Substrate processing apparatus, substrate support, substrate processing method, and program

Abstract

To make it possible to improve the uniformity of substrate processing for each substrate.SOLUTION: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus, including: a substrate support having a processing region in which a substrate is mounted, and a plurality of mounting parts on which the substrate is mounted arranged such that a substrate interval between an upper region and a lower region of the processing region is narrower than a substrate interval in a central region of the processing region; a processing container accommodating the substrate support; a gas supply part supplying a processing gas into the processing container; and an exhaust part exhausting an atmosphere in the processing container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, a low-resistance metal film is sometimes used as a word line in a NAND flash memory or DRAM having a three-dimensional structure. Also, a barrier film may be formed between this metal film and an insulating film (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-252221 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-069407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when forming a film on a substrate, the amount of reaction by-products generated may differ depending on the position of the substrate, which may result in a difference in the thickness of the film formed on the substrate.

[0005] The present disclosure provides techniques that can improve substrate-to-substrate uniformity in substrate processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, The present invention provides a technology that includes a substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, and a plurality of placement sections on which the substrate is placed such that the substrate spacing between the upper and lower regions of the processing region is narrower than the substrate spacing in the central region of the processing region; a processing vessel that houses the substrate support; a gas supply section that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel; and an exhaust section that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing vessel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the uniformity of substrate processing from substrate to substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an outline of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the arrangement positions of nozzle holes and a substrate support relative to a processing region of a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the arrangement positions of holes of a third nozzle relative to a processing region of a substrate in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a relationship between a substrate support and a film thickness formed on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a relationship between a substrate support and a film thickness formed on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the substrate spacing pattern of the substrate support and the film thickness formed on the substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a control system of the controller in a block diagram. [Figure 9] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a substrate processing sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a substrate processing sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following description will be made with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements shown in the drawings do not necessarily match those of reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0010] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing equipment FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a processing furnace 202a as a first process unit provided in a substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate processing apparatus 10) capable of carrying out a semiconductor device manufacturing method, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the processing furnace 202a taken along line AA. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a first metal-containing film is formed on the wafer 200 in the processing furnace 202a as a first process unit, and a cap film is formed on the first metal-containing film, and then a second metal-containing film is formed in the processing furnace 202b as a second process unit described later, while removing the cap film formed on the surface of the wafer 200.

[0011] The processing furnace 202a includes a heater 207 as a heating system (heating mechanism, heating system, heating unit). The heater 207 has a cylindrical shape and is installed vertically by being supported by a heater base (not shown) as a holding plate.

[0012] An outer tube 203, which constitutes a reaction vessel (processing vessel), is disposed concentrically inside the heater 207. The outer tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC) and has a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. A manifold (inlet flange) 209 is disposed concentrically below the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal such as stainless steel (SUS) and has a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. An O-ring 220a is provided as a sealing member between the upper end of the manifold 209 and the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is supported by a heater base, so that the outer tube 203 is installed vertically.

[0013] An inner tube 204 that constitutes a reaction vessel is disposed inside the outer tube 203. The inner tube 204 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The outer tube 203, the inner tube 204, and the manifold 209 mainly constitute a processing vessel (reaction vessel). A processing chamber 201a is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion of the processing vessel (inside the inner tube 204). Note that, although the inner tube 204 is included in the configuration of the processing vessel (reaction vessel) and the processing chamber 201a here, the inner tube 204 may be omitted.

[0014] The processing chamber 201a is configured to accommodate wafers 200 as substrates arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction in a horizontal position on boats 217 as substrate supports, which will be described later.

[0015] Nozzles 410, 420, and 430 are provided in the processing chamber 201a so as to penetrate the sidewall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. Gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330 serving as gas supply lines are connected to the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, respectively. In this manner, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with three nozzles 410, 420, and 430 and three gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, and is configured to be able to supply multiple types of gases into the processing chamber 201a. However, the processing furnace 202a of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0016] Mass flow controllers (MFCs) 312, 322, and 332, which are flow rate control devices (flow rate control parts), are provided in the gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, respectively, in this order from the upstream side. Furthermore, valves 314, 324, and 334, which are on-off valves, are provided in the gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, respectively. Gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530, which supply inert gas, are connected to the downstream sides of the valves 314, 324, and 334 of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, respectively. MFCs 512, 522, and 532 and valves 514, 524, and 534 are provided in the gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530, respectively, in this order from the upstream side.

[0017] Nozzles 410, 420, 430 are respectively connected to the tip ends of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, 330. The nozzles 410, 420, 430 are configured as L-shaped nozzles, and their horizontal portions are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. The vertical portions of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 are provided inside the channel-shaped (groove-shaped) preliminary chamber 205a that protrudes radially outward from the inner tube 204 and extends vertically, and are provided inside the preliminary chamber 205a facing upward (upward in the arrangement direction of the wafers 200) along the inner wall of the inner tube 204.

