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

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing warpage of a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes: a processing chamber where a substrate is processed; a first gas supply mechanism that supplies film formation gas to a front surface of the substrate; a second gas supply mechanism that supplies the film formation gas to a back surface of the substrate; a substrate heating table that heats the substrate in the processing chamber; a lifting mechanism that lifts up and down the substrate at least between a first position where the substrate can be conveyed in and out of the processing chamber and a second position that is closer to the substrate heating table than the first position and does not bring the substrate in contact with the substrate heating table; and a control unit that is configured to control the first gas supply mechanism, the second gas supply mechanism, the substrate heating table, and the lifting mechanism so that the film is formed on both surfaces of the substrate while the substrate is heated at the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART As one step in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a process of supplying a film-forming gas to the surface of a substrate placed on a substrate mounting table to form a film on the substrate is sometimes performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-9742 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a film is formed by supplying a film-forming gas only to the surface of a substrate, the stress of the film may cause warping of the substrate.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can suppress warpage of a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a first gas supply mechanism for supplying a film forming gas to the surface of the substrate; a second gas supply mechanism that supplies a film forming gas to the rear surface of the substrate; a substrate heating stage for heating the substrate in the processing chamber; a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the substrate between at least a first position where the substrate can be transported in and out of the processing chamber and a second position that is closer to the substrate heating table than the first position and does not contact the substrate heating table; a control unit configured to be able to control the first gas supply mechanism, the second gas supply mechanism, the substrate heating table, and the lifting mechanism so as to form films on both sides of the substrate while heating the substrate at the second position; The present invention provides a technique having the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress warpage of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the position of a substrate during substrate transfer. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the position of a substrate during substrate processing. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control unit of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow example illustrating a substrate processing process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the position of a substrate during substrate processing according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <One aspect of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that all drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements shown in the drawings do not necessarily match those of reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships, ratios, etc. of elements between multiple drawings do not necessarily match.

[0010] (1) Configuration of the substrate processing equipment

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a substrate 12 is at a substrate transfer position A as a first position during substrate transfer (also referred to as substrate loading / unloading) when the substrate 12 can be transferred in a processing vessel 202 of the substrate processing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a substrate 12 is at a substrate processing position B as a second position during substrate processing (also referred to as film formation processing) when the substrate 12 is processed in the processing vessel 202 of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0012] (Processing container) The processing vessel 202 includes a vessel 14 that constitutes a processing chamber 22 for processing a substrate 12, and the vessel 14 communicates with the substrate transfer chamber via a gate valve 70.

[0013] The container 14 is composed of a container body 18 that is open at the top, and a lid 20 that closes the top opening of the container body 18. The container 14 defines a processing chamber 22 with a sealed structure inside.

[0014] (Gas inlet) The lid 20 is provided with a gas inlet 26. The gas inlet 26 is disposed so as to face the substrate 12 in the processing chamber 22. The gas inlet 26 includes a gas distribution plate 30 provided upstream of the gas inlet and having a plurality of gas holes, and a shower plate 32 provided downstream of the gas inlet of the gas distribution plate 30 and having a number of gas holes to disperse the gas in a shower-like manner. A gas supply pipe 36 is connected to the gas inlet 26.

[0015] (susceptor) A susceptor 64 serving as a substrate heating stage for heating the substrate 12 is fixed within the vessel body 18. The susceptor 64 also incorporates a heater as a heating mechanism. That is, the substrate 12 is configured to be heated by radiant heat from the susceptor 64. A gas supply space 82 is also provided in the susceptor 64. A plurality of gas supply holes 64a communicating with the gas supply space 82 are formed in the upper surface of the susceptor 64. A gas supply pipe 84 is also connected to the gas supply space 82.

[0016] (Gas supply system) The gas supply system 28 has a gas supply pipe 36, and is configured to supply gas into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 36 and a gas inlet 34 formed in approximately the center of the upper surface of the gas inlet part 26. The gas supply system 28 includes the gas supply pipe 36 that is in communication with the gas inlet 34, gas supply pipes 38a, 38b, and 38c that branch off on the upstream side of the gas supply pipe 36 in the gas supply direction, valves 40a, 40b, and 40c that are on-off valves that open and close gas flow paths provided in the gas supply pipes 38a, 38b, and 38c, respectively, and mass flow controllers (MFCs) 42a, 42b, and 42c that are gas flow rate controllers.

[0017] Gas supply pipe 38a is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44a, an MFC 42a, and a valve 40a. Gas supply pipe 38b is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44b, an MFC 42b, and a valve 40b. Gas supply pipe 38c is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44c, an MFC 42c, and a valve 40c.

