SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, TEMPERATURE MEASURING METHOD, AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL METHOD

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a temperature measurement method, and a temperature control method. The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a chamber providing a processing space, a susceptor on which a substrate can be seated, a heater unit for heating the susceptor, a temperature measurement unit for measuring a temperature of the substrate, and a control unit for controlling the heater unit using the temperature of the substrate. The temperature measurement unit includes a first measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber, a second measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber, a storage unit for storing first data measured by the first measurement unit, second data measured by the second measurement unit, and third data calculated using the first data and the second data, and a determination unit for calculating the temperature of the substrate using the third data. The present invention has an effect of measuring the temperature of the substrate while transferring the substrate outside the chamber, and calculating the temperature when the substrate is inside the chamber based on a reference temperature, thereby controlling the temperature of a means for heating the substrate.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a temperature measurement and control method, and more particularly to a method for measuring the temperature of a substrate discharged from a chamber, calculating the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber using a pre-stored correction value, and controlling a means for heating the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, manufacturing semiconductor devices, display devices, and thin-film solar cells involves a thin-film deposition process for depositing a thin film of a specific material on a substrate, a photo process for exposing or concealing selected areas of the thin film using a photosensitive material, an etching process for removing and patterning the thin film in selected areas, etc. Among these processes, the thin-film deposition process and the etching process are performed in a substrate processing apparatus optimized for a vacuum state.

[0003] In a substrate processing apparatus optimized for a vacuum state, a heating means is used to heat a substrate, and a process gas is supplied to a reaction space of a chamber to perform a thin film deposition process or an etching process. In the substrate processing process, the temperature of the substrate affects the quality of the product, so the temperature of the substrate must be accurately measured and controlled.

[0004] Generally, the temperature of a substrate is measured using a non-contact temperature measuring device such as an optical thermometer. When an optical thermometer is used, foreign matter generated by a reaction of a process gas during a substrate processing process may be deposited on the optical thermometer after a long process. If foreign matter is deposited on the temperature measuring device, it becomes difficult to accurately measure the temperature of the substrate. Therefore, an apparatus and method capable of accurately measuring the temperature of the substrate is required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus, a temperature measuring method, and a temperature control method that are capable of accurately measuring the temperature of a substrate inside a chamber and controlling the temperature of the substrate.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus, a temperature measuring method, and a temperature control method that are capable of calculating a substrate temperature correction value for controlling the substrate temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this object, a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a chamber providing a processing space, a susceptor on which a substrate can be seated, a heater unit for heating the susceptor, a temperature measurement unit for measuring a temperature of the substrate, and a control unit for controlling the heater unit using the temperature of the substrate, wherein the temperature measurement unit may include a first measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber, a second measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber, a storage unit for storing first data measured by the first measurement unit, second data measured by the second measurement unit, and third data calculated using the first data and the second data, and a judgment unit for calculating the temperature of the substrate using the third data.

[0008] In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the third data indicates a difference value between the first data and the second data.

[0009] In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the determination unit can calculate the temperature of the substrate by adding the third data to the second data.

[0010] In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the second measurement unit is preferably disposed in a slot valve.

[0011] In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the second measurement unit may be made up of a plurality of units.

[0012] The temperature measurement method according to the present invention may include the steps of removing a substrate seated inside a chamber, measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber, and determining the temperature of the substrate by reflecting a previously stored correction value to the substrate temperature measured outside the chamber.

[0013] In the temperature measuring method according to the present invention, the step of measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber may include measuring the temperature of the substrate using a slot valve.

[0014] In the temperature measurement method according to the present invention, the compensation value can be generated by a first step of storing first data obtained by measuring the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber, a second step of storing second data obtained by measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber, and a third step of storing third data calculated using the first data and the second data as a compensation value required for temperature measurement.

[0015] In the temperature measuring method according to the present invention, the third data may be calculated based on a difference value between the first data and the second data.

