Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To efficiently perform a substrate processing using a processing gas.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, includes: a processing container constructed in an air tight; a plurality of mounting stages that are provided into an internal part of the processing container, and mounts the substrate; a partition wall that is provided into the inner part of the processing container, and surrounds an outer periphery of each mounting stage; an inner side supply part that supplies a first gas into an inner side of the partition wall; an outer side supply part that supplies a second gas to an outer side of the partition wall in the inner part of the processing container; and a control part that controls the inner side supply part and the outer side supply part. The control part controls a pressure in the inner side of the partition wall becomes an equivalent to the pressure in the outer side of the partition wall or a positive pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that performs a desired process on a substrate using a process gas in a vacuum atmosphere. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate mounting table, a gas introduction member, and a partition member. The gas introduction member introduces gases including the process gas into the chamber. The partition member forms a partition that defines a processing space in an area including the substrate above the substrate mounting table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6541374 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure efficiently processes a substrate using a process gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates, the apparatus comprising: an airtight processing vessel; a plurality of mounting tables disposed inside the processing vessel and on which substrates are placed; a partition disposed inside the processing vessel and surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting tables; an inner gas supply unit that supplies a first gas inside the partition; an outer gas supply unit that supplies a second gas outside the partition inside the processing vessel; and a controller that controls the inner gas supply unit and the outer gas supply unit, wherein the controller controls the pressure inside the partition to be equal to or positive with respect to the pressure outside the partition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, substrate processing using a processing gas can be performed efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an air supply unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 5A to 5C are explanatory views of an etching process in the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are explanatory views of an etching process in the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a table showing the results of verifying the effects of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In a manufacturing process for semiconductor devices, various processes such as etching and film formation are performed on semiconductor wafers (substrates; hereinafter referred to as "wafers") using process gases in a vacuum atmosphere (reduced pressure atmosphere).

[0009] In the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, for example, when etching a wafer, a process gas is introduced from a gas introduction member into a processing space inside a partition defined by a partition member. However, because the inside and outside of the partition are connected, during etching, some of the process gas supplied inside the partition also flows outside the partition, and the process gas spreads throughout the entire interior of the chamber, including the inside and outside of the partition. This reduces the partial pressure (concentration) of the process gas, preventing effective use of the process gas. This reduces the etching rate and ultimately increases the processing time for the etching process. Furthermore, the amount of process gas consumed to achieve the desired etching also increases. In particular, when etching a metal film formed on a wafer, for example, expensive process gas may be used, making it necessary to reduce process gas consumption.

[0010] The technology disclosed herein efficiently processes substrates using a process gas. Hereinafter, a wafer processing apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus and a wafer processing method as a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] <Wafer processing equipment> First, a wafer processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a wafer processing apparatus 1. In the wafer processing apparatus 1, an etching process is performed on a wafer W as a substrate. The target film for the etching process is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a metal film formed on the wafer W.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer processing apparatus 1 includes an airtight processing vessel 10, a plurality of mounting tables 11, 11 (two in this embodiment) on which wafers W are placed inside the processing vessel 10, an air supply section 12 that supplies processing gas and inert gas into the inside of the processing vessel 10, a partition wall 13 that surrounds the outer periphery of the mounting tables 11, 11 and is configured to be freely raised and lowered, a lifting mechanism 14 that is fixed to the bottom surface of the processing vessel 10 and raises and lowers the partition wall 13, inner walls 15 that individually surround the outside of each mounting table 11, and an exhaust section 16 that exhausts the inside of the processing vessel 10.

[0013] The processing vessel 10 is a vessel made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel and has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The processing vessel 10 has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, a cylindrical sidewall 20 with open top and bottom surfaces, a ceiling plate 21 airtightly covering the top surface of the sidewall 20, and a bottom plate 22 covering the bottom surface of the sidewall 20. A sealing member (not shown) that keeps the inside of the processing vessel 10 airtight is provided between the upper end surface of the sidewall 20 and the ceiling plate 21. A heater (not shown) is also provided in the processing vessel 10. The bottom plate 22 may be provided with a heat insulating material.

