Substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, substrate processing apparatus and program

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of improving cooling efficiency of a substrate in a standby chamber.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises: a housing constituting a standby chamber in which a plurality of substrates is in standby; a support section in which the plurality of substrates can be mounted in a vertical direction; and a plurality of inert gas supply sections each for supplying an inert gas in a direction along surfaces of the plurality of substrates mounted in the support sections. At least one of the plurality of inert gas supply sections supplies the inert gas toward each of the plurality of substrates in a direction that is different from the other inert gas supply section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART As one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a process of supplying an inert gas to stacked substrates in a waiting chamber between an atmospheric transfer space and a substrate holding space is sometimes performed (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-67939 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, in a standby chamber where a plurality of substrates are kept on standby, a process of supplying an inert gas while the substrates are on standby may be performed.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can improve the cooling efficiency of substrates in a waiting chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a housing constituting a waiting room in which a plurality of substrates are kept waiting; a support portion on which each of the plurality of substrates can be placed in a vertical direction within the housing; a plurality of inert gas supply units that supply an inert gas in a direction along the surface of each of the plurality of substrates placed on the support unit; At least one of the plurality of inert gas supply units supplies an inert gas toward each of the plurality of substrates from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units. Technology is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency of the substrate in the waiting chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are cross-sectional and top views of an example of an inert gas supply unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control unit of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4(A) and 4(B) are top views showing modified examples of the inert gas supply unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing equipment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. It should be noted 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 correspond to the actual ones. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual ones. Furthermore, substantially identical elements between multiple drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and each element is described in the drawing in which it first appears, and its description is omitted in subsequent drawings unless particularly necessary. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0010] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 10. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is mainly composed of a processing chamber 11 for processing a wafer W as a substrate, a transfer chamber 13 connected to the processing chamber 11 via a gate valve 12, a load lock chamber 15 connected to the transfer chamber 13 via a gate valve 14, a gate valve 16 that connects the load lock chamber 15 to an atmospheric transfer space, and a controller 500 as a control unit.

[0011] The processing chamber 11 is provided with a susceptor 21 on which a wafer W is placed, a heater 22 built into the susceptor 21 and configured to heat the wafer W on the susceptor 21, a gas supply unit 23 that supplies a processing gas to the wafer W, and an exhaust unit 24 that exhausts the atmosphere within the processing chamber 11. The processing chamber 11 is configured such that a predetermined processing is performed on the wafer W by supplying the processing gas supplied from the gas supply unit 23 to the wafer W and exhausting the gas from the exhaust unit 24.

[0012] The transfer chamber 13 is provided with a substrate transfer machine 25 capable of transferring a wafer W. The substrate transfer machine 25 has arms 25a and 25b on which the wafer W is placed, and is configured to be able to transfer the wafer W between the processing chamber 11 and the load lock chamber 15 in a sealed vacuum space. The transfer chamber 13 is configured to withstand pressures (negative pressures) below atmospheric pressure, such as a vacuum state.

[0013] The load lock chamber 15 is used as a standby chamber for cooling and temporarily waiting a plurality of wafers W. The load lock chamber 15 is made up of a housing 31. That is, the housing 31 constitutes a standby chamber for waiting a plurality of wafers W. The load lock chamber 15 is configured to form a load lock space that alternates between atmospheric and vacuum states so that the inside of the processing chamber 11 is not exposed to the atmosphere.

[0014] The load lock chamber 15 is provided with a support section 32 on which multiple wafers W can be placed, inert gas supply sections 33a to 33d (referred to as inert gas supply section 33 in FIG. 1) that supply an inert gas into the load lock chamber 15, and an exhaust section 34 that exhausts the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 15.

[0015] The support part 32 is configured so that each of the plurality of wafers W can be placed in the vertical direction inside the housing 31. The inert gas supply parts 33a to 33d are configured so as to supply an inert gas in a direction along the surface of each of the plurality of wafers W placed on the support part 32.

[0016] In the load lock chamber 15, a plurality of wafers W are supported in multiple stages, each in a horizontal position and aligned vertically with their centers aligned, i.e., arranged at intervals, on the support part 32. The housing 31 and the support part 32 are, for example, integrally formed and made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC.

[0017] 2(A) and 2(B) are explanatory diagrams that schematically show an example of the general configuration of the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d.

[0018] 2(A), the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d are provided on a support unit 32 that supports, for example, wafers W. The support unit 32 is composed of a plurality of pillars 43, a top plate 32a provided at the upper ends of the pillars 43, a bottom plate 32b provided at the lower ends of the pillars 43, and a plurality of holders 44 connected substantially perpendicularly to the pillars 43 and disposed substantially horizontally with the top plate 32a and bottom plate 32b. The plurality of holders 44 are configured to hold a plurality of wafers W substantially horizontally in the vertical direction.

