Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

This technology provides the ability to process substrates uniformly. [Solution] The system comprises a processing chamber for processing a substrate, a raw material gas supply unit for supplying raw material gas to the substrate, a reaction gas supply unit for supplying reaction gas to the substrate, a reformed gas supply unit for supplying reformed gas to the substrate, and a control unit configured to control the raw material gas supply unit, the reaction gas supply unit, and the reformed gas supply unit so as to perform the following: (a) a process in which raw material gas is supplied from the raw material gas supply unit to the substrate with the pressure in the processing chamber set to a first pressure, the temperature of the substrate set to a first temperature, the supply flow rate of raw material gas set to a first flow rate, and the supply time of raw material gas set to a first time; (b) a process in which reaction gas is supplied from the reaction gas supply unit to the substrate with the pressure in the processing chamber set to a second pressure, the supply flow rate of reaction gas set to a second flow rate, and the supply time of reaction gas set to a second time; and (c) a process in which reformed gas is supplied from the reformed gas supply unit to the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In one of the semiconductor device manufacturing processes, a substrate is carried into a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus, activated using plasma with raw material gas and reaction gas supplied into the processing chamber, and various films such as an insulating film, a semiconductor film, and a conductor film are formed on the substrate, or various films are removed. Plasma is used to promote the reaction of the thin film to be deposited, remove impurities from the thin film, or assist the chemical reaction of the film formation raw material (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, with the stepwise miniaturization in semiconductor device manufacturing, it has become necessary to process the substrate at a lower temperature. For this reason, in order to uniformly process a predetermined film to be processed, a solution method such as increasing the high-frequency power serving as a plasma source has been considered. However, when the high-frequency power is increased, it may become difficult to uniformly process a predetermined film.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of uniformly processing a substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a processing chamber for processing a substrate, A raw material gas supply unit that supplies raw material gas to the substrate, A reaction gas supply unit that supplies reaction gas to the substrate, A reformed gas supply unit that supplies reformed gas to the substrate, (a) A process in which the raw material gas is supplied from the raw material gas supply unit to the substrate, with the pressure in the processing chamber set to a first pressure, the temperature of the substrate set to a first temperature, the supply flow rate of the raw material gas set to a first flow rate, and the supply time of the raw material gas set to a first hour. (b) A process in which the reaction gas is supplied to the substrate from the reaction gas supply unit, with the pressure in the processing chamber set to a second pressure, the supply flow rate of the reaction gas set to a second flow rate, and the supply time of the reaction gas set to a second time, (c) A process of supplying the reformed gas from the reformed gas supply unit to the substrate, A control unit configured to control the raw material gas supply unit, the reaction gas supply unit, and the reformed gas supply unit so as to perform the following: Technology that includes this feature is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that enables uniform processing of substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in embodiments of the present invention, 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 embodiments of the present invention, and the processing furnace portion is shown in the cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] (a) An enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the buffer structure of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in an embodiment of the present invention. (b) A schematic diagram illustrating the buffer structure of a substrate processing apparatus preferably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]It is a schematic configuration diagram of a controller of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing a control system of the controller in a block diagram. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart of a substrate processing step according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the timing of gas supply in a substrate processing step according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a first modification of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a second modification of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a third modification of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus suitably used in another embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing the processing furnace portion in a longitudinal sectional view. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the timing of gas supply in a substrate processing step according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] <Embodiment of the Present Invention> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0010] (1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus (Heating Device) As shown in FIG. 1, the processing furnace 202 is a so-called vertical furnace capable of accommodating substrates in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and has a heater 207 as a heating device (heating mechanism). The heater 207 has a cylindrical shape and is vertically installed by being supported by a heater base (not shown) as a holding plate. The heater 207 also functions as an activation mechanism (excitation unit) for activating (exciting) gas with heat, as will be described later.

[0011] (Processing chamber) 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), silicon carbide (SiC), or silicon nitride (SiN), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with the upper end closed and the lower end open. Below the reaction tube 203, a manifold (inlet flange) 209 is arranged concentrically with the reaction tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal such as stainless steel (SUS), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with the upper and lower ends open. The upper end of the manifold 209 is engaged with the lower end of the reaction tube 203 and is configured to support the reaction tube 203. An O-ring 220a as a seal member is provided between the manifold 209 and the reaction tube 203. When the manifold 209 is supported by the heater base, the reaction tube 203 is installed vertically. Mainly, the reaction tube 203 and the manifold 209 constitute a processing container (reaction container). A processing chamber 201 is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion inside the processing container. The processing chamber 201 is configured to accommodate wafers 200 as a plurality of substrates. Note that the processing container is not limited to the above configuration, and in some cases, only the reaction tube 203 may be referred to as the processing container.

[0012] In the processing chamber 201, nozzles 249a and 249b are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209. Gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are respectively connected to the nozzles 249a and 249b. Thus, two nozzles 249a and 249b and two gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are provided in the reaction tube 203, enabling the supply of a plurality of types of gases into the processing chamber 201.

[0013] Gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are equipped with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, mass flow controllers (MFCs) 241a and 241b, which are flow control devices (flow control units), and valves 243a and 243b, which are on-off valves. Downstream of valves 243a and 243b in gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, gas supply pipes 232c and 232d, which supply inert gas, are connected, respectively. Gas supply pipes 232c and 232d are equipped with, in order from the upstream side of the gas flow, MFCs 241c and 241d, and valves 243c and 243d, respectively.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle 249a is provided in the space between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the wafer 200, extending upward from the lower part of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 towards the wafer 200 in the stacking direction. In other words, the nozzle 249a is provided in the area that horizontally surrounds the wafer array area (placement area) where the wafers 200 are arranged (placed), and is provided along the wafer array area. That is, the nozzle 249a is provided on the side of the edge (periphery) of each wafer 200 that has been brought into the processing chamber 201, in a direction perpendicular to the surface (flat surface) of the wafer 200. A gas supply hole 250a for supplying gas is provided on the side of the nozzle 249a. The gas supply hole 250a opens so as to face the center of the reaction tube 203, making it possible to supply gas toward the wafer 200. Multiple gas supply holes 250a are provided extending from the lower to the upper part of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area and arranged at the same opening pitch.

