Gas supply unit, processing apparatus, gas supply method, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of uniformly flowing a gas between substrates.SOLUTION: The plasma processing apparatus includes a flow path through which a gas flows, a plurality of openings provided in a direction intersecting the flow path and configured to supply the gas to a processing chamber, and a flow change part provided to block a part of the flow path and configured to disturb a flow of the gas flowing through the flow path toward the plurality of openings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas supply unit, a processing device, a gas supply method, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. [Background technology]

[0002] As one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a process of forming a film on a substrate is sometimes performed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). According to these documents, a nozzle is provided with an opening for injecting gas, and the process gas is supplied so as to flow evenly over the substrate. However, as the flow rate of the process gas required increases due to the miniaturization and complexity of the substrate surface, it may become difficult to flow the process gas evenly between the substrates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-236129 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-114979 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that allows for uniform gas flow between substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a flow path through which gas flows; a plurality of openings provided in a direction intersecting the flow path and supplying the gas to the processing chamber; a flow change portion provided to block a portion of the flow path and configured to disturb the flow of the gas flowing through the flow path toward the plurality of openings; The present invention provides a technique having the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, gas can be caused to flow uniformly between the substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus used in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a block diagram showing a control system of the controller. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a film formation sequence according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a nozzle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by arrow B in FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a side view of a nozzle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a nozzle of a comparative example. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a nozzle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a top view of the nozzle of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of a nozzle according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing the distribution of film thickness when the nozzle of Example 1 is used. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the film thickness distribution when the nozzle of Example 2 is used. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a diagram showing the film thickness distribution when the nozzle of the comparative example is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] <One aspect of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements on the drawings do not necessarily match those in reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0009] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing equipment As shown in Fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 as a processing apparatus includes a processing furnace 202. The processing furnace 202 has a heater 207 as a temperature regulator. The heater 207 is cylindrical and is installed vertically by being supported by a holding plate. The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism (excitation unit) that activates (excites) gas by heat.

[0010] A reaction tube 203 is disposed concentrically with the heater 207 inside the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC) and has a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. A manifold 209 is disposed concentrically with the reaction tube 203 below the reaction tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS) and has a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The upper end of the manifold 209 engages with the lower end of the reaction tube 203 and is configured to support the reaction tube 203. An O-ring 220a is provided between the manifold 209 and the reaction tube 203 as a sealing member. The reaction tube 203 is installed vertically, similar to the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 and the manifold 209 mainly constitute a processing vessel (reaction vessel). A processing chamber 201 is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion of the processing vessel. The processing chamber 201 is configured to be able to accommodate wafers 200 as substrates to be processed. In this processing chamber 201, processing of the wafers 200 is performed.

[0011] Nozzles 249a to 249c serving as gas supply units are provided in the processing chamber 201 so as to penetrate the sidewall of the manifold 209. The nozzles 249a to 249c are also referred to as first to third nozzles, respectively. The nozzles 249a to 249c are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. Gas supply pipes 232a to 232c are connected to the nozzles 249a to 249c, respectively. The nozzles 249a to 249c are different nozzles. The nozzles 249b and 249c are provided adjacent to the nozzle 249a. The nozzles 249a to 249c will be described in detail later.

[0012] The gas supply pipe 232a is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, a mass flow controller (MFC) 241a which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control part), a valve 243a which is an on-off valve, a storage part (storage container) 240a which is a raw material container capable of storing gas, and a valve 242a which is an on-off valve.

[0013] A gas supply pipe 232d is connected to the downstream side of the gas supply pipe 232a. An MFC 241d and a valve 243d are provided in the gas supply pipe 232d in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. The gas supply pipes 232a, 232d and the reservoir 240a are made of a metal material such as SUS.

[0014] The storage unit 240a is configured as a gas tank with a larger gas capacity than a normal pipe. By opening and closing a valve 243a upstream of the storage unit 240a and a valve 242a downstream of the storage unit 240a, the gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 232a can be filled into the storage unit 240a, and the gas filled in the storage unit 240a can be supplied to the processing chamber 201.

[0015] By closing the valve 242a and opening the valve 243a, the gas whose flow rate has been adjusted by the MFC 241a can be filled into the storage unit 240a. When a predetermined amount of gas is filled into the storage unit 240a and the pressure inside the storage unit 240a reaches a predetermined pressure, the valve 243a is closed and the valve 242a is opened, so that the high-pressure gas filled into the storage unit 240a can be supplied (flush supplied) all at once (in a short time) to the processing chamber 201 via the gas supply pipe 232a and the nozzle 249a. Note that the valve 243a may be open during the flush supply.

