Substrate processing apparatus and operation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and an operating method thereof that can ensure safety while supplying a toxic gas into a process chamber to perform a process, and the substrate processing apparatus may include a process chamber having an opening on one side, a process gas supply unit that supplies a process gas containing a toxic gas into the process chamber, an exhaust unit that exhausts air from the process chamber, an opening / closing means that opens and closes the opening of the process chamber, and a control unit that detects the supply of the toxic gas to interlock the opening / closing means and releases the interlock of the opening / closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and an operating method thereof, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus and an operating method thereof capable of ensuring safety while performing a process by supplying a toxic gas into a process chamber. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in substrate processing apparatuses, toxic gases are supplied into a process chamber to carry out processes. Since such toxic gases are harmful to the human body, it is important to prevent them from leaking outside. Even when opening and closing the opening of the process chamber to transport substrates such as wafers, it is necessary to prevent toxic gases remaining in the process chamber from escaping to the outside.

[0003] In particular, in a batch-type substrate processing apparatus, workers can enter a loading chamber that is connected to a process chamber and in which substrates are loaded onto a substrate boat, so it is necessary to thoroughly prevent toxic gases remaining in the process chamber from flowing into the loading chamber.

[0004] Therefore, a technology is desired that can prevent accidents caused by the residual toxic gas remaining in the process chamber leaking to the outside while opening and closing the opening of the process chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Publication Patent No. 10-2007-0045792 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus and an operating method thereof, which prevents an accident in which a toxic gas remaining in a process chamber leaks to the outside by interlocking an opening / closing means for opening and closing an opening of the process chamber before the toxic gas is exhausted from the process chamber while a toxic gas is supplied into the process chamber to perform a process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a process chamber having an opening on one side, a process gas supply unit for supplying a process gas containing a toxic gas into the process chamber, an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the process chamber, an opening / closing means for opening / closing the opening of the process chamber, and a control unit for detecting the supply of the toxic gas to interlock the opening / closing means and releasing the interlock of the opening / closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber.

[0008] The process gas supply unit may include a first supply line that supplies the toxic gas and has at least one of a valve and a flow rate controller disposed therein, and the control unit may detect at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas from the flow rate controller and interlock the opening / closing means with the opening closed.

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus may further include a purge gas supply unit that supplies a purge gas into the process chamber, and a pressure measurement unit that measures the pressure inside the process chamber, and the control unit may release the interlock of the opening and closing means when the pressure measured by the pressure measurement unit is maintained below a reference pressure for a pressure holding time while supplying the purge gas with the valve closed or with no gas flow of the flow controller detected.

[0010] The reference pressure may be determined experimentally using a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the process using the toxic gas.

[0011] The control unit may set the pressure holding time to be equal to or longer than the residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber, using the residence time of the toxic gas measured in the pre-test.

[0012] The control unit may set the reference pressure to a pressure inside the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber during a purge process of supplying the purge gas.

[0013] The pressure hold time may be determined based on the length of the first supply line and the volume velocity of the toxic gas.

[0014] The substrate processing apparatus may further include a substrate boat, on which a plurality of substrates are stacked in multiple stages and which can be accommodated in the process chamber, and a loading chamber disposed on one side of the process chamber and providing a space for loading the plurality of substrates onto the substrate boat. The opening / closing means may include a shutter disposed on one side of the process chamber and opening and closing the opening, and a cover coupled to a lower end of the substrate boat and opening and closing the opening as the substrate boat is raised and lowered, and the cover closes the opening while the substrate boat is accommodated in the process chamber.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating a substrate processing apparatus may include the steps of closing an opening on one side of a process chamber to perform a process using a toxic gas, detecting the supply of the toxic gas, interlocking an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening, and unlocking the opening / closing means based on the pressure inside the process chamber.

[0016] The process of detecting the supply of toxic gas includes either a process of detecting the opening of a valve arranged in a first supply line that supplies the toxic gas, or a process of detecting the flow of gas using a flow controller arranged in the first supply line, and in the process of interlocking the opening / closing means, when at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas in the flow controller is detected, the opening / closing means may be interlocked with the opening closed.

[0017] The method for operating the substrate processing apparatus may further include a step of supplying a purge gas into the process chamber and a step of measuring the pressure inside the process chamber, and in the step of unlocking the interlock of the opening / closing means, the interlock of the opening / closing means may be unlocked when the measured pressure is maintained below a reference pressure for a pressure holding time in a step of measuring the pressure inside the process chamber while supplying the purge gas with the valve closed or with no gas flow of the flow controller detected.

[0018] The method for operating the substrate processing apparatus may further include a step of setting the reference pressure, and the step of setting the reference pressure may include a step of determining the reference pressure based on the results of a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the processing process.

[0019] The method for operating the substrate processing apparatus may further include a step of setting the pressure holding time, and the step of setting the pressure holding time may include a step of inputting a remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber measured in the pre-test.

[0020] The method for operating the substrate processing apparatus may further include a step of setting the reference pressure, and the step of setting the reference pressure may include a step of inputting a pressure inside the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at a flow rate equal to a flow rate supplied into the process chamber during the step of supplying the purge gas.

[0021] The method for operating the substrate processing apparatus may further include a step of setting the pressure holding time, and the step of setting the pressure holding time may include a step of inputting a residence time of the toxic gas calculated using the length of the first supply line and a volume velocity of the toxic gas. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention detects the supply of toxic gas using a controller to interlock the opening / closing means, and releases the interlock of the opening / closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber, thereby preventing the opening of the process chamber from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted from the process chamber, thereby preventing the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber from leaking to the outside due to the opening being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted. This prevents safety accidents caused by toxic gas and prevents a situation in which all equipment in a semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB) is shut down due to the leakage of toxic gas.

