Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To suppress gas delaying, flow fluctuation or the like at gas supply time and to improve quality of film formation.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a utility system that includes: a gas supply system that supplies a processing gas into a processing container; and an exhaust system that exhausts the gas within the processing container, and is arranged by being adjacent to a back surface of a processing module along a side surface of a transfer chamber. At least a part of the gas supply system is stored in a supply box. At least a part of the exhaust system is stored in an exhaust box. And, a final valve of the gas supply system is arranged in the vicinity of the processing container relative to the supply box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In substrate processing in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, for example, a vertical substrate processing apparatus is used to process multiple substrates at once. When performing maintenance on the substrate processing apparatus, a maintenance area needs to be secured around the substrate processing apparatus, and securing the maintenance area may result in a large footprint of the substrate processing apparatus (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-283356 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a technique that can reduce the footprint while ensuring a maintenance area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a processing module including a processing vessel for processing a substrate and a transfer chamber disposed below the processing vessel; a utility system including a gas supply system that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel and an exhaust system that exhausts the processing vessel, the utility system being disposed along a side surface of the transfer chamber and adjacent to a rear surface of the processing module; At least a portion of the gas supply system is housed in a supply box; At least a part of the exhaust system is housed in an exhaust box, A technique is provided in which a final valve of the gas supply system is disposed closer to the processing vessel than the supply box. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the footprint while ensuring a maintenance area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of a processing furnace that is preferably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of a processing module that can be suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same or corresponding reference symbols, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In addition, the side of the storage chamber 9 described below will be referred to as the front side (front side), and the side of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B described below will be referred to as the back side (rear side). Furthermore, the side facing the boundary line (adjacent surface) of the processing modules 3A and 3B described below will be referred to as the inside, and the side away from the boundary line will be referred to as the outside.

[0009] In this embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus is configured as a vertical substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as processing apparatus) 2 that performs a substrate processing step such as heat treatment as one step in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing apparatus 2 includes two adjacent processing modules 3A and 3B. The processing module 3A includes a processing furnace 4A and a transfer chamber 6A. The processing module 3B includes a processing furnace 4B and a transfer chamber 6B. The transfer chambers 6A and 6B are located below the processing furnaces 4A and 4B, respectively. A transfer chamber 8 including a transfer machine 7 for transferring wafers W is located adjacent to the front side of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. A storage chamber 9 for storing a pod (FOUP) 5, which stores multiple wafers W, is connected to the front side of the transfer chamber 8. An I / O port 22 is installed in front of the storage chamber 9, and the pod 5 is loaded and unloaded into and out of the processing apparatus 2 via the I / O port 22.

[0011] Gate valves 90A and 90B are installed on the boundary walls (adjacent surfaces) between the transfer chambers 6A and 6B and the transfer chamber 8. Pressure detectors are installed in the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, respectively, and the pressure within the transfer chamber 8 is set to be lower than the pressure within the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. Oxygen concentration detectors are also installed in the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, respectively, and the oxygen concentrations within the transfer chamber 8A and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B are maintained lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. A clean unit 62C is installed on the ceiling of the transfer chamber 8 to supply clean air into the transfer chamber 8, and is configured to circulate, for example, an inert gas as the clean air within the transfer chamber 8. By circulating and purging the transfer chamber 8 with an inert gas, a clean atmosphere can be created within the transfer chamber 8. This configuration makes it possible to prevent particles and the like from the transfer chambers 6A and 6B from entering the transfer chamber 8, and to prevent a natural oxide film from being formed on the wafer W in the transfer chamber 8 and the transfer chambers 6A and 6B.

[0012] Since the processing module 3A and the processing module 3B have the same configuration, only the processing module 3A will be described below as a representative.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 4, the processing furnace 4A includes a cylindrical reaction tube 10A and a heater 12A as a heating means (heating mechanism) installed on the outer periphery of the reaction tube 10A. The reaction tube is made of, for example, quartz or SiC. A processing chamber 14A for processing wafers W as substrates is formed inside the reaction tube 10A. A temperature detector 16A as a temperature detector is installed in the reaction tube 10A. The temperature detector 16A is installed upright along the inner wall of the reaction tube 10A.

