SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

To prevent the occurrence of abnormalities in processing by storing substrates in the recesses in the rotary table.SOLUTION: An apparatus is configured so that a rotary table in the processing container, a recess on the top surface of the rotary table to contain substrates as they revolve with the rotation of the rotary table, a processing gas supply unit above the rotary table to process each of the substrates by supplying processing gas in a portion of the direction of rotation of the rotary table, and a front exhaust channel whose upstream end opens to the side wall of the recess and whose downstream end opens to the outer circumferential side or top surface of the rotary table for exhausting the inside of the recess, and a rear exhaust channel provided in the processing container and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from the downstream end of the front exhaust channel, are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, various processes are performed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a wafer) which is a substrate. Patent Document 1 describes, as a substrate processing apparatus, a film formation apparatus equipped with a turntable on which a plurality of recesses for storing wafers are provided in the rotation direction, a nozzle for supplying a source gas, and a nozzle for supplying a reactive gas, and ALD is performed in the film formation apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-159248 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can prevent abnormalities in processing when a substrate is stored in a recess in a turntable and processed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: A rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable for accommodating a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess and a downstream end that opens into an outer peripheral side surface or an upper surface of the rotary table in order to exhaust air from inside the recess; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage; 、 The processing gas supply unit includes: a first process gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas to a first process region in the rotation direction of the turntable; a second processing gas supply unit that supplies a second processing gas to a second processing region that is separate from the first processing region in the rotation direction; a separation gas supply unit that supplies a separation gas for separating the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region to a separation region between the first processing region and the second processing region in the rotation direction, the downstream side of the front-stage exhaust passage opens to an outer peripheral side surface of the rotary table, the rear exhaust path is provided in a sidewall of the processing vessel and includes a sidewall suction port provided along a rotation direction of the turntable, the rear exhaust passage includes, in a plan view, a first rear exhaust passage and a second rear exhaust passage formed by dividing, in the rotation direction, an annular flow path provided in a side wall of the processing vessel by a partition member; the first rear-stage exhaust path and the second rear-stage exhaust path each include a first sidewall suction port and a second sidewall suction port as the sidewall suction port, the first sidewall suction port is opened only to the first processing region out of the first processing region and the second processing region so that the first processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is selectively exhausted through the first rear exhaust path; the second sidewall suction port is opened only to the second processing region out of the first processing region and the second processing region so that the second processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is selectively exhausted through the second rear exhaust path; the partition member is located in an extension direction of each of the separation regions as viewed from the rotation center of the turntable, The width of the partition member in a plan view is smaller than the width of the downstream end of the front-stage exhaust passage. Another substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes: A rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable for accommodating a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess and a downstream end that opens into an outer peripheral side surface or an upper surface of the rotary table in order to exhaust air from inside the recess; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage; The processing gas supply unit includes: a first process gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas to a first process region in the rotation direction of the turntable; a second processing gas supply unit that supplies a second processing gas to a second processing region that is separate from the first processing region in the rotation direction; a separation gas supply unit that supplies a separation gas for separating the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region to a separation region between the first processing region and the second processing region in the rotation direction, the rear exhaust path includes a ceiling suction port provided in a ceiling portion of the processing vessel, The downstream end of the front-stage exhaust passage faces the ceiling suction port. Still another substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a rotary table provided in a processing chamber; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable for accommodating a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage formed inside the rotary table, the front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess for exhausting the inside of the recess and only a downstream end that opens into an upper surface of the rotary table; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage; Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, when a substrate is stored in a recess in a turntable and processed, the occurrence of processing abnormalities can be prevented. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical sectional side view of a film forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the film forming apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a rotation table provided in the film forming apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating a gas flow in the film forming apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view illustrating a gas flow in the film forming apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a gas flow in the film forming apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 16] 11 is a vertical sectional side view of a film forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a rotation table of the film forming apparatus. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a ceiling portion of the film forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] [First embodiment] A film forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure will be described with reference to a vertical side view in FIG. 1 and a horizontal plan view in FIG. 2. The film forming apparatus 1 is configured to perform film formation on six wafers W at once by ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition). The film forming apparatus 1 includes a vacuum vessel (processing vessel) 11 having a generally circular planar shape, a circular flat vacuum vessel 11, and a disk-shaped horizontal rotating table 2 provided in the vacuum vessel 11. The vacuum vessel 11 is configured with a top plate 12 forming the ceiling of the vessel, and a vessel body 13 forming the bottom 18 and side walls 19 of the vessel. The center of the bottom 18 is open, and the opening is closed from below by a cover 14.

[0009] A disk-shaped, horizontal turntable 2 is provided within the vacuum vessel 11. The center P of the turntable 2 coincides with the center of the vacuum vessel 11 in a plan view, and the outer peripheral side surface of the turntable 2 is close to the side wall of the vacuum vessel 11. The center of the lower side of the turntable 2 is connected to a rotation mechanism 15 that is surrounded by a cover 14. The rotation mechanism 15 rotates the turntable 2 around a vertical axis with the center P as the center of rotation.

[0010] Six circular recesses 21 for storing wafers W are formed at equal intervals on the upper surface (front surface) of the turntable 2 along the direction of rotation (=circumferential direction of the turntable 2), and are arranged at equal distances from the center of the turntable 2. By arranging them in this manner, the recesses 21 revolve around the center P when the turntable 2 rotates. The diameter of the recesses 21 is slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer W. A circular pedestal 22 is provided on the bottom surface of each recess 21, and the wafer W is horizontally placed on the upper surface of the pedestal 22. The diameter of the upper surface of the pedestal 22 is slightly larger than the diameter of the wafer W, and a gap is formed between the peripheral portion of the wafer W placed on the pedestal 22 and the bottom surface of the recesses 21. The formation of this gap prevents the wafer W from warping when placed on the turntable 2, and prevents the peripheral portion of the wafer W from sliding against the recesses 21.