[0015] A nozzle 249b is connected to the tip of the gas supply pipe 232b. The nozzle 249b is located within the buffer chamber 237, which is a gas dispersion space. As shown in Figure 2, the buffer chamber 237 is located in an annular space in plan view between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 and the wafer 200, and extends from the lower to the upper part of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203, along the direction of wafer 200 stacking. That is, the buffer chamber 237 is formed by a buffer structure 300 that is aligned with the wafer array region and horizontally surrounds the wafer array region on the side of the wafer array region. The buffer structure 300 is made of an insulator such as quartz, and gas supply ports 302 and 304 for supplying gas are formed on the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 300. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the gas supply ports 302 and 304 are positioned opposite the plasma generation regions 224a and 224b between the rod-shaped electrodes 269 and 270, and between the rod-shaped electrodes 270 and 271, respectively, and are positioned to face the center of the reaction tube 203, making it possible to supply gas toward the wafer 200. Multiple gas supply ports 302 and 304 are provided from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area and being provided at the same opening pitch.

[0016] The nozzle 249b is positioned along the upper part of the inner wall of the reaction tube 203, rising upward in the direction of wafer 200 stacking. Specifically, the nozzle 249b is positioned inside the buffer structure 300, in a region that horizontally surrounds the wafer array region where the wafers 200 are arranged, and is aligned with the wafer array region. In other words, the nozzle 249b is positioned on the side of the edge of the wafer 200 that has been brought into the processing chamber 201, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 200. A gas supply hole 250b for supplying gas is provided on the side of the nozzle 249b. The gas supply hole 250b opens toward the wall surface formed radially to the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 300, making it possible to supply gas toward the wall surface. As a result, the reaction gas is dispersed within the buffer chamber 237 and does not directly blow onto the rod electrodes 269-271, thereby suppressing the generation of particles. Similar to the gas supply holes 250a, multiple gas supply holes 250b are provided extending from the lower to the upper part of the reaction tube 203.

[0017] In this embodiment, gas is transported via nozzles 249a, 249b and buffer chamber 237, which are arranged in a cylindrical space, i.e., within an annular, vertically elongated space defined in plan view by the inner wall of the side wall of the reaction tube 203 and the edges of the multiple wafers 200 arranged inside the reaction tube 203. Gas is then ejected into the reaction tube 203 for the first time near the wafers 200 from gas supply holes 250a, 250b and gas supply ports 302, 304, respectively, which are opened in nozzles 249a, 249b and buffer chamber 237. The main gas flow within the reaction tube 203 is in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafers 200, i.e., horizontally. With this configuration, gas can be supplied uniformly to each wafer 200, making it possible to improve the uniformity of the film thickness formed on each wafer 200. The gas that flows over the surface of the wafer 200, i.e., the residual gas after the reaction, flows toward the exhaust port, i.e., the exhaust pipe 231 described later. However, the direction of this residual gas flow is determined appropriately by the position of the exhaust port and is not limited to the vertical direction.

[0018] From the gas supply pipe 232a, a silane raw material gas containing a predetermined element, such as silicon (Si) as the predetermined element, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241a, valve 243a, and nozzle 249a.

[0019] The raw material gas refers to a raw material in a gaseous state, such as a gas obtained by vaporizing a raw material that is in a liquid state at room temperature and pressure, or a raw material that is in a gaseous state at room temperature and pressure. In this specification, the term "raw material" may mean "liquid raw material in a liquid state," "raw material gas in a gaseous state," or both.

[0020] As a silane feedstock gas, for example, a feedstock gas containing Si and halogen elements, i.e., a halosilane feedstock gas, can be used. A halosilane feedstock is a silane feedstock having halogen groups. The halogen elements include at least one selected from the group consisting of chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). In other words, a halosilane feedstock contains at least one halogen group selected from the group consisting of chloro, fluoro, bromo, and iodo groups. A halosilane feedstock can also be considered a type of halide.

[0021] As the halosilane feedstock gas, for example, a feedstock gas containing Si and Cl, i.e., a chlorosilane feedstock gas, can be used. As the chlorosilane feedstock gas, for example, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviation: DCS) gas can be used.

[0022] From the gas supply pipe 232b, a nitrogen (N)-containing gas, which is a reactant containing elements different from the predetermined elements mentioned above, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241b, valve 243b, and nozzle 249b. As the N-containing gas, for example, a hydrogen nitride-based gas can be used. A hydrogen nitride-based gas can be described as a substance composed of only two elements, N and H, and acts as a nitride gas, i.e., an N source. As a hydrogen nitride-based gas, for example, ammonia (NH3) gas can be used.

[0023] From gas supply pipes 232c and 232d, an inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via MFCs 241c and 241d, valves 243c and 243d, gas supply pipes 232a and 232b, and nozzles 249a and 249b, respectively.

[0024] The raw material supply system, which serves as the first gas supply system, is mainly composed of gas supply pipes 232a, MFC 241a, and valve 243a. The reactant supply system, which serves as the second gas supply system, is mainly composed of gas supply pipes 232b, MFC 241b, and valve 243b. The inert gas supply system is mainly composed of gas supply pipes 232c, 232d, MFC 241c, 241d, and valves 243c, 243d. The raw material supply system, reactant supply system, and inert gas supply system are collectively referred to simply as the gas supply system (gas supply section).

