodiment each include a separation gas nozzle 123N and 124N extending in a radial direction of the processing vessel 11. Each separation gas nozzle 123N and 124N is fixed to a sidewall of the main body 111 and has a gas introduction port 123p and 124p protruding to the outside of the main body. Each separation gas nozzle 123N and 124N is made of, for example, quartz, and is disposed in parallel to the rotary table 21 in the processing vessel 11.

[0021] Each separation gas nozzle 123N, 124N is connected to a separation gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. Each separation gas supply path is equipped with a flow rate controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position, and is connected to a separation gas supply source (not shown). As the separation gas, for example, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) gas or nitrogen (N2) gas can be used. Each separation gas nozzle 123N, 124N has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21 and are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of each separation gas nozzle 123N, 124N.

[0022] 2, two convex portions 17 are provided in the processing vessel 11. The convex portions 17, together with the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N, form a separation region D, and are attached to the rear surface of the top plate 112 so as to protrude toward the rotary table 21. Each convex portion 17 has a sectorial planar shape with its top cut into an arc shape, with the inner arc connected to the annular protruding portion 18 and the outer arc disposed along the side wall of the processing vessel 11.

[0023] The gas exhaust section 13 includes a first exhaust port 131 and a second exhaust port 132 (FIG. 2). The first exhaust port 131 is formed in the bottom of a first exhaust region E1 that communicates with the source gas processing region P1. The second exhaust port 132 is formed in the bottom of a second exhaust region E2 that communicates with the reactive gas processing region P2. The first exhaust port 131 and the second exhaust port 132 are connected to an exhaust device (not shown) via exhaust piping (not shown).

[0024] The transfer port 14 is provided in a side wall of the main body 111 (FIG. 2). Through the transfer port 14, the substrate W is transferred between the turntable 21 in the processing vessel 11 and a transfer device 14a outside the processing vessel 11. The transfer port 14 is opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown).

[0025] The heating unit 15 includes a fixed shaft 151, a heater support unit 152, and a heater 153 (FIG. 1).

[0026] Fixed shaft 151 has a cylindrical shape with its central axis passing through the center of processing vessel 11. Fixed shaft 151 penetrates bottom plate 114 of processing vessel 11 inside rotation shaft 23 of rotation drive device 20, which will be described later.

[0027] The heater support part 152 is fixed to the upper part of the fixed shaft 151 and has a disk shape. The heater support part 152 supports a heater 153.

[0028] The heater 153 is provided on the upper surface of the heater support part 152. The heater 153 may be provided on the main body 111 in addition to the upper surface of the heater support part 152. The heater 153 generates heat when power is supplied from a power source (not shown), and heats the substrate W. The heater 153 may also be provided with a blocking plate on its upper surface (the surface facing the turntable 21) to prevent the heater 153 from being exposed to the processing gas.

[0029] The cooling unit 16 includes fluid flow paths 161a-164a, chiller units 161b-164b, inlet pipes 161c-164c, and outlet pipes 161d-164d (FIG. 1). The fluid flow paths 161a-164a are formed inside the main body 111, the top plate 112, the bottom plate 114, and the heater support part 152, respectively. The chiller units 161b-164b output a temperature control fluid. The temperature control fluid output from the chiller units 161b-164b circulates by flowing through the inlet pipes 161c-164c, the fluid flow paths 161a-164a, and the outlet pipes 161d-164d in this order. This adjusts the temperatures of the main body 111, the top plate 112, the bottom plate 114, and the heater support part 152. For example, a fluorine-based fluid such as Galden (registered trademark) or water can be used as the temperature control fluid.

[0030] The rotary drive device 20 includes a rotary table 21 , a housing box 22 , a rotary shaft 23 , a revolution motor 24 , and an outer cylinder 25 .

[0031] The turntable 21 is provided in the processing vessel 11 and has a rotation center at the center of the processing vessel 11. The turntable 21 has, for example, a disk shape and is made of quartz. On the upper surface of the turntable 21, a plurality of (for example, five) mounting tables 211 are provided along the rotation direction (circumferential direction). The turntable 21 is connected to the storage box 22 via a connection part 214 (FIG. 3).

[0032] Each mounting table 211 has a disk shape slightly larger than the substrate W, and is made of, for example, quartz. A mounting surface 211s on which the substrate W is placed is formed on the upper surface of each mounting table 211. Each mounting table 211 is connected to a rotation motor 213 via a rotation shaft 212, and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the turntable 21 (FIG. 1).

[0033] The rotation shaft 212 connects the underside of the mounting table 211 to the rotation motor 213 housed in the storage box 22, and transmits the power of the rotation motor 213 to the mounting table 211. The rotation shaft 212 is configured to be rotatable around the center of the mounting table 211. The rotation shaft 212 is provided penetrating the ceiling 222 of the storage box 22 and the turntable 21. A seal portion 263 is provided near the penetration portion of the ceiling portion 222 of the storage box 22, and maintains an airtight state inside the storage box 22. The seal portion 263 includes, for example, a magnetic fluid seal.

[0034] The rotation motor 213 rotates the mounting table 211 relatively to the turntable 21 via the rotation shaft 212, thereby rotating the substrate W about the center of the substrate W. The rotation motor 213 is preferably a servo motor, for example.

[0035] The connection portion 214 connects the lower surface of the turntable 21 and the upper surface of the storage box 22 (FIG. 3). A plurality of connection portions 214 are provided along the circumferential direction of the turntable 21.

[0036] The storage box 22 is provided below the turntable 21 in the processing vessel 11. The storage box 22 is connected to the turntable 21 via a connection part 214, and rotates integrally with the turntable 21. The storage box 22 may be configured to be movable up and down within the processing vessel 11 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The storage box 22 has a main body part 221 and a ceiling part 222.

