SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Abstract

To provide a technology that can increase throughput when processing a plurality of substrates.SOLUTION: A technology includes a chamber including a processing chamber capable of processing a substrate and a shower head disposed upstream of the processing chamber, a gas supply unit capable of supplying gas to the processing chamber via the shower head, a first exhaust pipe communicating with the shower head, a second exhaust pipe communicating with the processing chamber, a first exhaust control unit provided in the first exhaust pipe, and a first heating unit provided in the first exhaust pipe, and a control unit that (a) supplies processing gas to the shower head by the gas supply unit when there is a substrate in the processing chamber, controls the first exhaust control unit such that the inside of the first exhaust pipe has a first conductance while the first heating unit is in operation, and (b) controls the first exhaust control unit such that the inside of the first exhaust pipe has a second conductance smaller than the first conductance with the gas supply unit supplying unprocessed gas as a gas to the shower head and operating the first heating unit when there is no substrate in the processing chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In one step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate such as a wafer may be used, which is configured to supply gas into a processing space via a shower head and exhaust gas from both the shower head and the processing space (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-009742 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides techniques that can increase throughput when processing multiple substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, A chamber including a processing chamber capable of processing a substrate and a shower head disposed upstream of the processing chamber; a gas supply unit capable of supplying a gas to the processing chamber through the shower head; a first exhaust pipe communicating with the showerhead; a second exhaust pipe communicating with the processing chamber; A first exhaust control section provided in the first exhaust pipe; A first heating section provided in the first exhaust pipe; (a) controlling the first exhaust control unit so that a first conductance is achieved in the first exhaust pipe while the gas supply unit supplies a process gas to the shower head and the first heating unit is operated in a state where the substrate is present in the processing chamber; (b) a control unit capable of controlling the first exhaust control unit so that a second conductance smaller than the first conductance is achieved in the first exhaust pipe when the substrate is not present in the processing chamber and the gas supply unit supplies a non-processing gas as the gas to the shower head and the first heating unit is operated; The present invention provides a technique having the following features: Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, throughput can be increased when processing multiple substrates. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing a substrate processing process and a cleaning process according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing details of the film forming process in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an atmosphere adjusting process according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] <One aspect of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, etc. shown in the drawings do not necessarily match the actual ones. Furthermore, the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, etc. between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0009] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing system First, a substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus will be described. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line α-α' in Fig. 1 showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment.

[0010] 1 and 2, a substrate processing system 1000 processes a substrate 200, and is mainly composed of an IO stage 1100, an atmospheric transfer chamber 1200, a load lock chamber 1300, a vacuum transfer chamber 1400, and a process module 110. Each component will be specifically described below. In the description of FIG. 1, the X1 direction is the right, the X2 direction is the left, the Y1 direction is the front, and the Y2 direction is the rear.

[0011] (Atmospheric transfer chamber / IO stage) An IO stage (load port) 1100 is installed in front of the substrate processing system 1000. A plurality of pods 1001 are mounted on the IO stage 1100. The pod 1001 is used as a carrier for transporting substrates 200 such as silicon (Si) wafers, and is configured such that a plurality of unprocessed substrates (wafers) 200 and processed substrates 200 are stored in the pod 1001 in a horizontal position.

[0012] The pod 1001 is provided with a cap 1120, which is opened and closed by a pod opener 1210 described below. The pod opener 1210 opens and closes the cap 1120 of the pod 1001 placed on the IO stage 1100 and opens and closes the substrate loading / unloading port, thereby enabling the substrate 200 to be loaded and unloaded from the pod 1001.

[0013] The IO stage 1100 is adjacent to an atmospheric transfer chamber 1200. The atmospheric transfer chamber 1200 is connected to a load lock chamber 1300, which will be described later, on a side different from the side on which the IO stage 1100 is connected.

[0014] In the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200, an atmospheric transfer robot 1220 is installed as a first transfer robot for transferring the substrate 200.

[0015] 1 and 2, a substrate loading / unloading port 1280 for loading / unloading substrates 200 into / from the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200 and a pod opener 1210 are provided on the front side of a housing 1270 of the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200. An IO stage (load port) 1100 is provided on the opposite side of the substrate loading / unloading port 1280 from the pod opener 1210, i.e., on the outside of the housing 1270.

[0016] A substrate loading / unloading port 1290 for loading / unloading the substrate 200 into / from the load lock chamber 1300 is provided at the rear of the housing 1270 of the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200. The substrate loading / unloading port 1290 is opened / closed by a gate valve 1330, which will be described later, to allow the substrate 200 to be loaded and unloaded.

[0017] (Load lock (L / L) chamber) The load lock chamber 1300 is adjacent to the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200. Of the faces of a housing 1310 constituting the load lock chamber 1300, a vacuum transfer chamber 1400 is disposed on a face other than the atmospheric transfer chamber 1200, as described below.

[0018] A substrate loading / unloading port 1340 is provided on the side of the housing 1310 adjacent to the vacuum transfer chamber 1400. The substrate loading / unloading port 1340 is opened / closed by a gate valve 1350 to allow the substrate 200 to be loaded and unloaded.

[0019] Furthermore, a substrate mounting table 1320 having at least two mounting surfaces 1311 (1311a, 1311b) for mounting the substrate 200 is installed in the load lock chamber 1300. The distance between the substrate mounting surfaces 1311 is set according to the distance between the fingers of a vacuum transfer robot 1700 described later.

[0020] (Vacuum transfer chamber) The substrate processing system 1000 includes a vacuum transfer chamber (transfer module) 1400 serving as a transfer chamber that serves as a transfer space in which the substrate 200 is transferred under negative pressure. A housing 1410 constituting the vacuum transfer chamber 1400 is formed in a pentagonal shape in a plan view, and a load lock chamber 1300 and process modules 110a to 110d for processing the substrate 200 are connected to each side of the pentagon. A vacuum transfer robot 1700 serving as a second transfer robot for transferring (transferring) the substrate 200 under negative pressure is installed at approximately the center of the vacuum transfer chamber 1400 with a flange 1430 as a base.

[0021] A substrate loading / unloading opening 1420 is provided on the side wall of the housing 1410 adjacent to the load lock chamber 1300. The substrate loading / unloading opening 1420 is opened / closed by a gate valve 1350 to allow the substrate 200 to be loaded and unloaded.

[0022] 2, the vacuum transfer robot 1700 installed in the vacuum transfer chamber 1400 is configured to be able to ascend and descend while maintaining the airtightness of the vacuum transfer chamber 1400 by an elevator 1450 and a flange 1430. The elevator 1450 is configured to be able to independently ascend and descend two arms 1800 and 1900 of the vacuum transfer robot 1700. The arms 1800 and 1900 are bifurcated and are able to load and unload substrates into and from two chambers 202 in the process module 110 described below.

[0023] The vacuum transfer robot 1700 transfers the substrate 200 between each process module 110 and the load lock chamber 1300. In Fig. 2, an example is shown in which the substrate 200 unloaded from the process module 110c is placed on the vacuum transfer robot 1700.

[0024] (Process Module) 1, process modules 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d that perform desired processing on a substrate 200 are connected to the side of the five side walls of the housing 1410 on which the load lock chamber 1300 is not installed. Hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as process modules 110.

[0025] Each of the process modules 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d is provided with a chamber 202, which is one component of the substrate processing apparatus. Specifically, the process module 110a is provided with chambers 202a and 202b. The process module 110b is provided with chambers 202c and 202d. The process module 110c is provided with chambers 202e and 202f. The process module 110d is provided with chambers 202g and 202h.

[0026] Of the side walls of the housing 1410, a wall facing each chamber 202 is provided with a substrate loading / unloading opening 1480. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a substrate loading / unloading opening 1480e is provided in a wall facing chamber 202e.

[0027] In the case where the chamber 202e in FIG. 2 is replaced with the chamber 202a, a substrate loading / unloading opening 1480a is provided in the wall facing the chamber 202a.

[0028] Similarly, when the chamber 202f is replaced with the chamber 202b, a substrate loading / unloading opening 1480b is provided in the wall facing the chamber 202b.

[0029] 1, a gate valve 1490 is provided for each processing chamber. Specifically, a gate valve 1490a is provided between the chamber 202a and the vacuum transfer chamber 1400, and a gate valve 1490b is provided between the chamber 202a and the vacuum transfer chamber 1400. A gate valve 1490c is provided between the chamber 202c, and a gate valve 1490d is provided between the chamber 202d. A gate valve 1490e is provided between the chamber 202e, and a gate valve 1490f is provided between the chamber 202f. A gate valve 1490g is provided between the chamber 202g, and a gate valve 1490h is provided between the chamber 202h.

[0030] By opening and closing each gate valve 1490, the substrate 200 can be loaded and unloaded through the substrate loading / unloading port 1480.

[0031] (2) Configuration of the substrate processing device Next, the substrate processing apparatus, which is one component of the substrate processing system 1000, will be described. In the following description, a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates 200 to be processed one by one will be taken as an example of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0032] (Chamber) 3, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a chamber 202 as a processing container. The chamber 202 corresponds to the chambers 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, and 202h in the substrate processing system 1000 having the above-described configuration. In other words, each chamber 202 may have the same configuration.

[0033] The chamber 202 is configured as, for example, a flat sealed container having a circular cross section. The chamber 202 is also configured from a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or stainless steel (SUS). Inside the chamber 202, there are formed a processing chamber 201 which is a processing space for processing a substrate 200 such as a silicon wafer, and a transfer space 203 through which the substrate 200 passes when being transferred to the processing chamber 201. That is, the chamber 202 is configured to include at least the processing chamber 201 capable of processing a substrate.

[0034] The chamber 202 is composed of an upper vessel 202a and a lower vessel 202b. A partition plate 204 is provided between the upper vessel 202a and the lower vessel 202b.

