Film deposition treatment system and control method for film deposition treatment system

Abstract

To provide a film deposition treatment system and a control method for the film deposition treatment system for suppressing an influence on a film quality by a temperature change.SOLUTION: A film deposition treatment system includes: a first film deposition treatment chamber for performing a first substrate treatment to a substrate; a second film deposition treatment chamber for performing a second substrate treatment to the substrate; a transportation chamber arranged between the first film deposition treatment chamber and the second film deposition treatment chamber; a temperature adjustment chamber that is arranged in the transportation chamber and adjusts a temperature of the substrate to which the first substrate treatment is performed before the second substrate treatment is performed; and a control part. The temperature adjustment chamber has a first treatment container, a refrigerator that is arranged in the first treatment container, has a first stage to which the substrate is mounted and cools the first stage, a radiation shield arranged between the first treatment container and the first stage, and a first gas supply part for supplying a gas to the first treatment container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a film forming system and a method for controlling the film forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for cooling a substrate by bringing a cooling unit into direct contact with a stage on which the substrate is placed, and processing the substrate while rotating the stage with the cooling unit spaced apart from the stage, the method comprising: cooling the cooling unit to a target temperature with the stage in direct contact with the cooling unit, cooling the stage to an initial cooling temperature; heating the stage; controlling the temperature of the stage to the steady-state cooling temperature when the temperature of the stage reaches the steady-state cooling temperature; placing a substrate on the stage at the steady-state cooling temperature, and rotating the stage with the stage spaced apart from the cooling unit, while continuously processing multiple substrates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-116116 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a film forming system and a method for controlling the film forming system that suppress the influence of temperature changes on film quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect, there is provided a film formation processing system comprising: a first film formation processing chamber that performs a first substrate processing on a substrate; a second film formation processing chamber that performs a second substrate processing on the substrate; a transfer chamber provided between the first film formation processing chamber and the second film formation processing chamber; a temperature adjustment chamber provided in the transfer chamber that adjusts the temperature of the substrate that has been subjected to the first substrate processing before being subjected to the second substrate processing; and a control unit, wherein the temperature adjustment chamber has a first processing container, a first stage provided in the first processing container and on which the substrate is placed, a refrigerator that cools the first stage, a radiation shield provided between the first processing container and the first stage, and a first gas supply unit that supplies gas into the first processing container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a film forming system and a method for controlling the film forming system that suppress the influence of temperature changes on film quality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a film forming system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the second film formation processing chamber when the stage is cooled. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a second film formation processing chamber during film formation processing. [Figure 4] An example of a temperature control room configuration diagram. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of substrate processing using a film forming processing system. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes of a stage and a cold link in a second film formation processing chamber when a substrate processed in a first film formation processing chamber is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes of a stage and a cold link in a second film formation processing chamber when a substrate whose temperature has been adjusted in a temperature adjustment chamber is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes of a stage and a cold link in a temperature adjustment chamber when a substrate processed in a first film formation processing chamber is transferred to the temperature adjustment chamber. [Figure 9] 10 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes of a stage and a cold link in a second film formation processing chamber when a substrate whose temperature has been adjusted in a temperature adjustment chamber is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber. [Figure 10] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating pre-treatment in a first film formation treatment chamber. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating pre-treatment in a second film formation treatment chamber. [Figure 12] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating pre-processing of a temperature-controlled room. [Figure 13] 10 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the pressure inside the processing vessel of the temperature adjustment chamber and the temperature change of the stage of the temperature adjustment chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0009] <Film formation processing system 1> A film forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an example of a configuration diagram of the film forming system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0010] The film forming processing system 1 includes film forming processing chambers (process modules) 2 and 3, a vacuum transfer chamber 4, a temperature adjustment chamber 5, a pass module 6, a sub-module 7, a load lock chamber 8, an atmospheric transfer chamber 9, a load port 10, and a control unit 12.

[0011] The first film formation processing chamber 2 is an apparatus that performs a first film formation process at a first film formation temperature (a temperature higher than room temperature, e.g., 300°C) to form a first film on the substrate W. The second film formation processing chamber 3 is an apparatus that performs a second film formation process at a second film formation temperature (a temperature lower than room temperature, an extremely low temperature, e.g., a temperature of 150K or less) to form a second film on the substrate W on which the first film has been formed.

[0012] Here, the second film is, for example, a Cu film used as a wiring layer of a semiconductor device formed on the substrate W. The first film is a film used as a barrier layer to prevent Cu atoms of the second film from diffusing into the Si substrate. Specifically, the second film is a film of any of Ti, Ta, TiN, TaN, etc. Here, the barrier performance of the barrier layer against Cu atoms increases as the crystal grain size increases. Furthermore, the crystal grain size increases as the temperature during film formation increases. For this reason, in the first film formation chamber 2, film formation is performed at a high temperature (e.g., 300°C). On the other hand, in the second film formation process, the substrate W is cooled to an extremely low temperature (e.g., a temperature of 150K or less) and then film formation is performed.

