Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber and a gas supply unit disposed above the processing chamber for supplying processing gas to the processing chamber. A plurality of substrate holders are disposed below the gas supply unit within the processing chamber to hold substrates. An exhaust unit is disposed below the processing chamber and discharges gas from the processing chamber. The exhaust unit has a plurality of exhaust grooves, a plurality of exhaust passages, and a common main exhaust port. Each exhaust groove includes a substrate holder and two exhaust passages, thereby connecting the exhaust groove to the main exhaust port. The main exhaust port is located at the geometric center of the plurality of substrate holders, and the plurality of exhaust passages have the same exhaust volume.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus having uniform exhaust capability. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, in order to simultaneously consider manufacturing efficiency and accurate control of the processing of each substrate, a number of processing units (e.g., processing units for thin film formation processing or etching processing of horizontally placed substrates) that process each substrate are usually integrated into the same processing chamber to form a substrate processing apparatus. In such substrate processing apparatuses, non-uniformity in gas exhaust from the processing chamber usually reduces the uniformity of the distribution of processing gas on the substrate surface, making it difficult to ensure processing uniformity between multiple substrates (inter-slice), and also leads to deterioration of in-plane uniformity of each substrate (e.g., reduction in flatness of film formation on the substrate surface or reduction in uniformity of film etching), thereby adversely affecting the quality and reliability of products. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, the present invention aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus that has a structure that makes gas exhaust uniform, thereby solving the problems of the conventional technology, such as low uniformity of the substrate surface in the processing chamber due to uneven gas exhaust and deterioration in ensuring uniformity of processing for multiple substrates.

[0004] To achieve the above and other related objects, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus as follows. a processing chamber; a gas supply unit provided at an upper portion of the processing chamber and configured to supply a processing gas to the processing chamber; a substrate holder disposed below the gas supply unit in the processing chamber and holding the substrate; an exhaust unit provided at a lower portion of the processing chamber and configured to exhaust gas from the processing chamber, the exhaust unit having a plurality of exhaust grooves, a plurality of exhaust flow paths, and a common main exhaust port, each exhaust groove having a substrate holder and two exhaust flow paths connecting the exhaust groove and the main exhaust port; The substrate processing apparatus has the main exhaust port located at the geometric center of a plurality of substrate holders, and the exhaust flow paths have the same exhaust volume.

[0005] In an optional embodiment, the two exhaust passages provided in each exhaust groove are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the exhaust groove and the center of the main exhaust port, and each exhaust groove and the two exhaust passages provided in each exhaust groove form an exhaust unit, and multiple exhaust units are evenly distributed around the main exhaust port.

[0006] In an optional embodiment, the exhaust flow paths are independent of each other.

[0007] In an optional embodiment, adjacent exhaust flow paths of different exhaust grooves at least partially overlap, such that gases from the different exhaust grooves converge and flow towards the main exhaust outlet.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, each substrate holder comprises: a carrier table for holding the substrate; a support shaft whose upper end is fixed to the carrier table; The carrier table has a lifting mechanism connected to the lower end of the support shaft for moving the carrier table up and down between a processing position where the substrate is processed and a transport position where the substrate is handed over to an external transport mechanism.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a plurality of straightening plates, one of which is fixed at a distance below each carrier table, and when the carrier table is in the processing position, the straightening plate is lifted together with the carrier table to the groove opening position of the corresponding exhaust groove, thereby forming an intake annular gap between the outer peripheral surface of the straightening plate and the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust groove.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the plurality of straightening vanes have a plurality of gas inlets.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the gas supply unit has a plurality of gas nozzles corresponding to the plurality of exhaust grooves, each gas nozzle being arranged opposite one carrier table to supply processing gas to the substrate held on the carrier table, and each gas nozzle having a deflector shield on its outer circumferential side, so that when the carrier table is in the processing position, an exhaust annular gap is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the deflector shield and the outer circumferential surface of the carrier table, and the processing gas is discharged from the gas nozzle downward along the exhaust annular gap toward the corresponding exhaust groove.