[0016] Gas supply pipes 232b, 232c are respectively provided with MFCs 241b, 241c and on-off valves 243b, 243c, in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. Gas supply pipe 232e is connected to gas supply pipe 232b downstream of valve 243b. Gas supply pipe 232e is provided with MFC 241e and valve 243e, in this order from the upstream side of the gas flow. Gas supply pipes 232b, 241c, 232e are made of a metal material such as SUS.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzles 249a to 249c are respectively provided in an annular space between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the wafers 200 in a plan view, extending from the lower part to the upper part of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and rising upward in the arrangement direction of the wafers 200. That is, the nozzles 249a to 249c are respectively provided in regions horizontally surrounding the wafer arrangement region on the sides of the wafer arrangement region where the wafers 200 are arranged, and extending along the wafer arrangement region. In a plan view, the nozzle 249a is disposed so as to face an exhaust port 231a (described later) on a straight line across the center of the wafer 200 loaded into the processing chamber 201. The nozzles 249b and 249c are disposed so as to sandwich a line L passing through the nozzle 249a and the center of the exhaust port 231a along the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 (the outer periphery of the wafers 200) from both sides. The line L also passes through the nozzle 249a and the center of the wafer 200. In other words, the nozzle 249c is provided on the opposite side of the line L from the nozzle 249b. The nozzles 249b and 249c are arranged symmetrically with respect to the line L. Gas supply holes 250a to 250c for supplying gas are provided on the side surfaces of the nozzles 249a to 249c, respectively. Each of the gas supply holes 250a to 250c opens to face (face) the exhaust port 231a in a plan view, and is able to supply gas toward the wafers 200. A plurality of the gas supply holes 250a to 250c are provided from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203.

[0018] From the gas supply pipe 232a, the source gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241a, the valve 243a, the reservoir 240a, the valve 242a, and the nozzle 249a.

[0019] A reactive gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 232b through the MFC 241b, the valve 243b, and the nozzle 249b into the processing chamber 201. The reactive gas is a substance whose molecular structure (chemical structure) is different from that of the source gas.

[0020] Inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipes 232d and 232e to the processing chamber 201 via MFCs 241d and 241e, valves 243d and 243e, gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, and nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively. Inert gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 232c to the processing chamber 201 via an MFC 241c, a valve 243c, and a nozzle 249c. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, a carrier gas, a dilution gas, etc.

[0021] A raw material gas supply system (raw material gas supply line) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 232a, MFC 241a, valves 243a and 242a, and reservoir 240a. A reactive gas supply system (reactive gas supply line) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipe 232b, MFC 241b, and valve 243b. An inert gas supply system (inert gas supply line) is mainly composed of the gas supply pipes 232c to 232e, MFCs 241c to 241e, and valves 243c to 243e.

[0022] Either or both of the source gas and the reactive gas are also referred to as film-forming gas, and either or both of the source gas supply system and the reactive gas supply system are also referred to as film-forming gas supply system (film-forming gas supply line).

[0023] Any or all of the various gas supply systems described above may be configured as an integrated gas supply system 248 in which the valves 243a, 242a, 243b to 243e, the reservoir 240a, the MFCs 241a to 241e, etc. are integrated. The integrated gas supply system 248 is configured so that the opening and closing operations of the valves 243a, 242a, 243b to 243e, the flow rate adjustment operations by the MFCs 241a to 241e, etc. are controlled by a controller 121, which will be described later.

[0024] An exhaust port 231a for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 is provided at the bottom of the sidewall of the reaction tube 203. An exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the exhaust port 231a. The exhaust pipe 231 is made of a metal material such as SUS. A vacuum pump 246 serving as a vacuum exhaust device is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 via a pressure sensor 245 serving as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure in the processing chamber 201 and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 244 serving as a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). The APC valve 244 can evacuate and stop the evacuation of the processing chamber 201 by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. Furthermore, while the vacuum pump 246 is operating, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 can be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening based on pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 245. An exhaust system is mainly composed of the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 244, and the pressure sensor 245. A vacuum pump 246 may be included in the exhaust system.

[0025] A seal cap 219 serving as a lid capable of airtightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is provided below the manifold 209. The lid 219 is made of a metal material such as SUS and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220b serving as a sealing member that abuts against the lower end of the manifold 209 is provided on the upper surface of the lid 219. A rotation mechanism 267 for rotating the boat 217, which will be described later, is provided below the lid 219. A rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 267 is made of a metal material such as SUS and is connected to the boat 217 through the lid 219. The rotation mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the boat 217, thereby rotating the wafers 200. The lid 219 is configured to be vertically raised and lowered by a boat elevator 115 serving as a lifting mechanism installed outside the reaction tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transfer device (transfer mechanism) that transfers the wafers 200 into and out of the processing chamber 201 by raising and lowering the lid 219.

[0026] A shutter 219s is provided below the manifold 209, which can airtightly close the lower end opening of the manifold 209 when the lid 219 is lowered and the boat 217 is unloaded from the processing chamber 201. The shutter 219s is made of a metal material such as SUS and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220c is provided on the upper surface of the shutter 219s as a sealing member that abuts against the lower end of the manifold 209. The opening and closing operation (lifting and lowering operation, rotation operation, etc.) of the shutter 219s is controlled by a shutter opening and closing mechanism 115s.

[0027] The boat 217 as a substrate support is configured to support a plurality of wafers 200, for example, 25 to 200 wafers 200, in a horizontal position and aligned vertically with their centers aligned, i.e., arranged at intervals, in multiple stages. At the bottom of the boat 217, heat insulating plates 218 made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC are supported in multiple stages.

[0028] A temperature sensor 263 serving as a temperature detector is installed inside the reaction tube 203. By adjusting the power supply to the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263, the temperature of the processing chamber 201 can be adjusted to a desired temperature distribution. The temperature sensor 263 is installed along the inner wall of the reaction tube 203.