[0016] The temperature control method according to the present invention is characterized in that the temperature of the substrate calculated by the temperature measurement method according to the present invention is used to control the temperature of the means for heating the substrate. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The substrate temperature control device and control method according to the present invention can achieve the effect of making the temperature of the entire substrate uniform by accurately measuring the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber and controlling the means for heating the substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic partial configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of generating a correction value for a temperature measuring method according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flow chart showing a process for generating the first data of FIG. 3 according to the present invention; [Diagram 5] 4 is a flow chart showing a process for generating the second data of FIG. 3 according to the present invention; [Figure 6] 2 is a flow chart showing the steps of a temperature measurement and control method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are merely exemplary for purposes of describing the embodiments of the present invention, which may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0020] Although the present invention can be modified in various ways and has various embodiments, a specific embodiment will be described in detail in the present specification with reference to the drawings. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, and it should be understood that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0021] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, one component may be named a second component, and the second component may be named a first component, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0022] When a component is said to be "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between," "immediately between," "adjacent to," "directly adjacent to," etc., should be interpreted similarly.

[0023] The terms used in this application are merely used to describe certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a disclosed feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, and should be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.

[0025] Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus, a temperature measuring method, and a temperature control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a partial configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

[0026] A substrate processing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 110 having a reaction space, a susceptor 120 provided within the chamber 110 and supporting at least one substrate 10, a heater unit 130 disposed under the susceptor 120 and heating the susceptor 120, a gas distributor 140 provided on the other side of the chamber 110 opposite the susceptor 120 and spraying a process gas, a gas supply unit 150 provided outside the chamber 110 and supplying a process gas to the gas distributor 140, and an exhaust unit 160 for exhausting the inside of the chamber 110.

[0027] The chamber 110 may be configured in a cylindrical shape with a space formed therein for a deposition process on the substrate 10. The chamber 110 may be configured in various shapes according to the shape of the substrate 10. Here, the substrate 10 may be a silicon substrate for manufacturing semiconductors or a glass substrate for manufacturing flat displays. That is, when the substrate 10 is circular, such as a silicon substrate, the chamber 110 may be configured in a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section, and when the substrate 10 is square, such as a glass substrate, the chamber 110 may be configured in a hexahedral shape with a square cross section.

[0028] The susceptor 120 and the gas distributor 140 may be provided facing each other inside the chamber 110. For example, the susceptor 120 may be provided at a lower side of the chamber 110, and the gas distributor 140 may be provided at an upper side of the chamber 110. Also, a substrate inlet / outlet 111 through which the substrate 10 is introduced or removed may be provided at one side of the chamber 110. The chamber 110 may be provided with a gas inlet 151 connected to a gas supply unit 150 that supplies a process gas to the inside of the chamber 110.

[0029] In addition, an exhaust unit 160 may be connected to an exhaust port 112 provided at the bottom of the chamber 110 in order to adjust the internal pressure of the chamber 110 or to exhaust process gases or other foreign matter inside the chamber 110.

[0030] For example, the substrate inlet / outlet 111 may be formed on one side of the chamber 110 to a size large enough for the substrate 10 to enter and exit, the gas inlet 151 may be formed through an upper wall of the chamber 110, and the exhaust port 112 may be formed through a lower wall of the chamber 110 at a position lower than the susceptor 120.

[0031] The susceptor 120 is provided inside the chamber 110, and at least one substrate 10 to be introduced into the chamber 100 is seated on the upper surface of the susceptor 120. The susceptor 120 is provided at a position facing the gas distributor 140. For example, the susceptor 120 may be provided on the lower side inside the chamber 110, and the gas distributor 140 may be provided on the upper side inside the chamber 110.

[0032] The susceptor 120 may be provided with, for example, an electrostatic chuck so that the substrate 10 is seated and supported, and may maintain adhesion to the substrate 10 by electrostatic force, or may support the substrate 10 by vacuum adhesion or mechanical force. The susceptor 120 may be configured in a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate 10, for example, a circular or rectangular shape, and may be manufactured to be larger than the substrate 10.