[0037] The main body 221 is formed in a concave shape in a vertical cross-sectional view, and is formed in a ring shape along the rotation direction of the turntable 21 (FIG. 1).

[0038] The ceiling portion 222 is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion 221 so as to cover the opening of the main body portion 221. In this way, the main body portion 221 and the ceiling portion 222 form a rotating container portion 223 that is isolated from the inside of the processing vessel 11.

[0039] The rotating container 223 is formed in a rectangular shape in a vertical cross section, and has a ring shape along the rotation direction of the turntable 21. The rotating container 223 contains a rotation motor 213 (rotation source). The main body 221 is formed with a communication passage 224 that connects the rotating container 223 to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1. This allows air to be introduced into the rotating container 223 from the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the inside of the rotating container 223 is cooled and maintained at atmospheric pressure. In order to rotatably dispose the rotating container 223, the processing vessel 11 has a rotation source housing space 19 surrounded by a side wall body 113, a bottom plate 114, and a heating unit 15.

[0040] The rotating shaft 23 is fixed to the lower part of the storage box 22. The rotating shaft 23 is provided penetrating the bottom plate 114 of the processing vessel 11. The rotating shaft 23 transmits the power of the revolution motor 24 to the rotating table 21 and the storage box 22, and rotates the rotating table 21 and the storage box 22 together. A seal unit 154 is provided between the outer wall of the fixed shaft 151 and the inner wall of the rotating shaft 23 of the rotation drive device 20. As a result, the rotating shaft 23 rotates relative to the fixed shaft 151 while maintaining the airtight state inside the processing vessel 11. For example, a magnetic fluid seal can be used as the seal unit 154.

[0041] An outer cylinder 25 of the rotation drive device 20 is connected to the lower surface of the center side of the bottom plate 114 of the processing vessel 11. The outer cylinder 25 supports the processing vessel 11 together with a fixed shaft 151 of the processing vessel 11. A seal unit 116 is provided between the rotating shaft 23 and the outer cylinder 25 to maintain an airtight state inside the processing vessel 11. For the seal unit 116, for example, a magnetic fluid seal can be used.

[0042] A passage 231 is formed inside the rotating shaft 23. The passage 231 is connected to the communication passage 224 of the housing box 22, and functions as a fluid flow path for introducing air into the housing box 22. The passage 231 also functions as a wiring duct for introducing power lines and signal lines for driving the rotation motor 213 into the housing box 22. The passages 231 are provided in the same number as the rotation motors 213, for example.

[0043] 1, when the transport device 14a (FIG. 2) loads and unloads the substrate W onto and from the mounting table 211, the lifter unit 30 raises and lowers multiple (three in this embodiment) lift pins 31 to receive and deliver the substrate W to and from the transport device 14a. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the lifter unit 30 is installed vertically below a position facing the mounting table adjacent to the transfer opening 14. The lifter unit 30 is provided in the processing vessel 11 with multiple (three) upper structure units 40, each having multiple lift pins 31, and one lower operating unit 50 that simultaneously lifts and lowers the multiple lift pins 31.

[0044] Each upper structure 40 is installed to penetrate the heater support 152 and the heater 153, and displaceably houses the lift pins 31. The lower operating unit 50 is attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 114 of the processing vessel 11. The lower operating unit 50 has a plurality of (three) plungers 51 that displace along the vertical direction to press the lower ends 32 of the lift pins 31, respectively. That is, the lifter unit 30 has a two-stage structure including, as movable members, a plurality of lift pins 31 that come into contact with the substrate W and a plurality of plungers 51 that indirectly raise and lower the substrate W via the lift pins 31, separated in the vertical direction.

[0045] In addition to the plungers 51, the lower operating unit 50 includes a case 52 and a plunger driving unit 53. Each plunger 51 is formed in a long, thin, solid rod shape, and is moved within the rotation source accommodating space 19 by the plunger driving unit 53. As each plunger 51 rises, the lifter unit 30 comes into contact with the lift pins 31 of each upper structural unit 40, thereby pushing up the lift pins 31.

[0046] Each upper structure 40 is provided at a position spaced apart from the rotation axis 212 in the radial direction and along the circumferential direction of the mounting table 211. Each upper structure 40 supports a lift pin 31 vertically downward so that the lift pin 31 cannot fall off. The mounting table 211 also has a plurality (three) of through holes 211a through which each lift pin 31 can pass, corresponding to the arrangement positions of each upper structure 40 (see also FIG. 2). The lift pin 31 is a cylindrical member extending linearly, and rises when the lower end is pushed up by the rising plunger 51. As a result, the upper end of the lift pin 31 protrudes from the upper surface of the mounting table 211 through the through hole 211a of the mounting table 211.

[0047] The substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as above transports the substrate W directly above the mounting table 211 through the transport port 14, and places the substrate W on the mounting surface 211s of the mounting table 211 by raising and lowering the lift pins 31 of the lifter unit 30. The inside of the processing vessel 11 is preheated by the heating unit 15 before the substrate W is carried in. For this reason, the substrate W placed on the mounting table 211 of the processing vessel 11 may be affected by heat and warped (see dotted line in FIG. 4).

[0048] The warping of the substrate W occurs, for example, when a semiconductor wafer such as silicon is subjected to localized heat. The substrate W also deforms so as to have a warp that is symmetrical across two orthogonal radial lines (for example, an outer region warps vertically upward into a concave shape relative to the central region). This is because the Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and shear modulus of elasticity of the semiconductor wafer change in a 90° cycle. However, the substrate W in the processing vessel 11 gradually loses its warp and returns to a flat shape as the temperature increases overall over time.