[0023] Here, by measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber and releasing the interlock of the opening / closing means when the measured pressure is maintained below the reference pressure for a pressure holding time, the opening of the process chamber can be opened without the need for an additional separate device for detecting toxic gas remaining in the process chamber, thereby preventing a situation (or accident) where toxic gas remains in the process chamber.In this case, by maintaining the interlock of the opening / closing means for a pressure holding time that is equal to or longer than the toxic gas remaining time, rather than opening the opening of the process chamber immediately when the internal pressure of the process chamber becomes below the reference pressure, it is possible to more effectively prevent the opening from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the connection relationship between components of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an opening / closing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025]

[0023] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In describing the present invention, the same reference numerals will be used for the same components, and the drawings may be exaggerated in size to accurately illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, the same numerals will refer to the same components.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the connection relationship between components of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] 1 and 2, a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a process chamber 110 having an opening 111 on one side thereof, a process gas supply unit 120 for supplying a process gas containing a toxic gas into the process chamber 110, an exhaust unit 130 for exhausting the inside of the process chamber 110, an opening / closing unit 140 for opening / closing the opening 111 of the process chamber 110, and a control unit 150 for detecting the supply of the toxic gas to interlock the opening / closing unit 140 and releasing the interlock of the opening / closing unit 140 based on the internal pressure of the process chamber 110.

[0028] The process chamber 110 may provide a processing space for substrates 10, such as wafers, and may have an opening 111 on one side (e.g., a bottom end) through which substrates 10 can be loaded into the processing space (i.e., the interior of the process chamber) to perform a processing process on a single or multiple substrates 10. For example, the process chamber 110 may be a cylindrical process tube made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or ceramic, with a closed top and an open bottom, and multiple substrates 10 may be accommodated therein to perform a processing process on the substrates 10 in a batch type. Here, the processing space may accommodate a substrate boat 180 in which multiple substrates 10 are stacked in the longitudinal direction of the process chamber 110, and a processing process (e.g., a deposition process) on the substrates 10 may be performed.

[0029] The process gas supply unit 120 can supply a process gas containing a toxic gas into the process chamber 110, a deposition gas for a deposition process into the process chamber 110, or a cleaning gas for cleaning the inside of the process chamber 110. Here, the process gas may contain the deposition gas or the cleaning gas, or the deposition gas may contain the toxic gas, the cleaning gas may contain the toxic gas, or both the deposition gas and the cleaning gas may contain the toxic gas. For example, the toxic gas may be ammonia (NH), hydrogen fluoride (HF), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), hydrogen chloride (HCl), dichlorosilane (DCS), SiH2Cl2, dichloroethane (DCE), C2H4Cl2, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen oxide (NO), or the like. x ), nitrous oxide (N2O), etc.

[0030] The exhaust unit 130 may exhaust the interior of the process chamber 110 and may be connected to the interior of the process chamber 110 (i.e., the processing space) to exhaust process residues from the processing space to the outside. For example, the exhaust unit 130 may include an exhaust line 131 connected to the process chamber 110. One side (or one end) of the exhaust line 131 may be connected to the process chamber 110 and connected to an exhaust port 112 of the process chamber 110, and the other side (or the other end) may be connected to a vacuum pump 132. Through this, the process residues may be exhausted from the processing space and exhausted to the outside. In this case, an exhaust valve 133 may be provided in the exhaust line 131, and the exhaust valve 133 may be configured as an adaptive pressure control (APC) valve to form a vacuum in the process chamber 110 and adjust the vacuum pressure. Meanwhile, the exhaust unit 130 may further include a toxic gas dilution unit (not shown) connected to the exhaust line 131 to dilute the toxic gas discharged into the exhaust line 131. The toxic gas dilution unit (not shown) is connected to the exhaust line 131 to dilute the toxic gas discharged into the exhaust line 131, and can dilute the toxic gas and discharge it to the outside. For example, the process residue containing the toxic gas can be accumulated in a certain space, and then the accumulated process residue can be diluted with nitrogen (N2) or the like to remove its toxicity and discharge it to the outside.

[0031] The opening / closing means 140 can open and close the opening 111 of the process chamber 110, and can block (or close) the opening 111 during a processing process using the toxic gas to block (or prevent) the toxic gas from leaking (or flowing) outside the process chamber 110.

[0032] The control unit 150 may detect the supply of the toxic gas and interlock the opening and closing unit 140 during a process using the toxic gas, and may release the interlock of the opening and closing unit 140 based on the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 after the process using the toxic gas (or the supply of the toxic gas) has ended (or been completed). For example, the control unit 150 may start the supply of the toxic gas for the process using the toxic gas, or may interlock the opening and closing unit 140 before the supply is started, and may release the interlock of the opening and closing unit 140 when the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 is equal to or lower than a reference pressure after the supply of the toxic gas has ended (or stopped).

[0033] This prevents the opening 111 from being opened before the toxic gas has completely (or entirely) escaped (or been exhausted) from within the process chamber 110, thereby preventing (or blocking) the toxic gas remaining within the process chamber 110 from leaking to the outside.

[0034] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention detects the supply of the toxic gas using the control unit 150 to interlock the opening / closing unit 140, and releases the interlock of the opening / closing unit 140 based on the internal pressure of the process chamber 110. This prevents the opening 111 of the process chamber 110 from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted from the process chamber 110, thereby preventing the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110 from leaking to the outside due to the opening 111 being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted. This prevents safety accidents caused by the toxic gas and also prevents a situation in which all the equipment in the semiconductor fabrication equipment (FAB) is shut down due to the leakage of the toxic gas.

[0035] The process gas supply unit 120 may include a first supply line 121 that supplies the toxic gas and is provided with at least one of a (first) valve 122 and a (first) flow controller 123. The first supply line 121 may connect a (first) gas supply source (or gas reservoir) for supplying the toxic gas to the process chamber 110 to supply the toxic gas to the process chamber 110, and may be provided with at least one of a valve 122 and a flow controller 123. Here, the valve 122 may turn on / off the supply (or flow) of the toxic gas, and the flow controller 123 may control the flow rate (or flow) of the toxic gas and sense the flow rate (or flow) of the toxic gas.