[0012] As described above, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that has the following beneficial effects. (1) By providing multiple exhaust grooves below the gas supply unit, when processing a substrate, the exhaust grooves form a buffer space for gas flow below the substrate, thereby avoiding or reducing gas turbulence. (2) The main exhaust port is located at the geometric center of the multiple substrate holders, and each exhaust groove is connected to the main exhaust port through two exhaust channels with the same exhaust volume. This further smooths and buffers the gas flow. Therefore, the suction force exerted by the exhaust grooves around the entire circumference of the substrate is essentially the same, which realizes uniformity of gas exhaust and improves the in-plane consistency of thin film formation and etching on the substrate. (3) By setting the exhaust flow paths with the same exhaust volume for the plurality of exhaust grooves, uniformity of gas exhaust for the plurality of substrates and good uniformity of processing for the plurality of substrates can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vertical cross section of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a carrier table is disposed at a transfer position for transferring a substrate to an external transfer mechanism. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vertical cross section of the substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the carrier table is disposed at a processing position for processing the substrate. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional structural view of the lower housing and the board holding portion in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional structural view of the lower housing in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 shows a three-dimensional structural view of the lower housing in the first embodiment of the present invention. The cover is not shown in this drawing. [Figure 6] Figure 6a is a top view of Figure 5. Figure 6b shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the gas flow path in embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which the exhaust flow paths are independent of each other. [Figure 7] Figure 7a shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the exhaust section in embodiment 1 of the present invention, where the exhaust section has two exhaust grooves. Figure 7b shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the exhaust section in embodiment 1 of the present invention, where the exhaust section has four exhaust grooves. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a vertical cross section of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a carrier table is disposed at a processing position for processing a substrate. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a three-dimensional structural view of the lower housing and the board holding portion in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] By describing the embodiments of the present invention in terms of certain specific embodiments, other advantages and effects of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein. The present invention may be implemented or applied in other different specific embodiments, and the details of the present specification may be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0015] Please refer to Figures 1 to 10. It should be noted that the drawings provided in the embodiments merely schematically illustrate the basic concept of the present invention. The drawings show only components related to the present invention, and are not drawn according to the number, shape, or size of the components when implemented. The shape, number, and ratio of the components may be arbitrarily changed in actual implementation, and the arrangement of the components may be more complicated.

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having basically the same functional structure are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0017] First embodiment As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus has a processing chamber 10. The processing chamber 10 is hermetically sealed and can be used to perform thin film formation, etching, and other processes on substrates in a vacuum environment. The processing chamber 10 has an upper cover 101 and a lower housing 102, with the upper cover 101 functioning as the upper part of the processing chamber 10 and the lower housing 102 functioning as the lower part of the processing chamber 10. As shown in Figure 3, a seal 103 is disposed between the upper cover 101 and the lower housing 102, making both parts airtight like a sealing ring.

[0018] The substrate processing apparatus further includes a gas supply unit 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gas supply unit 20 is provided at the top of the processing chamber 10 and supplies processing gas to the processing chamber 10. In this embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is mounted on the top cover 101 of the processing chamber 10. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 includes a plurality of gas nozzles 201 with a deflector shield 202 on the outer periphery, which defines an area available as a processing space for processing a substrate.

[0019] The substrate processing apparatus further includes a plurality of substrate holders 30. In Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of substrate holders 30 for holding substrates w are arranged below the gas supply unit 20. The plurality of substrate holders 30 correspond to a plurality of gas nozzles 201, and the substrate holders 30 are arranged facing the gas nozzles 201, respectively. The substrate holders 30 and the gas nozzles 201 corresponding to the substrate holders 30 form a processing unit for performing processes such as thin film formation and etching on the substrate.

[0020] The substrate holder 30 includes a carrier table 301, a support shaft 302, and a lifting mechanism 303. The carrier table 301 is used to hold the substrate w. The carrier table 301 may include a heating structure for heating the substrate. The heating structure may be, for example, an electric heating plate embedded in the carrier table 301. The upper end of the support shaft 302 is fixed to the carrier table 301. A mounting hole 104 is provided on the underside of the processing chamber 10. Specifically, the mounting hole 104 is a through-hole located in the center of the underside of the exhaust groove 401. The lower end of the support shaft 302 passes through the mounting hole 104 and is connected to the lifting mechanism 303. The lifting mechanism 303 moves the carrier table 301 up and down via the support shaft 302. A sealing structure 304, such as a corrugated sealing tube or a magnetic fluid, may be provided between the lifting mechanism 303 and the processing chamber 10 to seal the mounting hole 104. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 303 moves the carrier table 301 up and down between a transfer position (FIG. 1) for transferring the substrate to an external transfer mechanism (not shown) and a processing position (FIG. 2) for processing the substrate held on the carrier table 301. This processing position is located within the processing space defined by the deflector shield 202.