[0011] A transfer port (not shown) for the wafer W that can be opened and closed is formed in a side wall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11. A lifting mechanism 16 is provided below the bottom 18 of the vacuum vessel 11, and raises and lowers three lifting pins 17 (only two are shown in FIG. 1). The upper ends of the lifting pins 17 move up and down between a position above the pedestal 22 and a position below the rotary table 2 via through holes formed vertically in the bottom 18 of the vacuum vessel 11, the bottom of the recess 21, and the pedestal 22, and transfer the wafer W between the transfer mechanism that has entered the vacuum vessel 11 through the transfer port. The through holes in the bottom of the recess 21 and the through holes in the pedestal 22 are shown in FIG. 1 as 22A and 2A.

[0012] On the turntable 2, a first process gas nozzle 31, a separation gas nozzle 32, a second process gas nozzle 33, and a separation gas nozzle 34 are arranged in this order clockwise. Each of these gas nozzles 31 to 34 has an outlet hole 35 at the bottom and each of them discharges gas along the diameter of the turntable 2. The first process gas nozzle 31, which is a first process gas supply unit, discharges a raw material gas that is a raw material for a film as a first process gas, and the second process gas nozzle 33, which is a second process gas supply unit, discharges a reaction gas that reacts with the raw material gas as a second process gas. The separation gas nozzles 32 and 34 discharge N2 (nitrogen) gas. In the figure, 31A is a supply source of the first process gas connected to the first process gas nozzle 31, 33A is a supply source of the second process gas connected to the second process gas nozzle 33, and 32A is a supply source of N2 gas connected to the separation gas nozzles 32 and 34.

[0013] The top plate 12 of the vacuum vessel 11 is provided with protrusions 41, 42 that are fan-shaped in plan view and protrude toward the turntable 2 below. These protrusions 41, 42 are formed to widen from the center of the turntable 2 toward the outer periphery, and are disposed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the turntable 2. The separation gas nozzles 32, 34 are embedded in the lower surfaces of the protrusions 41, 42, respectively, and are disposed so as to equally divide the protrusions 41, 42 in the circumferential direction in plan view.

[0014] The regions below the protruding portions 41, 42 are separation regions D1, D2 to which N2 gas is supplied from the separation gas nozzles 32, 34. Of the two regions between the separation regions D1, D2 in the rotation direction of the turntable 2, the region where the first process gas nozzle 31 is provided is the first process region R1, and the region where the second process gas nozzle 33 is provided is the second process region R2. Therefore, the first process region R1 and the second process region R2 are partial regions in the rotation direction on the turntable 2. The separation regions D1, D2 separate the atmosphere of the first process region R1 (first process gas atmosphere) from the atmosphere of the second process region R2 (second process gas atmosphere) in the rotation direction of the turntable 2 by the above-mentioned N2 gas, which is a separation gas.

[0015] A vertical flow passage 43 is formed above the center of the top plate 12 toward the center of the turntable 2 below, and N2 gas is supplied from the gas supply source 32A. The N2 gas flows radially outward of the turntable 2 through a gap (referred to as a central flow passage 49) between an annular protruding portion 44 that protrudes annularly below the center of the top plate 12 and the center of the turntable 2. The N2 gas is a purge gas that prevents the process gases from mixing with each other above the center of the turntable 2. The lower surface of the annular protruding portion 44 is formed so as to be continuous with the lower surfaces of the protruding portions 41 and 42 that form the above-mentioned separation regions D1 and D2.

[0016] A downstream end of a lower gas supply pipe 45 for supplying N2 gas as a purge gas to the space enclosed within the cover 14 is connected, and an upstream end of the lower gas supply pipe 45 is connected to a gas supply source 32A. This purge gas is supplied from within the cover 14 to below the turntable 2, preventing the processing gas from flowing from the upper surface to the lower surface of the turntable 2. An annular space 46 is provided at the bottom of the vacuum vessel 11 along the rotation direction of the turntable 2, and a heater 47 is disposed in the annular space 46. The wafer W on the turntable 2 is heated to a desired temperature by the heater 47.

[0017] Next, in order to explain the configuration of the exhaust gas flow path in the film forming apparatus 1, a description will be given with reference to Fig. 3, which is a cross-sectional plan view of the turntable 2 and the sidewall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11. To give an overview of this flow path, a flow path is formed in the turntable 2 that exhausts gas from the sidewall of the recess 21 toward the outer circumferential side surface of the turntable 2, and the gas is further exhausted from the outer circumferential surface via a flow path formed in the sidewall of the vacuum vessel 11. This flow path in the sidewall of the vacuum vessel 11 is configured to exhaust the first process gas and the second process gas independently, that is, to exhaust these gases without mixing with each other.

[0018] The specific configuration of the flow paths will be described below. In the sidewall of each recess 21, suction ports 51A and 51B are opened on the left and right sides, respectively, when viewed from the center P of the turntable 2, in the portion of the peripheral end side of the turntable 2. Flow paths 52A and 52B are formed so as to be drawn out from the suction ports 51A and 51B to the peripheral end of the turntable 2. Therefore, the suction ports 51A and 51B form the upstream ends of the flow paths 52A and 52B. The flow paths 52A and 52B are partitioned from each other, and the downstream sides are formed so as to be separated from each other toward the outer peripheral side surface of the turntable 2. Of the flow paths 52A and 52B, the flow path downstream in the rotation direction of the turntable 2, which rotates clockwise in a plan view, is shown in the figure as 52A.