[0036] At this time, the control unit 150 can detect at least one of the opening of the valve 122 and the flow of gas in the flow rate controller 123, and can interlock the opening / closing means 140 with the opening 111 closed. When the valve 122 is opened or the flow of gas is detected in the flow rate controller 123, the control unit 150 can determine that the toxic gas is being supplied, and can interlock the opening / closing means 140 with the opening 111 closed.

[0037] For example, the control unit 150 may be provided with a valve sensor (not shown) that detects the opening and closing of the valve 122, and can detect the opening (open state) of the valve 122 using the valve sensor (not shown). When a gas flow is detected in the flow controller 123, the control unit 150 can receive (or receive) a flow detection signal from the flow controller 123 and detect the gas flow in the flow controller 123. The control unit 150 may determine that the toxic gas is being supplied by detecting only one of the opening of the valve 122 and the gas flow in the flow controller 123; however, to increase the accuracy of the determination, it is preferable to determine that the toxic gas is being supplied when both the opening of the valve 122 and the gas flow in the flow controller 123 are detected.

[0038] The substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may further include a purge gas supply unit 160 for supplying a purge gas into the process chamber 110 and a pressure measurement unit 170 for measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 .

[0039] The purge gas supply unit 160 may supply a purge gas into the process chamber 110 to purge the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110. Here, the purge gas may include nitrogen (N2) gas or an inert gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), or neon (Ne). For example, the purge gas supply unit 160 may supply the purge gas into the process chamber 110 to perform a purge process after a process using the toxic gas is completed and the supply of the toxic gas is stopped (or terminated). The purge gas supply unit 160 may purge process residues, such as the toxic gas, remaining in the process chamber 110 even after the process using the toxic gas is completed, and the purged process residues may be exhausted via the exhaust unit 130. The purge gas supply unit 160 can supply the purge gas through a purge line 161, and the supply of the purge gas can be turned on / off by a purge valve 162 disposed in the purge line 161. Meanwhile, the purge line 161 of the purge gas supply unit 160 can be connected (or communicated) with the first supply line 121, and in this case, the toxic gas remaining in the first supply line 121 can also be purged.

[0040] The pressure measuring unit 170 may measure the pressure inside the process chamber 110 directly, or may calculate (or indirectly) measure (or measure) the pressure inside the process chamber 110 using other measurements that are directly or indirectly measured. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the pressure measuring unit 170 may be connected to the process chamber 110 to measure (directly) the pressure inside the process chamber 110, or may measure (indirectly) the pressure inside the process chamber 110 by measuring the degree of vacuum and / or the vacuum pressure (or exhaust pressure) of the process chamber 110 using a vacuum sensor (not shown) connected to the exhaust line 131, and may measure (indirectly) the pressure inside the process chamber 110 based on the measured degree of vacuum and / or the vacuum pressure of the process chamber 110. However, the pressure measuring unit 170 is not limited thereto, and may be any device capable of measuring the pressure inside the process chamber 110.

[0041] The control unit 150 can release the interlock of the opening / closing means 140 when the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 is maintained below the reference pressure for a pressure holding time while supplying the purge gas with the valve 122 in a closed state or the flow rate controller 123 not detecting a gas flow. The control unit 150 can determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped (or interrupted) when the valve 122 is closed or when the flow rate controller 123 does not detect a gas flow. The control unit 150 can also determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped by detecting either the valve 122 being closed or the flow rate controller 123 not detecting a gas flow, but it is preferable to determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped when the valve 122 is closed and the flow rate controller 123 does not detect a gas flow.

[0042] If the control unit 150 determines that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped, the purge gas supply unit 160 can supply the purge gas to purge the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110 and / or the first supply line 121, and the control unit 150 can maintain the supply of the toxic gas in a stopped state while the purge gas supply unit 160 supplies the purge gas after the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped.

[0043] The purge process can be performed while the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply unit 160 while the valve 122 is closed or the gas flow of the flow controller 123 is not detected and the supply of the toxic gas is stopped, and the pressure measurement unit 170 can measure the pressure inside the process chamber 110 while the purge process is being performed.

[0044] At this time, if the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 becomes equal to or lower than the reference pressure, it can be determined that there is no toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110. However, since there is a possibility that the toxic gas remaining in the first supply line 121 is purged and supplied into the process chamber 110, or that the toxic gas remaining in the exhaust line 131 may backflow through the opening 111 and leak to the outside, the interlock of the opening and closing means 140 is not immediately released, but can be released only when the pressure is maintained below the reference pressure for a pressure holding time. Therefore, the interlock of the opening and closing means 140 can be maintained without being released until the toxic gas is completely released from the process chamber 110, and the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110 can be prevented from leaking to the outside even after the interlock of the opening and closing means 140 is released.

[0045] If the toxic gas leaks out and escapes into the external environment, it may cause a safety accident due to the toxic gas, which is not only harmful to humans but may also cause the operation of dozens or hundreds of devices in the semiconductor manufacturing facility to stop. Therefore, it is very important that the control unit 150 is used to release the interlock of the opening and closing means 140 only when the toxic gas has completely escaped from the process chamber 110.

[0046] Here, the reference pressure may be determined experimentally using a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the process using the toxic gas. For example, the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 may be measured when the toxic gas is completely removed from the process chamber 110 and no toxic gas remains in the process chamber 110 during the pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the process using the toxic gas, and the measured pressure (or the internal pressure of the process chamber) may be used as the reference pressure. Meanwhile, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention may further include a reference pressure memory unit (not shown) that stores the reference pressure for each process, such as the deposition process and the cleaning process. The reference pressure obtained by performing the pre-test for each process may be stored in the reference pressure memory unit (not shown), and the control unit 150 may read the reference pressure from the reference pressure memory unit (not shown) for each process to determine when to release the interlock of the opening / closing unit 140.