[0013] The first film formation processing chamber 2 is, for example, a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) device or a sputtering device. The first film formation processing chamber 2 has a stage 22 on which a substrate W is placed. The first film formation processing chamber 2 also has a heater (not shown) that heats the stage 22 and the substrate W placed on the stage 22.

[0014] The second film formation processing chamber 3 is, for example, a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) device or a sputtering device. The second film formation processing chamber 3 has a stage 32 on which a substrate W is placed. The second film formation processing chamber 3 also has a refrigerator 35 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 described below) that cools the stage 32 and the substrate W placed on the stage 32. Details of the second film formation processing chamber 3 will be described later using FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0015] The vacuum transfer chamber 4 is maintained at a vacuum and is connected via gate valves to the film formation chambers 2 and 3, the pass module 6, the sub-module 7, and the load lock chamber 8. The vacuum transfer chamber 4 is provided with a transfer device 4A for transferring the substrate W.

[0016] A temperature adjustment chamber 5 is provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 4, which serves as the transfer path from the first film formation processing chamber 2 to the second film formation processing chamber 3. The temperature adjustment chamber 5 has a stage 52 on which the substrate W is placed. The temperature adjustment chamber 5 also has a refrigerator (not shown) that cools the stage 52 and the substrate W placed on the stage 52. The high-temperature substrate W on which the first film has been formed in the first film formation processing chamber 2 is transferred and cooled. Details of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 will be described later using FIG. 4.

[0017] The pass module 6 is a module used when transferring the substrate W to another vacuum transfer chamber (not shown) adjacent to the vacuum transfer chamber 4.

[0018] The submodule 7 performs pre-processing on the substrate W before the processing in the first film formation processing chamber 2. The pre-processing performed on the substrate W in the submodule 7 may include any of a degassing process, a pre-cleaning process, and the like.

[0019] The load lock chamber 8 is airtightly connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 4, and switches the internal atmosphere between a vacuum atmosphere and an air atmosphere. In this embodiment, two load lock chambers 8 are provided, but the number is not limited to this.

[0020] A common atmospheric transfer chamber 9 for transferring substrates W in an atmospheric atmosphere is connected to the two load lock chambers 8. A load port 10 for placing a carrier 11 is provided in the atmospheric transfer chamber 9. A transfer device 9A for transferring substrates W is provided in the atmospheric transfer chamber 9 between the load lock chamber 8 and the carrier 11 of the load port 10. The substrates W are accommodated in the carrier 11.

[0021] The film forming system 1 having such a configuration includes a control unit 12 configured, for example, by a computer. The control unit 12 controls the entire film forming system 1. The control unit 12 has a memory and a CPU, and the memory stores programs and recipes used for processing in the film forming processing chambers 2 and 3. The programs include programs related to input operations and display of processing parameters. The recipes set process conditions and processing procedures for the film forming processing chambers 2 and 3, and transport paths for the substrates W.

[0022] The CPU transfers the substrate W removed from the carrier 11 to the first film formation processing chamber 2, the temperature adjustment chamber 5, and the second film formation processing chamber 3 along a predetermined route using the transfer device 9A in the atmospheric transfer chamber 9 and the transfer device 4A in the vacuum transfer chamber 4 in accordance with the program and recipe stored in the memory. Then, the CPU executes a predetermined film formation process in the film formation processing chambers 2 and 3 based on the process conditions set in the recipe. The program may be stored in a storage unit such as a computer storage medium, such as a flexible disk, compact disk, hard disk, or MO (magneto-optical disk), and installed in the control unit 12, or may be downloaded using a communication function.

[0023] <First film formation processing chamber 2> The first film formation processing chamber 2 is, for example, a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) apparatus. However, the first film formation processing chamber 2 is not limited to this and may be any film formation apparatus such as a thermal CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus or a plasma CVD (Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus.

[0024] <Second film forming processing chamber 3> Next, the second film formation processing chamber 3 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an example of a configuration diagram of the second film formation processing chamber 3 when the stage 32 is being cooled. Figure 3 is an example of a configuration diagram of the second film formation processing chamber 3 during film formation processing.

[0025] The second film formation processing chamber 3 is a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) sputtering apparatus (film formation apparatus) and includes a processing vessel 31, a stage 32, a stage rotation mechanism 33, a cold link 34, a refrigerator 35, a target 36, gas supply units 37 and 38, an exhaust valve 39, and a turbomolecular pump 40.

[0026] The processing chamber 31 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 4 (see FIG. 1) via a gate valve.

[0027] The stage 32 has a mounting surface on which the substrate W is placed. The stage 32 also includes an electrostatic chuck (not shown) that electrostatically attracts the substrate W. The second film formation processing chamber 3 also has a heat transfer gas supply unit (not shown) that supplies a heat transfer gas (e.g., He gas) to the space between the back surface of the attracted substrate W and the front surface (mounting surface) of the stage 32.

[0028] The stage rotation mechanism 33 rotates the stage 32 about the central axis (indicated by the dashed line) of the stage 32 when the cold link 34 is separated from the stage 32 (see FIG. 3), thereby improving the in-plane uniformity when a film is formed on the substrate W.