[0018] That is, the gas supply system 28 is configured to supply a desired type of gas at a desired gas flow rate and a desired gas ratio into the processing chamber 22 from an upper portion of the container 14 above the substrate 12 via the gas inlet 26. The gas supplied from the gas supply system 28 is also configured to be supplied to the surface of the substrate 12 in the processing chamber 22 via the gas inlet 26.

[0019] The gas supply system 86 has a gas supply pipe 84 and is configured to supply gas into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 84. The gas supply system 86 includes the gas supply pipe 84, gas supply pipes 38d, 38e, and 38f branching off from the gas supply pipe 84 on the upstream side of the gas supply, and valves 40d, 40e, and 40f and MFCs 42d, 42e, and 42f provided in the gas supply pipes 38d, 38e, and 38f, respectively.

[0020] Gas supply pipe 38d is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44d, an MFC 42d, and a valve 40d. Gas supply pipe 38e is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44e, an MFC 42e, and a valve 40e. Gas supply pipe 38f is provided with, in order from the upstream side of the gas supply, a gas supply source 44f, an MFC 42f, and a valve 40f.

[0021] That is, the gas supply system 86 is configured to supply a desired type of gas at a desired gas flow rate and a desired gas ratio into the processing chamber 22 from below the container 14, below the substrate 12. The gas supplied from the gas supply system 86 is also configured to be supplied to the rear surface of the substrate 12 in the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply space 82 and the gas supply holes 64a.

[0022] That is, the gas supply system 28, which supplies gas to the front surface of the substrate 12, and the gas supply system 86, which supplies gas to the back surface of the substrate 12, are each configured to supply desired gases into the processing chamber 22 at desired gas flow rates and desired gas ratios. Therefore, the supply conditions for the film formation gas supplied from the gas supply system 28 to the front surface of the substrate 12 and the supply conditions for the film formation gas supplied from the gas supply system 86 to the back surface of the substrate 12 are each configured to be configurable. That is, it is possible to supply gases with adjusted flow rates to the front and back surfaces of the substrate 12. This makes it possible to form films on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 12 not only with the same composition and film thickness, but also with films with different compositions and film thicknesses.

[0023] The gas inlet 26 and the gas supply system 28 are used as a first gas supply mechanism that supplies gas to the front surface of the substrate in the processing chamber 22. The gas supply space 82, the gas supply holes 64a (the susceptor 64 in this embodiment), and the gas supply system 86 are used as a second gas supply mechanism that supplies gas to the rear surface of the substrate in the processing chamber 22.

[0024] From gas supply pipe 38a, a raw material gas, which is a process gas and a film-forming gas, is supplied into processing chamber 22 via MFC 42a, valve 40a, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26. From gas supply pipe 38b, a reactive gas, which is a process gas and a film-forming gas that reacts with the raw material gas, is supplied into processing chamber 22 via MFC 42b, valve 40b, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26. From gas supply pipe 38c, an inert gas is supplied into processing chamber 22 via MFC 42c, valve 40c, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26.

[0025] Furthermore, a raw material gas, which is a processing gas and a film-forming gas, is supplied from gas supply pipe 38d via MFC 42d, valve 40d, gas supply pipe 84, gas supply space 82, and gas supply hole 64a into processing chamber 22. Furthermore, a reactive gas, which is a processing gas and a film-forming gas that reacts with the raw material gas, is supplied from gas supply pipe 38e via MFC 42e, valve 40e, gas supply pipe 84, gas supply space 82, and gas supply hole 64a into processing chamber 22. Furthermore, an inert gas is supplied from gas supply pipe 38f into processing chamber 22 via MFC 42f, valve 40f, gas supply pipe 84, gas supply space 82, and gas supply hole 64a.

[0026] The gas supply pipe 38a, MFC 42a, valve 40a, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26 constitute a source gas supply system 45a. The gas supply source 44a may be included in the source gas supply system 45a. The gas supply pipe 38b, MFC 42b, valve 40b, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26 constitute a reactive gas supply system 45b. The gas supply source 44b may be included in the reactive gas supply system 45b. The gas supply pipe 38c, MFC 42c, valve 40c, gas supply pipe 36, gas inlet 34, and gas introduction unit 26 constitute an inert gas supply system 45c. The gas supply source 44c may be included in the inert gas supply system 45c. The inert gas supply system 45c may be referred to as a purge gas supply system. The source gas supply system 45a and the reactive gas supply system 45b may be considered as a film forming gas supply system.