[0014] The mounting table 11 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and includes an upper table 30 having a mounting surface on which the wafer W is placed, and a lower table 31 fixed to the bottom plate 22 and supporting the upper table 30. The upper table 30 has a built-in temperature adjustment mechanism 32 that adjusts the temperature of the wafer W. The temperature adjustment mechanism 32 adjusts the temperature of the mounting table 11 by circulating a coolant such as water, and controls the temperature of the wafer W on the mounting table 11 to a desired temperature.

[0015] A support pin unit (not shown) is provided at a position below the mounting table 11 on the bottom plate 22, and is configured to allow the wafer W to be transferred between the support pins (not shown) driven up and down by this support pin unit and a transport mechanism (not shown) provided outside the wafer processing apparatus 1.

[0016] The gas supply unit 12 has a shower head 40 provided above the mounting table 11. The gas supply unit 12 also has a first inner gas supply unit 41 that supplies, for example, a processing gas (first gas) inside the partition wall 13, a second inner gas supply unit 42 that supplies, for example, an inert gas, N2 gas in this embodiment, inside the partition wall 13, and an outer gas supply unit 43 that supplies, for example, an inert gas (second gas), N2 gas in this embodiment, outside the partition wall 13. The first inner gas supply unit 41, the second inner gas supply unit 42, and the outer gas supply unit 43 are each provided in the shower head 40. The detailed configuration of the gas supply unit 12 will be described later.

[0017] The partition wall 13 has two cylindrical portions 50, 50 that individually surround the two mounting tables 11, 11, an upper flange portion 51 provided at the upper ends of the cylindrical portions 50, 50, and lower flange portions 52, 52 provided at the lower ends of the cylindrical portions 50, 50. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 50 is set larger than the outer surface of the mounting table 11, so that a gap is formed between the cylindrical portion 50 and the mounting table 11.

[0018] The partition wall 13 is provided with a heater (not shown) and heated to a desired temperature. This heating prevents foreign matter contained in the processing gas from adhering to the partition wall 13.

[0019] A sealing member 53 such as an O-ring is provided on the upper surface of the upper flange 51 corresponding to each mounting table 11. The sealing member 53 airtightly seals the gap between the upper flange 51 and the shower head 40 when the elevating mechanism 14 raises the partition wall 13 and the upper flange 51 abuts against the shower head 40. A sealing member 54 such as an O-ring is also provided on a protruding portion 71 of the inner wall 15 (described later) corresponding to each mounting table 11. The sealing member 54 airtightly seals the gap between the lower flange 52 and the protruding portion 71 when the protruding portion 71 abuts against the lower flange 52. The partition wall 13 is raised to bring the shower head 40 into contact with the sealing member 53, and further to bring the lower flange 52 into contact with the sealing member 54, thereby dividing the interior of the processing vessel 10 across the partition wall 13. That is, an inner space S, which is a space inside the partition wall 13, and an outer space T, which is a space outside the partition wall 13, are formed inside the processing vessel 10.

[0020] The lifting mechanism 14 that lifts and lowers the partition wall 13 includes an actuator 60 arranged outside the processing vessel 10, a drive shaft 61 connected to the actuator 60, which penetrates the bottom plate 22 of the processing vessel 10 and extends vertically upward inside the processing vessel 10, and a plurality of guide shafts 62, each of which has a tip connected to the partition wall 13 and the other end extending to the outside of the processing vessel 10. The guide shafts 62 prevent the partition wall 13 from tilting when the partition wall 13 is lifted and lowered by the drive shaft 61.

[0021] The lower end of an expandable bellows 63 is airtightly connected to the drive shaft 61. The upper end of the bellows 63 is airtightly connected to the lower surface of the bottom plate 22. Therefore, when the drive shaft 61 moves up and down, the bellows 63 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, thereby maintaining the inside of the processing vessel 10 airtight. Note that a sleeve (not shown) fixed to the bottom plate 22, for example, is provided between the drive shaft 61 and the bellows 63 to function as a guide during the lifting and lowering operation.