[0029] The refrigerator 35 holds the cold link 34 and cools the upper surface of the cold link 34 to an extremely low temperature. From the viewpoint of cooling capacity, the refrigerator 35 preferably uses a GM (Gifford-McMahon) cycle. The cold link 34 is fixed on top of the refrigerator 35, and its upper part is housed inside the processing vessel 31. The cold link 34 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity (e.g., Cu) and has an outer shape that is approximately cylindrical. The cold link 34 is arranged so that its center coincides with the central axis of the stage 32.

[0030] The refrigerator 35 controls the refrigeration capacity based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the cold link 34. That is, the refrigerator 35 controls the refrigeration capacity so that the value detected by the temperature sensor provided in the cold link 34 becomes a predetermined temperature (117 K in the examples of FIGS. 6, 7, and 9 described later).

[0031] The second film formation chamber 3 also has an elevator mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35. By raising the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35 with the elevator mechanism, the upper surface of the cold link 34 comes into contact with the lower surface of the stage 32, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby cooling the stage 32. By lowering the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35 with the elevator mechanism, the upper surface of the cold link 34 is separated from the lower surface of the stage 32, as shown in Fig. 3, allowing the stage 32 to rotate.

[0032] A target 36 serving as a sputtering source and a gas supply unit 37 for supplying sputtering gas (Ar gas) are disposed on the ceiling (lid) of the processing vessel 31. A voltage is applied to a target holder that holds the target 36. As a result, the surface of the target 36 is sputtered by the sputtering gas, and sputtered particles (film-forming atoms) emitted from the surface of the target 36 adhere (deposit) on the surface of the substrate W placed on the stage 32, thereby performing a film-forming process on the substrate W. A swingable magnet 36A may be provided on the back side of the target 36.

[0033] A gas supply unit 38 for supplying a gas (for example, N2 gas) may be provided at the bottom of the processing vessel 31. This N2 gas is used, for example, during reactive sputtering.

[0034] An exhaust valve 39 and a turbo molecular pump 40 are provided at the bottom of the processing vessel 31, and the inside of the processing vessel 31 is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum atmosphere.

[0035] 2, the second film formation processing chamber 3 cools the stage 32 and the substrate W placed on the stage 32 by bringing the stage 32 into contact with the cold link 34. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the second film formation processing chamber 3 separates the stage 32 from the cold link 34 and rotates the stage 32 while sputtering the target 36, thereby performing film formation processing on the substrate W at extremely low temperatures.

[0036] <Temperature control room 5> Next, the temperature adjustment chamber 5 provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the temperature adjustment chamber 5.

[0037] The temperature adjustment chamber 5 includes a processing vessel 51, a stage 52, a radiation shield 53, a cold link 54, a refrigerator 55, a gas supply unit 56, an exhaust valve 57, a turbomolecular pump 58, a bypass line 59, and a pressure adjustment valve 60.

[0038] The processing vessel 51 is provided inside the vacuum transfer chamber 4. The processing vessel 51 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 4 (see FIG. 1) via a gate valve (not shown). That is, by opening the gate valve, the internal space of the vacuum transfer chamber 4 and the internal space of the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 are connected to each other. By closing the gate valve, the internal space of the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 can be isolated from the internal space of the vacuum transfer chamber 4. As a result, with the gate valve closed, the pressure inside the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 can be made higher than the pressure inside the internal space of the vacuum transfer chamber 4.

[0039] The stage 52 has a mounting surface on which the substrate W is placed. The stage 52 also includes an electrostatic chuck (not shown) that electrostatically attracts the substrate W. The temperature adjustment chamber 5 also has a heat transfer gas supply unit (not shown) that supplies a heat transfer gas (e.g., He gas) to the space between the back surface of the attracted substrate W and the front surface (mounting surface) of the stage 52.

[0040] A radiation shield 53 is suspended from the ceiling (lid) of the processing vessel 51 via an adapter 53A. The adapter 53A is made of a material with low thermal conductivity (e.g., ceramic) and suppresses heat transfer between the processing vessel 51 and the radiation shield 53. The radiation shield 53 blocks radiant heat from the ceiling and sidewalls of the processing vessel 51 to the stage 52. The radiation shield 53 has an opening (not shown) for transporting the substrate W. The space inside the radiation shield 53 and the space outside the radiation shield 53 are in communication with each other.

[0041] The refrigerator 55 holds the cold link 54 and cools the upper surface of the cold link 54 to an extremely low temperature. From the viewpoint of cooling capacity, the refrigerator 55 preferably uses a GM (Gifford-McMahon) cycle. The cold link 54 is fixed on top of the refrigerator 55, and its upper part is housed inside the processing vessel 31. The cold link 54 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity (e.g., Cu) or the like, and has an outer shape that is approximately cylindrical. The cold link 54 is arranged so that its center coincides with the central axis of the stage 52.

[0042] The refrigerator 55 controls the refrigeration capacity based on the temperature detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the cold link 54. That is, the refrigerator 55 controls the refrigeration capacity so that the value detected by the temperature sensor provided in the cold link 54 becomes a predetermined temperature (120 K in the example of FIG. 8 described later).

