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

Abstract

This substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing container that includes a first region for processing a substrate and a second region in which the substrate is not disposed; a first supply unit that supplies a processing gas to the first region; a second supply unit that supplies an adsorption-blocking gas to the second region in the processing container; a first supply system capable of supplying the processing gas to the first supply unit; a second supply system capable of supplying the adsorption-blocking gas to the second supply unit; and a control unit capable of controlling the first supply system and the second supply system so as to perform an adsorption-blocking gas supply step for supplying the adsorption-blocking gas to the second region and, after the adsorption-blocking gas supply process, a processing gas supply step for supplying the processing gas to the first region.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There is a substrate processing apparatus that forms a film on a substrate, as disclosed in International Patent Application WO2020-01695. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Patent Application No. WO2020-01695 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this type of substrate processing apparatus, unintended film formation may occur on components inside the processing chamber.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a configuration capable of suppressing film formation on components inside a processing chamber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a technology including: a processing vessel having a first region for processing a substrate and a second region in which the substrate is not placed; a first supply unit for supplying a processing gas to the first region of the processing vessel; a second supply unit for supplying an adsorption inhibitor gas to the second region of the processing vessel; a first supply system capable of supplying the processing gas to the first supply unit; a second supply system capable of supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas to the second supply unit; and a control unit capable of controlling the first supply system and the second supply system to perform an adsorption inhibitor gas supply process for supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas to the second region; and a processing gas supply process for supplying the processing gas to the first region after the adsorption inhibitor gas supply process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a configuration capable of suppressing film formation on members inside a processing chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A substrate processing apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships between elements, the ratios of elements, and the like shown in the drawings do not necessarily match those in reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships between elements, the ratios of elements, and the like do not necessarily match between multiple drawings.

[0010] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a heater 207 as a heating means (heating mechanism, heating system). The heater 207 has a cylindrical shape and is installed vertically by being supported by a heater base (not shown) as a holding plate.

[0011] (outer tube) An outer tube 203 that constitutes a reaction vessel (processing vessel) is disposed inside the heater 207 concentrically with the heater 207. The outer tube 203 is made of a non-metallic material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. Materials such as SiO and SiC are also called heat-resistant materials.

[0012] (manifold) A manifold (inlet flange) 209 is disposed below the outer tube 203 and concentrically with the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS) and is formed in a cylindrical shape with open top and bottom ends. An O-ring 220a is provided as a sealing member between the top end of the manifold 209 and the outer tube 203. The manifold 209 is supported by a heater base, so that the outer tube 203 is installed vertically.

[0013] (inner tube) An inner tube 204 that constitutes a reaction vessel, which is an example of a processing vessel, is disposed inside the outer tube 203. The inner tube 204 is made of a non-metallic material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The processing vessel is mainly constituted by the outer tube 203, the inner tube 204, and the manifold 209. A processing chamber 201e is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion of the processing vessel (inside the inner tube 204).

[0014] The processing chamber 201e is configured to accommodate wafers 200, which are an example of a substrate, arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction in a horizontal position on a boat 217, which is an example of a substrate support portion described later. Inside the inner tube 204, the area where the wafers 200 contained in the boat 217 are placed and processed is called the process area PA (hereinafter also referred to as PA or PA area), the area above the process area PA where the wafers 200 are not placed is called the upper substrate non-placement area UA (hereinafter also referred to as UA or UA area), and the area below the process area PA where the wafers 200 are not placed is called the lower substrate non-placement area LA (hereinafter also referred to as LA or LA area). The PA area is an example of a first area. The UA area and the LA area are examples of a second area. The UA area may be referred to as the second area, and the LA area may be referred to as the third area.

[0015] In the processing chamber 201e, a nozzle 410 which is a pipe-shaped member as an example of a second supply unit, a nozzle 420 which is a pipe-shaped member as an example of a first supply unit, and a nozzle 430 which is a pipe-shaped member as an example of a second supply unit are provided to penetrate the sidewall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. In this embodiment, the terms "first supply unit," "second supply unit," and "nozzle" refer to members having openings (holes) for ejecting gas. Therefore, they do not have to be pipe-shaped members as described in the present disclosure.

[0016] (Nozzle 410) The nozzle 410 is connected to the gas supply pipe 310 . Gas supply pipe 310 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a mass flow controller (MFC) 312 which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section) and a valve 314 which is an on-off valve. A gas supply pipe 510 which supplies an inert gas is connected to gas supply pipe 310 on the downstream side of valve 314. Gas supply pipe 510 is provided with MFC 512 and valve 514 in order from the upstream side.

[0017] A nozzle 410 is connected to the tip of the gas supply pipe 310. The nozzle 410 is configured as an L-shaped nozzle, and its horizontal portion is provided to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. The vertical portion of the nozzle 410 is provided inside the channel-shaped (groove-shaped) preliminary chamber 205e, which protrudes radially outward from the inner tube 204 and extends vertically, and extends toward the top of the apparatus along the inner wall of the inner tube 204 within the preliminary chamber 205e. An opening at the tip of the nozzle 410 is located inside the LA region, and the nozzle 410 is provided so that gas flows both upward and laterally in the LA region. The nozzle 410 is also referred to as a second supply unit, and is also referred to as a lower supply unit of the second supply unit that supplies gas to the LA region.

