Process gas supply apparatus and substrate processing system having the same

Abstract

To provide a process gas supply apparatus that stably controls the temperature of process gas and supplies the gas and a substrate processing system having the same.SOLUTION: A process gas supply apparatus comprises a gas hub to which process gas is supplied from a gas supply source, a plurality of gas lines propagating the process gas, which are branched and supplied with from the gas hub, and an integrated heater section that is arranged to wrap around the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub and simultaneously heats the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a process gas supplying apparatus and a substrate processing system including the same, and more particularly, to a process gas supplying apparatus for stably controlling a temperature of a process gas and supplying the process gas, and a substrate processing system including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a substrate processing apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors, a process gas may be heated before being supplied to a chamber in order to ensure a stable reaction and control particles.

[0003] Conventionally, a heating jacket is used to enclose each gas line supplying process gas and to heat each gas line individually, but in this case, problems such as different temperatures at specific parts have occurred, which has led to problems such as particles during the process. That is, when a heating jacket is installed to heat each gas line, it takes up a lot of space due to space restrictions, and the heating zones increase in number, making it difficult to control, and problems such as different temperatures depending on the section of the heating jacket occur, resulting in problems such as particles.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to stably maintain and control the temperature of the entire gas line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-0990157 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention provides a process gas supplying apparatus capable of uniformly heating a plurality of gas lines for supplying process gases and stably maintaining and managing the temperature of the process gases, and a substrate processing system having the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a gas hub to which a process gas is supplied from a gas supply source, a plurality of gas lines for transmitting the process gas branched off and supplied from the gas hub, and an integrated heater unit arranged to enclose the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub and to heat the gas hub and the plurality of gas lines simultaneously.

[0008] The integrated heater section may include a thermally conductive block that encases the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub, and a heating element that at least partially contacts the thermally conductive block to heat the thermally conductive block.

[0009] The thermally conductive block may include a hub housing that encases the gas hub, and a gas line housing that encases the plurality of gas lines.

[0010] Each of the plurality of gas lines may include a horizontal line portion extending radially from the gas hub and a vertical line portion extending perpendicular to the radial direction from the horizontal line portion, and the gas line accommodating portion may include a first line accommodating portion enclosing the horizontal line portion and a second line accommodating portion enclosing the vertical line portion.

[0011] The first line accommodating portion and the second line accommodating portion may have different shapes.

[0012] A plurality of the gas hubs may be stacked vertically, and the hub housing may enclose the plurality of gas hubs together.

[0013] The plurality of gas lines may be connected to each of the gas hubs in equal numbers, and the gas line housing may be configured in plurality to enclose the gas lines each in the same direction.

[0014] A plurality of gas supply lines for supplying the process gas may be connected to the plurality of gas hubs, respectively, and the process gas may include a plurality of gases supplied to different gas hubs.

[0015] The gas lines may extend radially and symmetrically about the gas hub.

[0016] The thermally conductive block may comprise aluminum.

[0017] The heating element may comprise a cartridge heater.

[0018] The process gas supply device may further include a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the thermally conductive block.

[0019] The integrated heater portion may further include a heat insulating portion that encases the thermally conductive block.

[0020] The heat insulating portion may include glass fiber.

[0021] A substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention may include the process gas supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of shower heads branched from the gas hub and each of which is supplied with the process gas, and a plurality of substrate supports respectively disposed corresponding to the plurality of showerheads.

[0022] The substrate processing system may further include a plurality of sub-chambers in which the showerheads and the substrate support members are respectively arranged in pairs.

[0023] The showerheads may be arranged symmetrically.

[0024] Each of the gas hubs may be supplied with one of the process gases. Effect of the Invention

[0025] The process gas supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention can improve the uniformity of heating of the gas lines by simultaneously heating the gas hub and the gas lines by enclosing the gas lines and the gas hub together through the integrated heater unit, and can therefore maintain and manage the temperature of the process gas uniformly and stably at all points. This can prevent particles that are generated during the process due to problems such as different temperatures of the process gas at certain points, and can ensure stable reactions of the process gas.