[0035] An exhaust buffer chamber 209 is provided near the outer periphery of the inside of the upper vessel 202a. The exhaust buffer chamber 209 functions as a buffer space when the gas in the processing chamber 201 is discharged toward the lateral periphery. For this purpose, the exhaust buffer chamber 209 has a space provided to surround the lateral periphery of the processing chamber 201. That is, the exhaust buffer chamber 209 has a space formed in a ring shape (annular shape) in a plan view on the outer periphery side of the processing chamber 201. The space of the exhaust buffer chamber 209 has a ceiling surface and both side walls formed by the upper vessel 202a, and a floor surface of the space formed by the partition plate 204. The inner periphery side of the space is connected to the processing chamber 201, and the gas supplied into the processing chamber 201 through the communication point flows into the exhaust buffer chamber 209.

[0036] A substrate loading / unloading port 206 adjacent to a gate valve 205 is provided on the side surface of the lower vessel 202b, and the substrate 200 moves between the vacuum transfer chamber 1400 and the lower vessel 202b through the substrate loading / unloading port 206. A plurality of lift pins 207 are provided on the bottom of the lower vessel 202b.

[0037] (Substrate support part) A substrate support part 210 that supports a substrate 200 is provided in the processing chamber 201. The substrate support part 210 mainly includes a substrate mounting surface 211 on which the substrate 200 is mounted, a substrate mounting table 212 having the substrate mounting surface 211 on its surface, and a heater 213 as a third heating part contained in the substrate mounting table 212. The substrate mounting table 212 is provided with through holes 214 through which the lift pins 207 pass, at positions corresponding to the lift pins 207.

[0038] The substrate mounting table 212 is supported by a shaft 217. The shaft 217 penetrates the bottom of the chamber 202, and is further connected to a lifting mechanism 218 outside the chamber 202. By operating the lifting mechanism 218 to lift and lower the shaft 217 and the substrate mounting table 212, it is possible to lift and lower the substrate 200 mounted on the substrate mounting surface 211. The lower end of the shaft 217 is surrounded by a bellows 219, and the inside of the chamber 202 is kept airtight.

[0039] When the substrate 200 is transported, the substrate mounting table 212 is lowered to a position (wafer transport position) where the substrate mounting surface 211 faces the substrate loading / unloading port 206, and when the substrate 200 is processed, the substrate mounting table 212 is raised until the substrate 200 reaches a processing position (wafer processing position) in the processing chamber 201. Specifically, when the substrate mounting table 212 is lowered to the wafer transport position, the upper ends of the lift pins 207 protrude from the upper surface of the substrate mounting surface 211, and the lift pins 207 support the substrate 200 from below. When the substrate mounting table 212 is raised to the wafer processing position, the lift pins 207 are recessed from the upper surface of the substrate mounting surface 211, and the substrate mounting surface 211 supports the substrate 200 from below. Since the lift pins 207 are in direct contact with the substrate 200, they are desirably formed of a material such as quartz or alumina.

[0040] (Shower head) A shower head 230 serving as a gas dispersion mechanism is provided at the top (upstream side in the gas supply direction) of the processing chamber 201. That is, the chamber 202 includes the processing chamber 201, as well as the shower head 230 provided at the top. A gas inlet 241 is provided in a lid 231 of the shower head 230, and a gas supply system described below is connected to the gas inlet 241. The gas introduced from the gas inlet 241 is supplied to a shower head buffer chamber 232, which is a space formed in the shower head 230.

[0041] A support block 233 for supporting the lid 231 of the shower head 230 is provided between the lid 231 and the upper vessel 202a.

[0042] The shower head 230 includes a dispersion plate 234 for dispersing gas supplied from a gas supply system via a gas inlet 241. The upstream side of the dispersion plate 234 is the shower head buffer chamber 232, and the downstream side is the processing chamber 201. The dispersion plate 234 is provided with a plurality of through holes 234a. The dispersion plate 234 is disposed above the substrate mounting surface 211 so as to face the substrate mounting surface 211. Therefore, the shower head buffer chamber 232 communicates with the processing chamber 201 via the plurality of through holes 234a provided in the dispersion plate 234.

[0043] A gas guide 235 that forms a flow of the supplied gas is provided in the shower head buffer chamber 232. The gas guide 235 has a conical shape with the gas inlet 241 as its apex and the diameter increasing toward the dispersion plate 234. The gas guide 235 is formed such that its lower end is located further outward than the through-hole 234a formed on the outermost side of the dispersion plate 234. In other words, the shower head buffer chamber 232 contains the gas guide 235 that guides the gas supplied from above the dispersion plate 234 toward the processing chamber 201.

[0044] The shower head 230 may include a heater 231b as a heat source for increasing the temperature inside the shower head buffer chamber 232 and the processing chamber 201.

[0045] (Gas supply system) A common gas supply pipe 242 is connected to a gas introduction hole 241 provided in a lid 231 of the shower head 230. The common gas supply pipe 242 is connected to the gas introduction hole 241, and thereby communicates with a shower head buffer chamber 232 in the shower head 230. A first gas supply pipe 243a, a second gas supply pipe 244a, and a third gas supply pipe 245a are connected to the common gas supply pipe 242. The second gas supply pipe 244a is connected to the common gas supply pipe 242 via a remote plasma unit (RPU) 244e.

[0046] Of these, the source gas supply system 243 including the first gas supply pipe 243a mainly supplies source gas, and the reactive gas supply system 244 including the second gas supply pipe 244a mainly supplies reactive gas. The source gas and reactive gas function as processing gases for processing the substrate 200. The inert gas supply system 245 including the third gas supply pipe 245a supplies either an inert gas or a cleaning gas, or both. The inert gas and the cleaning gas function as non-processing gases that do not process the substrate 200.

[0047] This constitutes a gas supply system serving as a gas supply unit capable of supplying various gases to the processing chamber 201 via the shower head 230.

[0048] Regarding the gases supplied to the shower head buffer chamber 232 of the shower head 230 through the common gas supply pipe 242, the source gas may be called a first gas, the reactive gas a second gas, the inert gas a third gas, and the cleaning gas a fourth gas.

[0049] (raw gas supply system) The first gas supply pipe 243a is provided with, in this order from the upstream direction, a raw material gas supply source 243b, a mass flow controller (MFC) 243c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 243d which is an on-off valve. A raw material gas which is a first gas is supplied from the first gas supply pipe 243a into the shower head buffer chamber 232 via the MFC 243c, the valve 243d, and the common gas supply pipe 242.

[0050] The source gas is one of the process gases, and is, for example, a source gas containing silicon (Si) element. 2 Cl 6 (disilicon hexachloride or hexachlorodisilane) gas. It is also called a raw material gas, a Si-containing gas. The raw material gas may be any of a solid, liquid, and gas at room temperature and pressure. If the raw material gas is a liquid at room temperature and pressure, a vaporizer (not shown) may be provided between the first gas supply source 243b and the MFC 243c. Here, the raw material gas will be described as a gas.

[0051] The raw material gas supply system 243 is mainly composed of the first gas supply pipe 243a, the MFC 243c, and the valve 243d. The raw material gas supply system 243 may also include the raw material gas supply source 243b and a first inert gas supply system described later. The raw material gas supply system 243 supplies a raw material gas, which is one of the process gases, and therefore corresponds to one of the process gas supply systems.

[0052] A downstream end of a first inert gas supply pipe 246a is connected to the first gas supply pipe 243a downstream of the valve 243d. The first inert gas supply pipe 246a is provided with an inert gas supply source 246b, an MFC 246c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 246d which is an on-off valve, in that order from the upstream direction. An inert gas is supplied from the first inert gas supply pipe 246a into the shower head buffer chamber 232 via the MFC 246c, the valve 246d, and the first gas supply pipe 243a.

[0053] The inert gas acts as a carrier gas for the raw material gas, and it is preferable to use a gas that does not react with the raw material. Specifically, for example, nitrogen (N 2 ) gas can be used. 2 In addition to gas, rare gases such as helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, and argon (Ar) gas can be used.

[0054] The first inert gas supply system is mainly composed of the first inert gas supply pipe 246a, the MFC 246c, and the valve 246d. The first inert gas supply system may also include the inert gas supply source 246b and the first gas supply pipe 243a. The first inert gas supply system may also be included in the raw material gas supply system 243.

[0055] (Reaction gas supply system) The second gas supply pipe 244a is provided with an RPU 244e downstream. On the upstream side, a reactive gas supply source 244b, an MFC 244c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 244d which is an on-off valve are provided in this order from the upstream direction. Then, a reactive gas which is a second gas is supplied from the second gas supply pipe 244a into the shower head buffer chamber 232 via the MFC 244c, the valve 244d, the RPU 244e, and the common gas supply pipe 242. The reactive gas is made into a plasma state by the remote plasma unit 244e, and is irradiated onto the substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201 through a plurality of through holes 234a provided in the dispersion plate 234.

[0056] The reactive gas is one of the process gases, such as ammonia (NH 3 The reactive gas is a gas that reacts with the components of the source gas.

[0057] The second gas supply pipe 244a, the MFC 244c, and the valve 244d mainly constitute a reactive gas supply system 244. The reactive gas supply system 244 may also include a reactive gas supply source 244b, an RPU 244e, and a second inert gas supply system, which will be described later. The reactive gas supply system 244 supplies a reactive gas, which is one of the process gases, and therefore corresponds to another process gas supply system.

[0058] The downstream end of the second inert gas supply pipe 247a is connected to the second gas supply pipe 244a downstream of the valve 244d. The second inert gas supply pipe 247a is provided with an inert gas supply source 247b, an MFC 247c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 247d which is an opening / closing valve, in this order from the upstream direction. Then, the inert gas is supplied from the second inert gas supply pipe 247a into the shower head buffer chamber 232 via the MFC 247c, the valve 247d, the second gas supply pipe 244a, and the RPU 244e.

[0059] The inert gas acts as a carrier gas or a dilution gas for the reaction gas. 2 Gases such as N 2 In addition to gas, rare gases such as He gas, Ne gas, and Ar gas may be used.

