Operation method of film forming apparatus and film forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of reducing a change amount of a depth from an upper surface of a susceptor to a mounting surface.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of operating a film forming apparatus including a susceptor having a recessed portion on a surface of the susceptor on which a substrate is placed, the method including (a) a process of removing a film formed on the surface of the susceptor by supplying a cleaning gas to the susceptor in a state where a protective member is not placed on the recessed portion, and (b) a process of removing a film formed on the surface of the susceptor by supplying the cleaning gas to the susceptor in a state where the protective member is placed on the recessed portion. The process (b) is performed after the process (a) is performed a first number of times.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a film formation apparatus and a film formation apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that when dry cleaning a susceptor in a processing chamber, a cleaning gas is supplied with a protective member placed on the substrate placement area of ​​the susceptor, and a film deposited on the surface of the susceptor is removed by etching. According to Patent Document 1, cleaning can be performed without damaging the susceptor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-77750 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can reduce the amount of change in depth from the upper surface of a susceptor to the mounting surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A method of operating a film forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method of operating a film forming apparatus having a susceptor having a recess on its surface in which a substrate is placed, the method comprising: (a) a process of supplying a cleaning gas to the susceptor with no protective member placed in the recess to remove a film formed on the surface of the susceptor; and (b) a process of supplying the cleaning gas to the susceptor with the protective member placed in the recess to remove a film formed on the surface of the susceptor, wherein the process (b) is performed after the process (a) has been performed a first number of times. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the amount of change in depth from the upper surface of the susceptor to the mounting surface can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration inside a vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration inside a vacuum chamber of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another part of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a susceptor included in the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for operating the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the change in depth of recesses before and after a first cleaning process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the change in depth of recesses before and after the second cleaning process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a cleaning process. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the cleaning process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding members or components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0009] [Film forming equipment] A film formation apparatus 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration inside a vacuum chamber 1 of the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration inside a vacuum chamber 1 of the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The top plate 11 is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another part of the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a susceptor 2 provided in the film formation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the film forming apparatus 100 includes a vacuum chamber 1 and a susceptor 2.

[0011] The vacuum vessel 1 has a substantially circular planar shape. The vacuum vessel 1 has a top plate 11 and a vessel body 12. The top plate 11 is detachably and airtightly arranged on the upper surface of the vessel body 12 via a sealing member 13 such as an O-ring. The vessel body 12 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom.

[0012] The susceptor 2 is provided within the vacuum vessel 1. The susceptor 2 has a rotation center at the center of the vacuum vessel 1. The susceptor 2 is made of, for example, quartz. The susceptor 2 is fixed at its center to a cylindrical core portion 21. The core portion 21 is fixed to the upper end of a rotation shaft 22. The rotation shaft 22 extends vertically. The rotation shaft 22 penetrates the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum vessel 1. The lower end of the rotation shaft 22 is attached to a drive unit 23. The drive unit 23 rotates the rotation shaft 22 around the vertical axis. The rotation shaft 22 and the drive unit 23 are housed in a case body 20. The case body 20 has a cylindrical shape with an open top. A flange portion provided on the top surface of the case body 20 is airtightly attached to the lower surface of the bottom portion 14 of the vacuum vessel 1. This maintains an airtight state between the internal atmosphere of the case body 20 and the external atmosphere.

[0013] A plurality of (e.g., six) recesses 24 are formed on the upper surface of the susceptor 2 along the rotational direction (circumferential direction). Each recess 24 has a circular shape. A substrate W is placed in each recess 24. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer. For convenience, FIG. 3 shows only one recess 24 for the substrate W. Each recess 24 is provided at a position horizontally offset from the rotation axis 22 of the susceptor 2. Each recess 24 has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the substrate W, for example, by 4 mm, and a depth that is approximately equal to the thickness of the substrate W. Therefore, when the substrate W is placed in the recess 24, the surface of the substrate W and the surface of the susceptor 2 (the area where the substrate W is not placed) are flush with each other. The bottom surface of each recess 24 serves as a placement surface 2a (FIG. 6) on which the substrate W is placed. A through-hole (not shown) is provided in the bottom surface of the recess 24. A plurality of (for example, three) lift pins for supporting the rear surface of the substrate W and lifting the substrate W pass through the through-hole.