[0025] (Plasma generation section) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, three elongated rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 made of a conductive material are arranged in the buffer chamber 237 from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203 along the stacking direction of the wafer 200. Each of the rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 is positioned parallel to the nozzle 249b. Each of the rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 is protected by being covered by an electrode protection tube 275 from the top to the bottom. The rod-shaped electrodes 269 and 271, located at both ends, are connected to the high-frequency power supply 273 via a matching unit 272, while the rod-shaped electrodes 270 are connected to and grounded to earth, which is the reference potential. In other words, rod electrodes connected to the high-frequency power supply 273 and rod electrodes that are grounded are arranged alternately, and rod electrode 270, positioned between rod electrodes 269 and 271 connected to the high-frequency power supply 273, is used as a grounded rod electrode in common with rod electrodes 269 and 271. To put it another way, the grounded rod electrode 270 is positioned between adjacent rod electrodes 269 and 271 connected to the high-frequency power supply 273, and rod electrodes 269 and 270, and similarly rod electrode 271 and 270, are configured to form pairs to generate plasma. That is, the grounded rod electrode 270 is used in common with rod electrodes 269 and 271 connected to two adjacent high-frequency power supplies 273. Then, by applying high-frequency (RF) power from the high-frequency power supply 273 to the rod electrodes 269 and 271, plasma is generated in the plasma generation region 224a between the rod electrodes 269 and 270 and the plasma generation region 224b between the rod electrodes 270 and 271. The plasma generation unit (plasma generation device) as a plasma source mainly consists of the rod electrodes 269, 270, 271 and the electrode protection tube 275. The matching unit 272 and the high-frequency power supply 273 may also be considered as part of the plasma source. As will be described later, the plasma source functions as a plasma excitation unit (activation mechanism) that excites (activates) the gas into a plasma state.

[0026] The electrode protection tube 275 is designed to allow each of the rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 to be inserted into the buffer chamber 237 while being isolated from the atmosphere inside the buffer chamber 237. If the O2 concentration inside the electrode protection tube 275 is about the same as the O2 concentration in the outside air (atmosphere), the rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 inserted into the electrode protection tube 275 will be oxidized by the heat from the heater 207. Therefore, by filling the inside of the electrode protection tube 275 with an inert gas such as N2 gas, or by purging the inside of the electrode protection tube 275 with an inert gas such as N2 gas using an inert gas purging mechanism, the O2 concentration inside the electrode protection tube 275 can be reduced, and oxidation of the rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, and 271 can be prevented.

[0027] (Exhaust section) The reaction tube 203 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201. The exhaust pipe 231 is connected to a vacuum pump 246, which acts as a vacuum evacuation device, via a pressure sensor 245 (pressure detection unit) and an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 244 (pressure adjustment unit). The APC valve 244 is configured to allow for vacuum evacuation and stopping of vacuum evacuation in the processing chamber 201 by opening and closing the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. Furthermore, while the vacuum pump 246 is operating, the valve opening can be adjusted based on the pressure information detected by the pressure sensor 245 to adjust the pressure inside the processing chamber 201. The 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 exhaust system. The exhaust pipe 231 is not limited to being installed in the reaction tube 203; it may also be installed in the manifold 209, similar to the nozzles 249a and 249b.

[0028] 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 configured to abut the lower end of the manifold 209 from the vertically downward side. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal 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 abuts the lower end of the manifold 209. On the side of the seal cap 219 opposite the processing chamber 201, a rotating mechanism 267 for rotating the boat 217, which will be described later, 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 installed vertically outside the reaction tube 203 as a lifting mechanism. The boat elevator 115 is configured to allow the boat 217 to be moved in and out of the processing chamber 201 by raising and lowering the seal cap 219. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transport device (transport mechanism) for transporting the boat 217, i.e., the wafer 200, in and out of the processing chamber 201. Below the manifold 209, there is a shutter 219s which serves as a furnace opening cover that can airtightly close the lower end opening of the manifold 209 while the seal cap 219 is being lowered by the boat elevator 115. The shutter 219s is made of a metal such as SUS and is formed in a disc shape. An O-ring 220c is provided on the upper surface of the shutter 219s which serves as a sealing member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 209. The opening and closing operation of the shutter 219s (such as raising and lowering operation and rotation operation) is controlled by the shutter opening and closing mechanism 115s.

[0029] (Substrate support) As shown in Figure 1, 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 multiple layers, that is, arranged with predetermined intervals between them. The boat 217 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC. Below the boat 217, multiple layers of heat-insulating plates 218, also made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or SiC, are supported.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, 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, similar to the nozzles 249a and 249b.

[0031] (Control device) Next, the control unit will be explained using Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the controller 121, which is the control unit (control device), 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.

[0032] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk 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 the film deposition process described later. The process recipe is a combination of steps in various processes (film deposition processes) described later that cause the controller 121 to execute and obtain predetermined results; it functions as a program. 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 a recipe, only a control program, 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.

[0033] I / O port 121d is connected to the MFCs 241a to 241d, valves 243a to 243d, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 244, vacuum pump 246, heater 207, temperature sensor 263, matching unit 272, high-frequency power supply 273, rotary mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s, etc.

[0034] 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 rotation mechanism 267, the flow rate adjustment operation of various gases by MFCs 241a to 241d, the opening and closing operation of valves 243a to 243d, the adjustment operation of the high-frequency power supply 273 based on impedance monitoring, 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 forward and reverse rotation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267, the rotation angle and rotation speed adjustment operation, 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.

[0035] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program, stored in an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 123, onto a computer. 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. In this specification, the term recording media may include only the storage device 121c, only the external storage device 123, or both. 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.

[0036] (2) Substrate processing process Next, the process of forming a thin film on a wafer 200 as one step in the semiconductor device manufacturing process using the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 121.

[0037] This section describes an example in which a silicon nitride film (SiN film) containing Si and N is formed on a wafer 200 by performing the steps of supplying DCS gas as a raw material gas and supplying plasma-excited NH3 gas as a reaction gas a predetermined number of times (one or more) non-simultaneously, i.e., without synchronization. Furthermore, for example, a predetermined film may be formed on the wafer 200 beforehand. Also, a predetermined pattern may be formed on the wafer 200 or the predetermined film beforehand.