[0047] In this case, the control unit 150 may set the pressure retention time to be equal to or greater than the residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber 110, using the residence time of the toxic gas measured in the pre-test. That is, the pressure retention time may be set to be equal to or greater than the residence time of the toxic gas by measuring the residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber 110 in the pre-test. The residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber 110 may be measured in the pre-test, and the residence time may be measured for each type of toxic gas, and the measured residence time may be stored for each type of toxic gas in a residence time storage unit (not shown), etc. Here, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention may further include a residual time memory unit (not shown) that stores the residual time for each type of toxic gas, and may measure the residual time until the toxic gas is no longer contained in the process residue discharged to the exhaust line 131 while supplying the purge gas to purge the process chamber 110, and store the measured residual time in the residual time memory unit (not shown). The residual time may be measured for each type of toxic gas and store the measured residual time in the residual time memory unit (not shown).

[0048] For example, a gas detector 135 such as a self-plasma optical emission spectroscopy (SP-OES) may be installed in the exhaust port 112 of the process chamber 110 and / or the exhaust line 131 to detect whether the toxic gas is contained in the process residue (or exhaust gas) discharged to the exhaust line 131 through the exhaust port 112. The residual time of the toxic gas may be the time until the toxic gas is no longer contained in the process residue discharged to the exhaust line 131. Here, the starting point of the residual time may be after the supply of the toxic gas is stopped, during the purge process, or when the purge process (or the supply of the purge gas) is started.

[0049] By setting the pressure holding time to be longer than the residence time of the toxic gas and maintaining the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 below the reference pressure for the residence time of the toxic gas, the toxic gas can be completely removed (or exhausted) from the process chamber 110 without remaining in the process chamber 110. The interlock of the opening / closing means 140 can be released to open the opening 111 of the process chamber 110 without remaining in the process chamber 110. This effectively blocks (or prevents) the outflow (or leakage) of the toxic gas from the inside of the process chamber 110. In this case, since the opening of the opening 111 effectively blocks (or prevents) the toxic gas from flowing back into the exhaust line 131, it is preferable to set the pressure holding time to be longer than the residence time of the toxic gas so that the toxic gas can be purged from the exhaust line 131.

[0050] Here, the control unit 150 can read the residual time from the residual time memory unit (not shown) for each type of toxic gas, and set the pressure retention time to be equal to or longer than the residual time of the toxic gas based on the residual time.

[0051] Meanwhile, the pressure holding time can be determined using data for each time period when the toxic gas is detected by the gas detector 135 disposed in the exhaust line 131, from the time when the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 (i.e., the pressure inside the process chamber) becomes equal to or lower than the reference pressure while the purge gas is being supplied. The control unit 150 can determine the pressure holding time by checking the time period when the toxic gas was detected and when it was no longer detected from the data for each time period when the toxic gas was detected, and can determine that the toxic gas has been completely released (or exhausted) when it is no longer detected. Here, the data for each time period when the toxic gas was detected can also be obtained using the pre-test, and the data for each time period can be obtained for each type of toxic gas.

[0052] For example, the control unit 150 may set the reference pressure to the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 in a purge process. That is, the reference pressure may be the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 in a purge process. Alternatively, the reference pressure may be the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying only the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 in the purge process without any other gases in a separate process, rather than the (actual) purge process performed after the process. The flow rate supplied into the process chamber 110 in the purge process may be determined depending on the type of toxic gas for each process, and the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 may be measured when only the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 in the purge process of each process. At this time, the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 may be measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 during the purge process for each process step, and the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured for each process step may be different, so that the reference pressure may be different for each process step. Here, the measured internal pressure of the process chamber 110 may be stored as the reference pressure in the reference pressure storage unit (not shown) for each process step.

[0053] The internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber 110 during the purge process is the pressure when only the purge gas is present (or flowing) within the process chamber 110, without the toxic gas. Therefore, if the pressure measured using the pressure measuring unit 170 during the purge process is the same as the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate, it can be determined that only the purge gas is present (or flowing) within the process chamber 110, without other gases such as the toxic gas. Therefore, the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate can be used as the reference pressure. If the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 is equal to or lower than the reference pressure, it can be determined that the toxic gas is absent (or does not remain) within the process chamber 110.

[0054] On the other hand, if the toxic gas remains in the process chamber 110, the toxic gas will be present in addition to the purge gas, and the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 will be higher than the reference pressure.Therefore, if the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit 170 is higher than the reference pressure, it can be determined that the toxic gas remains (or is still present) in the process chamber 110.

[0055] The pressure holding time can be determined based on the length of the first supply line 121 and the volume velocity of the toxic gas. The residence time of the toxic gas can be calculated based on the distance from the gas supply source to the exhaust port 112 of the process chamber 110 (e.g., the length of the first supply line + the width of the process chamber) and the volume velocity of the toxic gas. Based on the calculated residence time of the toxic gas, the pressure holding time can be determined to be equal to or longer than the residence time.

[0056] For example, the residence time of the toxic gas may be proportional to the length of the first supply line 121 or inversely proportional to the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas, and the pressure retention time may also be proportional to the length of the first supply line 121 and inversely proportional to the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas.

[0057] The residence time of the toxic gas can be expressed by the following Equation 1.

[0058]

number

[0059] In addition, the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas can be determined based on the molecular weight of the toxic gas, and may be higher as the molecular weight of the toxic gas decreases.

[0060] The pressure holding time can be easily determined by Equation 1, and the pressure holding time can be quickly determined by calculating the remaining time of the toxic gas without performing a separate process of supplying a gas such as the purge gas into the process chamber 110 in advance.

[0061] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention measures the internal pressure of the process chamber 110, and when the measured pressure is maintained below the reference pressure for the pressure holding time, releases the interlock of the opening / closing means 140, thereby opening the opening 111 of the process chamber 110 and preventing a situation (or accident) in which the toxic gas remains in the process chamber 110 without the need for an additional separate device for detecting the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber 110. Furthermore, instead of immediately opening the opening 111 of the process chamber 110 as soon as the internal pressure of the process chamber 110 falls below the reference pressure, the opening / closing means 140 is kept interlocked for the pressure holding time, which is equal to or longer than the toxic gas remaining time, thereby more effectively preventing the opening 111 from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an opening / closing means according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) of FIG. 3 shows the cover body portion, and (b) of FIG. 3 shows the shutter portion.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may further include a substrate boat 180 in which a plurality of substrates 10 are stacked in multiple stages and can be accommodated in the process chamber 110, and a loading chamber 190 disposed on one side of the process chamber 110 and providing a space for loading a plurality of substrates 10 onto the substrate boat 180.

