High-pressure substrate processing apparatus and processing gas line used therein

Abstract

The present invention provides a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a process gas line used therefor, the apparatus including: an internal chamber including an internal housing configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed and an internal door configured to move between a closed position that closes the internal housing and an open position that opens the internal housing; an external chamber including an external housing disposed to accommodate the internal chamber and an external door configured to move to open and close the external housing; and an air supply module including: a process gas line that supplies a process gas for processing the substrate into the internal chamber at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and a protective gas line that supplies a protective gas to a protective space between the external chamber and the internal chamber at a second pressure set relative to the first pressure, the process gas line including an introduction section having an outlet port disposed in the protective space; and a delivery section configured to deliver the process gas input from the introduction section into the internal housing, the introduction section having a connection port that connects to the outlet port in the closed position and that moves away from the outlet port in the open position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a processing gas line used therein. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, semiconductor wafers undergo various processes during the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, such as oxidation, nitridation, deposition, silicide, and ion implantation. Hydrogen or deuterium heat treatment processes are also used to improve interface properties of semiconductor devices.

[0003] The gases used in processing are supplied into the chamber at high pressure to act on the semiconductor substrate. To supply the gas, a hose connected to the factory's gas supply facility is extended into the chamber. When the chamber door moves up and down, part of the hose must also move up and down. To make this possible, the hose is made of a flexible material.

[0004] Repeated bending of the hose can lead to structural weaknesses, which can lead to gas leaks.

[0005] The above-mentioned background art is technical information that the inventor possessed in order to derive the embodiments of the present invention or that he acquired in the process of deriving the embodiments, and is not necessarily publicly known art that was made public to the general public prior to the filing of this application. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a processing gas line used therein that can structurally eliminate the risk of gas leakage due to bending of the line that supplies processing gas into the chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus for achieving the above object includes an inner chamber including an inner housing configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed and an inner door configured to be movable between a closed position that closes the inner housing and an open position that opens the inner housing; an outer chamber including an outer housing configured to accommodate the inner chamber and an outer door configured to be movable to open and close the outer housing; and an air supply module including a process gas line that supplies a process gas for processing the substrate into the inner chamber at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and a protective gas line that supplies a protective gas to a protective space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber at a second pressure set relative to the first pressure, wherein the process gas line may include an introduction section having an outlet disposed in the protective space; and a delivery section configured to deliver the process gas input from the introduction section into the inner housing, the delivery section having a connection port that connects to the outlet port in the closed position and that moves away from the outlet port in the open position.

[0008] Here, the introduction section may be installed through the outer housing.

[0009] Here, the introduction section may be fixedly mounted to the outer housing.

[0010] Here, the outer housing may include a support portion that supports the outlet against a force applied by the connection port when the inner door moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0011] Here, the transmission section may be mounted on the interior door and move together with the interior door when the interior door moves between the closed position and the open position.

[0012] Here, the transmission section may include a fixed part that is installed on the internal door; and a movable part that is located corresponding to the discharge port and is installed movably relative to the fixed part.

[0013] Here, the moving part may be formed to be movable along a direction in which it moves between the closed position and the open position.

[0014] Here, the transmission section may further include a first buffer member installed on either the fixed part or the moving part to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other one of the fixed part and the moving part.

[0015] Here, the internal chamber may further include a second buffer member installed on at least one of the internal door and the internal housing to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other of the internal door and the internal housing, and the first buffer member and the second buffer member may have the same material and thickness.

[0016] Here, the second pressure may be higher than the first pressure.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a processing gas line for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus includes an introduction section having an outlet located in an external housing of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus; and a transmission section configured to transmit processing gas input from the introduction section into the internal housing, the transmission section having a connection port that connects to the outlet when an internal door of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus is in a closed position to close an internal housing accommodated in the external housing, and that is moved away from the outlet when the internal door is in an open position to open the internal housing, the transmission section including a fixed part installed on the internal door; and a movable part positioned corresponding to the outlet and installed movably relative to the fixed part.

[0018] Here, the introduction section may pass through the outer housing and be fixedly installed relative to the outer housing.

[0019] Here, the transmission section may further include a first buffer member installed on one of the fixed part and the moving part to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other of the fixed part and the moving part.