[0021] In this embodiment, the carrier table 301 includes a support pin assembly for retrieving and placing substrates in cooperation with an external transport mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support pin assembly includes a plurality of support pins 305 and a plurality of support posts 306. The plurality of support pins 305 are arranged on the carrier table 301 so as to penetrate the carrier table 301, and the plurality of support pins 305 are evenly distributed around the central axis of the carrier table 301. The lower ends of the plurality of support pins 305 are connected by a connecting ring 307. The plurality of support posts 306 are arranged below the connecting ring 307 and attached to the bottom of the lower housing 102, so that the plurality of support pins 305 can be raised and lowered relative to the carrier table 301.

[0022] In actual processing, when the carrier table 301 is lowered to the transfer position, the support pins 305 are lifted by the support posts 306, and at this time, the upper ends of the support pins 305 protrude from the upper surface of the carrier table 301. As shown in FIG. 1, an external transfer mechanism removes the substrate w supported on the support pins 305 from the processing chamber 10 through a transfer port 1021 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1) provided in the side wall of the lower housing 102, or the substrate w is transferred to the processing chamber 10 and supported on the support pins 305. The transfer port 1021 may be opened and closed by a valve (not shown). In this embodiment, the support posts 306 are fixed members. As shown in FIG. 2, the support pins 305 rise together with the carrier table 301 and, after disengaging from the support posts 306, first place the substrate on the upper surface of the carrier table 301. Then, the support pins 305 continue to rise together with the carrier table 301 to the processing position so that the support pins 305 are suspended from the carrier table 301. In other embodiments, the support post 306 may be a movable part such as a cylinder having a lifting function for moving the support pin 305 up and down relative to the carrier table 301 .

[0023] The dashed arrows in Figure 2 indicate the flow path of the process gas within the process chamber when a substrate is being processed. As shown in Figure 2, when the carrier table 301 is raised to the processing position, an exhaust annular gap 203 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the deflector shield 202 and the outer peripheral surface of the carrier table 301, and the process gas supplied from the gas nozzle 201 is exhausted downward from the outer peripheral surface of the carrier table 301 through the exhaust annular gap 203. By designing the exhaust annular gap 203 to an appropriate size and selecting the appropriate height of the processing position, the gas nozzle 201 can uniformly supply gas to the surface of the substrate when the substrate is in the processing position.

[0024] The flow of process gases on the surface of a substrate is related not only to gas supply but also to gas discharge. For example, in conventional technology, the area below the carrier table is a fully connected exhaust area, with an exhaust port located in the center for discharging gases from the entire exhaust area and the processing chamber. Multiple carrier tables are located near the exhaust port. However, in such an exhaust structure, gas flows directly downward from the surface of the substrate toward the exhaust port. The gas discharge velocity is fastest near the exhaust port and slows with distance from the exhaust port. Therefore, the gas discharge velocity on the substrate near the exhaust port can be significantly greater than the gas discharge velocity away from the exhaust port, causing gas on the substrate to be biased to one side of the substrate, further affecting the substrate's within-surface uniformity.

[0025] For the above reasons, the substrate processing apparatus of the present application further includes an exhaust unit 40 to achieve uniform exhaust and improve the uniformity across the substrate and the consistency between different substrates. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6a, the exhaust unit 40 is disposed in the lower housing 102. The exhaust unit 40 is disposed below the gas supply unit 20 on the opposite side from the gas supply unit 20 to apply suction to the processing gas. In this embodiment, the processing gas flows in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. The processing gas is supplied from the gas nozzle 201 to the corresponding surface of the substrate, then spreads uniformly along the surface of the substrate, and reaches the edge of the substrate. The processing gas is then exhausted downward along the exhaust annular gap 203 outside the carrier table 301 and finally discharged out of the processing chamber 10 by the exhaust unit 40.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional structural view of the lower housing 102 and the substrate holder 30. In this figure, the upper cover 101 and the gas supply unit 20 are not shown, and the carrier table 301 is in a raised position. FIGS. 4 and 5 are structural views of the lower housing 102. In FIG. 5, the cover 406 is not shown to show the exhaust flow path 402 below the cover 406. FIG. 6a shows a top view of FIG. 5. The structure of the exhaust unit 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6a.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6a, the exhaust unit 40 has multiple exhaust grooves 401, multiple exhaust channels 402, and a common main exhaust port 403. Each exhaust groove 401 is provided with a substrate holder 30, and each exhaust groove 401 has two exhaust channels 402. This connects the exhaust groove 401 to the main exhaust port 403. The main exhaust port 403 is located at the geometric center of the multiple substrate holders 30, and each exhaust channel 402 has the same exhaust capacity. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multiple exhaust grooves 401 correspond to the multiple gas nozzles 201 described above. Each gas nozzle 201 is positioned opposite the carrier table 301 of the substrate holder 30 and supplies process gas to the substrate held on the carrier table 301. The main exhaust port 403 is connected to an exhaust pump 405 via an exhaust line 404, allowing gas to be uniformly exhausted from the multiple exhaust grooves 401 and the entire processing chamber 10.