[0014] Above the susceptor 2, process gas nozzles 31 and 32, a cleaning gas nozzle 33, and separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 are arranged at intervals from one another in the circumferential direction of the vacuum chamber 1 (the rotation direction of the susceptor 2 indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3). In the illustrated example, the separation gas nozzle 41, cleaning gas nozzle 33, process gas nozzle 31, separation gas nozzle 42, and process gas nozzle 32 are arranged in this order clockwise (the rotation direction of the susceptor 2) from a transfer port 15 described below. Gas inlet ports 31a, 32a, 33a, 41a, and 42a (FIG. 3), which are the base ends of the process gas nozzles 31 and 32, the cleaning gas nozzle 33, and the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42, are fixed to the outer peripheral wall of the chamber body 12. The process gas nozzles 31, 32, cleaning gas nozzle 33, and separation gas nozzles 41, 42 are introduced into the vacuum vessel 1 from the outer peripheral wall of the vacuum vessel 1 and attached so as to extend horizontally relative to the susceptor 2 along the radial direction of the vessel body 12. The process gas nozzles 31, 32, cleaning gas nozzle 33, and separation gas nozzles 41, 42 are made of, for example, quartz.

[0015] The process gas nozzle 31 is connected to a source gas supply source (not shown) via a pipe and a flow rate controller (not shown). The source gas is, for example, a silicon-containing gas. The source gas may also be a metal-containing gas.

[0016] The process gas nozzle 32 is connected to a reactive gas supply source (not shown) via piping and a flow rate controller (not shown). The reactive gas is a gas that reacts with the source gas to produce a reaction product. The reactive gas is, for example, an oxidizing gas. The reactive gas may also be a nitriding gas.

[0017] The cleaning gas nozzle 33 is connected to a cleaning gas supply source (not shown) via piping and a flow rate controller (not shown). The cleaning gas nozzle 33 is an example of a gas supply unit. The cleaning gas is a gas that can remove reaction products generated by the reaction between the source gas and the reactive gas. The cleaning gas is selected depending on the types of the source gas and the reactive gas. The cleaning gas may be a halogen-containing gas. The cleaning gas is a fluorine-containing gas such as chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) or nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). The cleaning gas may also be a chlorine-containing gas, a bromine-containing gas, or an iodine-containing gas.

[0018] The separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 are both connected to a separation gas supply source (not shown) via piping and a flow control valve (not shown). The separation gas may be an inert gas. For example, the separation gas is argon (Ar). The separation gas may also be nitrogen (N).