[0038] In this specification, the process flow of the film deposition process shown in Figure 6 may also be shown as follows for convenience. The same notation will be used in the following descriptions of modifications and other embodiments.

[0039] (DCS→NH3 * ) × n ⇒ SiN

[0040] 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 a 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, the phrase "form a predetermined layer on a wafer" may refer to directly forming a predetermined layer on the surface of the wafer itself or to forming a predetermined layer on top of a layer already formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "substrate" has the same meaning as the term "wafer."

[0041] (Loading step: S1) When multiple wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217 (wafer charging), the shutter 219s is moved by the shutter opening / closing mechanism 115s, opening the lower end opening of the manifold 209 (shutter opening). Then, as shown in Figure 1, the boat 217 supporting the multiple wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and transported into the processing chamber 201 (boat loading). In this state, the seal cap 219 seals the lower end of the manifold 209 via the O-ring 220b.

[0042] (Pressure and temperature adjustment step: S2) The processing chamber 201, i.e., the space where the wafer 200 is located, is evacuated (reduced pressure exhausted) by the vacuum pump 246 so that it reaches the desired pressure (vacuum level). At this time, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the APC valve 244 is feedback-controlled based on this measured pressure information. The vacuum pump 246 is kept running continuously, at least until the film deposition step described later is completed.

[0043] Furthermore, the wafer 200 inside the processing chamber 201 is heated by the heater 207 to reach a desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the processing chamber 201 has a desired temperature distribution. Heating of the processing chamber 201 by the heater 207 is continued at least until the film deposition step described later is completed. However, if the film deposition step is performed under temperature conditions below room temperature, heating of the processing chamber 201 by the heater 207 is not required. In addition, if processing is performed only at such temperatures, the heater 207 is not required, and it is not necessary to install the heater 207 in the substrate processing apparatus. In this case, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus can be simplified.

[0044] Next, the rotation of the boat 217 and wafer 200 by the rotating mechanism 267 is started. The rotation of the boat 217 and wafer 200 by the rotating mechanism 267 is continued at least until the film deposition step is completed.

[0045] (Film deposition steps: S3, S4, S5, S6) Subsequently, the film deposition step is performed by sequentially executing steps S3, S4, S5, and S6.

[0046] (Raw material gas supply step: S3, S4) In step S3, DCS gas is supplied to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201.

[0047] Valve 243a is opened, and DCS gas flows into the gas supply pipe 232a. The flow rate of the DCS gas is regulated by MFC 241a and supplied to the processing chamber 201 through the gas supply hole 250a via nozzle 249a, and exhausted through exhaust pipe 231. At the same time, valve 243c is opened, and N2 gas flows into the gas supply pipe 232c. The flow rate of the N2 gas is regulated by MFC 241c and supplied to the processing chamber 201 together with the DCS gas, and exhausted through exhaust pipe 231.

[0048] Furthermore, to suppress the intrusion of DCS gas into nozzle 249b, valve 243d is opened and N2 gas is flowed into gas supply pipe 232d. The N2 gas is supplied into processing chamber 201 via gas supply pipe 232b and nozzle 249b, and exhausted from exhaust pipe 231.

[0049] The supply flow rate of the DCS gas controlled by MFC241a shall be, for example, within the range of 1 sccm or more and 6000 sccm or less, preferably 2000 sccm or more and 3000 sccm or less. The supply flow rates of the N2 gas controlled by MFC241c and 241d shall be, for example, within the range of 100 sccm or more and 10000 sccm or less, respectively. The pressure inside the processing chamber 201 shall be, for example, within the range of 1 Pa or more and 2666 Pa or less, preferably 665 Pa or more and 1333 Pa. The time for which the wafer 200 is exposed to the DCS gas shall be, for example, within the range of 1 second or more and 10 seconds or less, preferably 1 second or more and 3 seconds or less.

[0050] The heater 207 is set to a temperature such that the wafer 200 temperature is, for example, between 0°C and 700°C, preferably between room temperature (25°C) and 550°C, and more preferably between 40°C and 500°C. As in this embodiment, by setting the wafer 200 temperature to 700°C or lower, more specifically to 550°C or lower, and more specifically to 500°C or lower, the amount of heat applied to the wafer 200 can be reduced, and the thermal history of the wafer 200 can be controlled effectively.

[0051] By supplying DCS gas to the wafer 200 under the conditions described above, a Si-containing layer with a thickness of, for example, less than one atomic layer (one molecular layer) to several atomic layers (several molecular layers) is formed on the wafer 200 (surface underlayer). The Si-containing layer may be a Si layer, an adsorption layer of DCS, or may contain both.

[0052] Here, a layer with a thickness of less than one atomic layer (one molecular layer) refers to an atomic layer (molecular layer) that is formed discontinuously, while a layer with a thickness of one atomic layer (one molecular layer) refers to an atomic layer (molecular layer) that is formed continuously. The Si-containing layer may include both a Si layer and a DCS adsorption layer. However, as mentioned above, expressions such as "one atomic layer" and "several atomic layers" will be used for the Si-containing layer, and "atomic layer" will be used synonymously with "molecular layer."

[0053] If the thickness of the Si-containing layer formed on the wafer 200 exceeds several atomic layers, the modification effect in the modification process described later will not reach the entire Si-containing layer. Furthermore, the minimum thickness of the Si-containing layer that can be formed on the wafer 200 is less than one atomic layer. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the Si-containing layer be less than one atomic layer to several atomic layers.