[0028] 3 to 6a, each exhaust groove 401 is generally cylindrical, forming a circular gas flow space below the carrier table 301 and providing a large buffer space for gas outflow. This prevents a large amount of gas from impinging on various walls of the processing chamber 10 and disrupting the gas flow. Specifically, when processing a substrate, the carrier table 301 holds the substrate in the processing position, and processing gas supplied from the gas nozzles 201 is discharged downward along the outer circumferential surface of the carrier table 301 and sucked into the corresponding exhaust groove 401. The processing gas then flows from the corresponding exhaust passage 402 of the exhaust groove 401 toward the main exhaust port 403.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 6a, each exhaust groove 401 has two exhaust passages 402 connecting the exhaust groove 401 to the main exhaust port 403. The two exhaust passages 402 are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the exhaust groove 401 and the center of the main exhaust port 403. Therefore, for a single exhaust groove 401, the two exhaust passages 402 of the exhaust groove 401 are located on both sides of the main exhaust port 403, and a portion of the body of the exhaust groove 401 (i.e., partitions B1 to B3, described later) functions as a barrier between the exhaust groove 401 and the main exhaust port 403 to block the flow of gas. At the same time, the gas in the exhaust groove 401 is evenly distributed to the two symmetrically arranged passages to the main exhaust port 403, allowing process gases that do not contribute to a reaction on the substrate surface to be quickly and symmetrically exhausted. This prevents the process gas from remaining on the substrate surface for a long time and prevents the formation of particle defects on the substrate surface. At the same time, the uniformity of gas discharge in the entire circumferential direction of the substrate is effectively improved, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of thin film formation or etching on the substrate.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 6a, each exhaust groove 401 has two outlets 40a in the groove body, and each outlet 40a is connected to the inlet end of one exhaust passage 402, and the outlet end of each exhaust passage 402 is connected to the main exhaust port 403. The two outlets 40a of each exhaust groove 401 may be arranged relative to the center of the exhaust groove 401. For example, in this embodiment, the two outlets 40a of the cylindrical exhaust groove 401 are arranged on both radial sides of the exhaust groove 401. In other embodiments, for example, the two outlets 40a of the square exhaust groove 401 may be arranged at two diagonal ends of the exhaust groove 401.

[0031] To achieve uniform gas evacuation for multiple substrates and good process uniformity for multiple substrates, it is also necessary to match the multiple exhaust channels 401 with each other in terms of exhaust volume and exhaust uniformity. Accordingly, in the present application, the exhaust volumes of the exhaust channels 402 are identical. That is, the exhaust volume of the main exhaust port 403 is evenly distributed among the multiple exhaust channels 402. In a specific embodiment, each exhaust channel 401 and its two exhaust channels 402 form an exhaust unit, and the multiple exhaust units are evenly distributed around the main exhaust port 403. Therefore, the multiple exhaust units are symmetrical with respect to each other, and the exhaust paths of the multiple exhaust channels 402 are the same. Therefore, the exhaust volumes of the exhaust channels 402 are the same, enabling uniform gas evacuation for multiple substrates. In existing exhaust structures, gas typically flows directly downward from the surface of the substrate toward the pump port. In the present application, the exhaust groove 401 and the exhaust flow path 402 are arranged in such a way that the gas flows into the main exhaust port 403 in a direction parallel to the main exhaust port 403, thereby avoiding turbulence at the main exhaust port 403 and promoting uniformity of gas discharge.

[0032] The exhaust section 40 in this embodiment uses three exhaust units as an example, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6a.

[0033] The exhaust unit 40 has three exhaust slots G1 to G3 and six exhaust passages L1 to L6. A main exhaust port 403 is located in the center of the lower surface of the lower housing 102. Three partitions B1 to B3 are located around the main exhaust port 403, and a cover 406 is provided on top of the main exhaust port 403.