[0049] Here, in the raw material gas processing region P1 where the raw material gas is supplied to the substrate W, it is preferable to discharge the raw material gas by arranging the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 at a position sufficiently close to the substrate W. This allows the raw material gas to be applied to the substrate W before it spreads widely in the space inside the processing vessel 11, and makes it possible to uniformly and stably attach the raw material gas to the surface of the substrate W. However, if warping occurs in the substrate W carried into the processing vessel 11 as described above, when the substrate W is rotated by the turntable 21, it may interfere with the shower head 60 arranged at a nearby position.

[0050] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a lifting mechanism 70 that lifts and lowers the shower head 60 of the source gas supply unit 121 relative to the processing vessel 11. The lifting mechanism 70 lifts the shower head 60 when the substrate W is loaded, thereby preventing interference between the warped substrate W and the shower head 60. Next, the configurations of the shower head 60 and the lifting mechanism 70 of the source gas supply unit 121 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic configuration of the source gas supply unit 121 of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0051] The shower head 60 is disposed in an arrangement space 112s formed in the top plate 112 of the processing vessel 11, and is a supply member that supplies a source gas to the space inside the processing vessel 11. The shower head 60 includes an upper connection part 61 and a lower discharge part 62 connected to the lower side of the upper connection part 61. The lower discharge part 62 has a discharge surface 62s facing the rotary table 21 on its lower surface in the vertical direction. The shower head 60 is formed of a transparent material such as quartz. Note that, although FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration in which the upper connection part 61 and the lower discharge part 62 are integrally molded, the shower head 60 may be formed by assembling a plurality of members.

[0052] The upper connection part 61 is a structural part that supports the lower discharge part 62 and distributes the source gas to the lower discharge part 62. For example, the upper connection part 61 is formed in a columnar shape that is a perfect circle in a planar cross-sectional view. The upper end part 61 is connected to the lifting mechanism 70. Note that the upper connection part 61 may be formed in a cylindrical body having a space inside in order to reduce the weight of the showerhead 60.

[0053] The lower discharge part 62 distributes and discharges the source gas to the substrate W in the processing vessel 11. The lower discharge part 62 is formed in a sector shape (arc shape) in a planar cross section. The area of ​​the outer shape of the lower discharge part 62 in a planar view is larger than the area of ​​the outer shape of the upper connection part 61 in a planar view. Inside the lower discharge part 62, a gas diffusion chamber 62a is provided for temporarily storing the source gas and diffusing the source gas in the horizontal direction. The lower discharge part 62 also includes a plurality of discharge holes 62b formed through a wall part having a discharge surface 62s and communicating with the gas diffusion chamber 62a. As a result, the plurality of discharge holes 62b can continuously discharge the source gas diffused in the gas diffusion chamber 62a toward the turntable 21 below.

[0054] Further, inside the shower head 60, there are provided a source gas passage 63 extending from the upper end of the upper connection part 61 to the gas diffusion chamber 62a, and an inert gas passage 64 extending from the upper end of the upper connection part 61 to a midpoint of the upper connection part 61 and then branching into multiple passages radially.

[0055] The raw material gas passage 63 communicates with a flow path of the raw material gas supply pipe 121t via a connection block 71 of a lifting mechanism 70 described later. The raw material gas passage 63 distributes the raw material gas supplied from the raw material gas supply pipe 121t to the gas diffusion chamber 62a.

[0056] The inert gas passage 64 communicates with the flow path of the inert gas supply pipe 121i via the connection block 71 of the lifting mechanism 70. The radially extending portions of the inert gas passage 64 communicate with the openings formed on the side surfaces of the upper connection part 61. As a result, the inert gas passage 64 ejects the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply pipe 121i to the side of the upper connection part 61. The inert gas ejected to the side of the upper connection part 61 fills the inside of a bellows 72 of the lifting mechanism 70 described below and the arrangement space 112s of the top plate 112, thereby preventing the source gas from flowing into these spaces.

[0057] On the other hand, the lifting mechanism 70 that lifts and lowers the shower head 60 includes a connection block 71 , a bellows 72 , a shielding plate 73 , a drive mechanism 74 , and a displacement sensor 80 .

[0058] The connection block 71 supports the upper connection part 61 of the showerhead 60 so as to suspend it. The connection block 71 is supported by a drive mechanism part 74, and moves up and down under the operation of the drive mechanism part 74. The external area of ​​the connection block 71 in a plan view is smaller than the external area of ​​the lower discharge part 62 of the showerhead 60 in a plan view. This reduces the area of ​​the lifting mechanism 70 that is subjected to atmospheric pressure, and reduces the load when the lifting mechanism 70 lifts and lowers the showerhead 60.

[0059] The bellows 72 is a bellows-shaped member that closes the internal space of the processing vessel 11 while allowing the shower head 60 to move up and down. For example, an upper end of the bellows 72 is airtightly joined to the lower surface of the connection block 71, and a lower end of the bellows 72 is airtightly joined to the upper surface of the top plate 112.

[0060] The shielding plate 73 is formed in an annular shape in a plan view, and is provided at a position facing the opening of the inert gas passage 64 of the shower head 60. The shielding plate 73 prevents the inert gas ejected from the opening from directly hitting the bellows 72, and guides the inert gas in the circumferential direction.

[0061] 5 is a perspective view showing each component of the lifting mechanism 70 provided outside the processing vessel 11. For ease of understanding, the top plate 112 of the processing vessel 11 is not shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, a drive mechanism 74 of the lifting mechanism 70 is installed on a fan-shaped (arc-shaped) mounting plate 75 fixed to the upper surface of the top plate 112 (see FIG. 4). The drive mechanism 74 includes a plurality of guide structures 741, cam followers 742, plate cams 743, sliders 744, rails 745, a drive motor 746, a power transmission unit 747, a stopper 748, and a sensor 749.

