Film forming method, heat treatment apparatus, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for further improving uniformity of a film formation result by a heat treatment apparatus.SOLUTION: A film forming method of a heat treatment apparatus in which a plurality of wafers are mounted at a plurality of mounting positions of a boat and a film forming process is performed on the wafers, includes dividing the process into a plurality of division processes, replacing the mounting positions at which the wafers are mounted for at least some of the plurality of wafers for each division process, and performing the division process on the wafers mounted at the mounting positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a film forming method, a heat treatment apparatus, and an information processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a heat treatment apparatus supplies gas into a process tube containing wafers and applies a predetermined heat treatment to the wafers by heating them with a heater. In order to apply a uniform heat treatment to the wafers in the process tube, conventional heat treatment apparatuses have installed temperature sensors at predetermined locations in the process tube and controlled the heating by the heater using the measured temperatures.

[0003] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a technique for predicting the results of film formation by a heat treatment apparatus using a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-27930 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for further improving the uniformity of film formation results obtained by a heat treatment apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a film formation method for a heat treatment apparatus in which multiple wafers are placed at multiple loading positions on a boat and a film formation process is performed on the wafers, the method comprising: dividing the process into multiple divided processes; for each divided process, swapping the loading positions on which at least some of the multiple wafers are placed; and performing the divided process on the wafers placed at the loading positions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique for further improving the uniformity of the film formation results obtained by a heat treatment apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a batch device as an example of a heat treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment furnace. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a heat flow generated on the bottom side of a processing vessel. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a simulation result of the temperature of the heat-retaining cylinder and the temperature of the wafer W placed at the slot position of the boat. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a heat flow generated on the top side of a processing vessel. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a film formation result when the process is divided into two separate processes, and the slot positions on which the wafers W are placed are swapped for at least some of the wafers W, and the separate processes are performed on the wafers W. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a method for shortening processing time by using two boats to swap the slot positions of wafers W during processing. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of a control unit of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a method for calculating a film thickness of a wafer W. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed by an operator using the film forming method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a batch apparatus, which is an example of a heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The heat treatment apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 includes a vertical heat treatment furnace 60. The heat treatment apparatus 10 holds and accommodates wafers W in a boat 44 at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction, and performs various heat treatments on the wafers W, such as oxidation, diffusion, and low-pressure CVD. The heat treatment apparatus 10 supplies a process gas into a processing chamber 65, thereby forming a film on the surface of the wafers W placed in the processing chamber 65.

[0011] 1 includes a mounting table 20, a housing 30, and a control unit 100. The housing 30 includes a loading area 40 and a heat treatment furnace 60. The mounting table 20 may be called a load port. The loading area 40 may be called a work area.

[0012] The loading area 40 is provided at the bottom inside the housing 30. The heat treatment furnace 60 is provided above the loading area 40 inside the housing 30. A base plate 31 is provided between the loading area 40 and the heat treatment furnace 60.

[0013] The mounting table 20 is used to load and unload the wafers W into and from the housing 30. Storage containers 21 and 22 are placed on the mounting table 20. The storage containers 21 and 22 are airtight storage containers that have a detachable lid (not shown) on the front and can store multiple wafers W (for example, about 25 wafers) at predetermined intervals. The storage containers 21 and 22 may also be called FOUPs.

[0014] Further, below the mounting table 20, an alignment device 23 such as an aligner may be provided to align cutouts (for example, notches) provided on the outer periphery of the wafer W transferred by the transfer mechanism 47 in one direction.

[0015] The loading area 40 is used to transfer wafers W between the storage containers 21 and 22 and the boat 44, to load the boat 44 into the processing container 65, and to unload the boat 44 from the processing container 65. The loading area 40 is provided with a door mechanism 41, a shutter mechanism 42, a lid 43, the boat 44, a base 45a, a base 45b, the lifting mechanism 46 shown in FIG. 2, and a transfer mechanism 47.

[0016] The heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment may perform a process of switching the slot positions of the wafers W, which will be described later, by utilizing a mechanism for transferring the wafers W between the storage containers 21 and 22 and the boat 44. The heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment may also perform a process of switching the slot positions of the wafers W, which will be described later, by utilizing a mechanism of the alignment device 23.

[0017] The door mechanism 41 is used to remove the lids of the storage containers 21 and 22 and open the interiors of the storage containers 21 and 22 to the loading area 40. The shutter mechanism 42 is provided above the loading area 40. The shutter mechanism 42 is provided to cover (or block) the furnace port 68a in order to suppress or prevent high-temperature heat from inside the furnace from being released into the loading area 40 through the furnace port 68a when the lid 43 is open.

[0018] The lid 43 has a heat-retaining cylinder 48 and a rotation mechanism 49. The heat-retaining cylinder 48 is provided on the lid 43. The heat-retaining cylinder 48 prevents the boat 44 from being cooled by heat transfer to the lid 43 side and serves to keep the boat 44 warm. The rotation mechanism 49 is attached to the lower part of the lid 43. The rotation mechanism 49 serves to rotate the boat 44. The rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism 49 passes through the lid 43 airtightly and is provided to rotate a turntable arranged on the lid 43.