[0019] The downstream end of the flow path 52A and the downstream end of the flow path 52B are opened as openings 53A and 53B, respectively, on the outer peripheral side surface of the turntable 2. The flow paths 52A and 52B have a flat shape, and the suction ports 51A and 51B and the openings 53A and 53B are formed as slits extending in the horizontal direction. The flow paths 52A and 52B are formed to be symmetrical with respect to a straight line connecting the center P of the turntable 2 and the center of the recess 21. As described above, the flow paths 52A and 52B provided on the right and left sides, respectively, as viewed from the center P, form pre-stage exhaust paths, and the openings 53A and 53B form the downstream ends of the pre-stage exhaust paths.

[0020] Flow paths 61A and 61B are formed in the side wall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11, and are formed in an arc shape in a plan view along the rotation direction of the turntable 2 and extend downward along the side wall 19. A part of the lower arc of the flow path 61A is drawn downward to form an exhaust port 62A that opens to the bottom of the vacuum vessel 11, and an exhaust mechanism 63A is connected to the exhaust port 62A. A part of the lower arc of the flow path 61B is drawn downward to form an exhaust port 62B that opens to the bottom of the vacuum vessel 11, and an exhaust mechanism 63B is connected to the exhaust port 62B. Each of the exhaust mechanisms 63A and 63B includes, for example, a valve and a vacuum pump.

[0021] A part of each of the flow paths 61A and 61B in the height direction is formed to be drawn toward the turntable 2 side, and opens as sidewall suction ports 64A and 64B on the inner peripheral surface of the sidewall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11. Therefore, the sidewall suction ports 64A and 64B are formed in the shape of slits formed along the rotation direction of the turntable 2. The sidewall suction ports 64A and 64B are formed at a height facing the openings 53A and 53B of the turntable. The sidewall suction port 64A is a first sidewall suction port, and the sidewall suction port 64B is a second sidewall suction port. The exhaust mechanisms 63A and 63B exhaust the inside of the vacuum vessel 11 through the sidewall suction ports 64A and 64B, respectively, so that the inside of the vacuum vessel 11 is made into a vacuum atmosphere of a desired pressure.

[0022] Hereinafter, the sidewall suction port 64A and the flow path 61A are collectively referred to as the exhaust path 65A, and the sidewall suction port 64B and the flow path 61B are collectively referred to as the exhaust path 65B. The exhaust paths 65A and 65B are rear-stage exhaust paths, the exhaust path 65A corresponds to the first rear-stage exhaust path, and the exhaust path 65B corresponds to the second rear-stage exhaust path. The exhaust paths 65A and 65B are independent (partitioned) paths, and partition walls 66A and 66B, which are partitioning members, are provided to partition the exhaust paths 65A and 65B in the circumferential direction of the vacuum vessel 11. More specifically, the partition wall 66A is provided on an extension of a straight line connecting the center P of the turntable 2 and the circumferential center of the separation region D2, and the partition wall 66B is provided on an extension of a straight line connecting the center P and the circumferential center of the separation region D1.

[0023] As described above, by dividing the exhaust passages 65A and 65B by the partition walls 66A and 66B, one end and the other end in the length direction of the exhaust passages 65A and 65B are located near the center of the separation region D1 in the circumferential direction and near the center of the separation region D2 in the circumferential direction, respectively. More specifically, the exhaust passage 65A faces the first processing region R1 and a position closer to the first processing region R1 in each of the separation regions D1 and D2. The exhaust passage 65B faces the second processing region R2 and a position closer to the second processing region R2 in each of the separation regions D1 and D2. Therefore, the sidewall suction port 64A constituting the exhaust passage 65A opens only to the first processing region R1 of the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2, and is configured to selectively exhaust the first processing gas of the first processing gas and the second processing gas. The sidewall suction port 64B constituting the exhaust path 65B opens only to the second processing region R2 of the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2, and is configured to selectively exhaust the second processing gas of the first processing gas and the second processing gas.

[0024] Due to the above-mentioned configuration, the partition walls 66A and 66B are partition members that divide the annular exhaust path formed on the side wall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11 along the rotation direction of the turntable 2 in the rotation direction. In the following, in order to show the relationship in width between the partition wall 66A and the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the recess 21 of the turntable 2, a description will be given with reference to FIG. 4, which is a plan view. However, in this example, the partition walls 66A and 66B are configured similarly to each other. Therefore, the following description also describes the relationship in width between the partition wall 66B and the flow paths 52A and 52B. Note that the width here is the length perpendicular to the radial direction of the turntable 2 in a plan view. The width L1 of the partition wall 66A is smaller than the width L2 of each of the openings 53A and 53B, which are the downstream ends of the flow paths 52A and 52B of the turntable 2. Furthermore, the width L2 of the partition walls 66A and 66B is smaller than the width (spacing) L3 between the openings 53A and 53B connected to the same recess 21. The advantage of setting the widths in this manner will be described later.

[0025] Now, an explanation will be given of the reason why gas is exhausted from suction ports 51A, 51B provided in the side wall of recess 21 as described above. As turntable 2 rotates, recess 21 housing wafer W passes repeatedly through first processing region R1, separation region D1, second processing region R2, and separation region D2 in that order. However, suppose that recess 21 does not have suction ports 51A, 51B and recess 21 is not directly exhausted.

[0026] In the film forming apparatus 1, the first process gas is supplied to the recess 21 in the first process region R1. When passing through the separation region D1, most of the first process gas in the recess 21 is removed, but it may remain in a relatively narrow gap between the peripheral edge of the wafer W and the corner of the recess 21, and the recess 21 may move to the second process region R2. Similarly, it may be that the second process gas supplied in the second process region R2 is not completely removed in the separation region D2 and remains in the recess 21, and the recess 21 moves to the first process region R1. In these cases, one of the first process gas and the second process gas remaining in the recess 21 reacts with the other gas newly supplied to the recess 21, resulting in unnecessary film formation on the peripheral edge of the wafer W. This may cause the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness of the wafer W to be insufficiently high.