[0026] Furthermore, when such a process gas supply device is applied to a substrate processing system in which a plurality of showerheads and a plurality of substrate support parts form a plurality of sub-chambers, a plurality of gas lines each branching off from a gas hub and connected to a plurality of showerheads can be uniformly heated to supply process gas at a uniform temperature to each of the showerheads. As a result, the process uniformity among the sub-chambers is improved, and high-quality substrate processing can be performed on a plurality of substrates simultaneously. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a process gas supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a process gas supply apparatus having multiple gas hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a first line accommodating portion and a second line accommodating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating multiple sub-chambers according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. In describing the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and the drawings may be partially exaggerated in size to accurately describe the embodiments of the present invention, and the same numerals in the drawings indicate the same components.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a process gas supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) of FIG. 1 is an exploded oblique view of the process gas supply device, and (b) of FIG. 1 is a oblique view of the assembled state of the process gas supply device.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a process gas supplying apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a gas hub 110 to which a process gas is supplied from a gas supply source (not shown), a plurality of gas lines 120 for transmitting the process gas branched off and supplied from the gas hub 110, and an integrated heater unit 130 arranged to surround the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110 and to heat the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120 simultaneously.

[0031] The gas hub 110 can be supplied with a process gas from a gas supply source (not shown), and a gas supply line 21 is connected to the gas hub 110 so that the process gas can be supplied from the gas supply source (not shown) through the gas supply line 21. Here, the gas hub 110 may be filled with the process gas first (or first), or the process gas may be fully (or completely) filled with the process gas so that the internal pressure is uniform, and then the process gas may be branched into a plurality of gas lines 120 and supplied to each gas line 120. For example, the gas hub 110 may have the same number of sub-spaces as the number of branched gas lines 120, and each of the sub-spaces may be connected to each other so that the process gas supplied from one gas supply line 21 is fully filled, or may be partially blocked by a partition or the like to separate (or divide) the regions. Here, the process gas may be filled into each of the sub-spaces first, and then supplied to each of the gas lines 120 after (or after) the pressures of all of the sub-spaces are uniform (or uniform).

[0032] The gas lines 120 may branch out from the gas hub 110, and the process gas branched from the gas hub 110 may be supplied and flow therethrough, and the supplied process gas may be delivered to the sub-chambers 215 and / or the shower head 210. For example, each gas line 120 branched out from the gas hub 110 may be connected to a different sub-chamber 215 and / or a different shower head 210, and a processing process for each substrate 10 may be performed in a processing station of each sub-chamber 215. In this case, a process may be performed independently in each sub-chamber 215, and the same process or different processes may be performed in each sub-chamber 215.

[0033] The integrated heater unit 130 can be disposed to enclose the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120, and can simultaneously heat the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120, thereby uniformly heating the process gas in the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120. This can improve the uniformity of heating the gas lines 120, and can uniformly and stably maintain and manage the temperature of the process gas flowing in the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120 at all points in the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120. This can prevent particles from being generated during the process due to problems such as the process gas having different temperatures at specific points in the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120, and can allow the process gas to react stably.

[0034] Here, the integrated heater unit 130 may include thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 that enclose the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110, and a heating element 133 that at least partially contacts the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 to heat the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132. The thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 may enclose the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110, and may be heated by the heating element 133 to transfer heat to the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110, so that the process gas in the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120 may be heated. For example, the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 may enclose the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110 collectively, so that the gas hub 110 and the plurality of gas lines 120 may be simultaneously heated by thermal conduction.

[0035] The heating element 133 can heat the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 by at least partially contacting the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132, and the heat can be transferred to the plurality of gas lines 120 and the gas hub 110 via the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 to be heated. At this time, the heating element 133 can be in close contact with the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 to smoothly transfer (or propagate) the heat to the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132. Meanwhile, the heating element 133 is detachable from the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132, and can be replaced by being attached to the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132 or detached from the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132.

[0036] Here, the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 may include a hub housing 131 that encloses the gas hub 110 and a gas line housing 132 that encloses the multiple gas lines 120. The hub housing 131 can enclose the gas hub 110 and cover the entire outer surface of the gas hub 110, and can contact (or be in close contact with) the outer surface of the gas hub 110 to transfer (or conduct) heat from the heating element 133 to the gas hub 110, thereby allowing the gas hub 110 to be heated in order to heat the process gas.