[0019] The process gas nozzles 31, 32 have a plurality of discharge holes 31h, 32h (FIG. 4) that open toward the susceptor 2 and are arranged at intervals of, for example, 10 mm along the longitudinal direction of the process gas nozzles 31, 32. The region below the process gas nozzle 31 serves as an adsorption region P1 for adsorbing the source gas onto the substrate W. The region below the process gas nozzle 32 serves as a reaction region P2 for reacting the source gas adsorbed onto the substrate W in the adsorption region P1 with a reactive gas.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, two convex portions 4 are provided inside the vacuum vessel 1. The convex portions 4, together with separation gas nozzles 41 and 42, form a separation region D. For this reason, as will be described later, they are attached to the rear surface of the top plate 11 so as to protrude toward the susceptor 2. The convex portions 4 have a fan-shaped planar shape with an arc-shaped top. The convex portions 4 are arranged so that their inner arcs are connected to the protruding portions 5 (described later) and their outer arcs are aligned along the inner circumferential surface of the vessel body 12 of the vacuum vessel 1.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the vacuum chamber 1 along the concentric circle of the susceptor 2 from the process gas nozzle 31 to the process gas nozzle 32. As shown in FIG. 4, a convex portion 4 is attached to the rear surface of the top plate 11. Therefore, within the vacuum chamber 1, there is a flat, low ceiling surface (first ceiling surface 44) that is the underside of the convex portion 4, and ceiling surfaces (second ceiling surfaces 45) that are higher than the first ceiling surface 44 and are located on both circumferential sides of the first ceiling surface 44. The first ceiling surface 44 has a fan-shaped planar shape with its top cut into an arc. A groove portion 43 is formed in the circumferential center of the convex portion 4, extending radially. A separation gas nozzle 42 is housed in the groove portion 43. A similar groove portion 43 is also formed in the other convex portion 4, and a separation gas nozzle 41 is housed in the groove portion 43. The process gas nozzles 31 and 32 are respectively provided in the space below the second ceiling surface 45. The processing gas nozzles 31 and 32 are provided near the substrate W and spaced apart from the second ceiling surface 45. As shown in Fig. 4, the processing gas nozzle 31 is provided in a space 481 below the second ceiling surface 45 on the right side of the convex portion 4, and the processing gas nozzle 32 is provided in a space 482 below the second ceiling surface 45 on the left side.

[0022] The separation gas nozzle 42 is provided with a plurality of discharge holes 42h that open toward the susceptor 2. The plurality of discharge holes 42h are arranged at intervals of, for example, 10 mm along the longitudinal direction of the separation gas nozzle 42. The separation gas nozzle 41 also has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) arranged therein, similar to the separation gas nozzle 42.

[0023] The first ceiling surface 44 forms a narrow separation space H relative to the susceptor 2. When separation gas is supplied from the discharge holes 42h of the separation gas nozzle 42, the separation gas flows through the separation space H toward the spaces 481 and 482. At this time, because the volume of the separation space H is smaller than the volumes of the spaces 481 and 482, the separation gas can increase the pressure in the separation space H compared to the pressure in the spaces 481 and 482. In other words, a high-pressure separation space H is formed between the spaces 481 and 482. The separation gas flowing from the separation space H to the spaces 481 and 482 acts as a counterflow to the source gas from the adsorption region P1 and the reactant gas from the reaction region P2. Therefore, the source gas supplied to the adsorption region P1 and the reactant gas supplied to the reaction region P2 are separated by the separation space H. This reduces the reaction between the source gas and the reactant gas that occurs due to mixing of the two gases in the vacuum chamber 1.

[0024] The height h1 of the first ceiling surface 44 relative to the upper surface of the susceptor 2 is set to a height suitable for making the pressure in the separation space H higher than the pressure in the spaces 481 and 482, taking into consideration the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 1 during film formation, the rotation speed of the susceptor 2, the flow rate of the separation gas, etc.

[0025] A protrusion 5 is provided on the underside of the top plate 11, surrounding the outer periphery of the core portion 21 that fixes the susceptor 2. The protrusion 5 is continuous with the part of the convex portion 4 on the side of the rotation center, and its underside is formed at the same height as the first ceiling surface 44.

[0026] FIG. 1, previously referred to, is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in FIG. 3 and shows the region where the second ceiling surface 45 is provided. Meanwhile, FIG. 5 shows the region where the first ceiling surface 44 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, an L-shaped bent portion 46 is formed on the periphery of the fan-shaped convex portion 4 (the portion on the outer edge side of the vacuum vessel 1) so as to face the outer end surface of the susceptor 2. Similar to the convex portion 4, the bent portion 46 reduces the intrusion of source gas and reactant gas from both sides of the separation region D and reduces mixing of the source gas and reactant gas. The convex portion 4 is provided on the top plate 11, and since the top plate 11 is detachable from the vessel body 12, there is a slight gap between the outer peripheral surface of the bent portion 46 and the vessel body 12. The gap between the inner peripheral surface of the bent portion 46 and the outer end surface of the susceptor 2 and the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the bent portion 46 and the vessel body 12 are set to dimensions similar to the height of the first ceiling surface 44 relative to the top surface of the susceptor 2.

