Substrate processing method, semiconductor device manufacturing method, substrate processing apparatus, and program

Abstract

This technology provides a way to suppress the decrease in step coverage caused by the thermally decomposed process gas. [Solution] The method comprises (a) introducing the processed gas stored in the storage unit into the processing chamber, (b) maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a predetermined non-zero value after the introduction of the processed gas into the processing chamber has begun, and (c) maximizing the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber after the predetermined time has elapsed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a substrate processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as disclosed in Patent Document 1 are known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing a decrease in step coverage caused by a pyrolyzed processing gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, (a) a step of introducing a processing gas stored in a storage unit into a processing chamber, (b) after starting the introduction of the processing gas into the processing chamber, a step of maintaining the conductance of the exhaust flow path of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time, and (c) after step (b), a step of increasing the conductance of the exhaust flow path of the processing chamber to the maximum. A technique including these is provided.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to suppress a decrease in step coverage caused by a pyrolyzed processing gas.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1]This is a schematic diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in one aspect of the present disclosure, and shows the processing furnace portion in a vertical cross-sectional view. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in one embodiment of the present disclosure, and the processing furnace portion is shown in the cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a controller 121 of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in one aspect of the present disclosure, and shows the control system of the controller 121 in block diagram form. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates an APC valve and an APC controller used in one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows a processing sequence in one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 and the change in the opening degree of the APC valve 244 over time when a control operation according to one aspect of this disclosure is performed. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the change in step coverage of the film formed on the substrate when various conditions are changed in the control operation according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <One aspect of this disclosure> Hereinafter, one aspect of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1-7. Note that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and proportions of each element shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and proportions of each element do not necessarily correspond between multiple drawings.

[0009] (composition) As shown in Figure 1, the processing furnace 202 has a heater 207 as a temperature regulator (heating unit). The heater 207 is cylindrical and is mounted vertically by being supported by a holding plate. The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism that activates the gas with heat.

[0010] Inside the heater 207, a reaction tube 203 is arranged concentrically with the heater 207. The reaction tube 203 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. Below the reaction tube 203, a manifold 209 is arranged concentrically with the reaction tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS) and is formed in 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 vessel (reaction vessel) is mainly composed of the reaction tube 203 and the manifold 209. A processing chamber 201 is formed in the hollow cylindrical part of the processing vessel. The processing chamber 201 is configured to accommodate a wafer 200 as a substrate. Processing of the wafer 200 is performed within this processing chamber 201.

[0011] The boat 217, which serves as a substrate support, is configured to support multiple wafers 200, for example 25 to 200 wafers 200, in a horizontal position and aligned vertically with their centers aligned, in a multi-stage arrangement, that is, arranged with spacing between them. An insulating section 218 made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz is provided at the bottom of the boat 217.

[0012] Below the manifold 209, a seal cap 219 is provided as a furnace opening cover capable of airtightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal material such as SUS and is formed in a disc shape. An O-ring 220b is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 219 as a sealing member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 209. Below the seal cap 219, a rotating mechanism 267 for rotating the boat 217 is installed. The rotating shaft 255 of the rotating mechanism 267 passes through the seal cap 219 and is connected to the boat 217. The rotating mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the wafer 200 by rotating the boat 217. The seal cap 219 is configured to be raised and lowered vertically by a boat elevator 115, which is a lifting mechanism installed outside the reaction tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transport device (transport mechanism) that moves the wafer 200 into and out of the processing chamber 201 by raising and lowering the seal cap 219.

[0013] Within the processing chamber 201, nozzles 249a and 249b, serving as the first and second supply units, are provided so as to penetrate the side walls of the manifold 209. Nozzles 249a and 249b are also referred to as the first and second nozzles, respectively. Nozzles 249a and 249b are made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz. Gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are connected to nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively. Nozzles 249a and 249b are provided adjacent to each other.

[0014] The gas supply pipe 232a is equipped with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, a mass flow controller (MFC) 241a, which is a flow control unit (flow control unit), and a valve 243a, which is an on / off valve. The gas supply pipe 232b is equipped with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, an MFC 241b, a valve 243b1, a tank 242b which is the first storage unit, a valve 243b2, and a valve 612. The upstream end of the gas supply pipe 232c is connected to the gas supply pipe 232b downstream of the MFC 241b and upstream of the valve 243b1. The gas supply pipe 232c is equipped with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, a valve 243c1, a tank 242c which is the second storage unit, a valve 243c2, and a valve 622. The downstream end of the gas supply pipe 232c is connected to the gas supply pipe 232b downstream of the valve 612. A vent pipe 610 may be connected to the gas supply pipe 232b downstream of valve 243b2 and upstream of valve 612. A vent pipe 620 may be connected to the gas supply pipe 232c downstream of valve 243c2 and upstream of valve 622. Valves 611 and 621 are provided on the vent pipes 610 and 620, respectively. The vent pipes 610 and 620 are connected downstream of the APC valve 244 of the exhaust pipe 231, which will be described later. A gas supply pipe 232d is connected to the gas supply pipe 232a downstream of valve 243a. A gas supply pipe 232e is connected to the gas supply pipe 232b downstream of valve 612. MFCs 241d and 241e and valves 243d and 243e are provided on the gas supply pipes 232d and 232e, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow. The gas supply pipes 232a-232e and vent pipes 610 and 620 are made of a metal material such as SUS. While this example shows one MFC 241b provided for tanks 242b and 242c, the gas supply system is not limited to this configuration; it may also be configured with one MFC for each of tanks 242b and 242c.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzles 249a and 249b are respectively provided so as to rise upward in the arrangement direction of the wafers 200 along the upper part from the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 in an annular space in a plan view between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the wafers 200. That is, the nozzles 249a and 249b are respectively provided along the wafer arrangement region so as to horizontally surround the wafer arrangement region on the side of the wafer arrangement region where the wafers 200 are arranged. Gas supply holes 250a and 250b for supplying gas are respectively provided on the side surfaces of the nozzles 249a and 249b. The gas supply holes 250a and 250b are each opened toward the center of the wafer 200 in a plan view, and it is possible to supply gas toward the wafer 200. A plurality of gas supply holes 250a and 250b are provided from the lower part to the upper part corresponding to the plurality of wafers 200.