[0027] Furthermore, the gas supply pipe 38d, the MFC 42d, the valve 40d, the gas supply pipe 84, the gas supply space 82, and the gas supply holes 64a constitute a source gas supply system 45d. The gas supply source 44d may be included in the source gas supply system 45d. The gas supply pipe 38e, the MFC 42e, the valve 40e, the gas supply pipe 84, the gas supply space 82, and the gas supply holes 64a constitute a reactive gas supply system 45e. The gas supply source 44e may be included in the reactive gas supply system 45e. The gas supply pipe 38f, the MFC 42f, the valve 40f, the gas supply pipe 84, the gas supply space 82, and the gas supply holes 64a constitute an inert gas supply system 45f. The gas supply source 44f may be included in the inert gas supply system 45f. The inert gas supply system 45f may be referred to as a purge gas supply system. The source gas supply system 45d and the reactive gas supply system 45e may be considered as a film forming gas supply system.

[0028] (Around Suscepta) An annular passage 66 communicating with the processing chamber 22 is formed on the side wall of the container body 18. The annular passage 66 is formed in a substantially horizontal ring shape on the side wall of the container body 18. The annular passage 66 is formed at a substrate processing position B (FIG. 2; hereinafter, this position will be referred to as substrate processing position B) of the container body 18. The annular passage 66 is also configured to communicate with an exhaust hole 48. The exhaust hole 48 is provided so as to communicate with the processing chamber 22 via the annular passage 66. The atmosphere inside the processing chamber 22 is configured to be exhausted to the outside of the processing chamber 22 via the annular passage 66 and the exhaust hole 48.

[0029] A transfer port 60 through which the substrate 12 is transferred into and out of the processing chamber 22 is formed in the side wall of the container body 18 above the annular passage 66. The transfer port 60 is formed at a substrate transfer position A (FIG. 1; hereinafter, this position will be referred to as substrate transfer position A) of the container body 18. A gate valve 70 is provided at the transfer port 60 so as to be able to be opened and closed, and serves as an on-off valve for isolating the atmosphere between the substrate transfer chamber and the processing chamber 22. The substrate 12 before processing is transferred from the substrate transfer chamber into the processing chamber 22 through the transfer port 60, and the substrate 12 after processing is transferred from the processing chamber 22 to the substrate transfer chamber through the transfer port 60.

[0030] (Lifting mechanism) The lifting mechanism 80 includes support pins 74 serving as substrate supports that support the substrate 12 from below within the processing chamber 22. A plurality of support pins 74 are provided in an upright position. Each of the support pins 74 is supported by the lifting mechanism 80 and configured to be movable up and down. That is, the substrate 12 can be raised and lowered within the processing chamber 22 on the support pins 74 by being raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 80. The lifting mechanism 80 is configured to adjust the vertical position of the substrate 12 within the processing chamber 22 in multiple stages during each process, such as a substrate loading / unloading process and a film formation process, which will be described later. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 80 is configured to raise and lower the substrate 12 at least between a substrate transfer position A, where the substrate 12 can be transferred into and out of the processing chamber 22, and a substrate processing position B, which is closer to the susceptor 64 than the substrate transfer position A and does not contact the susceptor 64. Furthermore, these support pins 74 are configured to be able to penetrate the susceptor 64. The support pins 74 are configured to be able to move in and out of the surface of the susceptor 64 in response to the elevation of the elevation mechanism 80, so that the substrate 12 can be raised and lowered to the substrate transfer position A or the substrate processing position B.

[0031] That is, when the lifting mechanism 80 is at substrate transfer position A, which is a position where the lifting mechanism 80 can lift the support pins 74 to transfer the substrate, the substrate 12 can be supported on the support pins 74 with the support pins 74 protruding from the susceptor 64. The substrate 12 can be loaded and unloaded between the processing chamber 22 and the substrate transfer chamber through the transfer port 60. Furthermore, when the lifting mechanism 80 lowers the support pins 74 so that the substrate 12 is at substrate processing position B, which is a position below the substrate transfer position A where substrate processing can be performed, the substrate 12 on the support pins 74 can be processed with the support pins 74 protruding from the susceptor 64.

[0032] (Exhaust system) The vessel body 18 is provided with an exhaust system 46 that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber 22 via an exhaust hole 48. An exhaust pipe 50 is connected to the exhaust hole 48. The exhaust pipe 50 is provided with, in order from upstream in the gas flow direction, a pressure sensor 52, a valve 54, an APC valve 56 that is a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure in the processing chamber 22, and a vacuum pump 58. The exhaust pipe 50, the pressure sensor 52, the valve 54, and the APC valve 56 constitute the exhaust system 46. The vacuum pump 58 may also be included in the exhaust system 46. The pressure sensor 52 monitors the pressure in the processing chamber 22. Based on the pressure value acquired by the pressure sensor 52, the MFCs 42a-42f, the valves 40a-40f, 54, the APC valve 56, etc. are controlled to adjust the gas supply and exhaust rates, thereby controlling the pressure in the processing chamber 22 to a desired value.