[0064] The substrate boat 180 may be configured to stack a plurality of substrates 10 in multiple stages and may be accommodated in the process chamber 110 to process the substrates 10. That is, the substrate boat 180 may be configured to stack a plurality of substrates 10 in multiple stages (or vertically) to process the substrates 10 in a batch manner, may be disposed inside the process chamber 110 (i.e., the processing space), and may be accommodated in the internal space (i.e., the processing space) of the process chamber 110 during the substrate 10 processing process. In this case, there may be multiple substrate boats 180, and they may be disposed inside multiple process chambers 110, respectively. Here, the substrate boat 180 may be configured to have multiple independent spaces capable of separately processing a plurality of substrates 10.

[0065] The loading chamber 190 may be disposed (or arranged) on one side (e.g., the bottom) of the process chamber 110 (in the longitudinal direction) and may provide a space for loading a plurality of substrates 10 onto the substrate boat 180. The plurality of substrates 10 may be loaded into the loading chamber 190 and stacked in multiple layers onto the substrate boat 180. The substrate boat 180 loaded with the plurality of substrates 10 in the loading chamber 190 may be raised and lowered by a boat elevator 185 and accommodated within the interior space of the process chamber 110 to perform a processing process on the substrates 10. For example, the loading chamber 190 may have an open top to allow the substrate boat 180 to be raised and lowered, and may have a passage formed on one side (in the width direction) for the substrates 10 to enter and exit. Here, the loading chamber 190 may be connected to a transfer chamber (not shown) and may have a passageway connected to the transfer chamber (not shown), through which the substrate 10 can be transferred from the transfer chamber (not shown) to the loading chamber 190. A gate valve (not shown) may be disposed outside the passageway, and the passageway can be opened and closed by the gate valve (not shown).

[0066] The opening / closing means 140 may include a cover 141 coupled to a lower end of the substrate boat 180 and configured to open and close the opening 111 as the substrate boat 180 ascends and descends, and a shutter 142 disposed on one side of the process chamber 110 and configured to open and close the opening 111. The cover 141 may be coupled to a lower end of the substrate boat 180 and may ascend and descend together with the substrate boat 180 as the substrate boat 180 ascends and descends by the boat elevator 185, thereby opening and closing the opening 111. The cover 141 may close the opening 111 while the substrate boat 180 is housed in the process chamber 110, and a processing process for the substrates 10 may be performed with the opening 111 closed by the cover 141. After the processing process is completed, the cover 141 may descend together with the substrate boat 180 to open the opening 111.

[0067] The shutter unit 142 may be disposed on one side (e.g., the bottom) of the process chamber 110 (in the longitudinal direction) and may open and close the opening 111. The shutter unit 142 may close the opening 111 when the substrate boat 180 descends and is positioned in the loading chamber 190, and may open the opening 111 when the substrate boat 180 is accommodated in the process chamber 110 or when the substrate boat 180 ascends and descends between the process chamber 110 and the loading chamber 190. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the shutter unit 142 may open and close the opening 111 by rotating (or revolving) a blocking plate capable of closing the opening 111 around a rotation axis spaced from the center of the blocking plate.

[0068] Meanwhile, the control unit 150 can interlock the cover unit 141 during the deposition process, which is performed when the substrate boat 180 is accommodated in the process chamber 110 and the opening 111 is closed by the cover unit 141, and can interlock the shutter unit 142, which closes (or shields) the opening 111, during the cleaning process, which cleans the inside of the process chamber 110 when the substrate boat 180 is not accommodated in the process chamber 110.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 4, a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, but the overlapping points with those described above in relation to the substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be omitted.

[0071] Another embodiment of the method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may include a step of closing an opening on one side of a process chamber to perform a process using a toxic gas (S100), a step of detecting the supply of the toxic gas (S200), a step of interlocking an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening (S300), and a step of unlocking the opening / closing means based on the pressure inside the process chamber (S400).

[0072] First, in order to perform a process using a toxic gas, an opening on one side of a process chamber is closed (S100). In order to perform a process using a toxic gas, the opening of a process chamber having an opening on one side can be closed by an opening / closing means, and the process using the toxic gas can be performed with the opening of the process chamber closed.

[0073] Next, the supply of the toxic gas is detected (S200). Because the toxic gas is harmful to the human body, if the toxic gas leaks out and into the external environment, a safety accident due to the toxic gas may occur. Therefore, the supply of the toxic gas can be detected using a control unit so that the opening of the process chamber can be opened while the toxic gas is being supplied to prevent the toxic gas from leaking out. Through this, the supply of the toxic gas can be sensed (or detected), and if the supply of the toxic gas is detected, the opening of the process chamber can be prevented from opening, thereby preventing the toxic gas from leaking out through the opening.

[0074] Then, the control unit interlocks the opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening (S300). If the supply of the toxic gas is detected, the control unit can interlock the opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening to prevent the opening of the process chamber from being opened. As a result, the opening of the process chamber is not opened while the toxic gas is being supplied, and the toxic gas is not leaked to the outside through the opening.

[0075] Thereafter, the interlock of the opening and closing means is released based on the internal pressure of the process chamber (S400). When the supply of the toxic gas is completed, the control unit can release the interlock of the opening and closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber, and after there is no toxic gas remaining in the process chamber and the toxic gas is completely (or entirely) removed (or exhausted) from the inside of the process chamber, the interlock of the opening and closing means can be released to open the opening of the process chamber.

[0076] The step of detecting the supply of toxic gas (S200) may include either a step of detecting the opening of a valve disposed in a first supply line that supplies the toxic gas (S211) or a step of detecting the flow of gas using a flow controller disposed in the first supply line (S212).