[0022] A bellows 64, which is expandable and contractible like the drive shaft 61, is connected to the guide shaft 62. The upper end of the bellows 64 straddles the bottom plate 22 and the side wall 20 and is airtightly connected to both. Therefore, when the guide shaft 62 moves up and down in accordance with the vertical movement of the partition wall 13 by the drive shaft 61, the bellows 64 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, thereby maintaining the airtightness inside the processing vessel 10. As in the case of the drive shaft 61, a sleeve (not shown) is also provided between the guide shaft 62 and the bellows 64 to function as a guide during the vertical movement.

[0023] The inner wall 15 is formed of a metal such as aluminum. The inner wall 15 has a substantially cylindrical main body 70 and a protrusion 71 provided at the upper end of the main body 70 and protruding horizontally toward the outer periphery of the inner wall 15. The inner walls 15 are disposed so as to surround the lower bases 31 of the mounting table 11, respectively. The inner diameter of the main body 70 of the inner wall 15 is set larger than the outer diameter of the lower base 31, and an exhaust space V is formed between each of the inner wall 15 and the lower base 31. In this embodiment, the exhaust space V also includes the space between the partition wall 13 and the upper base 30. As shown in FIG. 1 , the height of the inner wall 15 is set so that the seal member 54 and the protrusion 71 of the inner wall 15 come into contact with each other when the elevating mechanism 14 raises the partition wall 13 to the wafer processing position. This allows the inner wall 15 and the partition wall 13 to be in airtight contact with each other.

[0024] A plurality of slits 72 are formed at the lower end of the inner wall 15. The slits 72 are exhaust ports through which the processing gas is discharged. In this embodiment, the slits 72 are formed at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the inner wall 15.

[0025] The inner wall 15 is fixed to the bottom plate 22. As described above, the processing vessel 10 is configured to be heated by a heater (not shown), and the inner wall 15 is also heated by the heater of the processing vessel 10. The inner wall 15 is heated to a desired temperature so that foreign matter contained in the processing gas does not adhere to the inner wall 15.

[0026] The exhaust unit 16 has an exhaust mechanism 80 that exhausts the inside of the processing vessel 10. The exhaust mechanism 80 is connected to an exhaust pipe 81 that is provided on the bottom plate 22 of the processing vessel 10 outside the partition wall 13 and the inner wall 15. The exhaust mechanism 80 and the exhaust pipe 81 are provided in common to the two inner walls 15. That is, the processing gas from the two exhaust spaces V is exhausted by the exhaust mechanism 80 through the common exhaust pipe 81.

[0027] The wafer processing apparatus 1 described above is provided with a control unit 90. The control unit 90 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, a memory, etc., and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling the processing of wafers W in the wafer processing apparatus 1. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium (not shown) and installed into the control unit 90 from the storage medium. The storage medium may be temporary or non-temporary.

[0028] <Air supply section> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the above-mentioned air supply unit 12. FIG.

[0029] 2, the gas supply unit 12 has a shower head 40. The shower heads 40 are individually provided on the underside of the ceiling plate 21 of the processing chamber 10, facing each of the mounting tables 11. Each shower head 40 is provided with the above-described first inner gas supply unit 41, second inner gas supply unit 42, and outer gas supply unit 43. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates only one of the two shower heads 40, and also illustrates one each of the first inner gas supply unit 41, second inner gas supply unit 42, and outer gas supply unit 43.

[0030] The shower head 40 has a configuration in which an upper plate 100, a middle plate 101, and a lower plate 102 (so-called shower plate) are stacked in this order from above. The upper plate 100, the middle plate 101, and the lower plate 102 are each made of, for example, aluminum.

[0031] The first inner gas supply section 41 supplies processing gas (solid arrow in the figure) to the inside of the partition wall 13 (inner space S). The first inner gas supply section 41 has an upper diffusion space 110 formed in the upper plate 100, a lower diffusion space 111 formed in the middle plate 101, and multiple supply ports 112 formed on the underside of the lower plate 102. The upper diffusion space 110 is formed so that the processing gas diffuses over the entire surface on the upper surface side of the upper plate 100. The lower diffusion space 111 is connected to the upper diffusion space 110 and is formed so that the processing gas diffuses over the entire surface on the upper surface side of the middle plate 101. The multiple supply ports 112 are connected to the lower diffusion space 111 and are formed so that the processing gas is uniformly distributed over the underside of the lower plate 102.