[0043] A gas supply unit 56 is provided on the sidewall of the processing vessel 51 to supply a gas (e.g., Ar gas) into the processing vessel 51. The gas supplied by the gas supply unit 56 is a rare gas (Ar gas). However, the gas supplied by the gas supply unit 56 is not limited to this, and rare gases such as He gas and Kr gas, and inert gases such as N2 gas may also be used. The gas supplied from the gas supply unit 56 into the processing vessel 51 is a gas used to heat the stage 52 by thermal convection. The gas supplied from the gas supply unit 56 into the processing vessel 51 is a gas at a higher temperature (e.g., room temperature) than the stage 52, which is cooled to an extremely low temperature.

[0044] An exhaust valve 57 and a turbo molecular pump 58 are provided at the bottom of the processing vessel 51, and the inside of the processing vessel 51 is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum atmosphere.

[0045] One end of the bypass line 59 is connected to the interior of the processing vessel 51, specifically, to the space inside the radiation shield 53, and the other end is connected between the exhaust valve 57 and the turbo molecular pump 58. In addition, a pressure adjustment valve 60 is provided in the bypass line 59. As a result, even when the exhaust valve 57 is closed, air can be exhausted to the turbo molecular pump 58 via the bypass line 59, and the pressure inside the processing vessel 51 can be adjusted by the pressure adjustment valve 60.

[0046] According to the above configuration, the temperature adjustment chamber 5 can cool the stage 52 and the substrate W placed on the stage 52.

[0047] Furthermore, by closing the gate valve of the processing vessel 51 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5, closing the exhaust valve 57, and supplying gas into the processing vessel 51 from the gas supply unit 56, the pressure inside the processing vessel 51 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 can be made higher than the pressure in the internal space of the vacuum transfer chamber 4. At this time, the pressure inside the processing vessel 51 can be adjusted by the pressure adjustment valve 60 provided in the bypass line 59.

[0048] <Film formation process> Next, an example of substrate processing using the film forming processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of substrate processing using the film forming processing system 1.

[0049] In step S101, the substrate W is prepared. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 9A to remove the substrate W from the carrier 11 and transfer it to the load lock chamber 8. Next, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 4A to remove the substrate W from the load lock chamber 8 and transfer it to the first film formation processing chamber 2. Before transferring the substrate W to the first film formation processing chamber 2, the substrate W may be transferred to the submodule 7, where pre-processing (degassing processing, pre-cleaning processing, etc.) may be performed on the substrate W.

[0050] In step S102, a first film is formed on the substrate W. Here, the control unit 12 controls the first film formation processing chamber 2 to heat the substrate W to a first film formation temperature (e.g., 300°C), and then performs a first film formation process on the substrate W, thereby forming the first film on the substrate W. That is, the temperature of the substrate W after the first film formation process is the first film formation temperature.

[0051] In step S103, the substrate W is transported. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transport device 4A to take out the substrate W from the first film formation processing chamber 2 and transport it to the temperature adjustment chamber 5.

[0052] In step S104, the temperature of the substrate W is adjusted. Here, the control unit 12 controls the temperature adjustment chamber 5 to cool the substrate W to a predetermined cooling temperature (an extremely low temperature, for example, a temperature of 150 K or less).

[0053] In step S105, the substrate W is transported. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transport device 4A to take out the substrate W from the temperature adjustment chamber 5 and transport it to the first film formation processing chamber 2.

[0054] In step S106, a second film is formed on the substrate W. Here, the control unit 12 controls the second film formation processing chamber 3 to cool the substrate W to a second film formation temperature (an extremely low temperature, for example, a temperature of 150 K or less), and then performs a second film formation process on the substrate W, thereby forming a second film on the substrate W.

[0055] In step S107, the substrate W is transported. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transport device 4A to remove the substrate W from the first film formation processing chamber 2 and transport it to the load lock chamber 8. Next, the control unit 12 controls the transport device 9A to remove the substrate W from the load lock chamber 8 and store it in the load port 10.

[0056] <Temperature change of stage during continuous processing> Next, a temperature change of the stage 32 in the second film formation processing chamber 3 when substrates W are continuously processed in the film formation processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0057] 6 is an example of a graph showing the temperature changes of the stage 32 and cold link 34 of the second film formation processing chamber 3 when a substrate W processed in the first film formation processing chamber 2 is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature. The temperature of the stage 32 (ESC Temp) is indicated by a solid line, and the temperature of the cold link 34 (CL Temp) is indicated by a dashed line. In the example of FIG. 6, a substrate W at 300°C is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. The output of the refrigerator 35 is controlled so that the temperature of the cold link 34 becomes a predetermined temperature (here, 117K).

[0058] The temperature of the stage 32 increases when the high-temperature substrate W is placed on the stage 32. In addition, in the second film formation process, the temperature of the stage 32 increases when heat input due to sputtering during the film formation process is transferred to the stage 32 via the substrate W. In addition, the temperature of the stage 32 increases when a process gas at room temperature is supplied into the processing vessel 31 during the film formation process.