[0054] After the Si-containing layer is formed, valve 243a is closed to stop the supply of DCS gas into the processing chamber 201. At this time, APC valve 244 is left open, and the processing chamber 201 is evacuated using vacuum pump 246 to remove any unreacted DCS gas or reaction by-products that have contributed to the formation of the Si-containing layer remaining in the processing chamber 201 (S4). Valves 243c and 243d are left open to maintain the supply of N2 gas into the processing chamber 201. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas. This step S4 may be omitted.

[0055] In addition to DCS gas, the raw material gases include tetrakisdimethylaminosilane (Si[N(CH3)2]4, abbreviated as 4DMAS) gas, trisdimethylaminosilane (Si[N(CH3)2]3H, abbreviated as 3DMAS) gas, bisdimethylaminosilane (Si[N(CH3)2]2H2, abbreviated as BDMAS) gas, bisdiethylaminosilane (Si[N(C2H5)2]2H2, abbreviated as BDEAS) gas, bis-diethylaminosilane (SiH2[NH(C4H9)]2, abbreviated as BTBAS) gas, dimethylaminosilane (DMAS) gas, diethylaminosilane (DEAS) gas, dipropylaminosilane (DPAS) gas, and diisopropylaminosilane (DIPAS) gas. Various aminosilane feedstock gases such as gas, butylaminosilane (BAS) gas, and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) gas, as well as inorganic halosilane feedstock gases such as monochlorosilane (SiH3Cl, abbreviated as MCS) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl3, abbreviated as TCS) gas, tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4, abbreviated as STC) gas, hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS) gas, and octachlorotrisilane (Si3Cl8, abbreviated as OCTS) gas, and halogen-free inorganic silane feedstock gases such as monosilane (SiH4, abbreviated as MS) gas, disilane (Si2H6, abbreviated as DS) gas, and trisilane (Si3H8, abbreviated as TS) gas can be suitably used.

[0056] In addition to N2 gas, noble gases such as Ar gas, He gas, Ne gas, and Xe gas can be used as inert gases.

[0057] (Reaction gas supply step: S5, S6) After the film deposition process is completed, plasma-excited NH3 gas is supplied as a reaction gas to the wafer 200 in the processing chamber 201 (S5).

[0058] In this step, the opening and closing of valves 243b to 243d is controlled using the same procedure as the opening and closing of valves 243a, 243c, and 243d in step S3. The NH3 gas flow rate is adjusted by MFC 241b and supplied into the buffer chamber 237 via nozzle 249b. At this time, high-frequency power is supplied between the rod electrodes 269, 270, and 271. The NH3 gas supplied into the buffer chamber 237 is excited to a plasma state (activated by plasma formation), and the active species (NH3 * It is supplied into the processing chamber 201 as ) and exhausted through the exhaust pipe 231.

[0059] The NH3 gas supply flow rate controlled by the MFC241b shall be, for example, within the range of 100 sccm or more and 10,000 sccm or less, preferably 1,000 sccm or more and 2,000 sccm or less. The high-frequency power applied to the rod electrodes 269, 270, and 271 shall be, for example, within the range of 50 W or more and 600 W or less. The pressure inside the processing chamber 201 shall be, for example, within the range of 1 Pa or more and 500 Pa or less. By using plasma, it is possible to activate the NH3 gas even at such a relatively low pressure range inside the processing chamber 201. The time for supplying the active species obtained by plasma excitation of the NH3 gas to the wafer 200, i.e., the gas supply time (irradiation time), shall be, for example, within the range of 1 second or more and 180 seconds or less, preferably 1 second or more and 60 seconds or less. Other processing conditions shall be the same as the processing conditions in S3 described above.

[0060] Under the conditions described above, supplying NH3 gas to wafer 200 causes the Si-containing layer formed on wafer 200 to undergo plasma nitriding. During this process, the energy of the plasma-excited NH3 gas breaks the Si-Cl and Si-H bonds in the Si-containing layer. The Cl and H atoms, having been released from their bonds with Si, are then released from the Si-containing layer. The Si in the Si-containing layer, now possessing dangling bonds due to the release of Cl and other atoms, then bonds with the N contained in the NH3 gas, forming Si-N bonds. As this reaction progresses, the Si-containing layer is transformed (modified) into a layer containing Si and N, i.e., a silicon nitride layer (SiN layer).

[0061] Furthermore, in order to modify the Si-containing layer into a SiN layer, it is necessary to supply NH3 gas in a plasma-excited state. This is because, even if NH3 gas is supplied in a non-plasma atmosphere, the energy required to nitride the Si-containing layer is insufficient at the aforementioned temperature range, making it difficult to sufficiently desorb Cl and H from the Si-containing layer or to sufficiently nitride the Si-containing layer to increase the Si-N bond.

[0062] After the Si-containing layer is changed to a SiN layer, valve 243b is closed to stop the supply of NH3 gas. The supply of high-frequency power between the rod electrodes 269, 270, and 271 is also stopped. Then, using the same processing procedure and conditions as in step S4, any remaining NH3 gas and reaction by-products in the processing chamber 201 are removed (S6). Note that step S6 may be omitted.

[0063] As the nitride, i.e., the NH3-containing gas used to excite the plasma, in addition to NH3 gas, diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, N3H8 gas, etc. may also be used.

[0064] As the inert gas, in addition to N2 gas, various noble gases as exemplified in step S4 can be used.

[0065] (Performed the prescribed number of times: S7) Performing steps S3, S4, S5, and S6 described above in this order non-simultaneously, that is, without synchronization, constitutes one cycle. By performing this cycle a predetermined number of times (n times), i.e., one or more times (S7), a SiN film of a predetermined composition and predetermined thickness can be formed on the wafer 200. It is preferable to repeat the above cycle multiple times. That is, it is preferable to make the thickness of the SiN layer formed per cycle smaller than the desired thickness, and to repeat the above cycle multiple times until the thickness of the SiN film formed by stacking the SiN layers reaches the desired thickness.