[0032] A first process gas supply pipe 120 is connected to the upper diffusion space 110. The first process gas supply pipe 120 is connected to a first process gas supply source 121. The first process gas supply pipe 120 is provided with a gas supply device 122 including a valve, a mass flow controller, etc. A second process gas supply pipe 130 is connected to the upper diffusion space 110. The second process gas supply pipe 130 is connected to a second process gas supply source 131, and the second process gas supply pipe 130 is provided with a gas supply device 132 including a valve, a mass flow controller, etc. A first process gas and a second process gas are stored in the first process gas supply source 121 and the second process gas supply source 131, respectively. The first process gas and the second process gas are selected depending on the film to be etched.

[0033] The first process gas supplied from the first process gas supply source 121 and the second process gas supplied from the second process gas supply source 131 each flow into the upper diffusion space 110, where they are mixed and diffused. The mixed process gas (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "mixed process gas") flows into the lower diffusion space 111 and is diffused. The mixed process gas is then supplied from multiple supply ports 112 to the inside of the partition wall 13 (the inner space S).

[0034] The second inner gas supply section 42 supplies an inert gas, in this embodiment, N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure), to the inside (inner space S) of the partition wall 13. Note that the inert gas supplied from the second inner gas supply section 42 is not limited to N2 gas, and may be, for example, Ar gas or He gas.

[0035] The second inner gas supply section 42 has an upper diffusion space 140 formed in the upper plate 100, a lower diffusion space 141 formed in the lower plate 102, and a plurality of supply ports 142 formed on the lower surface of the lower plate 102. The upper diffusion space 140 is formed on the lower surface of the upper plate 100 so that N2 gas diffuses over the entire surface. The lower diffusion space 141 communicates with the upper diffusion space 140 and is formed on the upper surface of the lower plate 102 so that N2 gas diffuses over the entire surface. The plurality of supply ports 142 communicate with the lower diffusion space 141 and are formed so as to be uniformly distributed on the lower surface of the lower plate 102.

[0036] An N2 gas supply pipe 150 is connected to the upper diffusion space 140. The N2 gas supply pipe 150 is connected to an N2 gas supply source 151. The N2 gas supply pipe 150 is provided with a gas supply device 152 including a valve, a mass flow controller, etc. N2 gas is stored inside the N2 gas supply source 151.

[0037] N2 gas supplied from the N2 gas supply source 151 flows into the upper diffusion space 140 and is diffused, and further flows into the lower diffusion space 141 and is diffused. The N2 gas is then supplied from a plurality of supply ports 142 to the inside of the partition wall 13 (the inner space S).

[0038] The outer gas supply unit 43 supplies an inert gas, in this embodiment, N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure), to the outside (outer space T) of the partition wall 13. Note that the inert gas supplied from the outer gas supply unit 43 is not limited to N2 gas, and may be, for example, Ar gas or He gas.

[0039] The outer gas supply section 43 has a diffusion space 160 formed in the upper plate 100 and a plurality of supply ports 161 formed on the side surface of the upper plate 100. The diffusion space 160 is formed on the upper surface side of the upper plate 100 so that N2 gas diffuses to the outer periphery. The plurality of supply ports 161 communicate with the diffusion space 160 and are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the side surface of the upper plate 100.

[0040] An N2 gas supply pipe 170 is connected to the diffusion space 160. The N2 gas supply pipe 170 is connected to an N2 gas supply source 151. The N2 gas supply pipe 150 is provided with a gas supply device 171 including a valve, a mass flow controller, etc. The N2 gas supply pipe 170 may be connected to an N2 gas supply source other than the N2 gas supply source 151.

[0041] The N2 gas supplied from the N2 gas supply source 151 flows into the diffusion space 160 and is diffused. Then, the N2 gas is supplied from a plurality of supply ports 161 to the outside of the partition wall 13 (outside space T).