[0077] The control unit can detect whether a valve disposed in a first supply line for supplying the toxic gas is open (S211). In order to detect whether the toxic gas is being supplied, the control unit can detect whether a valve disposed in the first supply line for supplying the toxic gas is open, and can determine that the toxic gas is being supplied when the valve is open. For example, the control unit can detect the open state of the valve using a valve sensor that detects the opening and closing of the valve.

[0078] In addition, the flow of gas can be sensed using a flow controller disposed in the first supply line (S212). The control unit can also sense the flow of gas using a flow controller disposed in the first supply line to detect whether the toxic gas is being supplied, and can determine that the toxic gas is being supplied when the flow controller senses the flow of gas. For example, when the flow of gas is sensed in the flow controller, the control unit can sense the flow of gas in the flow controller by receiving (or transmitting) a flow sensing signal from the flow controller.

[0079] In the step (S300) of interlocking the opening / closing means, when at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas in the flow controller is detected, the opening / closing means can be interlocked with the opening closed. When at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas in the flow controller is detected (or when the valve is opened or when a gas flow is detected in the flow controller), the control unit can determine that the toxic gas is being supplied, and can interlock the opening / closing means with the opening closed.

[0080] The method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include the steps of supplying a purge gas into the process chamber (S350) and measuring the pressure inside the process chamber (S360).

[0081] A purge gas may be supplied into the process chamber (S350). The purge gas may be supplied into the process chamber using a purge gas supply unit to purge the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber. For example, the purge gas supply unit may supply the purge gas into the process chamber after a process using the toxic gas is completed and the supply of the toxic gas is stopped (or terminated) to perform a purge process. The purge gas may purge process residues, such as the toxic gas, remaining in the process chamber after the process using the toxic gas is completed, and the purged process residues may be exhausted via an exhaust unit.

[0082] Then, the internal pressure of the process chamber may be measured (S360). The internal pressure of the process chamber may be measured using a pressure measuring unit. The pressure measuring unit may be connected to the process chamber to measure the internal pressure of the process chamber (directly), or may measure the degree of vacuum and / or the vacuum pressure (or exhaust pressure) of the process chamber using a vacuum sensor connected to the exhaust line of the exhaust unit, and measure the internal pressure of the process chamber (indirectly) based on the measured degree of vacuum and / or the vacuum pressure of the process chamber.

[0083] In the step of releasing the interlock of the opening / closing means (S400), when the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit is maintained below a reference pressure during a pressure holding time while measuring the pressure inside the process chamber while supplying the purge gas with the valve closed or the gas flow of the flow controller not being detected, the interlock of the opening / closing means can be released. When the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit is maintained below a reference pressure during a pressure holding time while the control unit is measuring the pressure inside the process chamber while supplying the purge gas with the valve closed or the gas flow of the flow controller not being detected, the interlock of the opening / closing means can be released. In this case, the control unit can determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped (or interrupted) when the valve is closed or when no gas flow is detected in the flow controller, and can also determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped based on either the detection of the valve being closed or the non-detection of gas flow in the flow controller, but it is preferable to determine that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped when the valve is closed and no gas flow is detected in the flow controller.

[0084] If the control unit determines that the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped, the purge gas supply unit may supply the purge gas to purge the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber and / or the first supply line, and the control unit may maintain the supply of the toxic gas in a stopped state while the purge gas supply unit supplies the purge gas after the supply of the toxic gas has been stopped.

[0085] The purge process can be performed while the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply unit while the valve is closed or the gas flow of the flow controller is not detected and the supply of the toxic gas is stopped, and the pressure measurement unit can measure the pressure inside the process chamber while the purge process is being performed.

[0086] At this time, if the internal pressure of the process chamber measured by the pressure measuring unit falls below the reference pressure, it can be determined that there is no toxic gas remaining in the process chamber. However, since there is a possibility that the toxic gas remaining in the first supply line has been purged and supplied into the process chamber, or that the toxic gas remaining in the exhaust line may backflow through the opening and leak to the outside, the interlock of the opening / closing means is not immediately released, but can be released only if the pressure is maintained below the reference pressure for the pressure holding time. Therefore, the interlock of the opening / closing means can be maintained without being released until the toxic gas has completely escaped from the process chamber, and there is no toxic gas remaining in the process chamber even after the interlock of the opening / closing means is released, thereby preventing the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber from leaking to the outside.

[0087] The method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include the step of setting the reference pressure (S50).

[0088] The reference pressure can be set (S50). If the toxic gas leaks out and escapes into the external environment, it may cause a safety accident due to the toxic gas, which is not only harmful to humans but may also cause the shutdown of dozens or hundreds of devices in the semiconductor fabrication facility (FAB). Therefore, it is very important to use the control unit to release the interlock of the opening and closing means only when the toxic gas has completely escaped from the process chamber. For this reason, the reference pressure can be set according to the control unit.

[0089] Here, the step of setting the reference pressure (S50) may include a step of determining the reference pressure based on the results of a pre-test carried out under the same conditions as the processing step (S51).

[0090] The reference pressure may be determined based on the results of a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the process using the toxic gas (S51). For example, in a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the process using the toxic gas, the internal pressure of the process chamber may be measured when the toxic gas is completely expelled from the process chamber and no toxic gas remains in the process chamber, and the measured pressure (or the internal pressure of the process chamber) may be used as the reference pressure. Meanwhile, the step of determining the reference pressure based on the results of the pre-test (S51) may include the steps of: performing the pre-test for each process step, such as a deposition process and a cleaning process, storing the reference pressures in a reference pressure memory unit; and having the control unit read the reference pressures stored in the reference pressure memory unit for each process step. The reference pressures obtained by performing the pre-test for each process step, such as the deposition process and the cleaning process, may be stored in the reference pressure memory unit, and the control unit may select one of the reference pressures stored in the reference pressure memory unit for each process step and read the reference pressure stored in the reference pressure memory unit. The control unit can then read the reference pressure from the reference pressure storage unit for each processing step and determine the time to release the interlock of the opening and closing means.