[0037] The gas line housing 132 can be (integrally) coupled (or connected) to the hub housing 131, can enclose a plurality of gas lines 120, and can extend from the hub housing 131 according to the direction in which each gas line 120 branches off from the gas hub 110. For example, the gas line housing 132 can enclose a plurality of gas lines 120 collectively by surrounding (or enclosing) the hub housing 131 and extending outward (in a direction) from the outer surface (or circumferential surface) of the hub housing 131, or can enclose each gas line 120 in each (branching) direction (or the same direction) by contacting the outer surface of the hub housing 131 and extending in the branching direction of the gas lines 120. Thereby, the gas line receiving part 132 is in close contact with (or in contact with) the outer surface of each of the plurality of gas lines 120 and can conduct (or propagate) heat from the heating element 133 to all of the plurality of gas lines 120, thereby heating the plurality of gas lines 120 and heating the process gas within the plurality of gas lines 120. Meanwhile, the gas line receiving part 132 can be composed of two blocks, and each block is provided with a groove to fit the shape of the gas line 120, and has a shape capable of enclosing the gas line 120.

[0038] At this time, the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 may contain aluminum (Al) and can be made of aluminum material having a high heat transfer rate. When the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 are made of aluminum, the heat of the heating element 133 can be quickly transferred to the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120 due to the excellent thermal conductivity of aluminum, and the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 have excellent workability and are easy to process (or design). For example, the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be configured (or designed) to encase the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120, and can be processed into a shape that encases the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120 and assembled to the outside of the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120, and the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120 can be (easily) arranged inside the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be easily designed (or configured) by being made of aluminum.

[0039] The heating element 133 may include a cartridge heater. The cartridge heater can be at least partially inserted (or attached) into the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and can heat the conductive blocks 131 and 132 by contacting (the inner surfaces of) the conductive blocks 131 and 132, and can conduct (or propagate) heat through the conductive blocks 131 and 132 to (indirectly) heat the gas hub 110 and the gas lines 120. Here, the cartridge heater is replaceable, and the specifications such as the capacity and the number of the cartridge heaters to be attached (mounted) in the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 can be determined according to (or to match) the size of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 and the heating (target) temperature.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a process gas supply device having multiple gas hubs according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a first line accommodating section and a second line accommodating section according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first line accommodating section, and (b) of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second line accommodating section.

[0041] 2 and 3, each of the gas lines 120 may include a horizontal line portion 120a extending in a radial direction from the gas hub 110 and a vertical line portion 120b extending in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction from the horizontal line portion 120a. The horizontal line portion 120a may be connected to the gas hub 110 and extend in a radial direction (or outward direction) from the gas hub 110, and may extend in the radial direction (e.g., horizontal direction) toward the corresponding showerhead 210 so that each of the gas lines 120 can be connected to the corresponding showerhead 210 and connected to the corresponding vertical line portion 120b.

[0042] The vertical line portion 120b may be connected to the horizontal line portion 120a and extend from the horizontal line portion 120a in a vertical direction (e.g., up and down) of the radial direction, and may extend in a vertical direction of the radial direction toward the corresponding shower heads 210 and be connected to the corresponding shower heads 210.

[0043] Through this, the process gas branched off from the gas hub 110 can flow through the multiple gas lines 210 and be supplied to each shower head 210 of the multiple sub-chambers 215, respectively, thereby making it possible to perform processing processes on the substrate 10 independently in the multiple sub-chambers 215 in which the multiple showerheads 210 are respectively disposed.

[0044] In this case, the gas line housing 132 may include a first line housing 132a that encloses the horizontal line portion 120a and a second line housing 132b that encloses the vertical line portion 120b. The first line housing 132a can enclose the horizontal line portion 120a, can be connected (or joined) to the hub housing 131, can extend in the radial direction along the horizontal line portion 120a, and can transmit heat from the heating element 133 to the horizontal line portion 120a.

[0045] The second line accommodating portion 132b can enclose the vertical line portion 120b, can be connected to the first line accommodating portion 132a, can extend in the radial vertical direction along the vertical line portion 120b, and can transmit heat from the heating element 133 to the vertical line portion 120b.

[0046] Here, the first line receiving portion 132a and the second line receiving portion 132b may be integrally formed or integrally connected to each other.