[0014] Gases used for substrate processing are supplied into the processing chamber 14A by a gas supply mechanism 34A serving as a gas supply system. The gases supplied by the gas supply mechanism 34A are changed depending on the type of film to be formed. Here, the gas supply mechanism 34A includes a source gas supply unit, a reactive gas supply unit, and an inert gas supply unit. The gas supply mechanism 34A is housed in a supply box 72A, which will be described later.

[0015] The source gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe 36a, which is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a mass flow controller (MFC) 38a, which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control unit), and a valve 40a, which is an on-off valve. The gas supply pipe 36a is connected to a nozzle 44a, which penetrates the side wall of the manifold 18. The nozzle 44a is erected in the vertical direction within the reaction tube 10, and has a plurality of supply holes, which open toward the wafers W held in the boat 26. The source gas is supplied to the wafers W through the supply holes of the nozzle 44a.

[0016] Similarly, the reactive gas supply unit supplies reactive gas to the wafer W via supply pipe 36b, MFC 38b, valve 40b, and nozzle 44b. The inert gas supply unit supplies inert gas to the wafer W via supply pipes 36c, 36d, MFCs 38c, 38d, valves 40c, 40d, and nozzles 44a, 44b.

[0017] A cylindrical manifold 18A is connected to the lower end opening of the reaction tube 10A via a sealing member such as an O-ring, and supports the lower end of the reaction tube 10A. The lower end opening of the manifold 18A is opened and closed by a disk-shaped lid 22A. A sealing member such as an O-ring is installed on the upper surface of the lid 22A, thereby airtightly sealing the inside of the reaction tube 10A from the outside air. A heat insulating member 24A is placed on the lid 22A.

[0018] An exhaust pipe 46A is attached to the manifold 18A. A vacuum pump 52A serving as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe 46A via a pressure sensor 48A serving as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) that detects the pressure inside the processing chamber 14A and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 40A serving as a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). With this configuration, the pressure inside the processing chamber 14A can be adjusted to a processing pressure appropriate for the processing. An exhaust system A is mainly composed of the exhaust pipe 46A, the APC valve 40A, and the pressure sensor 48A. The exhaust system A is housed in an exhaust box 74A, which will be described later.

[0019] The processing chamber 14A accommodates a boat 26A serving as a substrate holder for vertically supporting multiple wafers W, e.g., 25 to 150 wafers W, in a shelf-like configuration. The boat 26A is supported above the thermal insulation section 24A by a rotation shaft 28A that penetrates the lid section 22A and the thermal insulation section 24A. The rotation shaft 28A is connected to a rotation mechanism 30A installed below the lid section 22A, and the rotation shaft 28A is configured to be rotatable while keeping the interior of the reaction tube 10A airtightly sealed. The lid section 22A is driven vertically by a boat elevator 32A serving as an elevation mechanism. This allows the boat 26A and the lid section 22A to be raised and lowered together, allowing the boat 26A to be loaded into and unloaded from the reaction tube 10A.

[0020] The transfer of wafers W to the boat 26A is performed in the transfer chamber 6A. As shown in FIG. 3, a clean unit 60A is installed on one side of the transfer chamber 6A (the outer side of the transfer chamber 6A, the side opposite the side facing the transfer chamber 6B) to circulate clean air (e.g., inert gas) within the transfer chamber 6A. The inert gas supplied into the transfer chamber 6A is exhausted from the transfer chamber 6A by an exhaust unit 62A installed on the side facing the clean unit 60A across the boat 26A (the side facing the transfer chamber 6B) and resupplied from the clean unit 60A into the transfer chamber 6A (circulation purge). The pressure within the transfer chamber 6A is set to be lower than the pressure within the transfer chamber 8. The oxygen concentration within the transfer chamber 6A is also set to be lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. This configuration can prevent natural oxide films from forming on the wafers W during the transfer operation.