[0059] After the second film formation process (see FIG. 3), the stage 32 is cooled by bringing the cold link 34 into contact with the stage 32 (see FIG. 2), whereby the temperature of the cold link 34 rises and the stage 32 is cooled.

[0060] Here, the film forming system 1 continuously processes substrates W at a high throughput. That is, processing of the next substrate W begins before the stage 32 and cold link 34 are cooled to their original temperatures (here, 117 K). As a result, heat accumulates in the stage 32, and the temperature of the stage 32 gradually rises. In the example of Fig. 6, after about six hours (corresponding to the processing of 210 substrates W), the temperature reaches thermal equilibrium at 190 K, which is about 70 K higher than the initial temperature, and then the temperature saturates and stabilizes.

[0061] 7 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes in the stage 32 and cold link 34 of the second film formation processing chamber 3 when a substrate W whose temperature has been adjusted in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature. The temperature of the stage 32 (ESC Temp) is indicated by a solid line, and the temperature of the cold link 34 (CL Temp) is indicated by a dashed line. In the example of FIG. 7, a substrate W cooled to 120 K in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. The output of the refrigerator 35 is controlled so that the temperature of the cold link 34 becomes a predetermined temperature (here, 117 K).

[0062] By repeatedly processing substrates W, the temperature of the stage 32 and cold link 34 gradually increases, and in the example of Figure 7, after about 50 minutes (corresponding to processing 30 substrates W), the temperature reaches thermal equilibrium at 121.5 K, which is about 1.5 K higher than the temperature before saturating and stabilizing.

[0063] In this way, by using the temperature adjustment chamber 5, it is possible to reduce the temperature drift of the stage 32 (the temperature difference between the initial temperature of the stage 32, 117 K, and the saturation temperature at which the stage 32 reaches thermal equilibrium), and it is also possible to shorten the time it takes for the stage 32 to reach thermal equilibrium.

[0064] Next, the temperature change of the stage 52 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 and the temperature change of the stage 32 in the second film formation processing chamber 3 when substrates W are continuously processed in the film formation processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] FIG. 8 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes of the stage 52 and cold link 54 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 when a substrate W processed in the first film formation processing chamber 2 is transferred to the temperature adjustment chamber 5. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature. The temperature of the stage 52 (ESC Temp) is indicated by a solid line, and the temperature of the cold link 54 that cools the stage 52 (CL Temp) is indicated by a dashed line. In the example of FIG. 8, a substrate W at 300°C is transferred to the temperature adjustment chamber 5. The output of the refrigerator 55 is controlled so that the temperature of the cold link 54 becomes a predetermined temperature (here, 120K).

[0066] When a high-temperature substrate W is placed on the stage 52, the substrate W is cooled and the temperature of the stage 52 rises. Furthermore, when the substrate W is removed from the stage 52, the temperature of the stage 52 drops. Then, the next substrate W is placed on the stage 52 before the stage 52 and cold link 54 have cooled to their original temperature (120 K in this case). As a result, heat accumulates in the stage 52, and the temperature of the stage 52 gradually rises, reaching thermal equilibrium at 175 K, which is about 55 K higher than the original temperature in the example of FIG. 8, and the temperature saturates and stabilizes.

[0067] 9 is an example of a graph showing temperature changes in the stage 32 and cold link 34 of the second film formation processing chamber 3 when a substrate W whose temperature has been adjusted in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature. The temperature of the stage 32 (ESC Temp) is indicated by a solid line, and the temperature of the cold link 34 (CL Temp) is indicated by a dashed line. In the example of FIG. 9, continuing from the example of FIG. 8, a substrate W at 175 K is transferred to the second film formation processing chamber 3. The output of the refrigerator 35 is controlled so that the temperature of the cold link 34 becomes a predetermined temperature (here, 117 K).

[0068] By repeating the processing of the substrate W, the temperature of the stage 32 gradually increases, and in the example of FIG. 9, the temperature reaches thermal equilibrium at 123.2 K, which is about 3.2 K higher than the temperature, and then the temperature saturates and stabilizes.

[0069] By cooling (e.g., 175 K) the high-temperature (e.g., 300°C) substrate W processed in the first film formation processing chamber 2 shown in Figures 8 and 9 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5 and then processing it in the second film formation processing chamber 3, the temperature rise of the stage 32 during continuous processing can be significantly suppressed compared to when the high-temperature (e.g., 300°C) substrate W processed in the first film formation processing chamber 2 shown in Figure 6 is directly processed in the second film formation processing chamber 3.

[0070] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, in the stage 52 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5, a temperature change of approximately 55 K occurs due to successive processing of the substrates W. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, in the stage 32 of the second film formation processing chamber 3, a temperature change of approximately 3.2 K occurs due to successive processing of the substrates W. As such, if the temperatures of the substrates W at the start of film formation in the second film formation processing chamber 3 differ from one substrate W to another, this may affect the quality of the formed second film.

[0071] For this reason, pre-treatment is performed before starting the continuous film formation process on the substrates W. In the pre-treatment, the stage 52 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 is heated in advance to a saturation temperature (175 K in the example of FIG. 8) at which thermal equilibrium is achieved, and the stage 32 of the second film formation process chamber 3 is heated in advance to a saturation temperature (123.2 K in the example of FIG. 9) at which thermal equilibrium is achieved.