[0020] Here, if the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus further includes a second buffer member installed on at least one of the internal door and the internal housing to mitigate impact caused by a collision with the other of the internal door and the internal housing, the first buffer member may have the same material and thickness as the second buffer member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] In the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and process gas line used therein configured as described above, the process gas line of the gas supply module for supplying process gas into the inner chamber includes an inlet section having an outlet located within the protective space of the outer chamber, and a transfer section having a connection port that moves with the movement of the door of the inner chamber to connect to the outlet or is spaced apart from the outlet. Since the process gas input from the inlet section is transferred into the inner chamber through the transfer section while the outlet and the connection port are connected, the process gas line does not need to have any bends. As a result, the risk of process gas leakage due to bending of the process gas line is structurally eliminated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the closed position of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 in an open position. [Figure 4] 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a detailed structure of the processing gas line 200 in the closed position of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5]4 is a conceptual diagram showing a detailed structure of the process gas line 200 in the open position of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a lift drive module 150 for lifting and lowering the outer door 125 of the outer chamber 120. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and a processing gas line used therein according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof supersedes the first description.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Referring to this figure, a high pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 may include an inner chamber 110 , an outer chamber 120 , an air supply module 130 , and an exhaust module 140 .

[0026] The inner chamber 110 forms a receiving space for receiving a substrate to be processed. The inner chamber 110 may be made of a non-metallic material, such as quartz, to reduce contamination of the substrate in a high-temperature and high-pressure working environment. The temperature of the inner chamber 110 can reach several hundred to several thousand degrees Celsius by operating a heater (not shown) disposed outside the inner chamber 110. The substrate may be, for example, a semiconductor wafer mounted on a holder. The substrate is not limited to a wafer and may be any other base structure for forming circuits. For example, the substrate may include glass for display manufacturing. The holder may be a boat on which the substrates can be stacked in multiple layers.

[0027] The outer chamber 120 is disposed to house the inner chamber 110. Unlike the inner chamber 110, the outer chamber 120 may be made of a metal material because it is free from the problem of inducing contamination to the substrate. The outer chamber 120 is hollow and has an internal space to house the inner chamber 110.

[0028] The gas supply module 130 is configured to supply gas to the inner chamber 110 and the outer chamber 120. The gas supply module 130 includes a gas supplier 131 serving as a gas source. The gas supplier 131 may selectively supply a process gas, such as hydrogen / deuterium gas, fluorine gas, ammonia gas, chlorine gas, or nitrogen gas, to the inner chamber 110. The gas supplier 131 may also supply a protective gas, such as an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, to the outer chamber 120. The process gas and protective gas are supplied to the inner chamber 110 and the outer chamber 120 via a process gas line 133 and a protective gas line 135, respectively. The protective gas supplied to the outer chamber 120 is specifically supplied to the space (protective space) between the outer chamber 120 and the inner chamber 110. The process gas and protective gas may be simply referred to as process gases.

[0029] The process gas may be supplied at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, at several atmospheres to several tens of atmospheres. When the process gas pressure is a first pressure and the protective gas pressure is a second pressure, they may be maintained within a set relationship (range). For example, the second pressure may be set to be substantially the same as or slightly higher than the first pressure. This pressure relationship provides the advantage of preventing leakage of the reaction gas from the inner chamber 110 and preventing damage to the inner chamber 110. The second pressure may be set slightly lower than the first pressure, and in this case, similar effects can be achieved.

[0030] The exhaust module 140 is configured to exhaust the process gas. An exhaust pipe 141 may be connected to the upper part of the inner chamber 110 to exhaust the process gas from the inner chamber 110. Similarly, an exhaust pipe 145 may be provided in communication with the outer chamber 120 to exhaust the protective gas from the outer chamber 120. Because the exhaust pipes 141 and 145 are connected to each other, the process gas is diluted with the protective gas during the exhaust process, reducing its concentration.

[0031] The specific configuration of the processing gas line 133 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the closed position of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the open position of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus 100 of Figure 1. In these figures, some parts of Figure 1, such as the exhaust module 140, are not shown.

[0032] Referring to this figure, the internal chamber 110 includes an internal housing 111 and an internal door 115. The internal housing 111 forms the storage space for storing the substrate, and the lower portion thereof may be open. The internal door 115 may have a shape that closes the open lower portion of the internal housing 111. The internal door 115 has a trough shape that is generally open downward, and a heater (not shown) may be installed in the open space. The storage space is opened by the internal door 115 moving, specifically, lowering (open position, see FIG. 3). The storage space is closed by the internal door 115 moving in the opposite direction, specifically, raising (closed position, see FIG. 2). The substrate can be loaded / unloaded into the storage space in the open position.

[0033] The outer chamber 120 also includes an outer housing 121 and an outer door 125. The outer housing 121 may be formed to entirely accommodate the inner chamber 110. Accordingly, the outer housing 121 may be formed to cover not only the inner housing 111 but also the inner door 115. The outer housing 121 can be opened and closed by moving the outer door 125. The outer door 125 can be connected to the inner door 115 by a support member 119 and support the inner door 115. In this case, the inner door 115 can open and close the inner housing 111 by moving in conjunction with the upward and downward movement of the outer door 125. The expressions "open state" and "closed state" can also be applied to the relationship between the outer housing 121 and the outer door 125.