[0033] (Control unit) A controller 121 as a control section (control means) controls the above-mentioned sections so as to perform the substrate processing steps described below.

[0034] 3, the controller 121 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 121e. An input / output device 124 configured as, for example, a touch panel is connected to the controller 121.

[0035] The storage device 121c is configured with, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. Control programs for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, process recipes describing procedures and conditions for substrate processing (described later), etc., are readably stored in the storage device 121c. The process recipe is a combination of procedures in the substrate processing steps (described later) that are executed by the controller 121 to obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, the process recipes, control programs, etc. are collectively referred to simply as programs. In this specification, the term "program" may refer to only a process recipe, only a control program, or both. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area (work area) for temporarily storing programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 121a.

[0036] The I / O port 121d is connected to the above-mentioned MFCs 42a to 42f, valves 40a to 40f, 54, APC valve 56, vacuum pump 58, gate valve 70, lifting mechanism 80, susceptor 64, substrate transfer machine 104, and the like.

[0037] The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and also to read a process recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 124. The CPU 121a is configured to control the heating operation of the substrate 12 by the susceptor 64, the pressure adjustment operation by the APC valve 56, the flow rate adjustment operation of each gas by the MFCs 42a to 42f and the valves 40a to 40f and 54, the lifting and lowering operation of the substrate 12 by the lifting mechanism 80, the transfer operation of the substrate 12 by the substrate transfer machine 104, and the like, in accordance with the contents of the read process recipe.

[0038] The controller 121 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer, but may also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, the controller 121 according to this embodiment can be configured by preparing an external storage device 123 (e.g., 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 flash drive or a memory card) storing the above-described program, and installing the program into a general-purpose computer using the external storage device 123. The means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying the program via the external storage device 123. For example, the program may be supplied via a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line, without going through the external storage device 123. 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 term "recording medium" may refer to the storage device 121c alone, the external storage device 123 alone, or both.

[0039] (2) Substrate processing process Next, as one step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, a step of forming a thin film on the substrate 12 using the processing vessel 202 of the substrate processing apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 121.

[0040] The term "substrate" used in this specification may refer to the substrate itself, or may refer to a laminate of the substrate and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. The term "surface of the substrate" used in this specification may refer to the surface of the substrate itself, or may refer to the surface of a predetermined layer or the like formed on the substrate. When described in this specification, "forming a predetermined layer on a substrate" may mean forming a predetermined layer directly on the surface of the substrate itself, or may mean forming a predetermined layer on a layer or the like formed on the substrate. When used in this specification, the term "substrate" is synonymous with the term "wafer."

[0041] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an outline of a substrate processing process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] (Substrate loading / heating process: S11) First, the controller 121 uses the lifting mechanism 80 to raise the support pins 74 to the substrate transfer position A shown in FIG. 1 and pass the support pins 74 through the through-holes of the susceptor 64. As a result, at the substrate transfer position A, the support pins 74 protrude a predetermined height from the surface of the susceptor 64. Next, the controller 121 opens the gate valve 70 to connect the processing chamber 22 to the substrate transfer chamber. Then, the controller 121 causes the substrate transfer machine 104 to load the substrate 12 from the substrate transfer chamber into the processing chamber 22 and transfer the substrate 12 onto the support pins 74. As a result, the substrate 12 is supported in a horizontal position on the support pins 74 protruding from the surface of the susceptor 64.

[0043] After loading the substrate 12 into the processing chamber 22, the controller 121 retracts the substrate transfer device 104 to the outside of the processing chamber 22 and closes the gate valve 70 to seal the processing chamber 22. The controller 121 then uses the lifting mechanism 80 to lower the substrate 12 to the substrate processing position B shown in FIG. 2 and stops it. At this time, the substrate 12 is not in contact with the susceptor 64. The distance between the susceptor 64 and the substrate 12 is shorter (or narrower) than the distance between the susceptor 64 and the substrate 12 during substrate loading and unloading. Specifically, the distance between the upper surface of the susceptor 64 and the lower surface of the substrate 12 is, for example, 100 microns to 3 mm. If the distance between the upper surface of the susceptor 64 and the lower surface of the substrate 12 is less than 100 microns, it may be difficult to form a uniform film on the rear surface of the substrate 12. By setting the distance to 100 microns or more, a uniform film can be formed on the rear surface of the substrate 12. Furthermore, if the distance between the upper surface of the susceptor 64 and the lower surface of the substrate 12 exceeds 3 mm, the radiation heating effect of the susceptor 64 may be insufficient. By setting the distance to 3 mm or less, the radiation heating effect can be improved.