[0027] The inner peripheral wall of the vessel body 12 is formed as a vertical surface close to the outer peripheral surface of the bent portion 46 in the separation region D (FIG. 5). However, in areas other than the separation region D, it is recessed outward, for example, from the portion facing the outer end surface of the susceptor 2 to the bottom 14 (FIG. 1). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the recessed portion having a generally rectangular cross section will be referred to as the exhaust region E. Specifically, the exhaust region communicating with the adsorption region P1 will be referred to as the first exhaust region E1, and the region communicating with the reaction region P2 will be referred to as the second exhaust region E2. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first exhaust port 61 and a second exhaust port 62 are formed at the bottom of the first exhaust region E1 and the second exhaust region E2, respectively. The first exhaust port 61 and the second exhaust port 62 are connected to a vacuum exhaust unit, such as a vacuum pump 64, via exhaust pipes 63, as shown in FIG. 1. A pressure controller 65 is provided in the exhaust pipe 63, allowing adjustment of the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 1.

[0028] 1 and 5, a heater unit 7 is provided in the space between the susceptor 2 and the bottom 14 of the vacuum chamber 1. The heater unit 7 heats the substrate W on the susceptor 2 to a temperature determined by a process recipe by radiation.

[0029] An annular cover member 71 is provided below the periphery of the susceptor 2 (FIG. 5). The cover member 71 separates the atmosphere from the space above the susceptor 2 to the first and second exhaust regions E1 and E2 from the atmosphere in which the heater unit 7 is located, thereby reducing the intrusion of gas into the region below the susceptor 2. The cover member 71 includes an inner member 71a and an outer member 71b. The inner member 71a faces the outer edge of the susceptor 2 and the area outside the outer edge from below. The inner member 71a surrounds the heater unit 7 along the entire periphery below the outer edge of the susceptor 2 (and below a portion slightly outside the outer edge). The outer member 71b is provided between the inner member 71a and the inner circumferential surface of the vacuum chamber 1. The outer member 71b is provided below and adjacent to the bent portion 46 formed at the outer edge of the convex portion 4 in the separation region D.

[0030] The bottom 14, located closer to the center of rotation than the space in which the heater unit 7 is disposed, protrudes upward to form a protrusion 12a, approaching the core 21 near the center of the underside of the susceptor 2. A narrow space is formed between the protrusion 12a and the core 21. The gap between the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole of the rotating shaft 22 penetrating the bottom 14 and the rotating shaft 22 is also narrow, and these narrow spaces communicate with the case body 20. A purge gas supply pipe 72 is provided in the case body 20. The purge gas supply pipe 72 supplies a purge gas into the narrow space to purge it. The purge gas is, for example, the same gas as the separation gas. A plurality of purge gas supply pipes 73 are provided in the bottom 14 of the vacuum vessel 1. The plurality of purge gas supply pipes 73 are provided below the heater unit 7 at predetermined angular intervals in the circumferential direction. The plurality of purge gas supply pipes 73 supply a purge gas into the space in which the heater unit 7 is disposed to purge it. A lid member 7a is provided between the heater unit 7 and the susceptor 2. The lid member 7a circumferentially covers the area from the inner peripheral wall of the outer member 71b (the upper surface of the inner member 71a) to the upper end of the protrusion 12a. This reduces the intrusion of gas into the area where the heater unit 7 is provided. The lid member 7a is made of, for example, quartz.

[0031] A separation gas supply pipe 51 is connected to the center of the top plate 11 of the vacuum chamber 1. The separation gas supply pipe 51 supplies separation gas to a space 52 between the top plate 11 and the core section 21. The separation gas supplied to the space 52 is discharged toward the periphery along the surface of the susceptor 2 on the wafer placement region side through a narrow gap 50 between the protrusion 5 and the susceptor 2. The gap 50 can be maintained at a higher pressure than the spaces 481 and 482 by the separation gas. The gap 50 reduces mixing of the source gas supplied to the adsorption region P1 and the reaction gas supplied to the reaction region P2 through the central region C. In other words, the gap 50 (or the central region C) functions similarly to the separation space H (or the separation region D).