[0029] [Nozzle 249a] 1, 5A, and 5C, the nozzle 249a will be described in detail. Note that the nozzle 249a of this embodiment has the same configuration as the nozzle 249a except for the type of gas flowing therethrough and a transition section 276a, which will be described later. Here, the nozzles 249b and 249c may have the same configuration as the nozzle 249a.

[0030] 1, the nozzle 249a of this embodiment penetrates the side wall of the manifold 209, bends midway, and extends upward. Hereinafter, the portion of the nozzle 249a that extends upward from the bent portion will be referred to as the straight pipe portion 270a. Note that the straight pipe portion 270a of this embodiment extends in the up-down direction (also referred to as the vertical direction).

[0031] 5A, nozzle 249a has flow path 272a, first opening 274a as an opening, and flow change portion 276a as a flow change portion. Note that first opening 274a will be abbreviated as "opening 274a."

[0032] The flow path 272a is a hollow portion provided inside the nozzle 249a. Gas introduced from the gas supply pipe 232a flows through this flow path 272a.

[0033] The openings 274a are gas injection holes provided in the nozzle 249a to supply gas from the nozzle 249a to the processing chamber 201. As shown in FIG. 5A, the multiple openings 274a are provided in a direction intersecting the flow path 272a. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C, the multiple openings 274a are provided in a row in the straight pipe section 270a of the nozzle 249a at intervals in the longitudinal direction LD of the straight pipe section 270a (also referred to as the axial direction of the straight pipe section 270a). The multiple openings 274a are formed by through holes penetrating in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction LD of the straight pipe section 270a, which is the direction in which the flow path 272a extends. In this embodiment, the multiple openings 274a are formed by through holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the sidewall of the straight pipe section 270a. The thickness direction of the sidewall of the straight pipe section 270a is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction LD of the straight pipe section 270a.

[0034] The shape of the opening 274a (opening shape) is, for example, at least one of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon. In this embodiment, the shape of the opening 274a is a circle, as shown in Fig. 5C. The polygonal shape of the opening 274a includes a triangle, a rectangle, a rhombus, a trapezoid, etc.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5A, the transition section 276a is provided in the straight pipe section 270a so as to block a portion of the flow path 272a, and is a part of the nozzle 249a configured to disrupt the flow of gas flowing through the flow path 272a toward the multiple openings 274a.

[0036] The transition section 276a is provided in the flow path 272a upstream of the plurality of openings 274a in the gas supply direction. The gas supply direction in the flow path 272a is the direction in which the gas flows in the flow path 272a, and is indicated by arrow G in the figure.

[0037] The transition portion 276a is provided at a position a predetermined distance X away from the opening 274a that is located most upstream in the gas supply direction among the plurality of openings 274a.

[0038] Furthermore, the change section 276a is configured to generate a plurality of gas flows in the flow path 272a. Specifically, the change section 276a may be configured to cause at least a portion of the gas flow to transition from a rectified flow to a turbulent flow, or may be configured to change the flow velocity of at least a portion of the gas flowing through the flow path 272a.

[0039] The transition portion 276a may also be configured to direct at least the flow of gas toward the inner wall (inner surface of the side wall) of the straight pipe portion 270a that forms the flow path 272a and in which the opening 274a is provided.

[0040] The transition 276a may also be configured to create turbulent gas flow near the plurality of openings 274a.

[0041] The shape of the transitional portion 276a may be rod-like, plate-like, spherical, net-like, honeycomb-like, or a combination of these. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5A, the shape of the transitional portion 276a is a round rod. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and when the shape of the transitional portion 276a is rod-like, plate-like, or spherical, the cross-sectional shape of the transitional portion 276a may be at least one of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

[0042] 5B, the shape of the transition portion 276a can generate multiple gas flows in the flow path 272a. Arranging the transition portion 276a at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the straight pipe portion 270a can also generate multiple gas flows in the flow path 272a. Arranging the transition portion 276a at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the straight pipe portion 270a can also generate multiple gas flows in the flow path 272a. That is, adjusting the shape of the transition portion 276a, the inclination θ of the transition portion 276a with respect to the longitudinal direction of the straight pipe portion 270a, and the arrangement of the transition portion 276a with respect to the cross section of the straight pipe portion 270a can generate multiple gas flows in the flow path 272a.

[0043] 3, controller 121, which is a control unit (control means), is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d. RAM 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d are configured to be able to exchange data with CPU 121a via internal bus 121e. An input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel is connected to controller 121.

[0044] The storage device 121c includes, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage device 121c readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100, a process recipe describing the procedures and conditions of the substrate processing described later, etc. The process recipe is a combination of procedures for the substrate processing described later that are executed by the controller 121 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, the control program, etc. are collectively referred to simply as a program. The process recipe is also simply referred to as a recipe. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to a recipe alone, a control program alone, or both. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily storing programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 121a.

[0045] The I / O port 121d is connected to the above-mentioned MFCs 241a to 241e, valves 243a, 242a, 243b to 243e, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 244, vacuum pump 246, temperature sensor 263, heater 207, rotation mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s, etc.