[0018] An adsorption inhibitor gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 310 through the MFC 312, the valve 314, and the nozzle 410 into the processing chamber 201e. The gas supply pipe 310, the MFC 312, and the valve 314 are an example of a second supply system.

[0019] From the gas supply pipe 510, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas is supplied into the LA region of the processing chamber 201e via the MFC 512, the valve 514, and the nozzle 410. An example in which N2 gas is used as the inert gas will be described below, but other than N2 gas, a rare gas such as argon (Ar) gas, helium (He) gas, neon (Ne) gas, or xenon (Xe) gas may also be used as the inert gas.

[0020] (Nozzle 420) The nozzle 420 is provided to extend to the height of the upper end of the PA region, and has multiple gas supply holes 420a disposed at a position facing the wafer 200. This allows the process gas to be supplied laterally (horizontally) from the gas supply holes 420a of the nozzle 420 toward the wafer 200. The gas supply holes 420a are provided from the lower end to the upper end of the PA region, each with the same opening area and at the same opening pitch. However, the gas supply holes 420a are not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the opening area may be gradually increased from the bottom to the top of the inner tube 204. This allows the flow rate of gas supplied from the gas supply holes 420a to be more uniform. The multiple gas supply holes 420a are an example of multiple openings that open into the first region.

[0021] The nozzle 420 is connected to the gas supply pipe 320 . A gas supply pipe 352 and a gas supply pipe 354 are connected to the upstream end of the gas supply pipe 320 via a gas switching valve 350. A mass flow controller (MFC) 322, which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 324, which is an on-off valve, are provided in the gas supply pipe 320, in that order from the upstream side. A gas supply pipe 520, which supplies an inert gas, is connected to the gas supply pipe 320 on the downstream side of the valve 324. The gas supply pipe 520 is provided with an MFC 522 and a valve 524, in that order from the upstream side. The gas supply pipe 320, the mass flow controller (MFC) 322, the valve 324, the gas supply pipe 352, and the gas supply pipe 354 are an example of a first supply system.

[0022] A source gas serving as a processing gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 352, and a reactive gas serving as a processing gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 354.

[0023] (Nozzle 430) The nozzle 430 is connected to the gas supply pipe 330 . Gas supply pipe 330 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a mass flow controller (MFC) 332 which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section) and a valve 334 which is an on-off valve. A gas supply pipe 530 which supplies an inert gas is connected to gas supply pipe 330 on the downstream side of valve 334. Gas supply pipe 530 is provided with MFC 532 and valve 534 in order from the upstream side.

[0024] An adsorption inhibitor gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 330 through the MFC 332, the valve 334, and the nozzle 430 into the processing chamber 201e. The gas supply pipe 330, the MFC 332, and the valve 334 are an example of a second supply system.

[0025] From the gas supply pipe 530, an inert gas, for example, nitrogen (N2) gas, is supplied into the UA region of the processing chamber 201e via the MFC 532, the valve 534, and the nozzle 430. The nozzle 430 is also referred to as a second supply unit, and is also referred to as an upper supply unit of the second supply unit that supplies gas to the UA region.

[0026] A nozzle 430 is connected to the tip of the gas supply pipe 330. The nozzle 430 is configured as an L-shaped nozzle, and its horizontal portion is arranged to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 209 and the inner tube 204. The vertical portion of the nozzle 430 is arranged inside the preliminary chamber 205e of the inner tube 204 and extends toward the top of the apparatus along the inner wall of the inner tube 204 within the preliminary chamber 205e. An opening at the tip of the nozzle 430 is located inside the upper substrate non-placement area UA and supplies an adsorption inhibiting gas or an inert gas into the upper substrate non-placement area UA. Note that the nozzle 430 is preferably arranged to spray gas onto the ceiling of the inner tube 204.

[0027] In the method for supplying the process gas in this embodiment, the gas is transported via a nozzle 420 disposed in a preliminary chamber 205e in a vertically elongated annular space defined by the inner wall of the inner tube 204 and the ends of the multiple wafers 200. The gas is then ejected into the inner tube 204 from multiple gas supply holes 420a provided in the nozzle 420 at positions facing the wafers 200. More specifically, the gas is ejected from the gas supply holes 420a of the nozzle 420 in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the wafers 200.

[0028] The exhaust hole (exhaust port) 204a is a through-hole formed in the sidewall of the inner tube 204 at a position facing the nozzle 420, and is, for example, a slit-shaped through-hole that is elongated in the vertical direction. Gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201e from the gas supply hole 420a of the nozzle 420 and flows over the surface of the wafer 200, and then flows through the exhaust hole 204a into the exhaust path 206 formed by a gap formed between the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 203. The gas that has flowed into the exhaust path 206 then flows into the exhaust pipe 231 and is discharged to the outside of the processing furnace 202e.

[0029] The exhaust hole 204a is provided at a position facing the plurality of wafers 200, and the gas supplied from the gas supply hole 410a to the vicinity of the wafers 200 in the processing chamber 201e flows horizontally and then flows into the exhaust path 206 through the exhaust hole 204a. The exhaust hole 204a is not limited to being configured as a slit-shaped through-hole, and may be configured as a plurality of holes.