[0019] An inert gas flow path 45 is formed in each of the plurality of pillars 43 and the plurality of holding parts 44. Furthermore, an inert gas supply port 46 that communicates with the inert gas flow path 45 and supplies an inert gas toward the front surface of the wafer W is formed at the tip of each of the plurality of holding parts 44. The inert gas supply port 46 is formed to communicate the inert gas flow path 45 with the inside of the load lock chamber 15. The inert gas supply port 46 is also disposed between the wafers W. Therefore, the inert gas is supplied in a direction along both the front and back surfaces of the wafer W.

[0020] That is, the inert gas flow path 45 is formed in the support part 32 that supports the wafers W in the vertical direction, which is the arrangement direction of the wafers W. In other words, the inert gas supply parts 33a to 33d are each provided so as to rise from the bottom to the top of the housing 31 in the arrangement direction of the wafers W, and are configured to supply the inert gas substantially horizontally to the surfaces of the wafers W.

[0021] An inert gas supply pipe 47 for supplying an inert gas is connected to the inert gas flow path 45 of each of the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d. In the inert gas supply pipe 47, an inert gas supply source 48, a mass flow controller (MFC) 49 which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control unit), and a valve 50 which is an on-off valve are provided in this order from the upstream direction. An inert gas supply system is mainly configured by the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d, the inert gas supply pipe 47, the MFC 49, and the valve 50. The inert gas supply source 48 may be included in the inert gas supply system.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2B, the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d are arranged around the wafer W in a plan view of the wafer W. The inert gas supply units 33b and 33c, which are located between the inert gas supply units 33a and 33d, are arranged to supply inert gas toward the surface of the wafer W from the same direction, approximately parallel to the wafer W. The inert gas supply units 33a and 33d are arranged to supply inert gas toward the surface of the wafer W from a direction different from that of the inert gas supply units 33b and 33c, respectively, toward the approximately center of the wafer W. This disrupts the flow of inert gas over the surface of the wafer W. As a result, the temperature distribution of the wafer W becomes non-uniform with respect to the upstream-to-downstream flow of inert gas, resulting in a larger temperature gradient and a shorter cooling time for the wafer W. In other words, compared to when inert gas is supplied to the wafer W from one direction, the temperature distribution of the wafer W can be made less uniform along the diameter direction. As a result, the cooling time can be shortened and the amount of inert gas supplied to multiple wafers W in the load-lock chamber 15 can be reduced.

[0023] 2(B), it is sufficient that at least one of the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d supplies the inert gas toward each of the wafers W from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units.

[0024] The inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply pipe 47 is supplied into the load lock chamber 15 via the inert gas flow path 45 and the inert gas supply port 46. The inert gas acts as a purge gas.

[0025] An exhaust pipe 54 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 15 is connected to the bottom surface of the housing 31. The exhaust pipe 54 is configured to exhaust the inert gas supplied into the load lock chamber 15. This allows the inert gas supplied to the surface of the wafer W to flow without stagnation, and makes it possible to suppress re-adhesion of particles brought in from the processing chamber 11 onto the wafer W waiting in the load lock chamber 15. The exhaust pipe 54 may be provided, for example, on the lower side of the housing 31.

[0026] A vacuum pump 53 serving as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe 54 via a pressure sensor 51 serving as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) that detects the pressure inside the housing 31 and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 52 serving as a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). The APC valve 52 is configured to be able to evacuate and stop the vacuum exhaust inside the housing 31 by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump 53 is operating, and further to be able to adjust the pressure inside the housing 31 by adjusting the valve opening based on pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 51 while the vacuum pump 53 is operating. The exhaust pipe 54, the APC valve 52, and the pressure sensor 51 mainly configure the exhaust unit 34 (also referred to as an exhaust system). The vacuum pump 53 may be included in the exhaust unit 34.

[0027] In the present disclosure, an example has been described in which an inert gas supply port 46 is provided in each holder 44, and an inert gas supply port 46 is provided for each slot (i.e., for each wafer W), and an inert gas is supplied to the wafers W on the support part 32, but a configuration may also be used in which an inert gas is supplied to every predetermined number of slots (i.e., every predetermined number of wafers W) among the multiple wafers W kept waiting. For example, an inert gas may be supplied every two slots or every three slots.

[0028] (2) Controller configuration Next, the configuration of the controller 500 as a control section (control means) will be described.