[0019] The lifting mechanism 46 drives the lid 43 to move up and down when the boat 44 is loaded into or unloaded from the loading area 40 into the processing vessel 65. When the boat 44, which has been lifted by the lifting mechanism 46, is loaded into the processing vessel 65, the lid 43 abuts against the furnace opening 68a to seal the furnace opening 68a.

[0020] The boat 44 placed on the lid 43 can rotatably hold the wafer W in the processing vessel 65 in a horizontal plane. The heat treatment apparatus 10 may have a plurality of boats 44. The loading area 40 in FIG. 1 is provided with boats 44a and 44b.

[0021] A base 45a, a base 45b, and a boat transfer mechanism are provided in the loading area 40. The bases 45a and 45b are mounting tables onto which the boats 44a and 44b, respectively, are transferred from the lid 43. The boat transfer mechanism is used to transfer the boat 44a or 44b from the lid 43 to the base 45a or 45b.

[0022] The boats 44a and 44b are made of, for example, quartz. The boats 44a and 44b are configured to load wafers W, for example, 300 mm in diameter, in a horizontal position at a predetermined interval (pitch width) in the vertical direction. The boats 44a and 44b are provided with a plurality of (for example, three) support columns between the top plate and the bottom plate. The support columns are provided with claws for holding the wafers W. The boats 44a and 44b may be provided with auxiliary columns in addition to the support columns. The boats 44a and 44b are provided with loading positions (for example, slot positions) where a plurality of wafers W are loaded at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

[0023] The transfer mechanism 47 is used to transfer wafers W between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b. The transfer mechanism 47 has a base 57, a lifting arm 58, and a plurality of forks (transfer plates) 59. The base 57 is provided so as to be movable up and down and rotatable. The lifting arm 58 is provided so as to be movable up and down (liftable) by a ball screw or the like. The base 57 is provided so as to be rotatable horizontally on the lifting arm 58.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment furnace. The heat treatment furnace 60 in Fig. 2 is an example of a vertical furnace for accommodating a plurality of thin, disk-shaped wafers W and subjecting them to a predetermined heat treatment. The heat treatment furnace 60 includes a jacket 62, a heater 63, a space 64, and a treatment container 65.

[0025] The processing vessel 65 is used to store and heat-treat the wafers W held in the boat 44. The processing vessel 65 is made of, for example, quartz and has a vertically elongated shape. The processing vessel 65 is supported on a base plate 66 via a manifold 68 at the bottom. Gas is supplied from the manifold 68 to the processing vessel 65 through an injector 71. The injector 71 supplies gas into the processing vessel 65 from a blowing portion (hole). The injector 71 is connected to a gas supply source 72. The gas supplied to the processing vessel 65 is exhausted through an exhaust port 73 from an exhaust system 74 equipped with a vacuum pump capable of reducing pressure.

[0026] The lid 43 closes the furnace port 68a at the bottom of the manifold 68 when the boat 44 is loaded into the processing vessel 65. The lid 43 is provided so as to be movable up and down by an elevating mechanism 46. A heat-retaining cylinder 48 is placed on the top of the lid 43. The boat 44, which carries a large number of wafers W at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, is provided on the top of the heat-retaining cylinder 48.

[0027] Jacket 62 is provided to cover the periphery of processing vessel 65 and defines a space 64 around processing vessel 65. Jacket 62 has a cylindrical shape similar to processing vessel 65. Jacket 62 is supported by a base plate 66. A heat insulating material 62a made of, for example, glass wool may be provided inside jacket 62 and outside space 64.

[0028] The heater 63 is provided to cover the periphery of the processing vessel 65. For example, the heater 63 is provided inside the jacket 62 and outside the space 64. The heater 63 heats the processing vessel 65 and also heats the wafers W held in the boat 44, i.e., the wafers W in the processing vessel 65. The heater 63 functions as a heating unit that heats the wafers W.

[0029] The heater 63 includes a heating resistor such as a carbon wire, and can control the temperature of the gas flowing inside the space 64 and heat the inside of the processing vessel 65 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 50 to 1200° C.).

[0030] The space 64 and the space within the processing vessel 65 may be divided into a plurality of unit areas along the vertical direction, for example, unit areas A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, and A10. The unit areas A1 to A10 may be called zones.

[0031] The heater 63 is divided into, for example, heaters 63-1, 63-2, 63-3, 63-4, 63-5, 63-6, 63-7, 63-8, 63-9, and 63-10 so as to correspond to any of the unit areas along the vertical direction. The heater 63 also includes a top plate heater 63-11. The top plate heater 63-11 generates heat to prevent heat from escaping from the top side of the processing vessel 65, thereby acting as a lid to prevent heat flow.