[0034] The first exhaust slot G1 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the first partition B1 and the inner circumferential surface of the lower housing 102. The second exhaust slot G2 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the second partition B2 and the inner circumferential surface of the lower housing 102, and the third exhaust slot G3 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the third partition B3 and the inner circumferential surface of the lower housing 102.

[0035] The top surfaces of the first partition B1, the second partition B2, and the third partition B3 have a first step 40b for mounting the cover 406, and the inner peripheral surface of the lower housing 102 has a second step 40c for mounting the cover 406. The first step 40b and the second step 40c are located on the same horizontal plane, and the cover 406 is fixed to the first step 40b and the second step 40c with fasteners (screws, etc.). The cover 406 is located above the main exhaust port 403. Preferably, the top surfaces of the three partitions B1 to B3 and the cover 406 are located at the same height as the lower end of the transfer port 1021, so that substrates can be easily removed and placed by an external transfer mechanism.

[0036] The outer peripheral surfaces of the three partitions B1-B3, the inner peripheral surface and bottom surface of the lower housing 102, and the underside of the cover 406 are integrally formed as a flow space outside the three exhaust slots G1-G3. Six exhaust passages L1-L6 are formed in the flow space. FIG. 6a is a top view of the lower housing 102, and the cover 406 is not shown in FIG. 6a to clearly show the exhaust passages 402. The direction of gas flow in each exhaust passage 402 is indicated by arrows in FIG. 6a. As shown in FIG. 6a, the first exhaust slot G1 is connected to the main exhaust port 403 via the first exhaust passage L1 and the second exhaust passage L2, forming a first exhaust unit. The first exhaust passage L1 and the second exhaust passage L2 are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the first exhaust slot G1 to the center of the main exhaust port 403. The second exhaust slot G2 is connected to the main exhaust port 403 via the third exhaust passage L3 and the fourth exhaust passage L4, forming a second exhaust unit. The third exhaust passage L3 and the fourth exhaust passage L4 are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the second exhaust slot G2 and the center of the main exhaust port 403. The third exhaust slot G3 is connected to the main exhaust port 403 through the fifth exhaust passage L5 and the sixth exhaust passage L6, forming a third exhaust unit. The fifth exhaust passage L5 and the sixth exhaust passage L6 are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the third exhaust slot G3 and the center of the main exhaust port 403. The three exhaust units are evenly distributed around the main exhaust port 403. In other words, because the three exhaust units are symmetrical with each other and arranged in a circle around the center of the main exhaust port 403, the six exhaust channels 402 have the same exhaust path, and therefore each exhaust channel 402 exhausts the same amount of gas from the corresponding exhaust groove 401.

[0037] The following is an example of a first exhaust unit to demonstrate the uniformity of gas exhaust from a single exhaust unit. When a substrate is lifted to a processing position together with the carrier table 301, a narrow processing space is formed between the gas nozzle 201 and the substrate, as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, an exhaust annular gap 203 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the carrier table 301 and the inner circumferential surface of the deflector shield 202. The gas nozzle 201 supplies processing gas to the substrate. Within the constraints of the exhaust annular gap 203, the processing gas is exhausted downward through the exhaust annular gap 203 in the entire circumferential direction of the substrate toward the first exhaust slot G1 located below the gas nozzle 201. As shown in FIG. 6a, due to the certain blocking effect of the first partition B1 on the gas flow into the main exhaust port 403, the processing gas entering the first exhaust slot G1 is dispersed into two paths, passing through the first exhaust passage L1 and the second exhaust passage L2 and flowing into the main exhaust port 403 from both sides of the main exhaust port 403. The above-described method helps to equalize the suction forces of the first exhaust slots G1 located at different positions around the circumference of the substrate, thereby achieving uniform gas exhaust, so that the exhaust speeds of the process gas at different positions around the circumference of the substrate are essentially the same, and effectively improving the distribution of the gas flow on the surface of the substrate. The gas exhaust uniformity of the second and third exhaust units is the same as that of the first exhaust unit, so the description will not be repeated.