[0060] The second inert gas supply system is mainly composed of the second inert gas supply pipe 247a, the MFC 247c, and the valve 247d. The second inert gas supply system may also include the inert gas supply source 247b, the second gas supply pipe 243a, and the RPU 244e. The second inert gas supply system may also be included in the reactive gas supply system 244.

[0061] (Inert gas supply system) The third gas supply pipe 245a is provided with, in order from the upstream direction, an inert gas supply source 245b, an MFC 245c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 245d which is an on-off valve. In a film forming process described later, an inert gas serving as a purge gas is supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a through the MFC 245c, the valve 245d, and the common gas supply pipe 242 into the shower head buffer chamber 232. In a first cleaning process described later, an inert gas serving as a carrier gas or dilution gas for the cleaning gas is supplied into the shower head buffer chamber 232 through the MFC 245c, the valve 245d, and the common gas supply pipe 242 as necessary.

[0062] The inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply source 245b is one of the non-processing gases, and in the film forming process, acts as a purge gas for purging gas remaining in the chamber 202 and the shower head 230. In addition, in the first cleaning process, the inert gas may act as a carrier gas or a dilution gas for the cleaning gas. Specifically, the inert gas may be, for example, N 2 Gases such as N 2 In addition to gas, rare gases such as He gas, Ne gas, and Ar gas may be used.

[0063] The third gas supply pipe 245a, the MFC 245c, and the valve 245d mainly constitute an inert gas supply system 245. The inert gas supply system 245 may also include an inert gas supply source 245b.

[0064] (Cleaning gas supply system) A downstream end of a cleaning gas supply pipe 248a is connected to the third gas supply pipe 245a downstream of the valve 245d. A cleaning gas supply source 248b, an MFC 248c which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 248d which is an on-off valve are provided in the cleaning gas supply pipe 248a in this order from the upstream direction. In the first cleaning step, a cleaning gas is supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a into the shower head buffer chamber 232 via the MFC 248c, the valve 248d, and the common gas supply pipe 242.

[0065] The cleaning gas supplied from the cleaning gas supply source 248b is one of the non-processing gases, and in the first cleaning step, acts as a cleaning gas for removing by-products and the like attached to the shower head 230 and the chamber 202. Specifically, a fluorine-containing gas containing fluorine (F) is used as the cleaning gas, for example, nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) gas can be used. For example, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, chlorine trifluoride gas (ClF 3 ) gas, fluorine (F 2 ) gases, etc., or a combination of these may be used.

[0066] A cleaning gas supply system is mainly composed of the cleaning gas supply pipe 248a, the MFC 248c, and the valve 248d. The cleaning gas supply system may also include the cleaning gas supply source 248b and the third gas supply pipe 245a.

[0067] (Gas exhaust system) The exhaust system for exhausting the atmosphere in the chamber 202 has a plurality of exhaust pipes connected to the chamber 202. Specifically, the exhaust system has a basic exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the transfer space 203 of the lower vessel 202b, a first exhaust pipe 236 connected to the showerhead buffer chamber 232 of the showerhead 230 and communicating with the showerhead 230, and a second exhaust pipe 222 connected to the exhaust buffer chamber 209 of the upper vessel 202a and communicating with the processing chamber 201.

[0068] (First gas exhaust system) The first exhaust pipe 236 is connected to the upper surface or side surface of the shower head buffer chamber 232. In other words, the first exhaust pipe 236 is connected to the shower head 230, and thereby communicates with the shower head buffer chamber 232 in the shower head 230.

[0069] The first exhaust pipe 236 is provided with a first valve 237. Furthermore, a vacuum pump 253, which will be described later, is provided in the first exhaust pipe 236 downstream of the first valve 237. The vacuum pump 253 exhausts the atmosphere of the shower head buffer chamber 232 through the first exhaust pipe 236. This exhaust is controlled by the first valve 237. That is, the first exhaust pipe 236 is provided with the first valve 237 that functions as a first exhaust control unit that can control the exhaust by the first exhaust pipe 236. Note that, in the first exhaust pipe 236, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) 238, which is a pressure controller that controls the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232 to a predetermined pressure, may be provided between the vacuum pump 253 and the first valve 237. In this case, the APC 238 may be included in the first exhaust control unit.

[0070] A first gas exhaust system is mainly configured by the first exhaust pipe 236 and the first valve 237. The first gas exhaust system may include an APC 238.

[0071] Further, a first heating unit 239 is provided in the first exhaust pipe 236. The first heating unit 239 is arranged to be wound around the first exhaust pipe 236, and can be used as a pipe heater that heats the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 by passing electricity through it.

[0072] Furthermore, in addition to the first heating unit 239, the first exhaust pipe 236 may be provided with a temperature measurement unit 264 capable of measuring the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236. The temperature measurement unit 264 may be, for example, a temperature sensor disposed inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0073] In addition, when multiple chambers 202 (202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, 202h) are present in the substrate processing system 1000, each of the chambers 202 will have a first exhaust pipe 236, as shown in FIG. 4 described below.

[0074] (Second gas exhaust system) The second exhaust pipe 222 is connected to the inside of the exhaust buffer chamber 209 via an exhaust hole 221 provided on the upper surface or side of the exhaust buffer chamber 209. In other words, the second exhaust pipe 222 is connected to the exhaust buffer chamber 209 and communicates with the processing chamber 201 through the exhaust buffer chamber 209.

[0075] The second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with a second valve 223. In addition, the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with an APC 224, which is a pressure controller that controls the inside of the processing chamber 201 communicating with the exhaust buffer chamber 209 to a predetermined pressure, downstream of the second valve 223. In addition, the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with a vacuum pump 253, which will be described later, downstream of the APC 224. The vacuum pump 253 exhausts the atmosphere of the exhaust buffer chamber 209 and the processing chamber 201 communicating therewith through the second exhaust pipe 222. This exhaust is controlled by the APC 224 and the second valve 223. That is, the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with the APC 224 and the second valve 223 that function as a second exhaust control unit that can control the exhaust by the second exhaust pipe 222.

[0076] A second gas exhaust system is mainly configured by the second exhaust pipe 222, the second valve 223, and the APC 224.

[0077] Further, the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with a second heating unit 225. The second heating unit 225 can be used as a piping heater, similar to the first heating unit 239. Furthermore, the second exhaust pipe 222 may be provided with a temperature measuring unit 265 capable of measuring the temperature inside the second exhaust pipe 222.

[0078] In addition, when multiple chambers 202 (202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, 202h) are present in the substrate processing system 1000, each of the chambers 202 will have a second exhaust pipe 222, as shown in FIG. 4 described later.

[0079] (Common exhaust system for multiple chambers) Next, a description will be given of an exhaust system for the multiple chambers 202. Here, the multiple chambers 202 are exemplified by chamber 202a and chamber 202b. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas exhaust system of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0080] A junction pipe 251a that joins the first exhaust pipe 236a and the second exhaust pipe 222a extending from the chamber 202a is connected to the downstream side of the first exhaust pipe 236b and the second exhaust pipe 222b extending from the chamber 202b. A junction pipe 251b that joins the first exhaust pipe 236b and the second exhaust pipe 222b is connected to the downstream side of the first exhaust pipe 236b and the second exhaust pipe 222b extending from the chamber 202b. A common exhaust pipe 252 is connected to the downstream side of the junction pipe 251a and the junction pipe 251b. In other words, the common exhaust pipe 252 is disposed downstream of the first exhaust pipes 236a, 236b and the second exhaust pipes 222a, 222b to join them.

[0081] A vacuum pump 253 is disposed downstream of the common exhaust pipe 252. An APC 254 and a valve 255 are disposed between the vacuum pump 253 and the junction of the junction pipes 251a and 251b, in this order from the downstream side. The APC 254, the valve 255, the junction pipes 251a and 251b, and the common exhaust pipe 252 constitute a common exhaust system for the multiple chambers 202a and 202b. In this manner, the atmospheres in the chambers 202a and 202b are exhausted by the single vacuum pump 253.

[0082] Although the common exhaust system for the chambers 202a and 202b has been taken as an example here, the other chambers 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, and 202h are assumed to have the same configuration.

[0083] (controller) The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a controller 260 that functions as a control unit (control means) that controls the operation of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 100 .

[0084] The controller 260 has at least a calculation unit 261 and a storage unit 262. The controller 260 is connected to each of the above-mentioned components, and calls up a program or recipe from the storage unit 262 in response to an instruction from a higher-level controller or a user, and controls the operation of each component in response to the contents of the program or recipe. Specifically, the controller 260 controls the operation of the gate valve 205, the lifting mechanism 218, the heaters 213, 231b, the high-frequency power supply, the matching box, the MFCs 243c to 248c, the valves 243d to 248d, the APCs 224, 238, the vacuum pump 253, the first valve 237, the second valve 223, etc.

[0085] The controller 260 may be configured as a dedicated computer or as a general-purpose computer. For example, the controller 260 according to the present embodiment can be configured by preparing an external storage device (for example, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk such as a flexible disk or a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD or a DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or a memory card) that stores the above-mentioned program, and installing the program in a general-purpose computer using the external storage device.

[0086] Furthermore, the means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying the program via an external storage device. For example, the program may be supplied without going through an external storage device by using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line. That is, the program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. The storage unit 262 and the external storage device are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these are collectively referred to simply as recording media. In addition, when the term recording medium is used in this specification, it may include only the storage unit 262 alone, only the external storage device alone, or both.

[0087] (3) Substrate processing Next, as one step of the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a step of forming a thin film on a substrate 200 using the substrate processing apparatus 100 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 100 is controlled by a controller 260.

[0088] In this specification, the term "substrate" may mean "the substrate itself" or "the substrate and a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on its surface, and a laminate (assembly) thereof" (i.e., the substrate may include a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on the surface). In addition, in this specification, the term "surface of the substrate" may mean "the surface (exposed surface) of the substrate itself" or "the surface of a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on the substrate, i.e., the outermost surface of the substrate as a laminate." Therefore, in this specification, when it is stated that "a specific gas is supplied to a substrate," it may mean "supplying a specific gas directly to the surface (exposed surface) of the substrate itself," or it may mean "supplying a specific gas to a layer or film formed on the substrate, i.e., to the outermost surface of the substrate as a laminate." In addition, in this specification, it may mean "forming a specific layer (or film) on a layer or film formed on the substrate, i.e., on the outermost surface of the substrate as a laminate." In this specification, the use of the word "wafer" is the same as the use of the word "substrate", and in that case, the "substrate" can be replaced with the "wafer" in the above description.