[0016] The tanks 242b and 242c are configured as gas tanks whose volumes are intentionally enlarged compared to ordinary pipes. By opening and closing the upstream valves 243b1 and 243c1 and the downstream valves 243b2 and 243c2 of the tanks 242b and 242c, the gas supplied from the gas supply pipes 232b and 232c can be temporarily filled (stored) in each of the tanks 242b and 242c, or the gas temporarily stored in each of the tanks 242b and 242c can be supplied into the processing chamber 201.

[0017] By closing valves 243b2, 243c1, 243c2 and opening valve 243b1, the gas whose flow rate is adjusted by MFC241b can be temporarily stored in tank 242b. After a predetermined amount of gas is stored in tank 242b and the pressure in tank 242b reaches a predetermined pressure, by closing valve 243b1 and opening valves 243b2, 612, the high-pressure gas stored in tank 242b can be supplied into processing chamber 201 through gas supply pipe 232b and nozzle 249b in one go (in a short time). Also, by closing valves 243b1, 243b2, 243c2 and opening valve 243c1, the gas whose flow rate is adjusted by MFC241b can be temporarily stored in tank 242c. After a predetermined amount of gas is stored in tank 242c and the pressure in tank 242c reaches a predetermined pressure, by closing valve 243c1 and opening valves 243c2, 622, the high-pressure gas stored in tank 242c can be supplied into processing chamber 201 through gas supply pipes 232c, 232b and nozzle 249b in one go (in a short time). Also, by closing valves 243b1, 612 and opening valves 243b2, 611, the gas temporarily stored in tank 242b can be bypassed without passing through processing chamber 201 and exhausted to exhaust pipe 231 through vent pipe 610. Also, by closing valves 243c1, 622 and opening valves 243c2, 621, the gas temporarily stored in tank 242c can be bypassed without passing through processing chamber 201 and exhausted to exhaust pipe 231 through vent pipe 620.

[0018] On the outer periphery of tanks 242b and 242c, heaters 242h1 and 242h2 as the first and second heating parts for heating tanks 242b and 242c are respectively provided. By heating tanks 242b and 242c with heaters 242h1 and 242h2, the gas stored in tanks 242b and 242c can be heated.

[0019] As shown by the dashed lines in Figure 1, a ribbon-shaped heater 232h is wrapped around the outer circumference of the gas supply pipes 232b and 232c, for example, around the outer circumference of the gas supply pipes 232b and 232c upstream and downstream of the tanks 242b and 242c, respectively, as a third heating element to heat them. It is desirable that the heater 232h heats all gas-filled sections to prevent liquefaction due to gas compression or rapid expansion.

[0020] From the gas supply pipe 232a, the first processing gas, which acts as a reactant, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241a, valve 243a, and nozzle 249a. The first processing gas is used as one of the film-forming agents.

[0021] From the gas supply pipe 232b, the second processing gas, which serves as a raw material, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241b, valve 243b1, tank 242b, valves 243b2, 612, and nozzle 249b. The second processing gas, which serves as a raw material, is also supplied from the gas supply pipe 232b into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241b, gas supply pipe 232c, valve 243c1, tank 242c, valves 243c2, 622, and nozzle 249b. The second processing gas is used as one of the film-forming agents.

[0022] Inert gas is supplied from gas supply pipes 232d and 232e into 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. The inert gas acts as a purge gas, carrier gas, diluent gas, etc.

[0023] The first supply system (reactant supply system) mainly consists of gas supply pipe 232a, MFC 241a, and valve 243a. The second supply system (first raw material supply system) mainly consists of gas supply pipe 232b, MFC 241b, valve 243b1, tank 242b, and valve 243b2. The third supply system (second raw material supply system) mainly consists of gas supply pipe 232c, valve 243c1, tank 242c, and valve 243c2. Note that gas supply pipe 232b and MFC 241b may also be considered as part of the third supply system. The inert gas supply system mainly consists of gas supply pipes 232d, 232e, MFC 241d, 241e, and valves 243d, 243e. Each or all of the first to third supply systems are also referred to as the film-forming agent supply system.