[0047] Meanwhile, a plurality of gas hubs 110 may be stacked vertically (or vertically to the radial direction), and the hub receiving portion 131 may enclose a plurality of gas hubs 110 together. A plurality of gas hubs 110 may be configured, and the process gas may be filled into the plurality of gas hubs 110 (independently or individually). In this case, the gas hubs 110 may be filled with the same gas or different gases, and some groups of gas hubs 110 may be filled with the same gas depending on the number of process gases, and the remaining gas hubs 110 may be filled with different gases that are not the same (or different) as the gas filled into the gas hubs 110 of the some groups. A plurality of gas hubs 110 can be stacked in a vertical direction (e.g., up and down), and at least two or more gas lines 120 can be branched and connected to each gas hub 110, and each gas line 120 connected (or branched) to each gas hub 110 can extend in the radial direction from each gas hub 110. This allows the process gas to be stably supplied to each of the shower heads 210 without interference between the plurality of gas lines 120. In addition, when a plurality of gas hubs 110 are stacked in the vertical direction, the plurality of gas lines 120 branch off and extend in the horizontal direction from each gas hub 110, so that gas can flow (or be supplied) uniformly to each gas line 120 branched off from each gas hub 110.

[0048] Here, the hub accommodating part 131 extends in the stacking direction of the gas hubs 110 to enclose the gas hubs 110 together (or collectively), and the gas hubs 110 are stacked in the vertical direction and extend in the vertical direction along the stacking direction, so that the gas hubs 110 can be easily enclosed collectively. As a result, the gas hubs 110 can be heated uniformly, the heating uniformity of the gas hubs 110 can be improved, and the temperature of the process gas filled in each of the gas hubs 110 can be maintained uniformly and stably in all the gas hubs 110.

[0049] At this time, the same number of gas lines 120 can be connected to each gas hub 110, and the gas line housing 132 can be configured to enclose the gas lines 120 in the same direction. The same number of gas lines 120 can be connected to each gas hub 110, and the number of gas lines 120 connected to each gas hub 110 may be the same as the number of shower heads 210 (which spray the process gas onto each of the different substrates), and a processing process can be performed while supplying (or spraying) the process gas onto each substrate 10.

[0050] In addition, the gas lines 120 extending from each (different) gas hub 110 and connected to the same showerhead 210 can also be stacked in the vertical direction like the multiple gas hubs 110, and the gas line receptacle 132 can collectively (or together) enclose the gas lines 120 in the same direction stacked in the vertical direction, or can be configured in multiple units to enclose the gas lines 120 in the same direction separately. The gas line receptacle 132 can extend in the vertical direction (or in the stacking direction of the gas lines in the same direction) to enclose two or more gas lines 120 extending in the same direction together, so that the multiple gas lines 120 can be heated uniformly to improve the heating uniformity of the multiple gas lines 120, and the temperature of the process gas filled in each of the multiple gas lines 120 can be uniformly and stably maintained and managed at all points of the multiple gas lines 120.

[0051] When the gas lines 120 in the same direction are stacked in the vertical direction, the first line accommodating portion 132a and the second line accommodating portion 132b may have different shapes. For example, the first line accommodating portion 132a may be (relatively) long in the vertical direction in which the horizontal line portions 120a of the gas lines 120 in the same direction are stacked and in the extension direction in which the horizontal line portions 120a of the gas lines 120 in the same direction extend, and may be (relatively) narrow (or small) in width (or length) in the vertical direction and in a direction intersecting the extension direction, and the second line accommodating portion 132b may be (relatively) long in the vertical direction in which the vertical line portions 120b of the gas lines 120 in the same direction extend, and may be (relatively) narrow (or small) in length (or width) in (two) intersecting directions (e.g., front-rear direction and left-right direction) intersecting the vertical direction. Meanwhile, in the second line accommodating section 132b, one or more (e.g., four) additional auxiliary blocks can be inserted into the spaces between the gas lines 120 in the main block to increase the heat conduction efficiency and improve the heat conduction of the thermally conductive blocks 131, 132.