[0066] (Atmospheric pressure return step: S8) Once the above-described film formation process is complete, N2 gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201 as an inert gas from gas supply pipes 232c and 232d, respectively, and exhausted from exhaust pipe 231. This purges the processing chamber 201 with inert gas, removing any remaining gases (inert gas purging). Subsequently, the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201 is replaced with inert gas (inert gas replacement), and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is returned to atmospheric pressure (S8).

[0067] (Removal step: S9) Subsequently, the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115, opening the lower end of the manifold 209, and the processed wafers 200, supported by the boat 217, are unloaded from the lower end of the manifold 209 to the outside of the reaction tube 203 (boat unloading) (S9). After boat unloading, the shutters 219s are moved, and the lower end opening of the manifold 209 is sealed by the shutters 219s via the O-ring 220c (shutter close). After the processed wafers 200 have been unloaded from the reaction tube 203, they are removed from the boat 217 (wafer discharge). After wafer discharge, the empty boat 217 may be brought into the processing chamber 201.

[0068] (3) Effects of this embodiment According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained. (a) According to this embodiment, by using multiple electrodes, the electrode area can be increased, which in turn increases the amount of active species generated and supplied to the wafer surface, thereby increasing the total amount of active species supplied to the wafer surface. (b) According to this embodiment, by using multiple electrodes, the output can be reduced, making it possible to suppress the generation of particles. (c) According to this embodiment, by using an odd number of electrodes and making the ground electrode common to the high-frequency power supply side electrode, it is possible to reduce the installation space compared to the case where an even number of electrodes is used. (d) According to this embodiment, by providing three electrodes in the buffer chamber, the plasma generation region is divided into two locations, and by providing a gas supply port at a position corresponding to the generation region (between the electrodes), it is possible to increase the amount of active species supplied to the wafer surface. This makes it possible to deposit films in a short time and improve throughput. (e) By providing a plasma generation unit inside the buffer chamber, it becomes possible to supply a certain amount of active species outside the buffer chamber, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the wafer.

[0069] (Variation 1) Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. In this modified example, only the parts that differ from the embodiment described above will be described below, and the parts that are the same will be omitted from the description.

[0070] In the embodiment described above, a buffer structure 300 was provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203, and rod-shaped electrodes 269, 270, 271 and a nozzle 249b, each covered by an electrode protection tube 275, were provided inside the buffer structure 300. In this modified example, however, a buffer structure 400, which has the same configuration as the buffer structure 300, is further provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203.

[0071] Inside the buffer structure 400 are rod-shaped electrodes 369, 370, and 371 and a nozzle 249c, each covered by an electrode protection tube 275. Of the rod-shaped electrodes 369 and 371, the rod-shaped electrodes 369 and 371 located at both ends are connected to the high-frequency power supply 373 via a matching unit 372, while rod-shaped electrode 370 is connected to ground, which is the reference potential, and is grounded. The nozzle 249c is connected to the gas supply pipe 232b and is capable of supplying the same gas as the nozzle 249b. Multiple gas supply holes 250c are provided on the side of the nozzle 249c, extending from the bottom to the top of the reaction pipe 203. The gas supply holes 250c open so as to face the wall surface formed radially to the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 400, and are capable of supplying gas toward the wall surface. Gas supply ports 402 and 404 for supplying gas from the buffer chamber 237 are provided on the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 400. The gas supply ports 402 and 404 are positioned opposite the plasma generation regions 324a and 324b between the rod electrodes 369 and 370, and between the rod electrodes 370 and 371, respectively, and are provided in multiple locations extending from the lower to the upper part of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area and being provided at the same opening pitch.

[0072] The buffer structure 300 and buffer structure 400 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a line passing through the center of the exhaust pipe 231 and the reaction tube 203, with the exhaust pipe 231 in between. The nozzle 249a is located opposite the wafer 200 on either side of the exhaust pipe 231. The nozzles 249b and 249c are located in the buffer chamber 237 at positions far from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0073] In this modified example, two buffer structures equipped with plasma generation units are provided, with each buffer structure 300 and 400 equipped with high-frequency power supplies 273 and 373 and matching units 272 and 372, respectively. Each high-frequency power supply 273 and 373 is connected to a controller 121, enabling plasma control for each buffer chamber 237 of the buffer structures 300 and 400. Specifically, the controller 121 monitors the impedance of each plasma generation unit to prevent uneven distribution of active species in each buffer chamber 237, and independently controls each high-frequency power supply 273 and 373. If the impedance is high, the controller controls the power supply of the high-frequency power supply to increase. This allows for a sufficient amount of active species to be supplied to the wafer even with lower high-frequency power for each plasma generation unit compared to the case with only one plasma generation unit, thereby improving the in-plane uniformity of the wafer. Furthermore, while plasma control is performed by one high-frequency power supply for two plasma generation units, providing a high-frequency power supply for each plasma generation unit makes it easier to detect abnormalities such as disconnections in each plasma generation unit. Furthermore, since the distance between the high-frequency power supply and each electrode becomes easier to adjust, it is easier to suppress differences in RF power application caused by different distances between each electrode and the high-frequency power supply.

[0074] (Modification 2) Next, a modified example 2 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. In this modified example 2, three buffer structures equipped with plasma generation sections are provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203, and two nozzles for supplying raw material gas are provided.

[0075] Inside the buffer structure 500, similar to buffer structures 300 and 400, rod-shaped electrodes 469, 470, and 471 and a nozzle 249d are provided, each covered by an electrode protection tube 275. The rod-shaped electrodes 469 and 471 are connected to a high-frequency power supply via a matching circuit (not shown), and the rod-shaped electrode 470 is connected to ground, which is at a reference potential. The nozzle 249d is connected to a gas supply tube 232b, and is capable of supplying the same gas as the nozzle 249b. Gas supply ports 502 and 504 are provided between the electrodes on the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 500 for supplying gas. The gas supply ports 502 and 504 are positioned opposite the plasma generation region between the rod-shaped electrodes 469 and 470, and between the rod-shaped electrodes 470 and 471, respectively, and face the center of the reaction tube 203. Multiple gas supply ports are provided extending from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area and the same opening pitch. Furthermore, nozzle 249e is connected to gas supply pipe 232a, and is capable of supplying the same gas as nozzle 249a.