[0044] In this specification, when a numerical range is expressed, such as "100 microns to 3 mm," it means that the lower and upper limits are included in the range. For example, "100 microns to 3 mm" means "100 microns or more and 3 mm or less." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0045] When the controller 121 stops the substrate 12 at the substrate processing position B, it opens the valve 54 to communicate between the processing chamber 22 and the APC valve 56, and also between the APC valve 56 and the vacuum pump 58. The controller 121 adjusts the conductance of the exhaust pipe 50 using the APC valve 56 to control the exhaust flow rate of the processing chamber 22 by the vacuum pump 58, and maintains the inside of the processing chamber 22 at a predetermined pressure.

[0046] In this manner, in the substrate loading and heating step (S11), the inside of the processing chamber 22 is controlled to a predetermined pressure, and the susceptor 64 is controlled so that the surface temperature of the substrate 12 becomes the processing temperature, for example, 700 to 1000°C.

[0047] In this specification, the processing temperature refers to the temperature of the substrate 12 or the temperature inside the processing chamber 22, and the processing pressure refers to the pressure inside the processing chamber 22. Furthermore, the processing time refers to the time the processing continues. These terms also apply to the following explanations.

[0048] (Film forming process: S12) Next, the following steps S101 to S105 are performed as a film forming step (S12). In the film forming step (S12), a case will be described in which a step of alternately supplying different process gases as film forming gases is performed one or more times.

[0049] 2, the controller 121 heats the substrate 12 while supporting the substrate 12 on the support pins 74, and supplies gases into the processing chamber 22 from both the front and back sides of the substrate 12. For this reason, the film formation process may also be referred to as a substrate processing process. The controller 121 controls the gas supply system 28, the gas supply system 86, the susceptor 64, the lifting mechanism 80, and the like, to form films on both sides of the substrate 12 while heating the substrate 12 at the substrate processing position B.

[0050] Furthermore, the distance between the substrate 12 on the support pins 74 and the gas inlet 26 in the film formation process is set wider than the distance between the substrate 12 on the support pins 74 and the gas inlet 26 in the substrate loading / unloading process (S11, S13). This makes it possible to suppress a rise in the temperature of the gas inlet 26 due to radiant heat from the susceptor 64.

[0051] (Source gas supply: Step S101) First, source gas is supplied to both surfaces of the substrate 12 in the processing chamber 22 and then exhausted. Specifically, the controller 121 opens the valve 40a to allow the source gas to flow through the gas supply pipe 38a. The flow rate of the source gas is adjusted by the MFC 42a, and the source gas is supplied into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 36, the gas inlet 34, and the gas inlet 26. The source gas is then exhausted from the exhaust pipe 50 via the annular passage 66 and the exhaust hole 48. At this time, the controller 121 may open the valve 40c to supply an inert gas through the gas supply pipe 38c. At the same time, the controller 121 opens the valve 40d to allow the source gas to flow through the gas supply pipe 38d. The flow rate of the source gas is adjusted by the MFC 42d, and the source gas is supplied into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 84, the gas supply space 82, and the gas supply hole 64a. The source gas is then exhausted from the exhaust pipe 50 via the annular passage 66 and the exhaust hole 48. At this time, the controller 121 may open the valve 40f to supply the inert gas from the gas supply pipe 38f. Here, "simultaneously" includes "partially simultaneously." At this time, the valve 54 is opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 22 is controlled by the APC valve 56 to be a predetermined processing pressure.

[0052] In this step, source gas is supplied to both surfaces of substrate 12, i.e., the front and back surfaces (also referred to as the upper and lower surfaces), so that a first layer is formed on the front surface of substrate 12 and a second layer is formed on the back surface of substrate 12. At this time, the first layer and the second layer are films of the same composition, and the first layer, which is a film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 by the source gas supplied from gas supply system 28, and the second layer, which is a film deposited on the back surface of substrate 12 by the source gas supplied from gas supply system 86, are films of the same composition and thickness. In this way, warping of substrate 12 is suppressed.

[0053] As the source gas, for example, a source gas containing silicon (Si) can be used. As the source gas containing Si, for example, a chlorosilane-based gas such as dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2, abbreviated as DCS) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl3, abbreviated as TCS), tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4, abbreviated as STC), hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6, abbreviated as HCDS), a fluorosilane-based gas such as tetrafluorosilane (SiF4) gas, an inorganic silane-based gas such as disilane (Si2H6, abbreviated as DS), an aminosilane-based gas such as trisdimethylaminosilane (Si[N(CH3)2]3H, abbreviated as 3DMAS), etc. can be used. As the source gas, one or more of these can be used.