[0030] The manifold 209 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 201e. The exhaust pipe 231 is connected to, in order from upstream, a pressure sensor 245 serving as a pressure detector (pressure detection unit) for detecting the pressure inside the processing chamber 201e, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve 243, and a vacuum pump 246 serving as a vacuum exhaust device. The APC valve 243 opens and closes the valve while the vacuum pump 246 is operating, thereby enabling and stopping the evacuation of the processing chamber 201e. Furthermore, the pressure inside the processing chamber 201e can be adjusted by adjusting the valve opening while the vacuum pump 246 is operating. An exhaust system is mainly composed of the exhaust hole 204a, the exhaust path 206, the exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 243, and the pressure sensor 245. The vacuum pump 246 may be included in the exhaust system. The exhaust pipe 231, the APC valve 243, and the vacuum pump 246 are an example of an exhaust unit, and the APC valve 243 and the vacuum pump 246 are controlled by a controller 121, which will be described later.

[0031] Below the manifold 209, a seal cap 219 is provided as a furnace port cover that can airtightly close the lower end opening of the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is configured to abut against the lower end of the manifold 209 from below in the vertical direction. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal material such as SUS and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220b is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 219 as a sealing member that abuts against the lower end of the manifold 209. A rotation mechanism 267 is installed on the opposite side of the seal cap 219 from the processing chamber 201e, rotating the boat 217 that accommodates the wafers 200. A rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 267 penetrates the seal cap 219 and is connected to the boat 217. The rotation shaft 255 is an example of a support shaft. The rotation shaft 255 is made of a metal material such as SUS or a non-metal material such as quartz. The rotation mechanism 267 is configured to rotate the wafers 200 by rotating the boat 217. The seal cap 219 is configured to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a boat elevator 115, which serves as an elevating mechanism installed vertically outside the outer tube 203. The boat elevator 115 is configured to raise and lower the seal cap 219, thereby enabling the boat 217 to be loaded and unloaded into and out of the processing chamber 201e. The boat elevator 115 is configured as a transfer device (transfer mechanism) that transfers the boat 217 and the wafers 200 accommodated in the boat 217 into and out of the processing chamber 201e.

[0032] The boat 217, serving as a substrate support, is configured to hold a plurality of wafers 200 (e.g., 25 to 200) in a horizontal position, with their centers aligned and spaced apart in the vertical direction. The boat 217 may be made of a non-metallic material such as quartz or SiC, or a metallic material such as SUS. A heat insulating section 218 made of a non-metallic material such as quartz or SiC is provided at the bottom of the boat 217. This configuration makes it difficult for heat from the heater 207 to be transmitted to the seal cap 219. The heat insulating section 218 is configured, for example, by horizontally arranging plate-shaped heat insulating plates in multiple stages (not shown). However, this embodiment is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the heat insulating section 218 may be configured as a heat insulating cylinder configured as a cylindrical member made of a non-metallic material such as quartz or SiC. Since the heat insulating section 218 is arranged in the lower substrate non-placement area LA, the lower substrate non-placement area LA can be rephrased as a heat insulating area.

[0033] In the present disclosure, a metallic material refers to a material containing a transition metal from Groups 3 to 11 of the periodic table, or a material containing a metalloid material from Group 14 as its main component. In the present disclosure, a metallic material may refer to a material having metallic properties. Here, metallic properties mean, for example, electrical conductivity. A non-metallic material is a material containing an element from Groups 14 to 16 of the periodic table. For example, a non-metallic material is a material containing at least one of oxides, nitrides, and carbides. In the present disclosure, a non-metallic material may be referred to as a heat-resistant material, but metallic materials may also have heat resistance.

[0034] (Gas outlet of seal cap 219) The seal cap 219 is formed with gas outlet holes 440 that penetrate the seal cap 219 in the vertical direction at a position closer to the rotation shaft 255 that rotates the boat 217 than the outer periphery of the inner tube 204. The gas outlet holes 440 supply an adsorption inhibiting gas or an inert gas, which will be described later, to the vicinity of the rotation shaft 255 in the LA region. The gas outlet holes 440 are an example of a second supply unit and an example of a support shaft side supply unit.

[0035] The gas supply pipe 340 is connected to the gas ejection holes 440 . Gas supply pipe 340 is provided with, in order from the upstream side, a mass flow controller (MFC) 342 which is a flow rate controller (flow rate control section), and a valve 344 which is an on-off valve. A gas supply pipe 540 which supplies an inert gas is connected to gas supply pipe 340 on the downstream side of valve 344. Gas supply pipe 540 is provided with MFC 542 and valve 544 in order from the upstream side.

[0036] An adsorption inhibitor gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe 340 through the MFC 342, the valve 344, and the gas jet holes 440 into the LA region of the processing chamber 201e. The gas supply pipe 340, the MFC 342, and the valve 344 are an example of a second supply system.

[0037] From the gas supply pipe 540, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas is supplied into the LA region of the processing chamber 201e via the MFC 542, the valve 544, and the gas jet holes 440, respectively.

[0038] 2, a temperature sensor 263 serving as a temperature detector is installed inside the inner tube 204, and the temperature inside the processing chamber 201e is configured to have a desired temperature distribution by adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263. The temperature sensor 263 is configured in an L-shape similar to the nozzle 410, and is installed along the inner wall of the inner tube 204.