[0024] An exhaust port 231a for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201 is provided at the lower part of the side wall of the reaction tube 203. As shown in Figure 2, the exhaust port 231a is located in a position opposite (facing) the nozzles 249a and 249b (gas supply holes 250a and 250b) with the wafer 200 in between, in a plan view. The exhaust port 231a may be provided along the upper part of the side wall of the reaction tube 203, that is, along the wafer arrangement region. An exhaust pipe 231 is connected to the exhaust port 231a. A vacuum pump 246, which is a vacuum evacuation device, is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 via a pressure sensor 245, which is a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure inside the processing chamber 201, and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 244, which is a pressure regulator (pressure adjustment unit). The APC valve 244 can be opened and closed while the vacuum pump 246 is operating to evacuate and stop the vacuum evacuation in the processing chamber 201. Furthermore, while the vacuum pump 246 is operating, the valve opening can be adjusted based on the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 245 to adjust the pressure in the processing chamber 201. The processing gas exhaust system mainly consists of the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 244, and the pressure sensor 245. The vacuum pump 246 may also be considered as part of the processing gas exhaust system. The exhaust pipe 231 from the exhaust port 231a to the vacuum pump 246 constitutes the exhaust flow path.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the APC valve 244 is a so-called butterfly valve. More specifically, the APC valve 244 has a body 300, a valve body 302, a drive shaft 304, and a servo motor 306.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the main body 300 is the component to which the valve body 302, the drive shaft 304, and the servo motor 306 are attached. The main body 300 has a flow path 235 and is connected to the exhaust pipe 231 on both sides of the flow path 235. In other words, the main body 300 is inserted into the exhaust pipe 231.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the valve body 302 is located inside the main body 300. More specifically, the valve body 302 is a plate that rotates with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of the fluid (i.e., exhaust gas) flowing through the exhaust pipe 231. The valve body 302 also changes the conductance of the fluid flowing through the flow path 235 by changing the area projected onto the flow path 235 within the flow path 235 of the main body 300.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the drive shaft 304 is a shaft that extends along the axis of rotation of the valve body 302 and connects the servo motor 306 and the valve body 302. The drive shaft 304 transmits the rotational torque from the servo motor 306 to the valve body 302.

[0029] The servo motor 306 generates torque in the forward rotation direction and torque in the reverse rotation direction under the control operation of the APC controller 247. The servo motor 306 of the APC valve 244 is electrically connected to the APC controller 247 and rotates when power is supplied from the APC controller 247. In addition, the servo motor 306 communicates with the APC controller 247 to transmit the rotation angle of the servo motor 306, in other words, the rotation angle of the valve body 302, which is the opening degree of the flow path 235, to the APC controller 247.

[0030] In this embodiment, the APC valve 244 is preferably, for example, set to a nominal diameter of 150A or more.

[0031] Furthermore, as will be described later, the APC valve 244 is controlled by the controller 121 via the APC controller 247.

[0032] A temperature sensor 263 is installed inside the reaction tube 203 as a temperature detector. By adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263, the temperature inside the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to the desired temperature distribution. The temperature sensor 263 is installed along the inner wall of the reaction tube 203.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the controller 121, which is the control unit (control means), is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d. The RAM 121b, storage device 121c, and I / O port 121d are configured to exchange data with the CPU 121a via an internal bus 121e. An input / output device 122, configured as, for example, a touch panel, is connected to the controller 121. Furthermore, an external storage device 123 can be connected to the controller 121.

[0034] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage device 121c contains, in a readable format, control programs that control the operation of the substrate processing device, and process recipes that describe the procedures and conditions for substrate processing, as described later. The process recipe functions as a program, combining the procedures in the substrate processing described later so that the controller 121 causes the substrate processing device to execute them and obtain a predetermined result. Hereinafter, process recipes and control programs will be collectively referred to simply as "programs." Similarly, process recipes will be referred to simply as "recipes." In this specification, the term "program" may include only recipes, only control programs, or both. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) where programs and data read by the CPU 121a are temporarily held.

[0035] I / O port 121d is connected to the aforementioned MFCs 241a, 241b, 241d, 241e, valves 243a, 243b1, 243b2, 243c1, 243c2, 243d, 243e, 611, 612, 621, 622, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 244, vacuum pump 246, temperature sensor 263, heater 207, rotary mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, etc.

[0036] 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 input of operation commands from the input / output device 122. The CPU 121a is configured to control the flow rate adjustment operation of various substances (various gases) by MFCs 241a, 241b, and 241d, the opening and closing operation of valves 243a, 243b1, 243b2, 243c1, 243c2, 243d, 243e, 611, 612, 621, and 622, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve 244 and the pressure adjustment operation of the APC valve 244 based on the pressure sensor 245, the starting and stopping of the vacuum pump 246, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor 263, the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat 217 by the rotating mechanism 267, and the raising and lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, etc., in accordance with the contents of the read recipe.

[0037] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the aforementioned program (program product), which is recorded and stored in the external storage device 123, onto a computer. The external storage device 123 includes, for example, magnetic disks such as HDDs, optical disks such as CDs, magneto-optical disks such as MOs, and semiconductor memory such as USB memory and SSDs. 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. Note that the program may be provided to the computer using communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without using the external storage device 123.

[0038] Furthermore, the controller 121 can directly control the opening degree of the APC valve 244 via the APC controller 247.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the APC controller 247 receives a signal from the pressure sensor 245 and controls the APC valve 244 based on this signal and the target pressure value or opening command received from the controller 121. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the APC controller 247 supplies power to drive the servo motor 306 of the APC valve 244. The servo motor 306 then changes the angle of the valve body 302 in the flow path 235 based on the power supplied by the APC controller 247. In other words, when power is supplied by the APC controller 247, the servo motor 306 controls the conductance of the exhaust system by driving the valve body 302 installed in the flow path 235 of the exhaust system to change its opening.

[0040] <Substrate Processing Method> Next, a substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 5. Here, as an example of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a cycle processing method in which a source gas (raw material gas) and a reactant (reaction gas) are supplied to a processing chamber 201 will be described. In this embodiment, an example of forming a film on a wafer 200 will be described. More specifically, a film deposition process in which a film is formed on a substrate having recesses such as trenches and holes using a first processing gas and a second processing gas will be described.

[0041] In this specification, the term "wafer" may refer to the wafer itself or to a laminate of a wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. In this specification, the term "surface of the wafer" may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer formed on the wafer. In this specification, when it is stated that "a predetermined layer is formed on the wafer," it may mean that the predetermined layer is formed directly on the surface of the wafer itself or that the predetermined layer is formed on a layer already formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "substrate" has the same meaning as when it is used with the term "wafer."