[0089] The substrate processing step will be described below. Here, the source gas (first processing gas) is Si 2 Cl 6 gas, and NH 3 An example will be described in which a SiN (silicon nitride) film is formed as a silicon-containing film on a substrate 200 by an alternate supply method using gas.

[0090] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram showing a substrate processing step and a cleaning step according to this embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a flow diagram showing details of the film forming step of Fig. 5.

[0091] (Substrate loading and placement process: S102) In the substrate processing step, first, the substrate 200 is loaded into the processing chamber 201. Specifically, the substrate mounting table 212 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 218, and the lift pins 207 are protruded from the through holes 214 to the upper surface side of the substrate mounting table 212. After the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure, the gate valve 205 is opened, and the substrate 200 is placed on the lift pins 207 from the gate valve 205. After the substrate 200 is placed on the lift pins 207, the substrate mounting table 212 is raised to a predetermined position by the lifting mechanism 218, and the substrate 200 is placed on the substrate mounting surface 211 of the substrate mounting table 212 from the lift pins 207.

[0092] After the substrate 200 is loaded into the chamber 202, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is subsequently evacuated by the second exhaust pipe 222 so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 reaches a predetermined pressure (vacuum degree). At this time, the opening degree of the valve of the APC 224 is feedback-controlled based on a pressure value measured by a pressure sensor. Also, based on a temperature value detected by a temperature sensor (not shown), the amount of electricity supplied to the heater 213 is feedback-controlled so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 reaches a predetermined temperature. Specifically, the substrate mounting table 212 is preheated by the heater 213, and is left for a certain period of time after there is no change in temperature of the substrate 200 or the substrate mounting table 212.

[0093] (Film forming process: S104) After the substrate loading / placing step (S102), a film forming step (S104) is performed. The film forming step (S104) will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 6. The film forming step (S104) is a cyclic process in which a step of alternately supplying different process gases is repeated.

[0094] (First process gas supply step: S202) In the film forming process (S104), first, a first process gas (source gas) supplying process (S202) is performed.

[0095] The first process gas is a raw material gas (e.g., Si 2 Cl 6 When the raw material gas (gas) is supplied, the valve 243d is opened and the MFC 243c is adjusted so that the flow rate of the raw material gas becomes a predetermined flow rate. This starts the supply of the raw material gas into the processing chamber 201. The supply flow rate of the raw material gas is, for example, 100 to 500 sccm. The raw material gas is dispersed by the shower head 230 and uniformly supplied onto the substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201.

[0096] That is, in the first process gas supply step (S202), with the substrate 200 present in the process chamber 201, the source gas supply system 243 supplies a source gas, which is one of the process gases, to the shower head 230.

[0097] At this time, the valve 246d of the first inert gas supply system is opened, and an inert gas (N 2 The inert gas may be supplied at a flow rate of, for example, 500 to 5000 sccm. The inert gas may be supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a of the inert gas supply system 245.

[0098] Excess source gas flows uniformly from inside the processing chamber 201 into the exhaust buffer chamber 209, and is exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 222 of the second gas exhaust system. Specifically, the second valve 223 in the second gas exhaust system is opened, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is controlled to a predetermined pressure by the APC 224. All valves of the exhaust system other than the second valve 223 in the second gas exhaust system are closed.

[0099] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the source gas, the supply of the source gas is stopped by closing the valve 243d in the source gas supply system 243. The supply time of the source gas and the carrier gas is, for example, 2 to 20 seconds.

[0100] (First shower head exhaust process: S204) After the supply of the source gas is stopped, an inert gas (N 2 A gas) is supplied to purge the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232. At this time, the valves of the gas exhaust system are such that the second valve 223 in the second gas exhaust system is closed, while the first valve 237 in the first gas exhaust system is opened. The other valves of the gas exhaust system are kept closed. That is, when purging the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232, the exhaust buffer chamber 209 and the APC 224 are blocked, the pressure control by the APC 224 is stopped, and the shower head buffer chamber 232 and the vacuum pump 253 are connected to each other. As a result, the source gas remaining in the shower head 230 (shower head buffer chamber 232) is exhausted from the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232 by the vacuum pump 253 through the first exhaust pipe 236. At this time, the valve downstream of the APC 224 may be opened.

[0101] In the first showerhead exhaust step (S204), an inert gas (N 2 The supply flow rate of the inert gas is, for example, 1000 to 10000 sccm, and the supply time of the inert gas is, for example, 2 to 10 seconds.

[0102] At this time, for the first exhaust pipe 236 that exhausts the remaining source gas, the first heating unit 239 is operated to control the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236. Specifically, the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition of the source gas. In this way, by setting the temperature to a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition, adhesion of the source gas to the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 can be suppressed.

[0103] Regarding exhaust through the first exhaust pipe 236, the conductance during the exhaust is adjusted by the first valve 237. Specifically, the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a first conductance. At this time, the control may be performed using the APC 238. The first conductance will be described in detail later.

[0104] (First processing space exhaust step: S206) After the purging of the shower head buffer chamber 232 is completed, an inert gas (N 2 gas) is supplied to purge the inside of the processing chamber 201. At this time, the second valve 223 in the second gas exhaust system is opened, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is controlled by the APC 224 to be a predetermined pressure. Meanwhile, all valves in the gas exhaust system other than the second valve 223 are closed. As a result, the source gas that could not be adsorbed by the substrate 200 in the first processing gas supply step (S202) is removed from the processing chamber 201 via the second exhaust pipe 222 and the exhaust buffer chamber 209 by the vacuum pump 253.

[0105] In the first treatment space exhaust step (S206), an inert gas (N 2The supply flow rate of the inert gas is, for example, 1000 to 10000 sccm, and the supply time of the inert gas is, for example, 2 to 10 seconds.

[0106] In this embodiment, the first shower head evacuation step (S204) is followed by the first processing space evacuation step (S206), but the order of these steps may be reversed. Also, these steps may be performed simultaneously.

[0107] (Second process gas supply step: S208) After the purging of the shower head buffer chamber 232 and the processing chamber 201 is completed, a second processing gas (reactive gas) supplying step (S208) is performed. In the second processing gas supplying step (S208), the valve 244d is opened to supply a reactive gas (NH 3 The supply of the reactive gas (gas) is started. At this time, the MFC 244c is adjusted so that the flow rate of the reactive gas becomes a predetermined flow rate. The supply flow rate of the reactive gas is, for example, 1000 to 10000 sccm.

[0108] That is, in the second process gas supply step (S208), with the substrate 200 present in the process chamber 201, the reaction gas supply system 244 supplies a reaction gas, which is one of the process gases, to the shower head 230.

[0109] The reactive gas in a plasma state is dispersed by the shower head 230 and uniformly supplied onto the substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201 , and reacts with the source gas-containing film adsorbed on the substrate 200 to produce a SiN film on the substrate 200 .

[0110] At this time, the valve 247d of the second inert gas supply system is opened, and an inert gas (N 2 The inert gas may be supplied at a flow rate of, for example, 500 to 5000 sccm. The inert gas may be supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a of the inert gas supply system 245.

[0111] Excess reaction gas and reaction by-products flow from inside the processing chamber 201 into the exhaust buffer chamber 209, and are exhausted through the second exhaust pipe 222 of the second gas exhaust system. Specifically, the second valve 223 in the second gas exhaust system is opened, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 201 is controlled to a predetermined pressure by the APC 224. All valves in the exhaust system other than the second valve 223 are closed.

[0112] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the reactive gas, the valve 244d is closed to stop the supply of the reactive gas. The supply time of the reactive gas and the carrier gas is, for example, 2 to 20 seconds.

[0113] (Second shower head exhaust process: S210) After the supply of the reactive gas is stopped, a second showerhead evacuation step (S210) is performed to remove the reactive gas and reaction by-products remaining in the showerhead buffer chamber 232. This second showerhead evacuation step (S210) may be performed in the same manner as the first showerhead evacuation step (S204) already described.

[0114] That is, also in the second showerhead exhaust step (S210), the first heating unit 239 is operated to control the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 that exhausts the remaining reaction gas and reaction by-products. Specifically, the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition of the reaction gas and reaction by-products. In this way, by setting the temperature to a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the reaction gas and reaction by-products inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0115] Regarding exhaust through the first exhaust pipe 236, the conductance during the exhaust is adjusted by the first valve 237. Specifically, the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a first conductance. At this time, the control may be performed using the APC 238. The first conductance will be described in detail later.

[0116] (Second processing space exhaust process: S212) After purging of the shower head buffer chamber 232 is completed, a second processing space exhaust step (S212) is then performed to remove the reaction gas and reaction by-products remaining in the processing chamber 201. This second processing space exhaust step (S212) may be performed in the same manner as the first processing space exhaust step (S206) already described, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0117] (Judgment process: S214) The above first process gas supply step (S202), first shower head exhaust step (S204), first process space exhaust step (S206), second process gas supply step (S208), second shower head exhaust step (S210), and second process space exhaust step (S212) constitute one cycle, and the controller 260 determines whether this cycle has been performed a predetermined number of times (n cycles) (S214). When the cycle has been performed the predetermined number of times, a silicon nitride (SiN) film having a desired thickness is formed on the substrate 200.

[0118] (Processing count determination step: S106) After the film forming step (S104) including the above steps (S202 to S214), as shown in FIG. 5, it is then determined whether the film forming step (S104) has been performed a predetermined number of times (S106).