[0032] Each of the heaters 63-1 to 63-11 is configured so that heating can be independently controlled for each of the unit areas A1 to A10 and the top side of the processing vessel 65 by an output (heater power) of a heater output unit 86 including, for example, a thyristor.

[0033] 2 shows an example in which space 64 and the space within processing vessel 65 are divided into 10 unit areas along the vertical direction. The number of unit areas is not limited to 10. Space 64 and the space within processing vessel 65 may be divided into numbers other than 10. Although FIG. 2 shows the space being divided evenly, this is not limiting, and the vicinity of furnace opening 68a, where temperature changes are large, may be divided into smaller areas. Heaters 63 may be provided at different positions along the vertical direction, and do not have to be provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of unit areas A1 to A10.

[0034] Heater temperature sensors Ao1-Ao10 are provided as Outer T / C in the space 64 to measure temperatures corresponding to the unit areas A1-A10, respectively. Also, in the space within the processing vessel 65, in-processing vessel temperature sensors Ai1-Ai10 are provided as Inner T / C to measure temperatures corresponding to the unit areas A1-A10, respectively. The heater temperature sensors Ao1-Ao10 and in-processing vessel temperature sensors Ai1-Ai10 measure temperatures to measure the temperature distribution along the vertical direction.

[0035] Measurement signals from the heater temperature sensors Ao1 to Ao10 are input to the control unit 100 via lines 81. Measurement signals from the processing vessel internal temperature sensors Ai1 to Ai10 are input to the control unit 100 via lines 82. The control unit 100, which has received the measurement signals, controls the heater power supplied to the heaters 63-1 to 63-11 by the heater output unit 86 based on the set temperature. Under the control of the control unit 100, the heater output unit 86 supplies heater power to each of the heaters 63-1 to 63-11 via heater output lines 87 and heater terminals 88.

[0036] The heat treatment furnace 60 may also include a cooling mechanism 90 for cooling the treatment vessel 65. The cooling mechanism 90 includes, for example, a blower 91, an air duct 92, and an exhaust duct 94.

[0037] A blower 91 blows a cooling gas, such as air, into a space 64 in which a heater 63 is provided, thereby cooling a processing vessel 65. A blower pipe 92 sends the cooling gas from the blower 91 to the heater 63. The blower pipe 92 is connected to each of the ejection holes 92a-1 to 92a-10, and supplies the cooling gas to the space 64.

[0038] The exhaust pipe 94 is for discharging air from the space 64. An exhaust port 94a is provided in the space 64 for discharging the cooling gas from the space 64. One end of the exhaust pipe 94 is connected to the exhaust port 94a.

[0039] 2, the heat treatment furnace 60 may be provided with a heat exchanger 95 in the middle of an exhaust pipe 94, with the other end of the exhaust pipe 94 connected to the suction side of a blower 91. The cooling gas exhausted through the exhaust pipe 94 may be heat exchanged in the heat exchanger 95 and then returned to the blower 91 for circulating use, rather than being discharged into the factory exhaust system. In this case, the cooling gas may be circulated through an air filter (not shown). Alternatively, the cooling gas exhausted from the space 64 may be discharged from the exhaust pipe 94 through the heat exchanger 95 into the factory exhaust system.

[0040] The blower 91 may be configured so that the air volume of the blower 91 can be controlled by controlling the power supplied from a power supply unit 91a including an inverter, for example, in response to an output signal from the control unit 100.

[0041] The control unit 100 is realized by, for example, a computer 500 described below. The control unit 100 reads a program recorded in a storage device, and sends control signals to each component of the heat treatment apparatus 10 in accordance with the program to execute the film formation process. For example, the control unit 100 adjusts the temperature inside the processing vessel 65 by controlling the heater power supplied to the heater 63 by the heater output unit 86.

[0042] 1 and 2 is based on the premise that the slot position of the wafer W is not changed during the film formation process. Furthermore, in the heat treatment apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, due to its structure, heat escapes from the top and bottom sides of the processing chamber 65.

[0043] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of heat flow generated on the bottom side of the processing vessel 65. The heat-retaining cylinder 48 has a larger heat capacity than the other components of the heat processing apparatus 10. In the heat processing apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film formation process may be started when the heat-retaining cylinder 48, which has a large heat capacity, is in a cold state. Therefore, on the bottom side of the processing vessel 65, a heat flow may occur in which heat that has entered from the side flows into the heat-retaining cylinder 48.

[0044] When a heat flow occurs on the bottom side of the processing vessel 65, a temperature difference occurs between the edge portion (end portion) and the center portion (central portion) of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the bottom of the boat 44, resulting in a thick film on the edge portion and a thin film on the center portion.

[0045] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a simulation result of the temperature of the heat-retaining cylinder 48 and the temperature of the wafers W placed at the slot positions of the boat 44. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 4 represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis of the graph in FIG. 4 represents the temperature.