[0032] 2 and 3, a transfer port 15 is provided in the side wall of the vacuum chamber 1 for transferring the substrate W between an external transfer arm 10 and the susceptor 2. The transfer port 15 is opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown). Below the susceptor 2, at a position corresponding to the transfer position of the substrate W, a transfer lift pin and its lift mechanism (neither of which is shown) are provided which penetrate the recess 24 and lift the substrate W from the backside.

[0033] The film forming apparatus 100 includes a height measuring unit 8. The height measuring unit 8 measures the height of the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 and the height of the mounting surface 2a of the recess 24. The substrate W is placed on the mounting surface 2a. The height measuring unit 8 transmits the measured heights to the control unit 9. The height measuring unit 8 is, for example, a laser displacement meter. The height measuring unit 8 may also be a camera.

[0034] The film forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 9. The control unit 9 is an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 9 executes various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in a memory or by being a circuit designed for a specific application.

[0035] The control unit 9 calculates the depth Z of the recess 24 by subtracting the height of the mounting surface 2a of the recess 24 from the height of the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 measured by the height measuring unit 8.

[0036] [Method of operating the film forming apparatus] An example of a method for operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The method for operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment is performed under the control of the control unit 9. The method for operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment includes steps S71 to S74 in Fig. 7.

[0037] In step S71, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film formation apparatus 100 so that a film formation process is performed in the film formation apparatus 100. The film formation process includes depositing a film on the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 2a of each recess 24 of the susceptor 2 by placing the substrate W on the mounting surface 2a and supplying a source gas from the process gas nozzle 31 and a reactive gas from the process gas nozzle 32. During the film formation process, almost no film is deposited on the mounting surface 2a, but a film is deposited on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2. This is because, during the film formation process, the mounting surface 2a is covered with the substrate W, but the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 is not covered with the substrate W. The film is, for example, a silicon oxide film.

[0038] Step S72 is performed after step S71. In step S72, the control unit 9 determines whether or not to perform a cleaning process in the film forming apparatus 100. Whether or not to perform a cleaning process is determined, for example, based on whether or not the number of times the film forming process in step S71 has been performed has reached a set number of times. The set number of times is, for example, two or more. The set number of times may also be one time. If it is determined in step S72 that a cleaning process is to be performed (YES in step S72), the control unit 9 proceeds with the process to step S73. If it is determined in step S72 that a cleaning process is not to be performed (NO in step S72), the control unit 9 returns the process to step S71.

[0039] Step S73 is performed after step S72. In step S73, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 so that a cleaning process is performed in the film forming apparatus 100. The cleaning process includes supplying a cleaning gas into the vacuum chamber 1 and removing a film deposited on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 by etching. The cleaning gas is a gas that can remove a film by etching. For example, when removing a silicon oxide film, the cleaning gas is, for example, chlorine trifluoride or nitrogen trifluoride. The cleaning process includes a first cleaning process and a second cleaning process.

[0040] The first cleaning process includes supplying a cleaning gas to the susceptor 2 in a state where the protective member 120 is not present on the mounting surface 2a, and removing a film formed on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the change in depth Z of recess 24 before and after the first cleaning process. The left diagram of Fig. 8 shows a cross section of a portion of susceptor 2 before the first cleaning process is performed, and the right diagram of Fig. 8 shows a cross section of a portion of susceptor 2 after the first cleaning process is performed. In the right diagram of Fig. 8, the film 110 removed by etching and the susceptor 2 removed by etching are indicated by dashed lines.

[0042] As shown in the left diagram of Fig. 8, when cleaning gas is supplied to the susceptor 2 without the protective member 120 on the mounting surface 2a, the depth Z of the recess 24 becomes deep, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 8. This is thought to be because the etching amount of the susceptor 2 is small because the film 110 is present on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2, whereas the etching amount of the susceptor 2 is large because the film 110 is not present on the mounting surface 2a.