[0033] A lifting device 121 for moving the susceptor 120 up and down may be provided below the susceptor 120. The lifting device 121 is configured to support at least one region, for example, the center portion, of the susceptor 120, and moves the susceptor 120 closer to the gas distributor 140 when the substrate 10 is seated on the susceptor 120.

[0034] In addition, a heater unit 130 may be installed under or inside the susceptor 120. The heater unit 130 generates heat to a predetermined temperature to heat the substrate 10, thereby facilitating thin film deposition, lamination processes, etching processes, etc. on the substrate 10. A cooling water supply path (not shown) may be provided inside the susceptor 120 to supply cooling water to lower the temperature of the substrate 10.

[0035] The gas distributor 140 is provided at the upper inside of the chamber 110 and injects process gas toward the substrate 10 placed on the susceptor 120. The gas distributor 140 may be manufactured in a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate 10, similar to the susceptor 120. That is, the gas distributor 140 may be manufactured in an approximately circular or rectangular shape.

[0036] A slot valve 221 is disposed outside the chamber 110 in which the substrate inlet / outlet 111 is formed, and a second measuring unit 220 is disposed above the slot valve 221. The second measuring unit 220 may include a plurality of optical thermometers. The second measuring unit 220 may measure the surface temperatures of a plurality of regions of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is transferred out of the chamber 110.

[0037] Meanwhile, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a configuration centered around the chamber 110 shown in Fig. 1, and further includes a temperature measuring unit 200 and a control unit 300 as shown in Fig. 2. The temperature measuring unit 200 includes a first measuring unit 210 for measuring the temperature of the substrate 10 inside the chamber 110, a second measuring unit 220 for measuring the temperature of the substrate 10 outside the chamber 110, a storage unit 230 for storing first data measured by the first measuring unit 210, second data measured by the second measuring unit 220, and third data calculated using the first data and the second data, and a determination unit 240 for calculating the temperature of the substrate using the third data.

[0038] The first measurement unit 210 measures the temperature of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is placed inside the chamber 110, and the second measurement unit 220 is disposed at the upper end of the slot valve 221 and measures the surface temperature of the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is transported outside the chamber 110.

[0039] In the following description, the substrate temperature data measured by the first measuring unit 210 and the second measuring unit 220, respectively, are referred to as "first data" and "second data", respectively. The first data and the second data are stored in the storage unit 230. The determination unit 240 of the temperature measuring unit 200 calculates third data using the first data and the second data stored in the storage unit 230. The third data may be a difference value between the first data and the second data. The third data calculated by the determination unit 240 and stored in the storage unit 230 will be referred to as a "correction value" in the following description.

[0040] The control unit 300 controls the heater unit 130 inside the chamber 110 using the correction value.

[0041] The temperature measurement method according to the present invention is performed after a temperature compensation value is preset, and the process for setting the temperature compensation value is performed as shown in the flow chart of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, this process includes a process (S11) of acquiring first data by measuring the temperature of the substrate inside the chamber, a process (S12) of acquiring second data by measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber, a process (S13) of calculating third data using the first data and the second data, and a process (S14) of storing the third data as a compensation value (temperature compensation value).

[0042] Meanwhile, the process of acquiring the first data is performed as shown in FIG. 4. First, the first substrate is placed on the susceptor 120. A TC wafer can be used as the first substrate. The TC wafer refers to a wafer used to measure the temperature at a specific position of the wafer inside the chamber to obtain temperature data. A number of holes are formed at a certain depth inside the wafer, and thermocouples are embedded inside the holes to measure the temperature according to thermal resistance.

[0043] The configuration disposed on the first substrate to measure the surface temperatures of a plurality of substrate regions corresponds to the first measuring unit 210 of Fig. 2. Meanwhile, the first measuring unit 210 may be implemented by a measuring device capable of measuring the temperature of the substrate at the upper part of the chamber, in addition to using a TC wafer as the first substrate. For example, the first measuring unit 210 may be implemented by disposing a non-contact temperature measuring device such as an optical thermometer adjacent to a gas distributor at the upper inside part of the chamber to measure the temperature of the substrate.