[0091] The method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include the step (S60) of setting the pressure holding time.

[0092] The pressure holding time can be set (S60). The pressure holding time can be set to a value appropriate for the control unit. In this case, in the step of setting the pressure holding time (S60), the pressure holding time can be set to a value equal to or greater than the residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber, using the residence time of the toxic gas measured in the pre-test.

[0093] For example, the step of setting the pressure holding time (S60) may include a step of inputting the remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber measured in the pre-test (S61).

[0094] The remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber measured in the pre-test may be input (S61). The control unit may measure the remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber in the pre-test, read the remaining time of the toxic gas stored in a remaining time memory unit, and input the remaining time of the toxic gas. The remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber may be measured in the pre-test, and the remaining time may be measured for each type of toxic gas, and the measured remaining time may be stored in the remaining time memory unit for each type of toxic gas. For example, a gas detector such as a self-plasma optical emission spectroscopy (SP-OES) may be installed in the exhaust port of the process chamber and / or the exhaust line to detect whether the toxic gas is contained in the process residue (or exhaust gas) discharged to the exhaust line through the exhaust port. The remaining time of the toxic gas may be determined as the time until the toxic gas is no longer contained in the process residue discharged to the exhaust line. Here, the start point of the residual time may be after the supply of the toxic gas is stopped, or may be during the execution of the purge process, or may be when the purge process (or the supply of the purge gas) is started.

[0095] By setting the pressure holding time to be longer than the toxic gas residence time and maintaining the internal pressure of the process chamber below the reference pressure for the toxic gas residence time or longer, the toxic gas can be completely removed (or exhausted) from the process chamber without any toxic gas remaining in the process chamber. The interlock of the opening / closing means can be released to open the opening of the process chamber without any toxic gas remaining in the process chamber. This effectively blocks (or prevents) the toxic gas from leaking (or escaping) from the process chamber. In this case, it is preferable to set the pressure holding time to be longer than the toxic gas residence time so that the toxic gas can be purged (or expelled) from the exhaust line, thereby effectively blocking (or purging) the toxic gas from the exhaust line.

[0096] In addition, the step of setting the reference pressure (S50) may include a step of inputting the internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber in the step of supplying the purge gas (S350) (S52).

[0097] In the step of supplying the purge gas (S350), the internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as the flow rate supplied into the process chamber may be input (S52). The control unit may measure the internal pressure of the process chamber while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as the flow rate supplied into the process chamber in the step of supplying the purge gas (S350), read the internal pressure of the process chamber stored as the reference pressure in the reference pressure storage unit, and input the internal pressure of the process chamber. The pressure measuring unit may measure the internal pressure of the process chamber while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as the flow rate supplied into the process chamber in the step of supplying the purge gas (S350), and the internal pressure of the process chamber measured in this manner may be set as the reference pressure. That is, the reference pressure may be the internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber during the purge process (or the process of supplying the purge gas). Alternatively, the reference pressure may be the internal pressure of the process chamber measured by supplying only the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber during the purge process without any other gases into the process chamber in a separate process, rather than during the (actual) purge process performed after the process. The flow rate supplied into the process chamber during the purge process may be determined depending on the type of toxic gas for each process, and the internal pressure of the process chamber may be measured when only the purge gas is supplied at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber during the purge process for each process. In this case, the internal pressure of the process chamber may be measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as that supplied into the process chamber during the purge process for each process. The internal pressure of the process chamber measured for each process may be different, and therefore the reference pressure may be different for each process.Here, the measured internal pressure of the process chamber may be stored as the reference pressure in the reference pressure storage unit for each process.

[0098] The internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as the flow rate of the purge gas supplied into the process chamber in the step of supplying the purge gas (S350) is the pressure when the toxic gas is not present in the process chamber and only the purge gas is present (or flowing). Therefore, if the pressure measured using the pressure measuring unit in the step of supplying the purge gas (S350) is the same as the internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate, it can be determined that other gases, such as the toxic gas, are not present in the process chamber and only the purge gas is present (or flowing). Therefore, the internal pressure of the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate can be used as the reference pressure. If the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit is equal to or lower than the reference pressure, it can be determined that the toxic gas is not present (or does not remain) in the process chamber.

[0099] The step of setting the pressure retention time (S60) may include a step of inputting a residence time of the toxic gas calculated using the length of the first supply line and the volume velocity of the toxic gas (S62).

[0100] The toxic gas residence time calculated using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas can be input (S62). The control unit can input the toxic gas residence time calculated using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas. The toxic gas residence time can be calculated using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas and read from the residence time memory unit, or can be calculated (directly) using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas. The control unit can calculate the toxic gas residence time using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas. The toxic gas residence time can be calculated based on the distance from the gas supply source to the exhaust port of the process chamber (e.g., the length of the first supply line plus the width of the process chamber) and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas. The pressure holding time can be determined based on the calculated toxic gas residence time. That is, the pressure holding time can be determined based on the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas, and the residence time of the toxic gas can be calculated based on the distance from the gas supply source to the exhaust port of the process chamber and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas, and the pressure holding time can be determined to be equal to or greater than the residence time based on the residence time of the toxic gas calculated in this manner.

[0101] For example, the residence time of the toxic gas may be proportional to the length of the first supply line or inversely proportional to the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas, and the pressure retention time may also be proportional to the length of the first supply line and inversely proportional to the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas, where the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas can be determined based on the molecular weight of the toxic gas, and increases as the molecular weight of the toxic gas decreases.

[0102] The pressure holding time can be easily determined by calculating the residence time of the toxic gas using the length of the first supply line and the volumetric velocity of the toxic gas. Therefore, the residence time of the toxic gas can be quickly calculated and the pressure holding time can be determined without performing a separate process of supplying a gas such as the purge gas into the process chamber in advance.