[0072] As a result, the film forming system 1 can perform film forming processing with high throughput, and can stabilize the temperature at the start of film formation, thereby suppressing variations in the film quality of the second film for each substrate W.

[0073] <Pre-processing> The pre-processing of the film forming system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 12. The pre-processing is a process that is performed before starting the substrate processing (film forming process) shown in Fig. 5. After the pre-processing (see Figs. 10 to 12) is performed, the substrate processing (film forming process) shown in Fig. 5 is performed continuously. In the pre-processing, the temperatures of the stages 22, 32, and 52 are adjusted to saturation temperatures at which the respective stages are in thermal equilibrium.

[0074] 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the pre-treatment in the first film formation treatment chamber 2. Note that, here, the first film formation treatment chamber 2 is described as a PVD apparatus.

[0075] In step S201, a dummy substrate is placed on the stage 22. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 4A to place the dummy substrate on the stage 22.

[0076] In step S202, the target surface is cleaned. Here, a sputtering gas is supplied into the processing chamber, and a voltage is applied to the target holder that holds the target, thereby sputtering the target surface. In this way, the target surface is cleaned.

[0077] In step S203, the temperature of the stage 22 is adjusted by using a heater provided in the stage 22 to heat the stage 22 to a predetermined temperature.

[0078] In step S204, the dummy substrate is carried out from the stage 22. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 4A to carry out the dummy substrate from the stage 22.

[0079] FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the pre-treatment in the second film formation treatment chamber 3 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0080] In step S301, a dummy substrate is placed on the stage 32. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 4A to place the dummy substrate on the stage 32.

[0081] In step S302, the target surface is cleaned. Here, the control unit 12 supplies a sputtering gas from the gas supply unit 37 into the processing vessel 31, and applies a voltage to the target holder that holds the target 36, thereby sputtering the surface of the target 36. In this way, the surface of the target 36 is cleaned.

[0082] In step S303, the stage 32 is cooled by the refrigerator 35. Here, the control unit 12 raises the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35 using an elevator mechanism (not shown) to bring the stage 32 and the cold link 34 into contact (see FIG. 2). Then, the refrigerator 35 cools the stage 32. This cools the stage 32 and the cold link 34 to a predetermined temperature (117 K in the example of FIG. 9).

[0083] In step S304, the cold link 34 is separated from the stage 32. Here, the control unit 12 uses an elevator mechanism (not shown) to lower the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35, separating the stage 32 from the cold link 34 (see FIG. 3). As a result, the temperature of the stage 32 is increased by radiant heat from the processing vessel 31, etc. Furthermore, the sputtering particles incident on the dummy substrate when cleaning the target 36 are transferred to the stage 32, thereby increasing the temperature of the stage 32. Furthermore, the sputtering gas at room temperature supplied during the cleaning process is supplied into the processing vessel 31, thereby increasing the temperature of the stage 32.

[0084] Although the target 36 is sputtered while the temperature of the stage 32 is increasing, the present invention is not limited to this, and the target 36 does not have to be sputtered. Alternatively, a gas may be supplied into the processing vessel 31, and the heat of the processing vessel 31 may be transferred to the stage 32 by gas convection, thereby increasing the temperature of the stage 32.

[0085] In step S305, it is determined whether the temperature of stage 32 is within a predetermined set temperature range. Here, the predetermined set temperature range is a range (for example, a range of ±1 K, or a range of 122.2 K to 124.2 K) that includes the saturation temperature (123.2 K in the example of FIG. 9) at which thermal equilibrium is achieved. Control unit 12 detects the temperature of stage 32 using a temperature sensor (not shown) provided on stage 32. Then, control unit 12 determines whether the detected temperature of stage 32 is within the predetermined set temperature range.

[0086] If the temperature of the stage 32 is not within the predetermined set temperature range (S305: NO), the process of the control unit 12 proceeds to step S306.

[0087] In step S306, it is determined whether the stage temperature is higher than a predetermined set temperature.

[0088] If the stage temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature (S306 YES), the control unit 12 performs a cooling process for the stage 32. Here, the control unit 12 raises the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35 using an elevator mechanism (not shown), brings the cold link 34 into contact with the stage 32, and cools the stage 32. Then, the process by the control unit 12 returns to step S305.

[0089] If the stage temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (S306: NO), the control unit 12 performs a heating process on the stage 32. Here, the control unit 12 lowers the cold link 34 and the refrigerator 35 using an elevator mechanism (not shown) to separate the cold link 34 from the stage 32, and heats the stage 32 using radiant heat from the processing vessel 31, heat from the sputtered particles, heat from the sputtering gas, etc. Then, the process by the control unit 12 returns to step S305.

[0090] If the stage temperature is within the predetermined set temperature range (S305: YES), the process of the control unit 12 proceeds to step S309.

[0091] In step S309, the dummy substrate is carried out from the stage 32. Here, the control unit 12 controls the transfer device 4A to carry out the dummy substrate from the stage 32.