[0044] Since the substrate is placed on a susceptor inside a chamber under the same conditions as in the manufacturing process, it will be called a substrate (S111).

[0045] After the temperature of the chamber 110 is increased to reach a predetermined temperature, the chamber 110 is stabilized (S112).

[0046] After the temperature of the chamber 110 has stabilized, the temperature of the first substrate is measured using the first measuring unit 210 (S113).

[0047] The temperature information of the substrate measured by the first measuring unit 210 is stored as first data in the storage unit 230. For example, assuming that the substrate is divided into four 2×2 regions and the temperatures are measured, the data measured by the first measuring unit 210 is stored in the storage unit 230 as values ​​TP11 to TP22 as follows (S114).

[0048]

number

[0049] Once the temperature measurement is complete, the chamber 110 is cooled and waited until the temperature of the chamber 110 reaches room temperature, and once the temperature of the chamber has stabilized, the first substrate is removed from the chamber 110 (S115), thereby completing the process for generating the first data.

[0050] Meanwhile, the process for generating the second data is performed as shown in Fig. 5. First, the second substrate is placed on the susceptor 120 inside the chamber 110. Here, the second substrate is a substrate for generating the second data required for calculating the correction value, and is called a "substrate" since it is placed on the susceptor inside the chamber under the same conditions as the manufacturing process, similar to the first substrate. The first data is generated by measuring the temperature of the first substrate in the first measurement unit, but the second data can be generated in the second measurement unit (S121).

[0051] After the chamber is heated to reach a predetermined temperature required for the process, the chamber is stabilized (S122).

[0052] After the temperature of the chamber 110 is stabilized, the substrate is lifted up from the upper part of the susceptor 120, and then the slot valve 221 disposed on one side of the chamber is opened (S123).

[0053] The substrate is carried out of the chamber by a vacuum robot or the like through the substrate entrance that opens together with the slot valve 221. The temperature of the substrate is lowered by lifting it up from the susceptor 120, opening the slot valve 221, and moving it by the vacuum robot (not shown) (S124).

[0054] While the substrate is being transferred out of the chamber 110, the second measuring unit 220 disposed on the upper part of the slot valve 221 measures the temperature of the substrate. The second measuring unit 220 may include a plurality of optical thermometers, and the period of the measuring operation may be set in consideration of the time it takes for the substrate to move out of the chamber. For example, when the second measuring unit 220 includes two optical thermometers, the substrate is divided into four regions (2×2) for temperature measurement, and the temperature measuring operation of the second measuring unit 220 may measure the substrate temperature according to the direction in which the substrate moves out of the chamber. That is, during the process of transferring the substrate out of the chamber, the temperature at a first point at a first time point may be measured, and the temperature at a second point at a second time point may be measured (S125).

[0055] The temperature information of the multiple regions of the substrate measured by the second measuring unit 220 is stored as second data in the storage unit 230. Similar to the first data, the process for generating the second data is completed by including a step of storing the temperature data measured by dividing the substrate into four regions as values ​​TR11 to TR22 as follows (S126).

[0056]

number

[0057] The determination unit 240 of the temperature measurement unit 200 calculates third data using the first data and the second data generated in the above-described process. The third data may be a difference value between the first data and the second data.

[0058]

number

[0059] The determination unit 240 of the temperature measurement unit 200 stores the third data as a correction value.

[0060] As described above, after the pre-processing step for calculating the correction value, the temperature measurement and control method is performed in the processing step as shown in the flow chart of FIG.

[0061] After the substrate 10 is placed on the susceptor 120, the chamber 110 is heated so that the temperature inside the chamber 110 can rise. In this case, the substrate means a substrate to be used in a processing process. When the temperature inside the chamber 110 is stabilized, the substrate 10 is lifted up from the susceptor 120, and a slot valve 221 formed on one side of the chamber 110 is opened. The substrate 10 is transferred to the outside of the chamber 110 by a vacuum robot through the opened slot valve 221, and the temperature of the substrate 10 is measured by a second measuring unit 220 disposed on the upper end of the slot valve 221. The second measuring unit 220, which is composed of a plurality of optical thermometers, measures the temperature of a plurality of regions of the substrate 10. This operation is performed in the same manner as the second data generating process. Temperature data (TS11 to TS22) of the substrate transferred to the outside of the chamber can be stored in a memory (S1).