[0042] Furthermore, the term "agent" as used herein includes at least one of gaseous substances and liquid substances. Liquid substances include mist-like substances. In other words, film-forming agents (raw materials, reactants) may contain gaseous substances, liquid substances such as mist-like substances, or both.

[0043] Furthermore, the term "layer" as used herein includes at least one of continuous layers and discontinuous layers. The layers formed in each of the steps described later may include continuous layers, discontinuous layers, or both.

[0044] Although not shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment of the substrate processing method, the wafer 200 is prepared in advance in the processing chamber 201. Furthermore, the processing chamber 201 is evacuated (reduced pressure exhausted) by a vacuum pump 246 to achieve a desired pressure (vacuum level). The pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is measured by a pressure sensor 245.

[0045] Figure 5 shows the timing of the supply of the first processing gas, the second processing gas, and the inert gas to the processing chamber 201 in this embodiment. More specifically, "first processing gas" in Figure 5 indicates the operation of the valve 243a that supplies the first processing gas. That is, when "first processing gas" is in the "H" state, the valve 243a is open and the first processing gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201, and when it is in the "L" state, the valve 243a is closed and the supply of the first processing gas is stopped. The same applies to "second processing gas" and "inert gas."

[0046] Furthermore, the APC valve opening is shown as a value between 0 and 1. An APC valve opening of "0" means that the APC valve 244 is closed, and the flow path 235 is blocked. An APC valve opening of "1" means that the APC valve 244 is fully open, and the flow path 235 is most open. In other words, in Figure 5, the APC valve opening represents the conductance of the exhaust system as a dimensionless quantity.

[0047] The horizontal axis in Figure 5 represents time, with "0" representing the time when the supply of the second processing gas begins (more precisely, the time when valves 612, 622, etc., are opened).

[0048] As the second processing gas, for example, a second processing gas containing a predetermined element such as tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), cobalt (Co), yttrium (Y), ruthenium (Ru), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), aluminum (Al), or silicon (Si) can be used. One or more of these can be used as the second processing gas. As the second processing gas, a gas obtained by exciting these gases with plasma or the like may also be used.

[0049] As the second treatment gas, for example, a halogen-based second treatment gas containing a predetermined element and a halogen element can be used. Examples of halogen-based second treatment gases include hexachlorotungsten (WCl6), hexafluorotungsten (WF6), titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4), molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl5), molybdenum pentafluoride (MoF5), molybdenum dichloride (MoO2Cl2), molybdenum tetrachloride (MoOCl4), tantalum pentachloride (TaCl5), tantalum pentafluoride (TaF5), cobalt difluoride (CoF2), cobalt dichloride (CoCl2), yttrium trifluoride (YF3), yttrium trichloride (YCl3), ruthenium trifluoride (RuCl3), and ruthenium trifluoride. Gases containing orides (RuF3), hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4), hafnium tetrafluoride (HfF4), zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl4), zirconium tetrafluoride (ZrF4), aluminum trichloride (AlCl3), aluminum trifluoride (AlF3), dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2), 1,2-dichlorodisilane (Si2H4Cl2), 1,1,1-trichlorodisilane (Si2H3Cl3), 1,1,2-trichlorodisilane (Si2H3Cl3), pentachlorodisilane (Si2HCl5), hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6), tetrafluorosilane (SiF4), etc. can be used as the second treatment gas. In addition, for example, monosilane (SiH4), disilane (Si2H6), trisilane (Si3H8), tetrasilane (Si4H 10 A gas containing the following can be used. One or more of these can be used as the second treatment gas.

[0050] Furthermore, as the second processing gas, for example, an organic gas containing a predetermined element and an organic ligand can be used.

[0051] As the first processing gas, for example, a gas containing reducing gas, oxidizing gas, nitriding gas, sulfiding gas, seleniding gas, telluriding gas, etc., can be used. One or more of these can be used as the first processing gas. As the first processing gas, a gas obtained by exciting these gases with plasma or the like may be used. For example, if one of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is a gas containing a predetermined element and the other is a reducing gas, a film composed of a single predetermined element can be formed on the substrate. Also, for example, if one of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is a gas containing a predetermined element and the other is one of oxidizing gas, nitriding gas, sulfiding gas, seleniding gas, or telluriding gas, an oxide film of a predetermined element, a nitride film of a predetermined element, a sulfiding film of a predetermined element, a seleniding film of a predetermined element, or a telluriding film of a predetermined element can be formed on the wafer.

[0052] As the first treatment gas, one or more gases can be used, for example, from among those containing hydrogen (H2) gas, deuterium (D2) gas, borane (BH3) gas, diborane (B2H6) gas, carbon monoxide (CO) gas, ammonia (NH3) gas, monosilane (SiH4) gas, disilane (Si2H6) gas, trisilane (Si3H8) gas, monogermane (GeH4) gas, digermane (Ge2H6), etc. Alternatively, as the first treatment gas, an oxidizing gas containing oxygen (O) can be used. As the oxidizing gas, one or more gases can be used, for example, from among those containing oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O), a mixture of H2 and O2, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitrous oxide (N2O), etc. As the nitriding gas, one or more of the hydrogen nitride-based gases such as ammonia (NH3) gas, diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, and N3H8 gas can be used. As the sulfiding gas, gases containing sulfan (H2S), disulfan (H2S2), diammonium sulfide ((NH4)2S), dimethyl sulfide ((CH3)2S), etc. can be used. One or more of these can be used as the sulfiding gas. As the selenizing gas, gases containing cerane (H2Se), diserane (H2Se2), dimethyl selen ((CH3)2Se), etc. can be used. One or more of these can be used as the selenizing gas. As the tellurizing gas, gases containing terane (H2Te), diterane (H2Te2), dimethyl selen ((CH3)2Te), etc. can be used. One or more of these can be used as the tellurizing gas.