[0052] 2 and 3, the first line accommodating portion 132a may be a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a rectangle that is long in the vertical direction and has a small (or narrow) width in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and the extension direction extends in the extension direction, and the second line accommodating portion 132b may be a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a square that has the same width in the (two) intersecting directions extends in the vertical direction so that the vertical line portions 120b can maintain a similar (or the same) distance from the center of the corresponding showerhead 210. In this case, the vertical line portions 120b of the gas lines 120 in the same direction may be disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of the corresponding showerhead 210 and may be at the same distance from the center of the corresponding showerhead 210, and the second line accommodating portion 132b may be disposed in contact with a surface of the first line accommodating portion 132a in the vertical direction and in the direction intersecting the extension direction as shown in FIG. 2, instead of the surface in the extension direction of the first line accommodating portion 132a.

[0053] Through this, even if the process gas includes a plurality of gases, all the gases can be stably supplied to the corresponding showerheads 210, and the uniformity of each gas can be improved.

[0054] On the other hand, the horizontal line section 120a may include a first horizontal line 121a, a second horizontal line 122a, a third horizontal line 123a, a fourth horizontal line 124a, a fifth horizontal line 125a), a sixth horizontal line 126a, a seventh horizontal line 127a, and an eighth horizontal line 128a, and the first horizontal line 121a, the second horizontal line 122a, the third horizontal line 123a, the fourth horizontal line 124a, the fifth horizontal line 125a, the sixth horizontal line 126a, the seventh horizontal line 127a, and the eighth horizontal line 128a can be stacked in the vertical direction and can be accommodated in the first line accommodating section 132a.

[0055] The vertical line portion 120b may include a first vertical line 121b, a second vertical line 122b, a third vertical line 123b, a fourth vertical line 124b, a fifth vertical line 125b, a sixth vertical line 126b, a seventh vertical line 127b, and an eighth vertical line 128b, and the first vertical line 121b, the second vertical line 122b, the third vertical line 123b, the fourth vertical line 124b, the fifth vertical line 125b, the sixth vertical line 126b, the seventh vertical line 127b, and the eighth vertical line 128b may be disposed at similar distances from the center of the corresponding showerhead 210 and may be accommodated in the second line accommodation portion 132b.

[0056] Here, a plurality of gas supply lines 21 for supplying the process gas may be connected to the plurality of gas hubs 120, respectively, and the process gas may include a plurality of gases to be supplied to different gas hubs 110. A plurality of gas supply lines 21 for supplying the process gas from the gas supply source (not shown) may be connected to the plurality of gas hubs 120, respectively, and different gas supply lines 21 may be connected to each gas hub 120, thereby allowing each gas hub 120 to be filled with gas independently.

[0057] In this case, the process gas may include a plurality of gases supplied to different gas hubs 110, and the number of the plurality of gases may be the same as or different from the number of the gas hubs 110, as long as the number is two or more. For example, the plurality of gases may be different, and at least one of the type and function of the gas may be different. When the number of the plurality of gases is the same as the number of the gas hubs 110, each gas may be filled with one gas through each gas supply line 21. When the number of the gas hubs 110 is greater than the number of the plurality of gases, each gas may be supplied to at least one gas hub 110, and some of the plurality of gases may be supplied to two or more gas hubs 110. Even in this case, each gas may be supplied to each gas hub 110 through each gas supply line 21.

[0058] The gas lines 120 may extend radially and symmetrically around the gas hub 110, and may have the same length (or extension length) from the gas hub 110 to the corresponding showerheads 210. The showerheads 210 are also arranged symmetrically around the gas hub 110, and the gas lines 120 from the gas hub 110 to the corresponding showerheads 210 have the same length, so that the (same) process gas can be uniformly supplied to each of the showerheads 210, improving process uniformity (or processing uniformity) among the sub-chambers 215 in which the showerheads 210 are disposed.

[0059] Meanwhile, the process gas may include a source gas (S), a reactant gas (R) that reacts with the source gas, a source purge gas (SP) that purges the source gas, and a reactant purge gas (RP) that purges the reactant gas. For example, the source gas may include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), dichlorosilane (DCS), SiH2Cl2, etc., and the reactant gas may include ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2). The source purge gas and the reactant purge gas may be inert gases, such as nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), and argon (Ar), and may be the same gas or different gases.