[0046] The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and to read a recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122. The CPU 121a is configured to control, in accordance with the contents of the read recipe, the flow rate adjustment operation of various gases by the MFCs 241a to 241e, the opening and closing operations of the valves 243a, 242a, and 243b to 243e, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve 244 and the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 244 based on a pressure sensor 245, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on a temperature sensor 263, the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267, the lifting and lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, the opening and closing operation of the shutter 219s by the shutter opening and closing mechanism 115s, and the like.

[0047] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program stored in the external storage device 123 into a computer. The external storage device 123 includes, for example, a magnetic disk such as an HDD, an optical disk such as a CD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, and a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or an SSD. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. When the term recording media is used in this specification, it may include only the storage device 121c alone, only the external storage device 123 alone, or both. Note that the program may be provided to the computer using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without using the external storage device 123.

[0048] (2) Substrate processing process An example of a sequence for processing a wafer 200 as a substrate as one step in a semiconductor device manufacturing process using the above-described substrate processing apparatus 100, i.e., an example of a film formation sequence for forming a film on the wafer 200, will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 4. In the following description, the operation of each component of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be controlled by a controller 121.

[0049] In the film formation sequence in this embodiment, a film is formed on the wafer 200 by performing a cycle including step A of supplying a raw material gas from a raw material gas supply line to the processing chamber 201 containing the wafer 200 and step B of supplying a reactive gas to the processing chamber 201 containing the wafer 200 a predetermined number of times (n times, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1).

[0050] In the film formation sequence of this embodiment, when Step A and Step B are alternately performed n times (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1), it is preferable to insert a step of purging the processing chamber 201 between them. Note that, here, "purging" refers to removing source gases and intermediates present in the processing chamber 201 by supplying an inert gas to the processing chamber 201. "Exhaust" refers to removing source gases and intermediates present in the processing chamber 201 without supplying an inert gas to the processing chamber 201.

[0051] In this specification, the term "wafer" may refer to the wafer itself or a laminate of the wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. In this specification, the term "surface of a wafer" may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the wafer. In this specification, the phrase "forming a predetermined layer on a wafer" may mean forming a predetermined layer directly on the surface of the wafer itself or forming a predetermined layer on a layer or the like formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "substrate" is also synonymous with the term "wafer".

[0052] (Substrate loading S1: wafer charging and boat loading) After a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217 (wafer charge), the shutter 219s is moved by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s to open the lower end opening of the manifold 209 (shutter open). Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 1, the boat 217 supporting the plurality of wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and carried into the processing chamber 201 (boat load). In this state, the seal cap 219 seals the lower end of the manifold 209 via the O-ring 220b.

[0053] (Pretreatment S2: Pressure adjustment and temperature adjustment) After the boat loading is completed, the processing chamber 201, i.e., the space in which the wafers 200 are present, is evacuated (reduced pressure exhausted) by the vacuum pump 246 so as to reach a desired pressure (vacuum level). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the APC valve 244 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure information (pressure adjustment). Furthermore, the wafers 200 in the processing chamber 201 are heated by the heater 207 so as to reach a desired processing temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so as to achieve a desired temperature distribution in the processing chamber 201 (temperature adjustment). Furthermore, the rotation mechanism 267 starts to rotate the wafers 200. The evacuation of the processing chamber 201 and the heating and rotation of the wafers 200 are all continued at least until the processing of the wafers 200 is completed.

[0054] (Substrate processing S3: Film formation processing) Then, the following steps A and B are performed in sequence.

[0055] [Step A] In this step, a source gas is supplied to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201. Specifically, the valve 242a is closed, and the valve 243a is opened to allow the source gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 232a. The flow rate of the source gas is adjusted by the MFC 241a and supplied into the storage unit 240a. This causes the source gas to be filled into the storage unit 240a. Once a predetermined amount of source gas has been filled into the storage unit 240a, the valve 243a is closed, and the state in which the source gas is filled into the storage unit 240a is maintained.

[0056] Next, in this step, the valve 242a is opened to allow the high-pressure source gas filled in the reservoir 240a to flow into the processing chamber 201 all at once. This causes the source gas to be supplied to the wafers 200 all at once (flushing supply of source gas). In the flushing supply, the source gas is ejected from the nozzle 249a into the processing chamber 201 due to the pressure difference between the reservoir 240a and the processing chamber 201. Note that the valve 243a is left open at this time. Here, the valves 243c to 243e may be opened to supply an inert gas to the processing chamber 201 via the nozzles 249a to 249c, respectively. Furthermore, this step is preferably performed with the exhaust system substantially fully closed (the APC valve 244 substantially fully closed). Here, "substantially blocked (substantially completely closed)" includes a state in which the APC valve 244 is open by 0.1% to several percent, and a state in which, due to the performance of the APC valve 244, even if it is controlled to be 100% closed, exhaust is still being discharged into the exhaust system.

[0057] Next, in this step, the valves 243a and 242a are closed to stop the supply of source gas to the processing chamber 201. Then, the APC valve 244 is, for example, fully opened to evacuate the processing chamber 201 and remove gases and the like remaining in the processing chamber 201 from the processing chamber 201.

[0058] [Step B] After step A is completed, a reaction gas is supplied to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201, that is, to the first layer formed on the wafer 200.