[0021] A controller 100 that controls the rotation mechanism 30A, boat elevator 32A, MFCs 38a-d and valves 40a-d of the gas supply mechanism 34A, and APC valve 50A are connected to these components. The controller 100 is formed, for example, by a microprocessor (computer) equipped with a CPU, and is configured to control the operation of the processing device 2. An input / output device 102 configured, for example, as a touch panel, is connected to the controller 100. One controller 100 may be installed in each of the processing modules 3A and 3B, or one controller 100 may be installed in common.

[0022] A storage unit 104 serving as a storage medium is connected to the controller 100. The storage unit 104 readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the processing device 10 and a program (also called a recipe) for causing each component of the processing device 2 to execute processing according to processing conditions.

[0023] The storage unit 104 may be a storage device (such as a hard disk or flash memory) built into the controller 100, or may be a portable external storage device (such as 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). The program may be provided to the computer using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line. The program is read from the storage unit 104 as needed in response to an instruction from the input / output device 102, and the controller 100 executes processing in accordance with the read recipe, whereby the processing device 2 executes the desired processing under the control of the controller 100. The controller 100 is housed in the controller box 76A, 76B.

[0024] Next, a process (film formation process) for forming a film on a substrate using the above-described processing apparatus 2 will be described. Here, an example will be described in which a silicon oxide (SiO2) film is formed on a wafer W by supplying DCS (SiH2Cl2: dichlorosilane) gas as a source gas and O2 (oxygen) gas as a reactive gas to the wafer W. In the following description, the operation of each component of the processing apparatus 2 is controlled by a controller 100.

[0025] (Wafer charge and boat load) The gate valve 90A is opened, and wafers W are transferred to the boat 20A. After a plurality of wafers W are loaded into the boat 26A (wafer charge), the gate valve 90A is closed. The boat 26A is loaded into the processing chamber 14 (boat load) by the boat elevator 32A, and the lower opening of the reaction tube 10A is airtightly closed (sealed) by the lid 22A.

[0026] (pressure and temperature regulation) The vacuum pump 52A evacuates (depressurizes) the processing chamber 14A to a predetermined pressure (vacuum level). The pressure inside the processing chamber 14A is measured by the pressure sensor 48A, and the APC valve 50A is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure information. The wafers W inside the processing chamber 14A are heated by the heater 12A to a predetermined temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 12A is feedback-controlled based on temperature information detected by the temperature detection unit 16A to achieve a predetermined temperature distribution in the processing chamber 14A. The rotation mechanism 30A also starts rotating the boat 26A and the wafers W.

[0027] (film formation process) [Source gas supply process] When the temperature inside the processing chamber 14A stabilizes at a preset processing temperature, DCS gas is supplied to the wafer W inside the processing chamber 14A. The DCS gas is controlled to a desired flow rate by the MFC 38a and supplied into the processing chamber 14A via the gas supply pipe 36a and the nozzle 44a.

[0028] [Raw gas exhaust process] Next, the supply of DCS gas is stopped, and the processing chamber 14A is evacuated to a vacuum using the vacuum pump 52A. At this time, N2 gas may be supplied as an inert gas from the inert gas supply unit into the processing chamber 14A (inert gas purge).

[0029] [Reaction gas supply process] Next, O2 gas is supplied to the wafer W in the processing chamber 14A. The O2 gas is controlled to a desired flow rate by the MFC 38b and is supplied into the processing chamber 14A via the gas supply pipe 36b and the nozzle 44b.

[0030] [Reaction gas exhaust process] Next, the supply of O2 gas is stopped, and the processing chamber 14A is evacuated to a vacuum using the vacuum pump 52A. At this time, N2 gas may be supplied into the processing chamber 14A from the inert gas supply unit (inert gas purge).