[0062] The guide structures 741 are provided on the outer periphery of the connection block 71 and guide the vertical movement of the connection block 71 (and the shower head 60). For example, each guide structure 741 may be a linear bushing having a cylindrical portion 741a and a shaft portion 741b, and including a plurality of rolling elements (not shown) between the cylindrical portion 741a and the shaft portion 741b.

[0063] Cam follower 742 has a central shaft connected to the side surface of connection block 71, and is therefore rotatable relative to connection block 71. The outer circumferential surface of cam follower 742 is formed into a perfect circle, and the lower part of the outer circumferential surface is in contact with plate cam 743. As a result, the load of connection block 71 (shower head 60) is applied from cam follower 742 to plate cam 743, and cam follower 742 rolls along the upper surface of plate cam 743.

[0064] Plate cam 743 is fixed to slider 744, and changes the vertical position (height position) of cam follower 742 in contact with the upper surface as slider 744 moves. The upper surface of plate cam 743 has a first step surface 743L1, a second step surface 743L2 lower than first step surface 743L1, and an inclined surface 743I provided between first step surface 743L1 and second step surface 743L2. The operation of adjusting the vertical position of cam follower 742 by plate cam 743 will be described in detail later.

[0065] The slider 744 is installed on a rail 745 extending in a substantially radial direction of the processing vessel 11. The slider 744 has therein a plurality of rolling elements (not shown) that can roll on the rail 745, and slides along the extension direction of the rail 745 by the rolling of each rolling element.

[0066] The driving motor 746 is provided at one end of the rail 745 (the outer periphery of the processing vessel 11). The driving motor 746 rotates at an appropriate speed under the control of the control unit 90, and transmits the rotational force to the power transmission unit 747. As the driving motor 746, a servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like can be used.

[0067] The power transmission unit 747 connects between the drive motor 746 and the slider 744, and converts the rotational force of the drive motor 746 into linear motion of the slider 744. The configuration of the power transmission unit 747 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a ball screw mechanism, or a gear mechanism such as a pinion and rack. The power transmission unit 747 according to the embodiment employs a ball screw mechanism.

[0068] Stopper 748 is fixed to the upper surface of mounting plate 75 and to the side of rail 745, and protrudes to a height position capable of interfering with slider 744. When slider 744 slides, stopper 748 comes into contact with slider 744, thereby defining the movement limit of slider 744. The position of stopper 748 relative to mounting plate 75 can be adjusted by the user.

[0069] The sensor 749 is installed on the upper surface of the mounting board 75 and to the side of the rail 745, and detects the position of the slider 744 sliding on the rail 745. For example, the sensor 749 can be a transmission type sensor that detects a kicker (not shown) that protrudes vertically downward from the slider 744. The control unit 90 recognizes the position of the slider 744 by acquiring the detection information of the sensor 749, and adjusts the rotation of the drive motor 746, in other words, the positions of the slider 744 and the plate cam 743.

[0070] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing adjustment of the up-down position of the shower head 60 by the drive mechanism 74, with Fig. 6(A) showing the raised position H1 of the shower head 60 and Fig. 6(B) showing the processing position H2 of the shower head 60. The drive mechanism 74 advances and retreats the slider 744 by transmitting the rotational force of the drive motor 746 to the power transmission unit 747. As a result, the plate cam 743 fixed to the slider 744 advances and retreats integrally with the slider 744.

[0071] The cam follower 742 rolls on the upper surface of the plate cam 743 as the plate cam 743 advances and retreats. Therefore, the vertical position of the cam follower 742 changes based on the shape of the upper surface of the plate cam 743. The connection block 71 to which the central shaft of the cam follower 742 is connected moves up and down as the vertical position of the cam follower 742 changes. As a result, in the processing vessel 11, the vertical position of the shower head 60 supported by the connection block 71 changes.

[0072] For example, the distance D between the first step surface 743L1 and the second step surface 743L2 on the upper surface of the plate cam 743 is set to 5 mm. The inclined surface 743I is gently inclined between the first step surface 743L1 and the second step surface 743L2, making it possible to stop the cam follower 742 at an intermediate position.

[0073] 6A is the upper limit of the elevation of the shower head 60. When the driving mechanism 74 moves the shower head 60 away from the substrate W on the mounting table 211, the driving mechanism 74 slides the plate cam 743 so that the cam follower 742 is positioned at the first step surface 743L1. As a result, the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 is positioned at an elevated position H1 that is sufficiently separated from the substrate W on the mounting table 211. For example, the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 is separated from the substrate W by about 4.5 mm. Therefore, even if the substrate W is significantly warped, the shower head 60 can be prevented from interfering with the substrate W.

[0074] On the other hand, when the warp of the substrate W is eliminated and a film formation process is actually performed, the drive mechanism 74 slides the plate cam 743 so that the cam follower 742 is positioned at a midpoint of the inclined surface 743I, as shown in Fig. 6(B). The second step surface 743L2 of the plate cam 743 is the lower limit of the elevation of the shower head 60, and this position is set to a position where the ejection surface 62s of the cam follower 742 is sufficiently close to (or in contact with) the mounting surface 211s in a state where there is no substrate W. For this reason, when the cam follower 742 is moved to the second step surface 743L2 in a state where the substrate W is mounted on the mounting table 211, the shower head 60 comes into contact with the substrate W.