[0027] In the film forming apparatus 1, the first process gas and the second process gas are supplied not only to the wafer W but also to the turntable 2 to form a film. Therefore, a film is also formed in the recess 21, but the film formed in the recess 21 may slide against the wafer W due to thermal expansion of the turntable 2 and the wafer W during the film forming process, and may be broken into particles by the sliding and remain in the recess 21. When the lift pins 17 lift the wafer W to remove it from the recess 21, the particles may be stirred up, and the particles may adhere to the front surface of the wafer W. In addition, a state in which the pressure on the back side of the wafer W becomes higher than the pressure on the front side during the film forming process may occur, causing a malfunction in which the wafer W is detached from the recess 21.

[0028] In order to prevent these problems from occurring, it is conceivable to configure the recess 21 so that the inside of the recess 21 is evacuated, the stagnant processing gas and the generated particles are removed, and the pressure on the underside of the wafer W is reduced. In order to perform the exhaust, a through hole is formed in the bottom of the recess 21, and the gas in the recess 21 is exhausted via the through hole below the turntable 2.

[0029] However, in such a configuration, the first process gas and the second process gas flow below the turntable 2 from the through holes of the recesses 21 located in the first process region R1 and the through holes of the recesses 21 located in the second process region R2, respectively, and react with each other to generate particles, which may adhere to the wafer W. In addition, the area below the turntable 2 is relatively close to the heater 47 and has a high temperature. Therefore, it is considered that the first process gas is thermally decomposed, and the decomposition products are formed into a film on the bottom 18 of the vacuum vessel 11. In that case, it is considered that the film of the decomposition products generates particles, or a film is formed in an area where a film is not normally formed, which increases the maintenance work.

[0030] To prevent the above-mentioned problems, in the film forming apparatus 1, suction ports 51A, 51B are provided in the side walls of the recess 21, and exhaust is performed from the outer periphery of the turntable 2 toward the side wall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11. In order to prevent the first process gas and the second process gas from mixing with each other before being exhausted from the vacuum vessel 11, which would cause the generation of particles, the first process gas and the second process gas are individually exhausted to the exhaust paths 65A, 65B, respectively, as described above.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, the film forming apparatus 1 is provided with a control unit 10 consisting of a computer for controlling the operation of each part of the apparatus. The control unit 10 is equipped with a program. The program sends control signals to each part of the apparatus so as to control each operation, such as the raising and lowering of the lift pins 17 by the lift mechanism 16, the number of rotations of the turntable 2 by the rotation mechanism 15, and the supply and cut-off of gas from the gas supply sources 31A, 32A, and 33A to each part of the apparatus. The program is installed in the computer in a state stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a memory card, or a DVD.

[0032] Next, the operation of the film forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the longitudinal side views of the apparatus in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 and the schematic transverse plan views of the apparatus in FIG. 7 to FIG. 12. In this example, BTBAS (bisterial butyl amino silane) gas is used as the first processing gas, and O3 gas is used as the second processing gas, and a SiO2 film is formed on the wafer W. In FIG. 7, the flow of each gas supplied onto the turntable 2 is indicated by arrows. Note that the wafers W stored in the six recesses 21 are processed in the same manner, so in the following description, one of the six recesses 21 is designated as 21A, and the state of the wafer W in the recess 21A and the state of the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the recess 21A will be mainly described. In FIG. 8 to FIG. 12, only the gas flows in the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the recess 21A are indicated by arrows, and the gas flows in the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the other recesses 21 are omitted.

[0033] 5 and 6 show the gas flow in the radial direction of the turntable 2, with the process gas supplied onto the turntable 2 indicated by solid arrows and the purge gas supplied below the turntable 2 indicated by dotted arrows. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the gas flow in the first process region R1 as a representative, but the gas flow in the radial direction of the turntable 2 in the second process region R2 is similar to that in the first process region R1. In the separation regions D1 and D2, the gas flow in the radial direction is similar to that in the radial direction of the process regions R1 and R2, except that N2 gas flows on the turntable 2 as a separation gas instead of a process gas. FIG. 5 shows a cross section taken along the line AA' in FIG. 2, and shows a cross section along the periphery of the recess 21. FIG. 6 shows a cross section taken along the line BB' in FIG. 2, and shows a cross section along the diameter of the recess 21.

[0034] First, while the turntable 2 is heated by the heater 47, the wafers W are sequentially placed in the recesses 21 by intermittent rotation of the turntable 2 in cooperation with the lift pins 17, and the wafers W are heated to a desired temperature. Meanwhile, the exhaust mechanisms 63A and 63B exhaust the inside of the vacuum vessel 11 through the exhaust paths 65A and 65B, creating a vacuum atmosphere of a desired pressure. Then, N2 gas is supplied from the separation gas nozzles 32 and 34, the central flow path 49, and the lower gas supply pipe 45.