[0053] Examples of inert gases that can be used include noble gases such as helium (He), argon (Ar), neon (Ne), and xenon (Xe), as well as nitrogen (N2). One or more of these can be used as the inert gas.

[0054] Furthermore, within the above-mentioned temperature range, the processing temperature for processing the substrate is, for example, 300-550°C. The processing pressure of the first processing gas is 1-2000 Pa. The supply flow rate of the first processing gas is 0.1-5.0 slm. The processing pressure of the second processing gas is 1-4000 Pa. The supply flow rate of the second processing gas in MFC241b is 0.1-2.5 slm. The inert gas supply flow rate is 0.01-5 slm.

[0055] In this specification, numerical ranges such as "300-550°C" mean that the lower and upper limits are included within that range. For example, "300-550°C" means "300°C or more and 550°C or less." The same applies to other numerical ranges. Also, in this specification, processing temperature refers to the temperature of the wafer 200 or the temperature inside the processing chamber 201, and processing pressure refers to the pressure inside the processing chamber 201. These also apply in the following explanations.

[0056] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, in step A (-2 seconds to 0 seconds), an inert gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. Also, in step A, the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is set to 1. The same procedure applies before -2 seconds as in step A.

[0057] In step B (0 to 2 seconds), the second processing gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. More specifically, the second processing gas is supplied in short pulses for a portion of the duration of step B. Also, as shown in Figure 5, in step B, the opening of the APC valve 244 is reduced for a portion of the duration. In step B, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 temporarily increases, but then returns to the same state as before (state in step A).

[0058] The specific timing of when the second processing gas is supplied in step B, when the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is changed, and the changes in the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 will be described later.

[0059] Step C (2 to 4 seconds) is equivalent to Step A, as shown in Figure 5.

[0060] In step D (4 to 6 seconds), the first processing gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. As a result, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 temporarily increases in step D. However, in step D, the opening of the APC valve 244 is not changed, and the conductance is maintained at its maximum.

[0061] Step E (6 to 8 seconds) is the same as Step A, as shown in Figure 5.

[0062] The series of operations from step A to step E described above is referred to as one cycle. As shown in Figure 5, this cycle is repeated at least once, or more times (two or more times), depending on the thickness of the film to be formed.

[0063] After the above-described film deposition process is completed, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). Specifically, for example, the processing chamber 201 is purged with an inert gas to remove any remaining gases (inert gas purging). Subsequently, the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201 is replaced with an inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). Finally, the substrate processing according to this embodiment is completed by removing the wafer 200 from the processing chamber 201.

[0064] Next, referring to Figure 6, we will explain in detail the operation of the APC valve 244 and the changes in pressure within the processing chamber 201 in step B.

[0065] (Control of the conductance of the exhaust system and the change in pressure in the processing chamber 201 by the controller 121 in the embodiment) Figure 6 shows the change over time between the pressure in the processing chamber 201 and the opening degree of the APC valve 244 when the control operation in this embodiment is performed. Figure 6 also shows the change over time between the pressure in the processing chamber 201 when the control operation in a comparative example of this embodiment is performed.

[0066] In this embodiment, the controller 121 starts supplying the second processing gas at the start of step B. More specifically, at the start time of step B (specifically 0 seconds), the controller 121 opens valves 243b2, 612, 243c2, and 622 (collectively referred to as supply valves hereafter), thereby starting to flow the second processing gas into the processing chamber 201. In this embodiment, the second processing gas reaches the processing chamber 201 0.2 seconds after the supply valves are opened, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 begins to increase. The pressure inside the processing chamber 201 peaks at 0.6 seconds from the start of step B.

[0067] Furthermore, the controller 121 stops the supply of the second processing gas by closing the supply valve after a predetermined time (1 second in this embodiment) has elapsed from the start of step B. The period during which the supply valve is open is called the valve open time. The time from when the second processing gas reaches the processing chamber 201 until the same amount of time as the valve open time has elapsed, that is, the period during which the gas is actually introduced into the processing chamber, is called the flash time.

[0068] Here, the controller 121 changes the opening degree of the APC valve 244 to reduce the conductance in conjunction with the start of step B. More specifically, the controller 121 sets the opening degree of the APC valve 244 to 0.2 from the start of the valve opening time to the start of the flash time. In this embodiment, the change in the opening degree from 1 to 0.2 is started before the start of step B (i.e., step A), and the opening degree is stable at 0.2 at the start of step B.

[0069] Furthermore, the controller 121 increases the opening degree of the APC valve 244 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step B. More specifically, the controller 121 starts increasing the opening degree before the time when the pressure reaches its peak. In this embodiment, the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is increased from 0.2 to 1 from 0.4 seconds to 0.6 seconds after the start of step B.

[0070] Furthermore, when increasing the opening degree of the APC valve 244, the controller 121 slows down the speed at which the opening degree is increased. More specifically, from 0.5 seconds to 0.6 seconds after the start of step B, the controller 121 slows down the speed at which the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is increased compared to the speed at which the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is increased compared to the speed at which the opening degree of the APC valve 244 is increased compared to from 0.4 seconds to 0.5 seconds after the start of step B.