[0046] 4 indicates the temperature of the center of the wafer W placed in the slot position of the boat 44, and the number following the string "WaferCenter" indicates the slot position where the wafer W is placed. The smaller the number following the string "WaferCenter", the closer to the bottom side the wafer W is.

[0047] 4 indicates the temperature of the thermal insulation cylinder 48, and the number following the character string "Pedestal" indicates the temperature measurement position in the thermal insulation cylinder 48. The smaller the number following the character string "Pedestal", the closer it is to the bottom.

[0048] 4, it can be seen that while the heat-retaining cylinder 48 is not yet fully heated, the temperature of the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the bottom of the boat 44 is less likely to rise than that of the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the top and middle of the boat 44. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, while the heat-retaining cylinder 48 is not yet fully heated, the temperature of the center portion of the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the bottom of the boat 44 is lower than that of the edge portion due to heat flow.

[0049] Therefore, the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the bottom of the boat 44 are inferior in quality in terms of in-plane uniformity and inter-plane uniformity to the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the center of the boat 44. Similarly, the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the top of the boat 44 are inferior in quality in terms of in-plane uniformity and inter-plane uniformity to the wafers W placed in the slot positions at the center of the boat 44.

[0050] In the heat treatment apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since the physical temperature characteristics are determined by the slot positions of the boat 44 on which the wafers W are placed, it is difficult to obtain uniform film formation results (process quality) at all slot positions.

[0051] For this reason, in the heat treatment apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, dummy wafers W are placed in the upper slot positions of the boat 44 and the lower slot positions of the boat 44, and film formation processing of product wafers W (production wafers W) may be prohibited in the upper slot positions of the boat 44 and the lower slot positions of the boat 44.

[0052] Therefore, the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment utilizes the fact that the film formation results differ depending on the slot position of the boat 44 on which the wafer W is placed. The heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment divides the process into a plurality of processes (divided processes), and also makes it possible to change the slot position of the wafer W during the film formation process (the slot position of the wafer W can be changed for each divided process).

[0053] In the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to the embodiment, the slot positions on which the wafers W are placed are swapped for at least some of the wafers W for each divided process so that the film formation results of each divided process are combined to obtain the desired film formation results.

[0054] A convex film can be formed on the wafer W placed in the slot position at the top of the boat 44 by using the top plate heater 63-11, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of heat flow generated on the top side of the processing vessel 65.

[0055] A top plate heater 63-11 is provided on the top side of the processing vessel 65. The top plate heater 63-11 basically serves to generate heat and act as a lid to prevent heat from escaping from the top side of the processing vessel 65. In the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, by adjusting the ratio between the top plate heater 63-11 and the heater 63-10, a heat flow is generated so that heat escapes from the top plate heater 63-11 side to the heater 63-10 side, as shown in FIG.

[0056] As a result, in the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, a temperature difference is created between the edge and center portions of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the top of the boat 44, and a thick film (convex film) can be applied to the center portion and a thin film (convex film) can be applied to the edge portion.

[0057] Furthermore, in the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, due to the influence of the heat-insulating tube 48 described using Figures 3 and 4, a thick film is formed on the edge portion of the wafer W placed at the slot position at the bottom of the boat 44, and a thin film (concave film) is formed on the center portion.

[0058] The heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment can obtain a desired film formation result, such as a flat film, by combining a convex film formed on a wafer W placed in the upper slot position of the boat 44 and a concave film formed on a wafer W placed in the lower slot position of the boat 44, as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

[0059] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a film formation result when the process is divided into two separate processes, and the slot positions on which the wafers W are placed are swapped for at least some of the wafers W, and the separate processes are performed on the wafers W.

[0060] The first deposition result shows the deposition result after the first division process, divided into the upper slot position, the middle slot position, and the lower slot position of the boat 44.

[0061] In the first film formation results, a convex film was formed on the wafer W placed in the upper slot position of the boat 44, a flat film was formed on the wafer W placed in the middle slot position of the boat 44, and a concave film was formed on the wafer W placed in the lower slot position of the boat 44.

[0062] In the first film formation result, it is expected that a flat film will be formed by combining the convex film of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the top of the boat 44 and the concave film of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the bottom of the boat 44.

[0063] Therefore, in the second division process, the film formation results of the first division process and the second division process are combined, and the slot positions of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the top of the boat 44 and the wafer W placed in the slot position at the bottom of the boat 44 are swapped so that a flat film, which is an example of the desired film formation result, is formed.

[0064] In the second dividing process, the wafers W placed in the upper slot positions of the boat 44 in the first dividing process are placed in the lower slot positions of the boat 44, so that a concave film is formed on top of the convex film formed in the upper slot positions of the boat 44, thereby forming a flat film. Also, in the second dividing process, the wafers W placed in the lower slot positions of the boat 44 in the first dividing process are placed in the upper slot positions of the boat 44, so that a convex film is formed on top of the concave film formed in the lower slot positions of the boat 44, thereby forming a flat film.