[0075] The drive mechanism 74 can prevent the cam follower 742 from moving to the second step surface 743L2 by adjusting the sliding limit of the slider 744 using the stopper 748. For example, the stopper 748 is adjusted by the user to a processing position H2 where the distance between the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 and the upper surface of the substrate W is 1.5 mm. That is, during the film forming process, the drive mechanism 74 slides the plate cam 743 to place the cam follower 742 at a midpoint of the inclined surface 743I that is 3 mm lower than the first step surface 743L1. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to discharge the source gas with the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 close to the substrate W. The drive mechanism 74 can stop the cam follower 742 at the inclined surface 743I even when the plate cam 743 is not in contact with the stopper 748. Therefore, the lifting mechanism 70 may position the showerhead 60 at an appropriate position between the raised position H1 and the processing position H2.

[0076] 4, for example, a laser displacement meter can be used as the displacement sensor 80, and it is configured to be able to detect the vertical position inside the processing vessel 11 through a window 117 provided in the top plate 112. In this case, it is preferable to use a sapphire window as the window 117.

[0077] The displacement sensor 80 detects the vertical position of the outer edge of the substrate W (or the mounting table 211) placed on the mounting table 211, and also detects the vertical position of the lower discharge unit 62 of the shower head 60. Note that the displacement sensor 80 may be configured to change its position by moving horizontally using a moving unit (not shown) to obtain these two pieces of detection information (vertical position). The control unit 90 uses these two pieces of detection information to calculate the distance between the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 and the substrate W. As a result, the control unit 90 can appropriately adjust the vertical position of the shower head 60 by controlling the drive mechanism unit 74 based on the calculated distance.

[0078] Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 90 controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 90 has a control main unit 91 and a user interface 95. The control main unit 91 is a computer having a processor 92, a memory 93, and an input / output interface and a communication interface (not shown). The processor 92 is a combination of one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made of a plurality of discrete semiconductors, and executes a program stored in a memory 93. The memory 93 includes a main storage device made of a semiconductor memory or the like, and an auxiliary storage device made of a disk, a semiconductor memory (flash memory), or the like.

[0079] Moreover, the user interface 95 is connected to an input / output interface of the control body 91. This user interface 95 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a touch panel, a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse.

[0080] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation (substrate processing method) will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the substrate processing method of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0081] The control unit 90 controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to execute steps S101 to S107 of the substrate processing method shown in Fig. 7. In the substrate processing method, it is assumed that the temperature inside the processing container 11 is raised to a high temperature by the heating unit 15.

[0082] In advance preparation for receiving the substrate W on each mounting stage 211 of the turntable 21, the control unit 90 operates the lifting mechanism 70 to place the shower head 60 at the raised position H1 (step S101). As described above, the substrate W may be warped due to a localized temperature rise when the substrate W is carried into the processing vessel 11. If the shower head 60 is located at the processing position H2 when the turntable 21 is rotated in the warped state, the substrate W will interfere with the shower head 60.

[0083] Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the drive motor 746 of the lifting mechanism 70 to slide the plate cam 743, thereby disposing the cam follower 742 on the first step surface 743L1 (see FIG. 6(A)). As a result, the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 is disposed at a raised position H1 where it is sufficiently spaced from the substrate W placed on the placement table 211.

[0084] Then, with the shower head 60 disposed at the raised position H1, the control unit 90 places the substrate W on each mounting table 211 (step S102). At this time, the control unit 90 places the mounting table 211 on which the substrate W is to be placed at a position adjacent to the transfer opening 14 of the processing vessel 11. Then, the control unit 90 advances the transfer device 14a from the transfer opening 14, and then operates the lifter unit 30 to raise each lift pin 31 from the mounting table 211, and receives the substrate W from the transfer device 14a. The control unit 90 retracts the transfer device 14a, and then lowers each lift pin 31 to place the substrate W on the mounting table 211. The control unit 90 also rotates the turntable 21 to sequentially replace the mounting table 211 adjacent to the transfer opening 14, and repeats the above operation to place the substrate W on each mounting table 211.

[0085] At this time, since the shower head 60 is disposed at the raised position H1 as described above, even when the turntable 21 is rotated, the substrate W on each mounting stage 211 is prevented from interfering with the shower head 60. Note that the reaction gas nozzle 122N and the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N (including the convex portion 17) are originally positioned vertically above the processing position of the shower head 60, so that they do not come into contact with the substrate W on the mounting stage 211.

[0086] When the substrate W is placed on each mounting table 211, the control unit 90 determines whether the warpage of the substrate W has been eliminated (or has become sufficiently small) (step S103). The determination of elimination of the warpage of the substrate W may be made by waiting for the start of the film formation process for a predetermined period of time, or by monitoring the state of the warpage of the substrate W based on detection information from the displacement sensor 80. Note that while waiting for the warpage of the substrate W to be eliminated, the control unit 90 preferably performs preparations for substrate processing (e.g., adjusting the internal pressure of the processing vessel 11, adjusting the temperature, etc.). Then, if the warpage of the substrate W has been eliminated (step S103: YES), the control unit 90 proceeds to step S104.

[0087] In step S104, the control unit 90 controls the drive motor 746 of the lifting mechanism 70 to slide the plate cam 743, thereby disposing the cam follower 742 at a midpoint of the inclined surface 743I and positioning the shower head 60 at the processing position H2 (see FIG. 6(B)). As a result, the discharge surface 62s of the shower head 60 becomes sufficiently close to the substrate W placed on the placement table 211.

[0088] After disposing the shower head 60, the control unit 90 performs a film formation process (substrate processing) on ​​each substrate W (step S105). In the film formation process, the control unit 90 rotates each mounting table 211 about its axis of rotation 212 while rotating the turntable 21 about its axis of rotation 23. In this state, the raw material gas supply unit 121 supplies raw material gas via the raw material gas supply pipe 121t, and discharges the raw material gas from the shower head 60 to the raw material gas processing region P1. The shower head 60 is disposed at the processing position H2 and is sufficiently close to each substrate W, so that the raw material gas can be uniformly and stably adsorbed onto the substrate W.