[0034] The process gas line 133 may include an inlet section 133a, a transfer section 133b, and a heating section 133c. The inlet section 133a may extend from outside the outer housing 121 to inside the outer housing 121. The transfer section 133b may be located inside the outer housing 121. The heating section 133c may be installed in the inner door 115. The heating section 133c differs from the transfer section 133b in that the heating section 133c is a section where the process gas is heated by the heater installed in the inner door 115. The heating section 133c may be spirally wound around the inner door 115 to ensure sufficient heating time for the process gas. Despite these differences, the heating section 133c may be understood as part of the transfer section 133b in that it transfers the process gas input from the inlet section 133a into the inner housing 111.

[0035] When the inner door 115 {and the outer door 125} are moved from the closed position to the open position, the transfer section 133b and the heating section 133c move downward together with the inner door 115. The introduction section 133a remains fixed, unlike the other sections 133b and 133c.

[0036] In the closed position, inlet section 133a and delivery section 133b are connected to each other, and the process gas flows sequentially through inlet section 133a, delivery section 133b, and heating section 133c to be supplied into inner housing 111. In the open position, the supply of the process gas to inner chamber 110 is stopped, and delivery section 133b is positioned away from inlet section 133a.

[0037] Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a detailed structure of the process gas line 200 in the closed position shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a detailed structure of the process gas line 200 in the open position shown in Fig. 3. In these figures, for convenience of explanation, the process gas line 133 is given the reference numeral 200.

[0038] Referring to this figure, a process gas line 200 may include an introduction section 210 and a delivery section 250, as previously described.

[0039] The introduction section 210 may include an introduction pipe 211 and an outlet 213. The introduction pipe 211 may be installed to penetrate the outer housing 121. The outlet 213 may be located within the outer housing 121, specifically in the protective space. The outlet 213 is exposed to the influence (pressure) of the protective gas by being located in the protective space. The outlet 213 may be a hole of an outlet nozzle 214 connected to the introduction pipe 211. Alternatively, the outlet 213 may be a hole at the end of the introduction pipe 211 itself. The outlet 213 may be arranged to face downward. A support portion 123 may be formed on the outer housing 121 to support the outlet nozzle 214 downward. The introduction section 210 is generally fixedly installed on the outer housing 121 and may not move when the transfer section 250 is raised or lowered.

[0040] The transmission section 250 may include a fixed part 251 , a moving part 255 , and a first buffer member 261 .

[0041] The fixed part 251 may be fixedly installed on the internal door 115. In contrast, the moving part 255 is installed so as to move, specifically, to move up and down, relative to the fixed part 251. The moving part 255 is positioned so as to correspond to the discharge port 213 of the fixed part 251.

[0042] The moving part 255 may include a moving pipe 256 and a connection port 257. The moving pipe 256 may have a bent shape. For example, the upper part of the moving pipe 256 may be arranged along the lifting direction, and the lower part of the moving pipe 256 may be arranged along a direction intersecting the lifting direction. The connection port 257 may be an end hole of a connection nozzle 258 coupled to the upper part of the moving pipe 256. Alternatively, the connection port 257 may be an end hole of the upper part of the moving pipe 256 itself.

[0043] The first buffer member 261 is configured to absorb the impact when the moving part 255 descends relative to the fixed part 251 and collides with the fixed part 251. The first buffer member 261 may be located below the fixed part 251. The first buffer member 261 is installed so as to come into contact with the moving part 255 when it descends. The first buffer member 261 may be a member made of rubber, silicon, or the like. Alternatively, the first buffer member 261 may be installed in a portion of the moving part 255 that corresponds to the lower portion of the fixed part 251.

[0044] The first buffer member 261 may have the same material and thickness as the second buffer member 117 installed on the internal door 115. The second buffer member 117 is configured to be able to absorb the impact when the internal door 115 collides with the internal housing 111. The second buffer member 117 may also be installed on the internal housing 111.

[0045] According to this configuration, when the internal door 115 moves downward, the transmission section 250 also moves downward and becomes separated from the introduction section 210. When the internal door 115 moves upward, the transmission section 250 also moves upward, and the connection port 257 connects with the discharge port 213. The force applied to the discharge port 213 and further to the discharge nozzle 214 during the connection process is supported by the support part 123. In addition, the force applied to the connection port 257 and further to the connection nozzle 258 is buffered by the first buffer member 261. The force applied when the internal door 115 comes into contact with the internal housing 111 is buffered by the second buffer member 117.