[0076] Buffer structures 300 and 400 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a line passing through the center of the exhaust pipe 231 and the reaction pipe 203, with the exhaust pipe 231 in between. Buffer mechanism 500 is positioned opposite the exhaust pipe 231, with the wafer 200 in between. Nozzles 249a and 249e, which supply the raw material gas, are located between buffer structures 300 and 500, and between buffer structures 400 and 500, respectively. Nozzles 249b, 249c, and 249d, which supply the reaction gas, are arranged on the same side within the buffer chamber 237, and the gas supply holes of nozzles 249b, 249c, and 249d open so as to face the radially formed wall surface relative to the arc-shaped wall surface of buffer structures 300, 400, and 500, respectively.

[0077] This modified example 2 also provides the same effects as the embodiment and modified example 1 described above.

[0078] (Variation 3) Next, a third modification of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. In this third modification, four buffer structures equipped with plasma generation sections are provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203.

[0079] Inside the buffer structure 600, similar to buffer structures 300, 400, and 500, rod-shaped electrodes 569, 570, and 571 and a nozzle 249f are provided, each covered by an electrode protection tube 275. Rod-shaped electrodes 569 and 571 are connected to a high-frequency power supply via a matching circuit (not shown), and rod-shaped electrode 570 is connected to ground, which is the reference potential. Nozzle 249f is connected to a gas supply pipe 232b, and is capable of supplying the same gas as nozzle 249b. Gas supply ports 602 and 604 are provided between the electrodes on the arc-shaped wall surface of the buffer structure 600 for supplying gas. The gas supply ports 602 and 604 are positioned opposite the plasma generation regions between the rod electrodes 569 and 570, and between the rod electrodes 570 and 571, respectively, and are arranged facing the center of the reaction tube 203. Multiple ports are provided from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203, each having the same opening area and arranged at the same opening pitch.

[0080] Buffer structures 300, 400, 500, and 600 are provided at equal intervals. Nozzle 249a is provided in a position opposite the exhaust pipe 231, with the wafer 200 in between. Nozzles 249b and 249c are provided on the side of the buffer chamber 237 furthest from the exhaust pipe 231. Nozzles 249d and 249f are provided on the side of the buffer chamber 237 furthest from the exhaust pipe 231, and the gas supply holes of nozzles 249b, 249c, 249d, and 249f open so as to face the radially formed wall surface relative to the arc-shaped wall surface of buffer structures 300, 400, 500, and 600.

[0081] This modified example 3 also provides the same effects as the embodiment and modified example 1 described above.

[0082] <Other embodiments of the present invention> Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. In these embodiments as well, only the parts that differ from the embodiments described above will be described below, and the parts that are the same will be omitted from the description.

[0083] In this embodiment, a gas supply pipe 232e for supplying reformed gas is connected downstream of valve 243b of gas supply pipe 232b. Gas supply pipe 232e is equipped with MFC 241e and valve 243e in order from the upstream side of the gas flow. Downstream of valve 243e of gas supply pipe 232e, a gas supply pipe 232f for supplying inert gas is connected. Gas supply pipe 232f is equipped with MFC 241f and valve 243f in order from the upstream side of the gas flow.

[0084] From the gas supply pipe 232e, a reformed gas, such as hydrogen (H2) gas, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241e, valve 243e, gas supply pipe 232b, and nozzle 249b. From the gas supply pipe 232f, an inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, is supplied into the processing chamber 201 via the MFC 241f, valve 243f, gas supply pipe 232b, and nozzle 249b, respectively.

[0085] Then, as shown in Figure 11, the steps of supplying DCS gas as a raw material gas, supplying plasma-excited NH3 gas as a reaction gas, and supplying plasma-excited H2 gas as a reforming gas are performed non-simultaneously, i.e., without synchronization, for a predetermined number of times (one or more times), thereby forming a silicon nitride film (SiN film) on the wafer 200 as a film containing Si and N.

[0086] (DCS→NH3 * →H2 * ) × n ⇒ SiN

[0087] As described above, the present invention can also be applied when NH3 gas is plasma-excited and supplied to the wafer as a reaction gas from nozzle 249b, and then H2 gas is plasma-excited and supplied, and the same effects as in the embodiments described above can be obtained. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied when there are multiple buffer structures, such as when there are two buffer structures in Modification 1 or three buffer structures in Modification 2, and the same effects as in the embodiments and modifications described above can be obtained.

[0088] Embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0089] For example, the above embodiment described an example in which three electrodes are used as the plasma generation unit, but it is not limited to this, and can also be applied when an odd number of electrodes, such as five or seven, are used. For example, when configuring a plasma generation unit using five electrodes, the two electrodes placed on the outermost position and the one electrode placed in the center, a total of three electrodes, are connected to a high-frequency power supply, and the two electrodes placed between the high-frequency power supplies are connected to ground.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the number of electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side is greater than the number of electrodes on the ground side, and the electrodes on the ground side are common to the electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the number of electrodes on the ground side may also be greater than the number of electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side, and the electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side may be common to the electrodes on the ground side. However, if the number of electrodes on the ground side is greater than the number of electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side, it becomes necessary to increase the power applied to the electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side, which will generate a large amount of particles. For this reason, it is preferable to set the number of electrodes on the high-frequency power supply side to be greater than the number of electrodes on the ground side.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the gas supply ports 302 and 304 formed in the buffer structure have the same opening area and are provided at the same opening pitch. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the opening area of ​​gas supply port 302 may be made larger than that of gas supply port 304. As the number of electrodes in the buffer chamber 237 increases, the plasma generated between the rod electrodes 269 and 270 located far from the nozzle 249b is likely to be less than the plasma generated between the rod electrodes 270 and 271 located closer to the nozzle 249b. For this reason, the opening area of ​​gas supply port 302, located far from the nozzle 249b, may be made larger than that of gas supply port 304, located closer to the nozzle 249b.