[0029] A controller 500 serving as a control section (control means) controls the above-mentioned sections so as to perform the substrate processing steps described below.

[0030] 3, the controller 500 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 500a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 500b, a storage device 500c, and an I / O port 500d. The RAM 500b, the storage device 500c, and the I / O port 500d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 500a via an internal bus 500e. An input / output device 501 configured as, for example, a touch panel, and a display device 472 such as a display are connected to the controller 500.

[0031] The storage device 500c is configured with, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. Control programs for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, process recipes describing procedures and conditions for substrate processing (described later), etc., are readably stored in the storage device 500c. The process recipe is a combination of procedures in the substrate processing process (described later) that are executed by the controller 500 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipes, control programs, etc. are collectively referred to simply as programs. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to only a process recipe, only a control program, or both. The RAM 500b is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily storing programs, data, etc., read by the CPU 500a.

[0032] The I / O port 500d is connected to the MFC 49, the valve 50, the pressure sensor 51, the APC valve 52, the vacuum pump 53, the gate valves 12, 14, and 16, the substrate transfer machine 25, the heater 22, and the like.

[0033] The CPU 500a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 500c, and also to read a process recipe from the storage device 500c in response to input of an operation command from the input / output device 501. The CPU 500a is configured to control, in accordance with the contents of the read process recipe, the wafer W transport and substrate transfer operations by the substrate transfer machine 25, the inert gas supply and discharge operations and vacuum exhaust operations by the MFC 49, valve 50, pressure sensor 51, APC valve 52, and vacuum pump 53 in the load lock chamber 15, the temperature increase and decrease operations by the heater 22 in the processing chamber 11, the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve, the gas flow rate adjustment operation by the MFC and valve, and the like.

[0034] The controller 500 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer, but may also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, the controller 500 according to this embodiment can be configured by preparing an external storage device 502 (e.g., 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 flash drive or a memory card) storing the above-described program, and installing the program into a general-purpose computer using the external storage device 502. The means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying the program via the external storage device 502. For example, the program may be supplied via a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without going through the external storage device 502. The storage device 500c and the external storage device 502 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, the term "recording medium" may refer to the storage device 500c alone, the external storage device 502 alone, or both.

[0035] (3) Substrate processing process Next, as one step in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a process in the substrate processing apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration will be described. In the following description, the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is controlled by a controller 500.

[0036] First, the gate valve 16 is opened. Next, the wafers W are loaded into the load lock chamber 15 through the gate valve 16. A plurality of wafers W are accommodated in the load lock chamber 15. Next, the gate valve 16 is closed.

[0037] Next, a vacuum pumping process is performed on the load lock chamber 15. Specifically, an inert gas is supplied into the load lock chamber 15 by controlling the valve 50 and the MFC 49, while a vacuum pumping operation is performed by controlling the pressure sensor 51, the APC valve 52, and the vacuum pump 53. This allows the air that has entered the load lock chamber 15 when the wafer W was carried in to be discharged.

[0038] When this evacuation process is completed, the gate valve 14 is opened. Next, one wafer W accommodated in the load lock chamber 15 is removed through the gate valve 14. This removal process is performed by the arm 25a or 25b of the substrate transfer machine 25. Next, the gate valve 14 is closed.

[0039] When the removal process of this wafer W is completed, the gate valve 12 is opened. Next, the first wafer W held by the substrate transfer machine 25 is loaded into the processing chamber 11 via the gate valve 12. Next, the gate valve 12 is closed.

[0040] Next, in the processing chamber 11, substrate processing is performed on the first wafer W. As a result, a predetermined film is formed on the surface of the first wafer W. While the substrate processing is being performed in the processing chamber 11, in the transfer chamber 13, an unloading process of the second wafer W is performed using the arm 25a or 25b of the substrate transfer machine 25.

[0041] When the substrate processing is completed, the gate valve 12 is opened. Next, a switching process is performed in which the first wafer W that has undergone substrate processing is unloaded from the processing chamber 11 through the gate valve 12, and a second wafer W that has not yet undergone substrate processing and is held by the substrate transfer machine 25 is transferred into the processing chamber 11.

[0042] When the second wafer W is loaded into the processing chamber 11, substrate processing is performed on the second wafer W. In parallel with this substrate processing, a return process for the first wafer W and an unload process for the third wafer W are sequentially performed. In the return process for the first wafer W, first, the gate valve 14 is opened. Next, the first wafer W after the substrate processing is returned to the support part 32 of the load lock chamber 15. This process is performed by one of the arms 25a or 25b of the substrate transfer machine 25.