[0065] In the example of Figure 6, since a flat film is attached to the wafer W placed in the slot position at the center of the boat 44 in the first division process, the slot position of the wafer W placed in the slot position at the center of the boat 44 is not swapped.

[0066] In addition, the processing time required to swap the slot positions of the wafers W placed in the upper slot positions of the boat 44 and the wafers W placed in the lower slot positions of the boat 44 can be shortened by using two boats 44a and 44b, for example, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0067] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method for shortening processing time by swapping the slot positions of wafers W during a process using two boats 44. In FIG. 7, the process is divided into a "first process" and a "second process," which are an example of a divided process. In addition, in FIG. 7, the two boats 44 are referred to as "boat 1" and "boat 2."

[0068] The heat treatment apparatus 10, which has loaded the wafers W of the "first lot" into "boat 1," performs the "first process" of the "first lot" in "boat 1." While the "first process" of the "first lot" in "boat 1" is being performed, the heat treatment apparatus 10 loads the wafers W of the "first lot" into "boat 2."

[0069] After the "first process" of the "first lot" of "boat 1" is completed, the heat treatment apparatus 10 executes the "first process" of the "first lot" of "boat 2." During the execution of the "first process" of the "first lot" of "boat 2," the heat treatment apparatus 10 changes the slot positions of the wafers W placed in "boat 1" so as to achieve the desired film formation results.

[0070] By switching the slot positions of the wafers W placed in "boat 1" while performing the division process on the wafers W placed in "boat 2," the heat treatment apparatus 10 of this embodiment prevents the extension of the process time caused by switching the slot positions of the wafers W during the process.

[0071] After the "first process" of the "first lot" of "boat 2" is completed, the heat treatment apparatus 10 performs the "second process" of the "first lot" of "boat 1." During the "second process" of the "first lot" of "boat 1," the heat treatment apparatus 10 changes the slot positions of the wafers W placed in "boat 2" so as to achieve the desired film formation results.

[0072] By switching the slot position of the wafer W placed in "boat 2" while performing the division process on the wafer W placed in "boat 1," the heat treatment apparatus 10 of this embodiment prevents the extension of the process time caused by switching the slot position of the wafer W during the process.

[0073] After the "second process" of the "first lot" in "boat 1" is completed, the heat treatment apparatus 10 performs the "second process" of the "first lot" in "boat 2." During the "second process" of the "first lot" in "boat 2," the heat treatment apparatus 10 discharges the wafers W of the "first lot" placed in "boat 1" and charges the wafers W of the "second lot."

[0074] After the "second process" of the "first lot" in "boat 2" is completed, the heat treatment device 10 performs the "first process" and "second process" on the "second lot" of wafers W charged in "boat 1" and "boat 2", in the same manner as the "first lot".

[0075] The heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment does not necessarily have to include two boats 44, and one boat 44 may be used, with the slot positions of the wafers W swapped during the process. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment may predict the film formation results of the division process using a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus 10, and optimize the swapping of the slot positions of the wafers W according to the predicted film formation results of the division process.

[0076] For example, in the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, a process simulation may be performed in advance by utilizing digital twin technology. Digital twin technology is a technology that reproduces changes in real (physical) space, i.e., the state of the heat treatment apparatus 10 during processing, in virtual (cyber) space. In the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, digital twin technology is utilized to optimize the division process for forming the uneven film, optimize parameters, and optimize the slot position of the wafer W to be replaced. Parameters to be optimized include heater power, gas flow rate, pressure, etc.

[0077] By utilizing digital twin technology, the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment can predict the film shape formed on the wafer W for each slot position and calculate a combination of slot positions that will result in a desired film formation result when the film shapes of multiple divided processes are combined. The timing for calculating the combination of slot positions may be before the film formation process of the product or during the film formation process of the product. Furthermore, by utilizing digital twin technology, the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment may calculate parameters that will result in a desired film formation result when the film shapes of multiple divided processes are combined. The timing for calculating the parameters may be before the film formation process of the product or during the film formation process of the product.

[0078] The control unit 100 of the heat treatment apparatus 10 is realized by, for example, the functional configuration shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a functional configuration diagram of an example of the control unit 100 of the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Note that the functional block diagram of Fig. 8 omits illustration of components that are not necessary for explaining this embodiment.

[0079] The control unit 100 executes a program to implement an instruction receiving unit 102, an acquisition unit 104, a process control unit 106, an adjustment unit 108, a prediction unit 110, a thermal model 112, and a chemical reaction model 114.

[0080] The instruction receiving unit 102 receives various instructions from an operator. The acquiring unit 104 acquires a recipe (process recipe) for a process to be executed by the heat treatment apparatus 10. The process recipe is information in which control commands (setting values) required for the heat treatment apparatus 10 to perform a film formation process are set. The acquiring unit 104 may receive an input of the recipe for the heat treatment apparatus 10 from an operator, may receive the recipe from a device that stores the recipe for the heat treatment apparatus 10, or may receive the recipe from a device in which the operator creates the recipe for the heat treatment apparatus 10.