[0018] The nozzles 410, 420, and 430 extend from the lower region of the processing chamber 201a to the upper region of the processing chamber 201a, and each has multiple gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a at positions facing the wafer 200. This allows the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 to supply processing gas to the wafer 200. The gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a are provided in multiple locations from the bottom to the top of the inner tube 204, each with the same opening area and at the same opening pitch. However, the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a are not limited to the above configuration. For example, the opening area may gradually increase from the bottom to the top of the inner tube 204. This allows for more uniform flow rates of gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a.

[0019] The gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 are provided at a plurality of positions at a height from the bottom to the top of the boat 217, which will be described later. Therefore, the process gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, 430 into the process chamber 201a is supplied to the wafers 200 accommodated from the bottom to the top of the boat 217, i.e., to the entire area of ​​the wafers 200 accommodated in the boat 217. The nozzles 410, 420, 430 may be provided so as to extend from the bottom region to the top region of the process chamber 201a, but are preferably provided so as to extend to near the ceiling of the boat 217.

[0020] A first processing gas serving as a processing gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 310 into the processing chamber 201a via the MFC 312, the valve 314, and the nozzle 410.

[0021] A second process gas serving as a process gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 320 into the process chamber 201a via the MFC 322, the valve 324, and the nozzle 420.

[0022] A third process gas serving as a process gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 330 into the process chamber 201a via the MFC 332, the valve 334, and the nozzle 430.

[0023] An inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, is supplied from the gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530 into the processing chamber 201a via the MFCs 512, 522, and 532, the valves 514, 524, and 534, and the nozzles 410, 420, and 430. An example in which N2 gas is used as the inert gas will be described below, but other than N2 gas, a rare gas such as argon (Ar) gas, helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, or xenon (Xe) gas may also be used as the inert gas.

[0024] The process gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipes 310, 320, and 330, the MFCs 312, 322, and 332, the valves 314, 324, and 334, and the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, but the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 alone may be considered to be the process gas supply system. The process gas supply system may also be simply referred to as a gas supply system. When a first process gas is flowed from the gas supply pipe 310, the first process gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 310, the MFC 312, and the valve 314, but the nozzle 410 may be considered to be included in the first process gas supply system. When a second process gas is flowed from the gas supply pipe 320, the second process gas supply system is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 320, the MFC 322, and the valve 324, but the nozzle 420 may be considered to be included in the second process gas supply system. When a nitrogen-containing gas is supplied as the second process gas from gas supply pipe 320, the second process gas supply system can also be called a nitrogen-containing gas supply system. When a third process gas is flowed from gas supply pipe 330, a third process gas supply system is mainly composed of gas supply pipe 330, MFC 332, and valve 334, but nozzle 430 may also be included in the third process gas supply system. An inert gas supply system is mainly composed of gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530, MFCs 512, 522, and 532, and valves 514, 524, and 534.

[0025] In the gas supply method of this embodiment, gas is transported via nozzles 410, 420, and 430 disposed within a vertically elongated annular space defined by the inner wall of the inner tube 204 and the ends of the multiple wafers 200, i.e., within a cylindrical space called a pre-chamber 205a. Gas is then ejected into the inner tube 204 from multiple gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a provided in the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 at positions facing the wafers. More specifically, the process gas is ejected in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafer 200, i.e., horizontally, from the gas supply hole 410a of the nozzle 410, the gas supply hole 420a of the nozzle 420, and the gas supply hole 430a of the nozzle 430.

[0026] The exhaust hole (exhaust port) 204a is a through-hole formed in the sidewall of the inner tube 204 at a position facing the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, i.e., at a position 180 degrees opposite the preliminary chamber 205a, and is, for example, a vertically elongated slit-shaped through-hole. Therefore, gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a of the nozzles 410, 420, and 430 into the processing chamber 201a and flowing over the surface of the wafer 200, i.e., remaining gas, flows through the exhaust hole 204a into the exhaust path 206 formed by the gap formed between the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 203. The gas flowing into the exhaust path 206 then flows into the exhaust pipe 231 and is discharged to the outside of the processing furnace 202a.

[0027] The exhaust hole 204a is provided at a position facing the plurality of wafers 200 (preferably at a position facing the upper and lower portions of the boat 217), and gas supplied from the gas supply holes 410a, 420a, and 430a to the vicinity of the wafers 200 in the processing chamber 201a flows horizontally, i.e., in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the wafers 200, and then flows into the exhaust path 206 through the exhaust hole 204a. That is, gas remaining in the processing chamber 201a is exhausted parallel to the main surfaces of the wafers 200 through the exhaust hole 204a. Note that the exhaust hole 204a is not limited to being configured as a slit-shaped through-hole, and may be configured as a plurality of holes.

[0028] The manifold 209 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201a. The exhaust pipe 231 is connected to, in order from upstream, a pressure sensor 245 serving as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure inside the processing chamber 201a, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 243, and a vacuum pump 246 serving as a vacuum exhaust device. The APC valve 243 opens and closes the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating, thereby enabling and stopping the evacuation of the processing chamber 201a. Furthermore, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201a can be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. An exhaust system, i.e., an exhaust line, is mainly composed of the exhaust hole 204a, the exhaust path 206, the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 243, and the pressure sensor 245. The vacuum pump 246 may be included in the exhaust system.