[0039] (Configuration of controller 121) 3, a controller 121, which is an example of a control unit (control means), is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d. The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 121a via an internal bus. An input / output device 122, which is configured as, for example, a touch panel, is connected to the controller 121.

[0040] The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage device 121c readably stores a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, a process recipe describing the procedures and conditions of a semiconductor device manufacturing method (described later), and the like. The process recipe is a combination of processes (steps) in a semiconductor device manufacturing method (described later) that are executed by the controller 121 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipe, control program, etc. are collectively referred to simply as a program. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to a process recipe alone, a control program alone, or a combination of a process recipe and a control program. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily storing programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 121a.

[0041] The I / O port 121d is connected to the first substrate transfer machine 112, gate valves 70a to 70d, rotation mechanism 36, switching units 15a to 15c, MFCs 312, 322, 332, 342, 512, 522, 532, 542, valves 314, 324, 334, 344, 350, 514, 524, 534, 544, pressure sensor 245, APC valve 243, vacuum pump 246, heater 207, temperature sensor 263, rotation mechanism 267, boat elevator 115, etc.

[0042] The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and also to read a recipe or the like from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122 or the like.

[0043] The CPU 121a is configured to be able to control each part of the device in accordance with the contents of the read recipe.

[0044] The CPU 121a is also configured to be able to control, in accordance with the contents of the read recipe, the flow rate adjustment operation of various gases by the MFCs 312, 322, 332, 342, 512, 522, 532, and 542, the opening and closing operation of the valves 314, 324, 334, 344, 350, 514, 524, 534, and 544, the opening and closing operation of the APC valve 243 and the pressure adjustment operation based on the pressure sensor 245 by the APC valve 243, the temperature adjustment operation of the heater 207 based on the temperature sensor 263, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, the rotation and rotation speed adjustment operation of the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 267, the raising and lowering operation of the boat 217 by the boat elevator 115, and the operation of storing the wafers 200 in the boat 217.

[0045] That is, the controller 121 is configured to be able to control the boat elevator 115, the rotation mechanism 267, the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system of the processing furnace 202e, and the like.

[0046] The controller 121 can be configured by installing the above-mentioned program stored in an external storage device 123 (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) into a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, the recording medium may include only the storage device 121c, only the external storage device 123, or both. The program may be provided to the computer using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without using the external storage device 123.

[0047] (Substrate processing process) As an example of a manufacturing process for a semiconductor device, a process of forming a SiN film on a wafer 200 will be described below. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10 is controlled by a controller 121.

[0048] (Wafer loading) In the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, when a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217 (wafer charge), the boat 217 supporting the plurality of wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and carried into the processing chamber 201e (boat load). In this state, the seal cap 219 closes the lower end opening of the outer tube 203 via the O-ring 220.

[0049] Next, the processing chamber 201e is evacuated by the vacuum pump 246 to a desired pressure (vacuum level). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201e is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the APC valve 243 is feedback-controlled (pressure adjustment) based on the measured pressure information. The processing chamber 201e is also heated by the heater 207 to a desired temperature. At this time, the amount of power supplied to the heater 207 is feedback-controlled (temperature adjustment) based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the processing chamber 201e has a desired temperature distribution. Heating of the processing chamber 201e by the heater 207 continues at least until processing of the wafer 200 is completed.

[0050] (raw gas supply) Next, a source gas () is flowed into the processing chamber 201e of the inner tube 204 to process the wafers 200. The source gas is supplied into the processing chamber 201e from the gas supply holes 420a of the nozzle 420 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. At this time, the source gas is supplied to the wafers 200. In parallel with this, the valve 524 is opened to flow an inert gas such as N2 gas into the gas supply pipe 520. The N2 gas that has flowed through the gas supply pipe 520 is supplied into the processing chamber 201e together with the source gas and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0051] As the source gas, for example, chlorosilane gas such as monochlorosilane (SiH3Cl, abbreviated as MCS) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviated as DCS) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl3, abbreviated as TCS) gas, tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4, abbreviated as STC) gas, hexachlorodisilane gas (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS) gas, octachlorotrisilane (Si3Cl8, abbreviated as OCTS) gas, etc. One or more of these can be used as the source gas.

[0052] As the source gas, in addition to chlorosilane gas, for example, fluorosilane gas such as tetrafluorosilane (SiF) gas or difluorosilane (SiHF), bromosilane gas such as tetrabromosilane (SiBr) gas or dibromosilane (SiHBr), or iodosilane gas such as tetraiodosilane (SiI) gas or diiodosilane (SiHI) can be used. One or more of these can be used as the source gas.

[0053] In addition to such a gas containing silicon (Si) element and a halogen, a gas containing a metal element and a halogen may also be used. Examples of the gas containing a metal element and a halogen include: Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) gas, molybdenum chloride (MoCl5) gas, hafnium chloride (HfCl4) gas, zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) gas, and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) gas can be used. The source gas can be selected depending on the type of film to be formed on the wafer 200. In this disclosure, an example of forming a silicon nitride film containing Si and N on the wafer 200 will be described.