[0089] The reactive gas supply unit 122 also discharges a reactive gas from a reactive gas nozzle 122N to the reactive gas processing region P2. Furthermore, the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 discharge a separation gas from separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N to the separation region D. As a result, a desired film is formed on the surface of each substrate W.

[0090] During the film formation process, the control unit 90 monitors the duration of the film formation process set in the recipe or the like, and determines whether or not to end the film formation process (step S106). When the control unit 90 determines that the film formation process is to be ended (step S106: YES), it stops the rotation of the turntable 21 and stops the supply of each gas.

[0091] After the film formation process, the control unit 90 unloads the substrate W from each mounting table 211 from the processing vessel 11 (step S107). At this time, the control unit 90 places the mounting table 211 at a position adjacent to the transfer opening 14 of the processing vessel 11, and raises each lift pin 31 of the lifter unit 30 to lift the substrate W from the mounting table 211. Then, after the transfer device 14a enters, the control unit 90 lowers each lift pin 31 to transfer the substrate W to the transfer device 14a. As a result, the transfer device 14a unloads the substrate W from the processing vessel 11. The control unit 90 also rotates the turntable 21 to sequentially change the mounting table 211 adjacent to the transfer opening 14, and repeats the above operation to unload each substrate W from each mounting table 211. It is not necessary to raise the shower head 60 when the substrate W is unloaded, but the shower head 60 may be raised during this unloading in preparation for loading the substrate W for the next film formation process.

[0092] As described above, in the substrate processing method, by disposing the shower head 60 at the raised position H1 when the substrate W is carried in, interference between the shower head 60 and the substrate W can be prevented. On the other hand, in the substrate processing method, by disposing the shower head 60 at the processing position H2 during the film formation process, the source gas discharged from the shower head 60 can be appropriately attached to the substrate W, and the accuracy of the film formation process can be improved.

[0093] The substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing method are not limited to the above embodiment, and may take various modified forms. For example, the lifting mechanism 70 is configured to lift and lower the shower head 60 between the raised position H1 and the processing position H2. However, the lifting mechanism 70 may stop the shower head 60 at an appropriate upper or lower position. For example, when the warp of the substrate W is small, the control unit 90 may stop the shower head 60 at an intermediate position on the inclined surface 743I without lifting it to the raised position H1.

[0094] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may adjust the vertical position of the shower head 60 in accordance with the thickness of the film on the substrate W during the film formation process on the substrate W. For example, when the film on the substrate W is thin, the shower head 60 may be lowered, whereas when the film on the substrate W is thick, the shower head 60 may be raised. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may monitor the warping of the substrate W by the displacement sensor 80 during the film formation process, and perform a process of raising the shower head 60 if warping occurs.

[0095] For example, in the above embodiment, the raw gas supply unit 121 is provided with a shower head 60 as a gas supply member, while the reactive gas supply unit 122 and the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 are provided with nozzles. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and the shower head 60 may be adopted for some or all of the reactive gas supply unit 122 and the separation gas supply units 123 and 124. In this case, the reactive gas supply unit 122 having the shower head 60 that discharges the reactive gas may be configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by including the above-mentioned lifting mechanism 70. This makes it possible to avoid interference with the warped substrate W even in the reactive gas supply unit 122. In addition, the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 having the shower head 60 that discharges the separation gas may be configured to be raised and lowered by including the above-mentioned lifting mechanism 70. Furthermore, in the separation gas supply units 123 and 124, when the shower head 60 is employed, it is preferable that the convex portion 17 is configured to rise and fall integrally with the shower head 60. This makes it possible to avoid interference with the warped substrate W in the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 as well, and to bring the lower surface of the convex portion 17 closer to the substrate W on the mounting table 211.

[0096] Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may apply a nozzle for supplying a source gas to the supply member of the source gas supply unit 121. Even when a nozzle is applied, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided with a lifting mechanism for lifting the nozzle. That is, the lifting mechanism can raise the nozzle to avoid interference between the warped substrate W and the nozzle, while bringing the nozzle close to the substrate W during substrate processing, thereby improving the accuracy of substrate processing. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 may also be configured to raise and lower the nozzle for the reaction gas supply unit 122 and the separation gas supply units 123 and 124 to which the nozzle is applied. As a result, the nozzle can be raised to avoid interference between the warped substrate W and the nozzle, while bringing the nozzle close to the substrate W during substrate processing, thereby improving the accuracy of substrate processing.

[0097] Fig. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism 70A according to a first modified example. The lifting mechanism 70A according to the first modified example shown in Fig. 8 differs from the above-described lifting mechanism 70 in that it has a drive mechanism section 760 that transmits the rotational force of a drive motor 761 to a power transmission section 762 to raise and lower a support shaft 762a of the power transmission section 762 along the vertical direction. In addition to the drive motor 761 and the power transmission section 762, the lifting mechanism 70A also includes a support frame 763, a first connection block 764, a second connection block 765, a bellows 766, etc.

[0098] The support frame 763 comprises a protruding frame that protrudes vertically upward from the upper surface of the tabletop 112 and a bridging frame that bridges the upper ends of the protruding frames (both not shown), and the bridging frame supports the drive motor 761 and the power transmission unit 762.

[0099] The drive motor 761 rotates at an appropriate speed under the control of the control unit 90, and transmits the rotational force to the power transmission unit 762. As this drive motor 761, a servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like can be used.

[0100] The power transmission unit 762 converts the rotational force of the drive motor 761 into linear motion of the support shaft 762a, and moves the support shaft 762a up and down in the vertical direction. A first connection block 764 is connected to the lower end of the support shaft 762a.