[0042] The first processing gas supply source 121, the second processing gas supply source 131, and the N2 gas supply source 151 may be provided in common to the two shower heads 40, or may be provided individually to each shower head 40.

[0043] <Etching process> Next, an etching process in the wafer processing apparatus 1 configured as above will be described. Figures 3 and 4 are explanatory views of the etching process. In this embodiment, a metal film formed on a wafer W is etched.

[0044] (Process S1) 3(a), with the partition wall 13 lowered to the retracted position, the wafer W is transferred into the processing vessel 10 and placed on each mounting table 11. The retracted position of the partition wall 13 is set so that the upper surface of the upper flange portion 51 is positioned lower than the upper surface of the mounting table 11.

[0045] (Process S2) 3(b), the partition wall 13 is raised to the processing position where the upper flange portion 51 of the partition wall 13 abuts against the shower head 40. As a result, the interior of the processing vessel 10 is partitioned by the partition wall 13, and an inner space S inside the partition wall 13 and an outer space T outside the partition wall 13 are formed.

[0046] (Process S3) 4(a), N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure) is supplied from supply port 161 of outer gas supply section 43 to outer space T, and N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure) is supplied from supply port 142 of second inner gas supply section 42 to inner space S. Then, the pressure in outer space T and the pressure in inner space S are adjusted. At this time, the pressure in inner space S is adjusted to be positive relative to the pressure in outer space T.

[0047] (Process S4) 4(b), N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure) continues to be supplied from supply port 161 of outer gas supply unit 43 to outer space T. Also, processing gas (mixed processing gas, solid arrow in the figure) is supplied from supply port 112 of first inner gas supply unit 41 to inner space S, and N2 gas (dotted arrow in the figure) is supplied from supply port 142 of second inner gas supply unit 42 to inner space S. Then, the metal film on wafer W is etched by the processing gas.

[0048] In step S4, N2 gas is supplied to the outer space T. This makes it possible to prevent the processing gas in the inner space S from flowing out into the outer space T.

[0049] In step S4, the pressure in the inner space S is maintained equal to or positive with respect to the pressure in the outer space T. This makes it possible to prevent N2 gas from flowing back from the outer space T to the inner space S.

[0050] In step S4, by supplying N2 gas from the supply port 142 of the second inner gas supply section 42, it is possible to prevent the processing gas from the inner space S from flowing back through the supply port 142.

[0051] In step S4, the process gas and N2 gas in the inner space S are exhausted from the outer periphery of the wafer W placed on the mounting table 11 through the exhaust space V, the slits 72 in the inner wall 15, and the exhaust pipe 81 by the exhaust mechanism 80. The N2 gas in the outer space T is also exhausted by the exhaust mechanism 80 through the exhaust pipe 81. Since the exhaust pipe 81 is provided outside the partition wall 13, the backflow of N2 gas from the outer space T to the inner space S can be further suppressed.

[0052] When the etching process in step S4 is completed, the partition wall 13 descends to the retreat position, and the wafers W on the mounting tables 11 are carried out to the outside of the wafer processing apparatus 1. This completes the series of wafer processing steps.

[0053] According to the above embodiment, supplying N2 gas to the outer space T in step S4 prevents the process gas in the inner space S from flowing into the outer space T and spreading throughout the interior of the process vessel 10. That is, the process gas diffusion space can be reduced, thereby increasing the partial pressure (concentration) of the process gas in the inner space S. As a result, the process gas can be used efficiently, improving the etching rate. This reduces the processing time of the etching process and improves the productivity of product wafers. Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce the consumption of the process gas required to achieve the desired etching. In particular, when etching a metal film formed on a wafer W, as in this embodiment, an expensive gas may be used as the process gas. Therefore, reducing the consumption of the process gas reduces the running cost of the etching process.

[0054] In order to verify the effects of the present embodiment, the inventors conducted an experiment using the wafer processing apparatus 1. In this experiment, as an example, an etching process was performed by supplying N gas to the outer space T in step S4 as in the present embodiment. Also, as a comparative example, an etching process was performed without supplying N gas to the outer space T.