[0031] By repeating the cycle of the above-described four steps a predetermined number of times (one or more times), an SiO2 film having a predetermined composition and a predetermined thickness can be formed on the wafer W.

[0032] (Boat unloading and wafer discharge) After forming a film of a predetermined thickness, N2 gas is supplied from the inert gas supply unit, the inside of the processing chamber 14A is replaced with N2 gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 14A is returned to normal pressure. Then, the boat elevator 32A lowers the lid 22A, and the boat 26A is unloaded from the reaction tube 10A (boat unloading). Then, the processed wafers W are removed from the boat 26A (wafer discharging).

[0033] Thereafter, the wafer W may be stored in the pod 5 and unloaded from the processing apparatus 2, or may be transferred to the processing furnace 4B where a substrate process such as annealing may be performed successively. When the wafer W is processed in the processing furnace 4B immediately after being processed in the processing furnace 4A, the gate valves 90A and 90B are opened, and the wafer W is directly transferred from the boat 26A to the boat 26B. The wafer W is then loaded and unloaded into the processing furnace 4B in the same manner as the substrate processing in the processing furnace 4A described above. Furthermore, the substrate processing in the processing furnace 4B is performed in the same manner as the substrate processing in the processing furnace 4A described above.

[0034] The processing conditions for forming an SiO2 film on the wafer W are, for example, as follows: Processing temperature (wafer temperature): 300℃ to 700℃, Processing pressure (pressure inside the processing chamber) 1Pa to 4000Pa, DCS gas: 100sccm to 10,000sccm, O2 gas: 100sccm to 10,000sccm, N2 gas: 100sccm to 10,000sccm, By setting each processing condition to a value within each range, it becomes possible to properly proceed with the film forming process.

[0035] Next, the rear configuration of the processing device 2 will be described. For example, if the boat 26 is damaged, the boat 26 needs to be replaced. Also, if the reaction tube 10 is damaged or needs to be cleaned, the reaction tube 10 needs to be removed. In this way, when maintenance is performed on the transfer chamber 6 or the processing furnace 4, the maintenance is performed from the maintenance area on the back side of the processing apparatus 2.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, maintenance ports 78A and 78B are formed on the rear sides of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B, respectively. The maintenance port 78A is formed on the transfer chamber 6B side of the transfer chamber 6A, and the maintenance port 78B is formed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6B. The maintenance ports 78A and 78B are opened and closed by maintenance doors 80A and 80B. The maintenance doors 80A and 80B are configured to be rotatable around hinges 82A and 82B as pivotal axes. The hinge 82A is installed on the transfer chamber 6B side of the transfer chamber 6A, and the hinge 82B is installed on the transfer chamber 6A side of the transfer chamber 6B. That is, the hinges 82A and 82B are installed adjacent to each other near the inner corners located on the adjacent surfaces on the rear sides of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. Maintenance areas are formed on the treatment module 3B side of the rear of the treatment module 3A and on the treatment module 3A side of the rear of the treatment module 3B.

[0037] As shown by the imaginary lines, the maintenance doors 80A, 80B are rotated horizontally toward the rear of the rear sides of the transfer chambers 6A, 6B around hinges 82A, 82B to open the rear maintenance openings 78A, 78B. The maintenance door 80A is configured to be able to open up to 180° to the left toward the transfer chamber 6A. The maintenance door 80B is configured to be able to open up to 180° to the right toward the transfer chamber 6B. In other words, the maintenance door 80A rotates clockwise toward the transfer chamber 6A, and the maintenance door 80B rotates counterclockwise. In other words, the maintenance doors 80A, 80B rotate in opposite directions. The maintenance doors 80A, 80B are configured to be removable and may be removed for maintenance.