[0029] A seal cap 219 serving as a furnace port cover capable of airtightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is provided below the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is configured to abut against the lower end of the manifold 209 from below in the vertical direction. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal such as SUS and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220b serving as a sealing member that abuts against the lower end of the manifold 209 is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 219. A rotation mechanism 267 that rotates a boat 217 that accommodates wafers 200 is provided on the opposite side of the seal cap 219 from the processing chamber 201a. A rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 267 is connected to the boat 217 through the seal cap 219. The rotation mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the boat 217 to rotate the wafers 200. The seal cap 219 is configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a boat elevator 115 serving as a lifting mechanism that is vertically installed outside the outer tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured to be able to load and unload the boat 217 into and out of the processing chamber 201a by raising and lowering the seal cap 219. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transfer device (transfer mechanism) that transfers the boat 217 and the wafers 200 accommodated in the boat 217 into and out of the processing chamber 201a.

[0030] 2, a temperature sensor 263 is installed in the inner tube 204 as a temperature detector, and the temperature distribution inside the processing chamber 201a is configured to be a desired temperature distribution by adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263. The temperature sensor 263 is configured in an L-shape like the nozzles 410, 420, and 430, and is installed along the inner wall of the inner tube 204.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , the boat 217 serving as a substrate support is configured to support multiple wafers (e.g., 25 to 200 wafers 200) in a horizontal position, aligned vertically with their centers aligned, and arranged in multiple stages, i.e., spaced apart. The wafers 200 are placed on mounting portions provided on pillars of the boat 217. The boat 217 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. At the bottom of the boat 217, heat insulating plates 218 made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC are supported in multiple stages in a horizontal position. This configuration prevents heat from the heater 207 from being transmitted to the seal cap 219. However, this embodiment is not limited to the above. For example, instead of providing the heat insulating plates 218 at the bottom of the boat 217, a heat insulating cylinder configured as a cylindrical member made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC may be provided.

[0032] Moreover, the region of the boat 217 where the wafers 200 are placed and which faces the gas supply holes 410a of the nozzle 410 is called a processing region.

[0033] (Configuration of control unit) 8, controller 121, which is a control unit, is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d. RAM 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d are configured to be able to exchange data with CPU 121a via an internal bus. An input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel is connected to controller 121.

[0034] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage device 121c readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe describing the procedures and conditions of a semiconductor device manufacturing method (described later), and the like. The process recipe is a combination of processes (steps) in a semiconductor device manufacturing method (described later) that are executed by the controller 121 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. are collectively referred to simply as a program. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to a process recipe alone, a control program alone, or a combination of a process recipe and a control program. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily storing programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 121a.

[0035] The I / O port 121d is connected to the MFCs 312, 322, 332, 512, 522, 532, valves 314, 324, 334, 514, 524, 534, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 243, vacuum pump 246, heater 207, temperature sensor 263, rotation mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, gate valves 70a to 70d, first substrate transfer machine 112, etc., which are respectively equipped in the above-mentioned processing furnaces 202a and 202b.

[0036] The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and also to read a recipe or the like from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122. The CPU 121a is configured to control, in accordance with the contents of the read recipe, the flow rate adjustment operation of various gases by the MFCs 312, 322, 332, 512, 522, and 532, the opening and closing operations of the valves 314, 324, 334, 514, 524, and 534, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve 243 and the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 243 based on the pressure sensor 245, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor 263, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267, the raising and lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, the operation of accommodating the wafers 200 in the boat 217, and the like.

[0037] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program stored in an external storage device 123 (for example, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk such as a flexible disk or a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or a memory card) into a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, the recording medium may include only the storage device 121c, only the external storage device 123, or both. Note that the program may be provided to the computer using a communication system such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without using the external storage device 123.

[0038] When a film is formed on a product substrate (product wafer, or simply referred to as a wafer) using a process gas in the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above, the amount of reaction by-products generated is smaller in the upper region (also referred to as the upper end) and lower region (also referred to as the lower end) of the processing area than in the central region (also referred to as the center region) of the processing area. This phenomenon occurs because the number of product substrates (density) is smaller at the upper and lower end of the processing area than at the center of the processing area. Here, a product substrate is a substrate on which a fine pattern of a semiconductor device structure is formed. The reaction by-products inhibit film formation on the product substrate. As a result, the film thickness formed on the product substrates at the upper and lower end of the processing area, where the amount of reaction by-products is smaller, is thicker than the film thickness formed on the product substrate in the center of the processing area, which can result in poor uniformity from substrate to substrate. Furthermore, if dummy substrates (also called dummy wafers) are provided at the upper and lower ends of the boat 217, the amount of reaction by-products at the upper and lower ends of the processing region will be smaller because the dummy wafers have a smaller surface area than the product substrates, and the film thicknesses formed on the product substrates at the upper and lower ends of the processing region will be thicker than the film thicknesses formed on the product substrates in the center of the processing region, which may result in poor uniformity among the substrates. Note that this phenomenon is more pronounced when the surface area of ​​the product substrates is large.