[0043] The second cleaning process includes supplying a cleaning gas to the susceptor 2 with the protective member 120 placed on the mounting surface 2a, and removing a film formed on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2. The protective member 120 preferably has a planar shape and size similar to those of the substrate W, more preferably has substantially the same planar shape and size as those of the substrate W, and most preferably has the same planar shape and size as those of the substrate W.

[0044] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the change in depth Z of recess 24 before and after the second cleaning process. The left diagram of Fig. 9 shows a cross section of a portion of susceptor 2 before the second cleaning process is performed, and the right diagram of Fig. 9 shows a cross section of a portion of susceptor 2 after the second cleaning process is performed. In the right diagram of Fig. 9, the film 110 removed by etching and the susceptor 2 removed by etching are indicated by dashed lines.

[0045] As shown in the left diagram of Fig. 9, when cleaning gas is supplied to the susceptor 2 with the protective member 120 on the mounting surface 2a, the depth Z of the recess 24 becomes shallower as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 9. This is thought to be because, although the film 110 is present on the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2, the upper surface 2t is also slightly etched after the film 110 is removed, whereas the mounting surface 2a is hardly etched because it is covered with the protective member 120.

[0046] In the method of operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, for example, the second cleaning process is performed after the first cleaning process has been performed a first number of times. Repeating the first cleaning process deepens the depth Z of the recesses 24, but repeating the second cleaning process after the first number of times shallows the depth Z of the recesses 24. This makes it possible to balance the increase and decrease in the depth Z of the recesses 24, thereby reducing the amount of change in the depth Z of the recesses 24.

[0047] The first number of times is determined based on, for example, a first change in depth Z of recess 24 when the first cleaning process is performed once. The first change is a value determined in advance, for example, through an experiment or the like. The first change may be a value calculated by control unit 9 based on the measurement value of height measurement unit 8 after the first cleaning process is performed.

[0048] The first number of times is determined, for example, so that the value obtained by adding the initial value of the depth Z of the recess 24 to a first multiplication value obtained by multiplying the first change amount by the first number of times is less than the upper limit of the depth Z of the recess 24. If the depth Z of the recess 24 becomes too deep, the step between the upper surface of the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 2a and the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 becomes large. This may cause gas accumulation near the upper surface of the substrate W, which may deteriorate the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate W during the film formation process. Therefore, it is preferable to set the upper limit of the depth Z of the recess 24 to a value that does not affect or barely affects the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate W during the film formation process.

[0049] As an example, if the first change amount is 0.1 mm, the initial value of the depth Z of the recess 24 is Z1, and the upper limit of the depth Z of the recess 24 is Z1+0.51 mm, the first number of times is set to 5 or less.

[0050] In the method of operating the film forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, for example, the first cleaning process is performed after the second cleaning process has been performed a second number of times. Repeating the second cleaning process reduces the depth Z of the recesses 24, but repeating the first cleaning process after the second number of times reduces the depth Z of the recesses 24. This makes it possible to balance the increase and decrease in the depth Z of the recesses 24, thereby reducing the amount of change in the depth Z of the recesses 24.

[0051] The second number of times is determined based on, for example, a second change amount in the depth Z of the recess 24 when the second cleaning process is performed once. The second change amount is a value determined in advance, for example, through an experiment or the like. The second change amount may be a value calculated by the control unit 9 based on the measurement value of the height measurement unit 8 after the second cleaning process is performed.