[0092] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a configuration in which the same reaction gas is plasma-excited and supplied to the wafer when multiple buffer structures are provided, the invention is not limited to this, and different reaction gases may be plasma-excited and supplied to the wafer for each buffer structure. This makes it possible to control the plasma for each buffer chamber and to supply different reaction gases to each buffer chamber, and it is also possible to reduce unnecessary processes such as purging compared to the case in which multiple types of reaction gases are supplied with a single buffer structure, thereby improving throughput.

[0093] In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the reaction gas was supplied after the raw materials. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the order of supplying the raw materials and reaction gas may be reversed. That is, the raw materials may be supplied after the reaction gas. By changing the supply order, it is possible to change the film quality and composition ratio of the formed film.

[0094] The embodiments described above describe an example of forming a SiN film on a wafer 200. The present invention is not limited to such embodiments and is suitably applicable to cases where a Si-based oxide film such as a silicon oxide film (SiO film), a silicon carbide film (SiOC film), a silicon oxynitride film (SiOCN film), or a silicon oxynitride film (SiON film) is formed on a wafer 200, or when a Si-based nitride film such as a silicon carbonitride film (SiCN film), a silicon boronite film (SiBN film), a silicon borocarbonite film (SiBCN film), or a borocarbonite film (BCN film) is formed on a wafer 200. In these cases, in addition to an O-containing gas, a C-containing gas such as C3H6, an N-containing gas such as NH3, or a B-containing gas such as BCl3 can be used as the reaction gas.

[0095] Furthermore, the present invention is suitably applicable when forming oxide films or nitride films containing metal elements such as titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W), i.e., metallic oxide films and metallic nitride films, on a wafer 200. That is, the present invention is suitably applicable when forming TiO film, TiN film, TiOC film, TiOCN film, TiON film, TiBN film, TiBCN film, ZrO film, ZrN film, ZrOC film, ZrOCN film, ZrON film, ZrBN film, ZrBCN film, HfO film, HfN film, HfOC film, HfOCN film, HfON film, HfBN film, HfBCN film, TaO film, TaOC film, TaOCN film, TaON film, TaBN film, TaBCN film, NbO film It can also be suitably applied when forming films such as NbN films, NbOC films, NbOCN films, NbON films, NbBN films, NbBCN films, AlO films, AlN films, AlOC films, AlOCN films, AlON films, AlBN films, AlBCN films, MoO films, MoN films, MoOC films, MoOCN films, MoON films, MoBN films, MoBCN films, WO films, WN films, WOC films, WOCN films, WON films, MWBN films, WBCN films, etc.

[0096] In these cases, for example, tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (Ti[N(CH3)2]4, abbreviated as TDMAT) gas, tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium (Hf[N(C2H5)(CH3)]4, abbreviated as TEMAH) gas, tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)zirconium (Zr[N(C2H5)(CH3)]4, abbreviated as TEMAZ) gas, trimethylaluminum (Al(CH3)3, abbreviated as TMA) gas, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) gas, hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4) gas, etc. can be used as the raw material gas. The above-mentioned reaction gases can be used as the reaction gas.

[0097] In other words, the present invention can be suitably applied when forming metalloid films containing metalloid elements or metalloid films containing metal elements. The processing procedures and conditions for these film formation processes can be the same as those for the film formation processes shown in the embodiments and modifications described above. In these cases as well, the same effects as those for the embodiments and modifications described above can be obtained.

[0098] It is preferable that the recipes used for film deposition processes be prepared individually according to the processing content and stored in the storage device 121c via a telecommunications line or external storage device 123. When starting various processes, it is preferable that the CPU 121a appropriately selects the appropriate recipe from among the multiple recipes stored in the storage device 121c according to the processing content. This makes it possible to form thin films of various film types, composition ratios, film quality, and film thickness in a general-purpose manner and with good reproducibility using a single substrate processing device. Furthermore, it reduces the burden on the operator and allows various processes to be started quickly while avoiding operational errors.

[0099] The above-mentioned recipes are not limited to newly created ones; they may also be prepared, for example, by modifying existing recipes already installed in the board processing device. When modifying a recipe, the modified recipe may be installed in the board processing device via a telecommunications line or a recording medium containing the recipe. Alternatively, existing recipes already installed in the board processing device may be directly modified by operating the input / output device 122 provided in the existing board processing device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 121 Controller 201 Processing Room 232a Gas supply pipe 232b Gas supply pipe 232e Gas supply pipe

Claims

[Claim 1] A processing room for processing substrates, A raw material gas supply unit that supplies raw material gas to the substrate, A reaction gas supply unit that supplies reaction gas to the substrate, A reformed gas supply unit that supplies reformed gas to the substrate, (a) A process in which the raw material gas is supplied from the raw material gas supply unit to the substrate, with the pressure inside the processing chamber set to a first pressure, the temperature of the substrate set to a first temperature, the supply flow rate of the raw material gas set to a first flow rate, and the supply time of the raw material gas set to a first hour. (b) A process in which the reaction gas is supplied to the substrate from the reaction gas supply unit, with the pressure inside the processing chamber set to a second pressure, the supply flow rate of the reaction gas set to a second flow rate, and the supply time of the reaction gas set to a second time, (c) A process of supplying the reformed gas from the reformed gas supply unit to the substrate, A control unit configured to control the raw material gas supply unit, the reaction gas supply unit, and the reformed gas supply unit so as to perform the following: A substrate processing apparatus equipped with the following:

Images