[0035] The N2 gas supplied from the separation gas nozzles 32 and 34 spreads in the circumferential direction of the separation regions D1 and D2 as a separation gas and then flows to the outer periphery of the turntable 2. Part of the separation gas flowing toward the outer periphery flows along the upper surface of the turntable 2, while the other part flows into the recess 21 and flows through the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the recess 21. The separation gas that flows toward the outer periphery flows into the exhaust paths 65A and 65B and is removed. Since the exhaust paths 65A and 65B are arranged as described above, the separation gas that flows toward the first processing region R1 in the circumferential direction of each separation region D1 and D2 is exhausted from the exhaust path 65A, and the separation gas that flows toward the second processing region R2 is removed from the exhaust path 65B. On the other hand, the N2 gas supplied onto the center of the turntable 2 from the central flow passage 49 and the N2 gas supplied to the center below the turntable 2 from the lower gas supply pipe 45 flow as purge gas to the outer periphery of the turntable 2 and into the exhaust paths 65A and 65B to be removed. Note that like the separation gas, a part of the purge gas supplied onto the turntable 2 flows through the flow paths 52A and 52B toward the exhaust paths 65A and 65B.

[0036] For example, assume that the entire recess 21A is located in the separation region D2 as shown in Fig. 8, and the opening 53A, which is the downstream end of the flow path 52A connected to the recess 21A, and the opening 53B, which is the downstream end of the flow path 52B, face the exhaust paths 65B and 65A, respectively. From this state, the turntable 2 starts to rotate, and the recess 21A revolves, and the BTBAS gas and O3 gas are supplied onto the turntable 2 from the first process gas nozzle 31 and the second process gas nozzle 33, respectively. As with the separation gas described above, some of these BTBAS gas and O3 gas flow along the upper surface of the turntable 2 to the outer periphery of the turntable 2 and are exhausted, and the other part flows into the recess 21 and is exhausted through the flow paths 52A and 52B. As described above, the BTBAS gas flows into the exhaust path 65A, and the O3 gas flows into the exhaust path 65B and is exhausted.

[0037] By the rotation of the turntable 2, the downstream side of the rotation direction of the recess 21A enters the first processing region R1, and both of the openings 53A and 53B face the exhaust path 65A. Then, the BTBAS gas is supplied to the downstream side of the rotation direction of the recess 21A, and the BTBAS gas flows into the flow path 52A and is exhausted from the exhaust path 65A (FIG. 9). The turntable 2 further rotates, and the entire recess 21A is positioned in the first processing region R1, and the BTBAS gas is adsorbed onto the entire surface of the wafer W. Then, the surplus BTBAS gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows from the flow paths 52A and 52B into the exhaust path 65A (FIG. 10). Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 show the gas flow around the recess 21A in this state.

[0038] As the turntable 2 continues to rotate, the downstream side of the recess 21A in the rotation direction enters the separation region D1, and the separation gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows from the flow path 52A to the exhaust path 65A and is exhausted (FIG. 11). Then, the turntable 2 further rotates, and the entire recess 21A is positioned in the separation region D1, and the opening 53A faces the exhaust path 65B (FIG. 12). In this state, the separation gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows toward the exhaust paths 65A and 65B via the flow paths 52A and 52B, respectively. This flow of separation gas purges the BTBAS gas that has been supplied to the recess 21A in the first processing region R1, and the gas in the recess 21A is replaced from the BTBAS gas to the separation gas.

[0039] Then, the downstream side of the rotation direction of the recess 21A enters the second processing region R2, and both of the openings 53A and 53B face the exhaust path 65B. Then, O3 gas is supplied to the downstream side of the rotation direction of the recess 21A, and the O3 gas flows into the flow path 52A and is exhausted from the exhaust path 65B (FIG. 13). The turntable 2 further rotates, and the entire recess 21A is positioned in the second processing region R2, and O3 gas is supplied to the entire surface of the wafer W and reacts with the adsorbed BTBAS gas to form a SiO2 layer. Then, the excess O3 gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows from the flow paths 52A and 52B into the exhaust path 65B (FIG. 14).

[0040] Then, the turntable 2 continues to rotate, and the downstream side of the recess 21A in the rotation direction enters the separation region D2, and the separation gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows from the flow path 52A to the exhaust path 65B and is exhausted (FIG. 15). Then, the turntable 2 further rotates, and the entire recess 21A is positioned in the separation region D2, and the opening 53A faces the exhaust path 65A. That is, the state returns to that shown in FIG. 8. In this state, the separation gas that has flowed into the recess 21A flows toward the exhaust paths 65B and 65A through the flow paths 52A and 52B, respectively. Due to this flow of the separation gas, the O3 gas supplied to the recess 21A in the second processing region R2 is purged, and the gas in the recess 21A is replaced from the O3 gas to the separation gas.

[0041] The rotation of the turntable 2 continues thereafter, and the recess 21A passes through the first processing region R1, the separation region D1, the second processing region R2, and the separation region D2 repeatedly in this order. As a result, an SiO2 layer is deposited on the wafer W in the recess 21A, forming an SiO2 film. The wafers W in the other recesses 21 other than the recess 21A are also processed in the same manner as the wafer W in the recess 21A, except for the difference in the position where the revolution starts, and an SiO2 film is formed. When the thickness of the SiO2 film of each wafer W reaches a desired size, the supply of each gas is stopped, and the wafer W is carried out of the recess 21 by the intermittent rotation of the turntable 2 and the raising and lowering of the lift pins 17.

[0042] As described above, in the film forming apparatus 1, the wafer W is stored in the recess 21 formed on the turntable 2, and the recess 21 is repeatedly passed through the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2 to form a film by ALD. At this time, the inside of the recess 21 is exhausted from the exhaust paths 65A, 65B formed in the side wall of the vacuum vessel 11 via the flow paths 52A, 52B opening in the side wall of the recess 21. By exhausting the inside of the recess 21 in this manner, film formation on the peripheral edge of the wafer W due to the remaining process gas in the recess 21, adhesion of particles generated by the sliding between the wafer W and the recess 21 to the wafer W, and detachment of the wafer W from the recess 21 are suppressed. The inside of the recess 21 is then exhausted from the suction ports 51A, 51B opening in the side wall of the recess 21. Therefore, compared to exhausting gas from the bottom of the recess 21 below the turntable 2, the generation of particles due to reaction between the first and second processing gases below the turntable 2, film formation by thermal decomposition of the first processing gas, and particle generation from the film produced by that thermal decomposition are prevented.