[0059] Specifically, the valve 243b is opened to allow the reactive gas to flow into the gas supply pipe 232b. The reactive gas has a flow rate adjusted by the MFC 241b, is supplied to the processing chamber 201 through the nozzle 249b, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 231a. At this time, the reactive gas is supplied to the wafer 200 (reactive gas supply). At this time, the valves 243c to 243e may be opened to supply an inert gas to the processing chamber 201 through the nozzles 249a to 249c, respectively.

[0060] By supplying the reaction gas, at least a part of the first layer formed on the wafer 200 is modified. As a result, a second layer is formed on the top surface of the wafer 200 as a base.

[0061] After the second layer is formed, the valve 243b is closed to stop the supply of the reaction gas to the processing chamber 201. Then, by the same processing procedure as the purging in step A, gases remaining in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (purging).

[0062] [Perform the specified number of times] By repeating the cycle including the above-described steps A and B a predetermined number of times (n times, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 1), a film can be formed on the surface of the wafer 200. It is preferable to repeat the above-described cycle multiple times. In other words, it is preferable to repeat the above-described cycle multiple times until the film reaches a desired thickness.

[0063] (Post-processing S4: After-purging and restoring to atmospheric pressure) After the formation of a film of a desired thickness on the wafer 200 is completed, an inert gas is supplied as a purge gas from each of the nozzles 249a to 249c into the processing chamber 201 and exhausted from the exhaust port 231a. This purges the processing chamber 201, and gases and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201 are removed from the processing chamber 201 (after-purge). Thereafter, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201 is replaced with the inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure return).

[0064] (Substrate removal S5: Boat unloading and wafer discharge) Thereafter, the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115, and the lower end of the manifold 209 is opened. Then, the processed wafers 200, supported by the boat 217, are unloaded from the lower end of the manifold 209 to the outside of the reaction tube 203 (boat unloading). After the boat unloading, the shutter 219s is moved, and the opening at the lower end of the manifold 209 is sealed by the shutter 219s via the O-ring 220c (shutter close). After being unloaded to the outside of the reaction tube 203, the processed wafers 200 are removed from the boat 217 (wafer discharge).

[0065] (3) Change in gas flow due to the flow change section of this embodiment Next, the change in the flow of gas passing through the flow channel according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0066] First, a comparative nozzle 300 not included in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the nozzle 300 has the same configuration as the nozzle 249a that does not have the transition portion 276a. In the nozzle 300 that does not have the transition portion 276a, when the flow rate of gas flowing through the interior (flow path 302) increases, a phenomenon occurs in which gas is less likely to flow into the processing chamber 201 from the openings 304 located upstream in the gas supply direction among the multiple openings 304. In the comparative example shown in FIG. 6, gas is less likely to flow into the processing chamber 201 from the opening 304 located most upstream in the gas supply direction among the multiple openings 304.

[0067] Next, the nozzle 249a of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. As shown in FIG. 5A, the nozzle 249a has a transition portion 276a provided in the flow path 272a. In the nozzle 249a, even if the flow rate of gas flowing through the flow path 272a increases, the phenomenon of gas being less likely to flow into the processing chamber 201 from the opening 274a located upstream in the gas supply direction among the multiple openings 274a does not occur. Specifically, the transition portion 276a, which is provided to block a portion of the flow path 272a, disrupts the flow of gas through the flow path 272a before it reaches the multiple openings 274a. That is, the transition portion 276a disrupts the gas flow (a single laminar flow), thereby changing the gas flow. In the nozzle 249a shown in FIG. 5A, the transition portion 276a divides the gas flow, causing a portion of the gas to flow through the flow path 272a in a substantially laminar flow state, and another portion of the gas to be redirected toward the opening 274a. Furthermore, the flow rate of the gas redirected toward the opening 274a by the transition portion 276a changes (decreases). In this way, the flow of gas from the opening 274a closest to the transition portion 276a, in other words, the opening 274a located furthest upstream in the gas supply direction, to the processing chamber 201 is improved. This makes it possible to uniformly supply gas to the processing chamber 201 from each of the multiple openings 274a.

[0068] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B , multiple gas flows are generated in the nozzle 249a by the transition portion 276a. Examples of the multiple gas flows include turbulent flows, stagnation flows, and vortex flows. In the example of FIG. 5B , in addition to the laminar flow, a turbulent flow F2, a stagnation flow F3, and a vortex flow F4 are generated. When gas flows through the flow path 272a, the transition portion 276a disrupts the gas flow (a single laminar flow). For example, some of the gas flow becomes a rectified flow (laminar flow F1), another part of the gas flow becomes a turbulent flow F2, another part of the gas flow becomes a stagnation flow F3, and yet another part of the gas flow becomes a vortex flow F4. Here, the stagnation flow F3 and the vortex flow F4 not only change the direction of the gas flow, but also flow through the flow path 272a in the same way as the laminar flow F1 and the turbulent flow F2 shown in FIG. 5B . 5B can be seen as a snapshot of a moment when the gas flow (one laminar flow) collides with (reaches) the transition portion 276a. In other words, the phenomenon of the stagnation flow F3 and the vortex flow F4 is considered to be one of the factors that cause the gas flow velocity to decrease. As a result of the transition portion 276a generating multiple gas flows, gas can be more easily supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the opening 274a closest to the transition portion 276a. This makes it possible to uniformly supply gas to the processing chamber 201 from each opening 274a. As a result, improvement in the uniformity of the film thickness within the wafer surface is expected.