[0038] In this embodiment, adjacent exhaust channels 402 of different exhaust grooves 401 may at least partially overlap, causing gas from the different exhaust grooves 401 to converge and flow in a single path toward the main exhaust port 403. In FIG. 6a, gases flowing from three exhaust grooves 401 through two corresponding exhaust channels 402 converge into three paths and flow in three directions toward the main exhaust port 403. This serves to smooth and buffer the gas flow. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6a, gases exiting from the first exhaust slot G1 through the first exhaust passage L1 and gases exiting from the second exhaust slot G2 through the third exhaust passage L3 converge into a single path and flow in a first direction toward the main exhaust port 403. Gases exiting from the second exhaust slot G2 through the fourth exhaust passage L4 and gases exiting from the third exhaust slot G3 through the fifth exhaust passage L5 converge into a single path and flow in a second direction toward the main exhaust port 403. The gas exiting through the third exhaust slot G3 via the sixth exhaust passage L6 and the gas exiting through the first exhaust slot G1 via the second exhaust passage L2 converge into one path and flow in a third direction toward the main exhaust port 403. Note that in another example, as shown in Figure 6b, the multiple exhaust passages L1-L6 may be independent of each other, and there is no intersection of the gas flows.

[0039] 3 to 6b are merely examples and are not intended to limit the number or shape of exhaust grooves 401 provided in exhaust unit 40. For example, in another example of exhaust unit 40 shown in FIG. 7a, exhaust unit 40 has two exhaust grooves 401 and four exhaust channels 402, and each exhaust groove 401 has two exhaust channels 402. For example, in another example of exhaust unit 40 shown in FIG. 7b, exhaust unit 40 has four exhaust grooves 401 and eight exhaust channels 402, and each exhaust groove 401 has two exhaust channels 402.

[0040] Second embodiment 8 to 10, this embodiment provides a substrate processing apparatus, and is characterized in that, compared to embodiment 1, the substrate holding device in this embodiment further includes a rectifying plate 50, and each rectifying plate 50 is fixed at intervals by connecting rods 503 below each carrier table 301. The rectifying plate 50 is provided with a plurality of gas suction ports 501. When the carrier table 301 is raised to the processing position, the rectifying plate 50 rises to the groove opening position of the exhaust groove 401. An annular suction gap 502 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the rectifying plate 50 and the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust groove 401. As a result, processing gas enters the exhaust groove 401 through the annular suction gap 502 and the plurality of gas suction ports 501.

[0041] The above-described embodiments are merely for illustrating the principles and efficiency of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art may modify or change the above-described embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. a processing chamber; a gas supply unit provided at an upper portion of the processing chamber and configured to supply a processing gas to the processing chamber; a substrate holder disposed below the gas supply unit in the processing chamber and holding the substrate; an exhaust unit provided at a lower portion of the processing chamber and configured to exhaust gas from the processing chamber, the exhaust unit having a plurality of exhaust grooves, a plurality of exhaust flow paths, and a common main exhaust port, each exhaust groove having a substrate holder and two exhaust flow paths connecting the exhaust groove and the main exhaust port; The substrate processing apparatus has the main exhaust port located at the geometric center of a plurality of substrate holders, and the exhaust flow paths have the same exhaust volume.

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two exhaust flow paths provided in each exhaust groove are symmetrical with respect to a line connecting the center of the exhaust groove and the center of the main exhaust port, each exhaust groove and the two exhaust flow paths provided in each exhaust groove form an exhaust unit, and the plurality of exhaust units are evenly distributed around the main exhaust port.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of exhaust passages are independent of each other.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjacent exhaust passages of different exhaust channels at least partially overlap such that gases from the different exhaust channels converge and flow toward the main exhaust outlet.

5. Each substrate holder is a carrier table for holding the substrate; a support shaft whose upper end is fixed to the carrier table; 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism connected to the lower end of the support shaft for vertically moving the carrier table between a processing position where the substrate is processed and a transport position where the substrate is handed over to an external transport mechanism.

6. 6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of straightening plates, one of which is fixed at intervals below each carrier table, and when the carrier table is in the processing position, the straightening plate is lifted together with the carrier table to the groove opening position of the corresponding exhaust groove, thereby forming an intake annular gap between the outer peripheral surface of the straightening plate and the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust groove.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of flow regulating plates have a plurality of gas inlet ports.

8. 6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gas supply unit has a plurality of gas nozzles corresponding to the plurality of exhaust grooves, each gas nozzle being provided opposite one carrier table to supply processing gas to the substrate held on the carrier table, and each gas nozzle has a deflector shield on its outer periphery, so that when the carrier table is in the processing position, an exhaust annular gap is formed between the inner periphery of the deflector shield and the outer periphery of the carrier table, and the processing gas is discharged from the gas nozzle downward along the exhaust annular gap toward the corresponding exhaust groove.

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