[0039] According to the present disclosure, the spacing between substrates on the boats 217 corresponding to the upper and lower ends of the processing region is adjusted in regions where the amount of reaction by-products is smaller than in other regions of the processing region. For example, the spacing between substrates on the boats 217 corresponding to the upper and lower ends of the processing region is narrower than the spacing between substrates on the boat 217 corresponding to the center of the processing region. Narrowing the spacing between the substrates can achieve at least one of the following: For example, the concentration of reaction by-products generated at the upper and lower ends of the processing region is made closer to the concentration at the center of the processing region. Narrowing the spacing between the substrates can increase the number (density) of substrates. This can increase the amount of reaction by-products generated near the substrate surfaces. Furthermore, narrowing the spacing between the substrates makes it more difficult for gas to flow between the wafers 200, so that the amount of process gas supplied to the wafers 200 arranged at the upper and lower ends of the processing region is less than the amount of process gas supplied to the wafers 200 arranged at the center. This can reduce the film thickness formed on the wafers 200 at the upper and lower ends. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 at the upper and lower ends of the processing area from becoming larger than the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 at the center, thereby improving the uniformity of the film thickness formed on the wafer 200 for each substrate and making the film characteristics uniform.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, gas supply holes 430a of a nozzle 430 supplying a third process gas may be positioned opposite the upper and lower ends of the processing region. Examples of the third process gas include an inert gas, a reaction-inhibiting gas, and an adsorption-inhibiting gas. For example, supplying an inert gas can dilute the first and second process gases supplied to the upper and lower ends of the processing region. This dilution can adjust the amounts of the first and second process gases supplied to the substrate. For example, increasing the supply rate of inert gas to increase the dilution rate of the first and second process gases can reduce the reaction rate at the upper and lower ends of the processing region, thereby enabling the thickness of the film formed on the substrates located at the upper and lower ends of the processing region to approach the thickness of the film formed on the substrates located at the center of the processing region.

[0041] When an adsorption-inhibiting gas (reaction-inhibiting gas) is used as the third process gas, the adsorption-inhibiting gas can be supplied to substrates located at the upper and lower ends of the process region. The adsorption of at least one of the first process gas and the second process gas can be suppressed on the substrates to which molecules of the adsorption-inhibiting gas have been adsorbed. In other words, the amount of reaction between molecules of the first process gas and molecules of the second process gas on the substrates can be limited.

[0042] While the nozzle 430 shown in FIG. 4 has gas supply holes 430a only at the upper and lower ends, the present invention is not limited thereto. Alternatively, gas supply holes 430a may be provided over the entire area of ​​the nozzle 430 facing the processing region, with the size of the gas supply holes 430a at the upper and lower ends being larger than the size of the holes formed in the center of the processing region. Furthermore, the thickness of the film formed on the wafer 200 tends to be thicker at the lower end than at the upper end. As shown in FIG. 4, the length of the gas supply holes 430a may be configured such that the length at the lower end is greater than the length at the upper end. This configuration allows the film thickness of the wafer 200 at the lower end to approach the film thickness of the wafers 200 disposed in other regions.

[0043] Next, the spacing between the boats will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the film thickness formed on the wafers 200 placed on a conventional boat 217 and the upper, central, and lower end sides of the boat 217. As shown in FIG. 5, the film thickness is greater on the upper and lower end sides of the boat 217 than on the wafers 200 placed in the center of the boat 217. Furthermore, when comparing the upper and lower end sides, the film thickness tends to be greater on the lower end side. This is thought to be due to the fact that the exhaust pipe 231 shown in FIG. 1 is connected below the outer tube 203, which makes it easier to exhaust reaction by-products on the lower end side of the processing region, resulting in a lower concentration of reaction by-products in the space on the lower end side of the processing region. With this structure, the length b of the lower region of the processing region (the length in the substrate arrangement direction) is longer than the length a of the upper region. The lower region is configured to be close to the exhaust pipe 231, while the upper region is distant from the exhaust pipe 231, and therefore the ease of exhausting gas on the wafers 200 arranged in the upper region is smaller than on the wafers 200 arranged in the central region, and therefore the influence of the difference in the ease of exhausting (exhaust conductance) is reduced. Therefore, it is considered that the film thickness in the lower region changes due to the influence caused by the difference in the amount of reaction by-products generated and the influence caused by the ease of exhausting (exhaust conductance), while the change in film thickness in the lower region is due to the influence caused by the difference in the amount of reaction by-products generated.

[0044] To improve this non-uniformity in film thickness among the wafers 200, the substrate spacing at the center of the boat 217 is set to a first spacing, the substrate spacing at the upper end to a second spacing, and the substrate spacing at the lower end to a third spacing, as shown in FIG. 6 . The second and third spacings are smaller than the first spacing. By narrowing the spacing between the wafers 200, the amount of processing gas flowing between the wafers 200 can be reduced, thereby reducing the film thickness formed on the wafers 200. As a result, the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 arranged in the narrow substrate spacing region (the region of the second spacing and the third spacing) can be made closer to the thickness of the film formed on the wafers 200 arranged in the region of the first spacing. In other words, the difference between the film thickness at the upper and lower ends and the film thickness at the center can be reduced.