[0119] If the number of film-forming steps (S104) has not reached the predetermined number, the process moves to a substrate loading / unloading step (S108) in order to remove the processed substrate 200 and start processing a new waiting substrate 200. If the film-forming step (S104) has been performed a predetermined number of times, the process moves to a substrate unloading step (S110) in order to remove the processed substrate 200 and make the chamber 202 into a state in which no substrate 200 is present.

[0120] (Substrate loading / unloading process: S108) In the substrate loading / unloading step (S108), the substrate mounting table 212 is lowered, and the substrate 200 is supported on the lift pins 207 protruding from the surface of the substrate mounting table 212. This moves the substrate 200 from the processing position to the transfer position. Thereafter, the gate valve 205 is opened, and the substrate 200 is unloaded from the chamber 202 using a wafer transfer machine.

[0121] Thereafter, in a substrate loading / unloading process (S108), a new substrate 200 waiting next is loaded into the chamber 202 in the same procedure as in the substrate loading / mounting process (S102) described above, and the substrate 200 is raised to a processing position in the processing chamber 201, and the interior of the processing chamber 201 is set to a predetermined processing temperature and processing pressure, making it possible to start the next film formation process (S104). Then, the film formation process (S104) and the processing number determination process (S106) are performed on the new substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201.

[0122] (Substrate unloading process: S110) In the substrate unloading step (S110), the processed substrate 200 is removed from the chamber 202 and unloaded into the transfer chamber in the same procedure as in the substrate loading / unloading step (S108) described above. However, unlike the substrate loading / unloading step (S108), in the substrate unloading step (S110), the next waiting new substrate 200 is not loaded into the chamber 202, and the chamber 202 is left in a state where no substrate 200 is present.

[0123] (Idling process) As described above, in the substrate loading / unloading step (S108), the processing chamber 201 is free of the substrate 200 from the start of unloading the processed substrate 200 out of the chamber 202 to the end of loading the new substrate 200 into the chamber 202. Similarly, after the substrate unloading step (S110), the processing chamber 201 is free of the substrate 200 from the start of unloading the processed substrate 200 out of the chamber 202 to the start of the substrate loading / placing step (S102) for the new substrate 200 and the end of loading the substrate into the chamber 202. Hereinafter, this state in which there is no substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201 and the processing chamber 201 is waiting for the next new substrate 200 to be processed is referred to as an "idling step" or "idling time".

[0124] During idling, when a new substrate 200 is to be processed, it is preferable to be able to start the processing quickly in order to improve the throughput when multiple substrates are processed.

[0125] Therefore, during idling when the processing chamber 201 does not have the substrate 200, the following process is performed, unlike the above-described series of steps.

[0126] In the above-mentioned first process gas supply step (S202) and first shower head exhaust step (S204), (a) In a state where a substrate 200 is present in the processing chamber 201, the raw material gas supply system 243 supplies a raw material gas, which is one of the processing gases, to the shower head 230, and while the first heating unit 239 is operating, at least the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a first conductance.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned second process gas supply step (S208) and second shower head exhaust step (S210), (a) When a substrate 200 is present in the processing chamber 201, the reactive gas supply system 244 supplies a reactive gas, which is one of the processing gases, to the shower head 230, and while the first heating unit 239 is operating, at least the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a first conductance.

[0128] In contrast, during idling, (b) When there is no substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201, the inert gas supply system 245 supplies an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, to the shower head 230, and while the first heating unit 239 is operating, at least the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a second conductance smaller than the first conductance.

[0129] The first conductance in (a) above and the second conductance in (b) above are not limited to a specific magnitude as long as the magnitude relationship between them is established, and can be appropriately set through control of at least the first valve 237.

[0130] As described above, by controlling as in (a) above when the substrate 200 is present in the processing chamber 201, and controlling as in (b) above when the substrate 200 is not present in the processing chamber 201, it is possible to operate the first heating unit 239 and retain gas in the first exhaust pipe 236 when the substrate 200 is not present (e.g., during idling). This makes it possible to reduce the degree of decrease in temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during idling. Therefore, when processing the next new substrate 200, the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing can be quickly brought to the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing, and as a result, the throughput when processing multiple substrates can be increased.

[0131] More specifically, the following control is performed during idling.

[0132] As described above, the first exhaust pipe 236 includes the first valve 237 that functions as a first exhaust control unit. In this configuration, the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (a) is controlled to be larger than the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (b) through which an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows. By controlling the opening degree of the first valve 237 in this manner, the heated inert gas can be kept in the first exhaust pipe 236. Therefore, it is very preferable to reduce the degree of decrease in temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during idling and increase the throughput when processing multiple substrates.

[0133] More specifically, the process in the above case (a) is a cycle process, and the substrate is processed by repeating a combination of, for example, "first process gas supply step: S202 → first shower head exhaust step: S204 (→ first process space exhaust step: S206) → second process gas supply step: S208 → second shower head exhaust step: S210 (→ second process space exhaust step: S212)". That is, the above case (a) includes a step (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232. In such a case, the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above case (a) is the valve opening degree in the step (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232, and the valve opening degree is larger than that in the above case (b). Therefore, even if the heated inert gas is allowed to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (b), exhaust is not stagnate in the steps (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232.

[0134] In the above (b), the first valve 237 functioning as the first exhaust control unit may be controlled as follows. For example, in the above (b), when an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, (b-1) With the first heating unit 239 in operation, the first exhaust pipe 236 is set to a predetermined conductance; (b-2) After a predetermined time has elapsed, the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 is set to be lower than the predetermined conductance. In this way, by controlling the first exhaust control unit to control the conductance in the first exhaust pipe 236 in accordance with the elapsed time, it is possible to first increase the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 (i.e., flow inert gas) to move the inert gas to the first exhaust pipe 236, and then close the first valve 237 after a predetermined time has elapsed, thereby causing the inert gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 and maintaining the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0135] More specifically, as a control operation of the first valve 237 in the first exhaust pipe 236, the first valve 237 is opened in the above (b-1), and the opening degree of the first valve 237 is made smaller in the above (b-2) than in the above (b-1). Note that the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (b-2) may be narrowed compared to the above (b-1), or the first valve 237 may be closed. By controlling the opening of the first valve 237 in this manner, it is possible to reliably achieve the following: first, by opening the first valve 237, the inert gas is moved to the first exhaust pipe 236, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the opening of the first valve 237 is narrowed or closed, thereby causing the inert gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 and maintaining the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0136] Meanwhile, the chamber 202 of the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes, in addition to the first gas exhaust system that is the target of the above-mentioned control operation, a second gas exhaust system that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201. As described above, the second gas exhaust system includes the second exhaust pipe 222 that communicates with the processing chamber 201, and the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with the APC 224 and the second valve 223 that function as a second exhaust control unit. In relation to the second exhaust pipe 222, the gas exhaust through the first exhaust pipe 236 may be controlled as follows. For example, when an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, at least the first valve 237 in the first exhaust pipe 236 and the APC 224 and the second valve 223 in the second exhaust pipe 222 are controlled so that the amount of exhaust from the second exhaust pipe 222 in the above (b) is greater than the amount of exhaust from the first exhaust pipe 236. In this way, by increasing the exhaust rate from the second exhaust pipe 222, the flow of gas from the shower head buffer chamber 232 to the second exhaust pipe 222 increases, so that the amount of gas exhausted from the first exhaust pipe 236 can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of temperature drop in the first exhaust pipe 236 can be reduced.

[0137] Furthermore, as in the above (a) and (b), when gas is exhausted through the first exhaust pipe 236, the following temperature control may be performed. For example, the output of the first heating unit 239 in the above (a) is set to be higher than the output in the above (b) where an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236. Since the inert gas does not adhere to the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236, there is no need to increase the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236, unlike the case where the process gas flows through the first exhaust pipe 236. Therefore, by suppressing the output of the first heating unit 239 in the above case (b) compared to the above case (a), it is possible to realize a reduction in power consumption.

[0138] Furthermore, the following processing may be performed for controlling the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236. For example, in the above (b) in which a temperature measuring unit 264 capable of measuring the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is provided and an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, when the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 measured by the temperature measuring unit 264 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, the operation of the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 becomes higher than the predetermined temperature. By controlling the operation of the first heating unit 239 in this manner, it is possible to maintain the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 so that it does not fall below a predetermined temperature. Therefore, when processing the next new substrate 200, it is possible to quickly raise the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 to the temperature during substrate processing, which is very preferable for increasing the throughput when processing multiple substrates.

[0139] (Cleaning process: S112) After the substrate unloading step (S110), the process may proceed to a cleaning step (S112) instead of the above-mentioned idling step.

[0140] In the cleaning step (S112), mainly, a cleaning process for the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232 and a second cleaning process for cleaning the inside of the processing chamber 201 are performed.

[0141] When performing a cleaning process on the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232, a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is supplied by a cleaning gas supply system into the shower head buffer chamber 232. Then, by utilizing the flow of the cleaning gas, a cleaning process is performed to remove deposits (reaction by-products, etc.) attached to the inside of the shower head buffer chamber 232, particularly the lower surface (the surface facing the distribution plate 234) of the gas guide 235 and the upper surface of the distribution plate 234.

[0142] The cleaning gas used in the cleaning process is exhausted from the shower head buffer chamber 232 through the first exhaust pipe 236 by the first gas exhaust system, or is exhausted from the processing chamber 201 through the second exhaust pipe 222 by the second gas exhaust system.

[0143] That is, even in the cleaning step (S112), a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is exhausted through the first exhaust pipe 236. At this time, the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is controlled by operating the first heating unit 239. In addition, regarding the exhaust through the first exhaust pipe 236, the conductance during the exhaust is adjusted by at least the first valve 237.

[0144] Therefore, the above (b) also holds true in the cleaning step (S112). (b) When there is no substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201, the cleaning gas supply system supplies a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, to the shower head 230, and while the first heating unit 239 is operating, at least the first valve 237 is controlled so that the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236 has a second conductance smaller than the first conductance.

[0145] The first conductance in (a) above and the second conductance in (b) above are not limited to a specific magnitude as long as the magnitude relationship between them is established, and can be appropriately set through control of at least the first valve 237.