[0054] After supplying the source gas to process the wafers 200, the remaining gas in the processing chamber 201e is removed, and then a reactive gas (e.g., NH gas) is flowed into the processing chamber 201e from the nozzle 420. Concurrently, the valve 534 is opened to flow N gas into the gas supply pipe 530. The reactive gas and N gas supplied into the processing chamber 201e are exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231.

[0055] As a result, a SiN film containing Si and N is formed on the SiN layer on the wafer 200. By repeating the cycle of supplying the source gas and the reactive gas one or more times, a SiN film of a predetermined thickness can be formed.

[0056] (Adsorption inhibitor gas supply process: Film formation suppression treatment using adsorption inhibitor gas) Incidentally, when forming a film on the wafer 200, the source gas may be adsorbed onto a component on which a film is not desired to be formed, resulting in the formation of a film on the component on which a film is not desired to be formed. Here, the component on which a film is not desired to be formed refers to a component (location) other than the wafer 200, and examples thereof include the inner surface of the inner tube 204, the seal cap 219, the rotation shaft 255, etc.

[0057] Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, before the process of forming a predetermined film on the wafer 200, an adsorption-inhibiting gas is supplied to components such as the inner tube 204, the seal cap 219, and the rotating shaft 255 to modify the surfaces of these components, in other words, by causing the adsorption-inhibiting components of the adsorption-inhibiting gas to be adsorbed onto the surfaces of these components, adsorption of the source gas onto the surfaces of these components is suppressed. As a result, unintended film formation on the surfaces of these components can be suppressed.

[0058] Adsorption inhibitory gases can be organic or inorganic. Inorganic substances have higher heat resistance than organic substances. Therefore, for example, when film formation is performed at a high temperature of 500°C or higher, an inorganic material, such as a halogen-based gas containing at least one of F, Cl, Br, and I, can be used as the adsorption inhibitor gas. Specific examples include fluorine (F2) gas, chlorine (Cl2) gas, bromine (Br2) gas, iodine (I2) gas, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, hydrogen bromide (HBr) gas, hydrogen iodide (HI) gas, chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) gas, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas, and tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas. In this disclosure, the adsorption inhibitor gas is also referred to as a modifying gas or a surface modifying gas because it improves the surface characteristics of the target component. Furthermore, the halogen-based gas is also referred to as a halogen-based adsorption inhibitor gas or a halogen-based modifying gas. It is preferable to use a material with relatively high molecular polarity as the halogen-based gas. For example, gases containing halogen elements and elements other than halogen elements, such as HCl and WF6. Such gas molecules with high molecular polarity are characterized by their tendency to adsorb. By using a material with relatively high molecular polarity, the amount of a portion of the halogen-based gas molecules (e.g., halogen elements) adsorbed to the component can be increased. Among halogen-based gases, those with particularly high binding energy are preferred. Furthermore, materials with high electronegativity are preferred. By using a gas with high binding energy, the adsorption force (bonding to the surface) to the component can be strengthened, and desorption of adsorption inhibitor gas molecules and ligands during processing of the wafer 200 can be suppressed. Furthermore, by using a material with high electronegativity, and by using a source gas with the same polarity as the adsorption inhibitor gas molecules and ligands, adsorption of the source gas can be suppressed. Gases containing hydrocarbons and gases that form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be used as gases that inhibit the adsorption of organic substances. Examples of these gases include those with the general formula R-PO3H and HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane). The general formula is R-PO3H (R is a group containing an alkyl group, and there are three specific examples: (1)CH3(CH2)6CH2―P(O)(OH)2 (2)CF3(CF2)5CH2-CH2-P(O)(OH)2 (3) CH3(CH2) 16 CH2)—P(O)(OH)2

[0059] The organic adsorption inhibitory gas and the inorganic adsorption inhibitory gas may be used depending on the processing conditions of the wafer 200. Furthermore, both the organic adsorption inhibitory gas and the inorganic adsorption inhibitory gas may be used as needed.

[0060] The type of adsorption inhibitor gas is appropriately selected depending on the material that adsorbs the adsorption inhibitor component. For example, when an adsorption inhibitor is to be adsorbed onto a metal member, R-PO3H can be used as an example of an adsorption inhibitor gas that is easily adsorbed onto a metal member. When adsorption inhibitors are adsorbed onto the quartz member, examples of adsorption inhibitor gases that are easily adsorbed onto the quartz member include ClF3, WF6, HCl, and HMDSN.

[0061] For example, if a halogen (e.g., F) is adsorbed onto a quartz substrate, Cl contained in the Si2Cl6 gas used as the source gas will act as a repulsive factor because it is an electrically negative ligand relative to the F on the quartz substrate, making it difficult for Cl to adsorb onto the quartz substrate with F adsorbed on its surface. Furthermore, when a gas containing a methyl group, such as HMDSN, is adsorbed onto a quartz substrate, a ligand containing a methyl group (-CH3: also simply referred to as Me) will adsorb onto the substrate surface. In this case, when HMDSN is supplied, for example, a ligand of -Si-Me3 will adsorb. Since the methyl group is also electrically negative, it repels Cl contained in the Si2Cl6 source gas, preventing the source gas molecules from adsorbing onto the substrate.