[0092] FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart illustrating the pre-treatment of the temperature-controlled chamber 5 (see FIG. 4).

[0093] In step S401, the gate valve is closed. Here, the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 is provided inside the vacuum transfer chamber 4, and a gate valve capable of transferring the substrate W is provided on the side wall that separates the vacuum transfer chamber 4 from the temperature adjustment chamber 5. In step S401, this gate valve is closed to isolate the internal space of the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 from the internal space of the vacuum transfer chamber 4.

[0094] In step S402, the control unit 12 adjusts the opening degree of the exhaust valve 57. Here, the control unit 12 adjusts the opening degree of the exhaust valve 57 to be smaller, or fully closes the exhaust valve 57. The control unit 12 also adjusts the opening degree of the pressure adjustment valve 60 of the bypass line 59.

[0095] In step S403, the stage 52 is cooled by the refrigerator 55. As a result, the stage 52 and the cold link 54 are cooled to a predetermined temperature (120 K in the example of FIG. 8).

[0096] In step S404, gas is introduced into the processing vessel 51. Here, the control unit 12 controls the gas supply unit 56 to introduce gas at room temperature. As a result, the processing vessel 51 is filled with gas at the pressure set in step S402. This gas transfers heat by convection between the wall surface of the processing vessel 51 and the stage 52. In addition, the heat of the gas at room temperature is transferred to the stage 52. As a result, the temperature of the stage 52 increases.

[0097] Here, the temperature change of the stage 52 due to gas will be explained using Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the pressure inside the processing vessel 51 of the temperature adjustment chamber 5 and the temperature change of the stage 52 in the temperature adjustment chamber 5. In this case, the graph shows the temperature change of the stage 52 when Ar gas is introduced. The solid line indicates the case of 100 Torr, the dashed line indicates the case of 50 Torr, and the dashed two-dot line indicates the case of 17 Torr.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 13, by introducing gas, it is possible to shorten the time required to raise the temperature of the stage 52 to the saturation temperature (Δ55 K) at which the stage 52 is in thermal equilibrium.

[0099] Returning to FIG. 12, in step S405, it is determined whether the temperature of stage 52 is within a predetermined set temperature range. Here, the predetermined set temperature range is a range (for example, a range of ±1 K, a range of 174 K to 176 K) that includes the saturation temperature (175 K in the example of FIG. 8) at which thermal equilibrium is achieved. Control unit 12 detects the temperature of stage 52 using a temperature sensor (not shown) provided on stage 52. Then, control unit 12 determines whether the detected temperature of stage 52 is within the predetermined set temperature range.

[0100] If the temperature of the stage 52 is not within the predetermined set temperature range (S405: NO), the process of the control unit 12 proceeds to step S406.

[0101] In step S406, it is determined whether the stage temperature is higher than a predetermined set temperature.

[0102] If the stage temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature (S406 YES), the control unit 12 performs a cooling process for the stage 52. Here, the control unit 12 reduces the flow rate of the gas introduced from the gas supply unit 56 and / or controls the pressure adjustment valve 60 to lower the pressure inside the processing vessel 51, thereby reducing the heat input to the stage 52 and cooling the stage 52 with the refrigerator 55. Then, the process by the control unit 12 returns to step S405.

[0103] If the stage temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (S406: NO), the control unit 12 performs a heating process on the stage 52. Here, the control unit 12 promotes the temperature rise of the stage 52 by increasing the flow rate of the gas introduced from the gas supply unit 56 and / or by controlling the pressure adjustment valve 60 to increase the pressure inside the processing vessel 51. Then, the process by the control unit 12 returns to step S405.

[0104] If the stage temperature is within the predetermined set temperature range (YES in S405), the process of the control unit 12 proceeds to step S409.

[0105] In step S409, the introduction of gas is stopped. Here, the control unit 12 controls the gas supply unit 56 to stop the introduction of gas.

[0106] In step S410, the exhaust valve 57 is opened, whereby the pressure inside the processing chamber 51 is reduced by the turbo molecular pump 58.

[0107] In step S411, the exhaust valve 57 is opened. As a result, the pressure inside the processing chamber 51 is reduced by the turbo molecular pump 58 to the same pressure as that of the vacuum transfer chamber 4.

[0108] In step S412, the gate valve is allowed to open.

[0109] 10 to 12 may be performed simultaneously in parallel or sequentially. After the pre-treatments in the first film formation chamber 2, the second film formation chamber 3, and the temperature adjustment chamber 5 are completed, the film formation process (see FIG. 5) for the substrate W is performed continuously.

[0110] This reduces the temperature difference between the substrates W transferred from the temperature adjustment chamber 5 to the second film formation processing chamber 3. It also stabilizes the temperature of the stage 32 at the start of film formation in the second film formation processing chamber 3. This makes it possible to suppress changes in the quality of the second film formed on the substrates W processed successively.