[0146] As described above, by controlling as in the above (a) when the substrate 200 is present in the processing chamber 201, and controlling as in the above (b) when the substrate 200 is not present in the processing chamber 201, it is possible to cause gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 while operating the first heating unit 239 in a state where the substrate 200 is not present (e.g., during cleaning processing). This makes it possible to reduce the degree of decrease in temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during cleaning processing. Therefore, after the cleaning step (S112) is completed, when the next new substrate 200 is processed, the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing can be quickly brought to the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing, and as a result, the throughput when processing multiple substrates can be increased.

[0147] More specifically, the following control is performed during the cleaning process.

[0148] Regarding the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236, the operation of the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (a) is lower than the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (b). By controlling the first heating section 239 in this manner, in the above (a), the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 can be set to a temperature at which the gas does not thermally decompose, and in the above (b), the temperature can be set to a temperature higher than that in the above (a) at which the adhered matter will thermally decompose, making it possible to remove the objects to be cleaned in the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0149] In the cleaning step (S112), the cleaning gas may also flow through a second exhaust pipe 222 communicating with the processing chamber 201. The second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with an APC 224 and a second valve 223 that function as a second exhaust control unit. In the above-mentioned relationship between the second exhaust pipe 222 and the first exhaust pipe 236, when a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows, (b-1) controlling at least the first valve 237 in the first exhaust pipe 236 and the APC 224 and the second valve 223 in the second exhaust pipe 222 so that the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 is lower than the conductance of the second exhaust pipe 222; (b-2) At least the first valve 237 in the first exhaust pipe 236 and the APC 224 and the second valve 223 in the second exhaust pipe 222 are controlled so that the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 is higher than the conductance of the second exhaust pipe 222. Then, in the above (b-2), the operation of the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 becomes higher than the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (a). By such control, in the above (a), the cleaning gas can be caused to flow at a temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 at which the gas does not thermally decompose, and in the above (b-2), the cleaning gas can be caused to flow at a temperature higher than that in the above (a) at which the adhered matter is thermally decomposed. Therefore, it becomes possible to remove the objects to be cleaned from the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0150] Incidentally, the second exhaust pipe 222 is provided with a second heating unit 225, similar to the first heating unit 239 in the first exhaust pipe 236. Moreover, the substrate support unit 210 in the chamber 202 is provided with a heater 213 as a third heating unit. While utilizing these, when a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows, the following control operation may be performed. For example, in the above (b), at least one or both of the first heating unit 239 and the second heating unit 225 are controlled so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 is higher than the temperature in the second exhaust pipe 222. In this case, the cleaning gas is heated to the thermal decomposition temperature of the object to be cleaned by the heater 213 as the third heating section before the second exhaust pipe 222. Therefore, in the second heating section 225, unlike the first heating section 239, there is no need to actively raise the temperature to the decomposition temperature of the object to be cleaned. From the above, by suppressing heating in the second heating section 225 through the above-mentioned control operation, the energy consumption of the entire apparatus can be suppressed.

[0151] (4) System processing operation example Next, a system processing operation example in the substrate processing system 1000 including the substrate processing apparatus 100 that performs the above-mentioned substrate processing steps will be described.

[0152] As described above, in the substrate processing system 1000, each process module 110 is provided with multiple (specifically, for example, two) chambers 202, and the first exhaust pipes 236 from each chamber 202 are joined by a common exhaust pipe 252.

[0153] Specifically, the process module 110a is provided with chambers 202a and 202b, the process module 110b is provided with chambers 202c and 202d, the process module 110c is provided with chambers 202e and 202f, and the process module 110d is provided with chambers 202g and 202h. In each of the chambers 202a to 202h, the substrate processing steps according to the above-mentioned sequence can be performed.

[0154] Here, attention is focused on one process module 110. Here, the case where attention is focused on the process module 110a is taken as an example, but the same applies to the other process modules 110b to 110d.

[0155] For example, when the number of substrates in a lot to be processed in the process module 110a is odd, a situation may occur in which the substrates 200 are processed in one chamber 202a while the substrates 200 are not processed in the other chamber 202b. In that case, if gas is supplied to both chambers 202a and 202b in the same way, the gas supply to the chamber 202b where no processing is performed is wasted, the gas utilization efficiency is reduced, and unnecessary film formation may occur in the chamber 202b where no processing is performed. On the other hand, if gas is supplied only to the chamber 202a where processing is performed, the processing conditions (gas flow rate, etc.) may differ from the case where gas is supplied to both chambers 202a and 202b, and the processing uniformity for each substrate 200 may decrease. In particular, when a common gas supply pipe 252 is used, if the gas flow rate differs between one chamber 202a and the other chamber 202b, the pressure in one junction pipe 251a may be affected by the pressure in the other junction pipe 251b, and as a result, the desired pressure may not be obtained. This may affect the processing pressure in the processing chamber 201, making it difficult to achieve the desired substrate processing. Therefore, it is desirable to make the processing conditions, such as gas flow rates, uniform in both chambers 202a and 202b.

[0156] For this reason, in the substrate processing system 1000, when a situation arises in which the substrate 200 is processed in one chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "first chamber") 202a of the multiple chambers 202a, 202b constituting the process module 110a and the substrate 200 is not processed in the other chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "second chamber") 202b, an atmosphere adjustment process as described below is performed in the second chamber 202b.

[0157] FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the atmosphere adjusting step according to this embodiment. The atmosphere adjustment step in the second chamber 202b in which the substrate 200 is not processed is performed in correspondence with the film formation step (see FIG. 6) in the first chamber 202a.

[0158] (First inert gas supplying step: S302) In the atmosphere adjustment process, first, a first inert gas supply process (S302) is performed. In the first inert gas supply process (S302), while the first process gas supply process (S202) is being performed in the first chamber 202a, an inert gas is also supplied from the third gas supply pipe 245a to the process chamber 201 via the shower head buffer chamber 232 in the second chamber 202b. That is, in the first inert gas supply process (S302), in a state where the substrate 200 is not present in the process chamber 201, the inert gas supply system 245 supplies an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, to the shower head 230.

[0159] (First shower head exhaust process: S304) Thereafter, while the first chamber 202a performs the first showerhead evacuation step (S204), the second chamber 202b also performs the first showerhead evacuation step (S304). The first showerhead evacuation step (S304) in the second chamber 202b may be performed in the same manner as the first showerhead evacuation step (S204) in the first chamber 202a.

[0160] (First processing space exhaust process: S306) Furthermore, while the first chamber 202a performs the first processing space evacuation step (S206), the second chamber 202b also performs a first processing space evacuation step (S306). The first processing space evacuation step (S306) in the second chamber 202b may be performed in the same manner as the first processing space evacuation step (S206) in the first chamber 202a.

[0161] (Second inert gas supplying step: S308) After exhausting the shower head buffer chamber 232 and the processing chamber 201, a second inert gas supply step (S308) is subsequently performed. In the second inert gas supply step (S308), while the second processing gas supply step (S208) is being performed in the first chamber 202a, an inert gas is also supplied into the processing chamber 201 in the second chamber 202b from the third gas supply pipe 245a via the shower head buffer chamber 232. That is, in the second inert gas supply step (S308), in a state where there is no substrate 200 in the processing chamber 201, the inert gas supply system 245 supplies an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, to the shower head 230.

[0162] (Second showerhead exhaust process: S310) Thereafter, while the first chamber 202a performs the second showerhead evacuation step (S210), the second chamber 202b also performs the second showerhead evacuation step (S310). The second showerhead evacuation step (S310) in the second chamber 202b may be performed in the same manner as the second showerhead evacuation step (S210) in the first chamber 202a.

[0163] (Second processing space exhaust process: S312) Furthermore, in synchronization with the first chamber 202a performing the second processing space evacuation step (S212), the second chamber 202b also performs a second processing space evacuation step (S312). The second processing space evacuation step (S312) in the second chamber 202b may be performed in the same manner as the second processing space evacuation step (S212) in the first chamber 202a.

[0164] (Judgment process: S314) Each of the above steps (S302 to S312) constitutes one cycle, and the controller 260 determines whether or not this cycle has been performed a predetermined number of times (n cycles) (S314). When the cycle has been performed a predetermined number of times, the film forming process (S104) in the first chamber 202a ends, and accordingly, the atmosphere adjustment process of the above-mentioned series of procedures also ends in the second chamber 202b.

[0165] (System operation of the first and second chambers) As described above, when the film forming process is performed in the first chamber 202a and the atmosphere adjusting process is performed in the second chamber 202b, the following control is performed as the system operation including the chambers 202a and 202b.

[0166] Specifically, a processing gas is supplied to the first chamber 202a in the presence of the substrate 200, while an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is supplied to the second chamber 202b in the absence of the substrate 200. In this case, the operation of at least one or both of the first heating parts 239a and 239b is controlled so that the temperature of the processing gas in the common exhaust pipe 252 becomes equal to or higher than the thermal decomposition temperature.

[0167] In this way, by controlling at least one of the first heating parts 239a and 239b, the temperature of the common exhaust pipe 252 can be made equal to or higher than the temperature of pyrolysis even when the film forming process is performed in the first chamber 202a and the atmosphere adjusting process is performed in the second chamber 202b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of unnecessary by-products and the like to the common exhaust pipe 252.

[0168] In addition, the operation of at least one or both of the first heating parts 239a, 239b is controlled so that the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a of the first chamber 202a and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b of the second chamber 202b is within a predetermined range. The temperature difference being within the predetermined range here means that even if there is a temperature drop in the processing gas due to the temperature difference between the two, the temperature difference is within a range in which the reduced processing gas temperature does not become lower than the thermal decomposition temperature, and includes the case where the two temperatures are the same.