[0069] In this embodiment, the term "laminar flow" refers to a state in which the gas flow is not turbulent, and is the flow indicated by the symbol F1 in Fig. 5B. The term "laminar flow" may also be referred to as "rectified flow."

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "turbulent flow" refers to a state in which the flow of gas is disturbed, and is the flow indicated by the symbol F2 in FIG. 5B.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the term "stagnation flow" refers to a state in which the gas flow is stagnant, and is the flow indicated by the symbol F3 in FIG. 5B.

[0072] In addition, the "vortex flow" in this embodiment refers to a state in which gas flows in a swirling manner, and is the flow indicated by the symbol F4 in FIG. 5B.

[0073] In FIG. 5B, the stagnation flow and the vortex flow are given symbols, but the stagnation flow and the vortex flow may be included in the turbulent flow in a broad sense.

[0074] (4) Effects of this mode According to this aspect, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0075] (a) In the nozzle 249a, as shown in FIG. 5A, the transition portion 276a disturbs the flow of gas through the flow path 272a. In other words, the transition portion 276a changes the flow of gas through the flow path 272a. By changing the gas flow in this manner, gas can be uniformly supplied from each opening 274a to the processing chamber 201. This is expected to improve, for example, the uniformity of film thickness across the wafer surface.

[0076] (b) In the nozzle 249a, the gas flow is disturbed by the transition portion 276a, so that multiple flows are generated, such as a laminar flow F1 in part of the gas flow, a turbulent flow F2 in part of the gas flow, a stagnation flow F3 in part of the gas flow, or a mixture of these, as shown in Fig. 5B. In this way, in the nozzle 249a, multiple flows are generated by the transition portion 276a, so that gas can be uniformly supplied to the processing chamber 201 from each opening 274a. This is expected to improve, for example, the uniformity of the film thickness within the wafer surface.

[0077] (c) In the nozzle 249a, the transition section 276a disturbs the gas flow, resulting in multiple flows, such as a laminar flow F1 for some of the gas flow, a turbulent flow F2 for some of the gas flow, a stagnation flow F3 for some of the gas flow, or a mixture of these. That is, the transition section 276a changes the flow of some of the gas from a laminar flow. As a result, the flow velocity of some of the gas is changed, and the gas reaches the opening 274a at the changed flow velocity. As a result, gas can be evenly supplied to the processing chamber from each opening 274a.

[0078] (d) In the nozzle 249a, the gas flow is disturbed by the transition portion 276a, resulting in multiple flows, such as a laminar flow F1 for some of the gas flow, a turbulent flow F2 for some of the gas flow, a stagnation flow F3 for some of the gas flow, or a mixture of these. The direction of some of the gas flow is changed in association with the gas flow disturbance caused by the transition portion 276a, and the gas reaches the opening 274a. As a result, gas can be uniformly supplied from each opening 274a to the processing chamber 201.

[0079] <Variation 1> In the above-described embodiment, the tip of the nozzle 249a, i.e., the tip of the straight pipe portion 270a, is closed. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, as in the nozzle 278a shown in FIG. 7A, a second opening 282a (hereinafter, abbreviated as "opening 282a") facing in a direction along the flow path 272a may be provided at the tip of the straight pipe portion 280a, i.e., the tip of the flow path 272a. Note that the nozzle 278a has the same configuration as the nozzle 249a except for the configuration in which the opening 282a is provided at the tip. The opening 282a is configured to release gases other than the gas supplied from the opening 274a toward the processing chamber 201 into the processing chamber 201. Furthermore, the opening area of ​​the opening 282a is larger than the opening area of ​​any one of the multiple openings 282a. Furthermore, the shape of the opening 282a may be at least one of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon, as shown in FIG. 7B. The nozzle 278a can achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, in the nozzle 278a, the introduced gas does not stagnate in the flow path 272a but is discharged to the outside of the flow path 272a through the opening 282a, so the pressure in the flow path 272a can be adjusted evenly. As a result, similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, gas can be evenly supplied to the processing chamber 201 from each of the multiple openings 274a. As a result, improvement in the uniformity of the film thickness across the wafer surface is expected.