[0062]

number

[0063] Upon completing the temperature measurement of the substrate while being transferred outside the chamber, the control unit 300 reads the compensation value stored in the storage unit 230. The control unit 300 adds the compensation value to the substrate temperature data stored in the memory, thereby calculating temperature values ​​(TSi11 to TSi22) that can be estimated as the temperature when the substrate 10 is inside the chamber 110 (S2).

[0064]

number

[0065] Next, the control unit 300 judges the uniformity of the temperature data for each part of the substrate. The control unit 300 checks whether the temperature difference between each region of the substrate is within the error range. The control unit 300 compares the temperature values ​​(TSi11 to TSi22) calculated by reflecting the correction value to the first data (TP11 to TP22), which are temperature measurement values ​​measured using a TC wafer. As an example, two temperature values ​​(TP11:TSi11, TP12:TSi12, TP21:TSi21, TP22:TSi22) corresponding to the same position on the substrate can be compared. As another method, the average value (AVR TSi ) and determine whether the difference between the temperature values ​​of each region (TSi11 to TSi22) and the average value falls outside a predetermined range. Here, the predetermined range can be set according to the material of the substrate, the purpose of the substrate, the size of the substrate, the deposition conditions of the chamber, etc. (S3).

[0066] The control unit 300 can determine the temperature uniformity or temperature distribution based on the comparison result, and calculate a temperature compensation value for controlling the heater unit using the uniformity of the temperature data. For example, if the value of TSi11 is equal to the average value (AVR TSi ), the control unit can select 10° C. as a temperature compensation value for the heater unit 130, which is a heating means for heating the susceptor 120 under the TSi11 region of the substrate. Through such control, the temperature of the entire substrate can be made uniform (S4).

[0067] As described above, the temperature control method according to the present invention calculates and stores a temperature compensation value in advance, and then measures the temperature while transferring the substrate outside the chamber and reflects the compensation value, thereby calculating the temperature when the substrate is inside the chamber. By using this to control the heater unit, which is a means for heating the substrate, it is possible to achieve the effect of compensating for the temperature of the entire substrate to be uniform.

[0068] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The substrate processing apparatus according to the above-described embodiments can be used in processes for manufacturing flat panel displays and thin film solar cells, in addition to processes for depositing thin films on semiconductor device substrates.

Claims

1. a chamber providing a processing space; a susceptor on which a substrate can be seated; A heater unit that heats the susceptor; a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature of the substrate; a control unit that controls the heater unit using a temperature of the substrate, The temperature measuring unit is a first measurement unit that measures a temperature of the substrate inside the chamber; a second measurement unit that measures the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber; a storage unit that stores first data measured by the first measurement unit, second data measured by the second measurement unit, and third data calculated using the first data and the second data; a determination unit that calculates a temperature of the substrate using the third data; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third data is a difference value between the first data and the second data.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the determination unit calculates the temperature of the substrate by adding the third data to the second data.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second measurement unit is disposed in a slot valve.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second measurement unit is a plurality of second measurement units.

6. removing the substrate seated inside the chamber; measuring a temperature of the substrate outside the chamber; determining a temperature of the substrate by reflecting a correction value already stored in the substrate temperature measured outside the chamber; A temperature measuring method comprising:

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of measuring the temperature of the substrate outside the chamber comprises measuring the temperature of the substrate by a slot valve.

8. The correction value is a first step of storing first data measuring a temperature of the substrate within the chamber; a second step of storing second data measuring a temperature of the substrate outside the chamber; and a third step of storing third data calculated using the first data and the second data as a correction value required for temperature measurement.

9. 9. The temperature measuring method according to claim 8, wherein the third data is a difference value between the first data and the second data.

10. A temperature control method, comprising the steps of: controlling a temperature of a means for heating the substrate by using the temperature of the substrate calculated by the temperature measurement method according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

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