[0169] In this manner, by controlling at least one of the first heating parts 239a and 239b, even if the processing gas from the first chamber 202a and the non-processing gas from the second chamber 202b join in the common exhaust pipe 252, the temperature of the processing gas does not become lower than the pyrolysis temperature. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of unnecessary by-products and the like to the common exhaust pipe 252. For example, if the temperature of the non-processing gas is lower than the temperature of the processing gas and the temperature difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the non-processing gas may lower the temperature of the processing gas due to the joining in the common exhaust pipe 252, which may cause the processing gas to adhere to the inner wall of the common exhaust pipe 252. In contrast, by controlling the first heating parts 239a and 239b as described above, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of such a phenomenon.

[0170] Furthermore, while using the first valves 237a and 237b, the difference between the opening degree of the first valve 237a in the first chamber 202a and the opening degree of the first valve 237b in the second chamber 202b is controlled to be within a predetermined range. The difference in opening degree being within a predetermined range here means that there is no difference in the exhaust amounts (within a predetermined range) to the extent that no backflow of gas occurs from the common exhaust pipe 252 that joins the flows of the respective gases, and includes the case where the exhaust amounts are the same.

[0171] In this manner, by controlling the first valves 237a, 237b, gas backflow does not occur even when the gas flows are joined at the common exhaust pipe 252. For example, when the amount of gas exhausted from one chamber 202 is large, that is, when the difference in the amount of exhausted exceeds a predetermined range, gas may backflow from the place where the first exhaust pipes 236a, 236b join into the other chamber 202. By setting the difference in the amount of exhausted within a predetermined range, gas backflow can be prevented.

[0172] Incidentally, after the atmosphere adjustment process in the second chamber 202b, a situation may occur in which the substrates 200 are loaded into each of the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, for example, when starting substrate processing for a new lot in the process module 110a. In such a case, the following control is performed as the system operation including the chambers 202a and 202b.

[0173] Specifically, when the substrate 200 is loaded into the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, the operation of at least one or both of the first heating units 239a and 239b is controlled so that the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b is within a predetermined range. The temperature difference being within the predetermined range here means that the lower temperature falls within a range of temperature difference that allows the lower temperature to be quickly (i.e., within a preset allowable time) set to the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing, and includes the case where the respective temperatures are the same.

[0174] It is more preferable to simultaneously control the first heating parts 239a and 239b. In this way, even when the substrate 200 is loaded into the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, the temperatures in the first exhaust pipes 236a and 236b can be simultaneously brought close to the temperature during substrate processing. For example, if the temperature of only the first exhaust pipe 236 on one side is low, it is necessary to secure time for the temperature to rise. However, by controlling the first heating parts 239a and 239b as described above, it is possible to prevent such a phenomenon from occurring, and as a result, it is possible to increase the throughput during substrate processing.

[0175] Furthermore, if the difference between the temperature in first exhaust pipe 236a and the temperature in first exhaust pipe 236b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the operation of at least one or both of first heating units 239a, 239b may be controlled so that the temperature in first exhaust pipe 236b approaches the temperature in first exhaust pipe 236a. Here, the temperature difference being equal to or greater than a predetermined value means that a temperature difference of equal to or greater than a predetermined value set for determining whether the temperature difference is within the above-mentioned predetermined range has occurred.

[0176] In this manner, by controlling each of the first heating sections 239a, 239b, feedback control is performed to ensure that the temperature difference in each of the first exhaust pipes 236a, 236b is within a predetermined range when the substrate 200 is loaded into each of the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, which is very desirable for increasing throughput during substrate processing.

[0177] (5) Effects of this embodiment According to this embodiment, one or more of the following advantages are achieved.

[0178] (A) According to this embodiment, by controlling as described above in (a) when the substrate 200 is present in the processing chamber 201, and controlling as described above in (b) when the substrate 200 is not present in the processing chamber 201, it is possible to operate the first heating unit 239 and cause gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 when the substrate 200 is not present (for example, during idling or cleaning processing). Therefore, since the degree of decrease in temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 when the substrate 200 is not present can be reduced, when the next new substrate 200 is processed, the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 during substrate processing can be quickly brought to the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 when the substrate 200 is processed, and as a result, the throughput when processing multiple substrates can be increased.

[0179] (B) According to the present embodiment, in the above (a), by controlling the first heating unit 239 so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition of the raw material gas, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the raw material gas to the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0180] (C) According to this embodiment, the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (a) is controlled to be larger than the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (b) through which the inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows. Therefore, the heated inert gas is allowed to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236, and the degree of decrease in temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 can be reduced, which is very preferable for increasing the throughput when processing multiple substrates.

[0181] (D) According to the present embodiment, in the above (a), there is a process (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232, and the opening degree of the first valve 237 in the above (a) is the valve opening degree in the process (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232. Therefore, even if the heated inert gas is allowed to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (b), exhaust in the process (S204, S210) of exhausting the atmosphere in the shower head buffer chamber 232 is not stagnate.

[0182] (E) According to this embodiment, in the above (b), (b-1) while the first heating unit 239 is operating, the first exhaust pipe 236 is set to a predetermined conductance, and (b-2) after a predetermined time has elapsed, the first exhaust pipe 236 is set to a conductance lower than the predetermined conductance. Therefore, it is possible to first increase the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 (i.e., flow an inert gas) to move the inert gas to the first exhaust pipe 236, and then close the first valve 237 after a predetermined time has elapsed to cause the inert gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 and maintain the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0183] (E) According to this embodiment, in the above (b-1), the first valve 237 is opened, and in the above (b-2), the opening degree of the first valve 237 is made smaller than that in the above (b-1). Therefore, it is possible to reliably realize the following: first, by opening the first valve 237, the inert gas is moved to the first exhaust pipe 236, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the opening degree of the first valve 237 is narrowed or closed, thereby causing the inert gas to remain in the first exhaust pipe 236 and maintaining the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0184] (F) According to this embodiment, when an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, at least the first valve 237, the APC 224, and the second valve 223 are controlled so that the exhaust amount from the second exhaust pipe 222 in (b) above is greater than the exhaust amount from the first exhaust pipe 236. In this way, when the exhaust amount from the second exhaust pipe 222 is increased, the flow of gas from the shower head buffer chamber 232 to the second exhaust pipe 222 increases, so that the exhaust amount of gas from the first exhaust pipe 236 can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of temperature drop in the first exhaust pipe 236 can be reduced.

[0185] (G) According to this embodiment, the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the output of the first heating unit 239 in the above (a) is higher than the output of the first heating unit 239 in the above (b). Since the inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, does not adhere to the inside of the first exhaust pipe 236, unlike the case where the processing gas flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, there is no need to increase the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 when the inert gas flows. Therefore, by suppressing the output of the first heating unit 239 in the above (b) compared to the above (a), it is possible to realize a reduction in power consumption.

[0186] (H) According to this embodiment, in the above (b) in which the temperature measurement unit 264 capable of measuring the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 is provided and an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, flows through the first exhaust pipe 236, if the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 measured by the temperature measurement unit 264 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 becomes higher than the predetermined temperature. Therefore, since the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 can be maintained so that it does not become lower than the predetermined temperature, when the next new substrate 200 is processed, it is possible to quickly raise the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 to the temperature used for substrate processing, which is very preferable for increasing the throughput when processing multiple substrates.

[0187] (I) According to this embodiment, when a process gas is supplied to the first chamber 202a in the presence of the substrate 200 and an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is supplied to the second chamber 202b in the absence of the substrate 200, at least one of the first heating units 239a, 239b is controlled so that the temperature of the process gas in the common exhaust pipe 252 is equal to or higher than the pyrolysis temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the common exhaust pipe 252 can be equal to or higher than the pyrolysis temperature, and it is possible to prevent the adhesion of unnecessary by-products, etc. to the common exhaust pipe 252.

[0188] (J) According to this embodiment, when the substrate 200 is loaded into the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, at least one of the first heating units 239a, 239b is controlled so that the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b is within a predetermined range. Therefore, the temperature in each of the first exhaust pipes 236 can be simultaneously brought close to the temperature during substrate processing, and as a result, the throughput during substrate processing can be increased.

[0189] (K) According to this embodiment, when the substrate 200 is loaded into each of the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b, if the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, at least one of the first heating units 239a, 239b is controlled so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b approaches the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a. Therefore, feedback control is performed to ensure that the temperature difference in each of the first exhaust pipes 236 is within a predetermined range, which is very preferable in terms of increasing the throughput during substrate processing.

[0190] (L) According to this embodiment, when a process gas is supplied to the first chamber 202a in the presence of the substrate 200 and an inert gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is supplied to the second chamber 202b in the absence of the substrate 200, at least one of the first heating units 239a, 239b is controlled so that the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236b and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236a is within a predetermined range. Therefore, even if the process gas from the first chamber 202a and the non-processing gas from the second chamber 202b join in the common exhaust pipe 252, the temperature of the process gas does not become lower than the pyrolysis temperature, and it is possible to prevent the adhesion of unnecessary by-products, etc. to the common exhaust pipe 252.

[0191] (M) According to this embodiment, when a cleaning gas, which is one of the non-processing gases, is supplied, the operation of the first heating unit 239 is controlled so that the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (a) is lower than the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 in the above (b). Therefore, in the above (a), the temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 can be set to a temperature at which the gas does not thermally decompose, and in the above (b), the temperature can be set to a temperature higher than the above (a) at which the adhered matter thermally decomposes, making it possible to remove the cleaning target in the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0192] (N) According to this embodiment, in (b) above, (b-1) at least the first valve 237, the APC 224, and the second valve 223 are each controlled so that the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 is lower than the conductance of the second exhaust pipe 222, and (b-2) at least the first valve 237, the APC 224, and the second valve 223 are each controlled so that the conductance of the first exhaust pipe 236 is higher than the conductance of the second exhaust pipe 222, and further in (b-2) above, the operation of the first heating section 239 is controlled so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 is higher than the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 in (a) above. Therefore, in the above (a), the cleaning gas can be flowed at a temperature inside the first exhaust pipe 236 at which the gas does not thermally decompose, and in the above (b-2), the cleaning gas can be flowed at a temperature higher than that of the above (a) at which the solidified materials will thermally decompose, thereby making it possible to remove the materials to be cleaned from the first exhaust pipe 236.