[0055] The experimental conditions and results of this embodiment are shown in FIG. 5. The etching time, temperature, and pressure are the same in the example and the comparative example. Furthermore, the total flow rate of gas supplied into the processing vessel 10 is the same in the example and the comparative example, and the flow rates of the first processing gas and the second processing gas supplied to the inner space S are also the same. In the example, N gas was supplied to both the inner space S and the outer space T, whereas in the comparative example, N gas was supplied only to the inner space S, and N gas was not supplied to the outer space T.

[0056] In this case, referring to FIG. 5, the etching rate in the comparative example is low. This is presumably because the processing gas supplied to the inner space S flows out into the outer space T and spreads throughout the interior of the processing vessel 10, resulting in a lower partial pressure (concentration) of the processing gas. On the other hand, the etching rate in the example is higher than that of the comparative example. This is because N2 gas is supplied to the outer space T, which prevents the processing gas from flowing out from the inner space S to the outer space T, thereby increasing the partial pressure (concentration) of the processing gas. In addition, the decrease in the flow rate of N2 gas supplied to the inner space S increases the concentration of the processing gas in the inner space S, which also contributes to the improvement of the etching rate. Therefore, this experiment verified the effects of the above embodiment.

[0057] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, after the partition wall 13 is raised in step S2, the pressure inside the processing vessel 10 is adjusted in step S3, but the order of steps S2 and S3 may be reversed. When the pressure inside the processing vessel 10 in step S3 is adjusted using N2 gas from the outer gas supply unit 43 and N2 gas from the second inner gas supply unit 42, the pressure may be adjusted with the partition wall 13 lowered to the retracted position, and then the partition wall 13 may be raised to the processing position in step S2.

[0058] When adjusting the pressure inside the processing vessel 10 in step S3, a processing gas may be supplied from the first inner gas supply part 41 or the second inner gas supply part 42. For example, when etching a metal film on the wafer W by oxidizing the metal film, an oxygen-containing gas is used as one of the processing gases, and this oxygen-containing gas may be supplied in adjusting the pressure in step S3. In such a case, in order to prevent the oxygen-containing gas supplied inside the partition wall 13 from flowing out to the outside of the partition wall 13, it is preferable to raise the partition wall 13 in step S2 and then adjust the pressure inside the processing vessel 10 in step S3.

[0059] In the above embodiment, in the outer gas supply unit 43, N2 gas is supplied from the plurality of supply ports 161 formed on the side surface of the shower head 40. However, the supply position of the N2 gas is not limited to this. For example, if the shower head 40 is large in the horizontal direction and extends to the outside of the partition wall 13, the plurality of supply ports 161 may be formed on the lower surface of the shower head 40, and N2 gas may be supplied vertically downward from the plurality of supply ports 161 toward the outside of the partition wall 13.

[0060] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which two mounting tables 11, 11 are provided as the multiple mounting tables, but the number of mounting tables 11 is not limited to two. For example, the number of mounting tables 11 may be one, or three or more.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the partition 13 is configured to be freely raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 14, but the partition may also be fixed. This partition is fixed to the lower surface of the shower head 40 and the bottom surface of the processing vessel 10. A loading / unloading port for loading and unloading the wafer W is formed on the side of the partition, and a shutter for opening and closing the loading / unloading port is provided. In such a case, the inner wall 15 is omitted.

[0062] In the above embodiment, one partition wall 13 is provided for two mounting tables 11, 11, but the configuration of the partition wall is not limited to the content of this embodiment. The shape of the partition wall can be set arbitrarily as long as it can form an independent inner space S for each mounting table 11. For example, a partition wall may be provided individually for each mounting table 11.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a case where a metal film on a wafer W is etched in the wafer processing apparatus 1 has been described, but the film to be etched is not limited to this. Also, in the above embodiment, a case where an etching process is performed in the wafer processing apparatus 1 has been described, but the wafer process to which the present disclosure is applicable is not limited to this. The present disclosure may also be applied to any wafer process that uses a process gas, such as a film formation process.