[0081] Before a process is performed in the heat treatment apparatus 10, the process control unit 106 inputs parameters according to the process recipe to the prediction unit 110, and causes the prediction unit 110 to predict the film formation result of the process.

[0082] The prediction unit 110 uses a thermal model 112, which is an example of a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus 10, and a chemical reaction model 114 to predict the film formation results of a plurality of divided processes obtained by dividing the process.

[0083] The thermal model 112 is a physical model of heat that predicts the temperature of the heat treatment apparatus 10 that performs the film formation process according to parameters in accordance with the process recipe, and connects the thermal relationships between components using physical equations to simulate the temperature of each component. The thermal model 112 can use a 1DCAE thermal simulation model or the like.

[0084] The thermal model 112 predicts the temperature of each component constituting the heat treatment apparatus 10 from the heat relationship between the components, such as the heat generation amount of the heater 63 and the heat capacity of each component. The thermal model 112 outputs the predicted temperature of each component constituting the heat treatment apparatus 10 to the chemical reaction model 114.

[0085] The chemical reaction model 114 is a physical model of a chemical reaction (film formation reaction) that predicts the film formation results of the heat treatment apparatus 10 that performs film formation processing according to parameters in accordance with a process recipe. The chemical reaction model 114 calculates the film formation rate (X nm / sec, etc.) of each part of the concentric wafer W shown in FIG. 9 according to various parameters required for the chemical reaction, such as the temperature, pressure, and gas flow rate of each component of the heat treatment apparatus 10.

[0086] 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a method for calculating the film thickness of a wafer W. The thermal model 112 cuts the wafer W concentrically and divides it into a wafer center region, a middle region, and a wafer edge region. The chemical reaction model 114 calculates the film formation rate of each region from the temperature, pressure, and gas flow rate for the wafer center region, the middle region, and the wafer edge region.

[0087] The prediction unit 110 integrates the film formation rate for each period (e.g., 1 sec) of each region, thereby outputting the predicted film thickness for each concentric region of the wafer W. Note that the method for calculating the film thickness of the wafer W shown in Fig. 9 is just an example, and the wafer W may be cut into regions other than the region on the wafer center side, the intermediate region, and the region on the wafer edge side.

[0088] In this way, the prediction unit 110 of FIG. 8 can combine the thermal model 112 and the chemical reaction model 114 to output a predicted film thickness, which is the result of the film formation process in the heat treatment apparatus 10, as a prediction result.

[0089] The prediction unit 110 may use a machine learning model such as linear regression to output a predicted film thickness, which is a result of the film formation process in the heat treatment device 10, as a predicted result. The machine learning model is a virtual machine (VM) that predicts the film formation result in the heat treatment device 10 that performs the film formation process in accordance with parameters according to a process recipe. The machine learning model has been trained by machine learning so as to output the film formation result in the heat treatment device 10 when parameters according to the process recipe are input. The predicted film thickness output by the machine learning model may be a plurality of predicted film thicknesses on the wafer W.

[0090] The adjustment unit 108 optimizes the slot positions and parameters of the multiple wafers W for each divided process so that the film formation result of the process that combines the film formation results of the divided processes predicted by the prediction unit 110 becomes the film formation result desired by the operator. Note that the film formation result that satisfies the process conditions selected by the operator is the film formation result desired by the operator.

[0091] After the film formation result of the process that combines the film formation results of the divided processes predicted by the prediction unit 110 satisfies the film formation result desired by the operator, the process control unit 106 outputs a control signal to cause the heat treatment device 10 to execute the divided process.

[0092] An operator causes the heat treatment apparatus 10 to perform the film forming method according to this embodiment, for example, in the procedure shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of an operator who uses the film forming method according to this embodiment.

[0093] In step S10, the operator operates the control unit 100 to select a recipe for the process to be executed in the heat treatment apparatus 10.

[0094] In step S12, the operator operates the control unit 100 to select process conditions for the process to be performed in the heat treatment apparatus 10. The process conditions include, for example, the film thicknesses of the wafer center side region and the wafer edge side region shown in FIG. 9, a film thickness threshold, restrictions such as an upper limit of temperature, restrictions such as an upper limit of pressure, and restrictions such as an upper limit of gas flow rate.

[0095] In step S14, the operator operates the control unit 100 to select the number of times (for example, two times) to interchange the slot positions of the wafers W. The number of times to interchange the slot positions of the wafers W selected by the operator in step S14 is the same as the number of divided processes divided from the process.

[0096] In step S16, the operator operates the control unit 100 to instruct the start of the process. The control unit 100, which has received the instruction to start the process in step S16, executes, for example, the processing shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the heat treatment apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0097] In step S20, the process control unit 106 inputs the parameters to the prediction unit 110. The prediction unit 110 to which the parameters have been input may apply parameters such as optimal temperature, pressure, and gas flow rate that have been determined in advance by an experiment or the like.