[0062] Therefore, in this embodiment, an adsorption inhibitory gas that is easily adsorbed to quartz is supplied from a nozzle 430 to the UA region near the ceiling of the inner tube 204 made of quartz, causing adsorption inhibitory components to adsorb onto the surface of the inner tube 204 exposed to the UA region. Furthermore, an adsorption inhibitory gas that is easily adsorbed to metal members is supplied from a nozzle 410 and gas outlets 440 to the lower non-substrate region LA where the seal cap 219 and the rotation shaft 255 made of metal are disposed, causing adsorption inhibitory components to adsorb onto the surfaces of the seal cap 219 and the rotation shaft 255. Here, the adsorption inhibitory components include at least one of the material of the adsorption inhibitory gas itself and a portion (atom, ligand) of the material of the adsorption inhibitory gas. This makes it possible to prevent unwanted films from being formed on the inner tube 204, the seal cap 219, and the rotating shaft 255.

[0063] The adsorption inhibitory gas supplying step can be performed under the control of the controller 121. The adsorption inhibitory gas supplying step can be performed at least one of the following timings: before, during, and after the processing of the wafers 200. For example, the processing of the wafers 200 may involve a predetermined number of cycles of supplying Si2Cl6 gas as a source gas and NH3 gas as a reactive gas in sequence so as not to mix with each other. The adsorption inhibitory gas supplying step can be performed between these cycles. The adsorption inhibitory gas may be supplied at any time during this processing. For example, when a cycle of supplying a source gas and a reactive gas in sequence is performed, the adsorption inhibitory gas may be supplied before (after) each cycle, or once every several cycles. Furthermore, the above-mentioned "before" and "after" processing of the wafers 200 refers to the timing when the wafers 200 are not placed on the boat 217. However, if the timing does not significantly affect the processing of the wafers 200, the timing may be when the wafers 200 are placed on the boat 217. By supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the boat 217 when no wafers 200 are placed thereon, the adsorption inhibiting gas can also be supplied to the portion of the boat 217 that comes into contact with the wafers 200. On the other hand, the boat 217 without the wafers 200 placed thereon needs to be transported into the processing vessel 201, which causes a problem of a decrease in the overall processing speed of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0064] Under the control of the controller 121, an inert gas may be supplied to the UA region and the LA region at least one of when the source gas is supplied to the process region PA and when the reactive gas is supplied. This makes it possible to prevent the source gas and / or the reactive gas from diffusing into the UA region and the LA region. Specifically, this is achieved by supplying an inert gas to at least one of the gas supply pipes 310 and 330 while the source gas and / or the reactive gas is being supplied to the gas supply pipe 352.

[0065] It is preferable to provide supply locations (nozzles) for the adsorption inhibitor gas adsorbed to the inner tube 204 and boat 217 and the adsorption inhibitor gas adsorbed to the metal member in close proximity to the dielectric member. By providing supply locations (nozzles) for different adsorption inhibitor gases near members made of different materials, it is possible to promote adsorption of the desired adsorption inhibitor gas to each of the different materials. Here, examples of dielectric members include oxide materials (SiO, AlO, etc.) and nitride materials (SiN, AlN, etc.), and examples of metal members include SUS and Al.

[0066] Under the control of the controller 121, an inert gas may be supplied to the PA region when the adsorption inhibitor gas is supplied to the UA region and the LA region. This prevents the adsorption inhibitor gas from diffusing into the PA region. That is, the adsorption inhibitor gas can be supplied primarily to the upper UA region and the LA region.

[0067] Note that an inert gas may be supplied to the PA region during the supply of the adsorption inhibitor gas. Supplying an inert gas to the PA region allows the adsorption inhibitor gas to remain in the UA region and the LA region, promoting adsorption of the adsorption inhibitor components of the adsorption inhibitor gas in these regions. Note that when no inert gas is supplied to the PA region, the adsorption inhibitor gas is also supplied to the PA region. Supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas to the PA region also supplies the adsorption inhibitor gas to the inner surface of the inner tube 204 corresponding to the PA region and the pillars of the boat 217, allowing the adsorption inhibitor gas to be adsorbed onto the surfaces of these components. This suppresses the adsorption of the source gas to each component.

[0068] Two or more types of adsorption inhibitor gases may be prepared and supplied simultaneously or sequentially under the control of controller 121. This allows a layer containing two or more types of adsorption inhibitor components to be formed, which not only prevents the deposition of unwanted films but also prevents the deposition of by-products (by-products) generated during wafer processing and products (reduced products of the process gas materials) produced by decomposition of the process gas materials.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the adsorption inhibitor gas is supplied to the UA region and the LA region. However, the adsorption inhibitor gas may be supplied to the entire inner tube 204 if the processing of the wafer 200 is not significantly affected. Furthermore, the adsorption inhibitor gas may be supplied while the wafer 200 is in place if the processing of the wafer 200 is not significantly affected. Here, the effect on the processing of the wafer 200 means, for example, that molecules (atoms, ligands) adsorbed to a component are desorbed during the processing of the wafer 200 and are incorporated into the film formed on the wafer 200, causing the characteristics of the film formed on the wafer 200 to deviate from the desired film characteristics.

[0070] When supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas into the inner tube 204, the controller 121 can control the APC valve 243 and the vacuum pump 246 so that the exhaust rate of the atmosphere inside the inner tube 204 is set to be smaller than the exhaust rate during processing of the wafer 200. When supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas into the inner tube 204, the controller 121 can control the APC valve 243 and the vacuum pump 246 so that the exhaust of the atmosphere inside the inner tube 204 is stopped.