[0071] Furthermore, the controller 121 maintains the APC valve 244 fully open more than 0.6 seconds after the start of step B. During this period, even within the valve open time, the rate of new gas introduction into the processing chamber 201 is significantly reduced, and the proportion of gas generated by the decomposition of the second processing gas (also called reaction product gas, reaction intermediate, or active species) increases compared to the partial pressure of the second processing gas. By fully opening the APC valve 244, the total pressure in the processing chamber 201 is reduced, and the exposure of the reaction product gas to the substrate is also suppressed. As a result, the controller 121 forms a more uniform film on the inner surface of the holes in the substrate.

[0072] (Changes in pressure inside processing chamber 201 in the comparative example) By the way, in the comparative example substrate processing apparatus 100, the controller 121 does not change the opening degree of the APC valve 244 even in step B. In other words, in the comparative example substrate processing apparatus 100, the controller 121 keeps the opening degree of the APC valve 244 fully open.

[0073] (action) In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the controller 121 changes the opening degree of the APC valve 244 at the above-mentioned time, resulting in the following effects.

[0074] In the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, there is a period when the opening of the APC valve 244 is small even after the second processing gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201. Therefore, even if the amount of second processing gas supplied before 0.6 seconds is less than that of the comparative example, it is possible to make the peak pressure inside the processing chamber 201 equivalent to that of the comparative example.

[0075] In the comparative example, a significantly larger supply of gas is required than in this embodiment, causing the pressure downstream of the APC valve 244 and the back pressure of the vacuum pump 246 to rise when the pressure peak is reached. In contrast, in this embodiment, such a pressure rise in the exhaust system is suppressed, so the second processing gas and the gas produced by the decomposition of the second processing gas are exhausted from the processing chamber 201 faster than in the comparative example, 0.6 seconds after the APC valve 244 is opened to its maximum. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 in this embodiment reduces the amount of second processing gas used compared to the comparative example.

[0076] The flash time in Figure 6 is an example of "(a) the process of introducing the processing gas stored in the tank into the processing chamber" in this embodiment. Also, the fact that the APC valve 244 is not opened to its maximum extent during the period from 0.2 seconds to 0.6 seconds in Figure 6 is an example of "(b) the process of maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time after starting the introduction of the processing gas into the processing chamber" in this embodiment. Furthermore, opening the APC valve 244 to its maximum extent after 0.6 seconds in Figure 6 is an example of "(c) the process of maximizing the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber after the predetermined time has elapsed" in this embodiment.

[0077] Furthermore, slowing down the rate at which the controller 121 increases the opening degree of the APC valve 244 from 0.5 seconds to 0.6 seconds after the start of step B is an example of "(b1) the step of reducing the drive speed of the valve body before the APC valve is fully open" in this embodiment.

[0078] By the way, it is preferable that the controller 121 in this embodiment further controls the timing and degree of changing the opening of the APC valve 244 so as to satisfy at least one of the following conditions.

[0079] (Condition 1. Setting the exposure level) The controller 121 ensures that the amount of exposure the substrate receives to the second processing gas and its reaction product gases after the gas pressure inside the processing chamber 201 reaches its peak (hereinafter referred to as "exposure amount") is no more than four times the exposure amount before the gas pressure inside the processing chamber 201 reaches its peak. The exposure amount is calculated by multiplying the component forces of the second processing gas, etc., by the amount of exposure during the period in which the substrate is exposed to the second processing gas. In other words, the exposure amount is the value obtained by integrating the component forces of the processing gas, etc., that are exposed to the substrate over the period in which the processing gas is exposed. The controller 121 controls the exposure amount SL after the pressure peaks to be no more than four times the exposure amount Sf at which the pressure peaks. The exposure amount focuses on the pressure fluctuations in the processing chamber 201 caused by the supply of the second processing gas, and does not consider the degree of decomposition of the second processing gas. Therefore, it can be defined even for gases that do not thermally decompose in the gas phase.

[0080] (Condition 2. Pressure and time settings) The controller 121 sets the time TL, during which the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is 20% or more of the peak value after the gas pressure (total pressure) inside the processing chamber 201 has peaked, to be no more than four times the time Tf, during which the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is 20% or more of the peak value before the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 peaks. Condition 2 can also be described as another expression of Condition 1 for a period during which the partial pressure of the inert gas can be ignored. Referring to Figure 5, in the comparative example, time Tf is 0.28 seconds, and time TL is approximately twice that, 0.55 seconds. However, if the valve opening time is reduced to less than 0.3 seconds for reasons described later, it is considered that Tf will not exceed the valve opening time, and assuming that the valve opening time will be further shortened, it is preferable to specify the Tf / TL ratio as four times or less rather than two times or less. If the ratio exceeds four times, a significant exhaust effect compared to the comparative example cannot be found.

[0081] (Condition 3. Setting the time from process (a) to process (c)) The controller 121 ensures that the time between the start of process (a) and the start of process (c) is 1.3 seconds or less.

[0082] (Condition 4. Setting the exposure amount during flash time) Compared to the case where conductance is maintained at a constant value, the controller 121 increases the peak value of the partial pressure of the second treatment gas and its reaction product gas during the flash time, while reducing the exposure amount after the pressure peaks. In other words, the controller 121 controls the exposure amount SL after the pressure peaks to be smaller than the exposure amount SLc after the pressure peaks when conductance is maintained at a constant value.

[0083] (Condition 5. Setting the exposure amount during flash time) Compared to maintaining a constant conductance, the controller 121 increases the peak value of the partial pressure of the second treatment gas and its reaction product gas during the flash time, while reducing the time it takes for the pressure to reach 1 / e of the peak value (where e is Napier's number).