[0101] The first connection block 764 is connected to the upper end of the upper connection part 61 of the shower head 60 by a fastening part such as a screw. Moreover, the second connection block 765 is connected to the middle position of the upper connection part 61 by a fastening part such as a screw. The bellows 766 is provided between the second connection block 765 and the top plate 112, and closes the internal space of the processing vessel 11 while allowing the shower head 60 to be raised and lowered.

[0102] Furthermore, the source gas supply pipe 121t and the inert gas supply pipe 121i are connected to the upper connection part 61 between the first connection block 764 and the second connection block 765.

[0103] The lifting mechanism 70A configured in this manner can also raise and lower the shower head 60 in the vertical direction, and can achieve the same operation and effects as the above-described lifting mechanism 70. In particular, the lifting mechanism 70A has a simple configuration in which the lifting mechanism 70 is raised and lowered by the rotational force of the drive motor 761, making the lifting mechanism 70 lightweight and allowing the shower head 60 to be raised and lowered smoothly.

[0104] Fig. 9(A) is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism 70B according to a second modified example. Fig. 9(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing a lifting mechanism 70C according to a third modified example. The lifting mechanism 70B according to the second modified example shown in Fig. 9(A) differs from the above-described lifting mechanisms 70 and 70A in that it includes a drive mechanism 770 having a plurality of guide parts 775 that guide the lifting and lowering of the lower discharge part 62 of the shower head 60.

[0105] Specifically, like the elevating mechanism 70A, the elevating mechanism 70B has a drive motor 771, a power transmission unit 772 having a support shaft 772a, and a support frame 773, and supports the upper end of the shower head 60 by a connection block 774 connected to the support shaft 772a. The source gas supply pipe 121t and the inert gas supply pipe 121i are connected to this connection block 774 and the like.

[0106] The multiple guide parts 775 are provided to penetrate the top plate 112 on the sides of the upper connection part 61 of the shower head 60. The guide parts 775 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the top plate 112. Each guide part 775 can be, for example, a linear bushing, and guides the rising and lowering of the shower head 60.

[0107] Furthermore, a bellows 776 that closes the space of the processing vessel 11 is provided on the radially outer side of each guide portion 775. The bellows 776 is joined to the lower surface of the top plate 112 and also joined to the upper surface of the lower discharge portion 62.

[0108] The lifting mechanism 70B configured in this manner can also raise and lower the shower head 60 in the vertical direction, and can achieve the same operation and effects as the above-described lifting mechanisms 70 and 70A. In particular, the lifting mechanism 70B can raise and lower the shower head 60 more stably by using the guide parts 775.

[0109] 9(B) according to a third modified example, a lifting mechanism 70C differs from the above-described lifting mechanisms 70, 70A, and 70B in that it includes a drive mechanism 780 including multiple drive sources 781 (two in the illustrated example) that lift the shower head 60. In this modified example, a cylinder mechanism (hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.) is used as the drive source 781, but this is not limiting, and a motor and a power transmission unit may also be used.

[0110] The multiple driving sources 781 are supported by a support frame 782 so that their movable shafts 781a protrude vertically downward. The lower ends of the movable shafts 781a are connected to the lower discharge parts 62 of the shower head 60 to raise and lower the shower head 60.

[0111] The lifting mechanism 70C further includes a connection block 783 connected to the upper connection part 61, a bellows 784 that closes the inside of the processing vessel 11, a guide part 785 that guides the movable shaft 781a, and the like.

[0112] The lifting mechanism 70C configured in this manner can also raise and lower the shower head 60 in the vertical direction, and can achieve the same operation and effects as the above-described lifting mechanisms 70, 70A, and 70B. In particular, by using multiple drive sources 781, the lifting mechanism 70C can distribute the load applied to the raising and lowering of the shower head 60, making the lifting more stable.

[0113] It should be noted that various other driving mechanisms may be used for the lifting mechanism 70. For example, the lifting mechanism 70 may be configured using a double-shaft motor and a worm gear, or may be configured using a toggle mechanism (link mechanism) that combines multiple links.

[0114] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0115] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a processing vessel 11 for processing substrates W, a rotary table 21 rotatably arranged inside the processing vessel 11 and on which multiple substrates W are placed at positions radially spaced from the center of rotation, and a supply member (shower head 60) for supplying gas to the substrates W placed on the rotary table 21, and further including a lifting mechanism 70 for raising and lowering the supply member relative to the processing vessel 11.

[0116] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can avoid interference between the supply member and the substrate W by raising and lowering the supply member (shower head 60) with the lifting mechanism 70. In particular, since the substrate W may be warped, the lifting mechanism 70 can raise the supply member to effectively avoid interference with the warped substrate W. Then, when the warping of the substrate W becomes smaller, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can accurately process the substrate by lowering the supply member with the lifting mechanism 70.

[0117] The control unit 90 controls the lifting mechanism 70, and before the substrate W is loaded onto the turntable 21 from outside the processing chamber 11, the control unit 90 places the supply member (shower head 60) at an elevated position H1 elevated above a processing position H2 of the supply member placed during processing of the substrate W. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to reliably avoid interference between the supply member and the substrate W by positioning the supply member at the elevated position H1, even if the substrate W is warped when loaded.

[0118] Furthermore, the control unit 90 lowers the supply member (shower head 60) from the raised position H1 to the processing position H2 based on the fact that the warpage of the substrates W placed on the turntable 21 is reduced. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to place the supply member at an appropriate position while preventing contact between the supply member and the substrates W.

[0119] Furthermore, the control unit 90 lowers the supply member (shower head 60) from the raised position H1 to the processing position H2, and then supplies gas from the supply member while rotating the turntable 21 to process the plurality of substrates W. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to stably perform substrate processing on each substrate W.