[0052] The second number of times is determined, for example, so that the value obtained by subtracting the second multiplication value obtained by multiplying the second change amount by the second number of times from the initial value of the depth Z of the recess 24 is greater than the lower limit of the depth Z of the recess 24. If the depth Z of the recess 24 is too shallow, the step between the upper surface of the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 2a and the upper surface 2t of the susceptor 2 becomes large. This may cause gas accumulation near the upper surface of the substrate W, deteriorating the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate W during the film formation process. Therefore, it is preferable to set the lower limit of the depth Z of the recess 24 to a value that does not affect or barely affects the uniformity of the film deposited on the substrate W during the film formation process. If the depth Z of the recess 24 is too shallow, the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 2a may protrude from the recess 24. Therefore, it is preferable to set the lower limit of the depth Z of the recess 24 to a value that prevents the substrate W placed on the mounting surface 2a from protruding from the recess 24.

[0053] For example, if the second change amount is 0.05 mm, the initial value of the depth Z of the recess 24 is Z1, and the lower limit of the depth Z of the recess 24 is Z1-0.31 mm, the second number of times is set to 6 or less.

[0054] The cleaning process may include repeating the first cleaning process a first number of times followed by the second cleaning process, and then repeating the second cleaning process a second number of times followed by the first cleaning process, etc. In this case, the depth Z of the recess 24 can be maintained within a desired range, for example, within a range between a lower limit and an upper limit.

[0055] The cleaning process may include setting the first number of times and the second number of times so as to satisfy the relationship nX=mY, where X is the first change amount, Y is the second change amount, n is the first number of times, and m is the second number of times. In this case, the depth Z of the recess 24 after the first cleaning process has been performed the first number of times and the second cleaning process has been performed the second number of times can be maintained at the initial state.

[0056] The cleaning process may include setting the first number of times to A2 and the second number of times to A1 when the ratio of the first change amount to the second change amount is A1:A2 (where A1 and A2 are natural numbers). As an example, when the ratio of the first change amount to the second change amount is 2:1, the first number of times may be set to 1 and the second number of times to 2.

[0057] In the cleaning process, the timing of switching between the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process is, for example, the same for all of the recesses 24. In the cleaning process, the timing of switching between the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process may be different for each recess 24.

[0058] Step S74 is performed after step S73. In step S74, the control unit 9 determines whether or not to perform susceptor replacement. Whether or not to perform susceptor replacement is determined, for example, based on whether or not the number of times the cleaning process of step S73 has been performed has reached a set number. The set number is, for example, two or more times. The set number may also be one time. If it is determined in step S74 that susceptor replacement is to be performed (YES in step S74), the control unit 9 ends the process. If it is determined in step S74 that susceptor replacement is not to be performed (NO in step S74), the control unit 9 returns the process to step S71.

[0059] An example of the cleaning process will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning process. In the process shown in Fig. 10, the control unit 9 calculates the depth Z of the recess 24 based on the measurement value of the height measurement unit 8 each time the cleaning process is performed, and switches between the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process based on the calculated depth Z of the recess 24. The process shown in Fig. 10 is performed under the control of the control unit 9. The process shown in Fig. 10 includes steps S101 to S107.

[0060] In step S101, the control unit 9 acquires the depth Z of the recessed portion 24 calculated after the previous cleaning process.

[0061] In step S102, the control unit 9 determines whether the depth Z of the recess 24 is equal to or greater than the upper limit. If it is determined in step S102 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is equal to or greater than the upper limit (YES in step S102), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S105. If it is determined in step S102 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is not equal to or greater than the upper limit (NO in step S102), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S103.

[0062] In step S103, the control unit 9 determines whether the depth Z of the recess 24 is equal to or less than the lower limit. If it is determined in step S103 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is equal to or less than the lower limit (YES in step S103), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S106. If it is determined in step S103 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is not equal to or less than the lower limit (NO in step S103), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S104.

[0063] In step S104, the control unit 9 determines whether the previous cleaning process was performed with the protective member 120 placed on the mounting surface 2a. If it is determined in step S104 that the cleaning process was performed with the protective member 120 placed on the mounting surface 2a (YES in step S104), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S105. If it is determined in step S104 that the cleaning process was performed with the protective member 120 not placed on the mounting surface 2a (NO in step S104), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S106.