[0038] Utility systems 70A and 70B are installed near the rear of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B. The utility systems 70A and 70B are arranged opposite each other with a maintenance rear in between. Maintenance of the utility systems 70A and 70B is performed from inside the utility systems 70A and 70B, i.e., from the space (maintenance area) between the utility systems 70A and 70B. The utility systems 70A and 70B are composed of, in order from the housing side (transfer chamber 6A, 6B side), exhaust boxes 74A and 74B, supply boxes 72A and 72B, and controller boxes 76A and 76B. The maintenance ports of each box of the utility systems 70A and 70B are formed on the inside (maintenance area side). In other words, the maintenance ports of each box of the utility systems 70A and 70B are formed facing each other.

[0039] The exhaust box 74A is arranged at an outer corner of the back surface of the transfer chamber 6A, opposite the transfer chamber 6B. The exhaust box 74B is arranged at an outer corner of the back surface of the transfer chamber 6B, opposite the transfer chamber 6A. In other words, the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B are installed flat (smooth) so that the outer side surfaces of the transfer chambers 6A and 6B and the outer side surfaces of the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B are connected to a flat surface. The supply box 72A is arranged adjacent to the exhaust box 74A on the side opposite to the side adjacent to the transfer chamber 6A. The supply box 72B is arranged adjacent to the exhaust box 74B on the side opposite to the side adjacent to the transfer chamber 6B.

[0040] In top view, the thickness (width in the short side direction) of the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B is smaller than the thickness of the supply boxes 72A and 72B. In other words, the supply boxes 72A and 72B protrude further toward the maintenance area than the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. Because a gas collection system and numerous ancillary equipment are arranged inside the supply boxes 72A and 72B, the thickness of the supply boxes 72A and 72B may be greater than that of the exhaust boxes 72A and 72B. Therefore, by installing the exhaust boxes 72A and 72B on the housing side, a wider maintenance area in front of the maintenance doors 80A and 80B can be secured. In other words, in top view, the distance between the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B is greater than the distance between the supply boxes 72A and 72B. Therefore, installing the exhaust boxes 74A and 74B on the housing side can secure a wider maintenance space than installing the supply boxes 72A and 72B on the housing side.

[0041] 3, the final valves (valves 40a and 40b located at the lowest stage of the gas supply system) of gas supply mechanisms 34A and 34B are disposed above exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. Preferably, they are disposed directly above exhaust boxes 74A and 74B. With this configuration, even if supply boxes 72A and 72B are installed away from the housing, the piping length from the final valves to the processing chamber can be shortened, thereby improving the quality of film formation.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, the processing modules 3A, 3B and the utility systems 70A, 70B are arranged symmetrically with respect to the adjacent surface S1 of the processing modules 3A, 3B. The exhaust pipes 46A, 46B are installed in the reaction tubes 10A, 10B so that they face the corners, i.e., the exhaust pipes 46A, 46B face the exhaust boxes 74A, 74B. The piping is arranged so that the lengths from the final valves to the nozzles are approximately the same in the processing modules 3A, 3B. Furthermore, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 5, the rotation directions of the wafers W are opposite to each other in the processing furnaces 4A, 4B.

[0043] Next, maintenance of the processing device 2 will be described. An interlock is set so that the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened when the transfer chamber 6A is being circulated and purged with an inert gas. An interlock is also set so that the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened when the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A is lower than the oxygen concentration at atmospheric pressure. The same applies to the maintenance door 80B. Furthermore, an interlock is set so that the gate valves 90A and 90B cannot be opened when the maintenance doors 80A and 80B are open. To open the gate valves 90A and 90B with the maintenance doors 80A and 80B open, the entire processing apparatus 2 must be placed in maintenance mode, and a separately installed maintenance switch must be turned on. This releases the interlocks for the gate valves 90A and 90B, allowing the gate valves 90A and 90B to open.