[0045] The substrate spacing is set, for example, as shown in pattern A in FIG. 7. Pattern A has a relationship of first spacing > (second spacing = third spacing). As described above, since the film thickness tends to be thicker at the lower end, the third spacing is preferably set smaller than the second spacing. This reduces the difference in film thickness between the upper end and the lower end. For example, the spacing is set as shown in pattern B in FIG. 7. Pattern B has a relationship of first spacing > second spacing > third spacing. In other words, since the film thickness tends to be thicker closer to the exhaust pipe 231, the spacing on the side closest to the exhaust pipe 231 is set smaller than the spacing on the side farthest from the exhaust pipe 231 in the processing region. In the substrate processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust pipe 231 is provided on the lower end side of the boat 217, so the third spacing is set small.

[0046] With respect to the respective intervals, when the first interval is 1, the second interval is 0.5 to 0.9 times the first interval, and the third interval is 0.2 to 0.9 times the first interval. Note that in this disclosure, when a numerical range such as "0.5 to 0.9" is expressed, it means that the lower limit and the upper limit are included in the range. Thus, for example, "0.5 to 0.9" means "0.5 or more and 0.9 or less." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the film thickness at the upper end tends to increase toward the upper end. Similarly, the film thickness at the lower end tends to increase toward the lower end. To accommodate this gradual (continuous) increase in film thickness depending on the position, the substrate spacing at the upper and lower ends of the boat 217 may be configured to vary stepwise. For example, patterns C, D, and E are shown in FIG. 7. In patterns C and D, two or more regions with different substrate spacing are provided at the upper and lower ends, respectively. Pattern C is an example in which the spacing at the upper and lower ends is the same. Pattern E is an example in which the spacing at the lower end is narrower than the spacing at the upper end. More preferably, as in pattern E, the substrate spacing at the upper and lower ends of the boat 217 may be configured to vary continuously. Here, "continuously varying the substrate spacing" means that the substrate spacing varies for each substrate.

[0048] 7, the substrate spacing in both the upper and lower regions is configured so that the substrate spacing in the central region is narrower, but this is not limited to this. For example, the substrate spacing may be narrower in the region closer to the exhaust pipe 231, where the influence is most noticeable. In other words, the substrate spacing in the lower region is narrower than in other regions. Specifically, the relationship may be configured so that the third spacing is greater than the first spacing (first spacing = second spacing).

[0049] (2) Substrate processing process As one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, an example of a step of forming a film on a wafer 200 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. This step is performed using the processing furnace 202 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above. In the following description, the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is controlled by a controller 121, and the gas supply system is configured to be controllable by the controller 121.

[0050] In the substrate processing step (semiconductor device manufacturing step) according to this embodiment, when an adsorption inhibiting gas is used as the third process gas, (a) supplying a third process gas to the wafer 200; (b) supplying a first process gas to the wafer 200; (c) applying a second treatment to the wafer 200; (e) After (a), (b) and (c) are performed to form a film on the wafer 200.

[0051] In this specification, the term "wafer" may mean "the wafer itself" or "a laminate of a wafer and a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on its surface." In this specification, the term "surface of a wafer" may mean "the surface of the wafer itself" or "the surface of a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on the wafer." In this specification, the term "substrate" is synonymous with the term "wafer."

[0052] (Wafer loading) 1, when a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217 (wafer charge), the boat 217 supporting the plurality of wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and carried into the processing chamber 201 (boat load), and is accommodated in the processing vessel. In this state, the seal cap 219 closes the lower end opening of the outer tube 203 via the O-ring 220.

[0053] (pressure and temperature regulation) The processing chamber 201, i.e., the space in which the wafer 200 is present, is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 to a desired pressure (vacuum level). At this time, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the APC valve 243 is feedback-controlled (pressure regulation) based on the measured pressure information. The vacuum pump 246 is kept in a constantly operating state at least until the processing of the wafer 200 is completed. The processing chamber 201 is also heated by the heater 207 to a desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled (temperature regulation) based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the processing chamber 201 has a desired temperature distribution. The heating of the processing chamber 201 by the heater 207 continues at least until the processing of the wafer 200 is completed.

[0054] (Supply of third process gas, first step) The valve 334 is opened to allow a third process gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 330. The flow rate of the third process gas is adjusted by the MFC 332, and the third process gas is supplied into the process chamber 201 through the gas supply holes 430a of the nozzle 430 and exhausted through the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the valve 534 may be opened at the same time to allow an inert gas such as N2 gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 530. Furthermore, in order to prevent the first gas and the third gas from entering the nozzles 420 and 440, the valves 524 and 544 may be opened to allow an inert gas to flow into the gas supply pipes 520 and 540.

[0055] At this time, the supply flow rate of the third process gas controlled by the MFC 332 is set to a flow rate within a range of, for example, 0.1 to 5.0 slm.

[0056] At this time, a third process gas is supplied to the wafer 200. Here, an adsorption inhibitor gas can be used as the third process gas. The adsorption inhibitor gas contains the same halogen as that contained in the first process gas, and can be, for example, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) gas, which are reaction by-products generated by the reaction between the first gas (TiCl4) and the second gas (NH3). The adsorption inhibitor gas can be a chlorine (Cl)-containing gas, such as HCl gas, chlorine (Cl2) gas, or boron chloride (BCl3) gas. In the case of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, molecules of the adsorption inhibitor gas and some of the material of the adsorption inhibitor gas are adsorbed onto the wafer 200 (surface underlayer) at the upper and lower ends of the processing region.