[0111] The above describes the film forming processing system 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Film deposition processing system 2. First film deposition chamber 3 Second film deposition chamber 4 Vacuum transfer chamber 4A Conveyor 5 Temperature control room 6 Path Module 7 Submodules 8 Load Lock Chamber 9 Atmospheric Transfer Chamber 9A Conveyor 10 Loading Port 11. Career 12 Control Unit 22 Stages 31 Processing vessel (second processing vessel) 32 Stage (2nd Stage) 33 Stage rotation mechanism 34 Cold Drinks 35 Refrigerator (Second Refrigerator) 36 Target 36A Magnet 37,38 Gas supply section 39 Exhaust valve 40 Turbomolecular Pump 51 Processing vessel (first processing vessel) 52 Stage (1st Stage) 53A adapter 53 Radiation Shield 54 Cold Drinks 55 Refrigerator (First Refrigerator) 56 gas supply unit (first gas supply unit) 57 Exhaust valve 58 Turbomolecular Pump 59 Bypass Line 60 Pressure Regulating Valve W substrate

Claims

1. a first film forming processing chamber for performing a first substrate processing on a substrate; a second film forming processing chamber for performing a second substrate processing on the substrate; a transfer chamber provided between the first film formation processing chamber and the second film formation processing chamber; a temperature adjustment chamber provided in the transfer chamber for adjusting a temperature of the substrate that has been subjected to the first substrate processing before the substrate is subjected to the second substrate processing; A film forming processing system including a control unit, The temperature-controlled chamber is a first processing vessel; a first stage provided in the first processing chamber and on which the substrate is placed; a refrigerator that cools the first stage; a radiation shield provided between the first processing vessel and the first stage; a first gas supply unit that supplies a gas into the first processing chamber; Film deposition processing system.

2. The control unit Before a substrate processing process including the first substrate processing in the first film formation processing chamber, the temperature adjustment processing in the temperature adjustment chamber, and the second substrate processing in the second film formation processing chamber, performing a step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage in the temperature adjustment chamber; The film forming system according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit In the step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage of the temperature adjustment chamber, a gas is supplied from the first gas supply unit into the first processing vessel to adjust the temperature of the first stage. The film forming system according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit In the step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage of the temperature adjustment chamber, the temperature of the first stage is adjusted by controlling the pressure inside the first processing vessel. The film forming system according to claim 3 .

5. The temperature-controlled chamber is a pressure regulating valve for adjusting the pressure inside the first processing vessel; The film forming system according to claim 4 .

6. The gas supplied from the first gas supply unit is a rare gas. The film forming system according to claim 5 .

7. The second film formation processing chamber includes: a second processing vessel; a second stage provided in the second processing chamber and on which the substrate is placed; a second refrigerator for cooling the second stage; a rotation mechanism that rotates the second stage; a lifting mechanism that switches between contact and separation between the second stage and the second refrigerator, The control unit Before the substrate processing step, performing a step of adjusting the temperature of the second stage of the second film formation processing chamber; The film forming system according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The control unit In the step of adjusting the temperature of the second stage of the second film formation processing chamber, the lifting mechanism is controlled to switch between separation and contact between the second stage and the second refrigerator, thereby adjusting the temperature of the second stage. The film forming system according to claim 7 .

9. 1. A control method for a film formation processing system including a first film formation processing chamber for performing a first substrate processing on a substrate, a second film formation processing chamber for performing a second substrate processing on the substrate, a transfer chamber provided between the first film formation processing chamber and the second film formation processing chamber, and a temperature adjustment chamber provided in the transfer chamber for adjusting a temperature of the substrate that has been subjected to the first substrate processing before being subjected to the second substrate processing, the method comprising: The temperature-controlled chamber is a first processing vessel; a first stage provided in the first processing chamber and on which the substrate is placed; a refrigerator that cools the first stage; a radiation shield provided between the first processing vessel and the first stage; a first gas supply unit that supplies a gas into the first processing chamber; The method for controlling the film forming processing system includes: adjusting the temperature of the first stage in the temperature adjustment chamber; a substrate processing step including, after the step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage, performing the first substrate processing in the first film formation processing chamber, a temperature adjustment processing in the temperature adjustment chamber, and the second substrate processing in the second film formation processing chamber; A method for controlling a film formation processing system.

10. The step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage in the temperature adjustment chamber includes: supplying a gas from the first gas supply unit into the first processing vessel to control the temperature of the first stage; The method for controlling a film forming system according to claim 9 .

11. The step of adjusting the temperature of the first stage in the temperature adjustment chamber includes: controlling the pressure inside the first processing vessel to adjust the temperature of the first stage; The method for controlling a film forming system according to claim 10.

12. The second film formation processing chamber includes: a second processing vessel; a second stage provided in the second processing chamber and on which the substrate is placed; a second refrigerator for cooling the second stage; a rotation mechanism that rotates the second stage; a lifting mechanism that switches between contact and separation between the second stage and the second refrigerator, The method for controlling the film forming processing system includes: The method further includes a step of adjusting the temperature of the second stage of the second film formation processing chamber before the substrate processing step.

12. The method for controlling the film forming system according to claim 9.

13. The step of adjusting the temperature of the second stage of the second film formation processing chamber includes: controlling the lifting mechanism to switch between separation and contact between the second stage and the second refrigerator, and controlling the temperature of the second stage; The method for controlling a film forming system according to claim 12.

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