[0084] (Condition 6. Setting of flow rate and temperature) The controller 121 maintains a flow rate that is sufficient to deliver the second treatment gas to the substrate at a rate sufficient to deliver it before the reaction that decomposes the second treatment gas and generates active species substantially proceeds, during periods when the APC valve 244 is not at its maximum opening. In this embodiment, the temperature at which the second treatment begins the decomposition reaction is lower than the temperature inside the treatment chamber 201. In many cases, the decomposition rate is highly dependent on temperature and time.

[0085] (Condition 7. Settings that provide step coverage) The controller 121 ensures that the step coverage of the film formed on the inner surface of the holes in the substrate is 90% or more during the period after 0.6 seconds in Figure 6 when the APC valve 244 is opened to its maximum degree. Note that in the channel holes of 3D NAND flash memory, the aspect ratio (ratio of depth to diameter) can reach 1000 times.

[0086] (Condition 8. Setting the exposure amount during flash time) The controller 121 increases the peak value or exposure amount of the partial pressure of the second processing gas during the flash time, while decreasing the peak value or exposure amount of the partial pressure of the reaction product gas (active main), compared to when the conductance is maintained at a constant value. The reaction product gas is highly reactive and, when generated in the gas phase, deposits as soon as it reaches the wafer. Therefore, it is thought that the high partial pressure of the reaction product gas causes a decrease in film thickness inside holes where gas cannot easily enter, especially at the bottom of the holes, and an increase in film thickness in the flat areas of the wafer surface.

[0087] (Examples of tests and results) Next, referring to Figure 7, we will explain the film deposition results when the conditions in step B are changed.

[0088] Figure 7 shows the step coverage when various conditions in step B are changed using an apparatus corresponding to the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. More specifically, chlorodisilane was used as the second processing gas, and while keeping the APC valve 244 fully open, the step coverage of the obtained film was evaluated by changing the peak of the partial pressure of the second processing gas, etc., and the opening time of the supply valve (same as the flash time). In each cell, the step coverage is shown in the upper row, and the nominal exposure amount and nominal exposure rate per flash are shown in the lower row. In calculating the partial pressure and exposure amount, the partial pressures of gases other than the second processing gas and its reaction product gas (inert gas, etc.) were considered to be sufficiently small and were ignored.

[0089] The nominal exposure is calculated by multiplying the length of the flash time by the peak pressure value, as described above. For example, in Figure 7, if the flash time is 0.9 seconds and the peak pressure is 230 Pa, the nominal exposure is 207 Pa·s.

[0090] Furthermore, the nominal exposure rate is calculated by dividing the peak pressure value by the length of the flash time, as described above. For example, in Figure 7, if the flash time is 0.9 seconds and the peak pressure is 230 Pa, the nominal exposure rate is 256 Pa / s. Although these test results differ from this embodiment in that the APC valve 244 is kept fully open, they provide some suggestions for conditions suitable for this embodiment.

[0091] For example, good step coverage of 90% or more was obtained only when the flash time was below a certain limit, and it was observed that when the peak partial pressure of the second processing gas, etc., was the same, a shorter flash time tended to result in higher step coverage. This suggests that the partial pressure of the decomposition products increases approximately 0.5 seconds after the start of the flash time, potentially worsening the step coverage, and that it becomes difficult to obtain good step coverage when the flash time exceeds 1 second.

[0092] Furthermore, when comparing samples with similar nominal exposure levels, a tendency was observed for higher step coverage to be associated with higher partial pressure and shorter flash times.

[0093] Furthermore, good step coverage of over 90% was only achieved when the nominal exposure rate was 660 Pa / s or higher, and a tendency for higher step coverage to be observed with higher nominal exposure rates was confirmed. This suggests that, assuming a nominal exposure of 100 Pa·s or higher, it is difficult to obtain step coverage of over 90% when the nominal exposure rate is 250 Pa / s or lower.

[0094] According to this disclosure, one or more of the following effects can be obtained:

[0095] (effect) According to the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, in step B, the partial pressure of the second processing gas decomposed inside the processing chamber 201 can be reduced by opening the APC valve 244 to its maximum degree after 0.6 seconds. In addition, by not opening the APC valve 244 to its maximum degree during the period from 0.2 seconds to 0.6 seconds in step B, the substrate can be exposed to the second processing gas at a high partial pressure. This suppresses the reduction in step coverage caused by the thermally decomposed second processing gas. Furthermore, compared to the case where the conductance of the exhaust channel is maximized from the start of introduction of the second processing gas, the partial pressure of the second processing gas can be increased even with a smaller amount of second processing gas introduced into the processing chamber, thus reducing the consumption of the second processing gas.

[0096] Furthermore, the disclosers in this disclosure have found that the effects of this disclosure can be more significantly achieved by having the controller 121 control the opening degree of the APC valve 244 so as to satisfy conditions 1 through 7.

[0097] Furthermore, as shown in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, conductance is achieved by controlling the opening degree of the APC valve 244. For this reason, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment makes it easier to control the conductance of the exhaust system compared to cases where conductance is controlled by a method other than the APC valve 244.

[0098] The above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once. This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be suitably applied, for example, to forming a film using a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at once. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace. This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be suitably applied to forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace.

[0099] In the above description, the controller 121 was described as part of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 100, but the technology relating to this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the controller 121 may be separated from the substrate processing apparatus 100. In other words, the technology according to this embodiment is also applicable when a processing apparatus that does not have a processing chamber 34 processes a substrate by controlling a separate substrate processing apparatus 100 via a network or the like.

[0100] In the above explanation, a tank was used as an example of a storage section, but it is not limited to this as long as it is a configuration that can store gas. For example, the supply pipe 232b between valve 243b1 and valve 243b2 may be called the storage section. Also, the supply pipe 232c between valve 243c1 and valve 243c2 may be called the storage section.