[0054] As the inert gas, for example, nitrogen (N2) gas or rare gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), etc. One or more of these can be used as the inert gas.

[0055] (Purge: Step S102) After the supply of the source gas is stopped, the processing chamber 22 is purged. Specifically, the controller 121 closes the valves 40a and 40d to stop the supply of the source gas. At this time, the controller 121 leaves the APC valve 56 open and evacuates the processing chamber 22 using the vacuum pump 58 to remove any source gas or by-products remaining in the processing chamber 22 that have not reacted or that have contributed to the formation of the first and second layers. At this time, the controller 121 leaves the valves 40c and 40f open to maintain the supply of the inert gas into the processing chamber 22. The inert gas acts as a purge gas.

[0056] (Reaction gas supply: Step S103) Next, a reactive gas is supplied to both surfaces of the substrate 12 in the processing chamber 22 and then exhausted. Specifically, the controller 121 opens the valve 40b to allow the reactive gas to flow through the gas supply pipe 38b. The flow rate of the reactive gas is adjusted by the MFC 42b, and the reactive gas is supplied into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 36, the gas inlet 34, and the gas inlet 26. The reactive gas is then exhausted from the exhaust pipe 50 via the annular passage 66 and the exhaust hole 48. At this time, the controller 121 may also open the valve 40c to supply an inert gas through the gas supply pipe 38c. At the same time, the controller 121 opens the valve 40e to allow the reactive gas to flow through the gas supply pipe 38e. The flow rate of the reactive gas is adjusted by the MFC 42e, and the reactive gas is supplied into the processing chamber 22 via the gas supply pipe 84, the gas supply space 82, and the gas supply hole 64a. The reactive gas is then exhausted from the exhaust pipe 50 via the annular passage 66 and the exhaust hole 48. At this time, the controller 121 may open the valve 40f to supply the inert gas from the gas supply pipe 38f. At this time, the valve 54 is opened, and the pressure in the processing chamber 22 is controlled by the APC valve 56 to be a predetermined processing pressure.

[0057] In this step, reactive gas is supplied to both sides of substrate 12, i.e., the front and back sides, so that the first layer on the front side of substrate 12 is modified into a third layer, and the second layer on the back side of substrate 12 is modified into a fourth layer. At this time, the third layer and the fourth layer are films of the same composition, and the third layer, which is a film deposited on the front side of substrate 12 by reactive gas supplied from gas supply system 28, and the fourth layer, which is a film deposited on the back side of substrate 12 by reactive gas supplied from gas supply system 86, are films of the same composition and thickness. In this way, warping of substrate 12 is suppressed.

[0058] As the reactive gas, for example, an N-containing gas containing nitrogen (N) can be used. As the N-containing gas, for example, ammonia (NH) gas, diazene (N2H2) gas, hydrazine (N2H4) gas, N3H8 gas, or other hydrogen nitride gas can be used. As the reactive gas, one or more of these can be used.

[0059] (Purge: Step S104) After the supply of the reactive gas is stopped, the processing chamber 22 is purged. Specifically, the controller 121 closes the valves 40b and 40e to stop the supply of the reactive gas. At this time, the controller 121 leaves the APC valve 56 open and evacuates the processing chamber 22 using the vacuum pump 58 to remove any unreacted reactive gas or by-products remaining in the processing chamber 22 after contributing to the modification of the first and second layers. At this time, the controller 121 leaves the valves 40c and 40f open to maintain the supply of the inert gas into the processing chamber 22. The inert gas acts as a purge gas.

[0060] (Performed a predetermined number of times: Step S105) The above-described steps S101 to S104 constitute one cycle, and by performing this cycle a predetermined number of times (n times, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1), a predetermined film having a predetermined thickness is formed on each of the front and rear surfaces of the substrate 12. For example, a silicon nitride (SiN) film can be formed as the predetermined film, and the SiN film can be formed on each of the front and rear surfaces of the substrate 12. That is, the film formed on the front surface of the substrate 12 and the film formed on the rear surface of the substrate 12 can be made to have the same composition. That is, the film deposited on the front surface of the substrate 12 by the source gas and reactive gas supplied from the gas supply system 28 and the film deposited on the rear surface of the substrate 12 by the source gas and reactive gas supplied from the gas supply system 86 can be made to have the same composition. Furthermore, the film deposited on the front surface of the substrate 12 by the source gas and reactive gas supplied from the gas supply system 28 and the film deposited on the rear surface of the substrate 12 by the source gas and reactive gas supplied from the gas supply system 86 can be made to have the same thickness. By forming films on both surfaces of the substrate 12 in this manner, warping of the substrate 12 can be suppressed.