[0071] This increases the pressure of the adsorption inhibitory gas in the inner tube 204, allowing the adsorption inhibitory gas to be supplied to every corner of the inner tube 204. Increasing the pressure of the adsorption inhibitory gas in the inner tube 204 also causes multiple adsorption of the adsorption inhibitory gas (multiple molecules adsorbed at one location), which suppresses desorption of the adsorption inhibitory gas during wafer processing. Furthermore, multiple adsorption of the adsorption inhibitory gas allows some of the adsorption inhibitory gas to remain even if the adsorption inhibitory gas is desorbed during wafer processing, thereby suppressing film deposition.

[0072] While the above description focuses on the effect of suppressing the adsorption of source gas to each component by supplying an adsorption inhibitor gas to each component, the effect is not limited to this. The amount of source gas consumed by each component (the amount of source gas adsorbed by each component) can be reduced. This allows the amount of source gas supplied to the wafer 200 to be increased. For example, the source gas that would have been consumed (adsorbed) by each component is supplied to the wafer 200. As a result, the processing quality of the wafer 200 can be improved. In particular, for substrates formed with complex uneven shapes (patterns), such as 3D devices, the amount of gas required for film formation increases. According to the technology disclosed herein, the amount of gas supplied to the wafer 200 can be increased, thereby improving the quality of the film formed on the wafer 200. Furthermore, when a dummy substrate (dummy wafer) is placed on the boat 217, the amount of gas consumed by the dummy substrate can be reduced by supplying an adsorption inhibitor gas to the dummy substrate and adsorbing molecules (ligands) of the adsorption inhibitor gas to the dummy substrate. This reduces the amount of gas consumed by the dummy substrate and increases the amount of gas supplied to the wafer 200 being processed.

[0073] While the above description illustrates an example in which the adsorption inhibitory gas is supplied from the nozzles 410 and 430, this is not limiting. The adsorption inhibitory gas may also be supplied from the nozzle 420. That is, the second supply system that supplies the adsorption inhibitory gas may also be connected to the gas supply pipe 320. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , a gas supply pipe 701 connects the gas supply pipe 320 and the gas supply pipe 330, and a valve 702 is provided on the gas supply pipe 701. By opening and closing the valves 702 and 334, the adsorption inhibitory gas can be supplied from the second supply system to the gas supply pipe 320. This configuration allows the adsorption inhibitory gas to be supplied to the PA region as well as to the inner tube 204 and the pillars of the boat 217, while also being supplied to the UA and LA regions. In particular, when the adsorption inhibitory gas is supplied from the nozzle 420, the adsorption inhibitory gas can be supplied to each of the support pins supporting the wafers 200 on the boat 217, making it possible to supply the adsorption inhibitory gas to each of the support pins. Furthermore, an adsorption inhibitor gas can be adsorbed inside the nozzle 420, suppressing adsorption of the raw material gas inside the nozzle 420, i.e., suppressing consumption of the raw material gas inside the nozzle 420.Furthermore, since adsorption of the raw material gas inside the nozzle 420 is suppressed, reaction between the raw material gas adsorbed inside the nozzle 420 and a reaction gas to be supplied later can be suppressed.

[0074] In the above description, the source gas and the reactive gas are supplied to the processing chamber from the same gas supply pipe 320. However, the source gas and the reactive gas may be supplied from separate nozzles. By supplying the source gas and the reactive gas from separate nozzles, it is possible to prevent one gas remaining in the nozzle from reacting with the other gas to be supplied later. For example, the first supply unit may be configured with a nozzle for supplying the source gas and a nozzle for supplying the reactive gas.

[0075] In the above description, an example is given in which NH3 gas is used as the reactive gas, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least one or more hydrogen nitride-based gases such as ammonia (NH3) gas, diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, and N3H8 gas can be used. By using such gases, a nitride film can be formed on the wafer 200. Furthermore, in addition to hydrogen nitride-based gases, gases containing oxygen can also be used. As the oxygen-containing gas, at least one or more of oxygen (O2) gas, water (H2O) gas, and ozone (O3) gas can be used.

[0076] Although the above description has been given of an example in which the processing vessel is configured with the outer tube 203, the inner tube 204, and the manifold 209, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processing vessel may be configured with the outer tube 203 and the manifold 209. In this configuration, the processing chamber 201e is formed inside the outer tube 203. Even in this case, at least one or more of the effects described in the present disclosure can be obtained.

[0077] [Other embodiments] The above describes one embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0078] In the above embodiment, a vertical substrate processing apparatus 10 has been described. However, the present disclosure can also be applied to a single-wafer processing apparatus in which wafers 200 are held on a susceptor and processed one by one. For example, an upper supply unit may be provided above the susceptor, and a lower supply unit may be provided below the susceptor. Also, gas ejection holes 440 may be provided near the support of the columns that support the susceptor.