[0043] In addition, by exhausting the recess 21, the first processing gas and the second processing gas are prevented from remaining even if the depth of the recess 21 is relatively large. There are cases where the wafer W is warped relatively large due to heat immediately after being placed on the turntable 2, and the warp is alleviated as time passes. If the wafer W protrudes from the recess 21 due to the warp, the wafer W may be detached from the recess 21 due to the air flow exposed during the rotation of the turntable 2, so the timing of starting the process is delayed until the warp is alleviated. However, by making the depth of the recess 21 relatively large, the wafer W fits into the recess 21 even if the warp is relatively large, so that the process by the film forming apparatus 1 can be started promptly. Therefore, the film forming apparatus 1 that exhausts the recess 21 has the advantage of improving the processing efficiency of the wafer W.

[0044] In addition, when exhausting from the sidewall of the recess 21 of the turntable 2 as described above, exhaust paths 65A and 65B are formed in the sidewall 19 of the vacuum vessel 11, which are partitioned by partition walls 66A and 66B. The exhaust path 65A faces only the first processing region R1 of the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2, and the exhaust path 65B faces only the second processing region R2 of the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2. The first processing gas is exhausted from the first processing region R1 to the exhaust path 65A, and the second processing gas is exhausted from the second processing region R2 to the exhaust path 65B through the flow paths 52A and 52B connected to the recess 21. Therefore, the first processing gas and the second processing gas are exhausted without contacting each other, so that the generation of particles due to the mixing of these processing gases and the adhesion of the particles to the wafer W are more reliably suppressed.

[0045] Incidentally, only one of the flow paths 52A and 52B may be provided as a flow path connected to the recess 21 in the turntable 2. In providing only one flow path 52 (52A or 52B) in this way, the width L2 of the opening 53 (53A or 53B) at the downstream end of the flow path 52 is larger than the width L1 of the partition wall 66 (66A or 66B) as described in FIG. 4. Therefore, even when the opening 53 overlaps with the partition wall 66 during rotation of the turntable 2, the opening 53 is not blocked by the partition wall 66, and exhaust can be performed from the exhaust path 65A or 65B through the opening 53. That is, by constantly exhausting the inside of the recess 21 during rotation of the turntable 2, fluctuations in the exhaust pressure in the recess 21 and backflow of gas from the flow path 52 to the recess 21 are prevented. Therefore, uneven distribution of the processing gas on the surface of the wafer W and residual processing gas in the recess 21 are suppressed, thereby improving the uniformity of the film thickness distribution on the surface of the wafer W and more reliably suppressing adhesion of particles to the wafer W.

[0046] In the above-mentioned film forming apparatus 1, a plurality of flow paths (two, 52A and 52B) are provided to connect to the recess 21. Providing a plurality of flow paths in this manner is preferable because the gas in the recess 21 can be replaced more quickly. Also, as described above, the width L3 between the flow paths 52A and 52B is greater than the width L1 of the partition walls 66A and 66B. Therefore, when the partition wall 66A or 66B is aligned with the space between the exhaust ports 62A and 62B as viewed from the center P of the turntable 2 while the turntable 2 is rotating, gas is exhausted from both the exhaust ports 62A and 62B. That is, the period during which the exhaust ports 62A and 62B overlap the partition walls 66A and 66B as viewed from the center P of the turntable 2 is kept short, and the inside of the recess 21 is efficiently exhausted.

[0047] Second Embodiment Next, a film formation apparatus 7 according to a second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the film formation apparatus 1. The film formation apparatus 7 differs from the film formation apparatus 1 in the exhaust path of the gas in the recess 21. To summarize, the downstream end of the flow path connected to the side wall of the recess 21 opens to the upper surface of the turntable, and the gas in the recess 21 is exhausted to the outside of the vacuum vessel 11 through an exhaust path provided in the top plate 12 of the vacuum vessel 11.

[0048] FIG. 16 is a vertical perspective view of the film forming apparatus 7. In addition, if the turntable provided in the film forming apparatus 7 is 20, FIG. 17 is a vertical side view of the turntable 20 and the top plate 12 in the vacuum vessel 11, and FIG. 18 is a plan view of the turntable 20. And FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional plan view of the top plate 12. The turntable 20 has recesses 21 similar to the turntable 2, and the channels 52A and 52B are connected to each recess 21. The downstream sides of the channels 52A and 52B are bent upward, and the openings 53A and 53B, which are the downstream ends of each, open on the upper surface of the turntable 20. In this second embodiment, the openings 53A and 53B are described as peripheral end openings 53A and 53B. These peripheral end openings 53A and 53B are formed as slits extending along the circumference of the turntable 20, and are located at the same distance from the center P of the turntable 20.

[0049] In addition, suction ports are opened on the left and right sides of the side wall of the recess 21 near the center P of the turntable 20 when viewed from the center P. Flow paths 55A and 55B are formed from these suction ports toward the center P, and the downstream sides of the flow paths 55A and 55B are bent upward. The downstream ends of the flow paths 55A and 55B open on the upper surface of the turntable 20 as center side openings 56A and 56B, respectively. The center side openings 56A and 56B are formed as slits extending along the circumference of the turntable 2, and are located at the same distance from the center P of the turntable 2. The flow paths 52A, 52B, 55A, and 55B formed in the turntable 20 described above correspond to the upstream side flow paths. In FIG. 18, the flow of gas in each flow path connected to one of the six recesses 21 is indicated by dashed arrows. The flow paths 52A and 52B are front-stage circumferential end side exhaust paths, and the circumferential end side openings 53A and 53B forming the downstream ends thereof are the first openings. The flow paths 55A and 55B are front-stage center side exhaust paths, and the center side openings 56A and 56B forming the downstream ends thereof are the second openings.