[0044] When the maintenance door 80A is opened, atmospheric air is introduced into the transfer chamber 6A from the clean unit 62A to increase the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A to a level equal to or higher than that of the atmosphere, preferably to that of the atmosphere. At this time, the circulation purge in the transfer chamber 6A is stopped, and the atmosphere in the transfer chamber 6A is exhausted to the outside of the transfer chamber 6A so that the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A does not exceed the pressure in the transfer chamber 8. The rotation speed of the fan in the clean unit 62A is reduced below that during circulation purge, thereby controlling the amount of atmospheric air flowing into the transfer chamber 6A. This control allows the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A to be maintained lower than that in the transfer chamber 8 while increasing the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A.

[0045] When the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A becomes equivalent to the oxygen concentration at atmospheric pressure, the interlock is released and the maintenance door 80A can be opened. At this time, even if the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 6A becomes equivalent to the oxygen concentration at atmospheric pressure, if the pressure in the transfer chamber 6A is higher than the pressure in the transfer chamber 8, the maintenance door 80A cannot be opened. When the maintenance door 80A is opened, the rotation speed of the fan in the clean unit 62A is increased to at least the rotation speed during circulation purge. More preferably, the rotation speed of the fan in the clean unit 62A is set to the maximum.

[0046] Maintenance inside the transfer chamber 9 is performed through a maintenance port 78C formed in the front of the transfer chamber 9, in a portion where no pod opener is installed. The maintenance port 78C is configured to be opened and closed by a maintenance door. As described above, when the entire processing apparatus 2 is placed in maintenance mode, the gate valves 90A and 90B can be opened and maintenance can be performed from the gate valves 90A and 90B side. In other words, maintenance inside the transfer chamber 8 can be performed from either the front or rear of the apparatus.

[0047] <Effects of this embodiment> According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0048] (1) By arranging the utility system from the housing side to the exhaust box and supply box, the maintenance area on the rear of the processing equipment can be widened. This configuration allows for a wide maintenance opening on the rear of the transfer chamber, improving maintainability. Furthermore, by widening the maintenance area on the rear of the processing equipment, there is no need to secure maintenance areas on both sides of the equipment, which reduces the equipment footprint.

[0049] (2) By arranging the utility systems of the left and right processing modules facing each other on both outer side surfaces of the processing apparatus, the space behind the apparatus can be used as a common maintenance area for the left and right processing modules. For example, in conventional apparatuses, a supply box and an exhaust box are sometimes installed facing each other at both ends of the rear of the apparatus. When two apparatuses with such a configuration are placed side by side, the exhaust box of one apparatus is adjacent to the supply box of the other apparatus at the boundary between the two apparatuses. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the utility systems are not located at the boundary between the two processing modules, allowing for a larger maintenance area.

[0050] (3) By installing the final valve of the gas supply system above the exhaust box, the piping length from the final valve to the processing chamber can be shortened. This means that gas delays and flow rate fluctuations during gas supply can be suppressed, improving the quality of the film formation. Since the quality of film formation is usually affected by gas supply conditions such as gas flow rate and gas pressure, it is preferable to install the supply box near the housing to ensure a stable supply of gas into the reaction tube. However, in the present invention, by installing the final valve near the reaction tube, it is possible to install the supply box at a location away from the housing without adversely affecting the quality of the film formation. Furthermore, by installing the exhaust box below the exhaust pipe extending from the processing vessel (reaction tube) and installing the final valve directly above it, the piping length to the processing chamber can be shortened. Furthermore, installing the final valve directly above the exhaust box facilitates maintenance, such as replacing the final valve.

[0051] (4) By arranging each component in line symmetry across the boundary between the processing modules, it is possible to suppress variations in the quality of film formation between the left and right processing modules. That is, by arranging each component, utility system, gas supply pipe arrangement, and exhaust pipe arrangement within the processing module in line symmetry, it is possible to make the piping lengths from the supply box to the reaction tube and from the reaction tube to the exhaust box approximately the same in the left and right processing modules. This allows film formation to be performed under similar conditions in the left and right processing modules, resulting in consistent film formation quality and improved productivity.