[0103] Therefore, by detecting the supply of the toxic gas and interlocking the opening / closing means, and then unlocking the interlock of the opening / closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber, the opening of the process chamber is prevented from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted from the process chamber, thereby preventing the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber from leaking out due to the opening being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted. Furthermore, by measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber and unlocking the interlock of the opening / closing means when the measured pressure is maintained below the reference pressure for the pressure holding time, it is possible to prevent the toxic gas from remaining in the process chamber while opening the opening of the process chamber without installing a separate device for detecting the toxic gas remaining in the process chamber.

[0104] Meanwhile, the opening and closing means may be composed of two opening and closing means, namely, a cover body unit (or a first opening and closing means) coupled to the lower end of a substrate boat on which a plurality of substrates are stacked in multiple stages and opening and closing the opening of the process chamber as the substrate boat is raised and lowered, and a shutter unit (or a second opening and closing means) disposed on one side (in the longitudinal direction) of the process chamber and opening and closing the opening of the process chamber. Thus, the deposition process can be carried out when the substrate boat is housed in the process chamber with the cover body closing the opening, and the cleaning process can be carried out when the substrate boat is not housed in the process chamber with the shutter closing the opening. In this case, the control unit can interlock the cover during the deposition process, which is performed with the substrate boat housed in the process chamber and the opening closed by the cover, and the control unit can interlock the shutter, which closes (or shields) the opening, during the cleaning process, which cleans the inside of the process chamber without the substrate boat housed in the process chamber. That is, the opening can be closed by selectively using the cover or the shutter depending on the process, and the opening / closing means, which closes the opening, of the cover or the shutter can be interlocked during the process.

[0105] In this manner, the present invention uses a control unit to detect the supply of toxic gas and interlock the opening / closing means, and releases the interlock of the opening / closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber. This prevents the opening of the process chamber before the toxic gas is completely exhausted from the process chamber, thereby preventing toxic gas remaining in the process chamber from leaking to the outside due to the opening being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted. This prevents safety accidents caused by toxic gas and also prevents a situation in which all devices in a semiconductor manufacturing facility stop operating due to the leakage of toxic gas. Here, by measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber and releasing the interlock of the opening / closing means when the measured pressure is maintained below a reference pressure for a pressure holding time, it is possible to prevent toxic gas from remaining in the process chamber while opening the opening of the process chamber, without the need for a separate device for detecting toxic gas remaining in the process chamber. At this time, the opening of the process chamber is not opened immediately when the internal pressure of the process chamber becomes equal to or lower than the reference pressure, but the interlock of the opening / closing means is maintained for a pressure retention time that is longer than the residual time of the toxic gas, thereby more effectively preventing the opening from being opened before the toxic gas is completely exhausted.

[0106] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, the technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. a process chamber having an opening on one side; a process gas supply unit for supplying a process gas including a toxic gas into the process chamber; an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the process chamber; an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening of the process chamber; a control unit that detects the supply of the toxic gas and interlocks the opening and closing means, and releases the interlock of the opening and closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. The process gas supply unit a first supply line for supplying the toxic gas and having at least one of a valve and a flow controller disposed therein; 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit senses at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas from the flow rate controller, and interlocks the opening / closing unit with the opening closed.

3. a purge gas supply unit for supplying a purge gas into the process chamber; a pressure measuring unit for measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber; Furthermore, 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit releases the interlock of the opening / closing means when the pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit is maintained below a reference pressure for a pressure holding time while the purge gas is being supplied with the valve closed or the gas flow of the flow rate controller not being detected.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reference pressure is experimentally determined using a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as a processing step using the toxic gas.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit sets the pressure holding time to be equal to or longer than the residence time of the toxic gas in the process chamber, using the residence time of the toxic gas measured in the pre-test.

6. 4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit sets the reference pressure to a pressure inside the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at a flow rate equal to a flow rate supplied into the process chamber during a purge process of supplying the purge gas.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the pressure holding time is determined based on a length of the first supply line and a volume velocity of the toxic gas.

8. a substrate boat on which a plurality of substrates are stacked in multiple stages and which can be accommodated in the process chamber; a loading chamber disposed at one side of the process chamber and providing a space for loading the substrates onto the substrate boat; Furthermore, The opening and closing means is a shutter unit disposed on one side of the process chamber for opening and closing the opening; a cover body portion connected to a lower end of the substrate boat and adapted to open and close the opening as the substrate boat is raised and lowered; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover closes the opening while the substrate boat is accommodated in the process chamber.

9. closing an opening on one side of the process chamber to perform a treatment process using a toxic gas; detecting the supply of toxic gas; a step of interlocking an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening; unlocking the interlock of the opening and closing means based on the internal pressure of the process chamber; A method for operating a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

10. The step of detecting the supply of toxic gas comprises: detecting an opening of a valve disposed in a first supply line for supplying the toxic gas; sensing gas flow using a flow controller disposed in the first supply line; 10. The method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the process of interlocking the opening / closing means, when at least one of the opening of the valve and the flow of gas in the flow rate controller is detected, the opening / closing means is interlocked in a state where the opening is closed.

11. supplying a purge gas into the process chamber; measuring the internal pressure of the process chamber; further comprising 11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the step of unlocking the interlock of the opening / closing means, the interlock of the opening / closing means is unlocked when the measured pressure is maintained below a reference pressure for a pressure holding time in the step of measuring the pressure inside the process chamber while supplying the purge gas with the valve closed or the gas flow of the flow controller not being detected.

12. further comprising the step of setting the reference pressure; 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of setting the reference pressure includes the step of determining the reference pressure based on a result of a pre-test conducted under the same conditions as the processing step.

13. The pressure holding time is set, 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of setting the pressure holding time includes the step of inputting the remaining time of the toxic gas in the process chamber measured in the pre-test.

14. further comprising the step of setting the reference pressure; 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of setting the reference pressure includes a step of inputting the pressure inside the process chamber measured while supplying the purge gas at the same flow rate as the flow rate supplied into the process chamber during the purge gas supply step.

15. The pressure holding time is set, 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of setting the pressure holding time includes the step of inputting a residence time of the toxic gas calculated using a length of the first supply line and a volume velocity of the toxic gas.

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