[0043] Similarly, the replacement process, return process, and removal process are performed each time substrate processing is completed for each wafer W. Then, when substrate processing is completed for all wafers W supported by the support portion 32, the gate valve 14 is closed.

[0044] Next, a cooling process is performed with the plurality of wafers W accommodated in the load lock chamber 15. Specifically, the valve 50 is opened, the flow rate of the inert gas is controlled by the MFC 49, and the inert gas is supplied to the wafers W in the load lock chamber 15 from the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d via the inert gas flow paths 45 and the inert gas supply ports 46, respectively.

[0045] At this time, the controller 500 controls the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d to be reduced when a preset time has elapsed after the plurality of wafers W have been loaded into the load lock chamber 15. This makes it possible to optimize the supply amount of the inert gas depending on the time required to cool the wafers W.

[0046] After the plurality of wafers W are loaded into the load lock chamber 15, the controller 500 controls the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d to be reduced when the temperature of the plurality of wafers W drops below a preset temperature using a temperature sensor installed in the load lock chamber 15. This makes it possible to optimize the supply amount of the inert gas according to the temperature of the wafers W.

[0047] At this time, the conductance of the exhaust pipe 54 is adjusted by the vacuum pump 53 and the APC valve 52, thereby controlling the exhaust flow rate of the inert gas inside the load lock chamber 15 and maintaining a predetermined pressure inside the load lock chamber 15. As a result, the inert gas inside the load lock chamber 15 is removed from the load lock chamber 15 via the exhaust pipe 54.

[0048] Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed after the plurality of wafers W have been loaded into the load lock chamber 15, or when the temperature of the plurality of wafers W drops below a predetermined temperature, the pressure inside the load lock chamber 15 is returned to atmospheric pressure. Then, the gate valve 16 is opened, and the plurality of processed wafers W are transferred from the load lock chamber 15 to the atmospheric transfer space through the gate valve 16.

[0049] [Other aspects] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Note that in the following modifications, only the differences from the above embodiment will be described in detail.

[0050] (Variation 1) 4(A) is a diagram showing a first modification of the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d described above. In this modification, the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d are arranged at equal intervals around the periphery of the wafer W, and each inert gas supply port 46 faces the center of the wafer W, so that the inert gas is supplied substantially horizontally to the surfaces of the plurality of wafers W. In other words, the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d are arranged at equal intervals across the centers of the plurality of wafers W, and the inert gas supply units 33a and 33c are arranged at positions facing each other across the centers of the plurality of wafers W, and the inert gas supply units 33b and 33d are arranged at positions facing each other across the centers of the plurality of wafers W.

[0051] In this modification, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in this modification, by further arranging the inert gas supply units at opposing positions, the respective inert gas flows collide near the center of the wafer W and then flow radially diffusing over the entire surface of the wafer W. As a result, the inert gas is supplied even to areas not on the extension line of the inert gas supply port 46, further shortening the cooling time of the wafer W and improving the cooling efficiency.

[0052] (Variation 2) 4(B) is a diagram showing a second modification of the inert gas supply units 33a to 33d described above. In this modification, the inert gas supply units 33a to 33c are arranged at equal intervals around the periphery of the wafer W, and each inert gas supply port 46 faces the center of the wafer W, so that the inert gas is supplied substantially horizontally to the surfaces of the plurality of wafers W. In other words, the inert gas supply units 33a to 33c are arranged at equal intervals across the centers of the plurality of wafers W.

[0053] In this modification, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in this modification, the inert gas supply unit is arranged so that the inert gas is supplied toward the center of each of the plurality of wafers W, so that the inert gas flows collide near the center of the wafer W and then flow radially and diffusely over the entire surface of the wafer W. As a result, the inert gas is supplied even to areas not on the extension line of the inert gas supply port 46, which further shortens the cooling time of the wafers W and improves the cooling efficiency.

[0054] The configurations such as the number and arrangement of the inert gas supply units 33 described in the above embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and may be changed depending on the situation without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0055] Furthermore, the processing flow described in the above embodiment is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be changed within the scope of the main idea.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the inert gas flow path 45 and the inert gas supply port 46 are provided in the support part 32 and the holder 44 that support the wafer W, and the inert gas supply part 33 is used as the inert gas supply part 33. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, the present disclosure can be applied even when the inert gas supply part 33 is provided separately from the support part 32 and the holder 44 that support the wafer W.