[0064] In step S105, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform a cleaning process with the protective member 120 placed on the mounting surface 2a. That is, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform a second cleaning process.

[0065] In step S106, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform the cleaning process in a state where the protective member 120 is not placed on the mounting surface 2a. That is, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform the first cleaning process.

[0066] In step S107, the height measurement unit 8 measures the height of the upper surface 2t of the recess 24 and the height of the placement surface 2a, and the control unit 9 calculates the depth Z of the recess 24 based on the measurements of the height measurement unit 8. The control unit 9 may store the calculated depth Z of the recess 24 in the memory unit. This completes one cleaning process.

[0067] 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the cleaning process. In the process shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 9 calculates the depth Z of the recess 24 based on the measurement value of the height measurement unit 8 each time the cleaning process is performed, and switches between the first cleaning process and the second cleaning process based on the calculated depth Z of the recess 24. The process shown in FIG. 11 is performed under the control of the control unit 9. The process shown in FIG. 11 includes steps S111 to S115.

[0068] In step S111, the control unit 9 acquires the depth Z of the recessed portion 24 calculated after the previous cleaning process.

[0069] In step S112, the control unit 9 determines whether the depth Z of the recess 24 is deeper than the reference value. If it is determined in step S112 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is deeper than the reference value (YES in step S112), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S113. If it is determined in step S112 that the depth Z of the recess 24 is not deeper than the reference value (NO in step S112), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S114.

[0070] In step S113, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform a cleaning process with the protective member 120 placed on the mounting surface 2a. That is, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform a second cleaning process.

[0071] In step S114, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform the cleaning process in a state where the protective member 120 is not placed on the mounting surface 2a. That is, the control unit 9 controls each part of the film forming apparatus 100 to perform the first cleaning process.

[0072] In step S115, the height measurement unit 8 measures the height of the upper surface 2t of the recess 24 and the height of the placement surface 2a, and the control unit 9 calculates the depth Z of the recess 24 based on the measurements of the height measurement unit 8. In this way, one cleaning process is completed.

[0073] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 2 susceptor 24 recess 100 Film deposition equipment 110 membrane 120 Protective material W substrate

Claims

1. A method for operating a film forming apparatus including a susceptor having a recess on a surface thereof on which a substrate is placed, the method comprising: (a) a process of supplying a cleaning gas to the susceptor in a state where a protective member is not placed in the recess, thereby removing a film formed on the surface of the susceptor; (b) supplying the cleaning gas to the susceptor with the protective member placed in the recess to remove a film formed on the surface of the susceptor; and The process (b) is performed after the process (a) is performed a first number of times. How to operate a deposition device.

2. The first number of times is determined based on a first change amount of the depth of the recess when the process (a) is performed once. A method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The first change amount is a predetermined value. A method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The first change amount is calculated based on a value measured after the process (a) is performed. A method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The process (a) is performed after the process (b) is performed a second number of times. A method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. The second number of times is determined based on a second amount of change in the depth of the recess when the process (b) is performed once. The method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 5 .

7. The second change amount is a predetermined value. The method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 6 .

8. The second change amount is calculated based on a value measured after the process (b) is performed. The method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 6 .

9. The recessed portion is provided in plurality along the circumferential direction of the susceptor. A method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. the timing of switching between the process (a) and the process (b) is the same for all of the plurality of recesses; The method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 9 .

11. The timing of switching between the process (a) and the process (b) differs for each recess. The method for operating the film forming apparatus according to claim 9 .

12. A vacuum vessel; a susceptor provided in the vacuum chamber and having a recess on its surface on which a substrate is placed; a gas supply unit that supplies a cleaning gas to the susceptor; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit (a) a process of supplying the cleaning gas to the susceptor in a state where a protective member is not placed in the recess, thereby removing a film formed on the surface of the susceptor; (b) supplying the cleaning gas to the susceptor with the protective member placed in the recess to remove a film formed on the surface of the susceptor; configured to run The process (b) is performed after the process (a) is performed a first number of times. Film deposition equipment.

Images