Claims

1. a processing vessel having a first region for processing a substrate and a second region in which the substrate is not placed; a first supply unit that supplies a processing gas to the first region of the processing vessel; a second supply unit that supplies an adsorption inhibitor gas to the second region of the processing vessel; a first supply system capable of supplying the processing gas to the first supply unit; a second supply system capable of supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second supply section; a control unit capable of controlling the first supply system and the second supply system to perform an adsorption inhibiting gas supplying step of supplying the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second region and a processing gas supplying step of supplying the processing gas to the first region after the adsorption inhibiting gas supplying step; and the second region is provided both above and below the first region, the second supply unit includes an upper supply unit that supplies the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second region provided above the first region, and a lower supply unit that supplies the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second region provided below the first region, the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system to supply the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second region above the first region and the second region below the first region in the adsorption inhibiting gas supplying step. Substrate processing equipment.

2. The second region is provided above the first region. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The second region is provided below the first region. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. the second supply unit is a nozzle having an opening at a tip, The nozzle is provided so that the opening is located at the upper supply portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. the second supply unit is a nozzle having an opening at a tip, The nozzle is provided so that the opening is located at the lower supply portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. The first supply section has a plurality of openings located in the first region. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a substrate support provided in the processing chamber and supporting the substrate; a support shaft that supports the substrate support portion; Equipped with the second supply unit is disposed closer to the support shaft than the outer periphery of the second region provided below the first region, and includes a support shaft-side supply unit that supplies the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second region. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the second supply system is configured to be able to supply an inert gas to the second supply unit, the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system so as to supply the inert gas to the second supply unit in the processing gas supply step. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. the first supply system is configured to be able to supply an inert gas to the first supply unit, the control unit is configured to be able to control the first supply system to supply the inert gas to the first supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. the control unit is configured to be able to control the first supply system and the second supply system so as to supply the inert gas to the first region when supplying the adsorption inhibitor gas to the second supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 .

11. the control unit is configured to be able to control the first supply system and the second supply system so as to supply the inert gas to the first region after starting to supply the adsorption inhibiting gas to the second supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.

12. the second supply system is configured to be able to supply the adsorption inhibiting gas to the first supply unit, the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system to supply the adsorption inhibitor gas to the first supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. the first supply system is capable of supplying a reactive gas as the processing gas to the first supply unit; the control unit is configured to be able to control the first supply system so as to sequentially supply the source gas as the processing gas and the reactive gas to the first region one or more times in the processing gas supply step. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. the control unit is configured to be able to control the first supply system and the second supply system so as to supply the adsorption inhibitor gas to the second region while the source gas and the reaction gas are repeatedly supplied in sequence in the process gas supply step. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 .

15. the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system so that the adsorption inhibitor gas supply step is performed in a state where the substrate is not present in the processing vessel, and the processing gas supply step is performed in a state where the substrate is present in the processing vessel. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. Two or more types of adsorption inhibiting gases are used as the adsorption inhibiting gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. Two types of organic adsorption inhibiting gases are used as the adsorption inhibiting gas. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 .

18. Two types of inorganic adsorption inhibiting gases are used as the adsorption inhibiting gas. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 .

19. As the adsorption inhibiting gas, an organic adsorption inhibiting gas and an inorganic adsorption inhibiting gas are used. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 .

20. the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system to sequentially supply the plurality of types of adsorption inhibiting gases. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

21. the control unit is configured to be able to control the second supply system to simultaneously supply a plurality of types of the adsorption inhibiting gas. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

22. the second supply system is configured to be able to supply one or more of the two or more types of adsorption inhibiting gases to the upper supply unit, and is configured to be able to supply the other of the two or more types of adsorption inhibiting gases to the lower supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16 .

23. an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing vessel; the control unit is configured to be able to control the exhaust unit so that, when the adsorption inhibiting gas is supplied into the processing vessel, an exhaust volume of the atmosphere in the processing vessel is smaller than an exhaust volume during processing of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. an exhaust unit that exhausts the atmosphere inside the processing vessel; the control unit is configured to be able to control the exhaust unit so that exhaust of the atmosphere in the processing vessel is stopped when the adsorption inhibiting gas is supplied into the processing vessel. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

25. an adsorption inhibiting gas supply step of supplying an adsorption inhibiting gas to a second region of a processing vessel having a first region for processing a substrate and second regions disposed above and below the first region in which the substrate is not placed, the adsorption inhibiting gas being supplied from an upper supply part to the second region disposed above the first region, and the adsorption inhibiting gas being supplied from a lower supply part to the second region disposed below the first region; a process gas supply step of supplying a process gas to the first region after the adsorption inhibitor gas supply step; A substrate processing method comprising:

26. an adsorption inhibiting gas supply step of supplying an adsorption inhibiting gas to a second region of a processing vessel having a first region for processing a substrate and second regions disposed above and below the first region in which the substrate is not placed, the adsorption inhibiting gas being supplied from an upper supply part to the second region disposed above the first region, and the adsorption inhibiting gas being supplied from a lower supply part to the second region disposed below the first region; a substrate processing step of supplying a processing gas to the first region after the adsorption inhibitor gas supply step, and processing the substrate placed in the first region; A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having the above structure.

27. an adsorption inhibitor gas supply step of supplying an adsorption inhibitor gas to a first region of a processing vessel in which a substrate is processed and a second region in which the substrate is not placed; a substrate processing step of supplying a processing gas to the first region after the adsorption inhibitor gas supply step, and processing the substrate placed in the first region; A program for causing a computer to execute the above program in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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