[0080] <Variation 2> In the above-described embodiment, the straight pipe portion 270a of the nozzle 249a has a plurality of openings 274a arranged in a single row. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, as in the nozzle 284a shown in FIG. 8, the straight pipe portion 286a may have a plurality of rows of openings (three rows in the example shown in FIG. 8). Of the three rows, the openings constituting the central row are indicated by reference numeral 288a, and the openings constituting rows on either side of the central row are indicated by reference numeral 288b. The openings 288a are an example of a first injection unit, and the openings 288b are an example of a second injection unit. The openings 288a and the openings 288b are configured to supply gas between the surfaces of the plurality of wafers. For example, the openings 288a are configured to supply gas toward the center of the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201. The openings 288b are configured to supply gas toward the peripheral edge of the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such openings. For example, the plurality of openings 288a and the plurality of openings 288b may be arranged in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction LD of the straight pipe portion 286a, which is the direction in which the flow path 272a extends. The plurality of openings 288a and the plurality of openings 288b may supply gas toward the center of the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201, or the plurality of openings 288a and the plurality of openings 288b may supply gas perpendicular to the longitudinal direction LD of the straight pipe portion 286a. Note that at least one of the flow rate of gas supplied from the plurality of openings 288b, the diameter of the openings 288b, and the opening area of ​​the openings 288b may be configured to be substantially the same as or equal to the flow rate of gas supplied from the plurality of openings 288a, the diameter of the openings 288a, and the opening area of ​​the openings 288a. Furthermore, in the nozzle 284a, gas is supplied from the multiple openings 288b at a flow rate that is approximately the same as or greater than that of the multiple openings 288a, which has the effect of suppressing backflow of the gas supplied from the multiple openings 288a, and the gases supplied from the multiple openings 288a and the multiple openings 288b, respectively, flow evenly within the wafer surface into the processing chamber 201 without generating backflow on the wafer 200.As a result, the gas supplied from the plurality of openings 288a and the plurality of openings 288b can be supplied evenly between the wafer surfaces, which is expected to improve the uniformity of the film thickness within the wafer surface. Here, the "return flow" refers to a flow in which a portion of the gas injected from the openings 288a flows in a U-shape on the wafer 200 and returns from the center side to the periphery side of the wafer 200.

[0081] The configuration of the nozzle 284a in the above-described embodiment is not limited to the above. For example, the nozzle 284a may have an opening 282a at the tip of the straight pipe portion 286a. Here, Figures 9A-9C show the results of verifying the effects of the present disclosure using a nozzle 284a with an opening 282a as an example. The nozzle in Example 1 is a round pipe, and the shape of the multiple openings is circular. The shape of the flow change portion 276a is a round rod with a diameter of 8 mm. The nozzle in Example 2 is similar to the nozzle in Example 1 except that the round rod is 4 mm in diameter. The nozzle in the comparative example is similar to the nozzle in Example 1 except that the round rod is not provided. The vertical axis indicates film thickness, and the "height" on the horizontal axis indicates the position at which the wafer 200 is loaded in the boat 217. Moving to the right indicates that the wafer is supported at a higher position in the boat 217.

[0082] 9A (Example 1), the film thickness uniformity between wafers 200 was 5.8%, while in Fig. 9B (Example 2), the film thickness uniformity between wafers 200 was 6.2%, and in Fig. 9C (Comparative Example), the film thickness uniformity between wafers 200 was 6.9%. This demonstrates the effect of flow change section 276a in uniformly flowing gas between wafers 200.

[0083] 9A (Example 1) and FIG. 9C (Comparative Example). The film thickness uniformity within the wafer 200 surface was 3.7 to 5.8% in FIG. 9A (Example 1), and 4.4 to 8.9% in FIG. 9C (Comparative Example). The deviation between the maximum and minimum film thicknesses was 11.2% in FIG. 9A (Example 1), whereas the deviation between the maximum and minimum film thicknesses was 14.1% in FIG. 9C (Comparative Example). Furthermore, the average decomposition rate within the nozzle 249a was 8.0% in FIG. 9C (Comparative Example) and 7.2% in FIG. 9A (Example 1), showing a slight improvement. This also demonstrates the effectiveness of the flow change section 276a in uniformly distributing gas between the wafers 200.

[0084] <Other Aspects of the Present Disclosure> The above describes specific aspects of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above aspects and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. In the above embodiment, a configuration called a straight nozzle (also called an I-type nozzle) has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, the present disclosure can also be applied to a U-turn nozzle, a Y-type nozzle, an N-type nozzle, or a W-type nozzle.

[0085] In the above embodiment, a large amount of source gas is supplied all at once in a very short time (flush supply) in step A. However, for example, the source gas can also be supplied to the processing chamber 201 in a non-flush manner, i.e., without pre-filling the storage section 240a.

[0086] The source gas in the above-described embodiment may be, for example, a silane-based gas containing Si as the main element constituting the film formed on the wafer 200. The silane-based gas may be, for example, a gas containing Si and a halogen, i.e., a halosilane gas. Halogen includes chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), iodine (I), etc. The halosilane gas may be, for example, a chlorosilane gas containing Si and Cl. In addition to chlorosilane gas, the source gas may be, for example, a fluorosilane gas such as tetrafluorosilane (SiF) gas or difluorosilane (SiH2F2) gas, a bromosilane gas such as tetrabromosilane (SiBr4) gas or dibromosilane (SiH2Br2) gas, or an iodosilane gas such as tetraiodosilane (SiI4) gas or diiodosilane (SiH2I2) gas. One or more of these may be used as the source gas. Furthermore, in addition to the above, a gas containing Si and an amino group, i.e., an aminosilane gas, may also be used as the source gas. An amino group is a monovalent functional group formed by removing hydrogen (H) from ammonia, a primary amine, or a secondary amine, and can be expressed as -NH, -NHR, or -NR. R represents an alkyl group, and the two Rs in -NR may be the same or different. Furthermore, an aminosilane gas such as tetrakis(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH)]) gas, tris(dimethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH]H) gas, bis(diethylamino)silane (Si[N(CH)]H) gas, bis(tertiarybutylamino)silane (SiH[NH(CH)]) gas, or (diisopropylamino)silane (SiH[N(CH])) gas may also be used as the source gas. One or more of these may also be used.