[0120] The supply member is a shower head 60 having a discharge surface 62s parallel to the turntable 21 and discharging gas from the discharge surface 62s. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to uniformly supply gas to the surface of the substrate W from the discharge surface 62s.

[0121] The shower head 60 has a lower discharge part 62 that discharges gas, and an upper connection part 61 that connects the lifting mechanism 70 and the lower discharge part 62, and the lower discharge part 62 diffuses the gas circulated via the upper connection part 61 in the horizontal direction inside the lower discharge part 62. This allows the substrate processing apparatus 1 to supply gas more stably and uniformly from the outside of the processing chamber 11 to each substrate W on the turntable 21.

[0122] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 70 has a connection block 71 that supports the upper end of the shower head 60 outside the processing vessel 11, and the area of ​​the connection block 71 in a plan view is smaller than the area of ​​the lower discharge part 62 in a plan view. This reduces the atmospheric pressure acting on the connection block 71 outside the processing vessel 11, making it possible to reduce the load when the lifting mechanism 70 moves up and down.

[0123] Furthermore, the supply member (shower head 60) supplies the source gas to be adsorbed onto the substrate W inside the processing vessel 11. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can supply the source gas by raising and lowering the supply member that supplies the source gas to the substrate W, bringing the supply member sufficiently close to the substrate W during substrate processing.

[0124] Furthermore, the supply member (shower head 60) supplies a reactive gas that reacts with the source gas adsorbed to the substrate W inside the processing vessel 11. The substrate processing apparatus 1 raises and lowers the supply member that supplies the reactive gas to the substrate W, thereby bringing the supply member sufficiently close to the substrate W during substrate processing to supply the reactive gas.

[0125] Furthermore, the supply member (shower head 60) supplies a separation gas that separates the source gas and the reactive gas supplied to the substrate W inside the processing vessel 11. By raising and lowering the supply member that supplies the separation gas to the substrate W, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can reduce the space for the separation gas around the supply member during substrate processing, thereby further promoting separation of the source gas and the reactive gas.

[0126] Furthermore, the turntable 21 has a plurality of mounting stages 211 on which a plurality of substrates W are respectively placed, and the plurality of mounting stages 211 rotate the placed substrates W around the center of the mounting stages 211 separately from the rotation of the turntable 21. This enables the substrate processing apparatus 1 to further promote uniformity in substrate processing for the substrates W, and even if the structure on the turntable 21 side becomes heavy, the supply member (shower head 60) side is raised and lowered, so that the load during raising and lowering can be reduced.

[0127] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a processing vessel 11 for processing a substrate W, a turntable 21 rotatably provided inside the processing vessel 11 and mounting a plurality of substrates W at positions radially spaced from the center of rotation, a supply member (shower head 60) for supplying gas to the substrates W mounted on the turntable 21, and a lifting mechanism 70 for lifting the supply member relative to the processing vessel 11, in which, before the substrate W is loaded from outside the processing vessel 11 onto the turntable 21, the supply member is disposed at a lifted position H1 that is elevated above a processing position H2 of the supply member disposed during processing of the substrate W. Even in this case, the substrate processing method can avoid interference between the supply member in the processing vessel 11 and the substrate W, and can perform substrate processing with high accuracy.

[0128] The substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing method according to the presently disclosed embodiment are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be configured in other ways without any contradiction, and can be combined without any contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1. Substrate Processing Equipment 11 Processing vessel 21 Rotating Table 60 Shower Head 70 Lifting mechanism

Claims

1. a processing vessel for processing a substrate; a rotation table that is rotatably installed inside the processing vessel and that places the plurality of substrates on the rotation table at positions radially apart from a rotation center; a supply member that supplies a gas to the substrate placed on the turntable, a lifting mechanism for lifting the supply member relative to the rotary table; Substrate processing equipment.

2. A control unit for controlling the lifting mechanism, the control unit disposes the supply member at an elevated position that is elevated above a processing position of the supply member that is disposed during processing of the substrate, before the substrate is carried into the turntable from outside the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit lowers the supply member from the elevated position to the processing position based on a reduction in warpage of the plurality of substrates placed on the turntable. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit lowers the supply member from the raised position to the processing position, and then supplies the gas from the supply member while rotating the turntable, to process the plurality of substrates. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. the supply member is a shower head having a discharge surface parallel to the rotary table and discharging the gas from the discharge surface; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. the shower head has a lower outlet part that discharges the gas, and an upper connection part that connects the lifting mechanism and the lower outlet part, The lower discharge portion horizontally diffuses the gas circulated through the upper connection portion therein. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 .

7. the lifting mechanism includes a connection block that supports an upper end of the shower head outside the processing vessel; The area of ​​the connection block in a plan view is smaller than the area of ​​the lower discharge portion in a plan view. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 .

8. the supply member supplies a source gas to be adsorbed onto the substrate inside the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. the supply member supplies a reaction gas that reacts with the source gas adsorbed on the substrate inside the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. the supply member supplies a separation gas that separates the source gas and the reaction gas supplied to the substrate inside the processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. the rotary table has a plurality of mounting tables on which the plurality of substrates are respectively mounted, the plurality of mounting tables rotate the substrates placed thereon around the centers of the mounting tables separately from the rotation of the turntable; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. a processing vessel for processing a substrate; a rotation table that is rotatably installed inside the processing vessel and that places the plurality of substrates on the rotation table at positions radially apart from a rotation center; a supply member that supplies a gas to the substrate placed on the turntable; a lifting mechanism for lifting the supply member relative to the rotary table, before the substrate is carried onto the rotary table from outside the processing chamber, the supply member is disposed at an elevated position that is elevated above a processing position of the supply member that is disposed during processing of the substrate; A method for processing a substrate.

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