[0046] Since the first buffer member 261 and the second buffer member 117 are made of the same material and have the same thickness, the level of the connection between the inner door 115 and the inner housing 111 and the level of the connection between the outlet 213 and the connection port 257 can be made the same. This effectively prevents either of the connections from becoming incomplete.

[0047] The pressure of the protective gas (the second pressure) filled in the protective space serves to prevent leakage of the processing gas between the connection port 257 and the discharge port 213. Even if there is a possibility that the processing gas may leak, the leaked processing gas can be stably exhausted (managed) by the exhaust module 140.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a lift drive module 150 for lifting and lowering the outer door 125 of the outer chamber 120. As shown in FIG.

[0049] Referring to this figure, a lift drive module 150 is provided for lifting and lowering the exterior door 125 (and the associated interior door 115).

[0050] The lift drive module 150 may include a support 151 and a guide frame 155 .

[0051] The center of the support 151 is configured to support the exterior door 125. The center of the support 151 may be aligned generally horizontally relative to the ground.

[0052] The guide frame 155 guides the elevation of the support 151. The guide frame 155 may be provided in pairs and coupled to both side peripheral portions of the support 151. Thus, the pair of guide frames 155 may be disposed symmetrically with respect to the support 151.

[0053] With this configuration, the support 151 can be moved upward or downward by an actuator (such as a ball screw) (not shown). In this case, the support 151 is guided at both sides by a pair of guide frames 155. This allows the support 151, and further the exterior door 125, etc., to move up and down in a stable position while maintaining a horizontal state.

[0054] The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus and the processing gas lines used therein are not limited to the configurations and operation methods of the above-described embodiments, and may be configured to achieve various modifications by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The present invention has industrial applicability in the field of manufacturing high-pressure substrate processing apparatuses and processing gas lines used therein.

Claims

1. an internal chamber including an internal housing configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed, and an internal door configured to be movable between a closed position that closes the internal housing and an open position that opens the internal housing; an outer chamber including an outer housing disposed to contain the inner chamber and an outer door movably configured to open and close the outer housing; and a gas supply module including: a processing gas line that supplies a processing gas for processing the substrate into the inner chamber at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure; and a protective gas line that supplies a protective gas to a protective space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber at a second pressure set in relation to the first pressure; The process gas line an introduction section including a discharge port disposed in the protected space; and A high-pressure substrate processing apparatus including a transmission section configured to transmit the processing gas input from the introduction section into the internal housing, the transmission section having a connection port that connects to the discharge port in the closed position and that is moved away from the discharge port in the open position.

2. The introductory section The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure substrate processing apparatus is installed through the outer housing.

3. The introductory section The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus is fixedly installed on the outer housing.

4. The outer housing includes:

2. The high pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support portion that supports the discharge port against a force applied by the connection port when the internal door moves from the open position to the closed position.

5. The transmission section 2. The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner door is mounted thereon and moves together with the inner door when the inner door moves between the closed position and the open position.

6. The transmission section a fixed part installed on the interior door; and 2. The high pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a movable part located corresponding to said discharge port and movable relative to said fixed part.

7. The moving part is The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , which is formed to be movable along a direction of movement between the closed position and the open position.

8. The transmission section The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a first buffer member provided on either the fixed part or the moving part to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other of the fixed part and the moving part.

9. The internal chamber comprises: a second buffer member disposed on at least one of the inner door and the inner housing to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other of the inner door and the inner housing; The first buffer member and the second buffer member are The high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the plates are made of the same material and have the same thickness.

10. The second pressure is The high pressure substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure is higher than the first pressure.

11. an introduction section having a discharge port disposed within an outer housing of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus; and an internal door of the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus having a connection port connected to the discharge port when the internal door is in a closed position to close the internal housing housed within the external housing, and a connection port moved to be separated from the discharge port when the internal door is in an open position to open the internal housing, the connection port including a transfer section formed to transfer the processing gas input from the introduction section into the internal housing; The transmission section a fixed part installed on the interior door; and a process gas line for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus, the process gas line including a movable part positioned corresponding to the discharge port and movable relative to the fixed part;

12. The introductory section The process gas line for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the process gas line passes through the outer housing and is fixedly installed relative to the outer housing.

13. The transmission section 12. The process gas line for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a first buffer member installed on either the fixed part or the moving part to absorb impact caused by collision with the other of the fixed part and the moving part.

14. When the high-pressure substrate processing apparatus further includes a second buffer member installed on at least one of the inner door and the inner housing to absorb impact caused by a collision with the other of the inner door and the inner housing, The first buffer member is 14. The process gas line for a high-pressure substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the process gas line has the same material and thickness as the second buffer member.

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