[0060] The process gas supplying device 100 according to the present invention may further include a temperature measuring unit (not shown) for measuring the temperatures of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 .

[0061] The temperature measuring unit (not shown) can measure the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and can control the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 by measuring the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132. Here, the temperature measuring unit (not shown) may include a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple.

[0062] For example, the process gas supplying apparatus 100 of the present invention may further include a control unit (not shown) for controlling the heating element 133 to adjust the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and may divide the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 into a plurality of (e.g., nine) zones and control each zone to a target temperature (or required temperature) through the control unit (not shown). Here, the control unit (not shown) may read the temperature of each zone through the temperature measuring unit (not shown) and control the output (e.g., output energy or energy emission intensity) of the heating element 133 so that the temperature reaches the control temperature (or target temperature). At this time, the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132 may be read using a thermocouple provided outside the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and a control thermocouple and a monitor thermocouple may be provided for each zone. The control thermocouple can be used to control the temperature of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the monitor thermocouple can be used to sense an abnormal temperature and operate an automatic locking device such as an interlock. Meanwhile, the multiple zones may be heater zones or heating zones in which a heating element 133 is arranged.

[0063] The control unit (not shown) may include a heater temperature controller (HTC), which may compare the current temperature of each zone with a control temperature and then adjust the operation time of a non-contact relay (circuit breaker) such as a solid state relay (SSR) to control the target temperature. The set temperature of the heating zone may be different for each zone and may be determined in the range of 100 to 180° C., and two thermocouples may be provided in each heating zone. In this case, the control thermocouple is connected to the heater temperature controller and can be used to control the temperature of the thermal conductive blocks 131 and 132, and the monitor thermocouple is connected to a process device controller (PDC) and can operate an interlock relay when there is a temperature abnormality.

[0064] For example, the hub housing 131 can be used as one heating area by connecting four cartridge heaters in series, and a K-type thermocouple can be attached to the lower part of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 to control the temperature of the hub housing 131. The first line housing 132a can be used as one heating area by connecting five cartridge heaters in series, and a plurality of heating areas (for example, a total of four) can be formed, one for each direction, and a K-type thermocouple can be attached to the outside of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 to control the temperature of the first line housing 132a. The second line housing 132b can be used as one heating area by connecting four cartridge heaters in series, and a plurality of heating areas (for example, a total of four) can be formed, one for each direction, and a K-type thermocouple can be attached to the side of the thermally conductive blocks 131 and 132 to control the temperature of the second line housing 132b.

[0065] The integrated heater unit 130 may further include a heat insulating unit that encases the heat conductive blocks 131 and 132. The heat insulating unit can encase the heat conductive blocks 131 and 132, and can prevent heat loss to the outer shell of the heat conductive blocks 131 and 132.

[0066] The heat insulating portion may include glass fiber, and the heat conductive blocks 131 and 132 may be wrapped in an insulator made of glass fiber.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a plurality of sub-chambers according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] With reference to Figures 4 and 5, a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, but the overlapping points with those described above in relation to the process gas supply apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

[0069] A substrate processing system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention may include the process gas supply apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of shower heads 210 branched from the gas hub 110 to which the process gas is respectively supplied, and a plurality of substrate supports 220 respectively disposed corresponding to the plurality of shower heads 210.

[0070] The process gas supply apparatus 100 may be the process gas supply apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and may supply the process gas at a uniform temperature to each of the multiple shower heads 210. Since the details have been described above, they will not be described here.

[0071] The showerheads 210 may be branched from the gas hub 110 to supply the process gases, and may be disposed in the sub-chambers 215 to spray the process gases onto the substrate 10 for processing the substrate.

[0072] The plurality of substrate support parts 220 can be arranged corresponding to the plurality of shower heads 210, respectively, and can support the substrate 10 to be processed. The plurality of substrate support parts 220 can be arranged in each sub-chamber 215, and the process gas can be sprayed onto the substrate 10 supported by the substrate support parts 220 to perform substrate processing such as deposition.

[0073] The substrate processing system 200 according to the present invention may further include a plurality of sub-chambers 215 in which a plurality of showerheads 210 and a plurality of substrate support members 220 are arranged in pairs.