[0057] Here, by using a gas containing the same type of halogen as the halogen contained in the first process gas as the adsorption inhibitor gas, and preferably a gas having the same components as the reaction by-products produced by the reaction between the first process gas and the second process gas, it is possible to prevent the adsorption inhibitor gas from remaining in the film.

[0058] In other words, although the adsorption inhibitor gas is unlikely to remain in the film, depending on the conditions and type of gas, it may remain in the film and affect the film's electrical and other characteristics. If the gas has the same components as the reaction by-products generated by the reaction between the first and second process gases, the possibility of it affecting other films constituting the device can be reduced. For example, when forming a TiN film, if hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas is supplied as the adsorption inhibitor gas, fluorine (F) may remain, potentially reducing the TiN film's function as an F barrier. Furthermore, if the TiN film is undercoated with an aluminum oxide (AlO) film, fluorine may diffuse into the AlO film, potentially reducing the insulating properties of the AlO film. As described above, if the adsorption inhibitor gas has the same components as the reaction by-products generated by the reaction between the first and second gases, these issues are less likely to occur.

[0059] (Purge, second step) After a predetermined time has elapsed since the third process gas was supplied, the valve 334 is closed to stop the supply of the third process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 remains open, and the processing chamber 201 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200 and to expel unreacted third process gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, and 534 are opened to supply an inert gas as a purge gas into the processing chamber 201. The inert gas acts as a purge gas to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200 and to enhance the effect of expelling unreacted third process gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201. The supply flow rates of the inert gases controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, and 532 are each, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm.

[0060] (First process gas supply, third step) The valve 314 is opened to allow a first process gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 310. The flow rate of the first process gas is adjusted by the MFC 312, and the first process gas is supplied into the process chamber 201 through the gas supply holes 410a of the nozzle 410 and exhausted through the exhaust pipe 231. At the same time, the valve 514 may be opened to allow an inert gas such as N2 gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 510. Furthermore, to prevent the first process gas from entering the nozzles 420, 430, and 440, the valves 524, 534, and 544 may be opened to allow an inert gas to flow into the gas supply pipes 520, 530, and 540.

[0061] At this time, the APC valve 243 is adjusted to set the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 within a range of, for example, 1 to 3990 Pa. The supply flow rate of the first gas controlled by the MFC 312 is set within a range of, for example, 0.01 to 7.0 slm. In the following, the temperature of the heater 207 is set to a temperature such that the temperature of the wafer 200 is within a range of, for example, 300 to 650°C.

[0062] At this time, the first gas is supplied to the wafer 200 over the entire processing region. The first processing gas is a gas containing halogen, and for example, a gas containing the main element constituting the film and the halogen chlorine (Cl) can be used. Here, the main element is, for example, titanium (Ti), and the first processing gas can be TiCl4 gas. When TiCl4 gas is used as the first processing gas, TiCl4 is adsorbed onto the wafer 200 (the surface base film) by the supply of TiCl4 gas, and a Ti-containing layer is formed.

[0063] (Purge, 4th step) After a predetermined time has elapsed since the first process gas was supplied, the valve 314 is closed to stop the supply of the first process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 remains open, and the processing chamber 201 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200 and to expel unreacted first process gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, and 534 are opened, and an inert gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 as a purge gas. The inert gas acts as a purge gas to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200 and to enhance the effect of expelling unreacted first process gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201. The supply flow rates of the inert gases controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, and 532 are each, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm.

[0064] (Second process gas supply, fifth step) The valve 324 is opened to allow the second process gas to flow through the gas supply pipe 320. The flow rate of the second process gas is adjusted by the MFC 322, and the second process gas is supplied into the process chamber 201 through the gas supply holes 420a of the nozzle 420 and exhausted through the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the second process gas is supplied to the wafer 200.

[0065] At this time, the APC valve 243 is adjusted to set the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 within a range of, for example, 1 to 3990 Pa. The supply flow rate of the second processing gas controlled by the MFC 322 is set within a range of, for example, 0.1 to 150 slm.

[0066] At this time, the second process gas is supplied to the wafers 200 over the entire processing region. Here, the second process gas is a reactive gas. When a nitriding gas is used as the reactive gas, a gas containing nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H), such as ammonia (NH3) gas, can be used. When NH3 gas is used as the second process gas, the NH3 gas undergoes a substitution reaction with at least a part of the Ti-containing layer formed on the wafers 200. During the substitution reaction, Ti contained in the Ti-containing layer and N contained in the NH3 gas combine to form a TiN layer on the wafers 200. Specifically, TiCl adsorbed on the wafers 200 is x The reaction of HCl with NH3 forms a TiN film on the wafer 200. Furthermore, during the substitution reaction, reaction by-products such as HCl, NH4Cl, and H2 are generated.