[0061] (Substrate unloading process: S13) After forming a predetermined film of a predetermined thickness on each side of the substrate 12, the processed substrate 12 is lifted to the substrate transfer position A by the lifting mechanism 80 in the reverse order of the substrate loading and heating step (S11) described above, and the processed substrate 12 is then transferred from the processing chamber 22 to the substrate transfer chamber.

[0062] In a single-wafer processing system, a film is formed on a substrate one by one by supplying a film-forming gas to the surface of the substrate. However, if a film is formed only on the surface of the substrate, stress from the film may cause the substrate to warp. Furthermore, as semiconductor devices become increasingly miniaturized, multilayer patterns may be formed on the surface of the substrate, which can cause significant warping of the substrate. In order to suppress substrate warping, it is effective to form a film on both sides of the substrate. However, when a substrate is placed on a susceptor to form a film, only one side of the substrate can be formed. To form a film on both sides of the substrate, the substrate must be flipped over after the first side has been formed and then the other side must be formed. Since the film is formed on each side in this manner, it takes time to form a film on both sides of the substrate, resulting in poor throughput. Furthermore, when forming a film on the other side, particles may adhere to the first side or the first side may be damaged. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to simultaneously form films on both sides of a substrate. This makes it possible to improve throughput while suppressing warpage of the substrate. Furthermore, it is possible to improve film properties. In other words, one or more of the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

[0063] <Other Aspects of the Present Disclosure> Next, a substrate processing step according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment, elements that are substantially the same as those described in Fig. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0064] In this embodiment, in the above-described film formation step (S12), the lifting mechanism 80 raises and lowers the support pins 74 to place the substrate 12 on the susceptor 64 at a timing from the substrate processing position B to the third position, which is the substrate placement position C (FIG. 5; hereinafter, this position will be referred to as the substrate placement position C). That is, the controller 121 stops the gas supply from the gas supply system 86 and stops the gas supply from the backside of the substrate 12 every predetermined number of times (S105) during film formation, thereby stopping the gas supply from the backside of the substrate 12. In this state, the lifting mechanism 80 lowers the substrate 12 from the substrate processing position B to the substrate placement position C, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, raises the substrate 12 from the substrate placement position C to the substrate processing position B to perform the film formation process (S101 to S104). That is, during the film formation step, the substrate 12 is moved between the substrate processing position B and the substrate placement position C.

[0065] In this embodiment, the same effects as those in the above embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in this embodiment, adhesion or solidification of the film between the rear surface of the substrate 12 and the support pin 74 can be suppressed, which serves as a measure against sticking.

[0066] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been specifically described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0067] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus uses a Si-containing gas as a source gas and an N-containing gas as a reactive gas, and alternately supplies these gases to form a SiN film on the substrate 12. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the processing gas used in the substrate processing is not limited to a Si-containing gas or an N-containing gas, and other types of gases may be used to form other types of thin films. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be applied to cases where one type of processing gas is used as a film formation gas, or where three or more types of processing gases are used.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 are films of the same composition have been described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 may be films of different compositions. For example, different film formation gases may be used to supply the front surface of substrate 12 and the rear surface of substrate 12, so that the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 are of different film types. For example, a silicon oxide (SiO) film may be formed on the front surface of substrate 12, and a SiN film may be formed on the rear surface of substrate 12. In this embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 have the same thickness, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 may have different thicknesses. For example, the film formation gas supplied to the rear surface of substrate 12 may be diluted with a larger amount of inert gas or the like than the film formation gas supplied to the front surface of substrate 12. This may result in the film deposited on the front surface of substrate 12 and the film deposited on the rear surface of substrate 12 having different thicknesses. In this embodiment, the same effects as those in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the gas supply mechanism that supplies gas to the backside of the substrate 12 is provided on the susceptor 64, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, a gas supply mechanism that can supply gas to the backside of the substrate 12 may be provided separately from a gas supply mechanism that can supply gas to the front side of the substrate 12.