[0064] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Wafer processing equipment 10 Processing container 11 Mounting table 12 Air supply section 13 Bulkhead 41 First inner air supply 42 Second inner air supply 43 Outside air supply section W wafer

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, an airtight processing container; a plurality of mounting stages provided inside the processing chamber and configured to support substrates thereon; a partition wall provided inside the processing chamber and surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table; an inner gas supply unit that supplies a first gas to an inner side of the partition wall; an outer gas supply unit that supplies a second gas to an outer side of the partition wall inside the processing chamber; a control unit for controlling the inner air supply unit and the outer air supply unit, The control unit controls the pressure inside the partition so that the pressure inside the partition is equal to or positive with respect to the pressure outside the partition.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inner gas supply unit and the outer gas supply unit are provided in the same shower head.

3. the first gas is a process gas; 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second gas is an inert gas.

4. The inner air supply section is a first inner gas supply section that supplies a processing gas; 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second inner gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas.

5. an exhaust unit that exhausts the inside of the processing vessel is provided at a bottom surface of the processing vessel; 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit exhausts the gas through an exhaust pipe common to the plurality of mounting stages.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second gas supplied from the outer gas supply unit is exhausted from the exhaust unit.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the partition wall.

8. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, an airtight processing container; a partition wall that partitions the inside of the processing vessel; a shower head that supplies gas into the processing chamber; a control unit; the shower heads are provided individually for a plurality of substrates, and the shower heads are partitioned by the partition wall into a region where a first gas is supplied inside the partition wall and a region where a second gas is supplied outside the partition wall within the processing chamber; The control unit controls the pressure inside the partition so that the pressure inside the partition is equal to or positive with respect to the pressure outside the partition.

9. the first gas is a process gas; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second gas is an inert gas.

10. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate using a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The substrate processing apparatus includes: an airtight processing container; a plurality of mounting stages provided inside the processing chamber and configured to support substrates thereon; a partition wall provided inside the processing chamber and surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table; an inner gas supply unit that supplies a first gas to an inner side of the partition wall; an outer gas supply unit that supplies a second gas to an outer side of the partition wall inside the processing chamber, In the substrate processing method, (a) placing a substrate on the stage; (b) supplying the second gas from the outer gas supply unit to the outside of the partition wall and supplying the first gas from the inner gas supply unit to the inside of the partition wall to process a substrate; In the step (b), the pressure inside the partition is maintained equal to or positive with respect to the pressure outside the partition.

11. the first gas is a process gas; The substrate processing method of claim 10 , wherein the second gas is an inert gas.

12. 12. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein in the step (b), an inert gas is supplied from the inner gas supply part to the inside of the partition wall.

13. an exhaust unit that exhausts the inside of the processing vessel is provided at a bottom surface of the processing vessel; 13. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein in the step (b), the exhaust unit exhausts the inside of the processing chamber through an exhaust pipe common to the plurality of mounting tables.

14. 14. The substrate processing method according to claim 13, wherein in the step (b), the second gas supplied from the outer gas supply part is exhausted from the exhaust part.

15. 15. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of: after the step (a) and before the step (b), supplying an inert gas from the outer gas supply unit to the outside of the partition wall, and supplying an inert gas from the inner gas supply unit to the inside of the partition wall, thereby adjusting the pressure outside the partition wall and the pressure inside the partition wall.

16. a substrate processing vessel having an internal space; a partition wall provided in the substrate processing vessel and configured to divide the interior space into a plurality of inner regions and an outer region; a plurality of substrate mounting tables provided in each of the plurality of inner regions; a plurality of process gas supply units respectively corresponding to the plurality of inner regions, each process gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas to a corresponding inner region; an inert gas supply configured to supply an inert gas to the outer region; a control unit configured to control at least one of the plurality of process gas supply units and the inert gas supply unit so that pressures in the plurality of inner regions are equal to or positive with respect to pressures in the outer region; Substrate processing equipment.

17. 17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of process gas supply units includes a shower head provided above the substrate mounting table disposed in the corresponding inner region.

18. 18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the substrate processing vessel has a common exhaust port communicating with the plurality of inner regions and the outer region.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising a lifting mechanism configured to lift and lower the partition wall.

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