[0067] (Purge, 6th step) After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of supplying the second process gas, the valve 324 is closed to stop the supply of the second process gas. At this time, the APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 remains open, and the processing chamber 201 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200. Any unreacted second process gas or reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 after contributing to film formation are removed from the processing chamber 201. At this time, the valves 514, 524, 534, and 534 are opened, and an inert gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 as a purge gas. The inert gas acts as a purge gas to remove residual gas from above the wafer 200 and effectively remove any unreacted second process gas or reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201. The supply flow rates of the inert gases controlled by the MFCs 512, 522, 532, and 542 are, for example, 0.1 to 30 slm, respectively.

[0068] That is, the second gas remaining in the processing chamber 201 without reacting or after contributing to the formation of the film, and the above-described reaction by-products are removed from the processing chamber 201. The inert gas acts as a purge gas.

[0069] (Performed a specified number of times) By performing a cycle of sequentially performing the above-described first to sixth steps a predetermined number of times (N times, where N=1 or more), a film of a predetermined thickness is formed on the wafer 200. Here, for example, a TiN film is formed.

[0070] (After purging and atmospheric pressure recovery) An inert gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 through each of the gas supply pipes 510, 520, and 530, and exhausted through the exhaust pipe 231. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, thereby purging the processing chamber 201 with the inert gas, and residual gases and reaction by-products in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (after-purge). Thereafter, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 is replaced with the inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure (return to atmospheric pressure).

[0071] (Wafer removal) Thereafter, the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115 to open the lower end of the outer tube 203. Then, the processed wafers 200 supported by the boat 217 are unloaded from the lower end of the outer tube 203 to the outside of the outer tube 203 (boat unloading). Thereafter, the processed wafers 200 are removed from the boat 217 (wafer discharging).

[0072] In other words, by using the substrate processing apparatus 10 as described above to perform batch processing in which multiple wafers 200 are processed at once, it is possible to improve the processing uniformity of each of the multiple wafers 200 processed in the batch processing.

[0073] (3) Effects of one aspect of the present disclosure According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more of the following effects can be obtained. (a) The uniformity of substrate processing for each substrate can be improved. (b) The processing uniformity within the substrate surface can be improved during substrate processing. (c) The characteristics (electrical characteristics) of the film formed on the substrate can be made uniform.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] For example, in the above-described substrate processing step, the third process gas may be supplied as shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows an example in which the third process gas is used as a dilution gas, and the third process gas is supplied when the first process gas and the second process gas are both supplied.

[0076] In the above embodiment, a form in which purging is performed between the first gas supply, the second gas supply, and the third processing gas supply is shown, but this is not limited to this, and purging does not have to be performed between the first gas supply, the second gas supply, and the adsorption inhibitor gas supply.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case where a TiN film is formed on the wafer 200 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be suitably applied to the case where a film containing at least one of aluminum (Al), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), ruthenium (Ru), silicon (Si), etc. is formed.

[0078] Although the above embodiment has been described using a gas containing a metal element and a halogen, such as TiCl4 gas, as the first process gas, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can be suitably applied to cases where aluminum chloride (AlCl3) gas, hafnium chloride (HfCl4) gas, zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) gas, molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl5) gas, molybdenum dichloride dioxide (MoO2Cl2) gas, molybdenum tetrachloride (MoOCl4) gas, tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas, tungsten hexachloride (WCl6) gas, gas containing Ru and a halogen, etc. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be suitably applied to cases where a gas containing a Group 14 element (e.g., silicon (Si) or germanium (Ge)) and a halogen, such as hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviated as DCS) gas, germanium chloride (Ge2Cl6) gas, etc., is used as the first gas. If the gas contains such a halogen element (particularly a gas containing Cl), the reaction by-products described above will be produced, and the same phenomenon may occur.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the second process gas is a reducing gas and a reactive gas containing N and H, such as NH3 gas, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be suitably applied to cases where a gas containing at least one of nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2), diazene (NH2H2), triazene (NH3H3), hydrazine (NH2H4), or other gases containing an amine group is used. Note that when HCl gas is used as the adsorption inhibitor gas, the reaction between HCl and NH3 gas produces NH4Cl, so it is preferable to use NH3 gas as the second process gas.

[0080] Although the above embodiment describes the use of a gas containing nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H) as the second gas, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may also use a reducing gas that does not contain nitrogen. For example, the present disclosure can also be suitably applied to a case where a gas containing at least one of hydrogen (H) gas, deuterium (D) gas, disilane (SiH) gas, trisilane (SiH), monogermane (GeH), digermane (GeH), trigermane (GeH), monoborane (BH), diborane (BH), and phosphine (PH). By using such a reducing gas that does not contain nitrogen, a non-nitride film can be formed.

[0081] In the above embodiment, a case where a halogen-containing gas, such as HCl gas, is used as the adsorption inhibitor gas is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be suitably applied to cases where any gas containing the same halogen as the first gas is used, such as ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) gas, chlorine (Cl2) gas, boron chloride (BCl3) gas, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, fluorine (F2) gas, etc. Note that it is preferable to use, as the adsorption inhibitor gas, a gas with the same components as the reaction by-products generated by the reaction between the first process gas and the second process gas.