[0101] The above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once. This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be suitably applied, for example, to forming a film using a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at once. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace. This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be suitably applied to forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace. Moreover, it is not limited to these examples and can be applied to substrate processing apparatuses in general, such as diffusion apparatuses, annealing apparatuses, and oxidation apparatuses.

[0102] Even when using these substrate processing devices, each process can be carried out using the same processing procedures and conditions as described above, and the same effects as described above can be obtained.

[0103] The substrate is not limited to wafers; it may also be a photomask, printed circuit board, liquid crystal panel, compact disk, magnetic disk, etc.

[0104] In addition, the processing that the CPU 121a reads and executes in each of the above embodiments may be executed by various processors other than the CPU 121a. Examples of such processors include PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, and dedicated electrical circuits that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processing, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Furthermore, the processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, and a combination of CPU 121a and FPGAs). More specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors is an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0105] Furthermore, while the above embodiments describe a configuration in which the processing program is pre-stored (installed) on storage, the invention is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form stored on a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Alternatively, the program may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0106] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it is clear that any person with ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs could conceive of various modifications or applications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these too are naturally understood to fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 242b Tank 242c Tank 201 Processing Room

Claims

1. (a) A process of introducing the processed gas stored in the storage section into the processing chamber, (b) After starting to introduce the processing gas into the processing chamber, the step of maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time, (c) After step (b), a step is made to make the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber greater than that in (b), A substrate processing method comprising:

2. The conductance is determined by the opening degree of the pressure adjustment section provided in the exhaust passage. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

3. Step (a) is achieved by opening an on-off valve that connects the storage section and the processing chamber so that fluid can communicate between them. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

4. The time from the start of process (a) to the start of process (c) is 1 second or less. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

5. The exposure amount, defined by the time integral of the pressure of the processing gas after the pressure peak in the processing chamber, is no more than four times the exposure amount before the peak. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

6. The time TL during which the pressure inside the processing chamber is 20% or more of the peak pressure after the peak pressure occurs is no more than four times the time Tf during which the pressure inside the processing chamber is 20% or more of the peak pressure before the peak occurs. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

7. The time from the start of process (a) to the start of process (c) is 1.3 seconds or less. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

8. If the timing of step (a) corresponding to the time during which the on-off valve connecting the storage section and the processing chamber, which allows fluid to communicate, is open is defined as the flash time, The nominal exposure amount, defined as the product of the flash duration and the pressure peak, is 100 Pa·s or more, and the nominal exposure rate, defined by dividing the pressure peak by the flash duration, is 500 Pa / s or more. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

9. If the timing of step (a) corresponding to the time during which the on-off valve connecting the storage section and the processing chamber, which allows fluid to communicate, is open is defined as the flash time, During the flash time, compared to the case where the conductance remains at its maximum, the peak value of the partial pressure of the processing gas in the processing chamber is larger, and the exposure amount, defined by the time integral of the pressure of the processing gas after the peak pressure in the processing chamber, is smaller. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

10. If the timing of step (a) corresponding to the time during which the on-off valve connecting the storage section and the processing chamber, which allows fluid to communicate, is open is defined as the flash time, Compared to the case where the conductance is kept constant during the flash time, the peak value of the partial pressure of the processed gas in the processing chamber is larger, and the time from the peak pressure in the processing chamber until the pressure decreases to 1 / e of the peak (where e is Napier's number) is smaller. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

11. In step (b), maintain a flow rate that is sufficient to deliver the process gas to the substrate before the reaction that generates the active species substantially proceeds. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

12. The above reaction is a decomposition reaction, The temperature at which the processing gas initiates the decomposition reaction in the gas phase is lower than the temperature inside the processing chamber. A substrate processing method according to claim 11.

13. The pressure adjustment unit is an APC valve with a nominal diameter of 150A or more. The substrate processing method according to claim 2.

14. Step (b) further comprises step (b1) of reducing the drive speed of the valve body before the APC valve is fully open. A substrate processing method according to claim 13.

15. The process (a) is repeated multiple times. A substrate processing method according to claim 1.

16. In step (c), the substrate is exposed to the processing gas or reaction product gas of the processing gas introduced in each step (a) to form a film on the inner surface of the holes in the substrate. A substrate processing method according to claim 12.

17. The step coverage of the film formed in step (c) shall be 90% or more. A substrate processing method according to claim 13.

18. (a) A step of starting the introduction of the processed gas stored in the storage section into the processing chamber, (b) After starting to introduce the processing gas into the processing chamber, the step of maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time, (c) After step (b), a step to maximize the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber, A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the same equipment.

19. A processing container having a processing chamber, A processing gas supply system that supplies processing gas into the aforementioned processing chamber, A process gas exhaust system having an exhaust passage for exhausting process gas from the aforementioned processing chamber, An APC valve that changes the conductance of the exhaust passage, (a) A step of starting to introduce the processed gas stored in the storage section into the processing chamber, (b) After starting to introduce the processing gas into the processing chamber, the step of maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time, (c) After step (b), a step of maximizing the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber, A control unit is configured to control the processing gas supply system, the processing gas exhaust system, and the APC valve so as to perform the following actions: A substrate processing apparatus equipped with the following:

20. (a) Procedure for starting the introduction of the processed gas stored in the storage unit into the processing chamber, (b) A procedure for maintaining the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber at a non-zero value for a predetermined time after starting the introduction of the processing gas into the processing chamber, (c) A procedure to maximize the conductance of the exhaust passage of the processing chamber after step (b), A program that a computer instructs a circuit board processing unit to execute.

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