[0050] The peripheral ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B are opened at the peripheral end of the lower surface of the top plate 12, and the central ceiling suction ports 72A and 72B are opened at the center of the lower surface of the top plate 12. The peripheral ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B are each formed in a slit shape along the circumferential direction of the turntable 20, are separated from each other, and face the peripheral openings 53A and 53B of the turntable 20. In addition, one end and the other end of the peripheral ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B are located at the circumferential center of the separation area D1 and the circumferential center of the separation area D2, respectively. Due to the above configuration, it can be said that the peripheral ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B are formed by dividing the annular suction port into two. The central ceiling suction ports 72A and 72B are each formed in a slit shape along the circumferential direction of the turntable 20, are separated from each other, and face the central openings 56A and 56B of the turntable 20. Moreover, one end and the other end of the center-side ceiling suction port 72A, 72B are located at the circumferential center of the separation region D1 and the circumferential center of the separation region D2, respectively. Because of the above-mentioned configuration, it can be said that the center-side ceiling suction port 72A, 72B is formed by dividing the annular suction port into two.

[0051] As described above, the suction ports are formed in the top plate 12, so that the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A and the center ceiling suction port 72A open only to the first processing region R1 among the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2. The peripheral ceiling suction port 71B and the center ceiling suction port 72B open only to the second processing region R2 among the first processing region R1 and the second processing region R2.

[0052] In addition, the top plate 12 is provided with a plurality of connection paths 73A and 73B extending radially through the top plate 12 and separated from each other. The connection paths 73A and 73B are embedded in the top plate 12 and therefore do not open to the lower surface of the top plate 12. The connection path 73A connects the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A and the center ceiling suction port 72A, and the connection path 73B connects the peripheral ceiling suction port 71B and the center ceiling suction port 72B. In this film forming apparatus 7, the exhaust port 62A connected to the exhaust mechanism 63A and the exhaust port 62B connected to the exhaust mechanism 63B are provided on the top plate 12, and the exhaust port 62A overlaps with a part of the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A in the length direction in a plan view, and the exhaust port 62B overlaps with a part of the peripheral ceiling suction port 71B in the length direction in a plan view. Since flow paths are formed in the turntable 2 and the top plate 12 in this manner, the first process gas and the second process gas are exhausted independently through the exhaust ports 62A and 62B, respectively.

[0053] 17 shows the gas flow in the first processing region R1. The first processing gas is indicated by a solid line, and the flow of the purge gas supplied onto the center of the turntable 20 and the flow of the purge gas supplied to the lower side of the turntable 20 are indicated by a dotted line. As described above, the first processing gas supplied into the recess 21 is exhausted from the peripheral end openings 53A and 53B of the turntable 20 to the peripheral end ceiling suction port 71A, and is sucked into the center side ceiling suction port 72A from the center side openings 56A and 56B of the turntable 20. The first processing gas sucked into the center side ceiling suction port 72A flows to the peripheral end ceiling suction port 71A through the connection path 73A.

[0054] The purge gas supplied below the turntable 2 flows around to the upper surface via the outer peripheral side surface of the turntable 20 and is sucked into the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A. The purge gas supplied onto the center of the turntable 2 is sucked into the center ceiling suction port 72A and flows into the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A through the connection path 73A, similar to the first process gas. Each gas that flows into the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A in this manner is removed from the exhaust port 62A.

[0055] The second processing gas supplied to the second processing region R2 is exhausted through the peripheral ceiling suction port 71B and the central ceiling suction port 72B opening into the second processing region R2, instead of through the peripheral ceiling suction port 71A and the central ceiling suction port 72A opening into the first processing region R1. Except for this difference, the gas flow in the second processing region R2 is similar to the gas flow in the first processing region R1. The gas flow in the separation regions D1 and D2 is similar to the gas flow in the first processing region R1, except that the separation gas is exhausted through the peripheral ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B and the central ceiling suction ports 72A and 72B opening into the separation regions D1 and D2.

[0056] In the film forming apparatus 7, the first process gas and the second process gas are exhausted from the sidewall of the recess 21 toward the exhaust ports 62A and 62B without being mixed with each other, so that the same effect as in the film forming apparatus 1 can be achieved. In addition, in the film forming apparatus 7, the flow paths 52 (52A and 52B) and the flow paths 55 (55A and 55B) are provided so that the atmosphere in the recess 21 can be exhausted from both the peripheral end side and the center side of the turntable 2. With such a configuration, the gas replacement efficiency in the recess 21 is increased, and film formation on the edge of the wafer W due to the process gas remaining in the recess 21 can be more reliably suppressed. However, it is also possible to provide only one of the flow paths 52 and 55, and exhaust the recess 21 through that flow path. In that case, it is sufficient to provide only the suction ports of the top plate 12 that are located above the peripheral end side ceiling suction ports 71A and 71B and the center side ceiling suction ports 72A and 72B corresponding to the flow paths.

[0057] In the first and second embodiments, the first and second process gases are shown as being discharged from the first and second process gas nozzles 31 and 33, which are gas supply units, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, shower heads, the lower surfaces of which are configured to face the turntables 2 and 20, may be provided as gas supply units in the first and second process regions R1 and R2, respectively, and gas may be discharged from each shower head to perform processing. In addition, various gases for forming a film by ALD may be used as the first and second process gases, and are not limited to the above-mentioned examples. Therefore, the film formed on the wafer W is not limited to the SiO2 film. For example, a silicon-containing gas may be used as the first process gas and a nitrogen-containing gas may be used as the second process gas to form a silicon nitride film on the wafer W.