[0057] Furthermore, it is preferable that recipes used for each process are individually prepared according to the process content and stored in the storage device 500c via an electric communication line or the external storage device 502. Then, when starting each process, it is preferable that the CPU 500a appropriately selects an appropriate recipe according to the process content from among the multiple recipes stored in the storage device 500c. This makes it possible to reproducibly form films of various film types, composition ratios, film qualities, and film thicknesses using a single substrate processing apparatus. It also reduces the burden on the operator, avoids operational errors, and enables each process to be started quickly.

[0058] The above-mentioned recipes do not necessarily have to be newly created, but may be prepared by modifying an existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus. When modifying a recipe, the modified recipe may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus via an electric communication line or a recording medium on which the modified recipe is recorded. Alternatively, an existing recipe already installed in the substrate processing apparatus may be directly modified by operating the input / output device 501 provided in the existing substrate processing apparatus.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus that processes one wafer W at a time has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be suitably applied, for example, to a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple wafers W at a time. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be suitably applied, for example, to a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace.

[0060] When using these substrate processing apparatuses, each process can be performed using the same processing procedures and conditions as in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the same effects as in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be obtained.

[0061] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate. The processing procedures and processing conditions in such a case may be the same as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10. Substrate processing equipment 15 Load lock room (waiting room) 31 Case 32 Support part 33 Inert gas supply unit W wafer (substrate)

Claims

1. The process involves supplying inert gas to each of the multiple substrates, which are placed vertically inside a housing that constitutes a waiting chamber for multiple substrates, from multiple inert gas supply units in a direction along the surface of each of the multiple substrates, wherein in the inert gas supply process, at least one of the multiple inert gas supply units supplies inert gas to each of the multiple substrates from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units. Substrate processing method.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, at least two of the plurality of inert gas supply units supply the inert gas from positions opposite each other, with the centers of each of the plurality of substrates in between.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, the plurality of inert gas supply units supply the inert gas from positions that are equally divided and arranged with the center of each of the plurality of substrates in between.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the plurality of substrates were brought into the housing, the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the plurality of inert gas supply units is reduced.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, after the plurality of substrates have been brought into the housing, if the temperature of the plurality of substrates falls below a preset temperature, the flow rate of the inert gas supplied from the plurality of inert gas supply units is reduced.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is supplied to cool the plurality of substrates.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is supplied to the plurality of substrates while the inert gas supply unit is supporting the plurality of substrates.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion of the inert gas supply unit supports the plurality of substrates and supplies inert gas from the holding portion to the plurality of substrates.

9. The inert gas supply unit comprises a holding unit and an inert gas flow path, The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion supports the plurality of substrates and an inert gas is supplied from the inert gas flow path.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein an inert gas supply port provided at the tip of the holding portion is positioned between the plurality of substrates, and an inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply port.

11. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply port is supplied in a direction along the front and back surfaces of the substrate.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein the inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply port is supplied to the substrates at predetermined intervals.

13. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, the supply of the inert gas is controlled in each of the plurality of inert gas supply units.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, the flow of the inert gas supplied from the plurality of inert gas supply units is supplied in such a way that it is disturbed on the surface of the substrate.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying the inert gas, the inert gas is supplied in such a way that the temperature distribution of the substrate is not uniform with respect to the flow from upstream to downstream.

16. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is exhausted from an exhaust pipe connected to the housing.

17. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrates processed in the processing chamber are brought into the housing, and the step of supplying the inert gas is performed.

18. The device comprises a process in which, within a housing that constitutes a waiting chamber for storing multiple substrates, inert gas is supplied to each of the multiple substrates, which are placed vertically, from multiple inert gas supply units in a direction along the surface of each of the multiple substrates, and in the process of supplying the inert gas, at least one of the multiple inert gas supply units supplies the inert gas to each of the multiple substrates from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

19. The device comprises a housing that constitutes a waiting chamber for storing multiple substrates, a support portion inside the housing on which each of the multiple substrates can be placed vertically, and a plurality of inert gas supply units that supply inert gas in a direction along the surface of each of the multiple substrates placed on the support portion, wherein at least one of the plurality of inert gas supply units supplies inert gas toward each of the multiple substrates from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units. Circuit board processing equipment.

20. The device comprises a procedure for supplying inert gas to each of the multiple substrates, which are placed vertically inside a housing that constitutes a waiting chamber for multiple substrates, from multiple inert gas supply units in a direction along the surface of each of the multiple substrates, wherein the procedure for supplying the inert gas includes a step in which at least one of the multiple inert gas supply units supplies inert gas to each of the multiple substrates from a direction different from that of the other inert gas supply units, A program that causes a circuit board processing unit to execute commands via a computer.

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