[0098] In step S22, the prediction unit 110 divides the process into a plurality of divided processes according to the number of times the slot positions of the wafers W will be interchanged, which was selected by the operator in step S14. For example, if the number of times the slot positions of the wafers W will be interchanged, which was selected by the operator in step S14, is "twice," the prediction unit 110 divides one process into a first process (first divided process) and a second process (second divided process).

[0099] The prediction unit 110 uses a thermal model 112, which is an example of a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus 10, and a chemical reaction model 114 to simulate the film formation results of the first divided process.

[0100] In step S24, the adjustment unit 108 determines the shape of the film formed on the wafer W for each slot position using the film formation result of the first division process performed by the prediction unit 110. The adjustment unit 108 optimizes the combination of wafers W whose slot positions are interchanged between the first division process and the second division process so that the film formation result desired by the operator is obtained by combining the film formation result of the first division process and the film formation result of the second division process.

[0101] For example, the adjustment unit 108 switches the wafer W at a slot position where a concave film is formed as a result of the first dividing process to a slot position where a convex film is formed in the second dividing process. In this way, the adjustment unit 108 optimizes the slot position of the wafer W in the second dividing process so as to combine the film formation results of the first and second dividing processes to achieve the film formation result desired by the operator.

[0102] In step S26, the prediction unit 110 simulates the film formation results of the second division process using a thermal model 112 and a chemical reaction model 114, which are examples of simulation models of the heat treatment device 10, according to the slot position of the wafer W in the second division process optimized in step S24.

[0103] In step S28, the adjustment unit 108 determines whether the film formation result of the process combining the film formation result of the first divided process and the film formation result of the second divided process satisfies the process conditions selected in step S12.

[0104] If the process conditions are not satisfied, the adjustment unit 108 proceeds to step S30. The adjustment unit 108 readjusts the parameters of the first and second division processes, and returns to the processing of step S22. Note that the parameters of the first and second division processes may be the same or different.

[0105] If the process conditions are satisfied, the adjustment unit 108 proceeds to step S32. In step S32, the adjustment unit 108 notifies the process control unit 106 of the parameters that satisfy the process conditions and the combination of wafers W whose slot positions are to be swapped in the first and second division processes. The process control unit 106 executes the first and second division processes in the actual equipment in accordance with the parameters notified from the adjustment unit 108 and the combination of wafers W whose slot positions are to be swapped in the first and second division processes.

[0106] According to the heat treatment apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the wafer W placed at the slot position of the boat 44 falls within the specifications of the product wafer W (production wafer W), and the uniformity of the film formation results can be further improved.

[0107] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 10 of this embodiment, it is no longer necessary to place dummy wafers W in the upper slot positions and the lower slot positions of the boat 44, thereby improving productivity.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 100 of the heat treatment apparatus 10 optimizes the parameters in the multiple division processes and the slot positions of the wafers W. The process of optimizing the parameters in the multiple division processes and the slot positions of the wafers W may be executed by, for example, another information processing apparatus connected to the control unit 100 so as to be able to communicate data with the control unit 100.

[0109] 12 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to this embodiment. The information processing system in Fig. 12 includes a heat treatment apparatus 10, an autonomous controller 210, an apparatus controller 220, a host computer 230, an external measuring device 240, and an analysis server 250.

[0110] The heat treatment apparatus 10, the autonomous controller 210, the apparatus controller 220, the host computer 230, the external measuring device 240, and the analysis server 250 are communicably connected via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0111] The heat treatment apparatus 10 may execute a process in accordance with control commands (parameters) output from, for example, the apparatus controller 220. The autonomous controller 210 is a controller for autonomously controlling the heat treatment apparatus 10, and may perform a simulation of the process state being executed in the heat treatment apparatus 10 using a simulation model. An autonomous controller 210 is provided for each heat treatment apparatus 10. The autonomous controller 210 may execute the processing that was performed by the prediction unit 110 of the control unit 100 in the above embodiment.

[0112] The equipment controller 220 is a controller having a computer configuration for controlling the heat treatment apparatus 10. The equipment controller 220 may output parameters for controlling control components of the heat treatment apparatus 10 to the heat treatment apparatus 10. The host computer 230 is an example of a man-machine interface (MMI) that receives instructions for the heat treatment apparatus 10 from an operator and provides information about the heat treatment apparatus 10 to the operator.

[0113] The external measuring instrument 240 is a measuring instrument that measures the results after a process is executed in accordance with process parameters, such as a film thickness measuring instrument, a sheet resistance measuring instrument, a particle measuring instrument, etc. For example, the external measuring instrument 240 measures the adhesion state of a film on a wafer such as a monitor wafer.