[0058] Although an example in which the substrate processing apparatus is configured as a film forming apparatus has been shown, the present invention is not limited to such a film forming apparatus. The present invention may be applied to an apparatus that converts a processing gas into plasma and modifies or etches a film formed on a wafer W by the plasma. However, applying the present invention to a film forming apparatus that forms a film using a first processing gas and a second processing gas is advantageous because it can prevent unnecessary mixing of these processing gases as described above. In the above example, the wafer W is placed on the pedestal 22 in the recess 21, but the wafer W may be placed directly on the bottom surface of the recess 21.

[0059] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified, or combined in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] R1 First processing area W wafer 1 Film deposition equipment 11 Vacuum container 2 Rotating table 21 Recess 31, 33 Processing gas nozzle 52A, 52B flow path 63A, 63B Exhaust mechanism 65A, 65B Exhaust passage

Claims

1. A rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable to accommodate a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess and a downstream end that opens into an outer peripheral side surface or an upper surface of the rotary table in order to exhaust the inside of the recess; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage; The processing gas supply unit includes: a first process gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas to a first process region in the rotation direction of the turntable; a second processing gas supply unit that supplies a second processing gas to a second processing region that is separate from the first processing region in the rotation direction; a separation gas supply unit that supplies a separation gas for separating the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region to a separation region between the first processing region and the second processing region in the rotation direction, the downstream side of the front-stage exhaust passage opens to an outer peripheral side surface of the rotary table, the rear exhaust path is provided in a sidewall of the processing vessel and includes a sidewall suction port provided along a rotation direction of the turntable, the rear exhaust passage includes, in a plan view, a first rear exhaust passage and a second rear exhaust passage formed by dividing, in the rotation direction, an annular flow path provided in a side wall of the processing vessel by a partition member; the first rear-stage exhaust path and the second rear-stage exhaust path each include a first sidewall suction port and a second sidewall suction port as the sidewall suction port, the first sidewall suction port is opened only to the first processing region out of the first processing region and the second processing region so that the first processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is selectively exhausted through the first rear exhaust path; the second sidewall suction port is opened only to the second processing region out of the first processing region and the second processing region so that the second processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas is selectively exhausted through the second rear exhaust path; the partition member is located in an extension direction of each of the separation regions as viewed from the rotation center of the turntable, The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the width of the partition member in a plan view is smaller than the width of the downstream end of the front-stage exhaust path.

2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front-stage exhaust paths are located on the left and right sides, respectively, and are formed separately from each other when viewed from the center of the turntable toward the recess.

3. A rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable to accommodate a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess and a downstream end that opens into an outer peripheral side surface or an upper surface of the rotary table in order to exhaust the inside of the recess; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage; The processing gas supply unit includes: a first process gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas to a first process region in the rotation direction of the turntable; a second processing gas supply unit that supplies a second processing gas to a second processing region that is separate from the first processing region in the rotation direction; a separation gas supply unit that supplies a separation gas for separating the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region to a separation region between the first processing region and the second processing region in the rotation direction, the rear exhaust path includes a ceiling suction port provided in a ceiling portion of the processing vessel, In the substrate processing apparatus, a downstream end of the front-stage exhaust path faces the ceiling suction port.

4. the front-stage exhaust passage includes a front-stage center-side exhaust passage and a front-stage peripheral-side exhaust passage that are provided on a center side and a peripheral-side of the turntable with respect to the recess, respectively; The downstream end of the front-stage center side exhaust passage and the downstream end of the front-stage circumferential end side exhaust passage are a first opening and a second opening are provided on the center side and the peripheral end side of the rotary table, respectively; the rear stage side exhaust passage of the ceiling portion includes a first ceiling suction port and a second ceiling suction port that are partitioned from each other as the ceiling suction port, the first ceiling suction port is open only to the first processing region in order to selectively exhaust the first processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas; 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second ceiling suction port is open only to the second processing region to selectively exhaust the second processing gas out of the first processing gas and the second processing gas.

5. A rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable to accommodate a substrate so as to revolve with rotation of the turntable; a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable and configured to supply a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction to process each of the substrates; a front-stage exhaust passage formed inside the rotary table, the front-stage exhaust passage having an upstream end that opens into a side wall of the recess for exhausting the inside of the recess and only a downstream end that opens into an upper surface of the rotary table; a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel and connected to an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of the front exhaust passage.

6. The processing gas supply unit includes: a first process gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas to a first process region in the rotation direction of the turntable; a second processing gas supply unit that supplies a second processing gas to a second processing region that is separate from the first processing region in the rotation direction; 6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a separation gas supply unit that supplies a separation gas for separating the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region in the rotation direction to a separation region between the first processing region and the second processing region in order to separate the atmospheres of the first processing region and the second processing region.

7. rotating a rotary table provided in the processing vessel; a step of storing a substrate in a recess provided on an upper surface of the turntable and revolving the substrate by rotating the turntable; a step of supplying a process gas to a portion of the turntable in a rotation direction thereof by a process gas supply unit provided above the turntable to process each of the substrates; a step of exhausting the inside of the recess through a front-stage exhaust passage formed inside the rotary table, the upstream end of which opens into a side wall of the recess and only the downstream end of which opens into an upper surface of the rotary table; exhausting a rear exhaust passage provided in the processing vessel by an exhaust mechanism and exhausting the processing gas from a downstream end of a front exhaust passage; A substrate processing method comprising:

Images