[0071] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate. The processing procedures and processing conditions in such a case may be the same as those of the above-described embodiments and modifications, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 12 PCB 22 Processing Room 26 Gas inlet 28 Gas supply system 64a Gas supply hole 64 Susceptor (substrate heating table) 80 Lifting mechanism 82 Gas supply space 84 Gas supply pipe 86 Gas Supply System 121 Controller

Claims

1. a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a first gas supply mechanism for supplying a film forming gas to the surface of the substrate; a second gas supply mechanism that supplies a film forming gas to the rear surface of the substrate; a substrate heating stage for heating the substrate in the processing chamber; a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the substrate between at least a first position where the substrate can be transported in and out of the processing chamber and a second position that is closer to the substrate heating table than the first position and does not contact the substrate heating table; a control unit configured to be able to control the first gas supply mechanism, the second gas supply mechanism, the substrate heating table, and the lifting mechanism so as to form films on both sides of the substrate while heating the substrate at the second position; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

2. the second gas supply mechanism is provided in the substrate heating table; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. the substrate heating table is provided with a gas supply space and a plurality of gas supply holes communicating with the gas supply space; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. the first gas supply mechanism is provided with a first flow rate controller capable of controlling the supply amount of the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism, and the second gas supply mechanism is provided with a second flow rate controller capable of controlling the supply amount of the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. a distance between the lower surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the substrate heating table at the second position is set to less than 3 mm; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first gas supply mechanism and the second gas supply mechanism so that the supply of film formation gas from the first gas supply mechanism and the supply of film formation gas from the second gas supply mechanism are at least partially simultaneous.

7. the lifting mechanism includes a substrate support portion that supports the substrate; the substrate heating table includes a heating mechanism for heating the substrate; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to be able to control the heating mechanism and the lifting mechanism so as to heat the substrate in a state where the substrate is supported on the substrate support at the second position.

8. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply conditions of the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism to the front surface of the substrate and the supply conditions of the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism to the back surface of the substrate are each configured to be settable.

9. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film deposited on the front surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism and a film deposited on the back surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism are films of the same composition.

10. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film deposited on the front surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism and a film deposited on the rear surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism are films of different compositions.

11. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film deposited on the front surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism and a film deposited on the rear surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism have the same film thickness.

12. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film deposited on the front surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the first gas supply mechanism and a film deposited on the rear surface of the substrate by the film formation gas supplied from the second gas supply mechanism have different film thicknesses.

13. 2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to be able to control the lifting mechanism to place the substrate on the substrate heating table at predetermined intervals during film formation on the substrate.

14. 2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to control the first gas supply mechanism and the second gas supply mechanism so that, when forming a film on both sides of the substrate, a raw material gas as a film forming gas is supplied from the first gas supply mechanism to the front surface of the substrate to form a first layer on the front surface of the substrate, and the raw material gas is supplied from the second gas supply mechanism to the rear surface of the substrate to form a second layer on the rear surface of the substrate at least partially simultaneously with the supply of the raw material gas from the first gas supply mechanism.

15. The control unit is configured to be able to control the first gas supply mechanism and the second gas supply mechanism so that, when forming a film on both surfaces of the substrate, a reactive gas as a film formation gas is supplied from the first gas supply mechanism to the front surface of the substrate to modify the first layer on the front surface of the substrate into a third layer, and the reactive gas is supplied from the second gas supply mechanism to the rear surface of the substrate at least partially simultaneously with the supply of the reactive gas from the first gas supply mechanism to modify the second layer on the rear surface of the substrate into a fourth layer. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14 .

16. the lifting mechanism is capable of lifting the substrate between the second position and a third position that is closer to the substrate heating table than the second position; The control unit is configured to be able to control the first gas supply mechanism, the second gas supply mechanism, and the elevating mechanism so as to move the substrate to the third position after forming films on both sides of the substrate at the second position, while stopping the supply of film formation gas from the first gas supply mechanism and the supply of film formation gas from the second gas supply mechanism. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

17. Furthermore, an exhaust hole provided in a sidewall of the processing chamber at a height equal to the second position; an annular passage provided in the side wall and capable of exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber through the exhaust hole; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

18. transporting the substrate at a first location into or out of the processing chamber; a step of lowering the substrate from the first position to at least a second position close to a substrate heating table that heats the substrate but not in contact with the substrate heating table, and supplying a film formation gas to the front surface of the substrate and a film formation gas to the back surface of the substrate while heating the substrate, thereby forming films on both surfaces of the substrate; A substrate processing method comprising:

19. transporting the substrate at a first location into or out of the processing chamber; a step of lowering the substrate from the first position to at least a second position close to a substrate heating table that heats the substrate but not in contact with the substrate heating table, and supplying a film formation gas to the front surface of the substrate and a film formation gas to the back surface of the substrate while heating the substrate, thereby forming films on both surfaces of the substrate; A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having the above structure.

20. transporting the substrate at a first location into or out of the process chamber; a step of lowering the substrate from the first position to at least a second position close to a substrate heating table that heats the substrate but not in contact with the substrate heating table, and supplying a film formation gas to the front surface of the substrate and a film formation gas to the back surface of the substrate while heating the substrate, thereby forming films on both surfaces of the substrate; A program that causes a computer to execute the above in a substrate processing apparatus.

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