[0114] The analysis server 250 performs, for example, data analysis required for processing executed by the autonomous controller 210. The analysis server 250 may compile a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus 10 by machine learning or the like using data collected from multiple heat treatment apparatuses 10.

[0115] 12 is just an example, and there are various system configuration examples depending on the application and purpose. The division of the devices such as the heat treatment device 10, the autonomous controller 210, the device controller 220, the host computer 230, the external measuring device 240, and the analysis server 250 in FIG. 12 is just an example.

[0116] For example, the information processing system can have various configurations, such as a configuration in which at least two of the heat treatment device 10, autonomous control controller 210, device control controller 220, host computer 230, external measuring device 240, and analysis server 250 are integrated, or a configuration in which they are further divided.

[0117] The autonomous control controller 210, the device control controller 220, the host computer 230, and the analysis server 250 of the information processing system in Fig. 12 are realized by, for example, a computer having the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 13. The control unit 100 of the heat treatment device 10 described above is also realized by a computer having the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a computer.

[0118] 13 includes an input device 501, an output device 502, an external I / F (interface) 503, a RAM (random access memory) 504, a ROM (read only memory) 505, a CPU (central processing unit) 506, a communication I / F 507, and an HDD (hard disk drive) 508, all of which are interconnected by a bus B. The input device 501 and the output device 502 may be connected and used when necessary.

[0119] The input device 501 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by an operator or the like to input various operation signals. The output device 502 is a display, etc., and displays the results of processing by the computer 500. The communication I / F 507 is an interface that connects the computer 500 to a network. The HDD 508 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data.

[0120] The external I / F 503 is an interface with an external device. The computer 500 can read and / or write data from and to a recording medium 503a such as an SD (Secure Digital) memory card via the external I / F 503. The ROM 505 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that stores programs and data. The RAM 504 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data.

[0121] The CPU 506 is a computing device that controls the entire computer 500 and realizes its functions by reading programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 505 and HDD 508 onto the RAM 504 and executing the processes.

[0122] The autonomous controller 210, the device controller 220, the host computer 230, and the analysis server 250 of the information processing system in Fig. 12 can realize various functions by the hardware configuration of the computer 500 in Fig. 13. The control unit 100 of the heat treatment device 10 described above can also realize various functions by the hardware configuration of the computer 500 in Fig. 13.

[0123] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Note that the control unit 100, the autonomous controller 210, the device controller 220, the host computer 230, and the analysis server 250 are examples of information processing devices that optimize the film formation results of the heat treatment device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 10 Heat treatment device 44 Boat 63, 63-1 to 63-10 Heater 65 Processing vessel 100 control section 106 Process Control Unit 108 Adjustment section 110 Prediction Department 112 Thermal Model 114 Chemical Reaction Model 210 Autonomous Controller 220 Equipment Controller 230 Host Computer 240 External Measuring Instrument 250 analysis servers 500 computers W wafer

Claims

1. 1. A film formation method for a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: placing a plurality of wafers at a plurality of positions on a boat and performing a film formation process on the wafers; Dividing the process into a plurality of sub-processes; swapping the placement positions of at least some of the plurality of wafers for each division process; performing the dividing process on the wafer placed on the placement position; A film forming method comprising the steps of:

2. swapping the placement positions of at least some of the wafers for each of the divided processes so that a desired film formation result is obtained by combining the film formation results of the respective divided processes; 2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein

3. swapping the placement positions of at least some of the plurality of wafers for each division process so that the shape of a film formed on the wafer varies depending on the placement position and a desired film formation result is obtained by combining the film shapes formed on the wafer by each of the plurality of division processes; 2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein

4. predicting a deposition result of the division process using a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus; optimizing the exchange of the wafer placement positions according to the predicted film formation results of the division process; The film forming method according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The heat treatment device includes a vertical heat treatment furnace, the boat has the placement positions on which the plurality of wafers are placed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. The film forming method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The film formation result of the wafer placed at the placement position under the boat is such that the film thickness on the edge portion of the wafer is thicker than the film thickness on the central portion of the wafer, the film thickness on the central portion of the wafer is thicker than the film thickness on the edge portion of the wafer when the wafer is placed on the placement position at the top of the boat; The film forming method according to claim 5.

7. The heat treatment apparatus includes one of the heat treatment furnaces and two of the boats. The film forming method according to claim 5.

8. A heat treatment apparatus for performing the film forming method according to claim 1 .

9. 1. An information processing apparatus for optimizing a film formation result of a heat treatment apparatus that places a plurality of wafers at a plurality of positions on a boat and performs a film formation process on the wafers, the information processing apparatus comprising: a prediction unit that predicts film formation results of a plurality of divided processes obtained by dividing the process using a simulation model of the heat treatment apparatus; an adjustment unit that optimizes the replacement of the placement positions of at least some of the wafers for each of the divided processes by combining the predicted film formation results of the divided processes so that the film formation results of the heat treatment device become desired film formation results; An information processing device having the above.

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