[0074] The plurality of subchambers 215 may be arranged with a plurality of showerheads 210 and a plurality of substrate supports 220 in pairs, and may perform processes (simultaneously) on a plurality of substrates 10, and each subchamber 215 may perform a processing process on each substrate 10. In this case, the plurality of subchambers 215 may be spatially separated (or isolated) by a partition or the like to form a chamber module, or may be partitioned into a plurality of subchambers 215 (e.g., a first subchamber, a second subchamber, a third subchamber, and a fourth subchamber) in which processes are performed independently (only) in a region within the chamber wall 230 to form a chamber module. For example, the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d arranged in the chamber wall 230 of the chamber module may be only regionally separated within the chamber wall 230, may be connected to each other, and may not be spatially separated by a partition or the like.

[0075] Meanwhile, the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d may each perform a process independently, may be composed of the same components such as the showerhead 210 and the substrate support 220, and may be differentiated by assigning numbers to the subchambers 215 based on their positions (or regions).

[0076] For example, the first sub-chamber 215a may include a first substrate support 220a on which the first substrate 10 is supported, and a first shower head 210a disposed on the first substrate support 220a and configured to spray a gas for substrate processing onto the first substrate 10 supported by the first substrate support 220a, and the second sub-chamber 215b may include a second substrate support 220b on which the second substrate 10 is supported, and a second shower head 210b disposed on the second substrate support 220b and configured to spray a gas for substrate processing onto the second substrate 10 supported by the second substrate support 220b.

[0077] The first shower head 210a and the second shower head 210b can be connected to the gas line 120, can be disposed in the first sub-chamber 215a and the second sub-chamber 215b, can selectively supply any one of a plurality of gases, and can spray the supplied process gas. In this case, the first shower head 210a and the second shower head 210b can be supplied with the same gas or different gases.

[0078] The first and second substrate support parts 220a and 220b are disposed in the first and second sub-chambers 215a and 215b, respectively, to support the first and second substrates 10 and 10, respectively. Thus, a plurality of substrates 10 can be processed simultaneously in one chamber module, thereby improving process yield.

[0079] Here, the multiple showerheads 210 may be arranged symmetrically around the gas hub 110, so that the lengths of the multiple gas lines 120 from the gas hub 110 to the corresponding showerheads 210 can be made equal, and the (same) process gas can be uniformly supplied to each of the multiple showerheads 210, thereby improving process uniformity (or treatment uniformity) among the multiple sub-chambers 215 in which the multiple showerheads 210 are respectively disposed.

[0080] One of the process gases can be supplied to each gas hub 110. That is, only one gas is supplied to the gas hub 110, and the supplied gas may not be changed, which can prevent a plurality of gases from reacting with each other in the gas hub 110, the gas line 120, and / or the shower head 210, and thus prevent particles from being generated during the process.

[0081] Meanwhile, the plurality of gases can be selectively supplied to the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d, and the plurality of gases can be distinguished and supplied to the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d, respectively. Generally, the same gas may be supplied to all of the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d, but the gases may be differentiated and different gases may be supplied to the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d, and a gas different from that of the other subchambers may be supplied to at least one of the first subchamber 215a, the second subchamber 215b, the third subchamber 215c, and the fourth subchamber 215d. In this case, the number of gas hubs 110 may be the same as the number of the gases, or may be the same as the number of subchambers 215, or the number of subchambers 215 and the number of the gases may be the same.

[0082] Therefore, in the substrate processing system 200 according to the present invention, the process gas supply device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a plurality of sub-chambers 215 formed (or configured) by a plurality of shower heads 210 and a plurality of substrate support parts 220. Thus, a plurality of gas lines 120 branched from the gas hub 110 and connected to the plurality of shower heads 210 are uniformly heated to supply the process gas at a uniform temperature to each of the plurality of shower heads 210. As a result, the process uniformity among the plurality of sub-chambers 215 is improved, and high-quality substrate processing can be performed on the plurality of substrates simultaneously.