[0082] In the above embodiment, a process for forming a film containing metal and nitrogen on the wafer 200 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. By appropriately selecting each gas, the present disclosure can also be suitably applied to the formation of a metal film, a film containing a Group 14 element as a main component, an oxide film, an oxynitride film, a carbide film, and the like.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, an example of film formation using a substrate processing apparatus that is a batch-type vertical apparatus that processes multiple wafers at a time has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can also be suitably applied to film formation using a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several wafers at a time. The processing region of the single-wafer apparatus is between the wafer and a gas supply unit such as a shower head, and supplying an adsorption-inhibiting gas to a portion of the processing region can improve the in-plane uniformity of the wafer.

[0084] When using these substrate processing apparatuses, film formation can be performed using the same sequence and processing conditions as in the above-described embodiment.

[0085] It is preferable that process recipes (programs describing processing procedures, processing conditions, etc.) used to form these various thin films are individually prepared (prepared in multiple numbers) according to the contents of substrate processing (such as the type, composition ratio, film quality, film thickness, processing procedure, and processing conditions of the thin film to be formed). When starting substrate processing, it is preferable to appropriately select an appropriate process recipe from the multiple process recipes according to the contents of substrate processing. Specifically, it is preferable that the multiple process recipes individually prepared according to the contents of substrate processing are pre-stored (installed) in the storage device 121c of the substrate processing apparatus via an electric communication line or a recording medium (external storage device 123) on which the process recipes are recorded. It is preferable that, when starting substrate processing, the CPU 121a of the substrate processing apparatus appropriately selects an appropriate process recipe from the multiple process recipes stored in the storage device 121c according to the contents of substrate processing. This configuration enables a single substrate processing apparatus to versatility-wise form thin films of various film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses with good reproducibility. Furthermore, the operational burden on the operator (such as the burden of inputting processing procedures and processing conditions) can be reduced, and substrate processing can be started promptly while avoiding operational errors.

[0086] The present disclosure can also be realized, for example, by changing the process recipe of an existing substrate processing apparatus. When changing the process recipe, the process recipe according to the present disclosure can be installed in the existing substrate processing apparatus via an electric communication line or a recording medium on which the process recipe is recorded, or the process recipe itself can be changed to the process recipe according to the present disclosure by operating an input / output device of the existing substrate processing apparatus.

[0087] Furthermore, the present disclosure can be used, for example, in the word line portion of a NAND flash memory or DRAM having a three-dimensional structure.

[0088] Although various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be used in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 substrate processing apparatus 121 controller 200 wafer (substrate) 201 processing chamber

Claims

1. a substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, the substrate support having a plurality of placement portions on which the substrate is placed such that the substrate spacing between upper and lower regions of the processing region is narrower than the substrate spacing between the substrates in a central region of the processing region; a processing vessel that accommodates the substrate support; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel; an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing vessel; A substrate processing apparatus having:

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate spacing in the lower region is narrower than the substrate spacing in the upper region.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lower region is on the side close to the exhaust section.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the lower region is on the side close to the exhaust section.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lower region and the upper region has two or more regions where the substrate intervals are different.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the lower region and the upper region has two or more regions where the substrate intervals are different.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lower region and the upper region has a region in which the substrate spacing continuously changes toward the central region.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the lower region and the upper region has a region in which the substrate spacing continuously changes toward the central region.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the lower region in the substrate arrangement direction is longer than the length of the upper region in the substrate arrangement direction.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the lower region in the substrate arrangement direction is longer than the length of the upper region in the substrate arrangement direction.

11. the gas supply unit includes a first nozzle for supplying a first process gas, a second nozzle for supplying a second process gas, and a third nozzle for supplying a third process gas; the first nozzle is configured to supply the first process gas across the processing region; the second nozzle is configured to supply the second process gas across the processing region; The third nozzle is configured to supply the third process gas to the lower region and the upper region. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A substrate support that is carried into a processing vessel of a substrate processing apparatus, A substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, and including a plurality of placement sections on which the substrate is placed so that the substrate spacing between upper and lower regions of the processing region is narrower than the substrate spacing in a central region of the processing region.

13. a substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, the substrate support having a plurality of placement portions on which the substrate is placed such that the substrate spacing between upper and lower regions of the processing region is narrower than the substrate spacing between the substrates in a central region of the processing region; a processing vessel that accommodates the substrate support; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel; an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing vessel; In a substrate processing apparatus having carrying a substrate support on which the substrate is placed into the processing chamber; supplying the process gas to the substrate; exhausting the atmosphere in the processing vessel; A substrate processing method comprising:

14. a substrate support having a processing region on which a substrate is placed, the substrate support having a plurality of placement portions on which the substrate is placed such that the substrate spacing between upper and lower regions of the processing region is narrower than the substrate spacing between the substrates in a central region of the processing region; a processing vessel that accommodates the substrate support; a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel; an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing vessel; In a substrate processing apparatus having a step of loading a substrate support on which the substrate is placed into the processing vessel; supplying the process gas to the substrate; exhausting the atmosphere in the processing vessel; A program for causing a computer to execute the above in the substrate processing apparatus.

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