[0193] (O) According to this embodiment, when a cleaning gas, which is one of non-processing gases, flows, in the above (b), at least one of the first heating unit 239 and the second heating unit 225 is controlled so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe 236 is higher than the temperature in the second exhaust pipe 222. Therefore, the cleaning gas is heated to the thermal decomposition temperature of the object to be cleaned by the heater 213 as the third heating unit before the second exhaust pipe 222, and there is no need to actively heat the cleaning gas to the decomposition temperature of the object to be cleaned in the second heating unit 225. In this way, by suppressing heating in the second heating unit 225, the energy consumption of the entire apparatus can be suppressed.

[0194] (P) According to this embodiment, when a processing gas is supplied to the first chamber 202a in the presence of the substrate 200, and an inert gas or a cleaning gas is supplied as a non-processing gas to the second chamber 202b in the absence of the substrate 200, the difference between the opening degree of the first valve 237a and the opening degree of the first valve 237b is controlled to be within a predetermined range while utilizing the first valve 237. Therefore, even when the gas flows from the first chamber 202a and the second chamber 202b are joined in the common exhaust pipe 252, the occurrence of a backflow of gas can be prevented in advance.

[0195] (6) Other embodiments of the present disclosure Although each embodiment of the present disclosure has been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0196] For example, in the above embodiment, the film formation process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 uses Si as a source gas (first process gas). 2 Cl 6 gas, and NH 3 In the above embodiment, the SiN film is formed on the substrate 200 by alternately supplying the gases, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. 2 Cl 6 Gas and NH 3 The present disclosure is not limited to the above gas, and other types of thin films may be formed using other types of gases. Furthermore, even when three or more types of processing gases are used, the present disclosure can be applied as long as the processing gases are alternately supplied to perform the film formation process.

[0197] Also, for example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the film formation process is taken as an example of the process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, in addition to the film formation process, the process may be a process for forming an oxide film or a nitride film, or a process for forming a film containing a metal. In addition, the specific content of the substrate processing is not important, and the present disclosure can be suitably applied not only to the film formation process but also to other substrate processing such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, diffusion, and lithography. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be suitably applied to other substrate processing apparatuses, such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, exposure, coating, drying, heating, and plasma-utilizing processing apparatuses. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be used in combination with these apparatuses. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add a configuration of another embodiment to a configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0198] In this specification, the expression of a numerical range such as "1 to 2000 Pa" means that the lower limit and the upper limit are included in the range. Therefore, for example, "1 to 2000 Pa" means "1 Pa or more and 2000 Pa or less." The same applies to other numerical ranges. [Explanation of symbols]

[0199] 100....Substrate processing apparatus 110, 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d... Process module 200...Substrate (wafer) 201 Processing room 202, 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 202g, 202h... Chambers (first chamber, second chamber) 222...Second exhaust pipe 230···Shower head 236...First exhaust pipe 239...First heating section 237 First valve 238···APC 243 Raw gas supply system 244 Reaction gas supply system 245 Inert gas supply system 248a···Cleaning gas supply pipe 249 Processing space cleaning gas supply system 260...Controller 1000··Substrate Processing System

Claims

1. A chamber including a processing chamber capable of processing a substrate and a shower head disposed upstream of the processing chamber; a gas supply unit capable of supplying a gas to the processing chamber through the shower head; a first exhaust pipe communicating with the showerhead; a second exhaust pipe communicating with the processing chamber; A first exhaust control section provided in the first exhaust pipe; A first heating section provided in the first exhaust pipe; (a) controlling the first exhaust control unit so that a first conductance is achieved in the first exhaust pipe while the gas supply unit supplies a process gas to the shower head and the first heating unit is operated in a state where the substrate is present in the processing chamber; (b) a control unit capable of controlling the first exhaust control unit so that a second conductance smaller than the first conductance is achieved in the first exhaust pipe when the substrate is not present in the processing chamber and the gas supply unit supplies a non-processing gas as the gas to the shower head and the first heating unit is operated; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. In the above (a), The control unit is configured to be able to control the first heating unit so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe is a temperature that does not promote thermal decomposition of the process gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. Further, the first exhaust control section includes a valve, the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The opening degree of the valve in (a) is configured to be controlled to be larger than the opening degree of the valve in (b). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. The step (a) includes a step of exhausting the atmosphere around the shower head, and the opening degree of the valve in the step (a) is the opening degree of the valve in the step of exhausting the atmosphere around the shower head. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is In the above (b), (b-1) setting a predetermined conductance in the first exhaust pipe while operating the first heating section; (b-2) After a predetermined time has elapsed, the first exhaust control unit is configured to be able to control the first exhaust control unit so as to make the conductance inside the first exhaust pipe lower than the predetermined conductance. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. Further, the first exhaust control section includes a valve, The control unit is In the step (b-1), the valve is opened, In the (b-2), the opening degree of the valve can be controlled to be smaller than that in the (b-1). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 .

7. Furthermore, a second exhaust control section is provided in the second exhaust pipe, the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is The first exhaust control unit and the second exhaust control unit are configured to be capable of being controlled so that the amount of exhaust from the second exhaust pipe in (b) is greater than the amount of exhaust from the first exhaust pipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

8. the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is The first heating unit is configured to be controllable so that the output of the first heating unit in (a) is higher than the output of the first heating unit in (b). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. Further, a temperature measuring unit capable of measuring a temperature inside the first exhaust pipe is provided, the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is In the method (b), when the temperature in the first exhaust pipe becomes lower than a predetermined temperature, the first heating unit is controlled so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe becomes higher than the predetermined temperature. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. A plurality of the chambers are provided, a common exhaust pipe that joins the first exhaust pipes of the plurality of exhaust pipes, the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is supplying the processing gas to a first chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is present, and supplying the non-processing gas to a second chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is not present; At least one of the first heating section of the first chamber and the first heating section of the second chamber is controllable so that the temperature of the processing gas in the common exhaust pipe becomes equal to or higher than a pyrolysis temperature. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. A plurality of the chambers are provided, The control unit is When the substrate is carried into a first chamber of the plurality of chambers and a second chamber of the plurality of chambers, At least one of the first heating unit of the first chamber and the first heating unit of the second chamber is controllable so that a difference between a temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the first chamber and a temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the second chamber is within a predetermined range. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A plurality of the chambers are provided, The control unit is When the substrate is carried into a first chamber of the plurality of chambers and a second chamber of the plurality of chambers, If the difference between the temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the first chamber and the temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the second chamber is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, At least one of the first heating unit of the first chamber and the first heating unit of the second chamber is controllable so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the second chamber approaches the temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the first chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

13. A plurality of the chambers are provided, the non-treatment gas is an inert gas; The control unit is supplying the processing gas to a first chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is present, and supplying the non-processing gas to a second chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is not present; At least one of the first heating unit of the first chamber and the first heating unit of the second chamber is controllable so that a difference between a temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the first chamber and a temperature in the first exhaust pipe of the second chamber is within a predetermined range. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

14. the non-processing gas is a cleaning gas; The control unit is The first heating unit is configured to be capable of controlling a temperature in the first exhaust pipe in (a) to be lower than a temperature in the first exhaust pipe in (b). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

15. Furthermore, a second exhaust control section is provided in the second exhaust pipe, the non-processing gas is a cleaning gas; The control unit is In the above (b), (b-1) controlling the first exhaust control unit and the second exhaust control unit so that a conductance of the first exhaust pipe is lower than a conductance of the second exhaust pipe; (b-2) controlling the first exhaust control unit and the second exhaust control unit so that a conductance of the first exhaust pipe is higher than a conductance of the second exhaust pipe; In the (b-2), the first heating unit is configured to be able to control the temperature in the first exhaust pipe so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe is higher than the temperature in the first exhaust pipe in the (a). The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

16. Further, a second heating section provided in the second exhaust pipe; a substrate support provided in the processing chamber and supporting the substrate; a third heating unit provided on the substrate support unit, the non-processing gas is a cleaning gas; The control unit is In the method (b), at least one of the first heating section and the second heating section is configured to be controllable so that the temperature in the first exhaust pipe is higher than the temperature in the second exhaust pipe. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

17. A plurality of the chambers are provided, a valve provided in each of the plurality of first exhaust control sections, The control unit is supplying the processing gas to a first chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is present, and supplying the non-processing gas to a second chamber of the plurality of chambers in a state where the substrate is not present; The difference between the opening degree of the valve of the first chamber and the opening degree of the valve of the second chamber can be controlled to be within a predetermined range. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

18. (a) supplying a process gas to a shower head provided upstream of a process chamber with a substrate present in the process chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in a first exhaust pipe connected to the shower head while a first exhaust control unit sets a first conductance in the first exhaust pipe; (b) supplying a non-processing gas to the shower head in a state where the substrate is not present in the processing chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in the first exhaust pipe in a state where the first exhaust control unit sets the inside of the first exhaust pipe to a second conductance smaller than the first conductance; A method for processing a substrate.

19. (a) supplying a processing gas to a shower head provided upstream of a processing chamber with a substrate present in the processing chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in a first exhaust pipe connected to the shower head while maintaining a first conductance within the first exhaust pipe; (b) supplying a non-processing gas to the shower head in a state where the substrate is not present in the processing chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in the first exhaust pipe in a state where the first exhaust control unit sets the inside of the first exhaust pipe to a second conductance smaller than the first conductance; A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

20. (a) supplying a process gas to a shower head provided upstream of a process chamber in a state where a substrate is present in the process chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in a first exhaust pipe connected to the shower head while a first exhaust control unit provides a first conductance in the first exhaust pipe; (b) supplying a non-processing gas to the shower head in a state where the substrate is not present in the processing chamber, and operating a first heating unit provided in the first exhaust pipe in a state where the first exhaust control unit sets the inside of the first exhaust pipe to a second conductance smaller than the first conductance; A program that is executed by a computer in a substrate processing apparatus.

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