[0087] The reactive gas in the above embodiment may be, for example, a hydrogen nitride gas such as ammonia (NH3) gas, diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, N3H8 gas, etc. One or more of these may be used as the reactive gas.

[0088] The processing apparatus of this embodiment can be applied not only to semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses but also to apparatuses for processing glass substrates, such as LCD devices. The film formation process includes, for example, CVD, PVD, processes for forming oxide films, nitride films, or both, and processes for forming films containing metals. Furthermore, processes such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, and diffusion may also be used.

[0089] The above-mentioned recipes do not necessarily have to be newly created, but may be prepared by modifying an existing recipe that has already been installed in the substrate processing apparatus 100. When modifying a recipe, the modified recipe may be installed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 via an electric communication line or a recording medium on which the modified recipe has been recorded. Alternatively, an existing recipe that has already been installed in the substrate processing apparatus 100 may be directly modified by operating the input / output device 122 provided in the existing substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus 100 that processes multiple substrates at a time has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be suitably applied, for example, to a case where a film is formed using a single-wafer-type substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at a time. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus 100 having a hot-wall type processing furnace has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be suitably applied to a case where a film is formed using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace.

[0091] Even when using these substrate processing apparatuses, each process can be performed using the same processing procedures and conditions as those in the above-mentioned embodiments and variations, and the same effects as those in the above-mentioned embodiments and variations can be obtained.

[0092] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate. The processing procedures and processing conditions in such a case may be the same as those in the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 201···Processing chamber, 249a, 278a, 284a···Nozzle (gas supply portion), 272a···Flow path, 274a, 288a, 288b···First opening, 276a···Change portion (flow change portion).

Claims

1. a flow path through which gas flows; a plurality of openings provided in a direction intersecting the flow path and supplying the gas to the processing chamber; a flow change portion provided to block a portion of the flow path and configured to disturb the flow of the gas flowing through the flow path toward the plurality of openings; A gas supply unit having:

2. The gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein the flow change section is configured to generate a plurality of flows of the gas in the flow path.

3. The gas supply section of claim 2 , wherein the flow variation section is configured to generate turbulence in the gas near the plurality of openings.

4. The gas supply section according to claim 3 , wherein the flow change section is configured to stagnate at least a portion of the flow of the gas.

5. The gas supply unit according to claim 3 , wherein the flow changer is configured to cause a transition of at least a portion of the flow of the gas from a rectified flow to a turbulent flow.

6. The gas supply unit according to claim 2 , wherein the flow changer is configured to change a flow velocity of at least a portion of the gas flowing through the flow path.

7. The gas supply unit according to claim 2 , wherein the flow change portion is configured to direct at least the flow of the gas toward an inner wall that forms the flow path and in which the opening is provided.

8. The gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein the flow change section is provided in the flow path upstream of the plurality of openings in the gas supply direction.

9. The gas supply unit according to claim 8 , wherein the flow change portion is provided at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the opening that is located most upstream in the gas supply direction among the plurality of openings.

10. The nozzle further includes a second opening provided at a tip of the flow path and facing in a direction along the flow path, The gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second opening is configured to release gas that is not supplied toward the object to be processed disposed in the processing chamber.

11. The gas supply unit according to claim 10 , wherein an opening area of ​​the second opening is larger than an opening area of ​​one of the plurality of openings.

12. The gas supply unit according to claim 10 , wherein the second opening has at least one shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

13. 2. The gas supply section according to claim 1, wherein the flow change portion has a shape of a rod, a plate, a sphere, a net, a honeycomb, or a combination thereof.

14. The gas supply unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shape of the opening and the cross-sectional shape of the flow change portion are at least one of a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

15. the plurality of openings each include a first injection portion and a plurality of second injection portions that respectively supply the gas toward the processing chamber; 2. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the first injection unit and the second injection unit are configured to be able to supply the gas between a plurality of substrates arranged at predetermined intervals in the processing chamber.

16. the first injection unit is configured to be able to supply the gas toward a center side of the substrate in the processing chamber, 16. The gas supply unit according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of second injection units are configured to be able to supply the gas toward a peripheral edge side of a substrate in the processing chamber.

17. 16. The gas supply unit according to claim 15, wherein the first injection unit is configured to be substantially the same as or the same as at least one of the flow rate of the gas supplied from each of the second injection units, the diameter of each of the second injection units, and the opening area of ​​each of the second injection units.

18. a flow path through which gas flows; a plurality of openings provided in a direction intersecting the flow path and supplying the gas to the processing chamber; a flow change portion provided to block a portion of the flow path and configured to disturb the flow of the gas flowing through the flow path toward the plurality of openings; A processing apparatus comprising a gas supply unit having the

19. a flow path through which gas flows; a plurality of openings provided in a direction intersecting the flow path and supplying the gas to the processing chamber; a flow change portion provided to block a portion of the flow path and configured to disturb the flow of the gas flowing through the flow path toward the plurality of openings; A gas supply method for supplying the gas by a gas supply unit having the following components:

20. 20. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the step of supplying a gas into a processing chamber by the gas supply method according to claim 19, and processing an object placed in the processing chamber.

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