[0083] In this way, in the present invention, the gas hub and the gas lines are heated simultaneously by enclosing the gas lines and the gas hub together through the integrated heater unit, thereby improving the heating uniformity of the gas lines, and thus the temperature of the process gas can be maintained uniformly and stably at all points. This prevents particles from being generated during the process due to problems such as the process gas temperature being different at a specific point, and allows the process gas to react stably. When the process gas supply device is applied to a substrate processing system in which a plurality of showerheads and a plurality of substrate supporters form a plurality of sub-chambers, each of the gas lines branched from the gas hub and connected to the showerheads can be uniformly heated to supply the process gas at a uniform temperature to the showerheads, thereby improving the process uniformity between the sub-chambers and allowing a plurality of substrates to be processed at the same time with high quality.

[0084] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it should be understood that various modifications can be made thereto and equivalent other embodiments can be adopted by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, the technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10: Substrate 21: Gas supply line 100: Process gas supply device 110: Gas Hub 120: Gas line 120a: Horizontal line section 120b: Vertical line section 121a: First horizontal line 121b: First vertical line 122a: Second horizontal line 122b: Second vertical line 123a: Third horizontal line 123b: Third vertical line 124a: Fourth Horizontal Line 124b: Fourth vertical line 125a: The Fifth Horizontal Line 125b: 5th vertical line 126a: Sixth Horizontal Line 126b: 6th vertical line 127a: Seventh Horizontal Line 127b: Seventh vertical line 128a: 8th horizontal line 128b: 8th vertical line 130: Integrated heater section 131: Hub housing 132: Gas line housing 132a: First line housing 132b: Second line housing 133: Heating element 200: Substrate processing system 210: Shower head 210a: First shower head 210b: Second shower head 215: Sub-chamber 215a: First sub-chamber 215b: Second sub-chamber 215c: Third sub-chamber 215d: 4th sub-chamber 220: Substrate support 220a: First substrate support 220b: second substrate support 230: Chamber wall

Claims

1. a gas hub to which a process gas is supplied from a gas supply source; a plurality of gas lines for transmitting the process gas branched off from the gas hub; an integrated heater unit that is disposed so as to enclose the gas lines and the gas hub and simultaneously heats the gas hub and the gas lines; A process gas supply device comprising:

2. The integrated heater section includes: a thermally conductive block encasing the plurality of gas lines and the gas hub; a heating element at least partially in contact with the thermally conductive block to heat the thermally conductive block; The process gas supply system according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. The thermally conductive block is a hub housing portion that encloses the gas hub; a gas line housing that encloses the plurality of gas lines; The process gas supply system according to claim 2 , comprising:

4. Each of the plurality of gas lines includes a horizontal line portion extending radially from the gas hub and a vertical line portion extending perpendicular to the radial direction from the horizontal line portion; The gas line housing includes: a first line housing portion that encloses the horizontal line portion; a second line housing portion that encloses the vertical line portion; The process gas supply system according to claim 3 , comprising:

5. The process gas supply device according to claim 4 , wherein the first line housing and the second line housing have different shapes.

6. The gas hub is made up of a plurality of gas hubs stacked vertically, The process gas supply apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the hub housing encloses a plurality of the gas hubs together.

7. The plurality of gas lines are connected to each of the gas hubs in equal numbers, 7. The process gas supply apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gas line container is configured in a plurality of units and encloses the gas lines in the same direction.

8. A plurality of gas supply lines for supplying the process gas are connected to the plurality of gas hubs, respectively; 7. The process gas supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the process gas includes a plurality of gases supplied to different gas hubs.

9. 2. The process gas supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas lines extend radially and symmetrically about the gas hub.

10. 3. The process gas supply apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thermally conductive block comprises aluminum.

11. The process gas supply apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heating element comprises a cartridge heater.

12. The process gas supply device according to claim 2 , further comprising a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature of the thermally conductive block.

13. 3. The process gas supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the integrated heater section further comprises a heat insulating section encasing the thermally conductive block.

14. The process gas supply apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the heat insulating portion includes fiberglass.

15. A process gas supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; a plurality of shower heads branched from the gas hub and each of which is supplied with the process gas; a plurality of substrate supports respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of shower heads; A substrate processing system comprising:

16. The substrate processing system according to claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of sub-chambers in which the plurality of showerheads and the plurality of substrate supports are respectively arranged in pairs.

17. The substrate processing system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of showerheads are arranged symmetrically.

18. The substrate processing system of claim 15 , wherein each of the gas hubs is supplied with one of the process gases.

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