[0052] (5) By installing the maintenance door on the boundary between the two processing modules and configuring it to rotate toward the other processing module, the maintenance door can be opened 180 degrees, and the maintenance opening on the back of the transport chamber can be made wider, thereby improving maintainability.

[0053] (6) It is possible to perform maintenance on one processing module or the inside of the transfer chamber while processing substrates in the other processing module. This allows maintenance to be performed without stopping the film formation process, thereby increasing the operating rate of the equipment and improving productivity.

[0054] (7) When the maintenance door of one of the processing modules is opened, the pressure in the transfer chamber is maintained lower than the pressure in the transfer chamber, while the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber is increased to the oxygen concentration at atmospheric pressure. This prevents the atmosphere from flowing from the transfer chamber into the transfer chamber. Furthermore, by increasing the rotation speed of the clean unit fan in the transfer chamber higher than during circulatory purging after the maintenance door is opened (after the transfer chamber is opened to the atmosphere), the atmosphere from the transfer chamber into the transfer chamber can be prevented from flowing into the transfer chamber. This configuration allows the operation of one processing module to continue even when the maintenance door of the other processing module is open. In other words, even when maintenance is being performed on the transfer chamber, a clean atmosphere can be maintained in the transfer chamber, and an increase in the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber can be prevented. This allows maintenance of an inactive processing module to be performed without adversely affecting the operating processing module. This allows maintenance of one processing module to be performed while the other processing module is operating, eliminating the need to shut down the entire processing system during maintenance, thereby improving productivity.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention 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 invention.

[0056] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which DCS gas is used as the source gas has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, as the source gas, in addition to DCS gas, inorganic halosilane source gases such as HCD (Si2Cl6: hexachlorodisilane) gas, MCS (SiH3Cl: monochlorosilane) gas, and TCS (SiHCl3: trichlorosilane) gas, halogen-free amino-based (amine-based) silane source gases such as 3DMAS (Si[N(CH3)2]3H: trisdimethylaminosilane) gas and BTBAS (SiH2[NH(C4H9)]2: bis(tertiarybutylaminosilane) gas, and halogen-free inorganic silane source gases such as MS (SiH4: monosilane) gas and DS (Si2H6: disilane) gas can be used.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example of forming an SiO2 film has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, other than or in addition to these, a nitrogen (N)-containing gas (nitride gas) such as ammonia (NH3) gas, a carbon (C)-containing gas such as propylene (C3H6) gas, or a boron (B)-containing gas such as boron trichloride (BCl3) gas can be used to form a SiN film, SiON film, SiOCN film, SiOC film, SiCN film, SiBN film, SiBCN film, etc. When forming these films, the film formation can be performed under the same processing conditions as in the above-described embodiment, and the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, the present invention can also be suitably applied to the formation of a film containing a metal element such as titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), or tungsten (W), i.e., a metal-based film, on a wafer W.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an example of depositing a film on a wafer W has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be suitably applied to cases where the wafer W or a film formed on the wafer W is subjected to an oxidation process, a diffusion process, an annealing process, an etching process, or the like.

[0060] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate, and the processing conditions in this case may be the same as those in the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 3. Processing Module 72 Supply Box 74···Exhaust box 76···Controller box

Claims

[Claim 1] a processing module including a processing vessel for processing a substrate and a transfer chamber disposed below the processing vessel; a utility system including a gas supply system that supplies a processing gas into the processing vessel and an exhaust system that exhausts the processing vessel, the utility system being disposed along a side surface of the transfer chamber and adjacent to a rear surface of the processing module; At least a portion of the gas supply system is housed in a supply box; At least a part of the exhaust system is housed in an exhaust box, In the substrate processing apparatus, a final valve of the gas supply system is disposed closer to the processing vessel than the supply box.

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